Saturday 8 February 2014

Trees in January

January - the skeleton of last year still visible in every tree, in every unkept resolution now rotting into wayside ditches. Each captured image is a line in New Year's book, or an echo of what we've lost.




 

 



                                                             
                                                         


                                                               ... an echo of what we've lost.



Experimental Explanations and Projected Outcomes

Let me be upfront about this - this blog is something of an experiment: a project for 2014 that may, or may not, work; that may, or may not, extend beyond 2014 (that may, or may not, make it through 2014).

I am a professional writer, largely of poetry and fiction, and a very amateur photographer. In recent years I have set myself, as a personal amusement, annual photographic projects.

In 2012 it was to take, and publish on Facebook, a photograph a day.

In 2013 it was to publish twelve monthly photographic albums. Each album was a collection of photographs that evoked or resonated with one of my poems, sometimes illustrating it and sometimes just reminding me of the poem in some, possibly rather random, way. 

In 2014 I have struggled to come up with a project.

My activities in 2012 and 2013 were routine-oriented and structured. As I haven't found a structure to inspire me this year, I have decided that 2014's project will be more or less structureless, with just this brand new blog to frame it.

I will take photographs throughout the year as before and every month or so (with the emphasis on the "or so") I will review what I have taken and see if there are any patterns, resonances, repetitions or themes that I can use to put together a collection of photographs for this blog. I will post the photos here, along with any words I feel inspired to write, which may be poetry or prose or prose poetry or just random jottings. If I feel the need to fall silent and let the photographs communicate on their own, then that is what I shall do.

And that's about it, really: lots of photographs (hopefully), a little bit of writing and, if I am lucky, some flashes of inspiration.

I declare this blog officially open.