Tag: black and white

B336 – THE CREATIVE PEOPLE OF LONDON

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So its now like 10:30pm on monday night and im just laying in bed writing this post, since sunday Ive had the photos lined up that I wanted to post today but Im not sure on the words that should of with them.

Tonight Ive been out for some drinks with some friends, I should really say it was a company I do a bit of work for lates christmas party but I suppose their more just freinds, who sometimes give me money to pay my bills and stuff. but anyway it was nice to see each and every single one of them and it was annoying that I couldnt stay later but I need to get a decent nights sleep for an early start tomorrow, so im sorry I didnt see the night out till the end.

Anyway back to the photos, the other day while walking around hyde park I cam across this guy who was making some massive bubbles with some weird looking device and washing up liquid, and well because of my rekindled love for the 50mm 1.8f lens it was only right I put that focal length tot he test and see if I could capture a reflection within a bubble and to be honest I kind of think I managed todo that and one of the photos Im really happy with, I also wasn’t sure with what todo with the colours, you all know I love black and white photography and would love to only ever take black and white photos but I thought this time I would mix things up a bit and chuck some bright colours in there just to see what you think. Thats the whole reason this blog is here in the first place, to see what i like and what I don’t like. and you’ve kind of got to thank the city of London for being full of creative people who just think on a different scale!

Ill let you guys do the judging, do you prefer my black and white portrait shots or these kind of crazy colour shots (its ok to say both by the way).

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– my favourite shot from the day, look at the bird in the bubble –
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– its looks a lot easier than it actually is, wind was a nightmare –
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– the colours in these bubbles are amazing, they look like mini planets –

 

 

 

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 –

 

B311 – SUCH A GOOD PLACE TO PHOTOGRAPH.

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As I said in yesterdays blog my plan for today was to get out on my lunch break and take a walk along the canal near to where I’m working and I actually managed to drag myself away from the  unlimited supply of chocolate bars and family sized packet of crisps to walk along this really cool stretch of water.

What I love about places like this, is just the way that they kind of create their own personality, everyone seems to be such a harsh environment for both people and animals, it all has that really brutalist feel to it and there is definitely something really photogenic about that. Its kind of crazy to think that these places actually have quite a lot of wide life if you think about it, if I was one of them I would definitely use my wings and fly to somewhere like hyde park or some other country park in a 20 mile radius of these victorian styled water ways.

Today I have also decided to write this post in the afternoon because this evening Amy has just booked up into a spinning class which basically means that tonight I will probably just want to come home and pass out. Its going to be our first ever spin class so I’m not really sure what I should expect but I do know is that things like spin class give your body a proper work out and thats something my body hasn’t really had since last year. As long as I can stay on the bike then I’m going to be happy, Ive heard these things can really work you out.

check out my photos from today, Im really happy with how they’ve turned out and to be honest I definitely want to take another trip around the canals of London and see what else I can photograph. these places are really kind of cool and interesting.

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– if I was those birds I would probably want to head up to somewhere like the Lake district and swim in those lakes –

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I really like photographing things made of this type of concrete they look so cool –

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– low tide of the canal –

B303 – THE IPHONE PHOTOS

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This morning Im doing something I haven’t done since the last time I was working, Im bringing back the Iphone photos. for those of you who have really read the past 303 posts, what I do is take photos on my iphone and then store them up and when I haven’t really had the chance to take any photos that day, I just scroll through my phone and pull out some photo that I like. It kind of helps me keep the content up, and make sure that ive always got something to fall back on because days like yesterday when I literally just worked, came home and cooked a chilli, then by the time Ive sat down to eat anything its like 9pm at night and times just disappeared.

On my way to work in the mornings I have to walk under the A12, which is basically just like a mini motorway that runs through East London and out towards the M11. Well along this stretch of road is an old building that looks more like its been used for an illegal rave or something that anything else in the past few years. Literally the windows are smashed out and its covered in graffiti. I’ve been walking past this places for the week and every time I walk past it, I really wonder what its like inside. I know you should never go into old buildings and I would do it without the proper authorisation but I think everyone wonders what its like inside. So what I’ve done is just take some photos from the bridge that close to it and gives you a look in, I might try and find out who owns the building and see if theres anyway they can let me in for like 10 minutes.

My other photo today is of the stair case in the Tate Modern and is the kind of feature that if I could then I would 100% have in my future house, if you haven’t been to the Tate then definitely get over there, but maybe try and do it over two days, because one day is not where near enough time.

Anyway, heres my photos from today. Bon Appétit.

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– I really want to find out who owns this building and if they will let me in –
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– I bet the light leaks and shadows early in the morning look amazing –
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– I wonder if you can get this stair case made for a house? –

 

B297 – PROPER ROAD TRIP STUFF

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My plan for today is to post some photos from the gig yesterday, I really get paranoid that I take so many photos I like from gigs and then they just sit on my hard drive for the rest of eternity, so Im just going to go ahead and post them. I haven’t stopped listening to Blueprint Blue since I heard them, its kind of getting me ready for the summer in a weird way, they are proper road trip music.

As Im sure most of you are aware today is Friday, which means its one more sleep till the weekend and thats my last weekend as a free man, because as of Monday I start my next job. Its been a fun two months of doing what I like and I have to say I’ve spent that time pretty busy which is actually quite good, Im not looking back on December and January and thinking “wow I watched some great TV series”, its more “oh cool, Ive taken some fun photos, made a few cool videos and created a pretty solid 2018 plan”. It now just comes down to putting all of that plan into practice and not spending to much of the time in the pub. Im quickly approaching a massive mile stone in this blog and thats something Im pretty proud of, its day 300! After that the finish line is in sight!

Today I have a bit of plan to get my life in order and sort out some of the boring stuff in life, but after all that I want to get down to the south bank and take some photos. I haven’t really been there in the day to take photos, so it will be good to see how that turns out, its a mini city adventure. but for now, heres so more of my favourite photos for that gig the other night.

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– Seeing a pack out gig on a wednesday night at the Seabright arms, makes it all worth it –
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– looking forward to going to their next gig –
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– because the stage is so dark, I definitely think black and white photos look so much better –

 

B281 – GET OUT OF BED JOSH!

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My thinking for todays post was that over the past few days Ive taken some good photos and instead of leaving them in my hard drive to one day my post on instagram, Ill use today as a day to post them. After all it is Wednesday and probably like me have that mid week feeling.

Today hasn’t started exactly how I wanted it too, the plan for today was to wake up at like 7am and go for a run, then start my day. Well its now 10:30am and Im still in bed, so not the best start to the day but Im planning on pulling it back with a day full of something productive. Before the end of last year I started a big photography project on music cultures in London and today I get back in the zone and shoot a band later on in Camden called Tayne Band. they are playing at the lock tavern in Camden, so it should be a good little gig.

but right now my plan is to get out of bed and go on the run that I was supposed todo this morning, I said I would ran 2.5 miles three times a week this year and I can fail at the second hurdle. Ive got to at least make it through January.  the plan is just to put the running shoes on then I don’t have an excuse not to go, because the shoes are already on my feet.

Ive also got a little video I need to start editing, so maybe today is a good time to sit down and get that done, its one of those projects where again, until i sit down and say ” I’m not leaving this seat till its done” I wont finish it, so maybe today and tomorrow Ill dedicate to getting it done.

Sorry if this seems like I’m just sat here procrastinating, because well I think I am but I will not give in to the powers of Netflix or some other kind of TV series.

Here are some of my other favourite photos from the past few days.

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– don’t fall over amy?
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– if only this shot was in focus –
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– amy trying to take a serious photo as the security guard was walking over to tell us we were allowed to take photos there –

 

B221 – THIS IS BIG NEWS!

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Firstly I just want to say sorry for this post being late, Ive done what everyone needs todo every now and again, have a proper lay in. Not a Jet lag weird sleep thing but a proper lay in, may be it had something todo with the hangover im experiencing at the moment or maybe its just my body enjoying a beautiful Saturday like it deserves.

The big news of today is that Ive done something that Ive wanted todo for a long time but haven’t had the focus to and that gets some prints made of one of my favourite photos. The reason its taken so long is because I didn’t just want to get the prints made straightway, the thing is I know nothing about paper or printing but understand that printing is a massive part of photography so I needed to go and speak with someone to understand more about the paper, geeky I know but who wouldn’t want to spend their lunch hour looking at different types of paper. In the end I went for the Hahnemuhle Pearl paper, which is 285gram per sheet of pure paper magic.

Im not expecting to sell loads of prints and its mainly to keep my parents of moaning at me that I need to get some made so they can put one up in their Living room. its quite exciting though and will be good to know if people actually like my photos I suppose. Ive got three already packaged up and ready to go and another two that might take a bit more time to get out the door, but I promise if you do order one I will get it to you as quick as possible and if you live in London I will personally deliver it to you! and I will also ship anywhere world wide but postage in the UK is free. World wide I’m going to have charge you extra, sorry thats just the way it is.

Heres the link to the print!

https://joshfspear.com/about/prints/

right, any way its now time for a Nandos and kick this hangover.

Get buying people!

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– so happy with how my prints have turned out –
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– me examining paper –
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– this was a good paper, heavy which is better –

 

B219 – “THE GUY CAUGHT UP IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS”

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its here, that time I never thought would come. I put it to the back of my head and tried not to think about it, im talking about the time of year when it gets dark at 4 in the afternoon. today I spent the whole day in an office, I know I said I would try and get out of my lunch hour and some cool kind of project but I wasn’t expecting 6pm to come around so quick. and then I left work and it was  pitch dark and I hadnt taken a single photo. lucky I had a quick thought and decided to run with it so here I am.

Positive thoughts josh Positive thoughts.

This time of year is pretty good for taking photos late at night, for one reason everyone looks like a character from some 1940’s black and white film. its a mixuter between the winter clothing like a long jacket, hat or dark clothing together with the lighting or really lack of light which creates these cool silhouettes as people walk or cycle along the road. I think its because all of a sudden a random office communter on their way home to sit on the sofa and eat a packed of chocolate digestives now looks like some under cover detective casing out a suspect or they look like the suspect and move around in the dark to go unnoticed. taking all this in mind when walking home my goal was to try and get a photo of what I thought the detective, the suspect and then “the guy caught up in the middle of all this” would look like.

I have no idea if this makes sense to anyone readings this but it makes sense in my head and thats kind of all that matters right. I know it helps if I get my point across but as long as you like my photos thats all that really matters.

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– the detective –
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– the suspect –
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– the guy caught up in all this –

B218 – BACK TO THE OFFICE

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Back in london now and back to work, but I though it would be a good idea to show some more photos from paris. before I start blabbering on, how good was Amy’s first post yesterday, she got 81 page views in total which for a day is pretty good! we just need to think of a name for her blog now? what are you views on http://www.joshisdabest.com ?

As you read on yesterdays post we spent most of the time walking around just exploring the city and looking for mussels and chips. Paris is on of those cities which Ive been to  fair amount of times but just enjoy going to, I also try and not visit the same place twice until Ive seen enough of the world, but Paris is an exception. I cant go to that city enough, and as its a train ride away from London St. Pancras it literally couldn’t be easier.

But considering im now laying in bed on Wednesday morning trying to think of a good reason to lay here all day, but also knowing that in a few minutes I’ve got to get up and go to work I know that the fun little adventure at the weekend is now well and truly over. Ive decided that todays pictures should be in Black and White because that city looks so good in B&W and also because its no in the past it kind of works quite well for showing off some of the extra sights we saw.

Today Im determined to take my camera to work with me and start showing off some of London on my Lunch Break, see how far away from the office I can on my lunch break or something. Off the top of my head I think I can make it at least 5 miles. wish me luck!

 

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– le eiffel tower –
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– not sure what building this is, I just like the way the road line leads your eye up to it –
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– this is a proper french cafe –

 

 

 

B173 – YOU DON’T NEED A HELMET

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I’m writing this a day before I actually need too, the next 48 hours are going to be a bit stressfull, so I thought I would do this post way before I need to just to make sure that its decent and not completely rubbish.

Today I wanted to post more pictures of the junk yard I went too a few days ago, just because it was something that I think is worth posting. The whole idea of taking photos at a place where you would think to take photos is what I like about this and its made me want to go to more junk yards and take photos.

The first photo I want to talk about is the guy riding the motorbike, in Illinois is legal to ride a motorbike without a helmet. Now for someone from London its completely weird to see people riding motorbikes around without a helmet on, it just doesn’t look normal. But it definitely adds to the cool factor, it makes motorbike riders look more like Nomads than part of a society. Like this guy, he’s just cruising around looking like he’s going nowhere but everywhere at the same time. the guys probably just on his way to get some milk for his family at home, but that’s not the impression he gives. I’m not sure if I agree with the helmet laws over here, but who I am to judge.

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For all these photos I used a Canon 20mm prime, shot in Black and White but also used RAW + JPEG format, but so I had the safety of using an Uncompressed image but was using Black and White as a reference. When you shoot in RGB but plan on changing the photo to B&W later on you shoot completely different and don’t think about the lighting as much as to when your only seeing B&W as an in camera reference.

My tip is to always shoot in the colour scale you plan to edit in and release you image as. I think it makes a huge different to the out come of your photo. Someone might say differently but by shooting RAW + JPG, you aren’t risking anything.

Here’s my other two photos. As your reading this, im currently on my way to an airport.

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– I like the rough paint on the side of this truck –
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– not for sale –