Yesterday I had a perfect morning.
Physically I felt well, ten years younger in fact. My legs didn’t ache. I didn’t drag my feet and when I had finished my walk, I could have easily done it again – that’s not generally the case.
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Latest Posts
Selling my prints. Hmmm.
Recently, I asked on Twitter who amongst my ‘followers’ sold their pictures on line and if they did would they mind sharing their experiences; the reason being I wish to sell some of my own pictures on line and I thought I could benefit from the experience of those who had gone before, as it were. I had some interesting comments and help.
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Sound and pictures
Like many others I guess, I edit pictures whilst listening to music. I always have done, ever since my darkroom days. I even write whilst listening to music – though there cannot be any vocals, too distracting.
Often the music dictates what I edit and indeed the way I might edit it. And, of course, some pictures just call for a specific genre or mood of music.
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Mablethorpe madness.
On every other Sunday from October to September the flat-ish beach of a fading ‘kiss me quick hat’ beach resort on the East Coast of England turns into a mayhem mixture of burning Castrol R oil, flying sand and shiny 2 wheeled projectiles with humans of all ages and both sexes trying to stay on top of them as they thrash around the sand (occasionally water) course.
It’s sand racing. A cross between motorcycle speedway, grass track and circuit racing – but somehow not managing to be any of those.
It’s casually organised – not official that is. Anybody with a bike can ride. No license needed. Just get on and go when you’re told.
If you fall off, and many do, the race is stopped and the ambulance drives across the beach to where you are. Once clear, off they go again.
The noise straightens your hair, if the winds of the North Sea haven’t done that already.
Sand, sea, fish and chips and motorbike racing on the beach. How can it get better than that?
The bad news is, according to the web site, the 20/21 season has been called off because of Covid.
PDBarton
Lincoln
30th September 2020
Fungi in the woods
The brown leaves of Autumn show themselves on the trees. The season is changing and with that change comes fungi.
Walking in the woods with Bess, our Chocolate Labrador, is something I do all year. I like the peace and quiet. I like to watch the seasons change. Sometimes, I just like to sit on a tree stump and listen. Coming from a city, I appreciate the lack of noise.
The best time of year, in my opinion, is early Autumn. The sun still holds some warmth and its light remains strong, creating dappled patterns on the freshly carpeted floor of the woods.
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I don’t talk about cameras but…
Generally I make it a principle not to talk about cameras. However, today I want to make an exception.
Over the many years I’ve been taking pictures I’ve used many cameras, both film and digital. And yes, I’ve spent, some might say wasted, a lot of money in satisfying my interest, again, some might say, obsession, with cameras.
The problem I have is that I genuinely like cameras. Not just the use of them but the whole thing, aesthetics, mechanics, even the smell, of cameras.
This obsession led me down many roads. I switched to digital fairly early – I even bought (arguably) the first digital camera, the game changing but dreadful Casio QV-10 which I still have in my collection. I moved into high end Nikon digital gear*. I loved its immediacy.
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Covid lockdown blues
During this lockdown I seem to have lost my impetus and indeed my ability to see pictures.
I’ve taken few images and those I have are best described as “Mehhh”. I suppose I’m out of practice.
I really must get out more and “push more scenery past my pupils”.
PDBarton
August 2020
The Generalist photographer
Post section headings
- Gearism
- A simple fact
- What to take pictures of
- Visual awareness
- Darkroom printing
- Who is it for?
- Move away from Generalism
- It takes time
- Back to that review
Recently I was asked to review a set of images by a photographer here in Lincoln. First of all, I should make it clear, though I was happy to oblige, this is not something I generally do because I don’t consider myself an expert. I’ve just taken a lot of pictures in my life, some of which I’ve liked and some have been liked by others. Perhaps that’s enough to give me the tools to comment? I don’t know.
What I do know, is that taking tens of thousands of pictures provides some opinion forming perspective.
“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson
Reviewing the photographers images I could see strong similarities with my own trajectory through photography. My own labours and experiences reflected in her work. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up a little and perhaps start from a different position.
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Coventry in 2007
In the latter decades of the last century we lived in Coventry, in the West Midlands of England.
Coventry is an ancient city with Roman encampments, even a Roman Legion training camp, on the outskirts. It’s famous for, amongst other things, a former inhabitant, one Lady Godiva.
Whilst we lived there, as part of our business, we became early adopters of World Wide Web technology, usage and programming. We decided to produce a website about Coventry, the city where we lived, its development and its history – and in the process we would see what we could discover about Lady Godiva.
Mysterious structures in the woods
Despite being locked down for months, in fact, probably because of it, I have tried to get out and about in the privacy of local woodland. Yes I see people but Bess, the Labrador, and I give them plenty of room.
Over the past few months somebody enters the woods and builds structures with fallen pieces of timber. I’ve never seen the builder. It’s very mysterious.
Never finished, never covered with tarpaulin or canvas, these structures seem more about art than do about shelter – well they do to me anyhow.
PDBarton
2020
peterdbarton.com 