My Prime 5 - Pastimes

Time does pass us by way too quickly and it's nice to have a spare minute to do the things we enjoy at some point during the day. When I have spare time this is how I like to spend it....

Reading - I have not done as much of it as I would like this year but it is nice and relaxing to have a read before bedtime or on a lazy weekend afternoon.

Cross Stitch - It is very time consuming and sometimes takes me months or even years to finish a project but I love to watch the picture come to life as I am sewing each cross. I often wait until I know I have spare time, such as a school holiday to really get stuck in as it is easy to put the sewing away in a draw and forget about it.

Candy Crush - Unfortunately I am still addicted to this stupid game and have now started with the soda version too! I am currently on level 782 and would like it if they could stop making levels so I can move on with my life!

Social Media - When I am at work or college I am very good at not checking social media sites...okay it may have something to with them actually being blocked on the network so I am not actually able to connect to them! But when I get home I cannot help myself. If I am not on Twitter, then I'm on Facebook, then I may have a look at a few pins on Pinterest, then I may write a blog post or read somebody else's blog post and then It will start all over again like a vicious cycle, all while doing the laundry, cooking dinner and acting as referee between the kids fighting of course!

Art - I have recently got into fashion illustration, mostly looking at others work but I do like to draw and love working with watercolours. It is a great pastime to do with the kids as they can draw, paint or make whatever they like and do not need any specific skills to do so.

Those are my prime 5 pastimes,what are yours? 

Write a blog post with your top 5 pastimes and come and join in via the linky below, it is open for a whole month so no need to rush!

I am linking this post up to the linky linky over at Single Mother Ahoy! So if you would like to see what other linkys are open this month then click the logo!

Black and white - Pattern

I like to follow a bit of a theme when I am posting photos so this week I thought I would post a few images that show shape, lines or pattern in them. I took a couple of the photos this week while waiting for the bus in the cold and the others were taken a while ago in the Science museum.

This post is linked up to podcasts black and white photography project, so click the link to see lots more monochrome pics.

Black and White documentary

In December I was given an assignment at college to take 10-12 documentary reportage photos looking at Housing, Homelessness and Poverty, and to write a report on them. I found this to probably be one of the hardest projects I have had to do so far.

In the UK there is no law against taking photos of anybody in a public place but it is questionable as to whether it is ethical to do so. I personally wouldn't want somebody shoving a camera in my face while I am just minding my own business outside and I would equally find it unpleasant for somebody to use a zoom lens and take my photo without my knowledge. Obviously in crowded places or the background of somebody else's shot it is likely to happen occasionally that you could feature, but not if you are the focus of the picture.

I currently have family members with housing needs that are receiving support from the charity Shelter so I approached the charity to ask if I could document how they support vulnerable people over the Christmas period. Unfortunately they were unable to allow me in with my camera for privacy purposes which I completely understand so I had to explore other avenues.

While exploring London for different ideas I came across a charity that provide vegetarian meals to homeless and vulnerable people. They were based on a back road in the heart of Camden but travel to different areas that they feel people need support.

I was surprised at just how many people needed to use this service and talked to a few of them to ask if they would mind me taking their photo, they were fine with it and happy to talk to me but there was one guy that started shouting, saying that I was out of order. I felt really guilty but at the same time this is reality, if people don't highlight the fact that there are local people having to stand on a corner and eat a free meal then how can others help or change what is happening.

I am sorry to show such a depressing reality but a couple of these photos had an impact on me, particularly the one that shows passers by not even glancing up from their phones or conversations because they are so desensitised to what is happening in their surroundings or the guy that is eating alone and standing, facing the wall as there was no other options available to him.

To see my full photo story click on my portfolio link and I will be happy to get any feedback on your thoughts.

This post is linked to the black and white photography project over at Podcast