Week 12 Poverty
This is another Opposite isn't it? We've already had 'Wealth' and now here we are with Poverty. Ideas? Yes - some of the less attractive areas of Southampton? a street candid? a scout round for some form of rural poverty? It was clear I needed to get out and about this week, but with limited time and not being very brave I chose something closer to home.
I'm lucky enough to be the proud tenant of a plot of dense, perenniel weeds, inaccurately known as an allotment.
The allotment site is surrounded by New Forest , which for those of you who don't know it, isn't all trees. There are large areas of boggy scrubland, one of which is our allotments. They're not smart, city allotments growing exotic vegetables and sheds like little palaces. No, our allotments are largely tenanted by Mother Nature in all her glory. The most successful 'crop' on my plot is reeds (yes, it's that boggy!) But the plots have 'character' (well, I like to see it that way).
And this is my favourite shed: it's 'shared occupancy' - 3 plots - and I think the climbing rose is the main support for it. The smartest, newest accessory is the lock!
I was lucky enough to be down there on Wednesday - a day of sun, good skies and a Force 8 gale! The path in front of the shed is very narrow with high pony-proof fencing and an excellent crop of brambles, so I suffered to get this shot.
I used a very fast shutter speed to try and reduce the movement of the rose, but it was so windy I had to hold on tight to the tripod! Apart from a slight crop, and sharpening this is 'as taken'.
Lessons learned:
1 It's great to get out with the camera after so many weeks doing table top stuff.
2 Setting up camera and tripod in the main thoroughfare (even if it is a Forest track) means you have to keep moving for cars, bikes, dog walkers etc.
3 Good skies are a blessing
4 Wind isn't
5 I'm not cheeky enough to rearrange the shed owners' wood pile to improve the composition.
6 It was impossible to make this shed look as though it's standing upright without making the much newer one next to it wonky - very wonky indeed!
7 It's a pity this theme didn't come up on June when the rose is in flower - it's very pretty.
8 I'm posting this from Mr JG's computer because mine started today with a display driver problem and has since gone into major decline and won't talk to me at all

- so I hope it looks ok.
As always, thanks for looking,
Jean