Deleting a Piece of my Soul - Photomarathon Sheffield Adventures

Last weekend we went up to Sheffield to visit my daughter. We needed to take her birthday presents, but the reason for going this particular weekend was so we could take part in Photomarathon Sheffield

My daughter and I were so excited that we’d each got one of the 150 places available and, although we weren’t exactly sure of what it would involve, we were reasonably confident that running 26 miles wasn't going to be part of the requirements! Hubby was coming along for the ride (fortunately, as will be revealed later) and we headed to the city centre to register.

Love a badge!

We were given a badge - exciting - and a copy of the rules. Then, like the the keen photographers that we  are, we headed to the nearest coffee establishment for brunch…I mean, to plan our day! 

Incidentally, if you are ever in Sheffield, Tamper Coffee is THE coolest place you will ever find, and served probably the best coffee I have ever tasted. Food was delicious too. 

Them's the rules!

Anyway, we perused the rules over our coffee. We had to take pictures related to six topics - not a problem, so we thought - but when we had finished, the last six pictures on our memory card would be submitted. That meant that, realistically, we would have to shoot the topics in the order given, and then choose one for each category and delete the rest. We decided we would allow 40 minutes for each topic, and then have half an hour to decide which photos to keep. 

I think all that water is making a noise...

We set about topic 1: Making Shapes. Then my daughter’s borrowed camera went wrong…cue annoyance, stress, lots of ‘I’ll just try it again’, more annoyance, emergency phone calls and, eventually, the decision to use hubby’s camera (good job he came along!) Crisis averted, we continued to look for shapes in the environment, trying to be creative and not too literal.

Topic 1: Making Shapes

Suddenly, the 40 minutes was up - time for topic 2: Making a Noise. How do you photograph that? Somehow a photo of an intruder alarm didn't cut it! 

Topic 2: Making a Noise

We wandered around the city, clicking away, then - ‘Time’s up, topic 3: Making History’ - ‘Time’s up, topic 4: Making a Meal’

Topic 3: Making History

At this point we headed to an indoor market, where we got completely distracted by haberdasheries, sari stalls and miniature succulents! 

Topic 4: Making a Meal

Then the battery on the replacement camera ran out. Luckily my ‘be prepared’ although not an ex boy scout of a husband had his charger, so we stopped for coffee and used the opportunity to do some photo pruning. It was incredibly difficult, knowing that, to get to the final six pictures, I would have to delete, yes, delete photos that I quite liked but just didn’t fulfil the brief. The hardest ones were some of my daughter randomly playing the piano on Sheffield station. It felt like deleting a little bit of her. 

We managed to whittle the photos so far down to about three in each category and, battery charged, continued with topic 5: Making Connections. 

Topic 5: Making Connections

Both of us got our ‘money shot’ quite quickly and moved onto the final topic 6: Making Faces. Ugh - this was the hardest of all. How many times do you look at something and see a face in it - door knobs, drain covers. In fact my nephew has a whole instagram feed #Iseefaceseverywhere. Not in Sheffield he wouldn’t. Nothing, nada, zilch. We wandered around, aimlessly gazing at benches, road markings, reflections until, ‘Time’s up - time to choose your final six’ 

Topic 6: Making Faces - not sure it fits the brief, but my favourite of the six

We ignored my husband’s constant muttering about cake, and headed back to the Winter Gardens, where we sat on a bench and went through our photos. There was much ‘Which is best? This one or this one? I don’t like that one. Well I do, so I’m ignoring you’ and some seriously regretful deletions. We eventually succeeded in selecting the six photos to submit, and handed over our memory cards. Done. There is an exhibition of all of the photographs submitted at the Millennium Gallery in November. A good excuse, as if I needed one, to visit my girlie again. It will be intriguing to see how other people interpreted the topics, and see how our efforts compared. The photos included in this post are my final six. I'd be interested to know what you think!

Roll on next year!

Honestly, the most difficult part of this challenge, and it was a challenge, was not taking the photos, but choosing the favourite, and deleting the rest. In this age of digital photography, we are click happy, and rarely consider the merits of the images we accrue - they sit there up in the cloud, in their infinite naffness, taking up space but largely ignored. Only when we get an email warning us about our available capacity do we revisit and cull the accidental photos of our crotch or the selfie that, seriously, no one should ever view. It’s kind of ironic that, in this throw away and largely secular society we still secretly feel that throwing away a photo is like throwing away a little piece of someone’s soul.

Getting my Ducks in a Row...

Having a career that is all consuming, mentally, physically and emotionally leaves very little space in life for anything else. When I made the decision that I was going to retire at the end of the school year in which I reached 60, I didn't really give this fact much thought. Other people did though. 

Everyone asked, ‘What are your plans?’; ‘What are you going to do?’ Initially I responded with a snort of derision and the comment,’I’ve been doing stuff every day of my working life, now I’m going to do nothing!’ 

Inside, though, I knew that even in my most inert sitting mode, I would eventually need something to challenge and motivate me. So I started to assemble hobbies. 

For Christmas last year I requested, and received a shiny new sewing machine. A camera followed for my birthday. I reacquainted myself with people from my old tennis club, and dusted down my running shoes. I also treated myself to a new bike, with a stylish helmet and my friends and colleagues presented me with some new gardening equipment when I left work. A positive smorgasbord of activities!

(It should be noted at this point that I haven't included reading in this list: reading is not a hobby, it is as important to me as eating and sleeping. I have a stack of books by my bed, and have a panic attack if there is not at least one new one to start when I’ve completed the current ‘read’. The novelty will be having time to read during the day!)

Watching the Olympics has distracted me from my new hobbies, but reading my friend and fellow blogger’s Wish List Wednesday (http://www.thesaltedtail.com) reminded me of a book that my daughter bought me to inspire me to make some of my own clothes.

With renewed inspiration, I chose the easiest looking item in the book and bought myself some fabric! So far, I have transferred the pattern onto tissue paper (a mission in itself) and am now awaiting delivery of my new left-handed scissors so I can progress further. I may, or may not write about the outcome at a later date, depending on what that outcome turns out to be - stylish gingham top, or lots of fabric to make gingham bunting. Watch this space!