MUTED COLOURS

Its a great theme this week, at Carm's Photographic Challenge as he has chosen Muted Colours.   Anyone can make shots turn sepia, or black and white, or any other colour for that matter, but the natural world can produce stunning colours that are not all bright and showy.

I had a good look through my recent shots, and chose these:-

Raindrops on Hosta leaves

Shadows on our fence panel.   Honest, its that colour, that is not a black and white shot!

Frosted Ferns in our back garden

A Nature Reserve the other side of town.   It's old peat cuttings and workings, which closed down in about 1960, and which have just been left.   It is now a haven for dragonflies and other watery insects, plus there are some rare lichens and bog plants there.   So I am told!

 

A frosty morning when the sun was low, looking across the Pitch and Putt Golf course in the Park.   This is where our back garden gate opens onto, so is always the first thing I see every morning I take the dog out!

I DIDN'T SHOOT THIS!

Carmi has sent me looking through the archives this week!     His challenge I didn't shoot this! is for photographs we didn't take.

Not having small or medium-sized children at home (or even large sized, come to that!)   I decided to look in the selection of old photographs I have.   Some of them are mysteries!

This first one is my Aunt.   It must have been taken some time in the 1920's as that is her maiden name over the door of the tobacconists.   My sister and I came across this in a whole bunch of family photographs, and we didn't even know that our Aunt had had a shop.   We think it is probably in Canterbury, in Kent, as that is where she always lived.

This next one is a real mystery.   It is labelled 'Seth' and as far as we can find out, we have no Seths in our family!   Was he a 'young man' of one of our Aunts as girls?   It must be taken in about 1939 as he is obviously ready to go to war.   But what happened to him?   Did he survive?

This next one is easy!   Its me taken by my father, who was a very fine amateur photographer, but who always carefully composed his pictures, and many a time I had to wait as he got just the right angle!   However, I don't think he must have waited too long with this one, as that ice cream would have melted!

And the last one is the youngest member of our family, composing her own picture.   Taken by my daughter who was looking after her for a day.   The net skirt is because she was being a Princess, but even princesses have to wear painting overalls!

DOWNWARDS

Carmi has challenged us to find photographic subjects that show the idea of DOWNWARDS. Now I have no head for heights, and therefore take very few photographs looking downwards from a height!   If I do, I am gripping hard onto the wall or whatever is between me and a terrible void!

So my photographs, I hope, are all downwards in themselves.   To see what others have come up, or down, with, follow the link above.

An old park bench

I know stairs go up as well as down, but these stairs all say 'down' to me!

One of the many waterfalls in Geiranger Fjord, Norway, which hurl themselves down the almost sheer sides.

Definitely a down for this supermarket trolley!

I know this looks perfectly level, but that little lad is definitely going to go down with that pump handle!   Taken in Stavanger, Norway

REPETITIOUS

Over in Written inc, Carmi has challenged us to take Repetitious subjects with our cameras!   This is one of my favourite subjects, so I have chosen the following.   Some of the best have already been posted on this blog, but I think these are "new".

Stacked sunbeds on board ship.   And tied down - it was a bit rough!

Apartments and balconies in Barcelona

More architecture, this time at La Grande Motte, in the south of France.   All the buildings there have been built on a pyramid principle, as that was considered safer with the sandy subsoil.   And top soil, as well, I think!   The town was built as a rather posh seaside venue.  The cost of one of the apartments there would make your eyes water!

This is a metal sculpture of a repetitious nature.   It is above a walkway in Alicante, Spain.  No, I don't know what it is.   But the Spaniards do love their sculptures in any medium!

More metalwork, this time industrial sized, and at the post of Vigo, in Spain.   The repetitious lines etc. behind is our ship!

That will have to do for the moment!

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

I had to think really hard for Carmi's challenge this week.   SIGNS OF THE TIMES sounded easy - I was going to drop my husband off at Manchester Airport on Wednesday - surely I could find plenty of signs there?   But it was raining hard, very busy and rather confusing (though the signage was good!) so I never got a chance.

However, thinking about it, we are surrounded by signs which inform or instruct us.   Everybody who does laundry will know this one!

Then I thought really hard and came up with the idea of MAPS!   After all, maps in themselves are signs.    And if up to date, then of the time!

This might not be exactly what Carmi meant, but its the result of lateral thinking!   To see signs from other photographers, go to the link above.