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Writer's pictureSteve Frith

2020 - My eighth decade begins



WARNING: This is a ramble, please feel free to do something more exciting ... watching paint dry?



I was out walking Willow on New Year's day when a thought suddenly crossed my mind. Everyone had been talking about the last decade, significant events that had happened and what the 20's might hold in store for them.

Born in the "very" early 50's, I began to count the decades I've lived through. Using my fingers to keep score, I began the long calculation process. 50's, 60's … OMG , this is my eighth decade.

My EIGHTH!

Willow looked up at me as I let out a deep sigh, wondering if I'd forgotten her biscuits and would we need to return to base.

"Don't worry Willow, I've made sure that there are enough snacks in my pocket to last the whole of the walk."





One thing is for sure, I'll hit the big 70 very shortly! Well, I'm hoping to. My insurance policy ends when I reach 70, Sal is eyeing up the rather large sum of money that would come her way if I popped off before. It would be just her luck that I'd pop my clogs one minute after the policy expired.

My dad died on his birthday, here's hoping that I don't repeat his demise. Such fun. Such fun.




In terms of my photography skills, I do seem to be hitting the "keeper" button more often. One of the reasons for this, is the familiarity of the races that I go to. Knowing which snapping points will help towards the production of a good image or two, certainly makes a difference. The Mickleden Straddle, in around a month's time, is one of my favourite races to photograph.




The runner is making his way home on the path after Mickleden Edge. Excluding the sky from the frame helps with the exposure, although the sun is quite strong on my left. The walkers really helped to create a feeling of speed. Love it.




I'm always aware of the amount of sky within the frame. For whatever reason, I hate a thin strip of sky at the top of an image, especially when the runner's head is just above the horizon. This photograph was taken from a "cold" sitting position, allowing me to maximise the amount of sky in the frame and position the runner in a more dominant form.


So, more shots that have made the cut in the last year. I'm continuing to improve.

Where do I go from here?

I'll continue to turn up at local races, Willow walks restrict my ability to travel further afield early in the day. We've been on well over 10,000 walks together and I wouldn't change that for anything. Okay, I'm limited in the distance I can travel … but Willow keeps me fit, as well as boosting my mental health. You have to love her.




Trunce: I've taken the decision to stand down from taking any more Trunce photos. That's a definite this time. After quite a few years of snapping runners at this event, I have run out of ideas. Stream, track, finish ... There are only so many options available. This year, I'm either I'm running or I'm watching. The camera will stay at home. That's a promise.

Hundreds of memories to look back on; standing in freezing cold water, dealing with extreme low light and the vast amount of time spent editing.

And I won't forget the banter and thanks from lots of competitors, it really did make it all worthwhile. Chris Cull will be snapping you, as well as other photographers. SMILE!




In an attempt to create my own style, I've started to frame my photos as though they were polaroids. Whether I'll get fed up of it after a while, we'll just have to see. It does take a bit of time to set things up, but I think it's worth it.

When editing an image, the technical side is quite important. I know I can be too critical with my images, but that's the way I am.

As time passes by, it matters less and less about the tech and more about the composition and the memories therein. The sky in the above picture was washed out and I couldn't edit it in the way I wanted.

Now, I just focus on this young lad avoiding the massive puddle and deciding to clamber over the gate. It's brilliant.




Every second Sunday in the month, there's an Antiques Fair at Elsecar Heritage Centre. It's Sal's favourite excursion and this means that I won't be able to attend any races on those dates.

I'll have to give the Trigger a miss as well as the Ian Roberts at Marsden. Ah well, that's life. I'm sure that you'll manage without me, though I will still be there in mind if not in body.






Hopefully I'll still be snapping at the end of the decade and you'll still be running. Save those photographs for when you are old and grey like me. Visual memories to make you smile.


“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Mahatma Gandhi


I'll try my very best to follow this mantra..






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