Monthly Newsletter

In Focus

I was recently in a tiny village called Bleadon in the south west of England and took a walk with the camera. A long sweep of bright yellow daffodils along the roadside caught my eye – backlit, soft background, shallow depth of field. You know the drill.

As I was bending down, working the angles, I heard, “They look lovely, don’t they?” in a rich rural English accent.

That’s how I met Chris.

He told me he planted the daffodils after surviving a massive heart attack. He thought he was about to “pop his clogs,” so he wanted to leave something behind.

Sensing he had a willing listener, Chris shared more of his story. One of eight children, his father a tin miner, he moved to Bleadon as a youngster and spent forty years doing hard farm work. His loyalty to the farmer he worked for eventually gave him the opportunity to buy the stone cottage opposite the daffodils. He’s proud that one day it will pass to his daughter, and he’s determined to keep it in good order for her.

Chris ended his story with a smile: “Well, the heart attack was ten years ago. I’m still here… and so are the daffodils.”

What struck me most wasn’t the flowers or even the portrait opportunity – it was his spirit. Warm. Open. Grateful. Full of life.

I went out looking for a photograph. I came back with a reminder that it’s not just the image, but the story that accompanies it.

And speaking of stories, at our next Monthly Meeting, Susan Ruach will walk us through how she created a beautiful abstract image she recently sold (see below), and our main presenter will be Megan Veldman speaking on Photographing the Predators and General Sports Photography. 

Be sure to review the rest of this newsletter for upcoming events and opportunities to get out and shoot.

Martin Cregg – BPG President