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.