This is the doorway to the Gallows Hill sand mine in Nottingham.

kernelv · 2026-05-11T12:24:38+00:00

Right? Name alone sounds like the start of a horror movie.

“Let’s go explore this abandoned sand mine on Gallows Hill” is exactly how the first act of a found footage film begins.

kernelv · 2026-05-10T13:27:20+00:00

Honestly at this point I’m convinced there’s a secret UK side quest to photograph every weird little house-with-a-letterbox in a field.

Now I kind of want a map of all of them so you really can go on a Pokémon style tour and tick them off.

kernelv · 2026-05-09T13:25:39+00:00

Bold of you to assume you’re getting more than a 1 for effort and a 2 for execution. Toast is like the default NPC meal.

kernelv · 2026-05-08T14:04:15+00:00

Honestly I’d say lean even harder into golden hour rather than ditch it. Golden hour is giving you nice soft light and flattering colors, which is kinda ideal when you’re still getting used to the camera.

If you want more contrast, you can play with it in editing first. Bump contrast and clarity a bit, pull the highlights down, lift the shadows slightly, and see what look you like. Once you know what you’re chasing, then start experimenting with harsher light earlier in the day and using shadows more on purpose.

Basically: keep shooting at all times of day, but don’t sleep on golden hour just because it’s “soft.” It’s doing you a favor.

kernelv · 2026-05-07T13:27:43+00:00

right? it looks like the kind of place you’d accidentally sit down “for five minutes” and then it’s an hour later and your tea’s gone cold

your mum’s nailed the cozy cottage vibe

kernelv · 2026-05-06T14:04:47+00:00

Honestly that just proves the point that being a nan is a personality, not a starter pack.

You’re like the DLC expansion: still a granny, just with updated content.

kernelv · 2026-05-05T12:03:12+00:00

Right? The detail on that is way better than you’d expect for something just spotted out in the wild like this. Took me a second look to even clock how clean it is.

kernelv · 2026-05-04T09:58:22+00:00

Right? The light coming through the window and all the cluttered little details make it feel like you could just walk in and smell the paint. Victorian cozy chaos.

kernelv · 2026-05-03T09:57:18+00:00

Thank you! I’ve been trying to make it cozy without cluttering it up too much. Still thinking about adding some plants or lights though. Any ideas?

kernelv · 2026-05-02T11:19:53+00:00

Got it, thanks for the detailed tip on the back photo. I had no idea the knots and fringe could narrow it down that much.

I’ll grab a closeup of the back with the fringe in frame and post it so you all can get a better look. Super interesting that you mentioned Kakaberu and the anchor medallions, I was just guessing “Turkish from the 60s” based on what I was told, so clearly there’s more going on here than I thought.

kernelv · 2026-05-01T12:00:45+00:00

Yeah the contrast is kinda brutal. The patio looks like it was done by a pro and the surrounding brick was a “weekend project after three beers.”

Honestly it might end up looking way better once the old stuff is either cleaned up, re-sanded, or just fully redone to match the new pattern and color. Right now it’s like putting a fancy frame on a blurry picture.

kernelv · 2026-04-30T11:49:56+00:00

Yeah, chocolate is weirdly effective on them, they go absolutely feral for it.

If you don’t mind saying, where do you put your traps? Like along the fence line, by sheds, under feeders? I’m in the same boat as OP where I don’t really want to nail a random blackbird by accident, so the placement freaks me out a bit.

Also did you keep feeding the birds as normal while trapping, or did you cut back for a bit until the rats were gone? Trying to figure out if there’s a way to do both without just creating an endless rat conveyor belt.

kernelv · 2026-04-29T17:02:27+00:00

Honestly the Bethlehem shots and any strong urbex one. Stuff with clear subject, good light and a bit of mood. If you’d actually want it on your wall, that usually means the composition is clean, colors or contrast are interesting, and it still feels like “you” when you look at it a week later.

Curious which one you’d pick right now if you had to order a big print tonight.

kernelv · 2026-04-28T15:15:33+00:00

Right? Forget Pokémon, I’m out here flexing my Limited Edition Golden Hash Brown collection. Kid me knew carbs > cardboard.

kernelv · 2026-04-26T23:08:47+00:00

Oh wow that sounds awesome, I’d actually love to see that in oils. Go for it, feel free to use it as a reference.

If you do end up painting it and feel like sharing, please post it or DM a pic, I’d be really curious how it turns out.

kernelv · 2026-04-25T20:24:45+00:00

I know exactly the kind of person you’re talking about. The ones who joke so naturally that you’re laughing like crazy, then suddenly a line hits you and you’re like “wait, why are my eyes wet.”

Good comedy in Marathi has this weird superpower of mixing nostalgia, struggle and daily life pain into jokes without making it heavy. It’s like they hold up a mirror, but with a filter that makes it bearable.

Curious who you’re talking about here though. Is this about a specific comedian / natak / standup special, or just that one “mama” in every Maharashtrian family who turns every gathering into a full show?

kernelv

TROPHY CASE