So that was a challenge, but it seems for the foreseeable future I am locked into this older version of the engine that drives this site. Never mind. It works and it works well, I just don't like being left behind. So to that end I'm going to recode the entire site offline and make it work in the newer platform, then bring it online when its perfect. That was it, back to business as usual.

This image was caught down a side street in Poole at the back of the old Iron Mongers on the highstreet, just after the fire earlier in the year, which ripped through the neighbouring building. I thought we'd lost this shop, but luckily we hadn't. Its one of the last traditional old shops on the highstreet, a vritable aladdins cave of nic naks...

It reminds me of an old shop I used to go to when I was younger and living in WGC, the name slips my mind but it too had everything....

I decided to drop this image to black and white using hte channel mixer and the red channel as the image itself contained a lot of red. The rest of the sdjustments were in the curves, and a tone added on the yellow channel of one of these curves....csj

Update: A friend has just told me the the shops name I used to visit was Kershaws in WGC... ah the old days! ;-) csj

I don't have much to say about this, but at the time when I saw this object, it dawned on me that all tourist custom had finished for another 6 months for this trade, and it inspired me to look in more detail at the moored up ferries, along the coast, and wondered what these people do for the rest of the year?

This was a "maybe" shot that I had looked at and worked on but wasn't sure whether I was going to post.

But I did.

First day back at work today, and there was an air of energy, which is good to hear, but lets see if it lasts. I hope so.

OK so tonights post has been inspired by my best online critic, I say online coz I have a lot of critics (bless you all). Dave from Chromasia went all 'retro' last week and posted up some old prints.

So instead of blatently copying that idea, I went for a retro styled image.....

You see what I done there... ;-)

Anyway I used to teach processes, historic processes, I used to walk around like a chemist with scales, and a box of chemicals, every nitrate, sulphate, and bichromate under the sun, and it was great fun to teach, very dynamic, free, and experimental. I really enjoyed it. I lost my chemicals on a Saturday in London, thats a long story, and one I won't bore you with here.

Anyway back to the image, its simply a 'sun print' using cyanotype chemicals mixed fresh, and coated / dried onto watercolour paper. I used the "Keepers of Light" a difficult'ish book to get hold of, (Mel got a copy last xmas for me) and its fantastic.

Don't forget if you need to brush up on Photoshop, take the link to the right >>> and try some of the 'bargain' tutorials over at my good friends Chromasia.com.....enjoy ;-)

Last week was a top week for ID7, we had an enormous amount of visits, and referrals from some top sites, the best of which came from Chromasia. The comments were most welcomed, and it was nice to know that we weren't posting for a zero viewer count.

The trick I guess now is to maintain the viewers' interest in the subject matter, stick to what I know how to do , and just keep doing it.

All the best sites stick to a feel and seem to maintain interest, I guess on the basis that the viewing public are there for a reason, they like what they like.

So keep it fresh and adaptable but dont stray too far from your "mission statement".

This image was caught in the entrance to my work place, and was just begging to have a picture taken. I have modified the hue slightly, and used a curve to increase the contrast. I hope you like it.

Oh and this one looks nice against the white style...

It must have been some kind of wierd coincidence, but I'd been chatting with Dave from Chromasia, and had replied to an email where I'd told him that I was lacking in motivation ,and inspiration.

Well the weekend passed but unbenownst to me he had replied to my email and had commented that I should take some time out, minimise my subject matter and work on a single subject and I quote "smoke".

Well it just freaked me out that that is exactly what I had done over the weekend without even reading his email. I mean of all the subjects to choose. I have to say Dave that email tripped me out this morning!!!

Anyways heres another from the series, this one I beleive is the strongest. Comments would be nice but it dont matter... ;-)

This image for the Thursday Photo theme GLASS, was Film scan from my early formative years with my camera, whilst living in digs in Plymouth, not an overly inspiring image, in a way its very immature in terms of technique and lighting, materials used, and compostition, but I still like it enough to bother scanning it, and editing it. Some images just do that to me.. I guess.