Category: food

B339 – PEOPLE DEEP IN CONVERSATION

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Firstly I just need to say that I have no idea how I’m going to get through the last 25 days of this photo blog challenge, about 100 days ago I was trying to think of a cool way to finish this, one idea I had was flying to somewhere like Mexico for the day or doing a big finale, but not my goal is just to complete 365 days. Days like today make that challenge harder than thats been for the past 339 days. I dont mean to go on about it but today has been especially hard because the whole day has been spent somewhere I cant photograph and then by the time I get home its 9:30pm. but I suppose thats there winners win right?

the past couple of days Ive been thinking of a new game plan, and ways that I can keep the photos creative and at a high standard, one idea Ive got is to make sure I take loads of photos on the weekend and then ration them out throughout the week. I know, thats not techincally three photos each day, but it still counts right? I think thats going to be my only way of getting through this without having to post terrible Iphone photos that lets be honest no one really wants to see.

If Ive learnt anything so far, it would have to be that I absolutely love photographing people and capturing moments between people mid conversation or if I can, while they day dream. So I think what ill do for todays photos is show you some other shots from Speakers corner, a place where people are deep in conversation with strangers about literally any topic.

I think this whole thing has become a group effort, if you keep reading the post and enjoying my photos. then maybe, just maybe we will come out the other side of this blog. right now Im scared that one day Ill just sleep for 60 hours non stop and miss few days. but until that day heres some cool photos of people deep in conversation.

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– I would love to know if this conversation was based around a Macdonalds coffee cup –
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– I dont think this man agrees with the statement made –
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– this guy was just happy with life –

B332 – A PHONE CALL WITH ELON MUSK?

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Im going to start this post by saying, yes Norway’s  gets meters of snow each year, in fact last year their average was 337cm, the year before it was 276cm and the year before that is was 255cm and yes their country just accepts this and pulls out their skis and hits the slopes on the weekend. On the other hand England I cant even find the information, all I can find is that 23.7 days each year England gets snow or SLEET! thats obviously ignoring  place like the Cairngorms and other pretty high national parks and stuff. they do alright.

So excuse me daily mail and social media hogs if we get a little carried away by the prospect of the worst snow storm in 50 years hitting the uk. I think its pretty normal for  Doris and all the Soccer mums out there to start stocking up on milk and bread, because if their years on this planet have taught them anything, its that the UK really isn’t used to snow.

Sorry for the rant but I feel like it needed to be said, if only we could settle the debt on how to handle the snow with a big snow ball fight. maybe that would help Heathrow open their runways.

If you cant tell Ive just spent my third day on the sofa, I got sent home from work for being ill. So i came back and had a scroll of the internet and it got me thinking about how to handle the snow in the uk and to be honest I came up with this solution. Why don’t we just put more money into the NHS, think about it. why don’t we build our hospitals up so they can always cope with a 50 year storm all year round? instead or buying thousands of pounds of new snow gear and even more grit that might just turn out to be over kill next year, keep the stuff we got and then just make each council invest the emergency money in their hospitals, so they are more than equipped to handle anything all year round. then meaning they wont always be so stretched?

From there create something like dedicated snow roads, so when villages and towns get shut off  in the future, we’ve created a network of roads that the gritters and plowers  concentrate on. we could even go as far as putting signs up, like “this is a snow road”, create a lay by system if theres some pennies left over, so when it does snow, Jack and Jill can leave there cars on this dedicated Snow roads, at the top of the hills. so at 6am the next morning they can start their commute to work. and just to generally inform the people if there is a big snow storm or if its icy then these roads will be safe.

I tried to come up with a solution for air travel and trains but I think its fair to say that’s a losing battle. they do what they like and not even the pope could change that.

I also really think I need a call with Elon Musk  and Teresa May about how to make gritters a thing of the past. so please the British government or Telsa give me a call and lets grab a coffee, I don’t mind sharing some of my community changing ideas with you.

For now, people of Britain and the rest of the world, here are some photos of London looking gracious in the snow! (all photos taken on my Iphone at some point over the past few days).

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– black and white snow photos in london look so much better I think –
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– I should really buy a leica, imagine if this was taken on a leica –
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– probably my most photographed staircase, for some reason this staircase always takes a good photo –

 

B331 – THE BEAST FROM THE EAST

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So earlier on as I spoke to my parents on Facetime, showing them the snow fall in Bethnal green and also updating them on how I was feeling, which by the way was a little better but still not great, I told my mum how much I wanted to go outside and take photos, she reminded me that it probably wasnt the best idea and all I would probably do is make myself more ill. But everyone knows that when your parents say the words “dont do it” your next move is to do the exact opposite, if I had listened to her then surely that would of made the past 24 years of havoc and mayhem completely pointless and thats not something Im about todo.

So I put a 5 minute timer on, took some more paracetamol, grabbed my jacket and headed down to Bethnal green road. Thats where the timer comes in, i didnt want to spend too much time outside for obvious reason but I needed to see what this snow storm looked like and how people were dealing with it. One of the best things I saw on my quick trip outside was when the lad on a boris bike cycling past me, going slower than a pederstian but do you know what? I was jealous, Jealous that he was grabbing this weather by the balls and taking a boris bike of a few laps, thats the kind of things I used todo! cycling in snow is a great way to pull some sick skids and have a good laugh at the same time, but for some reason that didnt even cross my mind, I’m not sure if its because Im not in the best shape at the moment or what, but thats a brilliant idea and next snow day I am 100% making a blog post about cycling in the snow.

Being sat here on the sofa for a few days now Ive been doing quite alot of thinking about my life style and kind of realising that I cant carry on working extra long days surviving off Haribo and Coffee, I really need to start looking after my temple and keep in shape not so I look good on a beach but more so I can carry on working and maintain the energy needed. thats why this weekend im doing what I never thought I would do and signing up for a gym, somewhere I can go twice a week and keep in shape, Im also going to go and get a sport massage and see if we can get this leg of mine sorted. for too long now Ive side tracked it, but not this weekend! this weekend is all about getting me strong enough so I don’t have to take sick days. I know that sounds weird but I actually really enjoy working.

Anyway heres some pictures of Bethnal Green Road in a snow storm.

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– this type of weather is pretty cool –
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– I love this guys determination! –
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– shes not letting a bit of weather stop her!

B330 – DAY TWO AND STILL IN BED

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Day two of virus: I think its fair to say that the virus I have caught must be something never discovered before because im pretty much knocked out, Ive slept for 25 hours of the past 30 hours with only the fair few emergency bathroom breaks. Im supposed to be going in to work today but with the snow, minus 10 temperature I dont think im  going to make it. my plan is to see how I feel in a few hours and then make a call about it.

its definitely days like today where keeping up with this blogging life style is nearly impossible, but with just over a month togo I cant cave in now. for those of you that are new to this website Ill explain a little bit about what im doing here, my plan from April last year was to post three photos a day for a whole year and to go along with that I have to write 300 words, the idea behind this is to improve my photography skills and to also hopefully to improve my writing skills (Which I kind of think Ive managed todo).

when I first started I didn’t realise how much is was going to become part of my daily life and to be honest the idea of skipping a day or just giving up and quitting has been pretty strong but I’m refusing to give in and like to think that i can make it and then in a few years time Ill be able to look back and know exactly what I did on possibly one of the busiest years of my life so far.

So again I think I need to apologies for the lack of photo content these past few days, I know its snowing in london and that can make for some great photos and I wish I could get out there but I need to kick this illness first!

Heres some shots from my flat windows!

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– A view from the spare bedroom, I cant wait till this room has been finished so we can spend more time in here –
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– yep we still have our christmas tree, the plan is to hold onto it till next year, thats what takes up this foreground shot – –
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– I went out last night to get fresh air and some bread, this shot is from inside the apartment complex –

 

B329 – NEED TO ORGANISE YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS? HERES SOME TIPS!

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So I have some news, Im pretty sure that im Ill but not like normal man flu ill. I feel like death. Right now its all about survival  and my body has decided that its probably best to shut up shop and get some good sleep. so thats what im going todo. Its pretty Ironic that I thought the last push when i passed the 300 day mark would be a walk in the park, oh how I was wrong. Im pretty sure that the next 46 days are going to be full on and pretty difficult to take three photos each day but im determined to power on and somehow make it to the end, right now though its all about just kicking this virus.

So the plan for today post Im going to dive deep into my photo archive and see what I can pull up from my early photography days, lets see what there is… my top tip is to archive everything, keep it logged because these photos and video are important content and some day youll want to look at it back and think about those cool moments. My photo archive is still pretty much all over the place but it is getting better, I have a rough understanding of where everything is and for me that is perfect. You dont need an excel spread sheet or anything too crazy. The secrete top tip is just to dump everything in files, you can call it anything you like. from “Birthday Party 2016” to “summer 2017 shots” and back them up onto two separate drives, keep everything in two places and youll be fine. Media Management is important and as long as you can figure your system out then that all that matters.

If your someone out there who knows that your media storage is terrible and all over the place drop me an email to joshfspear@icloud.com and lets come up with a way to organise it all and keep your files safe! trust me you will thank me later! no money needed just good Karma!

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this sheep looks how I wish I felt – 5 Aug’16 in the Lake District
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because everyone love Holland – 28th Sep 2016 at the Hague
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– and this place because I dont think anyone could sit here and not appreciate that window – Prada Museum -17 July 2016 – Province of Novara – Milan

 

B327 – CLAPHAM?

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As most of you know today is Sunday and that means that about 60 percent of the nation are waking up today with a hangover and I think I speak for both Amy and myself when I say we are part of that 60%. Last night was an experience, Clapham is probably a place I wouldnt go to again, for those of you that dont know London, theres is part of South London called Clapham, its a great place to watch rugby or football but when it comes to a night out, Claphams a bit weird. Sorry to the people of Clapham, but its not you its me.

So after a few bars around the infamous Clapham Common, we decided it was best to head to a safe bet and jump on the DLR over to Peckham and see what the Bussy Building was all about. I wont go into too much detail about the night because I think everyone would start to think of me in a different light. Its all good now thought because we’ve woken up at my parents and after a bacon sandwich everyone is ready to attack this day and watch as much TV and eat as much food as possible.

I think theres a plan or something to get up and go for an early lunch and then head back home, its fair to say i am in full Sunday mode, which is probably the best kind of mode. its kind of annoying though because I really need to get off the sofa and get dressed but right now I just cant be bothered, if only someone could invent a shower that you could use of the sofa. Maybe thats what my next project should be, a shower that you can use anywhere.

Anyway heres some photos from yesterday. I hope you like them.

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– Amy giving it some sass last night at Bussy –
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– dinner in Clapham is something I would definitely do again –
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– driving to Clapham last night, Anders your a legend –

B326 – HOW HAS THIS DAY DISAPPEARED

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First of all, sorry if you’ve all been sitting there refreshing my website waiting for my post to go up but today I just haven’t had time to sit down and get it done. I’ve spent the day fighting with an Ikea Wardrobe and I can now proudly say that I won the battle and the war, at one point it was a close war when I realised that I had put the main panel in wrong and as a result couldnt finish putting it together and had to slowly start taking it apart to fix my teething problem. but its not done and Im sat on the sofa enjoying a beer and writing this.

I must also apologise for not taking any fresh photos yesterday, Ive had to reuse some from a few weeks back when I went and explored the cannel near work. they are still probably some of my favourite photos from the past month or so and every time I look at them I really wish I had a Leica because these kind of shots are where the Leica really shows its strength,  I think its time I went into super saving mode to make sure that I can get one as soon as possible.

The plan now for the rest of today is to get dressed probably and then head over to Clapham and meet some of my mates for a good old drink up, it feels like ages since ive seen most of them so we are definitely due a good night out, Im also going to back to my parents house tonight so I’m sure you’ll get some see some good photos of the country side tomorrow.

Sorry again for the late and post, I just really don’t have a lot of time today, some how its already 5pm and Ive not even touched half the things Ive needed too.

Heres my photos enjoy!

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– I really love black and white photos, I think there going to make a come back –
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under a bridge and along a cannel –
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– Shoreditch during rush hour –

B325 – 70 HOURS A WEEK

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Theres a few things that for me a blog post should consist of, they should be something thats easy to read, enjoyable and probably include some sort of useful advise and like a lot of posts that people read online, they are. they are normally full of facts, great pictures of the weather and someone fashionable standing in the foreground, looking like they’re drifting through life going from designer shops to first Class lounges, week after week.

If only I could tell that story, I wish this was a place where I could show on a off my life and keep the content factor at its best but I suppose that in a normal life and in a blog thats posted everyday, something you just have to expect defeat and move on. today is that day, I have had another early start and hadnt really stopped to think about this blog until I was stood in Tescos looking at the fridge section trying to decide if I was going to have chicken or fish for dinner. So I did what any other normal person would do and heeaded straight for the wine section, after a long day everything is better with a good bottle of wine. Thats when it came to me, why dont I just show all those amazing Bloggers and Vloggers out there, what working 70 hour weeks looks like and yes in one of my photos you can see a hole in my sock emerging. I suppose im like the working class blogger of the internet, and thats kind of something Im pretty proud of, Ive managed to somehow fit this posts into my day and to be honest Im not really sure how Ive managed to do it.

Well for all of you out there, I would of shown you a picture of how my dinner turned out, but I really want to get to bed and im sorry but right now thats my priority. please dont hate and and please come and visit again, your all amazing for even reading this far!

Heres my photos I hope you like them!

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– this is me with my feet up on the sofa, watching TV as I write this post –
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– I came home from work to see Amy powering through with work too. There must be something wrong with us, because we dont seem to stop –
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– Dinner is served, just add some Paprika, Cumming and thyme and your sorted –

 

B323 – MY HOTEL ROOM – 7/10

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So tonight im staying in a Premier Inn somewhere in Essex for a shoot tomorrow. I also know what most people are saying about the fact that im spending my night in a premier inn and to be honest they couldnt be further from the truth. For me a Premier inn is perfect, they have all the requirements I need for a short 10 hour stay. I have a nice sized room, clean bed, safe room and best of all a shower that gives me no only hot water but cold aswell.

For most of you that read pages like like these you are probably used to reading about 5 start hotels and villas in Mexico, all I can offer you is the concept that Premier Inns do the job required and dont leave you with that felling where you want to sleep in your clothes. these places are actually safe havens for people like me, where the idea of short work trips normally involve cheap hotels and uneatable breakfast options. We see a premier Inn on the call sheet and instantly feel relieved  that its not a holiday inn or worst an independent holiday chain, that has a name like “Sunshine Inn” or something just as misleading.

for me the proof is in the shower, if its a good hotel then both the hot and cold water will run an even speeds, giving you a solid mid water temp and nothing too freighting and this Premier Inn is no exception. that have managed to get that situation just right. meaning that tomorrow at 5am, i will be about to have a full and near perfect shower. I don’t need luxury just the chance to sleep a stressfree few hours and include a 3o minute shower in the morning.

Here are my pictures of the Premier Inn room im currently staying in, for me its a solid 7 out of 10.

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– clean bedsheets make all the difference –
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– a good size room is also the difference between a good nights sleep and a bad one –
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– the shower head isnt too impressive but lets the water temp is consistant –

 

B322 – YOU HAVE FOOLED THE NATION. GRANDE BIG MAC.

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Since the whole Brexit thing began and whether your pro Brexit or against the whole situation or maybe your confused, theres one question we can all ask. Is the Grande Big Mac actually worth it? Ive heard a lot of people complain about bread to meat ratio and size and now I’m confused but rather than make a irrational decision, i thought I would investigate.

Ive decided that I would take this into my own hands and find out if its something I would buy or avoid. My plan is judge the  whole process. And first off theres the counter, you arrive and your met by this massive picture of a grand burger and your eyes that you down to the boxes sitting in the heat self, the boxes are pretty much the same size as a size 11 shoe box. No joke they are gigantic. Excitement has started to kick in and now all I want todo is sit down and enjoy this box of pure joy.

So now I have the burger in my hands and its time to dig in, but first we need to put a story to bed, is the actual meat in the burger the same size as the other burgers or has Maccy Dees properly upped the game…

I can tell you with a heavy heart that the burger meat inside is no different, what Mcdonalds have done is just make a bigger bun and sell the country a lie. for me a burger cannot be judged on its size, but rather the contents and favour. If your going to sell me a “grand Big Mac” and call it your extra large burger then please give me the burger to match.

As far as a burger at Mcdonalds goes, a Large Big Mac meal is £5.09 and a Grand Big Mac is £5.49. Thats a hole extra 40p and for that you get more bread. Im not going to talk about health facts or calorie count, because you can eat what you want but in proportion in my eyes. I can tell you now that Im sat on the sofa and my stomach feels like its going to explode.

Congratulations Mcdonalds on a really smart publicity stunt to apparently celebrate 50 years of the Big Mac and that seems to have worked for the first few weeks but now your plan has been uncovered and the people aren’t being fooled. I think we should name your Grand Big Mac, MacBrexit. We understand that they never look like they do on the adverts but this is a step too far,  You may fool the people once, but you will not fool them again. (hopefully).

But on the other hand, Junior Big Mac. That is a great idea, people love your Big Mac Sauce and everyone loves a cheese burger, on that front you have given the people what they want and combined the two and for that Ronald Mcdonald, I thank you.

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– As we can see, this burger box is pretty much taller than the fries box
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– the area of bread is impressive, its basically a mini loaf –
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– I made this picture black and white to help you compare the size of the actual burgers. please, make your own decisions. the Grand is on the Left, Junior on the right  –