12 months in the making

Based on the WH Auden quote that ‘A culture is no better than its woods’, the concept of ‘One Year One Photograph‘ was straight forward; visit a selection of locations once a month for a calendar year and then overlay these 12 images to produce one final work per location. What I did not appreciate was the discipline required; namely the discipline to make time every month and the discipline to visit the locations no matter what the weather. While I should have blocked out my diary every month and allocated set dates, life simply got ahead of me. Knowing I would have circa 30 days to capture the images I would often prioritise events and leave the photography until late in the month.

And as for the weather; who can predict the British weather? Suffice it to say that it was important to be prepared for all eventualities every time I walked out the door; from warm to wet weather gear, from sunglasses to water. Additionally I did not grasp quite how difficult it is to take exactly the same image multiple times; trying to find the exact spot on the ground, checking the focal length of the lens, the height and angle of the camera. In more than one location my markers either changed due to the passing of time and a shift in the season or would disappear completely due to man made changes in the terrain.

The Three Sisters, Cleeve Hill

This post describes and shows the 12 months of the project at the location of the Three Sisters (also known as The Twins) on Cleeve Hill. At 330 metres above sea level or 1,083 feet, Cleeve Hill is the highest point in Gloucestershire and is also the highest peak of the Cotswold Hills. The location of the Sisters commands a clear view to the west, over Cheltenham and the racecourse.

0818 hours

7th Sept 2023

I kicked the project off on a sunny September day, having already completed a recce of all the locations the previous month.

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
0918 hours

10th Oct 2023

This month was perfect for the project with dramatic change from the month before; after a sunny Sept, Oct was so overcast the view from Cleeve Hill, of Cheltenham and the racecourse, was completely obscured.

1257 hours

16th Nov 2023

November saw another dramatic change with the Three Sisters losing their leaves.

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph

Cold winter months

Discipline; the project required the discipline to continue during the British winter.

1046 hours

18th Dec 2023

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
1118 hours

23rd Jan 2024

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
1036 hours

13th Feb 2024

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
1113 hours

18th Mar 2024

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph

A spring in my step

1037 hours

18th Apr 2024

1038 hours

20th May 2024

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
1050 hours

06th Jun 2024

1014 hours

02nd Jul 2024

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph
0952 hours

22nd Aug 2024

One Year One Photograph; twelve frames taken over the course of the year of an historic beech tree in a wood, alternate version, overlaid to produce one final photograph

Post Production

How the twelve months of the Three Sisters are overlaid to create the final work.