Dingle Dangle Scarecrow

Poppy Fields

It's hard to say whether I prefer natural, outdoors shoots, or 'fancy-dress' themes. Either way, I love images that tell a story. Little Ro loves nothing more than being outdoors, whatever the weather, and I love shooting him outside as the seasons progress. Despite a promising, sunny morning, as I drove to this location, the clouds gathered, and it began to rain. On arrival, I asked the boy if he still wanted to get out of the car for a run around, and inevitably, the answer was yes (inclement weather has never bothered him, much). I read an article once, that said the thing children prize above everything else, is the freedom of playing outdoors (if I could find the article again, I would link it). I definitely believe it's important to spend time outside, and I'm so grateful to be able to find places like this, close to the countryside. 

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Bright Boy

No doubt the title of this post makes me sound like a 'braggy Mum,' but I promise I am describing his outfit! Nearly all of Little Ro's clothes are second-hand (because I love to be thrifty, and children's clothes are outgrown so quickly), but I do occasionally splash out on a new, trendy outfit, if one takes my fancy. I loved the bright colours of this season's range from NEXT, especially the slightly retro braces on these shorts. I couldn't resist photographing this outfit against the 2CV once again, and the gorgeous summer colours of my Mum's garden - she has green fingers! There was a hat too, but Little Ro wasn't in the mood to wear it on this occasion.

Sunshine Child

I've had this concept and title in mind for well over a year. I intended to shoot it last year, when the rapeseed fields were at their yellowest, but for one reason or another, I was unable to find the right field at the right time, with the right weather.

This year, we haven't had much of a summer yet, and I wasn't convinced that the rapeseed would be ready and at its best. However, there have been so few sunny days, and I have a busy schedule coming up, so I didn't want to miss my opportunity altogether for another year, and decided to go for it on a warm-ish Sunday afternoon.

Little Ro has outgrown the outfit I'd originally had in mind (which was denim dungarees with the same yellow top). Luckily, this pair still fits him, and he can just about squeeze into the yellow (albeit very probably for the last time). I think in the end, I prefer the more vintage feel of the brown dungarees, especially from behind, as they could almost have stepped out of any era, so it's harder to date the shots, and I like that ambiguity.

We had a near disaster early on in the shoot. I'd come prepared with the yellow balloon, and inevitably, it popped on entry to the field. Little Ro looked like his heart might break. It's the first time I've seen him fully understand and get involved with a photography concept. He knew we were going to a yellow field - with a yellow balloon - to take photos, and he was devastated when it briefly looked like things weren't going to plan.

Fortunately, Little Ro's Daddy saved the day, by heading off to purchase a new yellow balloon (and several spares as back-up, just in case), while I reassured a disappointed child that it wasn't the end of the world, and we walked the dog. Once provided with a new yellow balloon, I just stood back and let the boy naturally do his thing (keeping to the tractor tracks within the field, so no damage was done to the crops).

It's lovely when a concept finally comes to fruition, and this series is almost exactly as I had pictured them, along with a few additions. 

Elmo says Boo!

Did you know that Elmo had a brother? The two are very close. (Just for fun).

Bugsy Malone (Part Two)

Hot-headed Bugsy makes his mind up

Don't mess with Bugsy or you'll wind up

Wishing you'd left well enough alone

He's a man, a mountain

He's a rolling stone

And will he leave you

Sad and lonely, crying

I couldn't say, but it's known

Everybody loves that man

Bugsy Malone.

(Lyrics from Bugsy Malone, by Paul Williams)

(The above shot isn't quite in keeping with the others in the series,

but you can't stop a boy from having fun!)

I couldn't resist splitting this set into two. The black and white images seem to tell a strong story, but the colour versions also have their own charm, and I especially wanted to feature the red phone-box, which is such an iconic part of our British heritage.
This phone-box in particular, stands on a street corner, just outside a pub, down the road from my Mum's house where I used to live. I grew up as part of a generation that took these for granted. Phone-boxes smelt of cigarette smoke (and urine), and were usually littered with chocolate wrappers and cigarette butts. Rural ones were out-of-order more frequently than they were connected, and more often than not, they would eat at least one of your coins, while you frantically pressed the 'continue call' button, listening to the ominous sound of clicking and beeping on the line, knowing you would eventually be cut off.

Despite the negatives, they still had their own unique, quaint character, and were at one time, indispensable. Having to wait to gain access to one wasn't unusual (especially near train stations or in town centres, where there was nearly always a queue). As a teenager, if I needed to make a phone call during the day, I would walk down the road to this phone box, armed with 10p and 20p pieces, because the cost of using a home landline before 6pm was too expensive. It never occurred to me as a child, that one day they would become a rare sight.

This phone-box still stands on the pub corner, where it's been my whole life. But a year ago, as I was walking the dog with Little Ro, we popped in to investigate. I discovered that although the phone was still there (and at that time, there was still a line, albeit a dead tone), it was no longer in commission, and would never again make or receive another phone call. The phone box itself has been 'adopted' by the local council (for the cost of £1, as part of a scheme that attempts to retain these cultural icons for future generations). But it will no longer be maintained, and should it become more vandalised or derelict than it already is, I don't suppose the council will care enough to repair it.

Little Ro loved playing with the phone, as all toddlers do, and I decided to do a photo shoot there, but I left it a while. Yesterday, having decided to shoot there, I had a sudden panic that the phone box would no longer be standing (as so many have been removed since they were decommissioned), or that the outfit I had planned for this shoot would no longer fit. I was relieved to find the phone-box surviving, and Little Ro was more than happy to cooperate by dressing up for the occasion.

The phone is no longer working, and there is now no dial-tone - not even a dead one. Only silence. We are fortunate that most of the glass is still in place, so this phone-box remains relatively in tact. I do wonder if even vandals now think better of destroying the last remaining phone-boxes, now that they are a comparatively rare sight (or perhaps its rural location has preserved it, and vandals are not so discerning as I give them credit for).

Anyway. Apologies for the rambling post. The demise of this iconic British symbol got me thinking, and I'm glad I photographed it when I did - while I still can. Long may it remain.