Round Up - January 2022

First of all, I have to say that I’ve got a bit of a cheek to call this a regular round up since I’ve looked back and the last one was published quite a while ago. At least no-one has been bombarded with too many emails!

I’ve been moving house over that period and it became all consuming, so while other things barely ticked over, this newsletter was sadly forgotten completely.

No matter, in this one, I’ll catch up on everything published since my last one so that you can read any of my blogs if you wish.

The skyline of Canary Wharf in London is seen from across the river Thames at sunset. Some of the higher buildings are, left to right, HSBC bank, One Canada Square, Citibank, Newfoundland Building, Societe Generale Bank (SocGen) Building, Landmark Bu — CANARY WHARF - WINTER SKY

But first, I’ll start with what’s been happening right now. I’ve just created three new prints. They’re very different in looks but they were all taken on the same night. I went out specifically to capture the Wolf Moon rising (first moon of the year). It was quite spectacular because it was rising as the sunset was casting a beautiful pink glow over everything.

In my first image above, the moon was in the sky but over to the left of the buildings. The colour of the sky and the glow on the buildings from the sunset was so good though that I couldn’t resist taking this one which is a pretty good line up of the old buildings (relatively old - HSBC, One Canada Square, Citi) and the new (Newfoundland, Soc Gen, Landmark).

The next print is focussed on One Canada Square which always looks amazing when the sun shines on it. The sky was already a deep blue/purple colour so it inspired me to play around with the shade. As I did, it reminded me of the latest Pantone colour of the year for 2022 which is Very Peri. This is described by Pantone themselves as “A New Pantone Colour Whose Courageous Presence Encourages Personal Inventiveness And Creativity”. Sounds fab! So, my next step was to turn the sky that very colour. It gives it a poster like finish which I really like alongside the metallic look of the buildings.

The buildings of Canary Wharf in London at sunset given a colour uplift to result in a sky which is Very Peri, the Pantone colour of the year 2022. Captured from across the river Thames. The sunset was already lighting up the windows of the buildings — CANARY WHARF - VERY PERI SKY

WOLF MOON RISING

My third print is one of the first I took that evening and it’s of the full moon rising. Since the buildings are all so tall, I was only able to capture it through or by the side of some buildings. I walked a few yards up and down to make sure I could frame the moon as I wanted. And my little bit of effort paid off as I captured this next shot.

The Wolf Moon (first moon of the year 2022) rises at sunset between the high rise buildings of Canary Wharf in London. The sunset has the effect of making the buildings and the sky glow.

My last image is from the previous evening as the moon was approaching full. It’s one that isn’t a print but which I just really like. It’s the rising moon over the Canary Wharf riverside buildings which are residential. They don’t have the fame or the height of the office buildings but they’re just as beautiful. The green roof is just stunning!

Rising moon over the residential buildings of Canary Wharf riverside

I spent a bit of time that evening trying to get the moon lined up exactly with the pyramid top of One Canada Square. And I did succeed. It was a case of be careful what you wish for though because I just didn’t like the result. The moon had risen much higher by that time and looked small and insignificant against the lights of the buildings. I looked at it again and again but decided it couldn’t be rescued and to notch it up as a lesson learned. Oh well, it was fun trying.

Here are the blogs I’ve written since my last newsletter, which you can click on and dip into :

Part of Heather Phillipson's art installation, titled Rupture No 1 : blowtorching the bitten peach at the Tate Britain.

Arty Day out at the Tate Britain

The old warehouse buildings of Dunbar Wharf near Limehouse, now turned into flats

DAY 19 - ISLE OF DOGS PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT

The beautiful Paris skyline seen through the vast clock window in the Musee d'Orsay. On the horizon is the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre and just on the other side of the Seine is the ferris wheel in the Jardins des Tuileries.

PARIS ESCAPE - Paris recommendations and Prints for sale

The OXO Tower and OXO Tower Wharf building by night in mirror image to spotlight the beauty of its structure.

10 REASONS I’M GRATEFUL TO BE A PHOTOGRAPHER IN 2022

I’ve started this year really optimistically. So far, I’ve created my first composite (blended) image to make available as a print (SPIRIT OF THE NEW YEAR - LONDON which is on my Instagram page) and I’m keen to work on a lot more of these this year. I’ve also visited the Victoria & Albert Museum photography rooms again to see the latest displays and exhibits. At home, I’ve set up a new workstation (really just a seat at a table) but it’s good to have a settled and roomy space after the chaos of moving home. I’ve also just today found a nearby free and very quiet workspace in case it’s not convenient to work at home or if I just fancy a change of scene. It’s in a library so it’s very conducive to working with no distractions.

I also bought a long overdue new camera bag, experimented with my new 24-70 lens (which fits nicely into the new bag) and I’ve succeeded in finding a way to turn part of a photo into any desired colour.

Looking ahead, I’m planning on doing more of what I enjoy and more experimenting. I’m definitely going to explore more contemporary art and I want to concentrate on the technical aspects of photography which will improve the quality of my prints. To help me achieve the first goal I’ve signed up for a short Art Appreciation course.

I’ll finish by saying that if you’re new to my blogs you can subscribe below or at the foot of any page on my website.

Loren x

Loren Brand21 January 2022Batch 3Comment