This month’s set subject is Brown.

Brown has got to have been the hardest challenge for me out of all the challenges so far. I didn’t want to do anything too predictable (brown animal, leaves, etc) and was at the point of possibly not entering if I couldn’t come up with something original.

When at the fruit shop, a week out from the deadline, I had an epiphany to ask to inspect their rotten fruit. After much consultation, in a language foreign to my own, involving the entire staff of the store, I was finally escorted to the rear storeroom and offered a bin of discarded produce – where I happily made my selection. I exited the store to strange looks and further, albeit whispered, exchanges between the staff. I did try to explain my concept but received only polite smiling and nodding for my efforts.

Here is the image I entered today at club, (I had a circular matt especially cut for this) titled “Expired Goods”:

It was given an Honours, and was also C Grade ‘Image of the Night’.

For my Open print I decided to go with an image of my daughter I am in love with. Perhaps I have my Mummy googles on. Perhaps the judge just didn’t get what I was going for… anyway, he only gave it a Merit. His comments were that there was no eye contact and the background appeared dirty (it had two small marks from the printer, so fair enough).

Titled “All Grown Up”: