THAT SAD TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

THE TWO MINUTES SILENCE

Attended the local Remembrance Day parade this year. It was a grand turn out with many more people attending than usual, obviously the Afghan war has had an effect on people. More so this year because a local lad has recently returned from the front minus a leg and half a hand. Chris, a cheeky happy lad who played football in the same team as my eldest Grandson attended the service to pay tribute to three of his comrades who were killed in the explosion that has maimed him.



I became very angry at the end of the service, when after the British Legion M.C. quite rightly paid a tribute and thanks to Chris for his sacrifice, then in almost the same breath congratulated and thanked our local M.P. for attending the service and asked the crowd to show their appreciation for him representing the constituency over the years. The same M.P. who lives closer to Westminster than I do, which is 14 miles, and has claimed the full expenses for a second home in London for most of that time, and will be retiring at the next general election with a substantial 'Golden Handshake'.



There is no justice in this world.



Took a dozen or so photos one of which is posted above.

ALL DONE AND DUSTED

'A Double Take on Photography' at Osterley Park closed yesterday. The total attendance over the 10 half days it was open was 508, a result that pleased both Phil Drake and myself, immensely, especially when the total for the first two days was 19!

Comprising all age groups it was interesting to note that the visitors split roughly into three main groups, 50% casual callers, 30% photographers, and 20% self confessed Art Lovers, i.e.painters, and watercolourists. No one expressed disappointment that it was an exhibition wholly of Black and White images. In fact the reverse was true, it proved an eyeopener for some that B+W was still practised; that was mainly amongst the non-photographic fraternity, and quite often the remark was made that B+W had more impact than colour.

The fact that Osterley Park is a National Trust site meant that there was a good sprinkling of overseas visitors, with people from France predominating.

One or two other observations,

• Women look more closely than men.
  
• Non photographers ask more detailed questions than photographers.
  
• People are interested in 'where the photograph was taken'.


• The fact that no photographs were titled didn't bother anyone.


• Infrared fascinated most people.

For anyone thinking of mounting an exhibition of their work I would thoroughly recommend it, it's hard work and it can be expensive, but discussing your work on a face to face basis with an on the whole appreciative audience is as satisfying as it gets.

SEEMS AGES SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.

Well it is really! Now let me see what's happened since the 50+ anniversary?

Had a day out with the old DCM group, now the CC group, at Speakers' Corner. I think everyone enjoyed it, and made them feel more at ease taking people pictures, mind you it's not difficult doing that there. So CC site was inundated with images from our visit there.

Strangely enough I had an Email from a gent who has been going there for the past 50 years and is collating a book on the history of the place and wants to include some of my images in it, looking forward to meeting him there in a couple of weeks time.

Getting ready for the forthcoming exhibition I'm sharing with Phil Drake at Osterley Park during the last two weeks of this month in a small gallery next to Osterley House called the Garden Gallery.

Publicity going well for the event, got a mention in B+W Photography, most of the web sites, local press and magazines, surrounding clubs and organisations.

One fly in the ointment was PhotoRadar who refused to list it in their news items, their excuse was I didn't have a gallery on their site, and no-one would know me, despite having a gallery on DCM with some 100 or so images generating over 2500 comments before I took it off. Still there is more than one way to skin a cat.

All the prints are done, mounted, and framed all by own fair hand. Just the titles and info panels to be finalised. Then it's the OFF!

50 +

Celebrated our 50th. wedding anniversary last weekend by taking the whole family for a few days down to Devon. The weather was great sunshine all the way, and having the kids and grand kids all together made it quite memorable.

Didn't spend much time with the camera, although having the free run of the farm presented plenty of opportunity to try and put a few landscapes in the bag. Resisted the chance to take a few back-lit sheep, but couldn't keep away from the fishpond.

Slap-up meals out on the Saturday and Sunday evenings, with a fair quantity of wine and beer finished it off perfectly. Here's to the Diamond celebrations. Perhaps I'll get the hang of landscapes by then!

MORE INFRARED.

Well had a good day on Saturday down at Hampton Court, the light was just right, and now I've learned to set the white balance things are looking up.

Still not sure where I/R fits into things, it's a bit of a cheat really. The effect it gives make an ordinary shot have something a bit more to it, and but it's a bit like B+W, you need to set out with I/R in mind. As an old mate says, it brings out the Chocolate Box effect very well. I would think it would have a customer appeal if you set out to sell pictures. A thought for the future.

INFRARED CONTINUED

I'm seeing everything in I/R at the moment, but none of it is too good. The images I brought back from the Peak District were nothing startling and a day out yesterday didn't show too much promise.

One thing I've learned is to get the White Balance right, which is something I hadn't done previously. No a great fan of I/R colour, but adding a small percentage of toning in Lightroom adds a little something to the image.

A whole new learning curve.

INFRARED

THE CAFE ROUGE

Finally succumbed to the latest fad, infrared. Used to do it quite a lot way back in the old film days. I liked the buzz developing it with baited breath to see if worked, and if so was there anything worthwhile. I entered a panel in an exhibition, which got accepted, with the cheesy title "In a different light".


I've had my first digital , a Sony A100, converted, and went out with it today for the first time. Reasonably pleased, lot of work to do to get it right. I've put a landscape on Flickr to see if there is any response.



I liked this one, it seems to have an old American feel to it.

http://www.alanabercrombieimages.co.uk

WEBSITE UPDATE

Well after a few weeks faffing about I finally launched the updated web site last week. Notified those that had kindly left a comment on the old one and was pleased to find 80+ hits and a few more comments on the updated one.

http://www.alanabercrombieimages.co.uk

Waiting to hear that my old A100 has been converted to infra red. I used to enjoy I/R with film and am looking forward to using it digitally. I find colour I/R totally unsatisfactory so as usual all my attempts will be in mono.

Visited Silverprint today for the first time to buy some storage boxes and was fascinated to see the range of materials they have there. Even saw a book by Randall Webb of Richmond & Twickenham PS fame.

Got a load of stuff ready for the B+W Photo Mag Photographer of the Year, not much hope there as they seem to be interested in what they deem 'Art' photography. Still we live in hope.

A DAY OUT AT LAST

Went to my old stamping ground yesterday, Speakers' Corner. Had a great time. The congregation of a local evangelical church was there, singing hymns with all the gusto that one associates with that branch of the Christian faith.

I was saved for Jesus, took some doing I can tell you, blessed by the Catholics, welcomed by the Muslims, now I'm sure to get into one heaven or other. Not too sure if I will know anyone when I get there!

DISAPPOINTING RESULT

The postman delivered a parcel yesterday from Edinburgh. In it were eight prints all returned as rejections for the Edinburgh International Exhibition, not one acceptance which I find disappointing. No letter inside, no judges marks on the back of any print, just eight prints. I'll be interested to see what standard of prints were accepted. Never mind, some you win some you lose!

I have to applaud their efficiency. Entry cheque cashed within days, prints returned with a fortnight, unlike the Havant Exhibition where the entry cheque hasn't been cashed after two months, makes you wonder if they have lost both the cheque and the prints, when both were delivered by hand!