thoughts with those that die for us, and thinking of those that are bringing new life into the world.

started blogging, then the kids took over, back later......

Lots to blog in the next month, apologies for not much blogging this month, I've been reading lots, shooting lots, working lots, and I took time out to stock up a few images. So expect some straight stuff, some street stuff, some weird stuff, and some planes?? yes planes!....the inner geek has finally made it to the surface. :-) Nothing profound to comment on, other than I finally gave in and became an iphone'r.... even I'm annoying myself with it now!.... give it a month, I'll love it or hate it..... oh did I mention this is my second one in less than a month?

Oh and there a re a few images quickly chopped together from the Air Fest in Bournemouth here at this address.... enjoy.. .....id7.co.uk/airfest09/

I liked this, I shot it, I got the settings wrong on the G10, I didn't end up with a RAW file, I got a JPG, I didn't cry.... :-) I'll shoot it again next time... thanks for stopping by....CSJ

Here is a link to the original frame ...... .....original.jpg

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I love this video: think of me, for a few days......adios....

I have been loving getting my prints done over the last couple of weeks, the impetus for this has come from necessity as I've been completing prints requested for Prom photos this year. It's kept me busy. Albeit that Jessops crapped up the prints today and gave me a full refund, oh and they gave me the crapped up prints (bonus as there was 68 - 9x6's ;-).

Anyway some are usable, and I'll make sure that I get them correctly printed. All I wanted was for them to print them with my border so that I can see the images the way I meant them to be printed, I mean they got it right last weekend, and this weekend, no!!

This image is as a result of back tracking through the last couple of months of images, and there are lots of Bulgaria / Mako / Romania, that I'd like to post. Literally shots on the move, which capture the moment for me. I would have liked to have gotten a little more in touch with my subjects on that trip, but it was a rapid journey. This is @Chromasia (twitter) - David Nightingale, as we boarded the ferry for the first leg of our trip. In hindsight the images should have been in some sort of chronological order, but like Eggleston said "I don't particularly like to identify or date my photos its just not about photography " and I guess that his meaning was; that an image is an image, and should hold its own inside or outside of the context in which it was shot, not requiring a label to add meaning.

That said, I choose to title most of my images, and try to include the exif data to give them some more meaning, but don't always hold onto the premise that I should post everything at once or in sequential order, and sometimes 'untitled', for me it makes no sense, call it photographic dyslexia.

Another cause that came to my attention today is the 'not a crime campaign that aims to raise awareness about the heavy handed approach and somewhat illegal attempts at blocking what photographers can and can't photograph. If anyone is in doubt about being pulled up in public, you may want to carry a copy of this straight from the horses mouth, a page outlining what the possible reasons are for questioning you on the street, whilst you take photos, click HERE .........'Thanks for stopping by....... CSJ

Like it or lump it, my new camera has changed the way I see. And whilst I'm stil learning the ins and outs of the functions, and its pitfalls and foibles I am really enjoying a slightly more relaxed work flow. Working in a 4:3 ratio with a 3:2 overlay is interesting, and it means it feels more like a 35mm camera than my SLR does, wierdly?.

That said most of what I have shot so far lends itself to B&W with only a few exceptions that are worthy of colour. This image was very off the cuff, and whilst there are two frames, I liked the attention at the edges of the frame, and the similar stare from the statue. I am in G10 heaven at the moment. Reading the manual, has meant that I have been able to tweak my custom settings further and today's images are my sharpest yet as a result of modifying the FOCUS points, image stabilization and ISO in favour of the lighting, working RAW and using LIGHTROOM also helped in the conversion. My next few images will be from the G10 in a much looser fashion than a lot of my previous images. It reminds me a lot of working with film..... Good times...... Thanks for stopping by ...... CSJ

There aren't too many things these days that impress me, I guess we have become so used to the changing face of image making and our expectations are a lot higher than in the past.

What I have learnt this week though from a plethora of sources is that image making can happen long before you press the shutter, the idea of light and form can occur in your minds eye long before you make an exposure. How you make that exposure depends on technique, tenacity and knowledge and a seeing eye. I watched a fascinating documentary (here) on William Eggleston, probably best known for getting Colour Photography known as an art form, and for having a reputation for photographing the 'ordinary' often 'banal' scenes of South Eastern American towns. I have to say that to many his images are misunderstood, and misinterpreted, but to me they are total genius. I would love to be able to lay down a body of work like his before I die and to be known as a guy that photographed the downright ordinary.

It hammered home to me also that over the years I've gotten to know lots of photographers and their work, but never in my life have I engaged at such a level with so many as I do now. I'm honored to be a part of the current scene, and love looking at as many blogs as I can digest, its inspiring, so thank you to you all, you know who you are...... CSJ

Not much to say about this, other than I liked what I saw, so I photographed it. Is that ok? ...... CSJ

Today was all about not being beaten. OK admittedly I'd given into the pressure of going with the family to IKEA of all places, and whilst I'm not normally adverse to a portion of retail therapy, today for some reason (probably my cold, and the fact I missed the gaypride carnival in Bournemouth) I wasn't especially fussed about going. Anyway I did, and I rather got my hopes up that I'd be in time for an IKEA breakfast, a small but yet rewarding way to make up for the negative of actually being there.

But low and behold we were not served a delicious breakfast, albeit that they'd served the person in front of us, and that they had trays of breakfast fodder left lying there, no we were denied because we were 10mins after the 'deadline', so it was meatballs or meatballs, or bread.... and folks its got to be said that when your tummy craves a full english breakfast, I'm afraid bread wins over especially at 11.10am!!! grrrr.

Anyway we were in there for 3hrs, and it wasn't until i got home I realized I hadn't shot a single frame during the trip out. I was now on a mission to achieve at least one frame that I was happy with. G10 in hand, coffee shop on the horizon, and a willing Fin, we headed out. Glad really because in a raw 3x2 ratio (inspired by Werner Bishof) fashion I achieved a few loose frames that I could see an image in. I smiled and went home.

Thanks for stopping by ...... CSJ

So I've had the G10 a while now, but haven't had that many personal opportunities to let it loose. I have mostly shot family and parties so far. That said I have sold a few frames, which I rattled off at some PROMS I recently photographed.

I love its compact form and power. If I had any complaint its that the sensor has a noise issue above 400iso, but I am still very happy to blog those images at 900px max on screen so expect to see a few.

Those of you that know my work will already realize I'm not a sunshine person, I would actually prefer a shot of something in the rain than a chocolate box picture if I can help it (I mean I have a few, we all do). But give me bright and overcast any day of the week. Sounds terrible to wish the summer away, the kids love it. But I can't help and wonder that the interesting characters just melt away during the summer, and crawl out again during the winter down here in Poole. I prefer autumn / winter street photography anyway, and I think this is where the G10 will come into its own. Well I hope so anyway.

This image was caught of my daughter whilst we were out picking some fruit (trying to kill time on a long weekend), and whilst it looks all happy and shiny, the underlying issue here was that she had trodden in wet mud up to her ankles and was having a hissy fit at us for making her go fruit picking. She stomped off to the car straight after this frame.... happy times....

Thanks for stopping by ...... CSJ