Take my camera... but PLEASE leave me the memory card!!

If you happen to be reading this, and you also happen to be interested in sharing your texture stock on isource then here's a few categories we're short of.


Roofing - shingles - Any type.

Good old grungy plaster and old worn brick walls.. as far away as possible so you can get a good amount of wall surface in the texture. The larger the wall and the more you can get in your shot the better.
Here is a good example - Brick Wall Link

Ok its a little bland because its painted white but finding a wall that large with no tree infront or "anything" blocking its view is rare, at least for me. This happened to be the side of someones house. I had taken some earlier shots when the horrible winter sun kept showing its shadow casting face from behind the clouds... i HAD to at least try and capture a good shot.. so I risked it.
Then on the way home, it had started to rain so I jumped out of the car and snapped it again in the nice overcast weather of that mid afternoon Tuesday!

I would say large surface walls for me at least are the hardest to capture, they usually have a car infront or some horrid graffiti that doesnt add to the texture only spoils it.

I love grunge.... I really love it. I dont know why it just excites me as a texture, here is a good example of a grunge texture I captured yesterday:

Grunge Wall

I Just happened to be walking down the back allies between to rows of derelict terrace houses in Darwen and the yard wall of some house caught my eye.

The town I live in is having a major renevation with millions spent on it. Its what commonly refered to as a "Mill Town"
Darwen, back in the cotton mill days was a thriving industrial town with many mills. Some of these mills still stand today either unused or fixed up to be used for another purpose.

I have to say, it never used to bother me taking photos in the street, I kinda liked the curious attention I got from strangers.. and it gave me a chance to explain why I was taking a photo of a dirty drain on the floor.

But recently, probably due to the areas I have been snapping I have been getting some ugly suspicious stares from men.

The fact I was s**t kicking on their construction site, and pulling muddy tyres off a pile to take a photo of it can't of helped their "WTF????" faces!
Plus, I think in all honesty work men assume I am from some governing body ( of whom I have no name but I am sure it exisists) taking photos of their work, to report to their bosses..

There was an uncomfortable "duel" yesterday with me in my car and a middle aged man in some construction digger, facing each other in the road.
He literally sat there looking down at me like I was something he wanted to scrape of the bottom of his size 9 work boots.

I "mouthed" "do you want me to move?" he shook his head. So I went back to looking at the previews on my camera of the photos I had taken so far as I sat in the car.
I looked up a few seconds later and he hadnt moved his machine and continued to stare down at me not even attempting to hide the fact.
When I looked him in straight the eyes, he kept on looking right back with a furrowed brows.

I mouth " what??" and laughed, he just shrugged his shoulders as if to say "nothing"

I set off, it was obvious I wasnt welcome and in all honesty it was nothing to do with him what I was doing... he just THOUGHT it was..

I do try and put peoples minds at rest when I see them looking over... there is something about a "real" camera and the general public that creates a lot of curiousness and quite often, paranoia.

On this same trip, someone came out of their home and asked me if I had anything to do with the building I was taking shots of --- here:

Old Red Door

Old Building front

I said no, and asked why. The very nice chap explained, the building had tons of rats coming in and out of it and he had children etc.
We talked about the council and how they hadnt responded, and I wished him luck and was off.

So in closing, I am feeling less and less confident on these trips to "dereclict junction"
Its not safe on a practical level with half pulled down houses and lots of machines left unused but "breathing"
And on another level, its just not safe as a woman.

I have been reckless in the pursuit of a wonderful texture, walking miles down drug infested streets were young gangs of lads sat outside pubs smoking weed like they were Benson & Hedges.
I smile to assure them, but ultimatly your on their turf taking photgraphs for no apparent reason .. and thats a recipe for disaster.

Sooner or later something may happen.
If nothing else I may get mugged for the camera to see what I have been taking photos of and they might decide to keep it to sell in the local pawn shop.

As Martin once joked, "Take my camera.... but PLEASE... just leave me the memory card!!!"