My challenge, starting on tomorrow, is called “Connections”. Our lives are full of connections of one sort or another. Our family connections are closest. But what about others such as those we have to our jobs or our hobbies? We make connections through travel and through the clubs we belong to. Many of us have made connections through Ugly Hedgehog. Think about your own connections, from the obvious to the obscure, and share the photographs that speak to all of them.

Every photo tells a story so tell us how the image connects to a story. I look forward to seeing your work.

I'll start by posting three images with their connections.

My wife and I will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary in December. She is a remarkable woman with many talent, the least of them being putting up with me for 60+years. She is a world class Quilter, and all who know quilting also know that Quilting is a cult of almost secret proportions, of talented women who could easily run the world, and probably should. My wife has created quilts, for all of our 4 children and their spouses, all of their 11 children and spouses and all of their 5 children so far. She has donated dozens of baby quilts to a local hospital to be given to less fortunate mothers, an to many close friends. Her quilts are hanging on walls or on beds as far away as Jordan, CA, and VT with many in between. Of course I am biased, but I know this to be true. There are many who know her work who would be more than pleased to receive one of her quilts. Here are just a sample. Taking accurately reflective photos of quilts is another art form, and I wish I was better at it.

OK DebAnn pull up a chair and sit down :-D
Spent most of my life frustrated knowing I was on this earth for something but what !!! My head from an early age was full of crazy ideas and images created in my head that I could see and then would vanish. 10 years old and first camera given to me as a birthday present this was fun but no money and film needed to be processed so shots were few and far between.

Years followed with film, developing and printing myself then working with a mix of chemicals trying to create something different to everybody else, very hit and miss and unpredictable.

Digital arrives and remember reading in 'Professional Photographer' it will never match the quality of film haha what did they know. Bought a digital camera and had an early edition of Photoshop and all of a sudden my visions were being put down in print. Fast forward to July 2012 and looking for some camera parts on the internet and 'Ugly Hedgehog' appears well I love Hedgehogs so clicked on to see what it was about, Mmmm I thought sounds good lets sign up, Oh boy I did not know what was going to happen. Did my introduction and posted some work in the photo gallery and was looking around at others works and clicked on a work by Ian Hargreaves who lives in the states but had a photo shop years ago here in Hastings (such a small world) commented on his work posted and said to him he should work it some more he replied you have a go, well i didn't need telling twice and worked it and reposted it, he liked what I had done and said there is someone here on UHH you will get on with his name is 'William' Did a search and saw some of his work and from day one we hit it off. My life from my personal point of view was still in turmoil total frustration at not being understood and just not knowing what to do., Pm to Bill and he said 3 simple words which I took on board and it transformed my life. That day was September 15th 2012 will never forget it, earlier had photographed a single silver fork and spoon part of a set that was my Nan's who I loved to bits and put it into Photoshop and worked it my way, came out with a whole series but this one in particular titled 'New Beginnings' was personal between Bill and myself. Each year on the anniversary I rework it to remind myself of the moment in time my life changed and I found a friend that understood what I was about.
Funny thing is to this day Bill knows not what he has done, he just said it as he saw it but oh boy how it affected my life
Here is the original and the moment in time plus some others worked from it
Sorry for being long winded but it needed to be said, UHH is so much more than a photo site, I have connected with many people here, an amazing experience