Outdoor Joy

It was my birthday on Monday. I didn’t really have any major plans but I did put in a request for a walk without my little doggo so I could attempt some outdoor self portraits.

As I wrote earlier this month I have not take outdoor shots that were not in my garden for over a year but I had spotted a fair few locations that I intended to return to when things started to get back to normal, particularly schools going back. it is one thing potentially being seen by another adult but kids are a whole other issue. Since I have been doing this (nearly 10 years of out door self portraits) I have never taken pictures during school holidays unless I had look out person with me.

So schools are back. The last few weeks I have seen less people on my walks, the sun is shining and it’s my birthday. Off I set to find the giant tractor tyre that I had been imaging taking pictures in for weeks now.

They have been dumped at the side of a field I assume by the farmer but I don’t know and have clearly been there for a while as they are well settled in place and the undergrowth seems to making itself at home around them and even in them. Most of them are in the trees or have slide down the bank a bit towards the field below but the biggest one is sitting proud and the trees have created this perfect frame around it.

I set up my camera in the field below. Then clambered up to the tyre and took some practice shots with my clothes on. So far so good. The sun was beautifully warm against my skin as I stripped off. All my clothes and shoes are in the tyre beneath me. I lay back and started taking pictures.

It was all going so well. I had forgotten how good it felt to take outdoor self portraits. I was so happy and relaxed and maybe that is where things went wrong because all of a sudden I looked up and there was a man walking along the path above me. I froze. Would he just walk past and not notice me. The answer sadly was no and my heart sunk as he paused and looked down. I went to grab my shirt but it was all too late and luckily his way of dealing with it all was to hustle on by, closely followed by his little dog who was not as polite and stood and had a good stare.

Moral of the story. Don’t forget where you are and stop keeping an eye out.

But also, taking pictures outside makes me happy. Sometimes when you don’t do something in a long you forget what it feels like when you do, remembering that, feeling it again was the best birthday gift to myself and has totally reignited my love for the whole thing.

Oh and I absolutely LOVE the resulting image and how it captures the joyfulness of the moment for me.