A Photo a Day 2020 #318

As you can see this was erected in 1889. 

A Photo a Day 2020 #255

The angle on this makes somewhat of an optical illusion and I really like how the creek and sky appear almost as a painting canvas (almost an echo of a surrealist work). Pure experiment and fluke, but a nice outcome. The contrast and colour was slightly amped in post-production.

A Photo a Day 2020 #253

 

A Photo a Day 2020 #249

Nothing clears the mind more than a walk next to water. 

A Photo a Day 2020 #248

I survived four days at work. 

August: a Roundup

 

So my words have been few this month. My quality of photography has been mixed. It's been an odd one. Perhaps the theme has been an apt one. The school 'holidays' have gone by quick and reality looms as we return tomorrow to a situation where we get ill all the time anyway, let alone with Covid on the loose. Anyway, the less thinking on that matter the better for now.

August has been hot and largely relaxing. Time has been spent in slightly questionable ways, but there's always an argument for watching horror films with your cat at your feet in bed. Other than that, it's been good to see family and just not work. Also, the gym has been a blessing and I hope they continue to stay open because for many people it keeps the mind healthy, let alone the body.

I have no idea what tomorrow's 'September' theme will be. We'll see. 

A Photo a Day 2020 #242

As we're soon to return back to work, this is a flashback to early lockdown. Will we ever get to stop and pause again?

 

A Photo a Day 2020 #241

A Photo a Day 2020 #238

 

A Photo a Day 2020 #236

Named after a Jackson 5 song

A Photo a Day 2020 #234

 

A Photo a Day 2020 #222

A shot taken when the sun was dropping in the evening recently on a walk. It looked incredible and this was the most vivid and contrasting shot of all I took.

A Photo a Day 2020 #220

As an accompaniment to yesterday's photo, this is the view of my daydreaming sky.

A Photo a Day 2020 #217

This is my favourite building in Fareham to photograph and I've discussed it in previous posts which you can see below. I caught the sky looking rather tempestuous on an evening stroll which kind of makes the building look a bit 80s in a a very pleasing 'Ghostbusters' sort of way! 

A Photo a Day 2020 #214

This was taken when lockdown was in full swing back in April. I have quite a few beautiful nature shots under the new theme of 'Shades of Blue' which were taken at the start of lockdown when we were venturing into the countryside more to get our quota (and a bit) of exercise. It kept us sane.

Now we have the gyms back (but for how long?) It may be that at some point we have forms of lockdown imposed again. Today there is the suggestion that pubs will have to close for schools to open-- not a hardship for those of us who aren't regulars, but for publicans and booze hounds, not ideal. People being in denial is great for the short term, but we have to mentally prepare for things to get worse again (and if this doesn't happen, marvelous, I'm happy to be one of the miserable, cynical folk).

Yesterday our water cut out and we faced a day of no washing or drinking facilities. We had a few bottles of H2O stored in our fridge that we salvaged from a barely running tap before we lost all supply. I took a shower in the gym (thank God it was finally open at this time!) Water became a precious commodity and we didn't know how long it would take to fix it. Today, we feel like the luckiest people ever. The supply came back and with better pressure than we've been able to get for a while. 

We all covet the lifestyle we were accustomed to and certain things will hit us more personally. For you it might be having a holiday abroad, others may have lost income or struggle now even more than they already did. Looking at my 'lockdown' photos from a just a few months back take me back to a time when, for one moment, we kind of felt a bit more united. I need to hold on to what is important as the down days come and we still wonder what the future really holds.

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.

A Photo a Day 2020 #148

Skywritten

I saw this trail in the sky whilst sitting out in the garden a few days ago. The trippy colours are just because.

A Photo a Day 2020 #134

Strati

I remember this evening back in March before lockdown had begun when I was already self-isolating. This felt like the most isolated time of all. There was the guilt of being off work (although in hindsight it was the right thing to do as we had symptoms in the household). There was also the sense that life was still going on despite the inevitable events that we were anticipating. The sacrifice of not going out and foregoing the gym despite it being open was tough. Once everyone was forced into lockdown and closures of public places happened there was some odd reassurance that we were all part of this ludicrous event, not just the few of us who were feeling helpless at home whilst our colleagues and friends pushed forward at work.

This was taken looking out of the window having spent many days inside. Nature is a comfort, for sure.

A Photo a Day #355

Winter's Gift

Absolutely stunning pink skies at around 4:30pm as the sun had nearly set. The mist hung over the field where a lone walker strolled in the cold. Taken with a wide aperture lens.

A Photo a Day #336

Winter Sunset

It's cold here in the UK, but the clear skies are beautiful in the evening.