CEX – Combined Entertainment Exchange. I had no idea that the place existed in Luton's Arndale Shopping Centre. I wandered in and found secondhand Macs (in great nick!) on sale, and displayed working. There was even a MacBook Air and a boxed ITB Time Capsule.
I was tempted and came away with an iPod Touch. The marked price was reasonable enough, but the freely offered 5% discount clinched the deal! The prices here for good pre-owned kit and DVDs are worth the cost of the visit and the staff were cheerful and knowledgeable. I was impressed enough to put fingers to keyboard, and also add a link to their web site.
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Monday, 12 January 2009
A Wapping Walk with a Friend and a Camera
Sunday in sunshine along the Thames. Geoff Dann and I parked not far from the Prospect of Whitby pub and strolled around talking and taking photos of anything that merited attention. Although cold, it was far from bitter, and the sunshine and the exercise made the temperature of no concern.
Although I had my full complement of lenses, every shot I took was using the one lens – a Tamron 90mm Macro, just occasionally I would have liked to change, but most times I got what I needed by moving forward or back. I took a series of images of the lifting tackle on various wharves, all of which were generally picked out in colour.
Although it was a sculpture of a seagull, one statue was a reminder of the Panto I had just visited to celebrate a friend's 60th birthday only the night before, so I just had to somehow get a shot of that! Then there was the giant pair of boots, and my namesake embedded in pavers, a great ironwork representation of Tower Bridge, another photographer taking her photos, popping out from behind a series of arches, the paranoid display of Chubb padlocks, and the noose reminding us of harsher times on the river.
I had learnt of a friend's son working with a co-operative building a mooring for some twenty three old style river craft, and once we had found its location we spotted a girl called Fiona who has a berth for a refurbished and exquisitely maintained Thames barge upon which she, her husband and two-year-old live, and she invited us aboard. It was like a Tardis, with beautifully curved rooms at either end and in the centre of the open plan area stood the woodburning fire. I left a card for Matt Fisher who is building the roof of the Mooring Attendant's office and common ablutions area, and we set off back to the car with the light failing and I got a second shot of the Prospect of Whitby, now glowing in the dusk.
Although I had my full complement of lenses, every shot I took was using the one lens – a Tamron 90mm Macro, just occasionally I would have liked to change, but most times I got what I needed by moving forward or back. I took a series of images of the lifting tackle on various wharves, all of which were generally picked out in colour.
Although it was a sculpture of a seagull, one statue was a reminder of the Panto I had just visited to celebrate a friend's 60th birthday only the night before, so I just had to somehow get a shot of that! Then there was the giant pair of boots, and my namesake embedded in pavers, a great ironwork representation of Tower Bridge, another photographer taking her photos, popping out from behind a series of arches, the paranoid display of Chubb padlocks, and the noose reminding us of harsher times on the river.
I had learnt of a friend's son working with a co-operative building a mooring for some twenty three old style river craft, and once we had found its location we spotted a girl called Fiona who has a berth for a refurbished and exquisitely maintained Thames barge upon which she, her husband and two-year-old live, and she invited us aboard. It was like a Tardis, with beautifully curved rooms at either end and in the centre of the open plan area stood the woodburning fire. I left a card for Matt Fisher who is building the roof of the Mooring Attendant's office and common ablutions area, and we set off back to the car with the light failing and I got a second shot of the Prospect of Whitby, now glowing in the dusk.
Kit's 60th Birthday Party & Mother Goose
Having taken photos at Gordon Hickie's 60th Birthday party, I was still invited to join Kit Greveson at hers, which meant I had obviously not blotted my copybook. The venue was a hospitality suite at the Hackney Empire at the last night of their production of Mother Goose. But first we all met up at Crouch End to join a coach, which resulted in a certain amount of turmoil for other buses and coaches due to the restricted width of the road! But it was all goodnatured.
Arriving at the theatre we set up the food and drink, and then I brought out the camera and tried to capture the atmosphere and faces of the guests. The greatest difficulty taking pictures at the event was the nature of the lighting, it was all spotlight downlighters, resulting in bright foreheads and dark shadowed eyes, but I did my best to capture the ambience.
Once Kit had blown out her candles, and given a short speech explaining we had to clear away before leaving, we all moved to the theatre proper and took our seats for the show. Although for obvious reasons there was a ban on flash photography, I had hoped that since I was not using flash, I would be exempt, but was soon disabused of this belief, but I did manage to at least capture something to say we had visited the show. The music and singing was superb, and our group responded loudly to the compere's announcement of Kit's 60th to the audience.
Thank you Kit for a wonderful evening, I hope you enjoy my record of the event.
Arriving at the theatre we set up the food and drink, and then I brought out the camera and tried to capture the atmosphere and faces of the guests. The greatest difficulty taking pictures at the event was the nature of the lighting, it was all spotlight downlighters, resulting in bright foreheads and dark shadowed eyes, but I did my best to capture the ambience.
Once Kit had blown out her candles, and given a short speech explaining we had to clear away before leaving, we all moved to the theatre proper and took our seats for the show. Although for obvious reasons there was a ban on flash photography, I had hoped that since I was not using flash, I would be exempt, but was soon disabused of this belief, but I did manage to at least capture something to say we had visited the show. The music and singing was superb, and our group responded loudly to the compere's announcement of Kit's 60th to the audience.
Thank you Kit for a wonderful evening, I hope you enjoy my record of the event.
Painting with Frost
There was a window of opportunity having just got my car back, to grab my camera and before the sun could burn off the hoar frost from the hedgerows, capture some of the romance of frost on leaves and fields.
The wind gradually blew the fog back in and closed the window, so I returned to see what I had managed to record. One of my regrets was that although I caught the rooks in the lacework atop a tree, I missed the moment when a magpie was at the very peak.
A day later and we had freezing fog overnight, which like snow, can transform the ordinary into something of more interest, so here is what I saw close to where I live.
Before Spring arrives I am hoping that I can record some drifts of snow if this cold spell continues.
The wind gradually blew the fog back in and closed the window, so I returned to see what I had managed to record. One of my regrets was that although I caught the rooks in the lacework atop a tree, I missed the moment when a magpie was at the very peak.
A day later and we had freezing fog overnight, which like snow, can transform the ordinary into something of more interest, so here is what I saw close to where I live.
Before Spring arrives I am hoping that I can record some drifts of snow if this cold spell continues.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Snow at Luton Hoo
Opening the curtains to a snow laden scene was quite a surprise this morning, especially since it was still flurrying down. All I wanted was for the sun to come out, and as I breakfasted, my wish was coming true. I made sure the camera gear was ready and was soon on my way to visit the Luton Hoo Estate and see whether there was anything attractive to photograph.
As I entered the long avenue, I spotted a car in the first of the passing places, and later spotted that someone was of the same mind as me, but he was leaving having taken some shots of the derelict building alongside the avenue. I called into the Estate Office and wished everyone a Happy New Year and then hailed Alex Hines to check that she was happy for me to wander around and take pictures. I was later able to capture her hard at work with the small truck moving hay from the stables.
Snow has the ability to beautify dereliction, especially when the sun is out, and I hope I have captured images that prove the point. I have tried to shoot some of the plants with the buildings beyond so that the location is obvious. Tracks in the snow also have a fascination, as do the patterns formed by the underlying tiles on rooftops. I enjoyed the time, I hope it comes across in the shots I have chosen for the gallery.
Anyone any idea how tyre tracks can simply come to an end without the presence of the vehicle making them?
As I entered the long avenue, I spotted a car in the first of the passing places, and later spotted that someone was of the same mind as me, but he was leaving having taken some shots of the derelict building alongside the avenue. I called into the Estate Office and wished everyone a Happy New Year and then hailed Alex Hines to check that she was happy for me to wander around and take pictures. I was later able to capture her hard at work with the small truck moving hay from the stables.
Snow has the ability to beautify dereliction, especially when the sun is out, and I hope I have captured images that prove the point. I have tried to shoot some of the plants with the buildings beyond so that the location is obvious. Tracks in the snow also have a fascination, as do the patterns formed by the underlying tiles on rooftops. I enjoyed the time, I hope it comes across in the shots I have chosen for the gallery.
Anyone any idea how tyre tracks can simply come to an end without the presence of the vehicle making them?
Saturday, 3 January 2009
Out & About in the Country
A sunny Saturday – a chance to get out into the country, and capture something of what is happening. The trains looked colourful as they sped along the line from London to Luton, I met a few walkers, several cyclists, spotted birds flying the ploughed fields with a church beyond. Later there were ducks, sheep and horses and finally a man taking his dogs for a walk into the setting sun.
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Cambridge & Grantchester with the Bootmans
I was invited to spend the day with Katy, Martin, Holly and Poppy at Grantchester for New Year's Eve. I made a slight detour on my way over, due to my trying to find the reverse direction which my SatNav had been giving for my return journeys. But it was fortuitous in that I spotted some unusual churches along this alternative route. I also managed to carelessly hit a concrete lamppost when parking at Grantchester which means I have to replace the rear lamp cluster and smooth out scratches to the bumper. I feel this justifies my grandchildren's name for me – Bumper! So that's my first expense for 2009!
We all went out for a long walk into Cambridge and had some fun there, and the first shots were of a child sitting on the bench in the Apple Store engrossed in the MacBook Pro (start-em young I say!) Katy and Poppy did their party trick of seemingly walking down a flight of stairs; which always amuses. Poppy just loves soft things and loved the fluffy nightgowns in La Senza. Shooting at 6400 ISO is just so much fun; without any flash, so I also captured both girls playing together in the available light when back at home. We had a curry meal, and I left for home in the early hours of 2009.
We all went out for a long walk into Cambridge and had some fun there, and the first shots were of a child sitting on the bench in the Apple Store engrossed in the MacBook Pro (start-em young I say!) Katy and Poppy did their party trick of seemingly walking down a flight of stairs; which always amuses. Poppy just loves soft things and loved the fluffy nightgowns in La Senza. Shooting at 6400 ISO is just so much fun; without any flash, so I also captured both girls playing together in the available light when back at home. We had a curry meal, and I left for home in the early hours of 2009.
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