#NPMonthlyWord - Scary

Here we are again at the beginning of a new month so as is customary I’m looking back over last month’s #NPMonthlyWord word which was “Scary”, I do wonder if you can say that without putting on an accent to facilitate the intended delivery as I’ve not managed to yet !

Now this month has been a slightly difficult one with work and the such like, plus the image I wanted to make, (was thinking a close up portrait of a young person in scary Halloween make up), didn’t manifest itself very easily so took that as a sign that I was thinking too literal but then went completely abstract then realised that’s maybe not what people come to expect of NathanPhoto, so came around to somewhere in the middle. Not sure it’s been a successful month shooting but I’ve got some work, so we’ll see.

Hopefully they form an interpretation of the word scary, some aren’t my usual thing, as I’ve noticed recently that I’m increasingly navigating away from what you may term the traditional NathanPhoto style.

Image 1 is of the randomness of symbolism, these were spotted on a beautiful day and completely contrasting the flavour of the event, I did also notice that come the 30th they were whipped away to make way for Christmas! 

Image 2/3/4 is actually set of images, one thing that I do find scary is the rise in Halloween themed single use plastics, the expense and the waste of it is the scariest part, this decoration is made from cheap plastic that I will keep and treasure but will outlast us all and probably becomes a representation of the Anthropocene in many ways.

Image 5 is taking another one of the traditional aspects of the season and trying to see what can be done with it, I split lit it to gain the usual effect, but I feel it lacks something, I also added in a reversal one to see if that added anything interesting but sadly not. Next.

Image 6 is one of the many attempts at decorations that I’d seen on the travels, another traditional signifier of the season with this one having added scare factor as it was on a dentist waiting table !!! see second image !!!

Image 7 is a window display that showed a very similar shape but this time in 2d form so that everyone knows the season !

There we have my submission for the #NpMonthlyWord for October, the winner in my eyes is one from the second set of images, possibly the best out of the set which is this one:

How did you do?

Now as we’ve discussed images, I usually leave you with a quote to balance the books, this time though thought I’d add in and share a quirk of fate that I encountered in the supermarket, as most know my Mum passed away this year and her initial was W and obvs mine is N so when I saw these two pumpkin initial decorations away from their usual resting place it struck me, can either see it as coincidental or meaningful, you decide.

Anyway can’t go without leaving you a quote this time from my current readings, a  book that should be in the  “away from my regular research reading but is seemingly more applicable than I know” category. It’s from Lila by Robert M Pirsig. I’ve adapted it slightly by adding (photography as you can imagine) here is the quote:

“Real science and real philosophy (and real photography) are not guided by preconceptions of what subjects are important to consider.”

As ever thank you for reading and if you have any comments, feedback, thoughts or anything then please get me through the usual channels.

Thank you.