August 2025 Can’t believe I haven’t been to Teignmouth in nearly a year – doesn’t seem possible! Went for a trip out for the day and couldn’t believe my luck – I bumped into 3 out of the 4 “models” from previous encounters…and had a catch up chat with one of them. I also met Eddie, a local photographer and “persuaded” (read bullied!) him into modelling [see final image], which for any photographer is fairly traumatic – far easier to take pictures than have them taken of you! Always good to make contact with fellow local enthusiasts…and he was a natural!!
January 2025 Teignmouth is only about 40 minutes away from Sidmouth and couldn’t have a more different feel. It’s great for street photography as it has Back Beach – with colourful, peeling boats and beach huts, where the locals hang out; the main Prom – which runs for miles; a Pier; skate park and a train line next to the sea. Rosemary and I often go there for a few hours of photography and invariably come back with something (after sampling the local cake offerings of course!).
In fact the first image below, “I still miss her”, was taken in 2023 when we were having a wander round Back Beach. The guy started to talk to us about camera gear (as older blokes often do!) and I was desperate to take his photo, as his face seemed so expressive and interesting. I think because he’d been into photography in the past he agreed, but probably couldn’t understand why I wanted to! Sadly he then started telling me about how he had recently lost his long term partner and you can really see this rawness in his photo. Was a very poignant moment…
In 2024, Rosemary and I offered to run a Sidmouth Photographic Club summer trip to Teignmouth, which meant that we had to make several recces to choose/sample cafes. In the end we made 3 trips and on each of those I managed to take one or two images that I liked. As always, success is weather dependant…and with street, the luck of the draw who happens to be around at the right time. Had one slightly dodgy experience (entirely my own fault of course)…was eying up a couple of characterful blokes in one of the shelters and from across the road I held my camera at waist height using the back screen to take the shot. But one of the guys clocked me and called me over, asking me rather gruffly if I was taking their photo. I looked surprised and said that no, I’d just got a new camera and had been looking at the screen to see how to change my settings (this was actually true…except that I had pressed the shutter button as well). Thankfully one of the guys used to have a camera back in the day, so we chatted a bit about photography. Then Rosemary wandered up and not knowing what had happened, asked me in front of them if I’d got the shot….arghhh!!! Recommence digging out of hole. I said no, I hadn’t managed to ask them yet if I could take a photo. The older guy was happy for me to take his picture, which is the black and white image further down in the gallery. Blimey, you really do have to be able to talk your way out of trouble when you’re dealing with people!!
The trip itself went really well – we had about 18 people in the end, which was one of the largest club trips and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves…and I even got a few more images to add to my collection….oh, and the cake was great!!
It must be a sign of age, ‘cos I can’t believe that yet another year has flown by and we’re already in 2025! Normally my Foraging friends and I have always posted our favourite 10 pics from each year, once we reach December/January time and I thought this would be a good practice for my blog, as it gives me time to review what I’ve taken over the year, relive some of the memories behind the shots and then try and work out why I am drawn to certain images. I was lucky to travel an awful lot for photography in 2024 – from local seaside locations, to UK cities and then abroad into Europe. So here are my 2024 top 10 images – as usual fairly eclectic – and in no particular order.
Wonkey Donkey
Oh boy, this image not only has a long (and seemingly hilarious to those who were there) backstory to it, but has practically created a cult within Sidmouth Photographic Club!! So….I was on a Club trip to Weston-Super-Mare in the summer, standing in front of this interestingly named shop waiting for someone “appropriate” to walk past….and of course no one did. To stave off the boredom (and to at least get some sort of shot) Carol called out to a guy pulled up in his car asking him to pose. At which point a bunch of photographers papped him. Hilariously to the others, I had totally managed to miss the guy posing and ended up with a photo of his roof and the sky. So in revenge, I decided to create the above image, showing that I’d managed to capture a shot that everyone else had missed. And ever since I have been plagued with the Wonky Donkey moniker – yes, I’ve been given the book – yes, I’ve been made to read it out loud and yes, I’ve been made to memorise the rhyme!!! Therefore, this has to win the most memorable image of the year, not only for me, but for several of the Club members too!!
The Cyclist
This image was taken in Valencia in May on a photography trip with 2 Club friends; Jo B and Jo H (yes, it was a tad confusing at the start, so I added the surname initials!!). It’s a fabulous city for photography, especially the City of Arts & Sciences. The buildings are like alien spaceships and the water surrounding them add great reflections. We got up very early one morning to catch the sunrise and thanks to Jo H scouting ahead, managed to find the area where the best reflections/shadows were to be had with the rising sun. A very happy hour or so was spent clicking away at cyclists, runners, wagons, men with wheelbarrows etc. and I still have hundreds of images that I haven’t finished looking through yet. I have to confess that the camera was on burst mode to ensure that there would be at least 1 photo per person going past that could work – hence the hundreds to wade through. Would thoroughly recommend a photography trip there – although don’t be surprised if a Club Judge has seen hundreds of these images!
Wash Day
This image was taken on the island of Burano, during my visit to Venice with Debbie in January (arrgh – already a year ago!). I was drawn by the white washing against the blue wall through the red doorway and was lining up the shot when this woman walked through. At first I cursed, but afterwards I realised that actually, she made the shot and I loved the fact that her face was hidden – added a hint of mystery. It ended up being my favourite shot of the trip!
Into the Light
This shot was taken on a trip to the Barbican Centre in London with my Northern Foraging friends in June. Oh what an amazing location for street photography….but the best opportunities come when the sun is out, streaming through the openings, creating interesting shadows. I just loved the curves and light in this composition, even though technically the guy is in the “wrong” position (not on a third) – but I don’t care…it works for me, as I do like a bit of negative space in an image and I darkened it to add a tad more atmosphere.
Just Chillin’
Our Club runs bi-weekly photo trips during the Sumer shutdown and Rosemary and I volunteered to lead one in Teignmouth at the end of August. It’s a great place for photography with boats, beaches, a pier and long seafront. I have to admit that this guy sunbathing caught my eye and I took several of him from different angles. He was clearly enjoying parading himself in public and this angle just worked for me, giving enough information about him, without the need to see his face. A tad disrespectful perhaps…but photographers just can’t help themselves I’m afraid!
juptr
This composite image started life in Birmingham on a Club trip in February. Those of you who read the blog will remember that I came across a couple of lads filming a music video and I couldn’t help myself from hijacking their artistic endeavours. They were happy for me to take pictures and when it came to processing them afterwards, I felt I wanted to do something a little different – like an album cover. I used Generative AI to create the wall with the Union Jack, as I didn’t have any images of that (i.e. the software created it) and then added my photo of juptr, with some old school lens blur and scratches to add a bit of character. I really enjoyed trying to make the image a little different to a straight portrait.
Beach Botany
Rosemary and I went on several recces to Teignmouth to prepare for the Club summer trip and always managed to come away with something. On this day, we had very strong sunlight, so not ideal photographic conditions, but as we were wandering around Back Beach area, I spotted these legs sticking out between the beach huts and was immediately captivated. As with many of my photos, it’s not about the whole person – here, the flowers on her leg contrasted against the yellow and blue of the beach huts and created an interesting juxtaposition (we photographers love a good juxta!!). And yes, I did a beach clean in Photoshop to remove stones, burnt wood and half a paving slab – I’m such a neat freak!!
3-2-1
I had a wonderful trip to Sorrento in October with my friend Cyn, which was for relaxation rather than photography and I took many phone shots of the beautiful scenery. This was the only “serious” shot that I took – as we were looking down on one of the beaches, the composition just struck me and I waited for a bird to fly through the shot, making sure I was on burst mode to get it in the right place. The placing of all of the elements appealed to me and is slightly quirky (what a surprise!!). And no, I didn’t add the bird and/or shadow in post production (although of course I wouldn’t hesitate to do so if necessary!!).
Leake Street
In October, 3 of us from the Club had a fun-filled day trip to London and spent our time round Waterloo station and along the South Bank. This image was taken in Leake Street, an area underneath Waterloo station where street artists come to showcase their work. It’s totally safe – usually more tourists than street artists – and is an interesting backdrop for photography…although I struggled to find many shots. I do have a bit of an obsession with silhouettes, so was pleased when the above composition came together.
Caught in the Light
What was I saying about silhouettes and shadows?!! I spotted this opportunity in Berlin, when I was visiting a friend in September. The sun was so bright overhead that I was hunting for shadow locations and spotted this ideal position from a bridge looking down on the walkway. I find that these sort of shots work best when you find a suitable location and then just wait for the right people to walk through. You need some patience (so it helps if you are on your own) and again, burst mode increases your “decisive moment” success rate.
And so what do my favourite images from last year tell me? That I had some great trips both home and abroad, with something pretty much every month. That I still have a pile of images to process – and post on my blog…New Year’s resolution should be to keep up with my posting in 2025. That I’m still drawn to shadows/silhouettes, strong shapes/colours, legs(?!), quirky, sense of absurd. That I enjoy street and travel photography. And that you never know what you’re going to capture next – the joy of the random moments, where everything aligns and a wonderful scene unfolds in front of you just as you press the shutter or frustration when nothing motivates you (or even worse, you weren’t quick enough to capture the moment). Already looking forward to my adventures in 2025……
Jangly bells – check. Ribbons – check. Coloured hankies – check. Accordion – check. Yes, it’s that time of year again, when Sidmouth comes alive with the sights and sounds of the Folk Festival, now in its 68th year. It’s a week filled with traditional morris dancing, music performances, artisan stalls and workshops all over the town. And at night, as well as the Festival performances, you can catch impromptu jamming sessions in the local pubs or for non-folkies, live bands in the larger pub gardens. Some residents resent the yearly “invasion”, but I love the injection of colour and life that these events bring. This year I’ve really thrown myself into the festivities and have to confess I was out every night enjoying the live music, which I will miss terribly now that the Festival has just finished.
I also went out photographing with my friend Rosemary during the weekend, to try and capture the spirit of the Festival. We learnt a lot from our sessions last year – which lenses worked best, which days had the most people, which locations showcased the dancers best etc…This year I decided to focus on the characters and inherent quirkiness that presents itself during the week, rather than standard shots of the dancers and musicians.
Roll on next year!
(Click on an image to see a larger version)
And in case you wanted an idea of what the morris teams actually look like, here are a few images from last year’s Festival.
To celebrate the Coronation of King Charles, Sidmouth held a street party in the centre of town on the afternoon of Sunday 7th May. Tables went on sale weeks ago and people were encouraged to bring along decorations, food, drink – oh, and most importantly chairs! Even on the day, we weren’t sure what the weather would do, but by half three the skies cleared and the sun came out…right on cue! Within an hour you couldn’t move for all things red, white and blue – it was fabulous to see everyone making such an effort. And the cakes…to die for! I did consider pretending to judge a street party cake competition, just so I could sample them all, but without a clipboard, felt that I wouldn’t have been taken seriously!
Rosemary and I had planned to photograph the street party as soon as we knew one was being held and for our “homework”, we studied the work of Martin Parr at a recent exhibition of his, to understand how he managed to conjure up the essence of “Britishness” without taking just record shots. It’s far, far harder to do than you would imagine.
Martin Parr, Chew Stoke, 1992
An image that particularly stood out to us, was one he’d taken during a year long project at the village of Chew Stoke. He managed to evoke the mood of a tea party, just by capturing the act of pouring tea. The jam on the scones perfectly matches the dresses…and not a head in shot! Which absolutely doesn’t matter, as all the information you need to know about the ladies can be gleaned from what they are wearing and doing. He is a master at focusing in on the action, with his subjects framing the photo. Another signature trait is his use of bright, saturated colours – which would make a coronation street party the perfect environment for the Union Jack colours to be the stars of the show.
With just over an hour in which to capture the mood of the party, Rosemary and I set to, trying to hone in on small details and mannerisms that could tell the story of the celebrations and the quirkiness of the British public. My photos from the Platinum Jubilee street party last year were a total non-starter, as I think I just got overwhelmed by all of the colour and activity in front of me. Having a clear goal this time, really enabled me to use the short timeframe to the fullest and led to images that even a few months ago I probably wouldn’t have seen. Anyone who dabbles in street photography knows that trying to pre-empt a shot about to happen, ensure there’s nothing distracting in the background and frame your image correctly within a few milliseconds is no mean feat…and practice definitely makes, well maybe not perfect, let’s just say better!
We left the party in full swing and I was so pleased to have been part of such a special celebration – great memories and a few photos to boot! My particular favourites being the Union Jack waistcoat & cup and the balloon hiding the guy’s face (couldn’t believe my luck when the balloon finally drifted across, after standing there willing it for ages!!).
Karen Brindley Photography 