I am very proud of “getting back in the PaD saddle” this year and now, as I only have a few days to go, I can say that I’m really pleased to have got this far. My break from it was much needed and it was the writing I missed more than the photos if I’m honest. This year’s images have rarely been stunning as photos and equally infrequently have they contained much in the way of specialist knowledge of photography. They have been simple documents of my year, mostly camera pointed and shot taken, there haven't even been many studio shots in the 360 or so images that are already in the bag for the year. In my previous tenure on PaD, I used to spend hours thinking of ways of getting excellent, imaginative shots (anyone who's been following it since then will recognise that this was not every day but enough to make me feel proud of the images) but not so this time around because my mind has been firmly focused on achieving academic ambitions, not photographic ones.

This shot has been the exception and I have been plotting it for weeks. I’ve mulled over how to get the shot I want and to be honest would have got it days ago had I been able to pluck up the courage to work it through in the studio before now. Sometimes shots can take ages to set up and to get what you want. Today there was no excuse, all I’ve done is walk the dogs (brainwave – take them in the car to a “safe” place on the moor then let them out without putting them on the leads so my back can cope with the walking without being tugged hither and thither by pesky Lola), make lunch and watch several films while rooted to the sofa.

So, the shot was done with the bells attached to a mike stand which I’ve cloned out with my trusty photoshop. The long exposure was so I could walk around the room, firing off the studio light, which was tucked under my arm, manually to get the frozen shots and the modelling light got the “action” part…OK, I confess that this last bit was an accidental benefit because I failed to switch the modelling light off in time because I was fumbling about in the pitch dark and couldn’t find the switch but BOY does it work. Sometimes that little bit of luck is what really makes the shot. So, it’s been a long time in the making and a long time since I shot a photo of this calibre but I am finally proud of an image for more than its documentary value. Strangely, it was easy in the end - this was shot 5 of 5!

All that remains is to say to all of my friends, both real and cyber “Happy Christmas” – I hope you’ve all had a wonderful day.

Oh and for anyone wondering – yes, I will be carrying on next year…it’s like a drug.