this photo life

A brief (and dry) stay in Bangkok

2011-11-27T21:10:00.001Z

In late October, while I was in Bangkok, I posted on twitter the following

Hot sticky temples gold hot buddha tuk-tuk monks massage Buddha hot #bangkokinanutshell

I think that sort of sums it all up!

We had the opportunity of stopping over in Bangkok on the way home, and while it was good to see Bangkok, we would rather have continued travelling.

However that didn't stop me taking lots of photos!

This belatedly brings the holiday blog posts to a close, normal (although more frequent) service should resume soon!

A strangers view of Sydney

2011-11-05T20:50:00.001Z

There is a question that many Australians seem to want answered. Which city do you prefer, Sydney or Melbourne?

I found Sydney to be bright, bustling, brash and cocky…. and it appears to sprawl over the landscape for miles around. The city does have open spaces, but the design appears less ordered than Melbourne, leading to an impression of slight chaos…

Sydney is iconic in its setting, the harbour forms the focal point of the larger city, even those parts that seem to be nowhere near the centre! And quite rightly too. In a Scandinavian sort of way, the bay, inlets and islands greatly increasing the water frontage available. Also, the ferries make perfect sense as a means of transportation. Fortunately, although the ferry network reduced in size after the uptake of the car, the ferries remain today to allow the passengers to travel relatively stress free, and relatively "green"…..

Sydney is iconic… and it has plenty of them. Not least the Bridge and Sydney Opera House, which are both even more impressive than their reputations makes them to be. The many beaches fronting onto the Pacific Ocean (or is it the Tasman Sea…) are also impressive. Not that I ventured into the sea. That would be mean I would have to have bared my pale English skin, and needed to find a pair of budgie smugglers….

Two questions remain: Why on earth do all souvenir shops in Sydney assume that a visitor would want to buy a pair of Uggs?

and

Sydney or Melbourne?

I can answer the second question this way. Both cities definitely have many positives, and I enjoyed both of them very much. After a few days in both, my observation is that Sydney thinks it is the best city, but Melbourne knows it is.

Some icons...

A quick word about photos

2011-10-31T19:53:00.001Z

My blog posts relating to my recent holiday contain photos taken on my iPhone (3GS) as I did not have the means to process my DSLR photos while on the holiday.

The Red Hot Centre

2011-10-16T03:08:00.001+01:00

Uluru is hot... Uluru is red... Uluru is in the centre. Uluru (the rock and the place) tick all the boxes as advertised.

It really is out in the middle of nowhere, but fascinating all the same.

A special bonus was to be able to view The Milky Way. So many stars in the night sky when away from all the lights. Even though everything that I recognise is upside down. And most stars and planets I don't recognise :)

I'm really glad I came to Uluru. Definitely a pleasure to tick off my bucket list :)

Melbourne - wishing I could stay longer!

2011-10-14T04:19:00.001+01:00

Well, I've moved on from a gorgeous few says in Melbourne. Weather nice and cool (not freezing....), although the sun did make an appearance on our last day, together with lots and lots of white flesh. It is a myth that every Aussie is sun bronzed :)

I was beginning to think that kangaroos were mythical beasts (just like Racoons are...) but finally groups/packs/swarms of them were noted on the side of the road, ready to leap out in front of the unassuming motorist.

Speaking of which, lane discipline on Australian highways is ummmm different. At least from the passengers perspective. Mind you, any driver who has mastered the peculiar manoeuvre, probably unique to Melbourne, called the hook turn, deserves respect. Imaging wanting to make a right turn. Now position the car in the left lane, so you'll be cutting across the traffic lanes. Why unique to Melbourne? Trams. Note for readers in North America and other countries that drive on the wrong side of the road, Australia drives on the left (i.e. correct) side.

Australia in general, but Melbourne in particular is sports mad. Just witness the Melbourne cricket ground (MCG) which also houses the national sports museum and hall of fame. Not just cricket and footy are celebrated, but any sport that Australia excels at (i.e. Most of them...) Even Melbourne museum gets in on the act with a stuffed horse taking centre stage... That would be Phar Lap.

All in all, a delightful stay in Melbourne, which really deserves a longer stay to do it full justice.

And I haven't even mentioned wine tasting in the Yarra Valley, and the Great Ocean Road, which will both get their own posts when time permits.

Random thoughts on Hong Kong

2011-10-07T10:31:00.001+01:00

It will be good when it is finished...

Hotels seem to be built randomly in whatever space becomes available. This leads to some incongruous locations. Next to full service car repair places, in the middle of residential districts. Etc.

Everything new is built high. Very high.

New coexists right next to old
It seems English at times. Then the Chinese aspect kicks in and reminds you it most definitely isn't.

Fook seems to be a common family name ....

I'm reminded a lot of the similarities with Gibraltar buildings clinging onto any nook they can, English spoken here ( but not quite...), roads winding up and down, feeling of pride about the place...

A multi-storey car park. For double decker buses... Then I saw another! So that makes two :)

Constant hubbub and noise yet metres away, peaceful contemplation in city centre parks.

Two days is not nearly enough time to understand HK in full, and I didn't even start to explore over 90% of HK.

I leave Hong Kong with another picture .. Of the former legislative building in the heart of the banking district

A long walk...

2011-10-05T15:14:00.001+01:00

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

In 2002 I moved from Bracknell, in the English home counties, to mid-Devon. In many ways - health, pace and quality of life- this move was for the better.

However, in the past day, I've been reminded of one significant downside of this move. Not for the first time, it has become obvious that Devon is so bloody far away from anywhere!

Today, I'm embarking on the longest journey of my life - to see a small part of Australia and to meet one of my very good friends. Yet before this journey can even start, I had a four qqand a half hour coach journey to Heathrow airport, before even starting the flight to Hong Kong. This is after the following attempts at moderating journeys over the last few years

A set of car keys lost by the hotel entrusted with the car, delaying the journey home by 90 minutes after a 8 hour flight.

A journey from hell in a blizzard following a return home from the Caribbean, that lasted almost as long as the flight.

Journeys tomand from London to meet up with other friends which does detract from those meetings.

The solution to all this? Well ideally much better rural travel options for one. But to be honest I will grin and bear it, until the next time of course...

In a few more hours I'll be in Hong Kong for the first time, before flying on to Melbourne to start our Australia visit. I'm anticipating an hectic stopover for a couple of days.

In the meantime, here's the plane I am on as I write this :)

One day....

2011-09-11T12:00:00.000+01:00

The day was damp and windy, not unusual for late summer in the Far North of Scotland. We had spent the morning driving around Assynt, which has to be done very patiently due to the very narrow, very rough roads.

Before returning to our holiday cottage, my wife wanted to call into the local store in Achiltibuie, what passes as the largest local village, but in reality has a permanent population of less than 100. The store was tiny, so I stayed in the car, and fiddled with the store radio.

Then, at about 1.50 pm while I was still waiting...

"We are getting reports of a small plane crashing into the World Trade Center in New York" came the news report on Radio 5...

I instantly knew, without any further confirmation, or any visual evidence, that this was no small aircraft and was no accident, and remember that I felt all cold, despite the humidity.

A few minutes later, Margaret returned to the car, I told her what had happened and we drove back to the cottage in silence.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in front of the tiny portable television screen, doing the same as many millions of people around the world.

That day, even a tiny corner of Scotland was part of New York......

God of our fathers, known of old—
Lord of our far-flung battle line—
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies—
The Captains and the Kings depart—
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

Far-called our navies melt away—
On dune and headland sinks the fire—
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard—
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard.
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!
Amen.

"Lest We Forget" Rudyard Kipling

Another time....

2011-09-08T19:52:00.000+01:00

The week before, from the Atlantic magazine

National Portrait Gallery: Glamour of the Gods

2011-07-31T22:29:00.001+01:00

I recently visited London, and while there took some time to take in my favourite art gallery there, the National Portrait Gallery. The current main photographic exhibition is "Glamour of the Gods - Hollywood Portraits" photos are from the John Kobal foundation.

As the foundation is based on an archive of photographs of actors, it is hardly surprising that the quality is mainly very good. I say mainly because I felt the images from the 1920's were the weakest of the collection. Some of them were poor quality reproductions, but those that weren't seemed to have variable photographic quality - such as poor focussing.

Louise Brooks, by ER Richee, 1929

The exhibition came into its own when showing portraits from the 1930's onwards. There was a marked improvement in quality, in lighting, and in reproduction. I suppose at this time the studios became serious about publicity photographs, and before the stars themselves became aware of the power of keeping their image to themselves.

Marlene Dietrich By George Hurrell, 1937

All in all, well worth a visit! If you are in London before 23rd October 2011, then try to pop along and enjoy this show and all the other excellent art that the NPG shows.

For more information, see the Glamour of the Gods pages at the NPG web site

Time is only relative

2011-07-13T19:45:00.000+01:00

Yes, I know... way too long has passed since I last wrote. Yet what has changed? Still the same trials in life, only with a few more grey hairs. There have been ups, and downs, but I think, I hope, I know that I have emerged a bit stronger.

One thing that I wish I had learned long ago and remembered though.... getting sunburnt sucks! I was with my pbase friends in Hastings at the weekend, and instead of the normal meetup weather the day was glorious! So stupidly I had no hat, nor any sunblock. It is the middle of July after all. Result, one very red face, two very red arms. And now, lots of peeling skin! Arrrrgh!

Buds

2010-04-05T18:28:00.002+01:00

"When daisies pied, and violets blue,
And lady-smocks all silver-white,
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men, for thus sings he:
“Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo!” O word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear."

Bill, Love's Labour's Lost....

1905

2010-03-08T20:26:00.003Z

1905 days of continuous posting of a picture a day has come to an end.... like most "good" things do

1905 days in which I've stuck to my guns and taken a picture that has been posted in my picture a day galleries - admittedly some not posted on that day due to holidays.

1905 days from December 19th 2004 to yesterday, March 7th 2010.

1905 days I have enjoyed - mostly.

1905 days is over 5 years of continuous posting, and it is about time I deserve a break. Its not the end of me photographically, I'm going to move onto other photography projects, of which more soon!

Day 1

Day 1905

See all my PAD galleries and more at http://www.pbase.com/reddishtiger

So long, but not goodbye!

The Travel Cold....

2010-02-18T20:09:00.002Z

I've been away for far too long but now I hope I can stay here with some commitment!

Travel does help me relax. Oh, let me clarify that - the "being there " helps me relax, but in this day and age the getting there is less relaxing. Whether by car, train or plane, I'd much rather be there, and also get home quickly, then undertake the travelling itself.

Not for the first time I have returned from travelling with a bad cold. This time, two weeks on a cruise ship, followed by a 14 hour flight home, I am not that surprised - I did all the right things, trying to prevent it happening, yet still it has happened. Oh well, I hope to get this out of my system and start afresh next week.

Avoiding the airplane cold

Book Review - Phoenix Squadron

2009-05-17T08:30:00.001+01:00

Phoenix Squadron: HMS Ark Royal, Britain s last Topguns and the untold story of their most dramatic mission by Rowland White

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
First of all, this introduces an era of British Naval (and colonial and military) history of which I was only vaguely aware. Of course, I knew we had a military presence in Belize post-independence, but this book sets this in its historical context.

As a book, I found this to be a bit unfulfilling. It came across more as an eulogy to the passing of the great Royal Navy aircraft carrier fleet, than just the flight to Belize and back. In that way, I found the book to be less satisfactory than Vulcan 607, which did have me on the edge of my seat.

Interesting though.

View all my reviews.

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

2009-05-16T08:51:00.002+01:00

oh wow!

"In this tightly cropped image, the NASA space shuttle Atlantis is seen in silhouette during solar transit, Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from Florida. This image was made before Atlantis and the crew of STS-125 had grappled the Hubble Space Telescope.

The photographer made this image using a solar-filtered Takahashi 5-inch refracting telescope and a Canon 5D Mark II digital camera.

Image Credit: NASA/Thierry Legault"

And yes, the music nerd in me was instantly reminded of this.....

Blowin in the wind

2009-05-06T22:00:00.001+01:00

"How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind."

Bob Dylan

Manufactured Landscapes

2009-04-23T22:20:00.002+01:00

Last night a documentary about Edward Burtynsky was shown on Sky Arts- especially his "Manufactured Landscapes" work. I've been catching up with it this evening (thanks Sky Plus...). I have to say that although the photos are very good, and often very thought provoking as well, they have made me think deeply about what we want out of modern society. Pollution in all its senses - environmental as well as individual - is very prevalent in his work.

But the documentary is far too long. It didn't really know what it was for - a social justice documentary or about the artist. In trying to serve both audiences, my feeling is that it failed to satisfy both.

Here is the trailer for the film....

Book Review - Vulcan 607

2009-04-19T19:39:00.000+01:00

Vulcan 607 by Rowland White

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've known of this raid for years, and also the other raids in the "Black Buck" series. This book brings it all home how such a close run thing it was to make the mission succeed. The book doesn't just concentrate on the Vulcan crew, but many of those involved in the planning of the mission, and also the intimate involvement of the Victor crews.

In a planning sense, the need to build in contingency after contingency is highlighted by the plan unravelling during the flight from Ascension to the Falklands, and the flexibility and bravery of those implementing it in enabling the mission to succeed.

One small point is that, personally, I would have liked to hear more about the subsequent raids, but I understand why the author decided to concentrate on the initial raid - the one that got all the headlines.

Finally, not many books have been for me "unputdownable" over the past few years. This was. Praise indeed!!!

View all my reviews.

Reach Out

2009-03-29T17:52:00.001+01:00

I'll be there....

Hanging Colours

2009-03-18T18:55:00.001Z

Colours captured, hanging on a line
blowing in the wind
drifting past.......

Standing Out From the Crowd

2009-03-14T18:56:00.001Z

....for a friend.....

"Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world."
-- Virgil A. Kraft

F1 Teaser

2009-03-12T22:12:00.005Z

After a break of far too long, F1 Racing (cars, not on ovals!) returns to the BBC at the end of the month.... but why have they made a sub-sweeney trailer?

Oh..... just wait until the last few seconds - for the sound :)))

(link may not be playable outside the UK - sorry, BBC not me!)

dummmm dum de dumm dumm dumm........

All The Worlds A Stage

2009-03-11T18:54:00.001Z

".... And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts..."

William Shakespeare, As You Like It....

Caged

2009-03-10T22:48:00.001Z

trapped
seeking escape
I see it unclearly, far away
and try to reach the outstretched hand I see

getting there......

Permission To Do The Same

2009-03-05T10:38:00.001Z

My CD Cover Meme.....

1 - Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random” or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to “Random quotations”
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.
3 - Take a fresh image to illustrate the album - any image will do, but be creative (the original challenge was to use a random image from flickr, but I was dubious about copyright infringement...)
4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

Palm Grove

2009-03-05T01:46:00.001Z

sometimes it is truly difficult to see the wood through the trees, and at other times there is 20/20 clarity.......

I wish there were more of the latter than the former...

A burst of snowdrops

2009-03-02T07:47:00.001Z

Jetty, Roatán

2009-02-14T10:51:00.001Z

So, there was me, thinking that this ramshackle, ricketty jetty (pier) was looking very picturesque.

What I hadn't fully noticed was how ricketty it actually was, and also slick with rain from a recent shower.

In lining up my photo, I stepped back, and put my left leg through a gap in the planking.

Result: one left leg covered in bumps and scrapes, a sore bum from where I fell backwards, and a badly bruised ego....

be careful out there!

Unpresidential Language

2009-02-09T21:07:00.007Z

I subscribe in Google Reader to the whitehouse.gov rss feed. I saw this story earlier....

which I thought wasn't quite the most respectful way of putting it....

A few hours later, the same story was reposted as

and the first link is 404'd!

Empowerment

2009-01-20T21:27:00.003Z

Country Life

2009-01-17T20:04:00.002Z

Dartmoor ponies braving the wind

Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion

2009-01-16T08:53:00.004Z

The other evening, while multiplexing through the channels between programmes, I discovered one of those hidden gems (at least to me) that are tucked away on BBC4.

I do think that this sort of format could be easly adapted to other genres.

The fashion photographer Rankin was recreating what, in his opinion, were definitive fashion photographs from each decade since the 30's. Now, I had always understood Rankin to be a punk-like, gruff personality but he came over as quite eloquent, not to say passionate, about the task in hand.

Highlights included

recreating a David Bailey image with DB in attendance and heckling - an example being "I was better looking than you are, you need makeup, Rankin"
Rankin and his assistants struggling to remember what to do with "film" - I was convinced that a camera was going to be dropped at one stage!
nude photography on the backstreets of Paris - a la Helmut Newton.....

oh.... and something for the ladies....

now, what was that about a spare tyre???

A link to the BBC page about the programme.... this may only work in the UK

Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion

Watching Me, Watching You....

2009-01-13T21:49:00.001Z

Death masks from Borneo.....

Alien Entry

2009-01-12T21:55:00.002Z

On the day that ESTA has been introduced as a mandatory requirement for visitors to the USA from countries that are part of the visa waiver scheme, there has been the predictable outcry from the media and some UK politicians that seem to have missed the news about this over the past many months.

All I can say is that the scheme itself is a doddle to use, I just wish that I didn't have to use the green form that is thrown at you to fill in on arrival, as the questions are identical.... The proof of the pudding will be seen by me next week....

And whatever Moral Torpitude is - I haven't done it!

Earthrise

2009-01-10T16:18:00.003Z

Possibly one of the most famous photographs ever was processed 40 years ago......

NASA image

Read an account of the image here. Of particular interest to me, today, is the account of the Kodak employees entrusted with the film (see the second half of the article).

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/forty-years-since-the-first-picture-of-earth-from-space-1297569.html

Stuck together

2009-01-08T07:37:00.002Z

Today is

National English Toffee Day

watch out for getting your teeth stuck together! or worse, pulling crowns out!

Frozen In Place....

2009-01-07T22:07:00.001Z

Be careful when touching bare metal with your bare hands...... it is a long time since I have seen ice like this in southern England. This is what happens after a few days with the temperature below freezing.

Images are now being blogged from flickr - after a few hiccups with clashing templates.....

Let there be light!

2009-01-06T23:23:00.002Z

Snow? no! Sand!!!

2009-01-05T23:25:00.004Z

Drying tonight

2009-01-04T22:42:00.001Z

Racetrack

2009-01-03T22:24:00.000Z

Collision Course

2009-01-02T21:15:00.000Z

Being resolute....

2009-01-01T16:02:00.004Z

Feel better about myself

Enjoy life

Lose some weight - today doesn't count does it? :)

Take more and more, and better and better photos!

and just maybe blog a lot lot more!!!!

Gingerfest

2008-09-04T19:41:00.002+01:00

As a redhead myself, I am so pleased to see an exhibition devoted to this aspect of beauty! This has been put together by the photographer David Rann.

For a gallery see here, http://www.davidrann.com/melanocortin-1/

For details of the exhibition see here, http://www.davidrann.com/gingerfest!/

First seen on BBC news.

Relay Cover-Up

2008-08-22T22:52:00.003+01:00

Ok, the baton dropping farce has been entertaining over the last couple of days, but why did the BBC feel the need to retape the commentary for the womens 4x100m relay today? Stuart Storey sort of lost the plot when all the batons were going flying, yet when the race was rebroadcast this evening - it all sounded normal-ish....

The original commentary is here (UK only) GB women blunder in 4x100m relay

Sour Grapes?

2008-08-21T21:11:00.003+01:00

Oh how I have laughed.....

Talk about a flag of convenience

:)

Locked Out

2008-08-20T16:15:00.004+01:00

Ever since I upgraded to Lightroom 2, I have been mystified by an issue that became apparent when exporting an image - for instance for my pbase galleries. Namely, that some, but not all, keywords were missing for the export.

Today I found a solution. OK, it works, but reading between the lines this issue has been known about since the LR2 beta was running, yet wasn't corrected in the release version! And.... I think it needs to be run whenever a LR1 catalog is imported, as I will have to do soon.....

The Human Element

2008-08-16T17:55:00.002+01:00

Often, what is needed in a photograph is a sense of proportion - and of humanity

Summertime Blues

2008-08-14T15:04:00.003+01:00

Once a year, on the second Thursday in August - that is as middle of the summer as can be - the Okehampton Show is held. This year, for the second year running, it has been called off because the ground is waterlogged. Not the fault of the show organisers, but it is so frustrating that this excellent, old-style, rural event is called off again.

Oh well, maybe next year there will be some pretty animals again!

Black and White

2008-08-13T19:46:00.002+01:00

windswept... but not drenched today....

2008-08-12T21:18:00.000+01:00

Under starters orders

2008-05-04T17:23:00.004+01:00

How do you start a duck race? Well it is a difficult job involving a dustbin and men (or boys) with sticks......

Under Control

2008-04-26T15:38:00.001+01:00

Car control has changed a bit over the years.....

England Is.....

2008-04-23T10:35:00.003+01:00

for God, Harry and St George?

Or something more spiritual than that?

23rd April, St Georges Day, and coincidentally William Shakspeares birthday.

(Ok, not the best quality, as it is a small area crop, but I like the juxtaposition!)

Welcoming the Pope

2008-04-20T20:01:00.000+01:00

What can I say but..... wow!

Health

2008-03-28T20:18:00.003Z

Apologies for not posting in a while, its been a strange old year so far! The catalog of problems so far are....

I fell over badly bruising my hip
I caught a bad virus, and being prone to post viral fatigue, am having trouble recovering!
I'm trying to address a long standing sleeping problem.

Last night I spent the night (fortunately in my own bed) being monitored in all sorts of ways! Results are due shortly.....

One Hand Clapping

2007-11-14T09:58:00.000Z

I've been silent for wayyyyyyyyy too long. Anyway, I've decided I'm back again. My picture a day project is still going strong, but I am always looking around for new ideas. I stumbled across this yesterday...

365 Portraits

I think, perhaps, that as a non-people photographer I may have to work up to this idea! But then, I have been trying...

Quote of the week

2007-07-12T09:33:00.001+01:00

"When all is said and done, there's nothing left to do or say"

The following is from "What the Duck"

Blast from the Past

2007-07-07T15:34:00.000+01:00

Remember these?

Careful you don't spill!!

Candy Coated

2007-06-29T21:19:00.000+01:00

As seen on Bobbi+Mike , perhaps this is the real me?

Do yourself at http://www.becomeanmm.com/

Cuba

2007-05-28T20:24:00.000+01:00

Ok, I admit I have been blog-shy of late, but I arrived back from a holiday in Cuba today. Over the next few days I will be wading through the images I took, and posting some here.

I've also one or two observations to make :)

Photography in Words

2007-04-27T21:08:00.000+01:00

I notice in "Black and White Photography" that Permajet are running a series of banner advertisements featuring quotations. The ones used this month are

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs" Ansel Adams

"Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; Photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure" Tony Benn

"The hardest thing in photography is to create a simple image" Anne Geddes

So true, all of them. Especially the first, as it is on my business card!

Jo and Jane

2007-04-26T21:42:00.000+01:00

Joanne is my hairdresser, together with her sister, Jane, they own their own salon here in Okehampton. Try it, they are both very good and professional!

Oh, and Jane just happens to be my neighbour!

This evening, I shot a portrait session at their salon. We all agreed the available light portraits worked best.

Jo and Jane

Jo

Jane

Acceptances - WCPF Annual Exhibition

2007-04-22T21:35:00.000+01:00

Before even attending the seminar yesterday, these images were recently accepted into the WCPF Annual Exhibition, which will be held at Shire Hall, Bodmin from 14th to 26th May 2007.

The Gallop (Ribbon Award winner)

Leading the way home

Exhibition Day

2007-04-21T22:41:00.000+01:00

I've spent the day at a photography seminar run by the Western Counties Photographic Federation (WCPF), which was targeted at getting images accepted into exhibitions, but actually was aimed at improving photographs in general!

A fun day, and yes held at a rugby club... North Tawton.

John Tilsley (WCPF past president) explaining the subtlties of an exhibition quality image to a couple of attendees

Thoughts on "Pearls Before Breakfast"

2007-04-09T15:21:00.000+01:00

Mike Johnson over at TOP has produced a very thoughtful follow up to the experiment that the previous entry discussed. One argument being that approximately 3% notice rate is actually quite good! Many of his commenters noted that there was a similarity between this experiment and his notorious "Great Photographers on the Internet" post.

My personal comments, in no particular order are

Do need Art, or any other form of entertainment, to be in context for it to be truly appreciated? What if the Mona Lisa were graffiti? Would it then be treated with the same reverence that it is?
Is Art entertainment? Should the presentation change depending on the circumstances in which it is presented? Would Joshua Bell have been better off playing in a Clown costume for example?
Is there an element of "Emperor's new clothes" syndrome? Because the artist is "good" then we should always notice that artist? Or is it more important that our perception and appreciation of the artist is personal and shouldn't be governed by what other members of society dictate?

These sort of things could keep me awake at night!

Pearls Before Breakfast

2007-04-08T20:27:00.000+01:00

I first read this on The Online Photographer today, but thought it was so noteworthy I am posting the link...

Pearls Before Breakfast

I will take notice when I pass buskers from now on...

Lost Appetite

2007-04-07T21:17:00.000+01:00

errrmmm I will just have some bottled water please...

Beijing's penis emporium

0001

2007-04-07T18:24:00.000+01:00

Okehampton, Devon

Of course, I should have chosen a more interesting image for my first pic with my D200!

Old, Blue and New

2007-04-04T17:00:00.000+01:00

Meldon, Devon

Rosemoor

2007-03-30T13:21:00.000+01:00

Frittillary
Rosemoor, Devon

Hanging Teazles
Rosemoor, Devon

You know you are a photographer if...

2007-03-22T19:15:00.001Z

oh dear, so many of these are true.... Margaret (my wife) has been nodding sagely to them...

You're a Photographer if....

What Not To Do

2007-03-22T11:11:00.000Z

Some ideas for things to do with your camera. Or Not. Perhaps

How far can you run in two seconds? It helps if you are Dutch I think...
Running from Camera

Camera Tossing - warning, could invalidate your insurance, sanity or whatever...
Camera Toss

Nautical

2007-03-18T13:21:00.000Z

Clovelly, Devon

Hartland Point, Devon

Ruling the Roost

2007-03-15T13:49:00.000Z

Bondleigh, Devon

Cloisters and Shadow

2007-03-12T21:03:00.000Z

Norwich, Norfolk

Signage

2007-03-11T20:09:00.000Z

Abbeyford, Devon

SP Day

2007-03-09T20:15:00.000Z

A Camera for a friend

2007-03-07T19:08:00.000Z

I mentioned on the 26th February that a friend of mine was looking for a new camera. Well, she decided on a Pentax K10D. Having handled it it feels superb! She got the kit lens with it, and also the 55-200 which feels sooo light I had to double check that it was indeed a 55-200!

At times like this I wonder why I sold all my Pentax film gear 6 years ago!

Springtime

2007-03-06T19:18:00.000Z

Okehampton, Devon

This year there has been signs of growth for a few weeks, since the middle of January it has been so mild, but now, lots of the trees and shrubs are beginning to bud. I am so relieved!

Lunar Eclipse

2007-03-03T23:25:00.000Z

View from my house, Okehampton Devon, just after totality

Food as Medicine

2007-03-01T22:20:00.000Z

We went out for a meal tonight, to The Pickled Walnut in Okehampton. I think I may have discovered a cure for my cold - the Quesadilla was loaded with Chilli! My nose is now suspiciously clear!

I'll see how I sleep!

Egypt

2007-02-28T19:37:00.000Z

I have been to Egypt twice. Yes, as a tourist, but I have covered a significant amount of the country. It is an assault on all the senses. I love it! Favourite locations, in no particular order:

Abu Simbel - yes, it has been relocated due to the flooding of Lake Nasser, but the sheer scale of the work involved is awesome... Remember that all this work is thousands of years old.
Temple of Abydos - Off the beaten track, simply stupendous in its scale and lighting
Great Pyramids of Giza - not overrated at all. The site is so vast that it is possible to become lost away from the tourist-trap parts of the area. Take your time and drink the history in.
Any of the lesser Pyramids! - The area along the Nile between Cairo and Luxor is not part of the normal tourist trail. However, there are about 100 pyramids scattered across the desert, that were built before the Giza pyramids and vary in design and size
Floating above the West Bank at Luxor in a Balloon
Mt Sinai - an exhausting slog before dawn but so atmospheric
Red Sea at Ras Mohamed - Awesome coral reefs and marine life, learn to snorkel!
Drifting down the Nile, sipping tea and taking the country in. The Nile is Egypt

Church Candid

2007-02-27T14:49:00.000Z

Norwich, Norfolk

Monday Stuff

2007-02-26T19:02:00.001Z

I am full of a cold still - very sore throat and lots of coughing and spluttering - I really will spare you all the gory details. The damp winter we are having doesn't really help me either - sometimes I wish it would either be very cold, or we could leap straight to errr say June straightaway. That is, weatherwise, I am not wishing my life away!

I am currently discussing with a friend of mine buying options for a DSLR. I have to say the choice is much of a muchness for someone who isn't bound to any particular system. I know everyone has their favourites, but there really isn't much to distinguish one model from another. I think it will really come down to a "in the hand" test.

Congratulations to Helen Mirren - a long overdue Oscar won!

Holsworthy Window Shopping

2007-02-25T17:55:00.000Z

Holsworthy, Devon

A good night out...?

2007-02-24T18:50:00.000Z

Okehampton, Devon

Recovery

2007-02-24T14:32:00.000Z

Okehampton, Devon

Catchup Mode

2007-02-24T14:30:00.000Z

Last weekend I went up to London to meet up with a load of wonderful friends from the Pbase community... eat drink and be merry for all! Saturday was spent in Camden Town and Sunday covering the Chinese New year celebrations. Memo to self, take a longer lens next time!

See here for my photos from the weekend.

However since then I have been struggling with a huge dose of man-flu.... coughing and spluttering and oh I will spare you the details! I'm getting a bit down about it because I can't get out much at the moment, without sneezing all over the place...

Self Portrait

2007-02-21T19:10:00.000Z

Welllllll I think the likeness is uncanny!

Bought to you by http://www.sp-studio.de/

Rain

2007-02-13T17:06:00.000Z

It is meant to be traditional for us English to moan about the rain, especially here is wet Devon. However, having spent two weeks soaked to the skin some years ago in Costa Rica, then following it up a couple of years later by another two weeks going mouldy in Borneo, I can assure you that we have nothing! Even on the greyest of days, the weather is moist, not wet, in comparison.

Lambing

2007-02-11T19:31:00.000Z

Bondleigh, Devon

Devon

2007-02-11T19:23:00.000Z

Devon can be very wet - this I admit. But it can be so beautiful as well, very green too! It isn't all Ponies and Clottled Cream, nice that they are, but the size of the county makes for incredibly diverse landscape and industry. The pace of life is slower than the south east of England, something for which I am so grateful for.

Meldon Viaduct

2007-02-10T16:53:00.000Z

Meldon, Devon

Remember...

2007-02-09T15:52:00.000Z

Paul Young? Singer in the 1980's?

Well, he is hanging around with a few of his mates in a band called Los Pacaminos and are appearing in Tavistock tonight.... I plan to have fun :)

Tequila anyone?

Songs of Praise

2007-02-08T13:20:00.000Z

Sourton Church, Devon

Postings

2007-02-08T13:07:00.000Z

I don't think I ducked early enough before I was annointed as the webmaster for Okehampton Camera Club. My thoughts when I took this on, were that many such websites are not visual enough - by that I mean the photos are a poor second. As a showcase for the camera club, and to attract new members, I constantly try to update, especially with images. Of course I may not succeed! Today I've managed to complete a gallery for the winners in our last competition...

Now all I need to do is remember to make sure that people can find it!!