Another 'Boys' Post .... Boys Toys

I'm heading quickly towards one of those milestone birthdays that includes a zero, in my case preceded by five ... yes, the big Five-Oh. Hard to believe given my youthful looks!! Anyway, my beloved has offered to splash out on a radio controlled aircraft, something I've wanted since I was a lad, but never got around to. So I popped down to my local club to get the lowdown on starting this new hobby, but of course I took my camera along ....

Look out for .... Jade Ferreira Jewellery

A quick turnround on these images as they're for a client!  Jade Ferreira is a young, up and coming craftsman (or should that be craftswoman?!) who hand makes unique and unusual pieces of jewellery.  She needed some unusual and dramatic pictures of her work for a portfolio and to send to a top jeweller in London - so she turned to me ...

Ed Verosky's 'About Photography' Podcast ... With Yours Truly!

Yes - Me!  On a Podcast!  Well I never !!  I was delighted to be asked to participate on a podcast with Ed Verosky, a professional photographer based in New York City who writes eBooks on photography as well as his Blog and Podcasts.  And this despite me having a moan at him ...!!

From my Library .... Santa Pod Drag Racing

As a lifetime fan of motorsport it was a real omission that I had never been to a top-flight Drag Racing event - until last year!  I toddled off down to Santa Pod last September for the 'FIA European Drag Racing Championships Finals', and what a fantastic day it was!

The Old and the New - Manchester Photography Walk

To buck the trend of recent posts, this one is bang up to date! Yesterday I went for a wander round Manchester on an organised photographic walk. And it was a real mixture, from the new chic canal-side apartments to the derelict factories of a bye-gone era. But this gave some fantastic opportunities to show the juxtaposition of old and new ....

What Value Copyright .... ??

I've just been having an exchange of messages with other users in the 'Talk Photography' forum over the real value of copyright when it comes to photographers and their images.  And I have to say that as a result my views have changed!  Will I be doing things differently now?  In my personal work probably not, but in my business life, maybe!

I don't mean to be controversial, but ....

Is the London Art Scene so far up its own backside as it appears to be?!  First we had the Turner Prize, so-called contemporary art depicting, well, anything BUT art in some cases!  Now the National Portrait Gallery is getting in on the act with a double whammy on the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize!  Is there no such thing as bad publicity …??

Lens Comparison: Canon 100-400mm Vs Sigma 150-500mm

I've recently bought myself a new lens, the Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM, to use instead of my trusty Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 DG APO OS HSM.  I love the Sigma lens, so why the desire to change ...??

Wishing Robert Kubica a Speedy and Full Recovery ... a personal perspective

Like most F1 and motorsport fans I was saddened to read of the horrific crash suffered by Robert Kubica on the Ronde di Andora rally on Sunday morning.  Progress reports give cause for optimism but you have to wonder, given the extent of the injuries reported, if he will be able to get back into F1.  I do hope so.

From my Library .... Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

Well, it's raining again! After a beautiful sunny day yesterday, today we're back to another grey day.

Is it me or is winter just dragging on ...

and on .... ?

Arrested for Sitting by a River!!

Well, not arrested exactly.  In fact not even close!  But, there I was, quietly sitting by the river, sipping my cup of tea, when two West Midland Police CSOs deemed it necessary to enquire as to the nature of my activities!

Let me point you to an interesting article ....

"The iPad, One Year On" although, to quote the article, I'd have prefered to have called it "The iPad - the great love/hate device where both sides are equally right"!  Anyone who read my post 'iPad - big iPhone or small Laptop?' will understand when I say ..  

Marmite!

The Spirit of Great Britain ... One of a Kind

  

I visited a childhood hero today!  The Avro Vulcan V-Bomber

 

Watching The Sun Rise .... Portland Bill, Dorset

Although the circumstances of our recent trip to Dorset was not what you would wish for (funeral of a close and much loved Uncle on my wife's side of the family), staying overnight and being a natural early riser gave me the opportunity to head down from Dorchester to Portland Bill to watch the sun rise.

From my Library .... 1959 Vauxhall PA Velox

One of the benefits of working at Millbrook is that now and then I have the chance to get involved in some pretty interesting stuff! Most of it I can't talk about, but on this occasion ....

Awesome Pictures

Every now and then you come across a picture that quite simply takes your breath away!  Today this happened to me with a picture from The Guardian Eyewitness app (one of my 'must have' apps - see my previous post).

Addictive Fashion Spezial

Something a bit different - I had a few minutes to spare during a recent business trip to Mainz in Germany - just outside the hotel was a building site where a number of posters had been put up on the fencing and adjacent walls - I quite liked the imagery but would you call it art?

Yet Another 'Must Have' iPad Apps Selection

OK so this is a very personal view on the 'must have' apps for the iPad, but these are the ones I really wouldn't want to be without anymore.  So, in no particular order ....

From my Library .... My first 'pap' shot?

Overall Race Winner IDEC

I am sailing - NOT!  Now don't get me wrong - I don't have any problem at all with anyone who wants to play with sticks and rags and zig zag in peacetime!  But give me a big outboard motor any day of the week (and twice at the weekend!).

From my Library .... James Hunt's Hesketh 308

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge Formula One fan, although these days truly an armchair enthusiast.  But it wasn't always so!