Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgia

Who remembers the late, great Farrah Fawcett? When I was a girl, television still had some novelty and we used to sit down as a family and watch Charlie’s Angels and the Six Million Dollar Man all together. I cut out magazine pictures of Farrah and stuck them on my bedroom wall. I desperately wanted the Farrah flick and endured endless teasing at my failed efforts. After all, I was 8 or 9 years old. I didn’t have curling tongs or gels or hairsprays, only my trusty comb and a desire to be re-born in her hairstyle.

Last weekend, on a flea market jaunt, I saw Farrah Fawcett’s picture up on a wall, and it triggered those memories.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgia

~ Spotted Cow

 

My grandfather’s clock

Lewes was famous for its clockmaking in the 18th and 19th centuries, and I saw some fine examples at the Anne of Cleves House. This one has a lovely decorated face set within a gilded frame. It made me think of the song “My Grandfather’s Clock”. In fact, the song is responsible for how the longcase clock came to be known as the grandfather clock. I bet most people – including me – wouldn’t know to call it anything other than a grandfather clock.

~ Spotted Cow

The stuff other people throw out

I’ve had an ongoing de-cluttering project around my house for the last couple of years and it’s been a good exercise. I don’t think that I need to own so many things, but more than that, there’s all the stuff that has been put away neatly in drawers that haven’t been used in years.

When I visited the Lewes flea market, I saw – on sale – the mass of things that people don’t want, throw out and give away. And it is literally a huge collection of stuff that some good soul has categorised and displayed for the passing footfall to view and perhaps purchase for themselves. I like the idea of buying pre-loved goods.

On this occasion I didn’t buy anything but I did go round taking photos. It was a bit of a challenge with the low lighting, the clutter, narrow corridors and people walking in front of the lens (the cheek !) All my photos were taken on ISO 1600. I contemplated going up to ISO 3200 a few times, but in my experience they tend to come out quite grainy.

Any yes, the last picture was my submission to the Photo Challenge this week.

Side note. Lewes is a lovely historic county town about 1½ hours south of London by train.

~ Spotted Cow

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mirror

I snapped this while wandering around the Lewes flea market, thinking I’d use it in a post called “the stuff other people throw away” … and I might yet do that ! In particular, I liked the trio of the mirror, the Mexican doll puppet and the mannequin with the headset. The picture was originally taken in portrait but I cropped it because my blog template prefers landscape compositions in the main picture.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mirror

~ Spotted Cow

Highbury Fields Summer Picnic

Good weather is worthy of yet another London summer in the parks post. Lots of people were out on Highbury Fields on the weekend, enjoying picnics and barbecues. It was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. There was the requisite ice-cream van and associated queue. And a nod to the Pokemon Go craze !

~ Spotted Cow

 

 

Hampstead Heath

We were treated to a whole week – an entire week ! – of summer sunshine in London. Of course, the underground & the trains were too hot. People who work in old buildings with no air-conditioning had a helluva time. You had to sleep with all the windows open and the portable fan on max. But I’m not complaining, given what we get in the rest of the year.

The other side to this is the London parks become your living room on the weekend. And you can get away from the masses, as I discovered when walking around Hampstead Heath on Saturday afternoon. This little trio had a whole field to themselves.

~ Spotted Cow

Nelson’s Column

Yay, it’s a sunny day in the capital! London is a wonderful city made more marvellous when the sun is shining. The temperatures are heating up to Mediterranean standards. I walked past Trafalgar Square at lunch time and decided to record the day. I like how Lord Nelson is perched high up on his column, monitoring the proceedings of the streets below him.

~ Spotted Cow

Weekly Photo Challenge: Details

I like capturing details with my macro lens … and most often it’s insects among flowers, like this one from my friend’s garden in Suffolk. And of course, a bee isn’t an insect !

Weekly Photo Challenge: Details

~ Spotted Cow

Three trees

Three trees. Can you say that without tripping over your tongue?

I took this picture at Devil’s Dyke simply because I liked the light. It was flat at the top of the hill and the trees were the only objects that added some interest.

~ Spotted Cow

Devil’s Dyke

On the weekend, The Actress and I went for a walk at Devil’s Dyke, just outside Brighton. It was a 15-minute ride on the happy bus to get to the lush countryside. Devil’s Dyke is a deep, steep, mile-long valley. The legend goes that that the Devil, in a mood, dug a big groove in the earth to drown the local parishioners. The scientific explanation starts from the Ice Age and is a much less exciting story, albeit more informative.

We chose the Histories and Mysteries walk from the National Trust site, which was a moderate figure-of-8 amble up and down the valley, with a few interesting stops. It starts and ends at the pub, and there is a tea room in the middle, which was a thumbs up for both of us. I should add that The Actress is a much hardier walker than I am, and would probably have favoured a circuit five times as long. She was humouring my Saturday afternoon out in the fresh air.

~ Spotted Cow

Weekly Photo Challenge: Face

Randomly, on an East London street … by the same street artist – Gregos – as the picture in the photo challenge !

Weekly Photo Challenge: Face

~ Spotted Cow

Wandering cow

7 Day Nature Challenge. Day 7

As we are the Wandering Cows, I thought it would be appropriate to finish off the challenge with one of our brethren, posing here in the Kaçkar Mountains of North East Turkey.

Thank you Joanne from Coffee Fuels My Photography for nominating me to do the challenge. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, although it did require a fair bit of discipline to sit down and get it done before taking off on holiday.

~ Spotted Cow

Friendly goat

7 Day Nature Challenge. Day 6

This is the result of an overly friendly and curious Turkish mountain goat sticking its nose in my phone camera.

The lovely Joanne from Coffee Fuels My Photography invited me to the challenge, and I’d like to invite you all too.

~ Spotted Cow

Moss forest

7 Day Nature Challenge. Day 5

On a road trip in North East Turkey, we chanced upon a moss forest which had a rather magical, if eerie, quality.

The lovely Joanne from Coffee Fuels My Photography invited me to the 7 Day Nature Challenge, and I would urge you to join too.

~ Spotted Cow

 

 

Chalk cliff flowers

7 Day Nature Challenge. Day 4

I was walking along the chalk cliffs near Brighton, noticed these flowers growing out of a ledge and thought how miraculous nature can be.

The lovely Joanne from Coffee Fuels My Photography invited me to the 7 Day Nature Challenge, and I urge you to join too.

~ Spotted Cow

 

Rosemary

7 Day Nature Challenge. Day 3

There’s nothing I like better than cutting herbs from the garden (read planters) and cooking with them. They smell lovely in the heat of the sun. And rosemary is hardy, which is great for a pretty useless gardener like me.

The lovely Joanne from Coffee Fuels My Photography invited me to do the 7 Day Nature Challenge. Normally, I’d nominate someone in turn, but I’m on holiday away from London and might not be able to keep up with comments and all that. So, I invite anyone who is keen to take part too.

~ Spotted Cow

Lone bluebell

7 Day Nature Challenge. Day 2

I’ve never visited a bluebell wood and I’m thinking that I should make an effort to do so this spring time. Mental note to research it. Tips welcome.

The lovely Joanne from Coffee Fuels My Photography invited me to participate in the nature challenge, and I hope you’re inspired to join in too.

~ Spotted Cow

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Abstract

This collection of beach pebbles makes for a lovely abstract, and perfect for this week’s photo challenge.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Abstract

However, I’m going to do a double submission this week. The lovely Joanne of Coffee Fuels My Photography invited me to the 7 Day Nature Challenge, and I’m going to make this Day 1. She’s just finished with her set of nature images and you should go over and have a look. While I love living in London, I am envious of her Canadian mountain views. Also, I’m inviting anyone who is inspired by nature to take part in the challenge.

~ Spotted Cow

Speedy Carousel

I’m rounding up my Brighton Pier amusement park series with the carousel down on the beachfront. I set the camera on shutter priority with a 1/50s shutter speed, so that I could capture it’s movement. It makes it look like the carousel is wending it’s way round faster than it’s ordinarily sedate pace.

~ Spotted Cow

Retro coaster

Continuing with my Brighton Pier amusement park series.

This is the Crazy Mouse roller coaster. I like this ride too. Beware though, the tub spins around at the corners and again, I would urge you not to eat beforehand. I de-saturated the colours in the picture to give it a retro feel.

~ Spotted Cow

Lurid Octopus

Continuing with my Brighton Pier amusement park series. It’s my third.

This is Galaxia, best described as a lurid octopus which swings its arms around and up & down. I haven’t had a go even though I think I’d probably be alright on it. Something about it’s round & round nature doesn’t appeal to me. But look how much fun the kids are having !

~ Spotted Cow

In The Air

This is the second in my series of the amusement park on Brighton Pier.

This ride is called Air Race and you wouldn’t be able to get me on it. I don’t know why it’s dives and flips and upside down turns make it different from riding a roller coaster. Maybe it’s the sensation of being hurled around in the air. I felt a bit ill just watching and taking pictures. I do, however, like the brightly coloured aeroplanes with their Batman motifs.

~ Spotted Cow

 

 

Loop de loop

This is the first in my series of the amusement park on Brighton Pier.

I love roller coasters. The Turbo is a short, terrifying ride but I love it. I like the sensation as your head – and stomach – go all funny when you loop around the loop. I’m usually trying to persuade someone to get on the ride with me … and someone else to be the designated handbag-holder.

My advice is not to get on the rollercoaster following a big meal. It is not a good idea.

~ Spotted Cow

Leaf patterns

It is said that a good photographer can take a picture of an everyday object and make it look interesting. Well, I haven’t got to that stage yet, although I am positively surprised at some of the images that I snap somewhat randomly. Like this one, standing outside a Bali hotel, waiting for a taxi.

My intention was to get a picture of the waxy leaves overlaid, one over the other. When I looked at the image on a bigger screen later, I was pleasantly surprised to see the green patterns, shading and veins that I had also captured. It made me think that I should make a mini project of photographing random everyday things.

Spring green

~ Spotted Cow

Spring sprouts forth

I’m a novice at gardening and acquired some planters with herbs and grasses last year. Low maintenance gardening for a non-gardener. Difficult to get it wrong, I was told. Well, the planters look a tad spartan after the winter months. However, my green-fingered friends tell me that everything will sprout forth in abundance in spring and I will be surprised at the lush-ness. So, I am looking forward with great anticipation!

Spring Green

~ Spotted Cow