Friday 31 July 2020

July: a Roundup


July has been a month of the lockdown being further lifted and yet, despite the pubs and shops being busier, life is not what it was.

As I type, lockdowns are being imposed in areas across the country where there have been a rise in outbreaks, though I hear pubs and businesses are to continue being open. The 'second wave' that we always hear about is the scary thought, yet many people seem to live their lives as if it's all a conspiracy theory and there is no real threat. Funny what fear can do to people.

I've chosen a lot of photos from my archives this month and if I'm honest, that's more to do with laziness than anything else. The excitement for taking photos has dwindled a lot and it's become a burden on some days. Nevertheless, these are important times to document and I refuse to give up on the project!

Black and white photos seem to have been the natural way to go with 'rectangles' as the theme. The architecturally themed images have worked better with this contrast and the mood of July has been reflected in the monotones. Maybe August will be brighter.


A Photo a Day 2020 #213

Monday 27 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #209



This was a colour photo taken on my phone with nothing remarkable about it, just a choice to frame it through a fence.Turning it black and white makes that blue sky seem ominous and dramatic. It looks like a still from an old film.


Saturday 25 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #207



I found a shoebox full of photos (some 25 years old!) Remember when you had the surprise of getting your photos developed only to discover some didn't come out? I found a lot of these as well as (objectively speaking) hugely unflattering shots of me over the years! Being able to take selfies again and again is something we never had in the past and I wonder how much more liberating it was to take a photo and then laugh at how bad you looked in it a few weeks later. 

Although there are the odd 'nice', posed pictures with friends, most of my teenage photos are candid and silly. I get a true sense of who I was as a young girl (and I was very silly!) Nowadays we seem to see the same one or two universal pouty poses and Instagram-worthy tweaking; in the 90s we just shot a photo and that was that. Of course, we were still self-critical and lacked self esteem as most young people do, but having one less opportunity to strive for perfection was a blessing. 


Thursday 23 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #205



I'm doing some sorting! These boxes represent past, present and future left to right. I used to be a frequent heel wearer and I do still have a penchant for a block heel, however comfort is my priority nowadays. Where I haven't been at work in the same way, I've been living in trainers. But I also got me some DMs for Autumn/ Winter recently in a sale. I can't wait to wear them and I'm hoping they'll be comfy!

Monday 20 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #202





I have a few masks now that I wear when in shops. It is not yet compulsory, but I have them, so I wear them. This is my only 'snazzy' mask! I did take a smiley version of this shot, but the eyes and the mask were crisper in this shot. I also think it conveys how many of us feel about the mask situation: apprehensive perhaps, but determined to get through this time, willing to make any adjustments necessary to help stop the spread and return to some kind of functioning situation. 

Thursday 16 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #198



I'll be honest, motivation is brief at the moment. I will post every day, but the quality and content will vary-- that's the name of the game with this project. I did it in 2017 and found the same. But unlike 2017, we're here in pandemic times. It's ok, but the pace is different. I think I needed to have gone for a walk by now. I'll run later.

Maisie is here though, and when she's here everything is better.

Sunday 12 July 2020

Wednesday 8 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #190



This was taken in February 2020 just as Coronavirus was starting to be mentioned in the news more. Storm Dennis was visiting and our trip to the city coincided with this. Look at the rectangles of light on the pavements-- such a cool effect!

Tuesday 7 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #189



Chinatown, in the West End, London.
This was taken in February 2020, just as people were becoming aware of Coronavirus. People were starting to be wary of this area due to the links to China. I can't wait to visit again someday.

Thursday 2 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #184



Back before lockdown, I would get to my classroom at 7:30am and it would be very quiet. I would prepare for the day, busy non-stop all day. The mornings were always the calm before the storm. This was taken one cold morning this year. You can see the condensation formed rectangles on the windows and I took the photo, knowing I would use it sometime this year. I could never have forseen that I would get to sleep in past 7:30 most mornings and have a calm, mid-morning coffee break without having to chug it down or it to go cold because the bell went for lesson 3. 

I'm looking at this and thinking that I miss my classroom in some ways-- it's a home from home for the vast part of my year. But then, it's also a symbol of the trapping nature of the 9-5 (or 7:30-7:30 as it sometimes becomes in my case!)

Oh well, I'll be back soon enough, maybe one day reading this and rolling my eyes and yawning.

Wednesday 1 July 2020

A Photo a Day 2020 #183



Sometimes photos taken in error can be interesting. This was taken when the shops started to open in June and it is very over-exposed. I liked the ghost-like quality of it because it holds true with the atmosphere in town during Covid. You can see some figures in the shopping centre, walking about in a ghostly fashion.

July's theme is 'rectangles'!