It's that time of the year again, and yours truly has 2 photographs shortlisted for the annual awards. In total you are allowed to enter up to 25, so selecting the entries is not an easy decision as you are trying to second guess what will appeal to the judges. Also I needed to consider what won last year and go for something different. On top of that there are about 6 or 7 different categories that photos can be entered into. The different categories are quite prescriptive, so for instance in the main award, no people or animals allowed, and minimal manipulation afterwards.
In the footsteps of Munro
Literally in the footsteps of Munro in my case as I have only 13 peaks to complete. This particular photo was taken in February 2010 as we traversed across to Aonach Beag from Aonach Mor. There was a problem with the Gondola as we had just missed the climber's lift so had to hike up and over the top of Aonach Mor. Not easy in the very deep snow from recent snowfall and some avalanche risk. However the biggest danger was the enormous snow cornices away to our left, overhanging the Coire an Lochan cliffs. My partner was Graham Harkness from the Karabiner MC. Shortly after this photo was taken, the cloud rolled in and we were immersed in thick mist, with visibility down to a few feet in the subsequent white-out. Needless to say, extreme care was required with both navigation and the adjacent cornice!
Minimal manipulation on this image apart from conversion to B&W in PS, and some adjustment of contrast in Levels & Curves.
Haven't we met before?
This image is actually 2 seperate photos, one has been flipped, and then both photostitched in Photoshop.They are apparently Emo ponies which I found grazing on Buckland Moor, near Ashburton. I was particularly taken with the colours and markings on this pony. Unfortunately the market for Dartmoor ponies has hit rock bottom during the recession and can be had for £10 or less. They have been culled in the last year but looking at the number of new foals I have seen this year, the problem is not going to go away. What a shame for such beautiful ponies, but unfortunately as my neighbour has discovered, they are not really suitable as pets and resent being ridden.