The above image was one of the last photographs of the Longannet Chimney, before it was demolished. It was taken while scouting to find a position for me to photograph the demolition. Unfortunately, on the day of the demolition, I was stopped by the police from getting to this position and therefor, I missed the event. This was bad timing on my part, five minutes earlier and I would have got into position and taken the photos of the demolition. In theory, I did all the right things; I scouted the location, I researched the day and time of the demolition and I was ready to go in plenty time. What I did not do, was to double check the time scheduled. I relied on information from a third party, which was one hour out.

The point of this story is quite simply, if you want to be the one to get the best photos, check and double check ALL the elements that are required. By, 'The Best Photos', I do not mean photos that you can sell to a newspaper, but photos that will mean something to you and your family in the future. Yes I sell photos, but my Best Photos will never be sold. They have been taken purely for personal reasons and will always remain in my family.

Photos, photographs, images, pictures, snaps, whatever we want to call them are taken as a record of some kind. This can be for professional or personal reasons, but the end result should be to create the best reproduction of the subject, that we can.

This is why we buy the best equipment that we can and learn as much about taking photographs as possible. I, personally feel that everyone should try, and practice all genres of photography whenever the opportunity arises. This is why, during the winter months, I find myself trying out different methods for lighting Macro subjects,

or shooting waves on the beach at Dysart, as in the images above and below.

While the macro image is not perfect, there should not be shadows, I will work on correcting this until I get it right. The image of the waves has turned out fairly well considering that it was 16.45 and I was shooting with a 90mm lens at ISO 200, aperture f 9.0 and a shutter speed of 1/25th of a second last Tuesday. My goal was to test the low-light ability of the camera and lens. Each of these photos was taken when I had the time and was in the right place to take them, but in both cases, they were chance opportunities. Over the years, I have learned that a missed opportunity will rarely come round again, so one should try to be ready and flexible enough  to take them when they arise. Needless to say, taking opportunities is not always possible, but I have found that if you can manage, not only will you learn something, but you will have a sense of achievement for having done so. 

I haven't spoken about January yet. What can one photograph in dull miserable weather that would be interesting? Water and waterfalls are always good just now, as the rivers are running high and the waterfalls are spectacular.

Two shots of Alva Glen Waterfall, Right was summer 2021 and left was winter 2019. Both were taken about the same time of day using a 6 second exposure. The difference is obvious, the winter shot is by far the better.

There are many other subjects that can be interesting just now. A new pet will give endless opportunities, or set up a fashion show of your family showing off their new clothes. Possibly place a bird feeder outside a window, put your camera on the inside and enjoy capturing shots of the birds. The Big Garden Bird Count is held later this month, so, again you can record, in pictures, the birds that you spot.

The above photo was taken using my phone. The best camera that you will ever have is, 'The one that you have with you'.

January, or any month, is full of opportunities, you just have to pick up your camera and find them.

When you look at something, whether it be a building or a blade of grass, try to look at it with a picture in mind. Not everything is inspiring to every person, but everything is inspiring to someone. Personally, I don't really like slugs, but some people find them fascinating and study them avidly. Keep an open mind and you will find what inspires you.