As the coronavirus (Covid-19) spreads across the planet creating health and economic havoc, destroying lives and businesses as it goes it's hard to stay positive. I know because in the last few weeks I have passed through phases of feeling disoriented and depressed (at what is happening and might happen at a personal and global level) to resignation (based on an acceptance that I have very little control over what is happening, either now or in the future) to making a determined effort to stay positive.

To help me move away from a predominant feeling of doom & gloom and to encourage a more positive outlook I have been posting on social media photos from 'My Light Entertainment' series. These images, that I have been taking for more than 30 years, are of scenes or situations that have made me smile. I have long been an admirer of Elliott Erwitt and his acute visual sense of humour (see his work on the Magnum site here) and Matt Stuart for his quirky take on the world (see his website here). They both find humour in the everyday - a skill that highlights the brighter side of life (very relevant in these times). In this blog post I am going to talk about some of my images from this series, what interested me and how I shot them. I hope, like the work of Erwitt and Stuart, they provide some light in the dark.

'Social Distancing' - this image is the most recent in the series and was taken on a visit to the local pharmacy. I was pleased to see the dogs following goverment advice on social distancing (an interesting term, not part of our daily language only a few weeks ago). A simple image to take - I arrived, saw the photo, raised my camera to my eye (yes I am sad enough to take a camera everywhere with me) and pushed the shutter before the dogs reacted to my presence.

I have been contacted by a few people asking why I have not written any blog posts for a long time. My apologies. For the last few years my diary has been more than a little hectic (my wife tells me that's down to me as I am in complete control of my diary she says. Those of you who are self employed freelancers know that is just a myth!). Time and work pressures have combined to halt my production of blog posts - not that I am complaining as I have been to some incredible places, met some wonderful people and produced images that both please me and will act as a visual reminder of those good times. Thank you to those who have noticed my absence from these pages and for the gentle reminder to get my act into gear!

As with so many people, the coronavirus outbreak has had a significant impact on my business, wiping out most of my work and travel commitments for 2020 and a large chunk of income at the same time. But I'm fortunate - I'll get through this with my business and hopefully (and more importantly) my health intact. I hope that the same is true for the readers of this blog. Stay safe, well and positive.

Enforced social isolation, more time on my hands and a commitment to myself to stay positive and focussed means I will soon return to writing more regular blog posts (I know - they couldn't have been less regular than of late!) so please keep returning and email me your thoughts and comments about my writings. Thank you for sticking with me. 

"You need to live in the moment

Instead of hoping.

Your future is waiting for you"

(Lyrics from 'Actions that Echo' by Twin Atlantic)

On New Year's eve I was talking to a friend from Olympus UK and we were discussing how we were going to celebrate the occasion. I'm always concerned about these conversations because I think New Year is a totally pointless celebration and the danger is that I come over as a grumpy, miserable, 'bah, humbug' type of person (and I don't think I am usually - but then I would say that wouldn't I?!). However it turned out that both of us had the same view.

I think the whole process of being happy about the end of another year and celebrating this passing of time is a strange thing to do. Now if someone could stop time - that would be worth cheering over! And New Year's resolutions - what are they about? I just don't get the yearly obsession with making promises you probably won't keep (e.g. exercise more, lose weight, eat more healthily, give up alcohol, increase the kids pocket money by 200%) or commiting yourself to life changing plans that you probably won't implement (e.g. work fewer hours, be nicer to the boss, travel more, become more positive about New Year).

Seriously why does it take a date in the calendar to make us change our behaviour or to do something we have always wanted to achieve? Can't (or rather, shouldn't) this occur at any time of the year? If not then opportunities are being missed, time is being wasted, life is passing us by. My view is we should grab the moment and make things happen now before it's too late.

In this blog post I want to extol the virtues of using a tripod for landscape photography as I am a great advocate of the photographers three legged friend and I'll explain why later. 

I'm one of three types of tripod user that I can identify from meeting other photographers who have come on my workshops over the years - I'm in the Tripod Enthusiast camp. I use a tripod for 99% of my work and own at least 5 (they are all good for different jobs - travel, low level macro work, landscape photography in extreme conditions and so on).

The second group are the Reluctant Tripod Users - those who feel they should own and use a tripod (because they've read it in a magazine or been told by another photographer that they should) but don't really want the hassle of carrying or using one. These people buy the cheapest (and as a result usually the flimsiest) tripod they can find and then complain that it doesn't hold the camera steady, the plastic head moves even though it's supposed to be locked in position, it doesn't extend high enough etc (I'm sure you can imagine the whole range of criticisms I've heard). Essentially this becomes a self fulfilling prophecy - buy a rubbish tripod and then don't use it because it's well ..... rubbish. But at least those in this group can appease their consciences - they can say that they own a tripod.

Then there are the Stubborn Refusers - they've never or rarely used a tripod and see no reason to spend good money on a useless accessory. After all. they say, in these days of effective image stabilisation systems and cameras capable of producing wonderful quality images at high ISOs why would anyone encumber themselves with a tripod?

Last year I wrote a piece on the Phase One blog page where I talked about the 3 P's of landscape photography and posted a photograph taken at Lochan na h'Achlaise in Scotland (see my previous blog to read about the 3 P's and see the photograph in question). Someone commented that the 3rd 'P' should have been for 'parking' because the photograph I'd posted had been taken close to where I had parked my car and that the location had been much photographed before. The implication was that the photograph I'd posted had no value as a true landscape image because of these two factors.I don't normally respond to negative comments (not due to arrogance but because I believe everyone has the right to their own opinion and getting engaged in a negative dialogue helps no one). But I did respond to that post and here's why.