Trimming your bush

Sun through a Fig Leaf.  Nikon D7000

21st July 2012

Today the sun was out, the wind was still, I had my gardening gloves on, the weeds were looking scared.

There were various shrubs around the garden that I have had my eye on for the last few weeks; after a quick short back and sides, they look far tidier now.  I even trimmed off the branches of the Elder tree that overhung the trampoline, just in case the kids decided to venture outside.  After a quick test of the trampoline, my legs felt very wobbly and I had to sit down :(

I did find time to set up a pinhole camera; even though it is meant to be summer, the exposure still took almost 39 minutes!  I thought a picture of the weeds by the pond may look quite nice as a cyanotype print; I had to get a good image first time though as I ran the mower over them shortly after.   I also sharpened the blade of the mower today; the cutting edge had a profile reminiscent of a pencil and was pounding the grass rather than cutting it.

Weeds by the pond.
6cm x 9cm pinhole camera.  37mm focal length, 0.2mm diameter pinhole.
Pre-flashed Ilford  Variable Contrast photo paper as a negative through a yellow filter.
f/185, 38 minute 49 second exposure. 

The sun meant the birds were out in force.   There was a young Blue Tit who seemed to be struggling to hang on to the peanut feeder, and a moulting blackbird that looked as if he could do with pruning too.

Young Blue Tit.  Nikon D7000

Moulting Black Bird.  Nikon D7000