Another not so glorious day. Cloud with intermitting spots of rain. Did I get wet?…No thankfully I didn’t and the sun actually came out for a bit! The National Trust property is called Goddard’s and it overlooks the Racecourse in York.
The house was built in 1927 for Noel and Kathleen Terry of the famed chocolate-manufacturing family Terry’s with the house designed by local architect Walter Brierley and the garden by George Dillistone. The garden is very pretty with a large border of purple lavender which intoxicates you with the unmistakable aroma.
“You’ll smell it before you even see it, that unmistakable aroma that fills your nose and seeps into your senses, instantly mellowing into a smooth and soothing scent.”
Blue Gold – P Smith
Bottom left is a Sarracenias, commonly known as pitcher plants, are carnivorous plants mainly from North America. They bear flowers that grow singly on tall leafless stalks and most have long tubular ‘pitchers’. Inside these pitchers is a well of digestive fluid that breaks down prey, which is then absorbed by the plant – yum yum!
If you’re interested to know where the quote comes from, it’s part of a sleep story from Calm, read by Stephen Fry and written by Phoebe Smith. I have not idea how the story ends as I feel asleep round about the 15 minute mark!
How come worries are multiplied many times when you are trying to get to sleep? I couldn’t sleep last night as I was worrying about work which had to close due to rising number of Covid cases. I had to be in to support vulnerable & key worker students, like in January 2021.
Just as I was nodding off eventually the smoke alarm chose it’s moment to tell me it needs a new battery! Sorted that out at stupid o’clock then the cat woke me up meowing none stop. He was soaked to the skin and proceeding to jump on the bed – cat dried off tried to go back to sleep and…
R-r-r-r-r-i-i-i-i-n-n-n-n-n-g-g-g-g-g! The 06:30 alarm.
There are many articles that link photography to relieve stress, depression, anxiety etc. An article by M. Kennedy (Digital Photography School), looks at 3 Ways Photography Can Ease Anxiety is through Perspective, Getting Out & Expression.
Perspective or the camera’s point of view, the relationship between objects in an image.
However, perspective in everyday language also refers to “a particular way of considering something“. An individual’s perspective is guided by their own experience. So, a person suffering from anxiety may view the world through a prism of distress.
The beauty of photography is that it can change visual experience – which in turn alters personal perspective.
SJ Butler Photography – Mother’s Day Roses 2020
Therefore if you are concentrating on photography (or editing) your energies are funneled into discovering and negotiating subject matter. A focus on composition and exposure stimulates a perceptible reach beyond mental distress and sustained visual-analysis distracts the mind which can loosen the grip of anxiety, improving perspective.
Getting out
If you are feeling stressed or anxious you are often advised to get out of the house, exercise or go out for a walk something that gets endorphins pumping which promotes good mental health.
For me the potential for a great photographic opportunity is a powerful motivator which is why, during lockdown I was constantly out on my bike with my camera.
SJ Butler Photography – On the boardwalk 2020
Expression
When Nicéphore Nièpce succeeded in making the earliest surviving camera-made photograph in 1826, he probably didn’t envisage the far-reaching impact his endeavor would have on the human transferal of information.
Because no two experiences are the same, anxiety can be hard to endure and even harder to explain. Many photographers, however, have found ways to channel their experiences within photography, editing or photo manipulation.
SJ Butler Photography – Droste effects of flowers 2020 SJ Butler Photography – Sunny days composition 2020
There are many interesting articles on the internet, however this photographer has some good images to depict anxiety and depression.
The summer solstice, otherwise known as the longest day of the year, is on the June 21, marking the return of brighter evenings and hopefully more time to spend out with my camera!
The UK will enjoy 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight.
The sun will rise at 4.52am and set at 9.26pm.
The solstice officially marks the beginning of the astronomical summer, which ends when the autumn equinox falls on September 22. Day and night will be at almost equal length on this day, as the sun crosses the celestial equator and moves southward into the northern hemisphere.
The term ‘solstice’ derives from the Latin word ‘solstitium’, meaning ‘sun standing still’. Some prefer the more teutonic term ‘sunturn’ to describe the event.
The Telegraph 2021
What happens during the summer solstice?
There are two solstices each year – one in the winter and one in the summer. The summer solstice occurs when the tilt of Earth’s axis is most inclined towards the sun and is directly above the Tropic of Cancer.
Traditionally, the summer solstice period fell between the planting and harvesting of crops, leaving people who worked the land time to relax. This is why June became the traditional month for weddings.
It signals the moment the sun’s path stops moving northward in the sky, and the start of days becoming steadily shorter as the slow march towards winter begins.
Astrologers say the sun seems to ‘stand still’ at the point on the horizon where it appears to rise and set, before moving off in the reverse direction.
However, we won’t notice the days becoming shorter for a while. The shortest day of the year isn’t until Monday, December 21, known as the winter solstice; it lasts for 7 hours and 50 minutes in Britain, which is 8 hours, 48 minutes shorter than the June solstice.
So there you have the Summer Solstice in a nut shell – if my sleep pattern is still the same in a few days I will be up to see the sun rise!
What a gorgeous sunset this evening. I was going to take my drone up, but I ran out of time today but instead I caught this most beautiful November sunset. Moments of pleasure instrumental by Kate Bush
What a most beautiful start to the weekend. Enjoy the sun and have a lovely day! Over the past 6 years I have been creating a Portfolio of some of images from the month. If you would to view them scan the QR code or simply follow this link, thank you.Portfolios
Sunsets, sunsets and more sunsets! Hope you like these montages of sunsets over the past few weeks, They have been stunning, too early for me to be up at sunrise at the moment so sunsets will have to do for now! As the Sun is low on the horizon at sunrise & sunset, sunlight has…
Sorry for the silence but what a hot and sunny week this has been; of course now it is the weekend it’s gone cooler again! Have been very busy with work and the garden but I’ve got some stunning sunset shots. This is a quick phone shot, I’ll update with more later on.
What a hot and sunny week this has been; of course now it is the weekend it’s gone cooler again! But, that didn’t stop me from visiting some lovely gardens today. My focus this time was on the beautiful peonies that have sprung up this week. My own have already been and gone so it…
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