Jan16, 2012, Multiply, the morning light

The morning light.

Jan 16, '12 6:17 PM for everyone

I would like to know if people like this image. Many people will look at this and see untidy backyards on a working class  housing estate. Its scruffy, untidy,  quite run down, there are broken fences, washing lines, bins and bits of old furniture. What I am describing doesn't sound very nice. BUT.............I really like this image. This is the view from my back bedroom window. I remember when those 5 tall tree stumps were huge conifer trees, the trees grew so tall my neighbour had to cut them down with a chain saw. On a spring morning you can see baby rabbits running around the grass. Once, a long time ago, a pet white rabbit must have escaped and interbred with the wild rabbits and now every so often, one or two of the baby rabbits will be white, or a mixture of white and ordinary bunny brown. sometimes you see an adult white rabbit but mostly its the white baby rabbits who catch your eye.  Just out of view to the left of the picture is a doo hoose..........or pigeon shed, my neighbour built it, and when he lets them out they fly off in a great cloud and sit on the roofs of nearby houses. I love the sound of them coo cooing and once I witnessed their mating ritual on the ridge of my shed roof. I never knew the mating ritual of pigeons was so intricate, they looked as if they were dancing and the male spread his tail feathers into a great fan and then pirouetted around the female.

( you need to click this one to see what I mean)
All of those things are reasons why I like this image, but most of all I love the complicated patterns of light. This was taken just after 11.00 on Sunday morning, it was cold, there was frost on the roofs facing into the back yards, the sun hadn't reached that part of the roof and it was still covered in frost. I noticed the light hitting the tree stumps and the fence at the end of them. I especially like the pattern on the brown fence at the back of the picture, the sun has painted a black silhouette of the surrounding roof shapes and chimney . I also like the sharp triangle and narrow strip of yellow light slashed right across the garden shed. The gable end of the house just beyond the shed is very very bright, that one wall is in full sunlight contrasting it to the other walls that are north facing and in the shade. You will notice some yellow light in some of the windows. This is reflected light, those windows face away from the light source but the sun is strong enough to bounce back and shine in the glass windows. Most of all I love the colour of the light...............golden yellow morning light. And for these reasons, I think this picture is beautiful, and if people only see a collection of dirty backyards...........tis their loss.

Tags: environment, garden

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delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Jan 17 i love it i always loved the morning light when i lived in columbus ohio many years ago i would sit on the balcony and watch the sun come up it was all apartments with nary any green in site but the morning light changed the hues of everything just made it a wonder the apartments were brick and this picture brought that memory to mind :)

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Jan 17 I guess being from a big city (at least I've lived in one most of my adult life) I don't see anything particularly untidy about this photo except those tree stumps. I wonder why they've been left like that.

delete reply djdx wrote on Jan 17 Much beauty can be observed in everyday surroundings, like the changes in light you describe. I love seeing laundry lines. That means people hang their clothes out without being persecuted. I see green grass and space for flowers. All in all, it is full of life, this scene. Lovely rocks in your background.

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Jan 17 what beautiful insights and wonderful photos. thank you. ; )

delete reply mitchylr wrote on Jan 17 They don't look dirty or particularly untidy to me. But I understand what you're getting at. I love your ablity to see beyond the 'surface' appearance and see all the interesting details.

delete reply hotclaws wrote on Jan 17 I always love looking at back gardens when I'm on a train.One I saw t=wo white goats playing,

delete reply lrrpslady wrote on Jan 16 This is lovely to me. The closeness of the neighbors, the composition, the light, all of it. The only thing I wouldn't like, and that's only because I've lived in the country so long, is how close the houses are. I love your English houses. They have so much personality. Thank you for this glimpse out of your window Loretta.

delete reply damnpamn wrote on Jan 16 Even if it weren't pretty, your story made it that way :)

delete reply artprevails wrote on Jan 16 I do see the details and appreciate the geometry there. I like the sun just hitting some spots while shade darkens others. Shade is a friend to the color green, the grass is happily green. Good eye!

delete reply rabbitfriendhere wrote on Jan 16 The backyards actually look safe to me! I like them! :-)

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Jan 16 I once asked an art student to tutor me and her first lesson was one word: "Look". That was it. But all the depth in that one word opened up so much to me. With your words and your camera you have looked. So meaningful, thank you!

delete reply hedgewitch9 wrote on Jan 16 I agree. And I also say again, you're an inspiration! Your eye for detail is amazing, and your depth of soul makes you a fabulous person, and fabulous artist. Thanks for sharing Loretta :)