Early 2020

2020 was a year that will always be remembered as different from the rest. The year began with me in a settled place, for the first time in a while. I was working and enjoyed the people I was surrounded by although I knew it was temporary. I'd been pushing for a change for a few years. I'd left teaching and the pressures and the hours that it had demanded.

I'd been receiving positive vibes about my images and felt like the camera had become an extension of my eye and my love of space and the outside. Photography was a year that connected me to new people who shared a love for a lens.

Forever grateful to have visited California early in the year, the sun, company and camera shots. This was a sunset capture in La Jolla, the palm trees and amazing colours of light along with a slight grain gave me that poster feel.

It was great to escape prior to government legislation. During lockdown I was hesitant to take my camera out walking with me. I didn't feel it was appropraite to capture those wearing masks and those without. There were a variety to be seen in Surbiton including a lady in swimming googles. At that time it felt that the curtain twitchers had become Covid Twitchers and that the war had begun of people on people. I decided instead to focus my photography on the empty, deserted spaces normally filled with shoppers.

I was living near Surbiton Station in March. Rush hour had always been crazy there. I dreaded arriving home from work and sitting with the queue of cars, bibbing in frustration on their way to collect commuter loved ones. The end of March signalled the beginning of the pause button, few commuters, less cars and traffic and a silent rush hour. My photo - Lockdown Rushhour shows the station clock at the time when the train is usually full with people huddled together to climb the stairs and exit the station.

The roads were silent, you could hear the birds singing during the dawn chorus, it was a magical time even though I did go home and cry when I went into the local supermarket and saw the shelves were bare. I'd been in there to buy some essentials as we hadn't stockpiled at home. I walked around and there was nothing in there. I walked to the very end of the supermarket where the vegetables were, empty! There was a lady walking towards me and we shock our heads in disbelief. She said, 'I only wanted to buy dinner'. I asked if she had anything? 'I know it sounds very decadent but I could only get venison', she laughed, I laughed but we both wanted to cry. I went back the venison aisle but couldn't bring myself to buy any. I left without dinner and went home.

A time of highs, not so highs and unexpected highlights. To be continued......