Wednesday Rumblings

Sometime ago I wanted to visit Egypt.  The history, tourist sites, heat and fancy foods all attracted.  Now, I canny be bothered going anywhere.  That said, Egypt, seen here from space, is an interesting phenomenon in many ways.  The ancient history, fancy writing, and those huge pyramids let alone the architecture built by pharaoh this and pharaoh that.  All worth viewing.  

Egypt today is once again run by a dictatorial regime, but can you run such a country any other way?  The vast majority of the populace are young, jobs few, conditions not good, and opportunities up and down.   What hope for the future outside of history?  That appears to be all Egypt produces.  There is agriculture, though whether any arrives here in the UK since the absurdity of Brexit I doubt.  There is Natural Gas, coal and oil, but the poor do not benefit, as 'trickle down' works in Egypt as well as it works anywhere else.  Some very rich Egyptians as well as very poor ones.

Now Islamic, once a powerhouse of Christianity with only vestiges left, and the Coptic Christians, going back many centuries, suffer needless abuse by Islam.  

Egypt guards the Suez canal, a wealth creator if ever there was one, and surely one of the most important waterways in the world?  We saw recently how one ship blocked the canal for a few days and disrupted China's economy by ding so!  

Egypt is a powerful nation in the region, a very large army which keeps itself above the rest.  Always ready to take over government when called upon, and even when not called!  

Egypt is well worth a guided tour if you can keep the hawkers away.

Tunbridge Wells Train Station. Photographer Neil Nevinson, 1950s.

Why is it that pictures like this, taken in the 1950s can be so simple yet so good?  If I try to take this picture it will be very different.  OK, the camera and lens will make a difference, but even so the fact that it is dated, black & white, and the outfits also of a differing age all present a view that varies from anything we can capture today.  

Adverts ought to have a special rate of tax added to them.  The more deceitful they are the higher the tax!  Take this one, three flimsy pathetic non foods, add a few pieces of rounded cardboard and wow, something worth looking at!  All lies!  And apart from what is in the meat, what is the cheese made out off?  We will not ask about the bun.

I got an email regarding the Gas today.  Like the recent Electric one it was forcing a new tariff upon me, a more expensive one, to save me when costs rise soon, while celebrating costs coming down now.  I smell a rat.  Indeed I went for the change, is there an alternative?  I checked the increases, all the while noting prices are falling yet my costs rise.  If the Labour Party was a Labour Party it would be bringing this nonsense to an end, but they will not.  It is clear that this Labour Party is for the  business word, thon billionaire who started 'Phones4U' (if that is the correct name) is now donating to Labour because they are for business instead of the workers.  A true conservative party!  

We have been taken over by a right wing coup, big business, often in the USA or Saudi have made use of the mess we are in to force the Farage's upon us, divide the nation, give us Brexit and now Freeports and SEZs.  Prices will rise, wages stagnate, more social problems lie ahead under Labour.  This may not affect Scotland so much but now we know how the SNP has not got independence in sight, in spite of the latest manifesto.  Deviants and weirdo's may be OK under the SNP but independence is far from important.  The middle class Scot shows his comfort lies in Westminster. 

Gray Edinburgh

After sunny days, most of them missed by me, I wander out today under gray leaden skies with a chilly wind annoying.  I suppose we will have snow sooner than April.  
This is annoying as I have to spend the next couple of day cleaning the place.  My niece is bringing her boyfriend on Sunday (Sunday with football on?) for some reason.  She comes once a year to see if I am alive and if there is any money, she is disappointed in both.
So tomorrow I must finish the bathroom work, the sinks, dust everywhere, then hoover the dust piles, polish woodwork, tidy books and other things lying around, iron shirts, wash others first, put out the rubbish and open the windows.  
I am worn out already.
If luck is with me I will force feed them in a local cafe, if it is open and if it is not crowded with the local ageing Mods who gather there occasionally with their scooters.  That saves giving them e.coli and time and effort.  
But what is she after this time?

 
Because of the work done on our behalf by the noble parliamentarians the Parliamentary Standards Authority has given them a 2.7%pay rise, around £2000 each.  This means they will be getting just under £80,000 a year each.  Now personally I consider that small beer for an MP.  People who decide Law and routine purposes in life ought to be rewarded with a great deal more than that.  I would suggest a minimum of around £150,000 -£200,000 for such employment.  Of course with a nation under austerity that would not be appropriate, however that would not stop this lot, and such a rise would be unworkable in today's situation.  Also so many of these 'workers' have other jobs.  Lawyers take time of to make ten times their salary on a case, doctors run off to rip of private patients and almost all have 'directorships' that bring in the cash for little effort bar their name on the headed paper.  The advantage of bigger wages would be by tempting in those who earn a great deal more now in their employment, even if they were only MPs for five years or so.  The present lot have sold out for or against Brexit and have little self awareness to take a stand on any principle of any kind.  As such I am not sure they deserve a wage increase and new blood, with principles would be good to have.

    
There is something bout old photographs that are catching.  I refer to pictures of places you once knew.  Here is Edinburgh, 'Up the Bridges' as we used to call it near Tron Church, where lots of major stores once wasted much of my mothers time.  I like such photos as we can compare how things have changed and yet over a hundred years on they remain the same.  
My dad would have been two years of age at this time, 1910, the world was advancing in so many ways, scientifically, socially, economically and it is clear from the picture three men have done reasonably well out of things so far.  I wonder who they were?  How come they can stroll along during working hours while others, on little pay, work?  It is clearly summer, the old man is wearing an overcoat, the younger ones are not.  Watch chains protrude from the waistcoats, hats are worn indicating class, successful men but in what I wonder.
The buildings remain the same I guess, shop names change, goods change but the basic function remains as always commercial.  The lighting will have improved, surely that is gas lighting but how would the 'Leerie' get up that high?  Could it be early electric street lighting?  The cobbled streets are famous in Edinburgh, especially on the northern side where snow aids the buses as they slither down through Stockbridge on frozen cobbles.  The traffic however is considerably less, walking there would result in a few words from a bus driver and the horse and cart is now replaced with 7.5 ton vehicles delivering goods.  
Many changes but instantly recognisable and made me cogitate for a while.

Life is Black and White.

I came across this evocative picture today and had to stop and seek out others.  This is one of the great Bert Hardy photographs and all are well worth a browse.
Bert Hardy was born in Southwark before the Great War and was to become famous for his work in 'Picture Post' magazine during the 40's and 50's.  Before the days of TV news reporting came from short 'Pathe' or 'Gaumont' newsreels in local cinema's, the only alternative fro those seeking pictures was magazines like the 'Picture Post,' a magazine that brought many famous photographers to fame.  

Bert took many pictures around London offering a view of the people he grew up amongst.  During the war he even climbed to the top of one of those long fireman's ladder to photograph the inside of burning buildings during the blitz.  This was the first time his name was added to the pictures, usually the photographer's name was omitted.  His pictures, clearly some posed, do offer a caring view of Londoners at the time.

'Picture Post' began to slide after the war when television began to arrive.  There was also trouble from an article by James Cameron accompanied by Hardy photographs taken in Korea during the war there.  This did not give a one sided view of the conflict and indicated one side was as bad a the other.  Soon afterwards the editor departed and sales began to drop.  By 1957 the magazine folded but TV was then dominant in the land.

Hardy served time in the army as a war photographer landing in France on D-Day and eventually reaching Belsen.  He then went to the Far East.  After the war he returned to the magazine until the end and for a while dallied with advertising pictures but in 1964 he retired and became a farmer.  Hardy died in 1995.

Bert Hardy was one of the great documentary photographers, few can match him.  His black and white pictures, taken often in dangerous places, will catch the eye for many years to come.  It is a shame there are so few books around filled with his pictures.

Old Photos

Stupidity runs in our family.  I fear for my idiot nephew if he has inherited the genes that have caused s much distress in this world.  I mean I sat for some time tonight fretting that I could not get BBC Scotland to work properly on my laptop.  There are two options and neither worked.  It took me some time to realise that what I was looking for was not taking place.  I wanted the Scotland v Hungary match live and I was indeed in the right place for this it is just that this is Monday night and the game takes place on Tuesday!
This is not the first time I have not realised what day it is.  Indeed the clocks went forward on Sunday and as I awoke I heard the man on the radio give the time, I therefore rose and some time later realised all the clocks were an hour behind.  It took about an hour before I realised the clocks had gone forward and I didn't know.
I wonder if matron will keep me in this week...?  

I had to look out a photo for a friend, OK for an acquaintance, and found several somewhat dingy pictures taken at the beach one pink sky night many years ago.  I wonder if I used the 'Zorki 4' but I suspect this was the 'Zenit 'E'' that my brother gave me.  A wonderful camera which was dying long before I got my mitts on it.  However it gave me much fun and sometimes properly exposed pictures, and the results of our time at the seaside was good considering the pinkish twilight.  

Browsing old photos can be a daunting experience.  While many good memories and people appear there are also many faces, some long forgotten, who bring memories not always pleasant back to mind.  Long lost loves, I have hundreds, good people who have moved or passed on, good places now altered for ever and bad places that still haunt the mind.  One unfortunate aspect is the undeniable fact that this shows me forty years have passed and I have wasted much of that time, this is one of the problems of getting old.

 
Another problem is the old albums as they fall apart.  Glue used on pics dies and photos fall out, those plastic covers on some albums, the covers that are supposed to keep the pictures there for ever have faded and come lose and whenever the album is lifted several minutes pass as a search under the furniture for fallen pictures ensues.  Of course once they are all digitalised this will not be a problem, unless the 'delete' button is hit by mistake.
Right, now I have left a morose emotion in your head I will retire to contemplate my naval while seeking sleep.  I need sleep for my mind requires much input from nourishment and sleep these days.  

Bored

 

Having chosen to remain indoors, once I had nipped out for breakfast, I have been struggling to find decent pictures form what little lies around me, hence starry fruit!  I wondered what that button would do.

   

What do you mean "I think you've had enough sir?"

Playing with the buttons has many effects, especially the effects that make me spend time trying to work out what went wrong!  How many folks have had one of these beauties?  I suppose everyone had a ''Brownie' camera at one time, some of you old enough to have had a 'Box Brownie' I suspect! 

The only one I actually used was the Minolta, a bargain at £125 from a shop in North Finchley many years ago.  How many blurred, distorted, obscure, wrongly exposed and totally naff pictures did I take with that camera?  It was fun mind!  

I suppose most pictures today are taken on mobile phones, and the majority of them are 'selfies' by wee girls exposing themselves for young men to take notice.  I remain unsure that 'selfies' are a good thing myself.  While I understand their use I reckon far too many of these are taken at the wrong time and in the wrong place. 

Maybe I'm just jealous.

The 'Glums' agree with me...

A Miscellany

I have spent time attempting to clear up all the stuff abandoned in the last few weeks.  This was not helped by having to work yesterday afternoon when 60 charming kids came into the shop.  All well behaved and keen but having to deal with so many takes two of us.  This only lasted an hour or so but left us worn out and mentally drained, and that is dangerous when there is little to start with.
Still the kids spent nearly £3 each and that helps the museum remain open.  This is good as the Magna Carta exhibit brings in so many but we really require things local folks can identify with.  I spent some time today typing up paperwork left by a get together of folks who once worked in one of our past industries.  Some began work  in 1934 at ten shillings and sixpence a week, and they only worked every second week!  In those days women who married left work, or were forced to leave work, and single girls took their place.  It made for a turnover of staff but appears a bit daft to me.  Understandable if they have kids and should look after them but as a matter of rule it is a bit daft.

Would you believe I stopped there last night and then watched Scotland's latest debacle against Poland and forgot all about this.  Mind it was getting late and there was less to write about than I had already written which says something.

I am desperate to get out and practice some photography as I realise I need practice!   Looking at others pictures makes mine look inadequate therefore I need to get out and about but this has not been possible lately.  However I am away for a few days next week and have purchased a cheap android to see if I can put stuff up.  So far it works in many things but not Blogger, typical!  We shall see later if it works.  I may be amongst the wealthy, where the lifeboat poses the houses now cost several million a go, but I doubt I will be invited in for tea.  I did get an invite to a wedding, black tie and rich folks abounding, but have turned it down as I would look like Jeremy Corbyn amongst them and I would not upset the bride.  The twenty mile walk home late at night puts me off also.

One thing I hate is people posting pictures of their lunch!  At breakfast, lunch, in a coffee shop or watching the innumerable bloody awful rigged baking shows these folks have to post pictures of what is in front of them.  I thought about this as I looked into the stew that gurgles away on the stove.  It's food, nothing else, it either feeds you or doesn't, why post pictures every five minutes of what you eat?  There are those who every night reveal their tea to us, I refuse to look or indeed answer, whether on facebook or Twitter as I may say something offensive.  
The things people post on those 'social sites' sometimes appear strange to me.  One lass often posts one or two words as if she is answering a question.  Her 2000 may be as confused as I when she posts 'Tuesday!'  Especially when it is Sunday.   If not pictures of lunch one posts those absurd posters telling people to 'Be kind to one another,' or 'Be happy and accept others, they are just like you' yet when someone lets their dogs leavings remain on the street or doesn't say 'Thank you' she screams blue murder.  Maybe she doesn't read her posts.  Christians are just as bad, ten posting saying different things all of which go over the head or clash.  
I should say at this point that everything I post is suitable for use by each and everyone, all is relevant and never do |I repeat myself, never do I repeat myself.  Some nasty grouch may of course disagree but it is best to ignore such as they.

As I chopped up the veg for the stew, wiping away the blood that follows from actually using a sharp knife, I played a 'YouTube' Beatles miscellany.  This struck me as quieter than the 'Who' track, 'Won't get fooled again,' that I played earlier.  Both revealed a problem with YouTube and Win 10, the sound here is not as good as it was on Win 7.  Quite why this ought to be I know not but clearly it 'rasps' periodically through the song with can disturb the teenage angst that fills Beatles earlier work.  
At Tynecastle Park one day long ago as we waited the beginning of the reserve match against somebody or other the Tannoy played the Beatles 'Eight Days a Week.'  This upset Mattie Chambers the head groundsman.  He muttered about the music and offered his opinion in a full and frank manner and raced inside to fix it.  Montgomery, the assistant groundsman and others objected as this they thought was the music folks wished to hear.  A scratching sound was soon replaced with a ballad type song and a happier head groundsman.  How I identify with him when I hear the drivel that passes for music today.  Surely there is a deep crevasse somewhere suitable for Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift?


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Study Day.

All day Friday we had a study day.  The museum now requires to place all the stock onto digital photos so that we can show them online, cover insurance and just keep a record of the item.  So a group of us were tutored by Sarah an excellent professional at this sort of thing and excellent photographer and a great deal was learned.  Naturally she exposed my lack of understanding of this computer controlled camera, my lack of knowledge and several other faults - then we began.

 
Sarah began by making us use things on the camera some of us had never known about, even the wee cameras were full of tricks.  Naturally I had heard of all these things mentioned years ago but had never used them, white Balance, metering mode, ISO and such things but in the days of twisting lenses and twiddling knobs it was all different and I rarely made use of what little I thought I knew, and it showed.  However computerising everything is easier when you remember what to do and when to do it.  All to often this means hitting the Auto button!  We all had such fun wondering what was going on and attempting to find the items she indicated on the cameras.  As we had several different types of various ages and various makes there was some confused expressions as we pressed buttons and let out exclamations.  The most used one was 'HELP!'  All her info and advice sounded so easy but was not so easy to put into practice especially when you take regard for the motley collection struggling to get the brain in gear.

  
It was an instructive time and after we had cooled down and walked around to clear our heads we did the practical side of things.  When we came to actually photographing different types of items we saw the problems writ large.  This beast here looks OK in this picture, it reveals the shape but the colour is very different from the original.  This would not do for recording purposes.  None of the seven or eight pictures gave proper rendition of the colour.  The white background was worse making the object merely black!  The white balance trick, the spot metering trick and pressing the wrong button trick were all tried and but failed to give satisfaction.  
The coin was a laugh, for the others!  I could not get the Macro to work on my camera, the two girls did with no problems and that is Sarah's effort with the coin.  Their cameras worked well, not mine, bah!  When I did get the Macro to work my hand shook, possibly with rage, and the effort was worthless.  It did however show the difficulties of the simple job of photographing objects for museum purposes.  

We learned a great deal from this and once we find suitable undiscovered space we can start taking the photos.  We ought to have completed the job by 2150!   I spent ages attempting to picture the mirror without any reflections.  Naturally the thing looks blank without a reflection so I had to find one.  I don't think I would spend cash on this myself judging by that photo.  
An enjoyable day even though I felt rotten early on as the bug was bugging me but I managed to stay awake long enough to see out the day.  I have therefore spent today lounging around hiding away from the world and also the sunshine which has shown up again today.  How nice to have nothing that must be done today, not even a blog, er, oops .         

A Spectacle at the Museum

This morning I trudged round to Specsavers to collect the new glasses.  An attractive and efficient young blonde lass ensured both pairs were the correct ones and that they fitted correctly.  She also resisted somewhat too willingly my invitation to 'do my ironing,' not the first woman in this town to react this way.  

The one pair are for outside, these are good and also react to sunlight.  Now this appears to be somewhat needless in the UK but I find myself screwing my eyes up on those occasions when the sun does shine.  Naturally the dim gray lenses make me look a bit like Roy Orbison (ask your mum kids).  The other pair are more difficult.  I can see perfectly up to six inches from my nose, after that it fails somewhat.  I have glasses for the laptop but when looking at the TV or other side of the room I can see poorly.  There fore I wanted a third pair for in between.  This is however not allowed these days in case I use them for driving!  Pah!  So I got 'varifocal' lenses which in theory allow me to see the laptop and the other side of the mess that is my home.  I am not sure I like them.  To see properly the eye must hit exactly on the spot of the lens, in real life this is difficult.  We will give it a go and  see what we can see, or not see as is the case.  

Never, since I got my first pair of glasses when about twelve years old have I ever got them right!  I do manage to make a right er, spectacle of myself in opticians.  What appears right at the time appears not quite right later.  Bah!  The staff were good however, a huge number appear to work there and the service is good so I cannot complain.  The actual optician, or whatever name they go under now, was an excellent lass, very competent, vary helpful and knew her stuff.  It is always me that wonders if I did the right thing.  Now I feel the word 'Bifocal' should have come to mind when being examined, that might have been a better idea.  "Shut the gate, the horse has bolted!"

The order came through the other day to report at eleven sharp to the museum today on pain of death, at least.  Knowing my masters and having seen glimpses of strange and savage medieval punishment instruments stored therein I dutifully obeyed.  The purpose was to have a group photograph taken in connection with an upcoming event.  This event I tried to avoid but a quick Chinese burn from the boss enabled me to willingly accept the invitation.  Therefore I arrived in good time, spoke kindly to one another also on the premises and sought out the woman in charge.  Naturally something went wrong.  The photographer was arriving from the local newspaper, except he was based fifteen miles away.  Naturally he was called to something else and a feeble excuse was given us.  As I headed for the door I was lassoed back and forced to work checking the preliminary panels for the exhibition, this at least was worth while as I found two spelling mistakes.  The foto I did not wish to be in however.  It is one thing to take pictures, another to take pictures of people but I see my role as in the background where I belong, preferably in a cupboard in the corner.  However we must be pictured for publicity she cries!  Publicity is not something I seek, I mean what if the police see it for a start?  No, no, let me hide and put the lassies forward.  No luck, Miss Bossy Boots found the museum camera and, after three attempts, managed to obtain a picture she things good enough for the paper.  I had turned round but a sharp elbow brought me back into the picture so to speak.  Thereafter it was back to the panels and searching for mistakes.  No more indeed and they do look very good I say!  

Eventually I was freed by the simple expedient of slipping out the back door when the back was turned.  At home I discovered I had another long note to add to what I was (badly) working on so I made the decision to have lunch and fall asleep.

I chose wisely I say.

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Sorting Out files

Trieris, a replica of an Athenian ship.

Computers are wonderful machines, this wee laptop I use these days can be quite slow but it does the job.  I should say it may be slow but that is because I am listening to the radio at the same time and some things go slow.  One reason it is slow may well be the amount of stuff on it, therefore I have spent the entire day wandering through the files deleting things in preparation for downloading onto disc the items I wish to keep or don't require often.  I discovered the other day my pictures were somewhat messed up.  That is I had doubles and trebles of some, others had moved to other files by themselves, honest, and many left me completely baffled as to why they were put there in the first place.  

   Oxford Street 1897

Some of the pics were quite interesting, this one appeared from somewhere, who knows where, but shows a different view of Oxford Street than that seen today.  You will note some obvious similarities, rain, crowded pavements, shops, and generally dreary appearance overall.  The main difference I suppose it that the photographer can stand in the middle of the road and remain alive....if indeed he did remain alive!

Flitch Way

Some pictures reminded me that Spring sunshine is not far away, well in theory anyway.  I am also reminded that I used to cycle every day, now hardly ever. The weather is against it, icy cold today and looking likely to stay that way all week, the energy appears lacking and the desire also. As the mornings get lighter my desire will return.  Then I rise from beneath the duvet and seek the bright lights outside, unless it rains of course!  The cycling early in the morning, before dog walkers and folks heading for work arise, is enjoyable.  If I go out earlier all sorts of people block the way, hinder my progress and selfishly consider themselves entitled to be there, as if!  

   
This is a self portrait by Lady Clementina something or other, a lass who took to photography in the middle of the nineteenth century.  If I could remember more I would tell you what it is but my dim mind tells me she took pictures of her friends, and women dressed like that make very good photographs, but from her Kensington home she made the most of her hobby.  You had to be amongst the wealthy to be a photographer in those days.  The cost of the camera, the glass negatives, the time and staff required to develop the pictures all combined to make photography very expensive indeed.  George Eastman, and those like him, did the world a huge service by developing his 'Box Brownie' and other cheap cameras. The delight of seeing a successful photograph, no matter how inept to a professional, is just that a delight!

Most of my time however was spent amending the huge amount of Great War pictures that somehow got split into a variety of places.  So many duplicates, so many I canny mind obtaining.  The laptop is not the easiest machine for a hamfisted eejit to operate and the files kept disappearing into one another. This led to more confusion as I fought to get them back where they belonged only to find I had confused two similar files.  Like hitting your head on a brick wall it was so good when it was all over, at least I hope it is now.

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Sunset

As the sun went down in the west, one goes down there each night there must be loads of them lying about there, I wandered abroad attempting to find a photograph.  Why?  I was bored of sitting inside and wanted to be with people. The only difficulty taking pictures this late afternoon?  People, they kept getting in the way!  Bah!  Who needs people after all?  There is something about the sky at twilight.  It is different every night yet almost the same, but not quite. You can take a picture from the same spot 365 days of the year and each would be different, except of course in Edinburgh where it would show rain two days out of three!  

Stained glass windows are quite attractive if seen in the right light.  From outside this one in the old town hall looks attractive but is hard to picture with the lights behind.  From inside with the sun shining on the window it looks magnificent as you ascend the great stairway.  Built in 1926 the old town hall was indeed a prestigious building and much money was thrown at it!  Used for events now and the council are housed elsewhere. 

BBC

It is interesting to see PR in action.  The BBC news appears to be helping Nigella get her life sorted by offering several people who inform us how much she suffered through the recent court case.  The prosecutions tale that she used drugs and allowed the accused PA's to spend £685,000 on themselves with her credit cards to avoid publicity harming her chances in the USA has resulted in the accused being freed and Nigella being seen as , well herself!  So instead of this slapper cook we have instead a woman as false as we all thought she was. How some will be happy with this!  Myself I am just glad we might lose a cook from the screen, there are FAR TOO MANY OF THEM on TV!  I also feel unsurprised that her now ex-husband Satchi, the man famed for advertising Thatcher in the 70's and bad art ever since, turns out to be a bit of a bully and difficult to live with!  I doubt she was any easier myself. Personally I don't wish to hear their private lives, especially as they fall apart, and it is very sad that those with so much have so little to live for.  They appear to have no idea of a happy life.  How do they get together?  Money? Celebrity?  Using the other as a trophy wife/husband?  However the PR has sprung into action claiming the case centered on her drug abuse, not the accusations against the PA's, even though the appearance is that she allowed this fiddling to keep the drugs news quiet. The desperation for the US contract will bring us many stories I feel.  Will it bring happiness to anyone involved in this sad case I wonder?

 Shorpy

This picture from the Shorpy site features a Friday pre Christmas office party in 1925.  My how they employees are having fun!  There again if we were able to see the happy scene after the illicit booze had been downed we might come across a very differing picture.  Just who would be informing the boss, soon to be ex-boss, of her opinions, which lass would have scratched the eyes out of which lad, and just who's feet are sticking out from under that desk....?

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Representation of the People?

In times past I liked to take portrait pictures.  I must have taken hundreds of pictures of people and have at least one really good one and two I like.  Now I only have the wee camera, and no models, I don't take any, which is irksome.  However I always collect such portraits if I see any I like, either paintings or photos.  Today I found myself wandering through sites offering vintage portraits and I am amazed so many see the light of day.  There is something about these I like.  The attractive women, the clever way they have been posed, the expressions.  A good portrait offers you the real person, and the person does not always like what they see!  Some photographers have a way of making the sitter what the photographer wishes them to be rather than what they actually are, and this irritates.  There are those who put the sitter in a box, or with a background that makes them something other than themselves, these are often famous photographers, but the subject is not in my view themselves, just a mannequin.  

The use of light and dark, the background that forces the eye onto the light areas is very Rembrandt like.  I think it was Karsh, a famous portrait photographer, who was instructed to spend time in art galleries studying Rembrants work before he began his own.  It shows in what he produced.  Karsh made his name during the war with a famous 'bulldog' picture of Churchill.  He obtained this after the first pose revealed a smiling Prime Minister with an expression usually give to grandchildren.  Karsh stepped forward, said "Sorry Prime Minister," and grabbed his cigar out of his hand.  The resultant expression of disgust gave the world the appropriate picture.

One day when rich I will get a camera similar to the aged Zenith 'E' or the Minolta, scrape together a lens of around 105 -150 length and go find myself some willing (cheap) models.

Until then I trawl the net.

     

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Bright Lights

Howling wind, pouring rain, freeezing cold (this is the weather forecast) and in the shopping centre we have a man selling Candy Floss!  Now when young I LOVED candy floss, who didn't? However I just could not find enough pennies in my pockets (full of holes) when required so had to do without.  As it happens the man appears to have gone walkies so I am out of luck anyway.  I was hoping for pictures of people with brollies against the bright lights but it did not work out they way I wanted.  In fact it is very difficult to picture rain.  You can photograph umbrellas, rain drops, rain on windows, puddles etc, but rain itself, even when heavy, is hard to picture.  Another problem is that the photographer gets wet, and I can do without that thank you!

Roll on tomorrow, the Shortest Day!

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Bland Picture, Bland Day

Nothing but a bland picture to end the day.  When I got out it either stopped raining or was threatening to rain, and in between it was dreich and gray.  No pictures to find, nothing exciting happening, little to stir the little gray cells.  I did manage to save a young female jogger from a pack of rampaging hounds, well she thought they were rampaging I thought they were just excited at being allowed to run about the park myself.  I saved her as she cowered against a wall, as if that would stop a few mutts!    Interestingly the dog owners merely smiled that half hearted and disinterested smile folks wear, they made no attempt to stop the dogs when she showed her fear.  The dogs were not a danger right enough, too old for that even if they wished to be wild.  


The days excitement mounted as I pumped up the tyres on the bike, but didn't use it, hoovered the condominium and indeed the hall stairway, ain't I good,  and even spoke nicely to one of Tesco's misery checkout girls.  usually the regulars are OK but this one is an ageing Essex girl.  I suspect she goes home to watch videos of 'Big brother.'  That meeting sums up my day.  I attempted to be good and do what needs done, but it didn't quite get done that way.  The rain is still falling, and even by Edinburgh standards this is a bad summer.  The first two weeks in July represent the 'Edinburgh Trades Fortnight,' the time factories used to close down for a holiday.  Life is not quite like that now but the schools still come out, and the rain still falls.  I have memories of damp streets and 'Pacamac's' while on what we called our holiday, which was a day here and there. 

Lord Coe has banned the up to date rings being shown.

The Olympic disaster is about to start and they promise sunshine all through.  I believe them!  They do not promise security guards turning up, rail, tube, and bus transport arriving on time, nor roads being clear.  They can however promise sunshine, hmmm.   The Olympic Torch running has been a shambles, tickets sales the same, Ministers whining they cannot use ministerial cars to attend the games,  immigration controls so badly organised no competitor or fan will be allowed out of Heathrow to watch,  and residents will be up in arms at the vast array of closed of streets and diversions that will blight their lives.  had they held it in Manchester when they should it would have been a success.  Lord Coe has a lot to answer for.   

I notice Rangers, now to eb called 'The Rangers,' have agreed to a transfer ban that begins once they have signed good players.  Where does the cash come from?  Why have the bills not been paid first?  Why are the SFA still running after their team?  It's a disgrace!

Look at the time, it's past cocoa time.....




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