Took the wife out today on my walk into Windsor so she could go to Marks & Spencer for something she needed. I find it interesting to hear her view of life and what’s going on. She hasn’t been into town since the start of this and didn’t quite expect it to be so quiet.
I’ve been going through my images ill be using for assignment three. I am choosing which I will use and how I’ll edit the final series. I’m pretty much done with the editing part. The presentation is the next step. I’ve created a kind of zine type book using MS Word, which I think is pretty good.
Another day another daily walk. I love walking into Windsor town centre just to see the emptiness of the place during this lockdown process. It’s great to see areas where I’ll fish for opportunities with pools of light or sharp shadows.
It interesting to see how light travels when there’s a minimal amount of people about if any. Simple iPhone shots.
We are still in intriguing times with no real endstate set out as yet. Majority of the shops and restaurants are still closed for business. Time on your hands is time to learn new skills. I’ve been using photoshop more to see how my current wip series for assignment 3 can be enhanced. I’m not sure whether I keep them as single images or add text to it on a separate page or within the image like a book page. Page one shows the title page two the image.
Isolation somewhere in the Helmand Valley province
There comes a time when you just want to tell someone to “Shut up and get on with it”. Standing in the queue for Tescos recently, I’ve begun to listen to how people are so-called struggling with life and being told to stay indoors. I find some of this quite funny to listen to as background noise while queuing up to grab some supplies.
You have to, at times, count yourself lucky. Yes, people are dying, and that’s just a fact of life. The NHS is doing some excellent work to defeat this horrendous virus COVID-19. But the simple message is to stay indoors simple instructions. The weather is good, and people think its a time to go out and enjoy the sun. Think of it as if you were in a country fighting against an enemy that you rarely see when being engaged by machine gunfire. COVID-19 is the enemy today. You can not see it let along fight it. The defence is an excellent weapon in times like this, we can stay put and hide from it, or you can go outside on mass and try to fight it. Let’s add some common sense here. You cant see the virus so how do you fight it. You fight it by avoiding the contact in the first place…. common sense you’d think.
Exercise is great as I’ve said before, but sitting in large groups drinking and eating enjoying the sun is opening yourself up to be engaged by this deadly virus.
If we could at times stayed inside our patrol bases and not gone out to secure areas or dominate no man’s land, maybe we would of all come home. The enemy hides in all sorts of places where at times you think you are safe. Until that day, when you hear a massive explosion or gunfire, you know you are in the wrong place and the wrong time. Your Luck runs out, and your time will be up.
What have I learnt whilst being at home during COVID-19
Try need ideas
Keeping things simple
Be open to new ideas
Search YouTube if you’re not sure
Keep trying new ideas
Keep trying new styles
Start reading smaller chunks to take it in
Time spent on recce is seldom wasted is something I had said to me during my career. Recce is all about information gathering though intelligence. Using your brain to think outside the box to make the plan work.
Hmmm day…… Well it’s the 8th April today anyway. I have been out on the bike to get some exercise and fresh air. Still we see people not doing as they have been told. What is it they do not understand?
You should try living in a hell hole of a place deep in the middle east or the tribal lands of Helmand Afghanistan if you think staying at home is hard. You have food, water that’s both hot and cold fresh running water, Tv, SKY, Netflix internet and wifi. So many choices and your daily exercise which is in a relatively safe environment. You’re not going on a patrol with the thoughts of im I coming back alive and secure with both my legs.
It’s not hard to listen to advice when it’s given. The hard part is practising it!
Stimulate the mind do something constructive and learn. This time is great for trying new things and seeing how you can progress. Last nights full moon and watching too may StarWars films on sky.
When the sun shines you see who’s taking note of the government guidelines and staying at home—so many idiots about over these last two days.
You can still find locations for future reference while out exercising, but why do people feel the need to stop and sunbathe?
Other things that start to wind you up is the amount of face masks and latex gloves that are just thrown on the floor, put them in the bin or better still take them home.
Who face has been hiding behind this mask? Isolation and Negative space
Another day in so-called lockdown. Daily exercise is one good for the body and two suitable for mental stimulus and clearing the mind.
During this state of mind and emptiness of the streets, you’re able to see things with an open yet almost confused mind. When you’re used to seeing streets busy with people and only see yourself is this a form of self-portraiture or just happen to be the only one in the frame.
Since the start of the lockdown and not knowing what the path will be like in a few weeks to possibly months, I’ve started to think how my new life would be like once I transition into civilian street from a long career in the Army.
Had I left last year I would be in an awkward position now if job security were an issue like so many I know and read about today. It’s an interesting question as what will I be doing this time next year?
In roughly October time I will start the resettlement process hopefully as long as the is COVID-19 outbreak does effect anything, who knows?
Interesting times ahead, how do you beat the boredom. I am exercising once a day, whilst out I tend to see elements I’ve not seen before. Probably due to the lack of people around.
Even these last few days the light has been fantastic. The “Stay at home” phrase has been quite good at times when I just don’t know what the sun is going to be like when you wake up and it’s shining through the window blinds.
Part Two Context and Narrative BA HONS in Photography OCA 