September 24, 2025

Birds over water and empty benches

A friend suggested the botanical garden months ago, and this week I finally went. Walking back, I found a side street I had never noticed before, lined with tiny workshops.

The café near the botanical garden still serves the same cinnamon buns; I had two and pretended it was research. I tried a few long exposures, but the wind had other ideas. The handheld shots turned out better anyway.

The path was muddy and longer than the map suggested, but the view at the end made up for it. By noon the crowds arrived, so I walked further along the path, where birds over water were still undisturbed.

A light drizzle started around ten. I sheltered under a bus stop roof and photographed people hurrying past. There is something calming about returning to the same spot and noticing small changes since the last visit.

It was a good reminder that interesting pictures rarely require going far.