The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Trading Journeys

Hi kim, how about thursday morn at breakfst? somewhere near creetown or newton, i can tell u wher exactly the night before. Then u get a bit of fireside and also horsedrawn as I leave.

Although my heart sank a bit at the thought of getting up early, the text was from one of my favourite people to photograph, Alice Francis (See I'm Humphrey Bogart and So's My Wife and Photographing a Fish out of Water). She was on a trek with a horsedrawn cart from Auchencairn to Wigtown as part of an art event called "Trading Journeys",which was tying in with the start of the Wigtown Book Festival. The event organiser, The Stove, had asked me to get some photos of her on her journey, so texts were under way for working out where and when I would catch up with her.

Wednesday evening:

Kim, if you go out of creetown as if for skyreburn on the old military road, i am on the right after the woods I will tie a black and green scarf on the gate as i am quite hidden.

Ok. I'll try and be with you for about 7.30-ish to get some breakfasting and getting-ready shots

And praps some shots getting kicked off by the farmer!! Haha! Bring a cup!!! Not much power, must turn off x

Despite the unusually lovely weather we've been having throughout most of September, this particular Thursday morning turned out to be a bit dreich and smirry. I'd checked Google Maps before setting off but struggled to find where Alice might be camped: no sign of a green and black scarf and her phone had run out of battery.

I drove up the road to a point way beyond the woods and it was clear I must have missed it, turned round and went back down to Creetown, turned round again and drove very slowly back up the road, stopping at every gate and peering over. Eventually I met Alice on the road with a bunch of sticks in her hand. She said she'd heard a car go by and had thought it was probably me, so came out to catch me next time past and pick up a bit of firewood at the same time.

After a cup of tea (I had brought my own mug with a teabag in it) and a blether I then set about getting the photos. As always, feel free to click on them for slightly larger versions, or head through to the album on my Facebook page for the full set:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.925186564162715.1073741855.114749591873087&type=3


















12 comments

Joan Lennon said...

So much to like here! Maybe my favourite is the one with the kettle, but it's hard to choose!

hope said...

And I loved the one with the hat. :)

maurcheen said...

Second from last is my favourite, such vivid greens. I need to get my camera out. I need to get a real camera!

Ruthie Redden said...

I love the feeling of these ones Kim, they leave you with a sense of peace & quiet. I should love to travel that way. Did see Alice go by near Gatehouse.

Anonymous said...

These are fun, Kim!

Kim Ayres said...

Joan - glad you like them :)

Hope - it was her father's hat - a proper bowler hat worn in London every day to work :)

Maurcheen - see if your camera allows you to adjust the white balance anywhere on the menu. The auto white balance rarely gets the greens right, but if you have any kind of manual override you can often get the richer colours :)

Ruthie - I did have a wistful sigh at the idyllic nature of it. Until I remembered I hate camping... :)

Allan - thank you :)

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

I love them all! The 'raw' feel, the fresh air, the sense of adventure. Rebellious.

No big corporate-machine grinding away here.

Kim Ayres said...

Guyana-Gyal - Thank you :)

dinahmow said...

Guyana Gyal pointed me in this direction (she does that quite often!)so you are now in my feed.
Good tip about white balance.

Glennis said...

I am another pointed to you blog by Guyana gyal, well worth a visit, love the second to last photo but the kettle is great reminds me of picnic and camping trips of my youth, we never had a horse with little cart though, it was caravan or small tent for us.
Enjoy.

Pat said...

Number 7 is a stunner.

Kim Ayres said...

Dinahmow - welcome to my blog and thank you for taking the time to comment :)

Glennis - another welcome! Caravans and tents featured in my childhood too :)

Pat - thank you :)

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