Gordon & Melanie's move

Yesterday and today I am helping Gordon and Melanie with their move. I just couldn't resist making a small 4 image panorama of Gordon in action. Good weather again today, so perfect for the job in hand. Looking forward to a fluid celebration when all is completed this evening!

Pieces of eight?

Almost every day that I am out and about, somebody asks me for directions, and I nearly always know the answer, even in a strange place. It's spooky! Yesterday an elderly man approached me, asking for directions to a place off Walnut Tree Close in Guildford. His intented destination was in view, so easily pointed out. He left with thanks, and I smiled to myself as I crossed the road. As I did so, another man approached, asking for directions to an electrical wholesaler. I knew the one he was looking for had moved, and gave him new directions.....hold on a moment.....was that a parrot on his shoulder? Mind if I take a photo? Sure help yourself! The parrot was saved from a rescue centre, and my new aquaintance told me he was a parrot whisperer. I nodded, to conceal my ignorance on such matters, as the parrot started squawking happily, and VERY loudly. Resisting the tempation to allow it to snip off my fingers, I hurridly snapped some shots, and we went on our separate ways.

The parrot was unrestrained, and sat very knowingly on his saviours perch. A strange encounter indeed!

Brighton Pier

Had a lovely day in Brighton with Anna on Wednesday. Weather was glorious, but I wasn't really in the mood for taking lots of photos for some strange reason. This panorama is made up of 5-6 images. The advantages of digital for tackling wide subjects is demonstrated here. Pity about the fences on the left hand side, I should have moved further to the right, but realise that being that picky about things is best left to when I am on my own!

Now the clocks have sprung forward an hour, I am looking forward to more evening shots with reasonable light at last.

Hartlepool

Went on a trip recently overnight to Hartlepool, and just had time for an early morning stroll around the Old Quay area. I did my Industrial Design degree in Middlesborough in the late 1970's, and I am not sure I got to Hartlepool then. The North East has suffered from neglect and under-investment for years, and seems to be largely ignored by those "Arrogant Southerners". Having recently passed through Middlesborough and other Teesside towns recently, I was surprised to find myself feeling nostalgic for a part of my life that was certainly a bit grim! I feel inspired to revisit some of my old haunts as a ghost from the past, and see how things have developed (or not) over the intervening.....errrr....THIRTY YEARS!!!

There are many unique gems in this area, and the character of some of these industrial towns is quite unlike anything else in the country. The surrounding countryside is quite spectacular too, and unknown to the many that prefer to ignore the North East. People often refer to Middlesborough and the neigbouring towns in derogatory terms, as an example of the worst types of urban existence. My experiences there, so many years ago, enriched my perception of other people's perspective's, hopefully made me less arrogant than I may have been when I first arrived. We ignore such places at our peril.

Guildford at Night

Attended a Committee meeting for Guildford Photographic Society on Thursday, and realised on the way home that I had my tripod in the car. I had taken a few photogrtaphic notes earlier in the week with my Lumix, to remind me to try some night time images of Guildford with my Olympus E3 and a tripod. It was night, I had my Olympus, and I had my tripod! Off to park at the bottom of the High Street and set up some shots in Friary Street.

Things were going fine, even though I get really annoyed at all those cables strung across the streets in Guildford for Christmas decorations, which are left up ALL YEAR. I have removed them from the image using Photoshop.

Halfway through a long exposure (careful...!) at the North Street end of Friary Street, I was approached by two police officers about their nightly patrol. They quizzed me about what I was up to, perfectly politely, and after I reassured them I knew my Rights and was a member of GPS rather than a terrorist, they left me in peace.

Since I have looked at my results, I realise that I need to take more care setting the exposure for the highlights, as the tonal range at night is colossal, and I have many burnt out highlights to sort out.

Off to take some photos now, so will be wandering around town soon.

Cobham Mill

Just trying to remember how to arrange the layout and add photos, so this is just a test image. It is composed of four photos stitched together to form a panorama, of The Mill at Cobham, Surrey.

Springing into Life again

My blog was started some time ago, specifically for a cycle ride with Ye Olde Gits, to chronicle our 675 mile journey across France. The following year I added to it in a rather half-hearted manner, to record the first leg of our cycling of a Compostella route, starting in Le Puy, France. This first leg took us over the Massif Centrale, over the Pyrenees, and into Pamplona. We were going to complete the jouirney to Composella this year, but the economic climate persuaded two of us it was worth posponing it until next year.

So.....I have decided to treat my blog in a more diary-like manner, and will add to it when I feel like it, and ignore it when I don't! I am inspired by friends at The Guildford Photographic Society, a number of whom maintain interesting blogs. Mine might not be so interesting, but I shall do my best.