Memories and Reflections
Introspective: This is one of the few photos that I like and I came to appreciate. This is partly because I was not aware this picture was being taken. I came to know about its existence about a decade ago by a chance encounter with my secondary school teacher. He gave me this photo so many years later. Thank you, sir!
Nighthawks When I first saw the Nighthawks painting a few days ago, I was taken aback by how Edward Hoppe managed to capture a sense of silence. This painting raises so many questions. What are these people doing so late into the night, do they know each other (e.g couples/friends or even strangers) etc. The painting captures a feeling of loneliness and isolation that matches Hopper’s description of it as “literally an illustration of loneliness.” Edward Hoppe, American, 1882–1967
Plant Hunter. I discovered this plant shop by accident opposite the Genesis cinema, nestled among all the restaurants and off-licenses. It’s so refreshing to see a different type of business on this road.
When we entered the Plantonium, we were greeted by a young lady who was passionate about the plant! She cheerfully answered all our questions.
The Plantonium has a wide selection of potted plants for most inner-city plant hunters and the price was reasonable. I plan to buy a Bonsai tree on my next visit.
That’s me. This cropped image is part of a larger family portrait that was taken in Bangladesh. I had not seen this for many years and almost forgotten that it existed, and it only came to light after a family friend sent this from Spain. My memory is a bit blurred when the portrait was taken, except that it was shot on a hot summer’s day in a local bazaar. Sadly, the passage of time and the tropical climate, humidity, had nearly destroyed the picture, but I’m grateful to the friend for sending the photograph that evoked the memory of my childhood.
This is my first attempt at restoring a photograph. The first left image is fading without restoration!
Mass Communication. Feeling nostalgic seeing one of these phone poles. Once these poles were used to carry voice calls. Today it is used as vital infrastructure for the digital age, making it possible for millions of people to work from home during the lockdown. I suspect these will soon get replaced like the red phone box. Maybe it should get a listed status?
Asset stripping. Stores are closing all over the country due to online shopping accelerated by Covid-19 lockdown. Thurrock, Essex, Saturday 2nd January 2021.
My plan for the blog section is to share an original picture taken by myself each day or at least once a week.
Under the normal circumstance, this would not present a challenge given that living in the outskirts of London offers ample opportunities to capture the multiplicity of life and culture on my doorstep. At the time of writing this post, 6th January 2021 @21: 47, we have entered the third national lockdown due to Covid-19. This is likely to hinder my ambition to bring a new image each day – since I ‘m working from home now and only venturing out to do essential shopping or going out for occasional daily exercise.
However, I remain resolved to find subject matter worth capturing for sharing with you on this site. I also look forward to your comments and feedback.