2020 Thoughts & Photos

The time has come where we can all give the final heave ho to 2020, and hope for a better 2021. I start this year in New Zealand, and am grateful to be in a country which is currently unaffected by Covid. I usually round off a year with a ‘Best Of’ post. This year my photo choice is more of a reflection.

The Angalamman Festival

If I was going to choose my top 10 images from 2020, they could have all come from the Angalamman Festival. So much colour. So much pain! I nearly died taking the first photo, so if you have seen it before, please forgive me for milking it to death.

The End of International Teaching

This boy lived in a small slum I passed everyday to go to work at the Canadian International School of Bangalore. On one occasion I took a group of International students to the local elementary school, and found to my delight that most of the local students knew me from when I passed their village. I have now taken a break from International teaching, and will be based in a local school here in New Zealand.

KR Market

The Central Market in Bangalore has to be one of my favourite locations of all time. Sounds, colours, and so many different smells. For this image I was experimenting with rear-curtain flash.

Modi’s Lockdown

Covid came late to India. Following Modi’s harsh lockdown, the decision was made to get out ASAP!

New Zealand Quarantine

In NZ, there were three square meals a day provided during the enforced 2 week quarantine. Working off the extra calories is going to be a goal for 2020!

Hello New Zealand

Continuing with Street Photography will be a challenge, particularly as I am moving to a town with a population of 750. I am not too worried, plans are afoot for new horizons. In the meantime I have worked on my landscape photography. Carrying a tripod for hours in one way to burn extra calories!

Road Trips

Hokitika was a port of call on my first photography road trip in NZ. I’m not a bird photographer, but the beauty below got so close I could not resist.

Freedom

This picture reflects freedom and was captured at the Christchurch Wine and Food Festival. Event photography provides some great opportunities for Street Photography. There would have been more photos of this event, but the wine was far good.

2021

For those of you that make it this far (and are doing more that looking at photos), there is much in store for Pagespics in 2021. I will be teaching in a small school in Ruatoria, on the East Coast of New Zealand. The town has 750 people and is home to the Ngati Porou tribe. The area is steeped in tradition, and is blessed by being the first place in NZ to see the sunrise. I am heading there with both digital and analogue cameras, and will have access to a darkroom. I will be teaching Mathematics and Science and will be incredibly busy. However, I am sure I will find a way to fit in some photography, whatever it may be.

Take care and blessings for 2021.

Keep Clicking, Chris