Biker Tuesday

Tuesdays on Poole Quay are always busy with bikes and bikers and tonight was no exception. There must have been hundreds of bikes all over the quay and even down side roads and lanes. The sun was out and the evening was warm so it was a perfect combination to encourage us to go out and take some photographs. My wife likes to take images of wildlife and scenery and just occasionally people so she's often the distraction that confuses people and allows me to take my style of photograph.

I see so many people at these events who have that certain quality so often I'll approach them and ask them to let me take their portrait or sometimes I just fire away. If the individual sees what I'm doing I always wave and say thanks as I don't want them to get the wrong idea and chase after me. 

The bikes are really fantastic and I hope to post a few images over the next couple of days. 

Just get out there and shoot away it's fun.

The Wolfeshead Bowmen

It was a great privilege again to meet these guys from the Wolfeshead Bowmen when they visited Corfe Castle during the Easter break. They are so good at setting things up for me and will allow almost any photograph to be taken. Obviously the old Health & Safety comes into it but we do manage to set up a few things.

The public were out in force for this event so I managed to get the bowmen doing a few poses before the rush started. I really enjoyed the speeches made by all the members to the public who ask the most amazingly interesting questions and get just brilliant answers all to do with the medieval period. It was a real treat to see them again.

The Kiss

What a great day I had at Corfe Castle. Although the weather was rubbish and the lighting poor there were plenty of people to enjoy the attraction of the old castle and the visiting Wolfeshead Bowmen. Incidentally the bowmen have a wonderful cook who does everything to the medieval recipes and the aromas from their food was splendid. Fortunately for me there were lots of families ready and waiting to have their photos taken as a memory of the day and many of the children were well up for a laugh. During time out I managed to get up to the top of the castle building to try some unusual angles on the steep walls. This rather wonderful couple were very agreeable about posing for me and even went for the kiss shot. Love it and I hope they do too.

Just around lunchtime it started to rain really heavy and I had to leave the castle to the visitors. Disappointing for the Bowmen as well as they had put a lot of effort into their costumes, tents and performances. Well done to them for putting on a great show.

Off to the beach tomorrow to shoot a beach cleanup session with volunteers and supporters. It's amazing what people dump on a beach! I may put up a few photos to show you. With luck the weather will be brighter and I may manage more interesting photography.

Tranquility

Today was clear and bright so we took the opportunity to travel around the local areas and enjoy some much needed quality time. We went wherever it was quiet and the scenery was pleasant. Jackie snapped away at insects and wildlife and all things natural while I took time to contemplate what the future holds.

It was wonderful to be at one with nature, to sit quietly, smell the fresh air and listen to the birds with a soft breeze blowing. This tranquil setting didn't last too long as the kids are off from school and they were out in force letting off steam. It was good to see them enjoying life and getting down and dirty with the natural world although they missed so many wonderful creatures as they went on their noisy way.

We sat beside the sea for a short while and listened to the waves gently rolling in. This was a lovely time and one that we must repeat again and again.

Cake

I find that more wedding breakfasts actually have an assortment of cakes rather than the traditional large multi layered wedding cake. This generally removes the possibility of a cake cutting photo but it can provide a multitude of colours for capturing in a photo. At a recent wedding there were no less than four individual colours and styles of cakes and all extremely bright and interesting. The little toppings varied to include hearts, crosses, Easter eggs, pearls and multicoloured edible shapes.

But how do you photograph such tasty things? I've found photographing people actually eating is not a good way or polite but if you use contrasting colours of cake and lipstick in a blurred or out of focus shot it looks interesting. Not any good for the guys of course!

The two of us

Yesterday morning was so warm and bright we decided to go down to the coast and take some photographs at the ruined village of Tyneham. The village is set is a valley that meanders down to the sea where it meets the bay. It was beautiful and at 9 o'clock in the morning there were only ourselves and a few dog walkers enjoying the peace and tranquility. After an hour or so we began to hear the voices of families who were arriving in the car park and getting ready to go mad on the beach. We strolled back to Tyneham passing families laden down with food and equipment and we sat close to the old manor house overlooking the valley. The birds were very noisy, the sun beamed down on us and the gentle breeze cooled our faces. It was perfect until the number of visitors escalated and we had to abandon all hope of a peaceful day so we wandered around taking a few photographs. Jackie is well into photography as well now and while passing what was the old school house we snapped ourselves in one of the windows. It has made a memory for us of our hobby and of course reminds us of our visit.

Greg

Sadly my brother died today. It is a welcome release for him after a long illness but it's hard for me to come to terms with it. I know time is a great healer but I feel that there will not be enough time to achieve this. I'm lost without him.

What a wonderful afternoon

With temperatures of 16 degrees C we just had to go for a walk through the countryside and woods to enjoy Spring. With the sun shining through the trees Jackie and I really took time out to appreciate the flowers, trees, shrubs and some horses. Most magical of all was how quiet it was with no man made sounds such as traffic or aircraft. We could hear the birds singing loudly and watched the Bees buzzing from flower to flower.

What really made our day was when a couple of Golden Retrievers spotted us and ran up to us for a fuss. I don't know who was more pleased, us or the dogs!

When we got back to the car we sat on the grass and enjoyed a cup of tea and had a snooze in the sunshine. It was a brilliant afternoon.

The lady and the castle

Yesterday I was asked to do a shoot of some models at Corfe Castle. The models were representing Lady Bankes and her maid in waiting as part of a special event for Mother's day. We were lucky to get ten minutes of clear daylight in the afternoon which was just enough to fire off a few quick shots combining the models and the castle ruin. Unfortunately the light was poor and the sky was extremely dull & overcast. I would have liked a clear blue sky to bring out the models colourful clothing but it wasn't to be.

Hopefully Mother's day will be bright sunshine and very warm.

Spring day at the castle

Yesterday was fantastic for getting out in the warm sunshine and having a stroll around the countryside. There were signs of Spring everywhere with beautiful flowers bursting with colours to trees and shrubs emerging from their winter hibernation. With virtually no wind it was great to be able to walk in the sunshine and let your cares drift away. Gone are the winter coats, gloves and scarves and out come the lightweight jackets to show we're not stuck in the winter anymore.

What a great time to be alive.

A new photographer is born

So I said to my wife I'm going to go out and take a few photographs with my new camera. Okay she said but how about if I come along and take a few photographs with one of your older cameras. Brilliant. So off we went.

Now the last photograph my wife took was back about 20 years ago when we went to Wales and a young couple asked my wife to take a photo of them with an Abbey in the background. Well... the way she stood turned people to tears because she was squatting at a peculiar angle and doubling up to get a clear shot. So I anticipated her first photograph for 20 years would be pretty much the same but how wrong could I be. As we drove along looking for some scenic shooting, a beautiful landscape or a magnificent building she suddenly cried stop! She had seen a bull in a field and was drawn to take a picture of it.

As you can see her first photo for 20 years is of a bull with a massive erection!!

I wonder, was she trying to tell me something?

That Panto Feeling

As is traditional in Britain at this time of year, the Pantomime season is in full swing. We love going to pantos simply because they're so much fun and often quite daft with a silly storyline. This year I was invited to take some photographs of the Broadmayne panto called " Babes in the Wood". It has been a complete success for the Broadmayne Players with record numbers attending all performances so I'm really pleased I was able to capture some of the characters in their special moments.

Photographing a stage performance is not something I've done before therefore I found adjusting the lighting a little difficult at first. Fortunately I was able to get some posed shots before hand for the performers to have as a keep sake and, I think they liked them as they've ordered quite a few images.

I hope I get the opportunity next year as you must always learn from your mistakes and of course progress but most of all ...have loads of fun.

Beautiful Day

Bitterly cold day today but we managed a quick trip to Blandford to collect some gear. I took advantage of a brief bit of sunshine to snap another image of the Swans which frequent the river. They were quite happy for me to take their picture providing I had food (which I didn't) so they left me. We had a pleasant walk along the river's edge looking at the water, the birds and glancing down to avoid the customary dog poo. Beats me why the owners do not pick it up but that's another story.

Tomorrow we have snow forecast for late in the day and overnight. We're going out to a Pantomime and it's typical that the village hall it's being held in is right at the bottom of a hill. If I get snowed in late at night I'll not be a happy chappy.

I've been here before.

A rather cold and overcast day today but I managed to get another chance to take some photos in the Corfe signal box which is part of the Swanage Railway. Unfortunately there were no Steam engines running during my visit but it gave me the opportunity to take a few pics of the castle from some different view points although I'm sure I've done this one before!!