Project 52: Week 21 - Walls

I have to admit that I didn't try very hard with this week's photo. I considered taking my camera with me when we went for our appointment at the Nuffield in Glasgow, because with a theme like walls I was sure that something would come up there, but in the end I decided against it.

I'd liked the idea of taking a photo of a broken down old wall or maybe one covered in graffiti, something interesting. Graffiti is somewhat limited on our island, which is probably a good thing because most of the time I'm not a fan. Had I had the energy or the inclination then I would've taken my camera for a walk around the estate because there's a couple of places, like a run down old boathouse which I think could've made an interesting picture.

Alas, most of my time after work at the moment has been spent looking over OU course books for revision purposes and the weather's not been the best at times so photography has gone out of the window somewhat.

My photo this week was really just a spur of a moment thing. It was born of laziness because I'd switched to the long lens on my camera the other day when a pheasant was in the garden of the eco-house next door. I'd dashed in from work, changed my clothes, changed my lens and hurried outside only to find the bird had disappeared. When I pulled my camera out yesterday I still had the long lens on and realised that this meant I could just take a photo while I stood in our front doorway. I didn't even have to put any shoes on!

Week 21: Walls

I realise that it's a picture of a singular wall, rather than a plural one, but it was the best I could come up with at the time. I've taken a few photos in the past of this little patch of wall directly outside our front door. It's got all sorts of moss and lichen growing on it so it's an interesting patchwork of colours.

They're not so clear but there are bluebells flowering right in front of it also. To the right are some bushy plants but they were all clipped back fairly recently so you can actually see more of the wall now. It'd be a lovely place to sit and watch the world go by, that is if you were tall enough to actually hop up onto it.

I didn't do a huge amount of editing to this picture, just upped the contrast slightly along with the saturation. It's not really the most interesting of photos and if I'd had more time this morning, and it hadn't been spotting with rain, I would've gone along the road to where there is a walled garden with a dry-stone wall. When we had the big storm last year a tree brought down part of the wall and it's been repaired since then. Thinking about it now I wish I'd gone along there to take a photo of that, where the new stones contrast with the old ones.

I guess I'm still a little bit self-conscious of taking photos in public. Chasing bumblebees around my in-laws' garden to get a pretty picture of them sitting on a flower is one thing, but out and about in public where people may see me taking a photo of a random wall feels a little bit different. I guess I just have to be a little bit braver and not worry so much about what other people think when they see me with my camera.

Next week the theme is hands and I'm trying to think of what I might take a photo of for that. I think a pair of old and a pair of young hands would look striking in black and white, but I'm not sure I know of any young people who could lend me a hand so to speak, so I'll have to see what I can come up with instead.