Tooooo many sheep

So, that was 2022. A year of political turmoil. A year of war. A year of actors slapping each other for attention. However, tucked away up here in North Wales, the theme of my year was one of too many sheep.

Back in April 2022, I made a big life decision to leave London and relocate to my favourite part of the UK – North Wales. In December 2022, I realised that I had taken way too many photographs of sheep than anyone ever really needs.

Now, I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, in fact I don’t really do New Years at all, however, I am going to try and make one photography resolution for 2023 – to take less photos of sheep! As I’ve mentioned, I live in North Wales and so I imagine this resolution will fail as miserably and quickly as all the others in times gone by, but I will try. Being a photographer and living in North Wales, it is almost required by some unwritten ‘photography law’ to photograph sheep whenever you are passing by, and in Wales, that can be anywhere at any time.  I can guarantee you that any outdoors or landscape photographer you speak too has a back catalogue of photographs involving sheep. They will also most likely tell you how they spend far too much of their ‘photography time’ being distracted by sheep. It is just something we do. We are a peculiar bunch. They do make for some lovely photographs though, and like I said, they are almost everywhere! There is just something about a photograph that has sheep within it. However, I do think I am pretty set on images of sheep for the time being. I do also think, that by the end of January 2023, I will have taken more! Maybe I just have to be OK with that.

I do think I might well have had more conversations with sheep in the last 8 months since living in Wales than I have with actual human beings. I am also very certain that I have missed other great shots in the process of spending far too much time talking to and trying to compose photographs with sheep in. Anyway, maybe 2023 will be the year of the Seagull or something (although I really am not their biggest fan so I doubt it!). I will this year try much harder to limit the amount of time I spend being that strange, 32 year old man, talking to sheep, whilst out and about in the mountains and landscapes of North Wales. If you see me, save me…

Happy New Year to all. May 2023 be full of fun and inspiring adventures! And an extra special thank you to everyone who has supported me and my photography during 2022.