Photography – Lockdown 1.0

Posted On January 20, 2021

I might have gotten my first camera in years just after Christmas, but it wasn’t until the first lockdown (who would have thought we would be on number 3 now) of the year that I really got into photography. It was one of the only things except work that allowed many people to get out of their houses and explore in this time.

The first image I took once lockdown began.

A monkey puzzle tree found in a hedgerow near my house. How did that snail get there?

The vast majority of my photos at this time are just of the local area, anywhere within walking distance. Sometimes you get lucky with what shows up on your doorstep.

A fox outside what I later discovered to be her den, where she had two pups.

An inch to the side makes all the difference.

I found this one street lamp amongst the tree tops that stayed on throughout the day, and cast a glow upon the canopy. When the sun dimmed the orange glow overtook the green of the leaves, adding a spooky haze to the photographs.

Comparing the glow in different lights, side by side.

After having lived in the area for nearly 9 months, I stumbled across a beautiful little spot completely on accident. The area had a pond full of reeds and insects, was surrounded by a small wood with paths leading everywhere and turned out to be a great regular walking spot.

It was at this time that we were slowly being allowed to venture further from our homes. I was still slightly tied to Bristol due to work, but gradually managed to explore more.

Sometimes you don’t need to travel far, when wildlife turns up in your local area!

As things progressed I managed to get as far as Pen Y Fan in Wales, seeing a group of close friends for what turned out to be the only time during 2020. A much needed change of scenery!

We didn’t choose the best of days, with a thick cloud cover removing any kind of view from the summit or the way back down.

The scenery at the base of the mountain was beautiful, even on a cloudy day.

And then, right near the end, it was time to say goodbye to Bristol. I had spent a lot of the summer on my own, but the local area had helped to keep me occupied and stopped me from going crazy during this time. Living on your own is quite nice, but moving back home was so refreshing this time around.

The end of lockdown was near, but that didn’t mean I was done looking for settings to take advantage of, this time ones I had been used to seeing my whole life.

The Avenue leading down towards St Bartholomew’s Church and Corsham Court.

Corsham Lake and the surrounding park has been a regular walk since I was a kid, and is still an enjoyable one today.

And then lockdown was over! The virus was beaten and freedom was restored to thunderous applause! Or so many believed. This was a rough time for many but it did kindle a new passion that I hope to keep going for years to come. More galleries like this will be coming in the future as I look back through my archives. Thanks for reading.