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Subcribe to comment rss feedDavid Clapp talks about one of his favourite images
David Clapp
Non-award winning landscape, travel, architectural photographer and writer based in South Devon.
Well it was another washout autumn, wasn’t it. We don’t seem to be doing to well over the last few years, but like you I can’t help but feel the anticipation build towards the end of October. Working my way across the country, from Dartmoor to Yorkshire hosting the Canon GPS Days with Tim, I would have given anything to substitute the damp and grey for a few seconds of a golden viewfinder, especially in the New Forest where the colours were exceptional.
When I finally made it to the Lake District the week after, my heart sank literally along with the Lake District itself. Autumn was washed away as day after day of pouring rain flooded back roads and kept us close to the slate, or headed underground.
“I am done with the Lakes, in fact I am done with autumn”, I stropped to my good friend Justin. Hundreds of miles, hundreds of pounds and nothing to show for it, except a study of a few rusty tractors (but they are bloody good rusty tractors).
The image I have chosen for the End Frame does not require verbiage. There is no painter to compare it with, no message to unveil, no long-winded protracted linguistic gymnastics to display as I procrastinate and flex my grammatical biceps. It’s just beautiful – that’s why I chose it. Not only does its simplicity trounce every autumnal image I have seen this year, but its illusion is a curtain of gold. All the time, whilst I was running around the countryside swearing, Mark was photographing this country park scene as the colours peaked, until he captured something truly spectacular.