Just trying out my newly acquired 'reversing ring' which converts my standard 50mm lens into a close-up lens. The Pieris on the left was taken normally and the petals on the right were close-up. It is interesting because it reveals them for what they actually are i.e. embryonic leaves and not petals. They aren't particularly attractive and I don't aim to specialise.
Last night at the camera club was good fun and Roy chaired it extremely well in the absence of Reg. Most of us took prints for no-holds-barred criticism; which we certainly received. But everyone could give reasons for their comments of approval or otherwise. Everyone I chatted to considered it a great success and informative. I don't think I shall ever agree with the people who want to make a pictorial work of art out of each picture. On one picture for instance, which someone had intended to be the 'view over the city' it was said "You could have made a picture out of that lamp on the wall of the building". Which is rather like someone telling Caneletto in a painting of Venice's Grand Canal, that his real picture should have been the prow of the third gondola on the left.
I know I bang-on about it but I do wish they would concentrate on photographic criteria such as sharpness of focus, correct use of depth of field, controlling highlights and shadow areas etc. and leave what is photographed as a matter for the photographer's own choice.
At last a different view from the Queen Mary 2 webcam. We've arrived at St. Thomas's and it looks quite exciting. I'm publishing the picture because some readers may not have downloaded the link. Jill has told us that the Ship is enormous and this view from the bridge looks as if you are at the top of a tower block.
'Height of buildings' segues me immediately to Bromley House Subscription Library's triumph over the developers who planned an 18 storey building on the old Odeon site next door. The planning dept decided against yesterday and I feel abit involved because as a member of the library I had written to express my dismay. Our building was built in 1752 and is grade 2 listed and, apart from its own beauty, at the rear it has a charmingly secluded walled-garden a hundred yards from Old Market Square. 18 storeys adjacent to it would have ruined it. Let us hope the triumph is not short lived. We all know how steadfast and resilient councillors can be if confronted by brown envelopes.
Sorry to report the death of Kurt Vonnegut who I really rated not only for his writing skill but also for his trenchant and rebellious views. "God bless you Mr Vonnegut" to paraphrase one of his titles. He was 84 which I suppose ain't bad. He carried on with a zest for living and The Telegraph obituary was good.. This always amused me :
"Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops".
- Kurt Vonnegut
I'm cooking sausage and mash with swede/turnip in with the potato, carrots, broccolli ad fine beans. And lashings of gravy. Also I'll probably do a courgette for Y 'cos she loves 'em so. Might also go and pull some rhubarb out of the garden (it's lovely at the moment) and have it with either custard or ice-cream. I shall take menus to the TV room in a few minutes. !
p.s. remember to click on the pictures for enlargements.
Last night at the camera club was good fun and Roy chaired it extremely well in the absence of Reg. Most of us took prints for no-holds-barred criticism; which we certainly received. But everyone could give reasons for their comments of approval or otherwise. Everyone I chatted to considered it a great success and informative. I don't think I shall ever agree with the people who want to make a pictorial work of art out of each picture. On one picture for instance, which someone had intended to be the 'view over the city' it was said "You could have made a picture out of that lamp on the wall of the building". Which is rather like someone telling Caneletto in a painting of Venice's Grand Canal, that his real picture should have been the prow of the third gondola on the left.
I know I bang-on about it but I do wish they would concentrate on photographic criteria such as sharpness of focus, correct use of depth of field, controlling highlights and shadow areas etc. and leave what is photographed as a matter for the photographer's own choice.
At last a different view from the Queen Mary 2 webcam. We've arrived at St. Thomas's and it looks quite exciting. I'm publishing the picture because some readers may not have downloaded the link. Jill has told us that the Ship is enormous and this view from the bridge looks as if you are at the top of a tower block.'Height of buildings' segues me immediately to Bromley House Subscription Library's triumph over the developers who planned an 18 storey building on the old Odeon site next door. The planning dept decided against yesterday and I feel abit involved because as a member of the library I had written to express my dismay. Our building was built in 1752 and is grade 2 listed and, apart from its own beauty, at the rear it has a charmingly secluded walled-garden a hundred yards from Old Market Square. 18 storeys adjacent to it would have ruined it. Let us hope the triumph is not short lived. We all know how steadfast and resilient councillors can be if confronted by brown envelopes.
Sorry to report the death of Kurt Vonnegut who I really rated not only for his writing skill but also for his trenchant and rebellious views. "God bless you Mr Vonnegut" to paraphrase one of his titles. He was 84 which I suppose ain't bad. He carried on with a zest for living and The Telegraph obituary was good.. This always amused me :
"Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops".
- Kurt Vonnegut
I'm cooking sausage and mash with swede/turnip in with the potato, carrots, broccolli ad fine beans. And lashings of gravy. Also I'll probably do a courgette for Y 'cos she loves 'em so. Might also go and pull some rhubarb out of the garden (it's lovely at the moment) and have it with either custard or ice-cream. I shall take menus to the TV room in a few minutes. !p.s. remember to click on the pictures for enlargements.
4 comments:
The trouble with the Queen Mary is that she is so big she often cannot dock in cruise terminals and has to be shunted off round the corner to the container docks. The cruise terminals (especially in that part of the world) are usually prettied up with flowers, shops, walking distance from town centre, etc.etc, whereas the container docks can be very dismal places.
Your photo of St.Thoms doesn't look like a container terminal, but it isn't the cruise terminal either, I've been there on a much smaller ship.
Wish you lived nearer, I could have just fancied your supper tonight - we had chicken casserole but it wasn't one of my best - but we did have home-made raspberry fool.......
Your 'reversing ring' certainly works and will be invaluable on the rare occasions. It would be great for beetles.
I will accept that you are right about the techniques of photography and that that is principally what a photography club is about.
But, to me, a photograph is (usually) either a record (in which your rules will apply to a greater or lesser degree upon the particular requirements) or a picture, in which case, I claim, composition and ‘capturing the moment’ are more important than the niceties, which may not matter very much at all; eg, the photo of the little napalmed Vietnamese girl, for instance, did not gain its impact from being in sharp focus.
Consider and discuss in no more than 5,000 words. (25% of marks)..
Without having seen drawings, models, or artists’ impressions of the 18 storey proposal I think you (and the Civic Society) are probably right. In this case, anyway, as with Bird Flu and Global warming, I think it better to err on the side of caution.
I think I have only read one Kurt Vonnegut story and I am not sure which one. So why am I writing a comment when I have nothing to say?
We went into Newark rather late this afternoon so, after only a bowl of porridge at breakfast (with Golden Syrup) I was happy with Sandra’s suggestion that we stop off to eat at the Angel at Kneesall at 7 o’clock. I had Liver & Onions with mash and a selection of veg, which was good, and yet again Sandra found people willing to put themselves out to meet her dietary needs (in this case with prawns and a good mixed salad and a specially prepared dressing which she said was excellent). £13 for both and good coffee at £1, which these days is very reasonable (even though Wetherspoons and Tesco do it cheaper).
Something I caught on telly which delighted me:
Cheetah the chimpanzee, who appeared in the Johnny Weismuller 'Tarzan' series, was 75 on Thursday. He is believed to be the oldest living chimp and has outlived all his fellow cast members (even Boy).
He is diabetic and has a few other health problems which mean that he can no longer enjoy a beer and a cigar.
But he was tucking into birthday cake and a sugar-free soft drink with gusto and, apparently, an excellent set of teeth. He gave his carer a big open-mouth kiss and looked totally friendly and in altogether great fettle.
Anon 1 - I saw the news article about Cheetah too, it tickled me seeing him in his Spongebob party hat, eating his cake - bless as my daughters would say! Friendlier than the crocodile who bit off the arm of the vet who was trying to treat him, a photograph of which appeared in the paper yesterday I think it was.
I keep missing the QM2 arriving and leaving which is very frustrating. We've seen her in Southampton and she certainly is enormous.
We had a chicken casserole last night too, slow cooked on a low heat for 3 hours with celery, a tin of tomatoes, leek, carrots, a couple of bay leaves, stock, a small bottle of white wine and seasoning - delicious and very tender, it just fell off the bone as I tried to get it out of the casserole dish, served with broccoli and mashed potatoes.
Hi Graham
Can't find e-mail link on your site. Regards
Dave
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