As the sun sets on 2013
The weather services are saying it’s above freezing this morning, but the pavement outside my house and my car are covered in frost. The year of 2013 is coming to an end and many people’s thoughts are for the future. Are you making any resolutions for 2014? I’ve made a list of goals for 2014. (more…)
Photography: Calendar photos
I need some photos for a waterways calendar competition, so I was out in the freezing cold on Sunday taking photos of the canals. The sun came out a little for this one, but there were still dark clouds. It’s a nice picture, but is it good enough for a calendar? I would have preferred more light and camera shake is also a problem when it’s that cold. You shiver! (more…)
Wednesbury Historians Christmas Party
Yes, it was the History of Wednesbury Christmas Party last night. I can’t remember how long the Facebook Community page has been running now. It does have over 3,000 ‘likes’ and is organised by Tia-Marie Byrne who just had her name added to the Wednesbury page on Wikipedia as ‘notable native/resident’. She does the research and the rest of us try to rely on our memories.
Thrifty Thursday: Christmas countdown 33 days
The super-six at Aldi today are tomatoes (6), broccoli, swede, chantenay carrots (500g), onions (1kg) and lemons (3). They are all 49p.
Fags, faggots and Facebook
My local readers will recognise the shop in today’s picture. Teddy Grays is famous in the Black Country. They sell a delicious selection of sweets. When an International student visited me last Christmas, I gave her mice made of sugar from Teddy Grays, Cadbury’s miniatures and a few other delights that we used to find in our Christmas stockings as children. We’re never too old for Teddy Grays…
Darlaston | preserving images of industrial history
I have started photographing old buildings so we have some nostalgic reminders in years to come of our industrial past. I suppose even modern buildings will be interesting, they don’t last like they used to. I found this factory interesting and there are other buildings, like the fire station, that are interesting too. This was in Darlaston in the West Midlands, otherwise affectionately known as Darlo!
Black Country art and history.
Today’s photo was taken yesterday with my new Nikon camera in Wednesbury. Today we have a meeting in the Brunswick park of the local history group. There is also the Walsall Arts Fest at White Lion in Walsall. The weather isn’t looking too good yet though. I’ll try to go. I think the Arts Fest could attract a crowd. (more…)
Thrifty Thursday | Walsall again?
The Aldi super-six this week are celery, cucumbers, lemons (3), spring onions, tomatoes (6) and garlic (4). They are all 49p each. That’s the same as last week. I spend ten pounds this week in Poundland, which isn’t difficult. (more…)
Psychology | Communication
We tend to have a conflict in our lives between our primitive desires and our desire to improve ourselves. This affects how we communicate with each other. Our lives have become more complicated and so has communication. We are individuals, but we take decisions collectively and need the support of others.
Engaging social media
Social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn have become an important part of people’s lives. The profiles on these sites are like your front garden, they say something about you. LinkedIn is like the office and having a professional looking profile sends out a message to others about your professionalism. Your Facebook Timeline also says a lot about you. You should be careful what you post there.
Neodigital Art | Timeline pictures
This picture is my my cover picture on my Facebook Timeline. On the left of the picture is my profile photo, just underneath where the sun is in this picture. When you’re doing a photo like this it’s important to get the text in the right place.
From psychology to nostalgia
Today’s picture is of Moorcroft Wood. It’s an interesting place to walk around. In the middle of the wood is a pool where people go fishing. The canal borders the woodland on two sides as well. The pool filled up with water when the snow melted and so you can take quite interesting photographs.
How to start a blog
If you want to start a blog, you have to think about a few things. You are going to be publishing articles and maybe photographs too. You can choose a number of ways to do it. I use WordPress but I have used Blogger. You also have to think about who will read your blog. Who will your articles appeal to?
Thrifty Thursday ideas
The super-six at Aldi this week are; parsnips (500g), avocado, new potatoes (750g), button mushrooms (150g), red onions (1kg) and butternut squash. They are all 49p each. It’s cold here and it’s a good idea to cook a home made soup or stew to keep out the cold. We need a little more fat in our diets, this weather.
Improving your Facebook Timeline
I chose this picture as a Facebook Timeline picture because it has open sky where I can add text. I had a lot of water too, but a timeline picture has to be wide and not very high. You can take a photo and crop it to make it the right shape. Facebook does allow you to position it. You can then add text.
How to communicate better.
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Communication is important in our lives. As children, we learn to crawl, then walk and then talk. These days communication is quite complicated and with the power of the internet, communication has become global. We communicate to connect to people socially and more importantly to learn.
Neodigital Art | Changing seasons
I took this photograph last October on a sunny day. You can see the colours changing and reflecting more light. The light was better in Autumn last year than we have had in summer this year. We have to be prepared for whatever nature decides to throw at us and make the most of it.
The week in focus
My blogs with photos are always popular, but just lately it’s been almost impossible to take any new ones with the dark skies and rain we have been having. I took this photo on Sunday and it took a bit of editing to make it look worth using. The weather has turned cold and the usual winter illnesses seem to be beginning. It could be a good time to drink more vitamin C laden fruit juice.
Neodigital Art | more editing
I took this photograph last Autumn and as you can see the sun was bright and reflected well off the Autumn colours. The picture looks dull though and so I can improve it a lot with editing. I used Windows Live Photo Gallery, it’s easy to use.
Neodigital Art | Landscapes
Regular readers will probably recognise this stretch of water, I have taken photographs of it lots of times. I’ve got a rotten cold and sore throat and so I didn’t want to go far on Sunday. It looks like a huge lake, but isn’t really large enough to be called a lake. It looks bigger because I shot down the length of the lake and away from the sun. I had a blue sky and plenty of light, so quite a nice scene.
This weeks amazing ideas
When I start a blog, I have to think of a title and then what picture to begin with. It’s not easy! This photo is of the Manor House in West Bromwich, it’s now a museum and open to the public on some afternoons. People overseas keep telling me they want to come and see the places that I photograph. Maybe the Tourist Board should sponsor one of my blogs!
Neodigital Art | depth of field
At the end of a day taking photographs it can be frustrating when the sun comes out in the early evening, when you’re just about to give up. After a day of poor light, the sun came out a little and so I took this shot from a railway bridge. The tracks going away from us give the shot a lot of depth. (more…)
You may fool all the people some of the time
“You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you cant fool all of the people all the time.” Abraham Lincoln.
I was thinking… I could ask the government for 12 billion pounds to organise some games. You know the sort of thing, have them running around in silly shorts and the fastest one gets a prize. With 12 billion quid I might run to medals! I could probably get the National Lottery to donate a few quid to train them. After all, 12 billion is a drop in the ocean. The country is 7.9 trillion in debt according to the Tax Payers Alliance.
Neodigital Art | The Motor Show
I rushed around the historic vehicle show at the Arboretum that quickly taking photos, I didn’t have time to ask what the cars were or look too closely. I do know that this is a mini though, probably a Cooper. I paid to get in there and so I’m making use of the photos again this week!
