A fifteen minute challenge: Get out of the building, get a photo that fits the caption “when past meets present” and  then get back and show the image(s). Living in London the obvious choice would be to capture a cityscape image showing the juxtaposition between old and new architecture.

The hand full of people that have stumbled across this blog/diary might have noticed I don’t often make things easy for myself. Those that know me will probably agree that I like to push myself. In this case, not wanting to do the obvious. At this stage of my learning I’m not sure if thats a good or a bad thing. 

Anyway, its an interesting challenge. Especially when it is thrown at you out of the blue. 

I managed to get three pictures. Perhaps not the best pictures but that was not the purpose of the challenge; it was to get me opening my eyes, looking & thinking. 

A vespa and a mini. Two very iconic modes of transport in London during the 1960s. I think they are still fairly cool and I have a fond affection for both. Not that I am from the sixties, in fact I couldn’t legally ride and drive until 1986/7.

The scooter has an old 60s number plate and the mini has a more modern index number so I think they fit the criteria. 

The next image kind of highlights the importance of having an awareness of your surroundings. I could have easily walked past these road signs. They are about fifteen feet up the side of a building and easy to miss if I’d not looking about and up.

So old and new(ish) road signs sort of meets the criteria. 

 

The next image was an attempt to get, dare I say it, arty. I found a shop called radio days that sells furniture and fashion items from the 1940s and 50s. I wanted to try and create a sort of double exposure type effect in one shot, by capturing the items from the past in the shop display with the window reflection of the modern world. 

 

With time and planning I’d like to think I would have taken some better images. That said, I think the images fitted the criteria of this fifteen minute challenge. 

I enjoyed this quick challenge and maybe its something you’d like to do? Without thinking about it, how about you go get your shoes on and go get the pictures. 15 minutes… Go Go Go…. Maybe its a little challenge you could set a friend that is learning photography? 

If you give it a go, I would really like to see what you come up with and I would also like to know if you’ve had any similar challenges.

Thanks for visiting.

Kind regards,

Jim Jimmy James