Jerwood Time..

... Under a month to come up with a series with an interesting narrative, test, then shoot, then do the post and then re-form the artists statement whilst balancing a fairly intense job, life, possibly move house and do a tax-return?

Easy.

Best get thinking.

New Idea No.208

On a side note to the Jerwood distraction, I've recently been experimenting with the idea of using diffusion for a series of shots. What do I mean? I mean using a diffused material which acts as a barrier between the camera and part of the image, and so becomes the subject, but not the image. Confused? Maybe the shots above will help give you an idea...

More to follow.

A Break

Just lately I've been feeling like getting away for a bit, as it's felt like an absolute eternity since I've been anywhere (indeed, it is - it's been well over a year) and just lately with everyone I know having days-off (some more legitimately than others!) and holidays, it's really put me in the mood for a couple (minimum) of weeks away later in the year (especially as I've only had two days away from work since last August!).

Current favourites range from a jaunt into Argentina through to a trip across Russia...

Suggestions on a postcard, as you're probably on holiday now

A few Henley Snaps...

Finally got round to posting some snaps up from Henley... It really is a fabulous thing to go to - the range of people (age, more than anything else), the rowing (which no-one watches), the sheer good living of it..

For everyone who hasn't been there before, it really is ridiculous - think of Lady's day at Ascot mixed with the members enclosure of Lords and you've got the idea to the extravagance, mood and attire of the people who go. I should imagine that a lot of people who feel unease about the suitability of Boris Johnson for the job of Mayor of London wouldn't find anything to settle it here.

It feels like the most English thing in the world - there's a Yorkshire tea van, and everyone seems to love the queuing, and it always lashes it down (Guaranteed - if you go and it doesn't, I'll buy you a cup of tea). I fully expect to see Martin Parr wandering down the river-bank, ring-flash in tow next time I get over there..

Unless, of course, I beat him to it next year and decide to pass on the Champagne, cigars, Pimms and Picnic.

Lunchtime Snapshot

Great Court, British Museum. Whether or not there's anything in this, I don't know, but strolling around the British Museum on my lunch quickly yesterday reminded me of Grand Central Station; the tonality, the tourists, the way it seems to insulate you from the world outside... Sir Norman Foster can be the architectural marmite (you either love his work or hate it), but the Great Court is undoubtedly an example of great architecture, and it's amazing to think that the Great Court has only been in it's current form for 8 years.

"Look at what you could have won"

About a month or so ago I finally got round to unpacking a few boxes that were left over from my boss' studio move and came across these, which look me in the eye every-time I'm at my desk... At the same time, an art director asked me who I thought would win Euro 2008 - I made some remark about meaning to bet on Spain to win with Torres as the first scorer based on my desk ornament... Never quite got round to it, though.

Bugger.

Missing...

Just lately I've been left with that frustrated feeling from discovering things I really want to go and see, but aren't appearing in London;

The first is that the wonderful Tom Waits is touring Europe, but isn't doing a London-gig (unfortunately I can't make it to the Dublin or Paris dates!)

And the second is that the marvelous looking Foto: Modernity in Central Europe isn't appearing in London, or anywhere-else after it's run at The National Galleries of Scotland ends.

I'm sure that if you're like me, this is something of a never-ending list, but when I think back a year ago to my spells of living in Blackpool and Lincoln, I realise just how fortunate I am to be spoiled by the array of culture that London has to offer..

Collectors Corner

Like every photographer, I've got a selection of somewhat weird and wonderful cameras that I never quite use often enough (or in one case, have never used...) and as such over the (supposed, in Britain) warm and light summer months I thought that I should really start using them.... The first such camera I had a go with in one of the instances of decent weather was my Polaroid Sx-70 (Alpha One), which is possibly the most beautiful camera in the world, both for what it does and how it looks....

The beauty of this current Polaroid is that for every shot you take, it fees through two sheets of film, which seem to (fortunately) display the most amazing patterns and shapes... And then the exposed pics are just beautiful. It's a real shame as vintage Polaroid has such a romantic, dream-like quality which is unlike anything else I've tried. They'll be plenty more pics to follow from it, film funding allowing. I've got two more SX-70s, and wonder if they'll be as eccentric - find out more in the next post from Collectors Corner!

Last Weekend.....

...... I went to the simply ridiculous (and fabulous) Henley Regatta. Pics, stories and thoughts to follow!

New Blog!

As you can probably tell by the lack of anything other posts, this is my new blog, which will be somewhere for me to write about stuff and show some photographs.. I'll try and update it as often as I can with random thoughts and pretty pictures to look at!