for the love of taking a photograph
/On the days I drive to school I pass through a very pretty village called Crawfordsburn, home to one of the oldest inns in Ireland. But last week it wasn't the pretty houses or the Inn that I noticed, it was the transformation of the roadside in one of the hardest frosts of the winter so far. Ordinarily I am inconvenienced by the slow moving traffic on its way to meet the main road, but last week it merely afforded an opportunity to appreciate just what a freezing temperature and some moisture in the air can do to an ordinary scene. I promised myself that on my first day off I would take myself on a mission to photograph some of what I'd seen. Which is exactly what I did!We often go to the country park at Crawfordsburn with the boys and with other families - the combination of forest park and seaside right beside each other, with the added bonus of a very fine coffee shop makes for a great day out. But I was in no way prepared for its frozen beauty. The large grassy hill where the kids run amok was literally a blanket of frost, each blade of grass defined by the frozen particles surrounding it. The most ordinary plants, fences and paths had become magical in the early morning sun. I was honestly transfixed by it, and filled again with awe for our Creator who dreamed it all up.I'm quite sure the dog walkers who passed me thought I was deranged as I crouched at ridiculous angles trying to get the perfect amount of flare in my shot. I began to think it myself when I took my gloves off to try to warm my hands up (because you know that gloves on cold hands will only keep the cold in, right?!)Was I frozen to the core? Clearly. Were my hands actually in pain as I tried to focus my lens? Oh yes! Was I as pleased as punch for getting out and doing something I love just for the love of it? Darn right I was! And was the coffee date with my very good friend afterwards all the sweeter for my efforts? You betcha!!