Protester wearing Egyptian flag opposite the Embassy
Solidarity with the Egyptian Revolution
Egyptian Embassy, South St, London. Sat 29 Jan 2011
I started thinking about New Year Resolutions, but the one I’ve come closest to keeping was the one about not making resolutions, made after looking back at the last set that I published here as my 2008 To Do List.
There are just a few things in it I’ve made progress on. No 3 on the list was “check my camera settings more often when taking pictures” and though I still often get things wrong, switching to wearing glasses when taking pictures has improved things a little, as I can now actually see the camera settings and read the top plate display.
I need bi-focals, which mean that when I look straight ahead or into the camera viewfinder I’m using the relatively slight distance correction I need, but looking down at the camera the strong ‘reading’ correction (a consequence of ageing) comes into play. Working without glasses I could use the dioptre correction on the viewfinder to get a sharp image in that, but had to fiddle around searching for my glasses to see the camera settings. A second pair of bi-focals also gives me a slightly clearer view of the computer screen, which has also improved things.
I’m not sure if I’ve really got very far on any of the other 11 tasks, though perhaps I’ve made a little progress on some of them – and at the start of 2009 I was very liberal when I claimed around 3/10, though deciding I really still had so much to do that I didn’t need a new list.
But at the start of 2010 I wrote about my decision not to photograph the London Parade, which I felt had lost most of its interest for me and become an event arranged for TV, and also thought that it was time for a change for me. I’m not sure that change has happened, although on 1 Jan 2011 I felt happy enough with the work I’d done to put up a page with a picture from each month of the previous year. Stupidly I did end with a resolution, “take fewer (and better!) images.” But last year I actually took 4800 more than in 2010, a total of almost 88,000 – though this is 8,000 less than in 2009. As for quality I leave that to others to judge.
Once again I’ll put together a page with an image from each month of 2011, though as I explained at some length last year these are not necessarily my favourite or my best pictures from the year, but chosen to represent the range of events that I covered. So here are the other 11, together with the captions and event headings from My London Diary:
Today’s headmistress had an orange umbrella that we followed to the TSB
UK Uncut Lecture in TSB
Oxford St, London. Saturday 26 Feb 2011
Mothers and children wait for the march to start
Mothers March for Survival
Trafalgar Square to SOAS, London. Sat 12 March 2011
At the start of the march on Wandsworth Road
Who Killed Smiley Culture?
Vauxhall to New Scotland Yard, London. Saturday 16 April 2011
The march comes through Trafalgar Square
Keep The NHS Public
UCH Euston Road to Whitehall, London. Tuesday 17 May 2011
The parade makes its way across Hungerford Bridge to the South Bank
Refugee Week Umbrella Parade
Embankment Gardens to South Bank, London. Sunday 19 June 2011
The Rev Billy reaches out as he moves to lay hands on the BP logo inside the Tate Turbine Hall
Rev Billy’s Tate BP Exorcism
Tate Modern, London. Monday 18 July 2011
Muslim women show their support for Palestine
Al-Quds Day Protests in London
Portland Place to Trafalgar Square, London. Sunday 21 Aug 2011
Children lead the march after a short stop for prayers in the centre of Wickford
March Supports Dale Farm Against Evictions
Wickford to Cray’s Hill, Essex, UK. Saturday 10 September 2011
‘Anonymous’ protester in ‘V for Vendetta’ mask gives V sign and holds up notice in front of St Paul’s Cathedral
Occupy London Kept Out Of Stock Exchange
St Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK. Saturday 15 Oct 2011
There were some very ‘fifties’ dressed women in the Fawcett organised march
Don’t Turn The Clock Back
Embankment to Westminster, London. Saturday 19 Nov 2011
Protesters urge the UK to stop supporting Kabila whose election victory was fraudulent
Congolese March to Downing St
Gt Portland St – Downing St, London. Wed 14 Dec 2011
One day, perhaps in 2012 (but no resolutions) I’ll put together a larger selection of images from 2011 in a Blurb book, like the 2006 one which finally emerged a month ago, details in 2006 – Hot From the Press, which has around 70 images from that year. The special offer on this book of £25 including postage to any UK address ordered direct from me will continue at least until Blurb raise their prices yet again – and the offers on the other books too. And a bit cheaper still if you collect a copy or buy from me in person.