2011: Birth of a photographer (and a psychology graduate!)
Somewhere in between our trips to Edinburgh in 2010 and Paris in 2011, two things changed in the Fletcher household. Firstly, I tentatively took my first module towards my Open University Psychology degree. I hadn’t studied in almost 20 years. It was time to challenge my teeny tiny brain. I chose psychology for no reason other than that it always fascinated me what was going on in the minds of others – but I also liked the scientific, statistical, objective and logical elements.
For someone who likes creative writing it was something of a mental switch to begin to write academically. My tutors would not have been impressed if I’d opened an essay on “Gibson’s contribution to the interpretation of Milgram’s research findings on obedience” by describing Milgram’s wardrobe. Or an imaginary conversation that Gibson may have had with his wife that morning…
The second big thing that happened in 2011 was hubby picking up a camera for the first time. We had planned a safari holiday later in the year, and we wanted to bring home more than shaky mobile phone snaps of a distant giraffe to supplement our memories of an African adventure. And so, Mr Fletche purchased his first DSLR camera and set about teaching himself the fundamentals of photography and editing. Turns out he’s quite good.
It was obvious early on that his passion was landscapes. Hence the fact that most of his pictures are of trees, fields and hills, and very few are of me. I’ve become queen of the selfie instead, with my little point-n-click. Many weekends over the last four years have been spent with my nose in a psychology textbook, whilst Mr Fletche has been trekking across the UK countryside, mumbling about clouds and “perfect light”.
Four years later and I have an Upper Second Class Psychology Honours degree in the bag, and am looking forward to my graduation in Birmingham in October 2015.
Four years (and three cameras) later, Mr Fletche has an excellent portfolio of work, a website in progress and a wife who is no longer in a studying bubble and can join him on his weekend treks across the countryside. As long as there is a country pub and a glass of red wine at the end of it…
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