January 19th: Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park
MY PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY 2014
......and so we begin. I have finally packed away my clarinet. It provided me and hopefully a few others along the way with some real pleasure. Many thanks to my various teachers and in particular Chris King, who, after many years as principal clarinettist with the Ulster Orchestra is now enjoying his retirement. Two experiences stand out for me.....the years I spent with the Irish Youth Orchestra and playing in Berio's Folk Songs at Incontri in Terra di Siena. Both experiences brought me closest in my life to music making of the highest standard......although there were many other moments that stand out over the years in my musical life;
Thank you Clare and Lee......and my sister Helen.....really enjoyed our Shepherd on the Rock
David........the Mozart Requiem was speciaI
I miss my Brahms Sonatas, and many thanks to the pianists who played them with me
Cosi fan tutti in Castleward
Messaien Quartet for the end of time in Belfast and Derry
My last concert at QUB before moving to London.....Schubert Octet
There were other moments, some wonderful and some quite awful.......but I look back at the music years with a great sense of pride and gratefulness to all those who shared the gift of making music with me. Not that all the music is over......still loving the opera, concerts festivals and recordings.......loads to learn and experience!
However the clarinets are well and truly packed away (I would actually be afraid to open the case) and I now have PHOTOGRAPHY to satisfy my creative needs.
This Blog will follow the journey. Photography for me is a strange experience......like with my music I know what I would like to do be able to do and am so aware of my limitations. I have looked at many great photographs, looked at many videos, attended courses, read books and even spent a small fortune on equipment and the art still eludes me. However this year I am going to move that journey forward. I am lucky in having so many interests and opportunities around me to help me develop photographic skills.......school, Incontri in Terra di Siena, Ireland, travel, field and track and London and much more.
This blog is going to track one year in this journey and I will try to publish one photograph every day.....good or bad. Let's see where the journey goes.