My Year a retrospective look at what I managed to accomplish in 2020

  At the back end of 2019 I had begun having thoughts about the direction my photography was going in. I was having fun with film and, having become a member of a fine group on facebook called The Negative Positives Film Photography Podcast, I was encouraged to make plans and take my photography to another level. I was at a point where I was in danger of slipping back into happy snapping and I had to "snap" out of it quickly or be doomed to being a "spray and pray" digital photographer forever. A film photography project was definitely in order.

 I have been enjoying shooting film over the previous 3 years and needed a challenge to help me improve my skills. I decided to learn to shoot and develop B&W film. It is not easy to maintain the discipline required to complete a year long project and even harder to get past that first step to giving it a try. I had tried developing film in my teens and had a bad experience with an accidental splash of developer giving me dermatitis. It took a couple of weeks to shift with steroid cream and was cleared up with no recurrence of it, but it gave me a three decade long mental block at the thought of trying it again. A good long chat with myself was definitely in order too.

 My first goal was to develop my own film. That was the one thing I wanted to accomplish more than any other. The 3 decade mental block was weighing heavily on my mind. I was treated to some amazing images that other members of the Negative Positives group had shot, developed and in many cases printed in their own home darkroom. Before 2019 had ended I began buying the necessary tanks, reels, darkbag and chems so I could make a start as soon as the new year started.

Another decision I made was to document my progress with this blog. It's easy to make plans to do something, rekindle an interest or learn a new skill, but it is another thing entirely to stick to it. I knew my education in B&W film developing would not be a quick dalliance, I had invested several quid collecting the necessary equipment and wanted to make it pay for itself with use. I also wanted to have a journal I could look back on and go through what I had learned. My stroke back in 2013 had left some lingering effects, mostly remembering stuff and my Dr encouraged me in my photography as a way of doing cognitive behavioural therapy to help my recovery. Documenting it would help enormously and face it, It beats going to meetings.

My first two rolls of Ilford HP5 didn't take long to shoot, I was genuinely eager to get them done and dusted and see what I had been missing all these years. Developing them was a nerve wracking affair, but seeing the negatives as I hung them to dry was so exhilirating. I had asked all the right questions as to how to go about it and watched lots of videos of other folk enjoying the process themselves, but it was Ilford who had the video showing how easy it was to use their Ilford Simplicity starter pack that got me over that first hurdle. To be honest I haven't looked back and I have a great sense of self worth at having got over that mental block and joined the ranks of the home developers around the world. I have done other things this year, but becoming proficient at developing my own film has been my biggest achievement.

Sharing that part of my journey here on my blog has also been something I never thought I would ever do. I have always had a short attention span, but when something grabs my attention for long enough it soon becomes more than just a hobby or a quick flash in the pan before I move to something else. There's only Music and Motorcycles that have give me the same sense of euphoria that I got with developing those first couple of rolls and both are a life long passion. Photography has now joined them and I will enjoy it for the rest of my days.
 
 2021 sees me embark upon a new project that will test my skills and give me the chance to be a part of a global effort at portraying my part of the world on film. It's called the Frugal Film project and I will speak more about it in the new year, It's a year long project and I have a feeling it's going to be fun. Until then, here are a few images I shot in 2020. I have definitely made progress this year, despite the challenging circumstances we have all faced. I even managed to squeeze in a few rolls of colour film as I discovered the joys of Kodak Ektar and Pro Image 100. It's been fun this year and I hope to continue having fun in 2021.

I wish you all health and happiness in 2021 and beyond.