Day 19 - August Challenge 14

Challenge - "Ugly building looking pretty"

Suggested by - Michelle

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"An ugly building in Saffron Walden which becomes beautiful because of the way you photograph it?
the ugly building. Like the factory opposite tescos..."

OK, so I admit, apart from Photoshopping it out of the image, this eyesore of a building that most of the population of Saffron Walden look at on a regular basis, is never going to be made to look beautiful as a whole. In fact, if I hadn't have used litter for my Day 6 "Blot on the landscape" then this would have been the one to feature for that day.

I dropped by this morning, prior to my trip up to London to see the "The Tower Poppies" amongst other things, but mutt had decided to do her usual thing on a day when I am restricted by time - she runs off, and so, my attempts at solving the beauty issue this morning were mutt-limited to a hasty 10 minutes - definitely not long enough for this makeover! However, upon my return from my London visit (and wow! were those poppies something? A blog for that soon) I swung back to the spot I had been to this morning. The light began to turn to the warmer colours of a sunset and I hoped there might be some nice reflections to be had. Sadly, the sun wasn't in the best location and so another approach was needed.

For the third day on the trot, it seemed as though a bit of trespassing might have to be contemplated but in the end, I was able to stay outside of the anti-trespass fence (it was like déjà vu - just a more substantial deer fence) My approach was to be, if I couldn't make the whole building look good, then I should focus on just a little bit that might look good in its own way. I tried framing the rampant self-seeded buddleias with the the forms of the broken windows. I looked at the glittery patterns around the exposed and rusted wires of the broken 'georgian glass'. I studied the shadows of the fire escape on the profiled tin walls. I looked for beauty in the decay. And then I saw it. The shape in one particular broken pane of glass appeared to resemble the form of an angel. A slightly deformed angel, I grant you but it made the windows take on a different form. The window to the right of it was still intact and the stripes of the venetian blinds were just visible, creating a pattern in the panel. The window to the left bore the spraypaint of the graffiti and the tag of the 'artist', creating another patterned panel.

Here, whether you appreciate it or not, was a triptych to the beauty of decay.

Today's image and all the other images from my August Challenge will be on display in Design Essentials during September

Tomorrow, Day 20

"Uttlesford wildlife"

Day 18 - August Challenge 14

Challenge - "Shadwell Wood, Ashdon"

Suggested by - Celia via Twitter

Let me in!!

This is what I was faced with this morning, when I finally found the secretive Shadwell Wood near Ashdon, and I certainly wasn't going to be able to squeeze in through a badger pipe!

There were few indicators on the OS map regarding even the name, let alone the entrance to this wood but it was obvious I had approached it from the wrong direction when I came face to face with a deer-proof fence which surrounded this 17.5 acre ancient woodland. Unlike many of the other woods I visit locally, deer are positively kept out of this wood as they would do untold damage to the young shoots of the coppiced trees and also eat all the flowers, notably the oxslips. Managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, this woodland has an enviable collection of Spring flowers (wrong time of year for me today with August being one month that isn't even mentioned as being best for visiting) Today, I was with the deer - on the outside and so I copied their reasoning and trekked along the deer track which followed the perimeter of the wood, my theory being, if I followed it for long enough I would find the gate. I was beginning to kick myself for forgetting to bring the OS map with me and with no mobile signal, I was unable to do a search for a map that way too. And so me and mutt (and yes, I found out later that she wouldn't have been allowed in anyway) ducked and dived under branches and through nettles (I'm still feeling the late-repeating stings even now) until I got to a point where it appeared I was in someones garden, and that someone was busy in their greenhouse...with the potential of spotting me. Having done a bit of illegal exploring yesterday, I wasn't too keen to go on and get told off for trespass, so I made the decision to turn around and go back the way I had come.

There was only one thing for it - I took myself off home and made the cuppa that I was gasping for and whilst sitting enjoying it, I carefully checked the map and the website to see if there was any more information of how to get into the wood. It wasn't the clearest but I had overlooked a little piece of information which may have been useful so I determined that I would return later in the afternoon for another go. Sadly rain showers and other work thwarted my attempts but now I have discovered this new little oasis, I will certainly be going back.

As I said before, I do just as much learning whilst undertaking the August Challenge as perhaps you do, and that is what I love about doing this. Here for you, is a picture of a deer fence and badger pipe, not quite what I had in mind but then often these challenges throw up something completely different and new.


Today's image and all the other images from my August Challenge will be on display in Design Essentials during September

Tomorrow, Day 19

"Ugly building looking pretty"

Pair of Melons

Photography is all about seeing, observing, recording. There is usually something out there if you care to look.

Seen yesterday when I was on my way up to London to view graphic work of an entirely different kind, I couldn't fail to notice this. Permanently inscribed into every transom window in the carriage were these fruits of someone's labour.