Aga

While common in the UK the Aga cooker is something of a novelty here in North America. First time visitors to my parents' kitchen often exclaim "what is that?" and then marvel: at its design, the absence of controls and the fact that it is always 'on'.

Today the constant warmth emanating from the cooker was doubly appreciated. As the chilling winds howled outside temperatures first dropped to -15C and then the electric utility implemented rolling blackouts as demand exceeded the capacity of the island's electrical grid. I have heard several predictions that we are in for a cold winter and power shortages this early in the season would seem to confirm it.

Shot on my iPhone 4S and converted to black & white in Snapseed. The choice of a monochrome treatment seems at odds with my story above. However I took the image with just this look in mind; before the power was cut and the Aga's warmth made a larger impression upon me. I did try taking additional images by candlelight but the iPhone's low-light capabilities were inadequate this time.