thelobster's PAD blog

n

2008-01-10T12:59:00.000Z

Churchill

2008-01-09T05:24:00.000Z

Parliament Square

2008-01-08T12:13:00.000Z

Crow - St James' Park

2008-01-07T05:17:00.000Z

Dancer

2008-01-06T05:52:00.000Z

B

2008-01-05T20:20:00.000Z

Lights

2008-01-04T15:37:00.000Z

Royal Society of Arts from The Strand

2008-01-03T00:22:00.000Z

Palace of Westminster

2008-01-02T11:49:00.000Z

London Pictures

2008-01-01T05:23:00.000Z

Well it's been a long time, but I thought I'd try again. I doubt I'll get through the whole year but you never know.

Went to Springsteen at the O2 the other day - took a load of shots on the Embankment, just a couple of days after the DPC GTG was there.

This is Rodin's Burghers of Calais with the Palace of Westminster in the background.

My New Year's Resolution is to enter more challenges and try and get some over 6. This did 5.9 and I will confess to being mildly dissapointed as I thought it was OK.

Asbos 4 & 5

2007-06-05T10:29:00.001Z

Missed yesterday so here's two.

The Asbo Saxons 3

2007-06-03T16:51:00.001Z

The Asbo Saxons 2

2007-06-02T17:27:00.000Z

Hi to Talj. Hope you're well. Had a month off but back on the chain gang now. This is some pictures from a rehearsal shoot with the Asbo Saxons (or possibly Asbosaxons). Check out their myspace page, I think they're pretty good. I've wanted to do a band shoot for ages. I tried all kinds of editing and sent them a mixture of styles so they could choose which style they like, and they decided they just liked the mixture of all different styles, so that's what they got.

The Asbo Saxons

2007-06-01T18:32:00.000Z

Sky

2007-05-12T16:45:00.000Z

Biker 2

2007-05-11T18:51:00.000Z

Harley

2007-05-10T17:56:00.000Z

Biker

2007-05-08T22:42:00.000Z

Bodger

2007-05-06T18:00:00.000Z

Tracks

2007-05-05T18:32:00.000Z

Yellow

2007-05-04T18:10:00.000Z

Tired

2007-05-03T18:02:00.001Z

Chair

2007-05-02T21:01:00.000Z

Deer

2007-05-01T19:24:00.000Z

Missed a couple but back in the swing now.

Engineer

2007-04-28T16:54:00.001Z

27th April - Abstract

2007-04-28T16:52:00.000Z

26th April - Boa

2007-04-27T18:03:00.000Z

25th April

2007-04-27T18:00:00.000Z

Damn. Missed a couple of days. Catching up.

Eyes

2007-04-24T15:49:00.000Z

Earthbound Misfits

2007-04-23T10:29:00.000Z

Hat 2

2007-04-22T15:34:00.000Z

Bubbles

2007-04-21T10:37:00.001Z

Smile

2007-04-20T17:27:00.000Z

Freckles

2007-04-19T16:42:00.000Z

Hat

2007-04-18T18:50:00.000Z

Colour 2

2007-04-17T09:57:00.001Z

Colour

2007-04-16T14:38:00.000Z

Up to now it's been mono candids but when you get to take pictures of someone with eyes this blue it doesn't seem right to desat them.

Puzzling

2007-04-15T19:28:00.002Z

Too busy

2007-04-14T16:42:00.000Z

So I'm sneakily posting this blank entry so I can come back tomorrow and edit it and put a picture in.

There. Done.

More candids

2007-04-13T17:31:00.000Z

Tomorrow I'm going to take pictures at a charity walk, so we might have something a bit different. Participants have to wear their bra on the outside.

My Dad

2007-04-12T08:49:00.001Z

Ian - Chatsworth House Groundsman

2007-04-11T13:16:00.000Z

Rock Art

2007-04-10T10:47:00.000Z

Cresswell Crags, Derbyshire. This place has the only ice age rock art in Britain, also the most Northerly rock art in Europe. Well worth a visit, it's all very low key, very cheap and hardly any one has ever heard of it. Having queued eight hours once to see the fakes at Lascaux this place is refreshingly easy. Also the tour guide here and the man at the bottom is a professional flint knapper.

Chris (again) and Courtney

2007-04-09T03:58:00.000Z

I'm off to Chesterfield for a couple of days. Probably won't find any internet access so I'll catch up when I get back.

Night Shots

2007-04-08T13:24:00.000Z

While I was taking these a Port Security van pulled up and a monkey in a uniform got out.

PS - Excuse me Sir, do you have a permit ?

Me - No.

PS - (sternly) You need a permit for taking pictures of the dock buildings.

Me - No I don't.

PS - (wisely) Yes you do.

Me - No I don't.

PS - (assertively) Yes you do.

Me - No I don't. I don't need a permit for taking pictures OF dock property. I need a permit for taking photos ON dock property. I am not on dock property. I am on a public road.

PS - You still need a permit.

Me - You're a fuckwit.

[I know the textbooks say that you shouldn't be confrontational but I find it helps sometimes and it's more fun.]

PS - Can I have your name please ?

Me - Can I have yours ?

[An exchange of names takes place. He ostentatiously makes a note of my registration number. I equally ostentatiously make a note of his.]

PS - So are you going to move ?

Me - No.

PS - I'll just call the police then shall I ?

Me - You're a fuckwit.

[I know it's not great repartee but there is something about this word - which I learned from Bridget Jones - which can be quite devestating.]

PS - I'll ring them.

Me - Can I take your photo ? Please. I really like your uniform, especially the really scruffy bits.

He gives up and goes back to his car. He drives off and parks in front of the building spoiling my shot. I realise that I have finished anyway but I don't want to go yet because it will look like he has scared me off. So I faff about taking a few more. I wave to him and ask him to say cheese. He doesn't. In the end I'm getting cold so I pack up and drive round and pull up next to him. I pass him a card through the window.

Me - I don't want you to think you've scared me off, so here's my card so you can contact me.

PS - I've just checked with control and you do need a permit.

Me - Do you want me to wait here for the police with you ?

PS - That won't be necessary.

Exeunt.

Chains

2007-04-07T13:29:00.000Z

30 Day Portrait Challenge

2007-04-06T06:09:00.000Z

I have started the 30 Day Portrait Challenge on DPC. Sometimes the pictures will have to appear here as well as time is but brief. This is my mother and Stevie. See if you can guess which is which.

I did put together the usual routine of slightly world weary jokes as a commentary but I used them already on the Challenge thread and I can't be bothered to repeat them because they weren't that funny anyway (although that is partly the point).

Tortoise Revisited

2007-04-05T17:06:00.000Z

Trying to get the dof right this time.

Little Rabbit Hutch In The Sky

2007-04-04T11:26:00.000Z

Back in the old days when wool mining was the main industry round here the miners were allowed to keep rabbits on the rooves of the woolliery buildings to supplement their diet, which otherwise mostly consisted of chalk and willow twigs (see tree below). This is one of the aerial hutches used by the rabbits.

Lemur

2007-04-03T16:22:00.000Z

I'm indebted to this little fella for my new PB. I was planning to post several shots but I've been tring to go round the other PADs and I got as far as Talj's and it took up most of my day. All the best to Talj and Lori and anyone else who accidentally stumbles by.

Anachronism 2

2007-04-02T17:24:00.000Z

I thought I might get a good shot for the Anachronism Challenge out here but we did not have any sky all week, just murk. I went out yesterday to see if I could luck into a good shot but I didn't have long and this was the best I got.

Live Sex On Stage

2007-04-01T19:52:00.000Z

Looking for photo opportunities, went to this funny little club. I didn't even realise some of this was physically possible.

Walls at Elsham

2007-03-31T18:31:00.000Z

Anachronism

2007-03-30T04:16:00.000Z

This dinosaur is sitting in a garden in a village near here. I'm not sure why. Unfortunately there is a huge hedge right behind it which makes getting a good shot more or less impossible, so this won't be getting entered.

Storm

2007-03-29T10:59:00.000Z

Ever since I started this PAD thing I have been carrying my camera everywhere I go and then wondering why I bothered. This was the first time I have ever had occasion to actually get it out of the boot and use it and I'm glad I did because it got me a new PB and 9th place. All the cars on the right had their headlights on which is where the illumination of the wave comes from.

Top is the challenge entry, 4th is the original. It was taken with the 18-55 kit lens. I am having trouble figuring this lens out. Sometimes it performs horribly, really awful, but I was amazed at how much detail I could get from a tight crop here.

The shot was handheld at 0.8 seconds with the camera resting on a litter bin and me laid on top of the camera to hold it still with rapid fire or whatever it's called going.

The weather was as bad as, or even worse than, it looks. High wind and the sleet was coming in horizontally from behind me. My jacket blew up over my head and the sleet hit my back and ran down the back of my trousers. People going by in cars wound their windows down and shouted 'Hey fat boy, put your arse away'.

It's good to suffer for your art.

Sheeplings

2007-03-28T07:34:00.000Z

Not sure how I ended up with two posts for yesterday, something to do with the clocks going forward I guess. These are mummy sheeps and sheeplings from Elsham.

Note for readers for whom English is a second language - in English baby sheeps are called sheeplings, sheeplets or puppies. I hope this helps.

The Art History Brush

2007-03-27T23:31:00.000Z

Great fun this.

Sheep

2007-03-27T00:47:00.000Z

It was lambing weekend at Elsham. These are the pregnant ewes waiting to lamb. The light in the sheds was odd, so I tried an HDR version (top) which I think is moderately successful. The one at the bottom is an animation but only if you click on it and open it. It's not the most sophisticated animation you ever saw but it amused me. This is because I am easily amused. Sad really.

Blue and Yellow Macaws

2007-03-26T10:29:00.000Z

This PAD thing must be doing my photography some good. It makes me use my camera more and makes my editing much better and quicker. The macaw scored 5.9 in the end which was a good result.

Elsham Hall

2007-03-25T15:37:00.000Z

Elsham Hall. As country houses go, not one of the greatest. It looks a bit like a big post war prefab.

Spinning

2007-03-24T15:36:00.000Z

I was looking for something for the spinning challenge. This was the best I got. I like it but a less dpc friendly picture I have seldom seen so it won't be going in.

Train Set

2007-03-23T20:37:00.000Z

Not the best picture in the world but I'm running out. I went out at the weekend and shot a camera full but some of them were quite good and I ended up entering three challenges. Currently I have a 5.8 in Colour Portrait, a 6.5 in Multiple Light Sources and a 6.9 threatening a 7 in Langdon's Birthday. For me this is bordering on the miraculous. I don't think they'll ribbon but I might get one or even two top ten finishes.

Goat

2007-03-22T18:43:00.000Z

Ouch

2007-03-21T20:15:00.000Z

Braver than me, that's for sure. The horse did actually roll clean over her, I missed that bit, and then she walked away. The first aiders said only bruises.

House Sparrows (passer domesticus)

2007-03-20T01:42:00.000Z

The good old spadger. Hard to believe but now on the RSPB's red list as a highly endangered species. Bet you can't eat two.

Mynah

2007-03-19T01:43:00.000Z

I missed a trick here, and with the tortoise below. Because it was indoors and the light was iffy and I was shooting through a mesh I put a fast lens on and opened it up as far as possible. This bird is a great talker, with an ear damaging range of sound effects as well, police sirens, phones, car doors slamming but what was most extraordinary was the range of facial expressions it has. Unfortunately it arches its neck and half turns whenever it makes these bizarre faces and I just didn't have the dof to get a good shot, so I think I'll go back this week and try again.

Tortoise

2007-03-18T21:33:00.000Z

Remarkably dirty eaters, tortoises. They rush their food. This one bolted a whole lettuce leaf in a month and a half.

Meerkats

2007-03-17T18:28:00.000Z

Everybody's favourite animal. We get a lot of them round here. They're a bloody nuisance. Surprising amount of meat on them though.

Sea wall

2007-03-16T18:18:00.000Z

Turnstone

2007-03-15T19:06:00.000Z

Or possibly turnstones. Not sure about the plural.

Back to the sea wall

2007-03-14T20:17:00.000Z

Fallen tree

2007-03-13T20:57:00.000Z

I think I've finally got rid of most of my flu. This time of year is when I usually start gardening so I've been out doing a bit of tidying and maybe go out on the sea wall again with my camera tomorrow.

Hazel

2007-03-12T20:36:00.000Z

I would be ashamed to be seen with it anywhere.

Sophie and a carp

2007-03-11T23:23:00.000Z

Courtney 2

2007-03-10T19:25:00.000Z

I'm gradually shaking off this cold - and I know if I miss a post then I won't bother coming back to it - (that's me) - so I'm still going through old photos. This is Courtney again.

Party 2

2007-03-09T17:43:00.000Z

Party

2007-03-08T16:33:00.000Z

Taken at a party, converted to watercolour, I quite like it.

Bug

2007-03-07T19:38:00.000Z

I've got it.

Connor

2007-03-06T11:08:00.000Z

I'm still buying time here because I am horrendously busy and also coming down with a flu I think. I'm supposed to be at a road race in the dark tonight and a horse race meeting on Sunday. This is Connor, my grandson, taken two years ago with my little 2million pixel Fuji, but it's still one of my favourites.

Sneaking in

2007-03-05T23:13:00.000Z

Only 44 minutes from today's deadline. Really busy day. This is my granddaughter Courtney, taken last year.

Playing

2007-03-04T20:42:00.000Z

Raining out so I thought I'd mess about in Photoshop. From the top these are supposed to be mono with fim grain, sepia tone, coppertone and a simulation of salted paper printing. I got a full page in the local paper which was nice.

Birds again

2007-03-03T17:31:00.000Z

Slip

2007-03-02T17:37:00.000Z

Editing these racing pictures has taken over my life for a few days - but I have learned a few automation tricks in the process. I didn't find this little sequence until yesterday - I think it's a nice thing. (Later realised I'd already posted two of these, but they're nice as a sequence and I'll try to get some new stuff tomorrow.)

Burton Point to Point 4

2007-03-01T00:19:00.000Z

If the weather permits we'll have a bit of a change tomorrow.

Burton Point To Point 3

2007-02-28T01:22:00.000Z

More horses. The paper got back to me for some extra high ppi edits so they could run them in large format so that will be nice.

Burton Point to Point 2

2007-02-27T00:52:00.000Z

Horses.

Burton Point to Point

2007-02-25T10:10:00.002Z

Burton Point to Point, held at the Market Rasen Racecourse. I was really proud of myself here, because I am a very very shy person, but I was going at it like a pro, asking total strangers to pose, getting their names etc, sliding through bits where I wasn't supposed to be. For my race shots I sneaked into a viewing tower for a good view. For me this is extremeley brave - I was intimidated by the Slavonian Grebe.

Great Crested Grebe

2007-02-25T10:10:00.001Z

I think these are Great Crested Grebe but I don't claim to be an expert and if anyone wants to disagree I'm prepared to stand corrected. They do a strange courtship ritual in which the male fetches some weed from underwater and offers it to the female. I'm going to do some checking and if it's that time of year I might try going back to get some shots. The light was horrible here - white skies and the light was bouncing off the water towards me, causing strange murky glare, but if it gets nicer then maybe I'll get some better ones.

And finally - the Slavonian Grebe

2007-02-25T10:10:00.000Z

And here it is. After several visits involving extreme cold and damp, the derision of assorted chavs and the collection of several pounds of mud on my clothes .... this is the rare Slavonian Grebe. Rare around here that is. If anyone from Slavonia happens to visit this page they'll probably say 'What's the fuss about, they're ten a penny round here'. I don't care - it's nice to have some pictures of a rare bird, regardless.

Today I'm going to another Point to Point. The pictures from the last one got into three papers. I thought they might scrape into the reader's pictures section but they went in in full colour, large format as sports content, which was very encouraging. Today I am going officially for one of the local papers and I'm getting paid !! Not much - but enough to cover my entry fee and buying a programme. So you're in for a few days of horse pictures again.

3 Robins, a Chaffinch, a Coot

2007-02-24T17:09:00.000Z

Sheffield 2

2007-02-23T05:41:00.000Z

Sheffield 1

2007-02-22T01:10:00.000Z

Having failed to get any great shots up on the moors I decided to wander round Sheffield, which has some very nice buildings both ancient and modern, and fail to get some nice pictures there too. More of these tomorrow. Oh you lucky people.

Caught up - Cavedale 3

2007-02-21T01:53:00.000Z

Last few - I have some shots from Sheffield itself for a few days next. The castle is Peveril Castle. The small white horses are sheep.

Catching up - February 20th - Cavedale 2

2007-02-21T01:47:00.000Z

Cavedale is a steep valley which heads South from Castleton (which is in the Hope Valley in Derbyshire) up onto the White Peak. At this time of the year the path is a stream. It is one of my favourite places - I think they may have shot parts of The Princess Bride here - it certainly looks like it.

Catching up - February 19th - Cavedale 1

2007-02-21T01:42:00.000Z

So we went off to Sheffield and I confidently expected to be able to find some connectivity - but no luck. This trip was the first we have ever planned specifically around taking pictures - but the sun refused to shine - I was on ISO 400 and up and still fighting to get a reasonable shutter speed.

No time again

2007-02-18T13:34:00.000Z

No time again - so here's a plant. We're off to Sheffield for a couple of days - if I can find a hot spot I may be able to keep posting - otherwise I'll catch up on Wednesday.

Cemetery

2007-02-17T17:14:00.000Z

The light was so dim and horrible today I wouldn't have bothered if it weren't for this page - so these are about composition rather than the image itself.

Birds

2007-02-16T18:39:00.000Z

Some bird pictures. I can't find a way to leave comments on Petrakka's PAD so I'll do it here. Bloody marvellous. Same for Puzzled.

I've run out of pictures now so it looks like you're in for some shots through a shop window tomorrow.

The elusive Slavonian Grebe

2007-02-15T00:01:00.000Z

Three hours in the bitter cold and all I've got to show for it is some pictures of some chavs in a dinghy.

Happy Valentine's Day ....

2007-02-14T02:10:00.000Z

.... to my wife. Love you lots.