The spring garden
The fresh leaves and the sunshine invited my camera out into the garden. In particular, to record the spiky tulips that Frances has grown in pots. I wanted to capture them before they wither. They are a powerful pink. More Gay Pride than common-or-garden. The other red and yellow tulips looked up to them, because…
What I am learning about digital photography
I am more than half way through my Open University TG089 course on digital photography. It has changed the way I ‘produce images’ and my knowledge of the Fujifilm XA-7 that I use. For a start, it showed that I have a problem with camera shake in low light images. I found I could resolve…
The Sinclair ZX was where it started
The obituaries for Sir Clive Sinclair and the media commentary on the origins of personal computing prompted me to remember how I became a relatively early adopter of personal IT. I think my youngest brother Terry was given a Sinclair ZX as a present but rapidly lost interest. I took it over and started buying…
Why is HP ink so expensive?
The cost of printing the image on the right is prohibitive. And yet that is the best way to see how successful the image is in terms of focus and exposure. I took direction from Which magazine and tried a couple of sites that sell their version of HP cartridges. The savings were not huge.…
Treaty Centre fieldwork
My analysis of the Treaty Centre last week needed some field work. I made a tour of the interior of the Treaty Centre to look for signs of businesses suffering and how the space was being used. The entrance area before the sliding doors has market-type stalls selling fruit & vegetables. The area is flanked…
Treaty Centre trouble
Like other retail spaces, Hounslow’s Treaty Centre has endured a tough trading period since the first Covid lockdown in March 2020. It lost its ‘anchor tenant’ Debenhams in May 2021 when the company could not find a buyer. Marketing of the Treaty Centre in the commercial property press emphasised the value of Debenhams on the…
A print run of one
I suppose it may be classified as ‘vanity publishing’ but I would encourage any photographer to produce a book of photos by ‘print on demand’ company Blurb.co.uk My experience shows it has sharpened my photography and provided a handy sized means of showing my photography. There is a big difference between posting photos to Instagram,…
Belonging in cities?
It is a great conceit that only one kind of people can lay claim to any urban space. Yet that conceit is central to urban life and how cities change. I have just seen a documentary on the life of legendary dancer, singer, spy, civil rights activist Josephine Baker. On my bedroom wall I have…
Blogging begins here!
Oh, the ambition! Launching my prose into the blogosphere with the fervent wish for conversation and enlightenment.