Perceptions #Sunday #ramble
Today’s picture is of the Walsall Canal as it passes by Moorcroft Wood. Someone said it could be the English Countryside. This is what I see when I’m taking photos, others see the graffiti and a much more scary place. They see symbols showing support for nationalist EDL and the tags that say I’m someone, when they are really no one. No one of any importance anyway. (more…)
A Wednesbury Goose
I went to the other side of Wednesbury this week taking photos of the geese. This photo will probably be my best one this year. I would have liked the goose in the middle of the frame, but I had to be quick to catch the shot at all. (more…)
Photography: creating a picture
A well known photographer once said you don’t take a picture; you create a picture. Some photographers think of it as art, not just a working skill. (more…)
The Review: perspective
Perspective is the way we see things, such as the pictures on the wall in this photograph. They seem to get smaller as they go away from us, but we can still tell that the one on the far wall is the largest one. The boards on the ceiling and floor add to the perspective of the picture too. (more…)
Blogging: Meeting your readers
I usually write a blog post every day, but I missed Monday this week and yesterday published a photography post on a Zillion Ideas. Last week’s photography post was published on my local newspaper’s website. (more…)
Photography: focusing
On digital cameras, you press the shutter release button part way down, until the camera has focused. Many cameras will bleep to tell you it’s focused. Most bridge cameras and DSLRs have focus points to help you focus. My D3200 has 11 focus points. They show up as red dots through the viewfinder. (more…)
The Sunday Ramble: Back to square one
You are probably wondering why I’ve started with a picture of my runner beans. I have just been out to pick them. I have enough for my meals all week! When I first started this blog, I wrote my Sunday rambles as lunch was cooking. (more…)
The Sunday Ramble: A Strange Malady
As usual on a Sunday morning I’m writing my Sunday ramble when I let all my thoughts hang out. Today’s picture is one I took in the local Victorian Art gallery. I wanted a picture that would conjure up thoughts of opulence, because the sons and daughters of the super-rich are being struck down with a strange malady. It’s hard to be sympathetic, but we should try to be understanding. (more…)
The review: Local community and events
I’ve had a strange week. I did finally manage to get to the hospital for my blood test. I was in and out in 10 minutes, which left 20 minutes on my 30 minutes parking. At a pound for 30 minutes, it seemed a shame to waste it. The car park was quite full though and so I decided not to join the Costa Coffee crowd, although the Taste Cafe was a little tempting. (more…)
Groundhog Day
Today’s photo is of Poundland in scenic Walsall. I went to Walsall art gallery last week. I think I’ll try to find somewhere less depressing to go today. It is Groundhog Day of course. The film by that name is 21 years old. (more…)
Will this sunshine last all day?
It’s Sunday and so my thoughts today are with photography. I can see a blue sky and sunshine! I have to do some shopping though, I’m running out of food and essentials. I have a busy week planned too, so it would help if I could get the shopping out of the way. I tried yesterday but there was a queue of cars not only trying to get into the supermarket car park, but trying to get out too. (more…)
Thrifty Thursday: January bargains
The Aldi super-six this week are butternut squash, onions (1Kg), swede, Chantenay carrots (500g), baby potatoes (750g) and tomatoes (6 pack) They are all 49p each and that offer continues until the 30th of January.
The super-six meat offers this week are Southern fried chicken goujons 99p a pack, British lamb shoulder joint (5.99/kg), gammon steaks (1.49 a pack), British pork fillet (6.49 Kg), Simon Howie wee black pudding (99p – 200g) and fresh haggis (1.29 a pack). (more…)
Thrifty Thursday: A New Year
It’s a new year and so start as you mean to go on, by saving money! The Aldi super-six until the 15th of January are little gem lettuce (2), cucumber, savoy cabbage, garlic (4), spring onions and celery. They are all 39p each. They are now doing super six meat offers too, click that link to see those.
The weekend review
I read a really good article yesterday about how to take night pictures. They say you should consider the exposure triangle to set your camera for this type of picture. That is set the ISO, aperture and speed. While I was doing all that and setting up a tripod, I would probably get mugged for the camera. (more…)
Sunday musings
I’ve been experimenting with my pictures again. I made this one sepia and gave it a perforated edge like stamp. Artistic? I think it’s better than some art I see that looks like a pile of bricks or paint thrown at a canvas. Ordinary people with their feet on the ground would want a picture like this on their wall, rather than the work of some over-rated artist who pickles sheep in formaldehyde.
Iconic buildings: who pays?
The Public
I’ve started with a picture of an ‘iconic building’ today. Just down West Bromwich High Street, is another iconic building; the old town hall. That’s a Grade II listed building, but its not good enough for the councillors, they had to have a new civic centre with crystal chandeliers, miles away in Oldbury . (more…)
How to budget with personal accounts
Accounts Book
We all have money coming in and going out and it helps to keep track of all your money on paper or a computer. I prefer a simple accounts book. It doesn’t have to be a a special book. I use a simple hard backed book from Poundland. (more…)
OMG! The Bullingdon Boys are in Beijing!
Bullingdon
Yes, the Bullingdon Club boys, George Osborne and his mate Boris Johnson have been dispatched to Beijing to get investment for Britain. My apologies for linking the Bullingdon word to the Daily Mail, but like George and Boris I was desperate. The picture is good isn’t it? Notice the big gun on the top of that boat!
Art and pattern recognition
I went to Bilston Craft gallery this week. It’s not so much a craft gallery as a library and art gallery. The pieces exhibited in the photograph are by Jane Wilson from Shrewsbury and is called ‘Hitting the right notes’. When I am taking photographs, I look for interesting patterns and we definitely have patterns here.
Photography | Different cameras.
They say to take a good photo, you just have to be standing in front of something good. After a whole afternoon out taking photos, this was what I saw out of the window when I got home. It was raining, but the sun had come out. (more…)
This weeks words and pictures
It’s not very warm this morning in the heart of England. I suppose this is good news for the energy companies who will fleece us again this winter. Maybe, the new governor of the Bank of England can bring some pressure to bear on the water companies and energy companies to keep bills down this winter.
Neodigital Art | PhotoScape edits
Neodigital Art is about using digital cameras, scanners, computers and graphic tablets to create art. You can even use pencils and pens! I took a few photos on Sunday and have been trying to do something interesting with them in editing.
Art in the Black Country
If you are following my blog posts this week, you’ll know I’m having an art week. The region of England where I live, isn’t well known for art. It could be, but someone has to lead a new art movement. I don’t really think the local galleries will provide leadership, they don’t rate the local artists very highly. The great artists come from London, Paris, Vienna, Rome and New York, not Walsall. (more…)
Finance Friday | Priorities
Can you imagine living in a country where you don’t have any opportunities and struggle to get clean water and enough to eat? Here in the UK, most people are lucky, but there is a lot of inequality. Young people on benefits go into MacDonald’s to eat, just because it’s there.
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