Nature - on my doorstep

I am not and probably never will be one of the world's best photographers. Still, I console myself that I am better than my mother, who used to regularly chop off important parts of a photograph, get fingers in front of lenses or shake the camera at the crucial moment. At least digital cameras mean you don't waste film these days and you get instant feedback on how your picture looks. But generally, I shoot what I see and I'm rarely inspired to go find something to photograph. Spontaneity is definitely my style. I don't plan good photographs, they just happen. I'll never make my fortune from photography.

When I first read Tara's prompt for this week's Gallery post, I must admit I was stumped. My heart sank because I have skipped the last two due to a lack of inspiration and time as my extensive (ha!) collection didn't run to anything that I could fit into the prompt and I couldn't think of anything to do; nothing hit me in the face. I really wanted to join in this week's prompt, not least because there is a prize for the best entry of a Green and Black's hamper. Incentive enough, I love a good competition! But still, on looking at the prompt, I had no idea what I was going to do.

And then, that same evening, I was at our neighbours' house across the road. It was their son's 6th birthday party, which had continued into the evening as a barbeque for family and friends. As the sun started to go down, the children were out on the front lawn, playing football and I was watching them idly. I turned my head and looked up. There, on that front lawn, I was greeted with a view that fitted the prompt perfectly. I grabbed my phone and quickly took two pictures. The other people there probably thought I was some kind of lunatic, but here is the best one:

Shame I can't make this any bigger - my blog layout won't let me!

Blue skies are always more interesting with a bit of cloud, don't you think? Skies in Lancashire are rarely this gorgeous but there it was. Luminous feathery white clouds brushing with the lightest of touches across a sky that graduates from its daytime shade through to darker shades of cobalt and ultramarine as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Really, this could be anywhere, were it not for the tiny corner of my next door neighbour's roof that I managed to get in shot, and it took my breath away. Here, in front of me, was Nature in all its glory, reminding me that wherever we live, it really is all around us and we don't always have to look that far or that hard to discover it.

I wonder how many others at the party noticed the sky last Friday evening. Judging by the amount of alcohol that was being consumed, probably very few, but I saw it and there was my photo for the Gallery. Like I said, spontaneous is my style. I hope you like my interpretation of Nature. It's there on our doorsteps, yours and mine. We just have to look harder and notice it more, or it passes us by.



This is my entry for week 21 of the Gallery on Tara's blog, Sticky Fingers. If you have chance, please visit the page and look at some of the other entries. Hopefully, you'll discover some great new blogs along the way. Give it a go; you are bound to see some great pictures.