The Colour of Silence: July 2005

About Me

Location: North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Geoff Sanderson was born in 1930 in Yorkshire, North of England. Following school he did a five-year engineering apprenticeship, during which time he took up bicycle touring and racing. It was during long-distance touring in the hill country that he acquired his love of the outdoors. Geoff changed career in 1951 when he joined the Royal Air Force as a Physical Training Instructor, was awarded a commission in 1963, and retired as a Flight Lieutenant admin officer in 1985. During these 34 adventurous years, Geoff married Jill in 1958, sailed and raced dinghies in Zimbabwe, Egypt and Singapore, and took up the sport of fencing. He became a qualified fencing instructor and official, was appointed RAF Team Captain, and was eventually awarded RAF and Combined Services Colours. Following retirement, Geoff ran the admin for Jill’s design/dressmaking business, and also worked helping a friend run an antiques business. Geoff and Jill have lived in North Yorkshire for almost 20 years now, within easy travelling distance of five National Parks, so spend much of their leisure time in hill-walking, photography, writing poetry, and painting.

Friday, July 01, 2005

In the past few weeks, encouraged by collaborations with Pris Campbell and Jerry Dreesen, I've been producing my own photo-haiga (haiku and senryu forms combined with photographs). I think I'll post some of my recent efforts here, then post latest ones as they occur.

The image for 'Lone Gull' was photographed on the River Wharfe, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. I sat by the river for three hours trying to capture a shot of a lone gull flying low over the river; frustrating - they either flew by in droves, or did aerobatics. I got this one suitable shot out of 40 I took (thanks heavens for digital photography!). No post-processing here - the river was very dark and glossy under the trees.

One February Jill and I were returning from a long days' walking in the hills of Wharfedale, when we came over a rise and I saw these lovely shadows extending across the track. I asked Jill to walk ahead, composed, then clicked the shutter as she reached the right spot. The image and the senryu say everything that we both feel about the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, and about our many walks on these hills.