This is the latest Red Bubble Reject. It was taken in winter 2009, on the first real photo journey I took with my new camera. We went out into the country and photographed some abandoned old farmhouses.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much when I took this shot. I certainly didn't plan the shot or have any sort of composition in mind. I had never peered through the window of an abandoned house before, and it seemed kind of taboo. The inside of the house was also very dark. One of my main reasons for choosing a Nikon D700 was its reputation as the best DSLR on the market for low-light photography. I always seemed to be crouching in the ditch photographing wildflowers at dusk with my point-and-shoot and a close to 0% success rate. I was eager to try out the low light performance of my new camera, but I didn't actually think I'd come out with a useable photo. I was pleasantly surprised! I like the look of the peeling wallpaper and paint, and the snow (with little mouse footprints) on the ground. Despite the lack of planning for this shot, it placed quite high in an online photo competition I entered (32nd place from more than 400 entries).

I find it both comforting and unnerving to look at a photo like this. It's a reminder that all of the things we treasure right now, all of the things our lives revolve around, all of the things that cause anguish and stress... they all end up like this, someday.