A depressed walk on a gray day

Recently I had a little rant on Twitter about becoming depressed from continued lockdowns. Having a child I really can not afford to be depressive. No one really can. It will be a struggle to get up every day and do something positive to re-calibrate myself again. At least I can use this mental state to create something to express the sadness within. This little series of pictures came out of it.

Seen better times

I do not know what this building was used for. It has been abandoned as long as I have known it. Looking at the loading crane, it was likely a workshop. Strangely enough every year someone prunes the trees and bushes on the property.

Mobility left behind

The city is full of these scooters. I do not like them. People just throw them anywhere when they are done with them. If you only ever rent you never appreciate things enough to take care of them. The scooters always look beat up. They are beat up. I read somewhere that the companies need to replace them every few months depending on usage. Seems wasteful to me.

Plastic Balcony

I guess this is better than having no balcony at all? I would be unable to stretch my legs out properly. Maybe the architect was contractually obligated to build a balcony and this was the lowest cost option available?

Closed

This stall would have been part of last year’s Christmas market at a local historical site. Now it just sits there, empty and unused. I do not like Christmas markets much but I missed this one last year.

Put away

Usually these tables and chairs would be spread around the adjacent bakery and filled with tourists and neighbors alike. We went there often to have a calm Sunday morning espresso before the tourists overwhelm the place in the afternoon. Now one can only get a cup of coffee to go. I never thought how important it would be to actually sit down and have a coffee.

Empty Stage

This is the “stage” where the chairs and tables usually belong. A stage where families would sit, old women would chatter away and eat cake and tourists having a rest before continuing their castle marathon. Now it is empty.

Memories of better times

One of my favorite coffee shops. A place to calm down and relax, where families gather and children play around while the adults talk. They have closed now because of a construction site nearby. It will be years until they maybe reopen. Chances are it will no longer be the same special place but rather a tourist trap like everywhere else.

Photographic notes

The photos were taken on one gray and overcast afternoon with a Revuenon 55mm F1.7 lens. I used the Kodak Portra 400 recipe from Fuji-X Weekly. There a three different recipes for the same film type and it seems I have used the one for a different camera sensor. It does not matter I do like the results. I even kept the “grain” on. Get it 🙂