A Bristol Geek

A photograph of the Wills Memorial Building at UOB on a cold winters night. The image was created from three long exposures.

The Christmas lights came on in Bristol this Friday and, no matter how much I’d love to deny it, winter is here. If it ever stops raining, I might head down to the German market at Cabot Circus and take some photos. I won’t however be going ice skating at the Mall as that will only end up with me loosing a limb; however I’m sure that there will be some photo opportunities there also! The dark can be a challenge (mentally and for photography) especially as I walk to work in the dark and return home as the sun is leaving for the day. With a little bit of luck and a good tripod (I’m getting a new one for my birthday next week!) the season can make for some very atmospheric pictures.

I’ve decided to move away from material things this Christmas. I think giving classes and experiences is much more meaningful than buying a trinket off the shelves. Our local Bristol classifieds are full of courses, workshops and tutorials, some by established workshops and schools and others from local artisans. In a globalised world it feels nice to support the local community this way.

I try to share my passion for photography with my family and friends, so I’ve been thinking that a photography course might be perfect. There are portrait classes, landscape workshops and one-to-one tutorials for all levels of experience. Some of the landscape photography workshops even take participants into the countryside for a few days to capture beautiful snowy wildlife shots. I’m even contemplating one of the slightly more advanced ones myself (birthday present anyone?).

For the stubborn ones who’ll never come around to photography (and I’ve certainly tried to convince them…) there are plenty of cookery courses and cake decorating classes in Bristol. If you sign up for a short course, you can put your creative talents to use and take home a full box of homemade cupcakes or pastries. Basic classes are good for teenagers or recent university students trying to fend for themselves for the first time. I will of course offer my time to taste test anything you happen to make.

After too many cookery classes and the subsequent New Years resolutions, there are local dance and Zumba classes to help you keep active over the winter without the monotony of the gym or the cold exposure of running or cycling.

Although the winter is long, I am looking forward to venturing out with my camera and capturing the nicer parts of the British winter. I will of course pass on the good shots to you all, I am also hoping to get a nice winter photograph to use in making my own Christmas cards this year (what do you think of this one?).

At The Night They Would Go Walking

Related posts:

1. On a Winters Eve
2. Another Blooming Christmas!
3. Another Blooming Christmas 2011
4. It’s only bloody Christmas!
5. So Christmas is here, when did that happen?

The Christmas lights came on in Bristol this Friday and, no matter how much I’d love to deny it, winter is here. If it ever stops raining, I might head...