Photo-hiking the Thames Path National Trail - My new photo-project

Over the next couple of years or so I'll be hiking the Thames Path from the source of the River Thames near Kemble in Gloucestershire to its finish at the Thames Barrier a little to the east of central London. Its official length is 184 miles, so I'll be hiking at least 368 miles as I'll hike it fully in both directions. And as I sometimes go off piste it will end up well over 400 miles. I photo-hike alone on non-consecutive days as and when I can. So, I drive to the point to which I hiked the previous occasion, hike out for half of my planned day then turn around and hike back to the car. My next hike links with the last so that after 30 to 40 days photo-hiking it will be complete. This link is to the official website for The Thames Path.

This project is emphatically not about documenting the Thames Path. I 'use' hiking as a means to find images that inspire and enthuse me with the prospect of a fine photograph. Whether or not a finished photograph identifies the Thames or the Path is immaterial to me. The only connection between the images will be their proximity to the Thames, and me - the photographer.

And why this blog? A question I've asked myself the last couple of photo-hiking projects. And the answer's the same ... the discipline and commitment to publish an entry for each day's hike is motivating as is the steady build of a body of work. It would be easy to do it off line but the added edge of being public is ... compelling.

Over the last two or three years I've veered away from monochrome image-making into the world of colour. But now I've got over that I'm back to producing (most of) my finished photographs in monochrome.

Steve Gledhill

My website is at www.virtuallygrey.co.uk

My photoblog is at www.virtuallygrey.blogspot.co.uk
My Cotswold Way photo-hiking blog is at www.thecotswoldway.blogspot.co.uk