Guernsey Salon of Photography

Some good news - for me anyway - arrived today in the mail today, in the form of a CD from the Guernsey Salon of Photography. One of my images had been accepted for the 2009 Salon,  and the CD contained the results and acceptances for this Salon. My image is "Richmond Park in Winter", which (at the time of posting) is up on the banner to this blog. It's also in my FLICKR photostream - you can click on the link to my photostream in this blog - the image is a few pages in, and its called "Richmond Park in Winter #1" there. The CD also contained a slideshow of the accepted images and mine included also !

Fourth Plinth, continued ....

Passed through Trafalgar Square the other day for the first time since the "One and Other" project on the Fourth Plinth had closed (in mid October). I had heard that a new statue was in place there and I was curious to see it.

A new statue has indeed been placed there - of Sir Keith Park, a World War 2 RAF hero. It's larger than life size, made from fibreglass and should be in place for 6 months (until next April ? It was unveiled early November 2009). It has had some mixed reviews, but then so did the previous project, One and Other, and so will, probably, the next, whatever that will be.

The green coloured One and Other production studio (along with the 2 bright yellow cherry picker type vehicles) have also long since been removed from the Square, giving it back some space.

Points of View

Spent this afternoon at the "Points of View - Capturing the 19th Century in Photographs" in the British Library near St Pancras Station in London. The exhibition covers the early years of photography drawing from the Library's collections. Hardly surprising (and rightly so) that Fox Talbot features heavily.

The exhibits finish in the 1st decade of the last century, catching up to Kodak's box camera et al, so colour photography is still some way off, never mind digital.
Quite a few cameras as well as photographs are on display and compared to today's offerings the cameras look big, bulky and heavy. Coupled with long exposure times its aamazing that the photographers achieved the results they did. I liked the display on the cartes de visite - this were very popular in the mid 1800's.

The exhibition runs until March 7th, 2010, and is well worth a visit. Better yet it is free.

Enchanted Wood, part 2

Another visit to Syon Park, over the weekend to photograph the Enchanted Wood. Not so windy this time, which was better - when you've got the camera on a tripod with the shutter speed in seconds the wind can play havoc with whats left of the leaves, branches ..... This time, a couple of misters were on close to some trees, and the lack of wind made them effective as subjects . So I managed to get a few shots, some of which you can see below.

                                                                  

Two quite different pictures. Whilst they are not the best pictures I've ever taken, I'm reasonably happy with them. I've not done any manipulation on them yet, time enough during the coming winter to do that.

Enchanted Wood

Nothing of note to post this week except a visit to a windy Syon Park to visit the Enchanted Wood. Here are a selection of some photos from that visit ....

St Paul's

Spent a very pleasant, if chilly, time in Central London a few evenings ago. Took my tripod in, thought I'd try to capture St Pauls at night time - from across the Thames. Good location - outside Tate Modern. Made a few exposures - and attach one I liked here. I'll have to analyse this one (and the others from that evening) in more detail soon - I was varying the shutter speeds, f-stops and colour balance in order to achieve different results. That is one advantage (some may say only but thats another matter) of digital photography - tha camera automatically records the technical details of each shot, for subsequent analytical use - you dont have to write down copious notes at the time....



Here's a similar photo of St Paul's for comparison, taken from almost the same position, across the river from outside the Tate Modern - but this one was taken in daylight. Quite a difference ?

Fashion Show

Had a different but interesting Saturday last - I was asked to attend a Fashion Show and take photos of the event. I'd never been to a fashion show before, never mind photograph it.

Photographically, the lighting was was patchy on the cat walk, with the best light at either end. Given crowds milling around - punters as well as others taking photos - using a tripod was not an option. Tried using flash (an accessory on the camera hot shoe with adjustable head, not the built in rubbish) - but obtained poor results.
So had to revert to using the camera hand held.



Managed to get some pictures as the attached show. I've got plenty more, many of which may be described as "too soft". Not sure if they show the clothes off to their best advantage - presumably the purpose of the show. I guess some more experience at events such as these will improve my efforts.

lac d'Annecy

lac d'Annecy
Originally uploaded by Tawny042

Here is another photo, posted to my photostream some time ago - Oct 2005 - which has been achieving recent views (during the last week or so) in Flickr. Cant think why. I can understand another of my photos - "At Salem" - again uploaded to Flickr a while ago - getting recent hits - after all the subject matter is Halloween which is just around the corner, but a photo of boats on Lac d'Annecy ? As always, I'm sure there is a good reason. Annecy is candidate for a future Winter Olympic games perhaps ? Perhaps not, but as long as the hits keep on coming .....

3 Exhibitions and Some Footie

Busy weekend just gone - 3 photographic exhibitions to visit and a footie game to enjoy.

Visited the 1st Exhibition, "A Double Take on Photography" in the Garden Gallery within the marvellous surroundings of Osterley House, west London - to view Black & White and Infra Red photos. If you didn't make this exhibition, visit the web pages of the two exhibitors,

http://www.alanabercrombieimages.co.uk

and

http://www.phildrakephotography.co.uk

The 2nd Exhibition was the Jane Bown:Exposures 100 Portraits at the King's Place Gallery, York Way in central London and almost exclusively black & white pictures of the famous. Liked the photos from the sixties. How times changes, strange to see people allowing themselves to be photographed whilst smoking. Most of these photographs would have been taken on film, and this shows in the quality of the prints.

Exhibition #3 was London Independent Photography's 21st Annual Exhibition at the Cotton Centre in Tooley Street, again in central London, near to London Bridge, where there were both colour and black & white panels on display.

All three exhibitions are worth a visit - and even better in these recessionary times - free entry.

The weekend finished with a visit to Upton Park to see Arsenal throw away a half time 2- 0 lead and let West Ham score twice to earn a well deserved draw. Had seats in the Bobby Moore stand - behind the goal - and for once all the goals were at this end - in front of us - rather than the other end. Four goals, one penalty and a red card, an exiting match. Can't complain about that for entertainment. And even better news - THAT team from Manchester lost.

Spend a little time (probably would have been more if the activities on the pitch weren't so entertaining) watching the professional photographers in their goal line enclosure. Looks like they're all into digital cameras these days. There were 4 still cameras on small tripods placed behind the goal net during the 1st half - all on automatic exposure and wifi upload? All 4 should have had excellent views of both Arsenal goals during the 1st half. Only 1 remained in place for the second half. I wonder if they made it up the other goal? If so they missed 2 wonderful West Ham goals.

Halloween

My photo "At Salem" referred to in a previous post has had a few more hits in Flickr. Given Halloween is vast approaching I expect it will get a few more in the next few weeks. I've visited the Boston area many times over the years during Autumn (or the "Fall" as the locals call it) and so far find it my favourite part of the US especially at this time of year. You can take a chance with the weather - but while some days can be miserable, when the sun comes out it is glorious.

Anyway here are some more of my photos taken in Salem one October 31st a year or so ago. On looking at them again, I'd like return there and take some better ones.







I'm always amused at the differences between countries. Here in London, Halloween could quite easily pass you by - not exactly unnoticed but its not such a big deal. Over in the States - in Massachusetts at least - at this time of year its in your face, the stores are full of Halloween candy and costumes, the kids go trick or treating big time ....

Fouth Plinth

I see the One and Other/Fourth Plinth art project - where 2400 participants each spent an hour alone on the otherwise empty 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square - came to a close this morning. It first came to my attention back in July shortly after it began, when I was passing through the Square on my way somewhere else. The participant at the time didn't interest me - he was merely pacing up and down. What was more interesting then was the change-over - the new participant was driven up in a platform on a cherry-picker, lifted up to the plinth, change-over occurs and then the previous one driven away.

Since then I've made a point of passing through Trafalgar Square when in central London - around the time of the change over (usually on the hour) - to photograph it. And I've built up a small collection of photos, from which I'm posting a short sequence ....













From what I've seen, an eclectic mix of people on the plinth - some eccentric, some interesting, some boring, others forgettable. But Trafalgar Square will seem a little emptier to me now that the project is over. I guess the plinth will be used for something else ?

At Salem

At Salem
Originally uploaded by Tawny042

I was looking through my photostream on Flickr yesterday, only to notice that this picture - taken and posted some time ago - had registered another viewing - the first for a little while. How time flies, it is October already, Halloween is a couple of weeks away and beyond that Christmas, New Year and winter.

Looking at the picture, my caption (October 31st, Salem, Mass ...) and title ("At Salem") reminded me of several memorable vacations spent in Massachusetts at this time of year. The Fall colours are stunning and well worth visiting the area for this reason alone - and there are many other reasons.

Anyways - back to the picture - taken on Halloween in the town of Salem, of witch burning fame. Salem is just north of Boston, on the Atlantic coast.If you haven't got a car you can take a train from North Station in Boston - Salem in on the commuter line out to Rockport - on its way to Salem the train stops at Chelsea, and after that it continues to Manchester and then Gloucester - familiar names to a UK resident.

Salem seems to base its tourist industry on the fame (infamy ?) - with witch museums and so on (tacky for some) - but when I was there a year or so ago on October 31st, it seemed like a movie set with people moving around the streets dressed up in costumes and having some fun - and this was still in daylight.

Local Newspaper

I had some good news on Friday last (18/09/09) - a local newspaper published one of my photographs, a sunset view of the Thames at Richmond, taken near Twickenham Bridge. This is the picture -



The picture was cropped slightly top and bottom for publication, but otherwise shows up fairly well, and I'm pleased to see it.

You'll find it in the paper version of the Richmond and Twickenham Times on page 21.

Night Carnival

Sunday turned out windy, cool, overcast, dull and with no interesting light at all. So decided to pass on the daytime events and head straight for the Night Carnival. This was to begin around dusk, along the Victoria Embankment so overcast conditions were not an issue. The Night Carnival was colourful and spectacular, I recognised a few participants from Notting Hill a few weeks back (tonight's Night Carnival was much quieter !) Took some photos using flash (using monopod for some), but don't think the results did the Carnival justice. Shame. Next time ?

Thames Festival

Had a good day yesterday at the Thames festival in central London. A sunny day with warm sunshine and many activities to photograph. Arrived in Waterloo in good humour on the train only to loose it as the Underground decided to have a signal failure on the Jubilee line then and suspend it from Waterloo to London Bridge - I had planned to take the tube to London Bridge and then walk back (upstream) towards the South Bank Centre.

Anyways the good humour did return later on at the Festival. Made it as far as Southwark Bridge which had many stalls selling exotic food and drink, long tables and chairs decked out ...... and the Mariachi performers (there were only 3 when I was there, is this too small to be a mariachi band ?)



They brought back many (good) memories of my trip to Mexico - last time I heard that type of music I was actually there - and that was in 1996. How time flies.

The Fire Garden outside the Tate Modern was spectacular, but as I hadn't brought my tripod (it weighs kilos and far too heavy to drag around a crowed event such as this) or a mono pod, haven't managed to take any half decent photos. Think I'll return this evening for the Night Carnival and Fireworks - with mono pod.

More from Carnival

Its now 2 days after Carnival, my ears have finally stopped ringing and my hearing is back to normal. What the pictures below may show is something of the colour and party atmosphere of the Carnival - but they fail miserably to show are the sounds and smells of the event.






My memories of August Bank Holiday Monday last in Notting Hill include the aromas of bar-b-queuing food, many decibels from the sound systems and colour.

Carnival Time

Went to the Carnival in Notting Hill at the weekend for the first time in years. I'm not really into the music and there's an awful lot of people crowded around some narrow streets, so after visiting it after I first moved to London in 1985 I tended to ignore the event. But somewhat unexpectedly I enjoyed it this time. I'll post some images taken over the 2 days here in due course.... Anyways on my way home on Sunday evening whilst checking what pictures I'd taken during the day, two passing gentlemen asked me to take their photo.

"What for ?" I asked.

"Because we're happy" they replied.

Not wanting to get into an argument I obliged.

Here is the result -



Though I say so myself, not a bad portrait.

lac d'Annecy

lac d'Annecy
Originally uploaded by Tawny042

I'm posting this entry from my Flickr photostream. This image, of sail boats being towed across Lac d'Annecy in France, has "achieved" 24 viewings, 1 favourite and 17 comments so far today at the time of writing. Not my most popular or interesting image ever (my Richmond Park in Winter used in this Photoblog banner has had more attention) nor is it the most popular in Flickr, but it is good to see some of my images being noticed.

Some very old Photographic efforts of mine

In the "olden" days I used to take mainly black & white, on film. The following two images are some examples. The Singer was photographed in Dublin and Fishing picture was taken in Amsterdam.








I'm more up to date now having converted to digital. I certainly don't miss spending time in a Darkroom except for that brief moment, when, after working the enlarger, putting the exposed sheet of paper into the developer and watching the image appear. Magical ! But perhaps not so magical when the safe light was switched off in favour of the ordinary light. But thankfully pungent chemicals are a thing of the past (hopefully !)

Photo Essay , another addition

I hadn't been looking for another solo mobile phone user to add to this photo essay sequence - a group of people on the phone definitely, but not a single person. Anyways I was passing through Trafalgar Square from another One and Other 4th plinth change over and this gentleman was kind enough to stop his scooter and lift out his phone.
Perhaps these scooters may be personal modern technology also ?
Initially I wonders if he was going to make a call without taking his helmet off - a la scene in the movie "the Day of Jackal" - but this is a mobile phone - you can text on it helmet or no helmet.

Photo Essay - an additional image ?

Walked through Trafalgar Square this morning and took this image. Is a megaphone personal modern technology? If so then perhaps I have an addition to my Photo Essay sequence. I liked the isolation of the speaker, hiding behind the megaphone and yet no one paying any attention.

Photo Essay - selection, part 2

Selection of images for the photo essay project was made on Thursday last - see my earlier post. Interesting discussion with the others on the course on what to include and leave out. Am just wondering whether to show some examples of the "rejects" here. There are several images which I'd like to add to the final sequence (as shown in the previous post) - for example a group of people on mobiles all together, perhaps another mobile user standing outside a public phone box, and certainly a pc/laptop user. I'll look out for these in the next couple of weeks and complete the sequence.

Photo Essay - selection