2021 felt like a bit of a return to form for me after a quiet second-half of 2020. I’m fortunate to have places like Sefton Park, the Liverpool Festival Gardens and Otterspool Promenade nearby, and with regular walks to these places I have been inspired to take photos there.
Looking back on the year it’s clear that natural forms have been my main subject and source of inspiration; photos of water in various guises, close-ups of large birds at Sefton Park and plants and trees stand out as my favourite.
So here’s a selection of photos from 2021, another year of keeping my eyes and mind open to photographic opportunities…
January - foam floating on the River Mersey.
Frozen pond at the Festival Gardens.
Ice crystals on a leaf.
Branch reflection at Sefton Park.
Wintery scenes at Sefton Park.
Frozen bubbles at Festival Gardens.
February - ice around the edges of Sefton Park’s boating lake.
March - Canada geese feathers. I found satisfaction in taking photos like this as the geese are not often so still when close up.
Double exposure of a detail from a Chinese pagoda in the Festival Gardens.
One of my first photos of the River Mersey from a particular spot on Otterspool Promenade. This started a project that I returned to throughout the year.
The Beatles’ statue at the Pier Head, Liverpool.
April - corner detail of my old bedroom at my parents' home in North Wales. I took this the day they moved out.
Up close with a Calla Lily plant at my sister's house.
May - photographing jewellery for Pomona the Label, my first attempt at product photography - challenging and a great learning experience!
A flower tucked away in the shade at Sefton Park.
Very up-close with a feather found in my parents’ garden just before their move…
…these were taken with a Laowa 25mm lens at 5x magnification, considerably closer than I had ever used before, showing details not visible with the naked eye. This photo went on to be featured later in the year in Amateur Photographer magazine…
June - bamboo leaf also photographed at a high magnification.
Plane trails reflected in Sefton Park’s boating lake.
Sleepy geese from my morning walks around Sefton Park.
July - flower from a succulent plant gifted by my mum the previous summer.
Documenting Jessica El Mal's 'Grounds fo Concern' artwork for Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF).
August - a friendly lemur at Chester Zoo.
October - returning to the River Mersey from my spot at Otterspool Promenade.
Autumnal colours reflected in the water at Sefton Park.
November - calm waters flowing along River Brathay in Elterwater, Lake District.
Light breaking through the clouds like a spotlight.
Trees growing from underneath mounds of slate.
Up on high looking across rolling hills towards the Langdale Pikes.
Up on high, looking down the other way at light skimming across mounds.
Return to the River Mersey from Otterspool Promenade.
December
A swan cleaning itself at Sefton Park…
…it allowed me to photograph it's feathers up-close ..
…images of which I repeatedly layered to create abstract imagery.
Ending the year as I started it, with a photo of the Mersey at Otterspool Promenade.
That wraps up my look back on 2021. Thanks for taking a look at this blog and for your support through the year. Here’s to a great 2022 - I wish you a happy new year!