Wednesday 7 April 2010

The Gallery #7: 'Ugly', and The Mads















This week's prompt for Tara's Gallery is 'Ugly'. I racked my brains when I read that; what to photograph? Normally it's examples of beauty - or our interpretation of what is beautiful - that we bother to record. So if I go back through my files I can show you photographs of sunsets over idyllic beaches, of children playing in the mountains, and the sun rising over Glastonbury Plain, but ugliness? Not something I usually want to remember.

I've seen plenty of it, mind you. Just looking around me in Moscow there is the dirt, the crumbling tower blocks, the fumes from the traffic, the beaten up old cars, the expressions on the faces of the people fighting to squeeze onto the metro in rush hour (although, understandably, a lot more people are taking taxis right now...), and the rubbish thrown onto the side of the road.

But all that would be too obvious - and too cheap a shot. So instead, here is a pile of melting snow outside our front door. Definitely not pretty (despite the late afternoon sun glinting off the ice), and I suppose it could even be called ugly. Except, after a whole winter dealing with the white stuff, this sight marks the beginning of Spring - so whilst it is ugly, it's also a very welcome sight indeed...


And whilst I've got your attention, I would just like to indulge in little bit of shameless self promotion and point out 'The Mads' logo on the right hand side of the screen. For those of you who haven't come across this yet, it's the collective name for a series of blog awards to be presented to nominted Mum and Dad bloggers, and I'm delighted to have been nominated for a couple of them;

Mad Blogger of the Year
Best Mad Blog Writer.

Any support would be much appreciated. (It appears that I left both my Natural Modesty towel and my Shrinking Violet hat back in London when we moved...)



12 comments:

  1. Oh yes, "Old" snow is def ugly!! Good one!

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  2. Very clever. I love the way with snow that when it's fresh and new it's so beautiful, but when it gets like this is awful... And when it really melts and you get left with last year's frozen dog poo it's at its worst.... Glad you didn't post a picture of that one!

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  3. Funny how snow can be so ugly when it's going and yet so beautiful when it arrives, isn't it? So glad spring is here now - it feels as though it's been a long time coming! x

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  4. No,it's not so pretty when it's on its way out. Still the ugly bits will all soon melt away and you will be able to explore and enjoy Moscow in the the warmth of some sunny Spring and Summer days.

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  5. looks familiar - we've got quite a few lumps like that still.

    Eclipse

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  6. Melting dirty snow is ugly, I agree with you. :0)

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  7. Great idea! Old snow is definitely ugly.

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  8. Oh yes, I agree with you - it's at its worst when it is all brown and slushy.

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  9. I'm so with you on melting dirty snow!

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  10. Everyone has commented on the snow pic, and no-one on your MAD nominations! So very well deserved.

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Go on - you know you want to...