May moments
An art fair, nature, and yes, more neon
Hello and welcome to TBOI,
How is it nearly June already? How did that happen? (with the passage of time, Sarah). Anyway, I hope that you are doing well and are having a good week so far.
Subscribers received a bonus post on Sunday:
Capturing the moment or missing out? A post exploring some of the reasons why I stopped enjoying photography for a while, but it was also about social media, dogs and art (not necessarily together).
The reason for the bonus post was partly prompted by a conversation that I had with the wonderful
, where where we discussed creativity, life on Substack, career change, and much more. If you would like to take a listen, please head to Hannah’s newsletter:
Also, at the beginning of May, I posted some of my April moments.
There was a wonderful response from you in the comments, and also in the newly opened Chat. So I thought that I would do something similar this month.
I’d love to know what you have been up to so please get in touch in the comments, or in the Chat! There is no pressure to share a photo either.
Alright, in no particular order here are some May moments.
A couple of weeks ago the weather was some of the bests it has been in ages! Mid-20s (Celsius, sorry I cannot function in Fahrenheit), and crucially, low-humidity. One morning I went for a walk along the harbour front and was greeted by the ‘Day Star’, one of the many iconic ferries that operate between Hong Kong Island and TST (Tsim Sha Tsui) on Kowloon. The journey across the harbour takes about 12 minutes and is remarkably cheap, plus these ferries are simply gorgeous.
Sticking with the weather (discussing the weather is a British past-time, after all), I couldn’t help but cloud watch during this milder period. I was sat on my balcony one afternoon and when I looked up, I was reminded of a painting canvas. Nature at its most glorious.
And while I am on the topic of nature - look at this tree! This is a Chinese Banyan and you can find these almost everywhere in Hong Kong. I particularly love how attempts were made to hem in the roots of this tree, but the tree was like ‘Screw this, I am going to grow however and wherever I like!’ (well, that’s my assessment).
Now for something crafty. One of my friends arranged an afternoon where we each made a wooden vase a few weeks ago. The process was so absorbing that I lost all sense of time. Varnishing has helped bring out the grain, but I am still not sure what to put in it.
Finally, for anyone who has been a reader of TBOI since I started sharing my own photography, you will already know about my love for neon signs. In early May, I took myself out for a neon photography date. This was one of the favourites from that trip with the red and green reflections on the adjacent building.
And finally, if you would like to see this newsletter in your inbox on a regular basis, then please consider subscribing to TBOI by adding your email address to the link below. Also, if you like what you see here, it helps tremendously when you give the heart a squeeze, share the piece with one of your mates, or leave a comment (I read and reply to all - a great joy!). Thank you 😉
Ps - see you the comments or Chat with your May moments.
Take care,
Sarah
Oooo. I love seeing your photography, little everyday glimpses of life. And WOODWORKING ❤️ I did it for one term during my Waldorf teacher training and I took to it like an otter to the ocean. Drooling with envy, xo
I still love the neon! And all the other moments you captured…just beautiful.
The photo of the ferry instantly conjured the pungent, briny smell of a harbor on a warm day, and I swear I felt the sway of the boat as passengers boarded. I don’t know if this was an actual memory of visiting Hong Kong when I was very young, or it was my mind embellishing the image.
The wooden vase is stunning, Sarah!