spring – IJM Photography

In my little corner of France, the weather has been a little on the rainy side. We had a good week at the end of January, but since February, somebody, somewhere, without knowing the ramifications of his words, must have said, “et bah, on a besoin d’eau hein….” God obviously granted this person their prayers and we have been rained on for the last few weeks!

It all began with a brief respite at the end of January, a fleeting interlude of sunshine before February just started urinating on us from above. It’s as if someone, somewhere, uttered the magic words, invoking the heavens to shower us with their blessings. And shower us they did, with rain pouring down like a pissing cow (as the French so poetically put it) that had been on the lash all night , couldn’t find the loo, and could no longer keep it in.

Yesterday, we were visited by none other than Louis, the storm, and not the child of the Prince of Wales. His presence was felt with each gust of wind and every raindrop that tapped against the window. This was proper rain. The kind of rain that makes your Yorkshire more elderly aunts would tell you that you might want to put a coat on, but told off by your Northumbrian grandmother if you dared use an umbrella. It was a different time… I would dash out to do my quality control for the timber deliveries at work whilst trying to dodge the heavy showers and not get blown over by the 50 mph gusts of wind.

But amidst the downpour, signs of Spring’s imminent arrival emerge like treasures hidden in plain sight. No longer do I awaken to the frosty chore of scraping ice off my windscreen; instead, there’s a gentle warmth in the air, a whisper of hope that dances through the rain-soaked streets.

As I make my way through the soggy pathways, I can’t help but notice the subtle changes taking place. The blackthorn bushes in the hedgerows begin to bloom, their delicate blossoms a testament to nature’s resilience. Daffodils peek out from gardens and roadside nooks, adding splashes of colour to the grey canvas of the day.

And despite the forecast calling for more rain, there’s a sense of optimism in the air, a feeling that Winter’s grip is loosening and Spring’s embrace is just around the corner. It’s a feeling that stirs something deep within, a sense of anticipation for what lies ahead. As you can see in the photo, it doesn’t rain “all the time.”

We still aren’t in 100 ASA film weather, except if you only want to shoot at F1.8, and when in 400 ASA we can start to go over F8, at least during the day. You thought I wouldn’t talk about photography? Really? At least I can go out and catch the rain on film. Sunnier days are brighter, but the melancholy of rain is just as special and poetic.

So, dear readers, as we navigate the unpredictable dance of Spring’s arrival, let us do so with all the warmth and humour of old friends reunited. For whether it be the son of the Prince of Wales or the ghost of various Kings of France, when Louis comes knocking, it’s bound to be a royal affair.

I hate you January. What a month for depression, for shitty and pissy weather! Christmas is a souvenir and we have all recovered from the hangovers from New Year’s Eve. Why can’t the year start in mid-February or even in March? You bring darkness and cold with you, and with Covid we’re not out all the time huddled together enjoying ourselves even if we have had three shots!
IJM Photography

February, on the other hand, sees days getting longer and slightly brighter, but with January’s rain still lingering like a hard to treat MST that you just can’t get rid of. But the sun is starting to make an effort and poke its head through the clouds. Sometimes it even manages it! You can see daffodils growing and want to flower. The hedgerows are green, but only with evergreen plants. The blossoms have yet to come but won’t be long. First is the blackthorn, which ironically has white blossom. Nature seems to get its backside in gear during March. But even now we have milder weather…

The French government, in its infinite wisdom, with only the very slightest whiff of irony, has decreed that from the 2nd of February, face coverings no longer need to be worn outside. The French government, again, in its infinite wisdom, with only the very slightest whiff of irony, has also decreed that from the 16th of February we can stand at the bar to get drunk and no longer have to sit. We can also go to nightclubs. Although not my scene at all, I could go if I so wished. COVID isn’t over but it would appear that party time is starting once again. A little later than in number 10, but starting anyway. That there is an election in May and the fact that the governing party doesn’t want to look like party poopers has nothing to do with it. Boris didn’t let it impede his partying. Boris is also a self-righteous buffoon. Don’t be like Boris. I remember when Boris used to be a rather rotund Russian chap, fond of promoting vodka and heart surgery… Those days are long gone… But he certainly seems to have had more fun than Vladimir, which is not surprising when you’re not at all planning on invading Ukraine like you did in 2014… Keeping the peace? More like taking the peace!!

But let’s get back to France, Nantes, and photography, or rather me I, France, Nantes, and photography. Since the beginning of the year, we have been granted our Friday afternoons off by the company I work for. This allows me time to get off my rather large backside and go out and take some photographs. Sometimes, I have my daughter with me, and sometimes I’m just on my own. Like that, she doesn’t eat my cake! SO, I walk around in the sunshine and feel alive again. Don’t be jealous, this last week has been very rainy and depressing, but it should be fine tomorrow and next week looks OK.

I usually hang out in the centre of town but for the last couple of weekends, where it has been sunny, I walked along the river Loire in the infamous Hangar à Bananes which is lovely during the day, but not so much at 2am when the bars throw people out. I’m not saying that it’s a magnet for crime, but I would say that during the day and early evening, it’s lovely! Take from that what you will. Far be it from me to infer insecurity where the city council says there isn’t any and we’ll fight it with culture. You can lead a horse to culture, but you can’t make it drink unless it’s an Irish horse, which would make things easier. And you don’t have to get a seat for your horse now. It can drink at the bar without being judged. Wonderful isn’t it!

Right. Time for the photo bit of the article. You’ve been very patient and now you will be rewarded! The photos are a mixture of the two weekends, and a mixture of colour and black and white photography. It would be a shame to miss out on seeing the Jaune in the Grue Jaune. And although you can get some beautiful images in the rain and even difficult light, it is so much more agreeable to not have to deal with it! The photos are taken on the Fuji X100f with its 35mm equivalent F2.0 lens, and the Fuji XT2 with its 16mm F2.8 lens. I’ll let you have a look at the photos now. Thanks for reading this far! I’ll leave the colour photos for another post. Let’s not get mixed up now… won’t be long. I’ll soon get it sorted.