Yesterdays contact sheet felt incomplete (hence I’m writing a day late). Nevertheless I wanted to get something out because I was so pleased with the sparrow shot, but none of the other photos seemed to work together; they needed something else. I ended up running out of time before quiz night (oh yes!) and decided I’d sort it once I got home or just post the sparrow on its own. This turned out to be lucky because within minutes of arriving at the pub, I get a text from Tony saying, rather gnomically, ‘look at the moon’. If you get a message from someone saying something like that, you just have to obey, so, end of round one, off I trot outside and my god, he’s right: the most fantastic frost halo. Huge too.

So I then drag everyone else in my team out into the street, some less willing than others, but all agree it’s breathtaking. Liz takes a pic on her phone where you can just see it. Even the smartass team on the next table go out and have a look (I’m delighted that one of their number comes back inside a few minutes later and asks me what he was supposed to be looking at – ha! – one question you haven’t got the answer for eh?). So when the quiz and drinks are finished (we were only three points off winning this week. Team smartass won again, dammit…) on the way home I’m having a longer look at the moon and realise that it’s the last image I need for the contact sheet. Its bloody freezing out and I’m really struggling with the idea of staying in to have a cup of tea before venturing forth again but I know the moon is on the move and will disappear round the corner if I don’t do something now, so, find the tripod and the really wide angle lens, and head back downstairs.

Of course, this being Brighton, I open the front door only to trip over someone else, literally on my doorstep, with a camera and tripod. His friend has just facebooked the news and it’s a bit of a challenge for him now, especially after the lightning last summer. We chat a bit more and he heads off for the beach because he thinks he can get a better shot. Apparently his girlfriend is in the shower; this piece of information is somehow significant. I stay put because I reckon I can make the trees work for the image. I’m also wondering how long his girlfriend showers for. It’ll take him at least half an hour to get to the beach and back, probably a lot longer once he’s set up the camera and taken the pictures. Does he often just disappear while she’s having a wash?

. (click for a bigger image)