The final round up of photographs, surfboards and other efforts from 2023.

But to begin with, welcoming 2024.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wet Wet Wet

Carrying on from last months bulletin, there is still a bike ride each morning. And yes, I have been pissed on a few times. The saying ‘no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes’ is softly repeated to muster up enthusiasm before heading out. The expression is sustained as I pull on waterproof trousers and zip up my jacket, preparing to duel with the weather. But when the water has funnelled its way into the gaps, and the sound of rain pelting the jacket hood has amplified to a volume that drowns the mantra out, it’s time to go home.

The camera doesn’t like it either.

Still, I continue to benefit from the effort each day.

The route varies but I seem to get pulled towards Towan Beach most times. Whatever route is taken, I always make a point of seeing the ocean – to look out to sea has always, and I trust will always, captivate me.

Storms trundle over Cornwall at this time of year, with coastline headlands taking the brunt. Howling winds drive sea spray and rain around the cliffs, rocks and exposed grassy hillocks, leaving only the most committed to taking a walk.

Sometimes this is the chosen option. It works well to enliven dull, settled brain cells, like the flurry of snowflakes in a vigorously shaken snow globe.

Towan Beach, Newquay, is central and sheltered, so I usually pass it before branching off in another direction. Being shielded from many wind directions (but not the dreaded northerlies), means this place attracts most of Newquay’s shoreline activity during winter, and the harbour is a stone’s throw for further protection if the conditions really close in.

Each day, without fail, a number of cold water swimmers gather and enjoy morning dips. The thrill can be heard from a distance, the buzz provides a warmth on the coldest days.

*A birthday celebration in the shallows.*

*Faded pink & yellow picnic table tries to add summer colour to a winter morning.*

1:1 aspect ratio is the fixed setting on my camera now. One of the many features I enjoy shooting with the Fujifilm X-Pro 3 is the ability to customise the function buttons. This allows me to change the aspect ratio without taking my eye from the viewfinder, very practical when I occasionally wish to switch to 3:2.

That was Christmas

I have to say it was all very enjoyable, the added lbs make this statement visible, as well as audible. By no means a Grinch, but I’m not often excited by the juggernaut that is Christmas. However, it tickled my interest this time round. So it was with warmth and ease that time was spent with families, fires were made and gin and cheese boards were consumed, just short of leading to a drink & food coma.

Extra! Extra! See all about it.

Looking inland from the back of Newquay, out along Trevemper Road, is an unbroken view of country fields lined with trees and hedgerows. But something has changed!

Excerpt from Instagram post (27th December 2023):

A new year approaches. The tree in the distance has been on the brow of that rise for tens, if not, hundreds of years. The service station and lights have appeared in the last six months. Part of being an old git, is seeing things change before your living eyes.

The march of housing and shopping developments is to be expected with population growth, there now seems to be a new housing area, or several, being stuck onto the edge of every town. Got it! But surely it must be balanced with services to match the incoming numbers. I’ll refrain from letting a rant off about the new availability of service station chicken buckets, but no doctors, dentists, parking solutions…you can see where I’m going with this.

Canon 6D Mk II

I’ve had this camera for 6 months now, it was acquired primarily for when the surf gets good, or a storm lashes the coast. Canon is what I shot with exclusively before Fujifilm, so I have a few good canon lenses kicking around that would be a shame not to use.

Well, the surf has not been that good, and the X-Pro 3 is ideal (compact, light, weather resistant) for my morning ventures on the bike. So the Canon is being a bit overlooked. But if there is time I’ll make a point of taking it out, just to practice. One day the stars will align and the conditions shall demand I take it out. ‘It’ll be a swell so big and strong it’ll wipe clean everything that went before it, that’s the day this board will be ridden’. Bear, BIG WEDNESDAY (1978 film).

Anyway, here are a few Canon shots without the storm. The new service station/landscape image above is also taken with it.

2023 Surfboards

There is not much to write here, after 34 years of spraying surfboards it becomes unremarkable for one year to merge into the next as far as boards go. Essentially production surfboard factories, reliant on churning out numbers, produce a majority of generic sprays to get surfboards out to the shops, and into the racks quicker and cheaper.

As noted in previous blog posts and bulletins, there have been a few comeback designs that have peppered the year, namely, flames, checks and camouflage.

That said, there is always an element of customers wanting to decorate their custom board with something special or extra. It’s unique for sporting equipment to have such versatility, allowing punters to have considerable input with the design that adorns their new surfboard.

A new story to tell

In an attempt to keep up with social media platforms, I’ve made some Instagram stories.

It amazes me how time consuming these efforts are, plus it’s difficult to gauge what impact, if any, they have. Sure you can see the amount of views, but results in terms of criticism or appreciation, seem remote and intangible. Perhaps my age plays a part in not quite being at ease, or grasping it. I’m uncomfortably straddled over experiencing life without the internet, mobile devices and social media, and the present-day.

Luckily I enjoy the capabilities of the software and platforms available, plus the skills I acquired at The Media Design School (NZ) have put me in good stead with the advancement of technology, although I can feel it stretching away.

I can remember years ago someone suggesting I frame my own artwork to save money and be self-reliant. I considered it, but came to the idea that my time would then be spent framing, and not creating work to put in the frames.

This strikes me as somewhat similar, one spends valuable time nursing all the online platforms, taking away from the time needed to do the thing you set up the system to promote. To the point where producing and harvesting content is a job on its own. Often content is created just to accumulate followers and likes.

Anyway, I’ve made these stories…I hope you like them!

By the Sea

Prints

Surf & Boards

Just Because

Just One More Thing!

Some shots of Par railway station in December 2012. I remember it quite clearly, I was on my way to London for Christmas and was waiting for the connection to arrive. It was getting dark and a winter mist was taking the last light, but it also created a halo around the platform and signal lights, adding to the eerie feeling, compounded by the emptiness with not a soul around.

Until next time, take care.

That’s a wrap!