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  • Home
  • Why You Should Visit The Isle Of Wight
  • Ferry travel advice & discounts
    • Discount Isle of Wight Ferry Travel
    • Isle Of Wight Ferry Beginners Guide
    • Wightlink's Tesco Clubcard deal – is it the best discount?
    • Using Wightlink’s Multilink deal for cheap ferry travel
    • Cheap Isle of Wight Ferry Travel For Caravans
    • 5 Isle Of Wight Holidays Including Ferry Travel
  • Holiday parks, hotels, camping & cottages
    • Family holiday parks & caravans >
      • 10 Of The Best Isle of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
      • Parkdean Resorts Isle of Wight Holiday Parks (formerly Park Resorts)
      • Which Isle Of Wight Holiday Park Should I Stay In?
      • Last Minute Deals And Discounts At Holiday Parks
      • Is There A Haven Holiday Park On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park Reviews and Facilities
      • Lower Hyde And Landguard Holiday Park Review
      • 6 Tricks To Save Money At Isle Of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
    • Hotels & guest houses >
      • Isle of Wight Hotels - a beginner's guide
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Luxury Hotels
      • Warner's Bembridge Coast & Norton Grange hotels
      • 5 Best Isle of Wight Coach Tour Holidays And Trips
      • Isle of Wight Hotels With A Sea View
      • 5 Ventnor Hotels And Guest Houses
    • Spa Breaks & Romantic >
      • 3 Best Isle Of Wight Spa Break Hotels And Spa Days
      • Romantic Isle Of Wight Holidays For Couples
    • Camping & glamping >
      • 20 Isle Of Wight Camping And Touring Parks
      • Isle of Wight Glamping
    • Cottages & self catering >
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Shanklin
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Cowes
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Newport
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Sandown
      • 10 Isle Of Wight Wheelchair Accessible & Disabled Friendly Holidays
      • Brambles Chine And Linstone Chine Self Catering
    • Lodges & hot tub holidays >
      • 5 Best Isle Of Wight Holiday Lodges
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Hot Tub Holidays
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Holidays With Swimming Pools
    • Quirky & AirBnbs >
      • 20 Quirky Places To Stay On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Airbnb Holiday Homes
    • Group accommodation >
      • 10 Best Places To Stay For Large Groups
      • 8 Best Isle Of Wight Manor Houses For Hire
    • Accommodation advice >
      • What Time Of Year Should I Visit The Isle Of Wight?
      • Which Isle of Wight Town Should I Stay In?
      • Where Is The Cheapest Place To Stay?
  • Festivals, days out & attractions
    • Festivals & carnivals >
      • Major Festivals And Carnivals
      • Isle of Wight Festival 2023 Lineup And Tickets
      • 10 Unforgettable Isle of Wight Festival Moments
      • Isle of Wight Festival History
      • Cowes Week - Attractions And Accommodation
    • Free days out & attraction discounts >
      • Free Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • Discounts To Isle Of Wight Attractions
      • Itinerary For A Budget Isle of Wight Holiday
      • 10 Ways To Save Money On Isle Of Wight Holidays
    • Attractions for children, teenagers, adults >
      • Activities For Toddlers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Children And Families On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Teenagers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Adults On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For An Isle Of Wight Stag Do
      • Surviving An Isle Of Wight Holiday With A Toddler
    • Quirky days out >
      • 10 Quirky Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can't Do On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can Only Visit On The Isle Of Wight
      • Isle Of Wight TV & Movie Tour
      • 10 Reasons To Visit The Isle Of Wight
    • Days out in Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor >
      • 10 Things To Do In Bembridge, St Helen's and Seaview
      • 10 Things To Do In Cowes And East Cowes
      • 10 Things To Do In Newport and Carisbrooke
      • 15 Things To Do In Ryde
      • 15 Things To Do In Shanklin And Sandown
      • 15 Things To Do In Ventnor And South Wight
      • 15 Things To Do In Yarmouth And West Wight
    • Rainy day & winter attractions >
      • Rainy Day Activities On The Isle Of Wight
      • Itinerary For A Rainy Isle Of Wight Holiday
      • Winter Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
    • Zoos, historic attractions, gardens >
      • Isle of Wight Zoos And Animal Attractions
      • Historic Attractions On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Isle of Wight Gardens And Parks
    • Day trip itineraries >
      • Day Trips From Portsmouth To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Southampton To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Lymington To The Isle of Wight
    • Car journey games & viewpoints >
      • 5 Isle Of Wight Car Journey Games
      • 15 Best Isle Of Wight Car Park Viewpoints
      • The Isle Spy Car Journey Game
  • Beaches, tides, watersports & weather
    • Which Is The Best Isle Of Wight Beach For...
    • Isle of Wight Beaches Interactive Map
    • Isle Of Wight Tide Times
    • Isle of Wight Weather Forecast
    • Isle Of Wight Surf Forecast
    • Isle of Wight Watersports
    • The Beach Holiday Checklist - 5 Accessories
    • Mobile Version Of Isle Of Wight Best Beaches
  • Walking, Cycling, Driving & Public Transport
    • Walking >
      • Walking The Isle of Wight Coastal Path
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Walks (Circular, 3-9 miles)
      • 10 Isle of Wight Short Walks For Children (1 Mile)
      • Isle of Wight Themed Walks
      • Isle of Wight Treasure Trails and Treasure Hunts
    • Cycling Holidays On The Isle of Wight
    • Public Transport
    • Isle Of Wight Car Hire
    • Wighty 90 Driving Route
  • Dog friendly
    • Dog Friendly Isle of Wight Accommodation
    • Dog Friendly Isle Of Wight Holidays
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    • Eating Out On A Budget
    • Pubs And Restaurants With A Sea View
    • Family Friendly Pubs With Playgrounds
    • Isle Of Wight Supermarkets
  • Useful information
    • Boring & practical stuff >
      • FAQ
      • Which Mobile Phone Network Has The Best Signal On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Cheap Parcel Delivery And Sending Mail To The Isle Of Wight
      • Isle of Wight Map
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  • Privacy policy and cookies policy
Isle of Wight Guru

Which is the best Isle of Wight Calendar?

2/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Twenty years ago, calendars of the Isle of Wight were rather predictable and dull. 

The front cover would be a view of the church in Godshill with a couple of pretty thatched cottages in front. Over the next twelve months you'd have 11 pictures of Osborne House and perhaps one picture of the Needles. The target audience was old ladies who had been on a coach trip and wanted a way of remembering grandchildren's birthdays. It would usually be purchased along with a box of fudge and a tea towel. 

For some reason, the calendars were always thin and long, meaning that the photos were about the size of a small postcard. Sunsets or misty mornings rarely featured in the images. 

Thankfully, Isle of Wight landscape photography has improved a lot in recent years. My theory is that digital photography has allowed more people to fiddle around in a creative way to actually capture the most beautiful parts of the Isle of Wight rather than relying on the more famous bits which we've all seen a hundred times. Photographic risks can be taken when you don't have to send off your photos and wait a fortnight for them to be developed.

For many years, my favourite Isle of Wight calendar has been produced by Available Light, which has got a shop in Newport.
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Available Light Gallery (@availablelightphotography)

Above: one of many cracking photos by Available Light
For a while, Available Light produced a panoramic calendar which I still regret throwing away. It was one of many reasons why I started to appreciate the beauty of the Island rather than just seeing it as somewhere I grew up. The calendars are now a more conventional A5 size but they still do a great job of showing off the four corners of the Isle of Wight.

Each Christmas, my mother buys me the calendar and I spend 10 minutes on Christmas Day making "ooohh" noises. The same noise is then repeated on the first day of the month throughout the year.

This year though, controversy arrived when a family member received a different Isle of Wight calendar. Further still, they claimed that this calendar was even better than the Available Light calendar.

Unkind words were said which I think we all now regret. And in hindsight, my tirade of four letter words on Christmas Day was indeed 'a bit much', as Mrs Guru politely put it whilst basting the turkey. 

The calendar causing the consternation was by Ainsley Bennett who specialises in 'night sky and landscape photography'. I'd admired his images on Instagram and Facebook before but hadn't seen his calendars.

We decided to settle things in a more civilised way. 

We assembled a distinguished panel comprising a cross section of Isle of Wightophiles. Well, it was three adults and two under sevens but that was the best we could manage during a national lockdown. One was on Skype which didn't help but we battled on.

For anyone wanting to try this out at home, our recommended judging criteria is to compare each month side by side.  Everyone votes and the highest scoring picture gets one point before moving on to the next month. In the event of a tie, the front cover is voted on.

Available Light took an early lead and by the end of May it was 4-1 up.

And then things began to turn and we found ourselves at 5-5 by the end of October. Things were becoming tense (Ed: I think you might be overegging this).

Some months were agonisingly close. During May, both calendars had a photo of St Catherine's Lighthouse and we began an argument about the use of light and the rule of thirds. The four year old judge was surprisingly opinionated. 

By the end of December, the score was 6-6. Some judges wandered off for a bit of fresh air. Or perhaps they just lost interest, it's hard to say.

Either way, we headed for the tie breaker. 

So who won? 

This will sound like a complete cop out, but we failed to reach a conclusion. Both calendars featured a similarly lovely sunset shot of The Needles as their cover. Two of us chose Available Light, whilst the other two chose Ainsley Bennett's shot of The Needles. The deciding voter had left the room to watch CBeebies.

It's fair to say that they are both terrific calendars which do a good job of showing off the Island. Perhaps I'll get both for Christmas next year.

Feel free to comment below with your choice, or to recommend other outstanding Isle of Wight calendars. Apologies in advance to other talented photographers who we have thus far ignored.
The final vote came down to this image...
...versus this image. 
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