PhotoPhone Wallpaper Task – Day 9

This may well be the final entry for the phone wallpaper experiment with my daughter.

She said she doesn’t want to do it anymore as she sometimes forgets, which is a shame. It was fun whilst it lasted. She still wants to use my phone to take pictures but not in a regular way, just when the mood takes her. That I completely relate to and sympathise with, which is completely fair enough. She is only eight years old.

This photo was taken at our friend Louise’s house today, great to catch up with her. We had delicious homemade pizza and cake. That’s me in the background, and my wife in the foreground. She took a few others during the afternoon but I like this one. A strong composition but still clearly documentary.

It was good whilst it lasted, sad to see this go.

The Joy of Reading

I was upset I couldn’t get a closer shot using my Blackberry getting the cover of the book much clearer, but I still like the scene.

He was seriously reading the newspaper.

She was seriously reading ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’.

Maybe she’s a member of a book club, or finally getting around to seeing what all the fuss is about. Whatever her motivation for picking up the book, she definitely seemed to be enjoying it, concentrating on the words, ignoring me and others around her.

It was very sweet when they got off the train, he opened his bag automatically and she placed her book inside, which he followed by his newspaper.

London Underground, Fri 9th March 2012.

 

PhotoPhone Wallpaper task – Day 8

She was walking up ahead, stopped, ran back for my phone, took this picture, and silently gave me back the phone.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Looks like a skull in the ground.”

“Oh”

 

PhotoPhone Wallpaper -Day 7

Two things she really *likes at the moment, (*she might say ‘loves’, but if I heard that I’d have to correct her, but that’s my socialist baggage!!). Her ‘Build-a-Bear’ rabbit called Lucky, and her bean bag, both of which she got for her birthday back in January.

Not sure what else I can say about this really, it’s two things, and she really *likes them. Good enough reason to take a photo of them really. We take photos of people we likelove, and we take photos of landspaces, art, landmarks that we like, so why not objects that we *’own’ (*hardcore socialist theories aside for now!)? It’s not really done that often, as we own it, so what’s the point in photographing it, as it’s not going anywhere? Most of the time we photograph things we feel are slightly beyond our reach of ownership, and the act of having the picture is freezing it time and having that forever in our grasp.

I’m pleased she’s appreciative of the things she has, and values them enough to still useplay with them, and treat them like a treasure she wants to capture for photographic memory. She could already have discarded them and be taking photos of other things she covets, so I’m thankful now she took this picture.

Two things she *likes.

Fair enough.

PhotoPhone Wallpaper Task – Day 6

So we went out for another walk in the park, and again ventured into overgrown and un-chartered areas we had never been to before. This time it was a bit more off the beaten track, and into the shadows of the trees. In typical style, she ‘rode’ her bike, and then I had to push it everywhere.

We climbed up huge mountain faces and slid down ravines, (well that’s how it seemed to us!!). She took some pictures of these exciting areas, but we both agreed the images didn’t do justice to the drama of the locations. So we continued to chop our way through the jungle, and after about an hour at last emerged from the undergrowth, and re-found civilisation.

We found a picnic bench to sit on and relax, after our crazy time in the outback. Our legs ached but we had a good laugh. She took out my phone and took this photograph. Just an average afternoon in the park.

PhotoPhone Wallpaper Task – Day 5

The weekend enables us to get out the house together, and for youngest to take a photograph not confined within the four corners of the house. (I may change the rules of this photo game to be weekends only.)

Yesterday we went for a long walk through the local park which leads into surrounding fields and nature walks. We’ve lived here for four years but there are still many places we have to explore.

By coincidence I’ll now have to cut this post short, as she has just announced she wants to go back out on a walk again today! And there I was comfy at the computer writing this about our walk yesterday, and she now challenges me to live this idea (again) and not just write about it. Not sure I’m happy about this…..fresh air, here we come. Brrrr!

PhotoPhone wallpaper task – day 4

This morning she took a photograph of her older sister’s new waterpump, because she likes it and reminds her of at-Bristol science centre. (I used to work there before she was born.)

Her sister bought it last week, when out with her Aunt Fay during half term. The next morning she wanted me to help her make it, but guiltily I had to tell her I had to go to work, that us people who teach in universities don’t get the same school holidays. (Next year I must make myself in charge of timetabling!).

By the time I came home, the pump was made, and she (the eldest) described to me how it all worked. I’m pleased the youngest was inspired enough to want to photograph it. It looks interesting and definitely not flat! (See previous post about the ban on 2D). I think she also secretly wants one. When it first arrived in the house the youngest commented on how the age on the box recommended 14, but with eldest being (only) 11, Aunt Fay still allowed her to have it. That little comment about age, I’m thinking was her way of testing the water to see if the age limit could be lowered even more. I didn’t take the bait.

She (the youngest) has named this photo ‘Water Wind’. Susan Sontag would most probably say that by naming it, as well as photographing it, she already owns it, without having to actually have it.