blog – Page 7

B217 – SHES TAKEN OVER

November 7, 2017November 7, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

THIS IS AMY CHAPPELL WRITING THIS. IM TRYING TO GET HER TO START WRITING A BLOG. SO SHE IS GOING TO WRITE THIS ONE AND CAN EVERYONE READ IT AND TELL HER HOW GOOD SHE IS AT WRITING THESE. BY THE WAY THE PHOTOS ARE MINE.

Day two in Paris began with a very easy going start after a heavy evening that ended with death by Baileys coffee; I reckon Josh must have poured half the bottle into them! Instead of dealing with an overpriced and fairly overrated breakfast at our hotel we headed out and found a small café that did the best ham and cheese toasties ever!

Our first venture of the day was this really cool shop called Colette on Rue-Saint-Honore which I have always wanted to visit, its like a really niche concept store that just so happened to have an exclusive Chanel takeover this weekend much to my pleasure! I think even Josh may have even enjoyed it as they even stocked a hassleblad X1D camera (I promise I have no idea what that is, he literally just told me what it was as I was writing!) If you ever end up in Paris I would recommend giving the shop a visit.

The rest of day we went on a serious hunt for moulet et frites. Can you believe it took us over an hour to find somewhere that did mussels and chips! Even though it took a while, I quickly realised this is one of the best cities to just walk around, you see something different on every street and so many interesting characters along the way. We ended up in a little restaurant on the Champs – Elysee and of course we had to order some traditional French cuisine of slimy escargot which I am sorry everyone tastes bloody great! I know what your thinking this blog post features me mainly talking about food but what’s a weekend away without stuffing your face full of local cuisine!

We couldn’t end our trip without seeing the Eiffel tower so we headed up there at exactly the right moment, when golden hour was emerging. Its amazing how one hour of the day can make a beautiful city look even more beautiful especially in the autumn with the golden brown colour palette. Check out a few snaps Josh took of our adventure today and ooh before I forget Josh thank you so much for a wonderful birthday present away, you’re alright you know!

B217-1 — – Nothing beats walking around Paris in November –

B217-1-6 — – it would be a complete trip to paris without a shot of the eiffel tower –

B217-1-2 — – i like this guys style, he knew what he wanted –

B216 – AFTERNOON IN PARIS

November 6, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

After a bit of bumpy start yesterday when we first got to paris, basically our phones wouldnt work, which meant we had no way of booking an Uber, something todo with the new Apple OS update or something. But for those of you that have been to Gaurd De Nord before you know the first thing you see when you come out the train station is a Mcdonalds and they are known worldwide for having a good free Wifi connection, something that comes in handy when you need to book a taxi!

anyway yesterday afternoon was all about getting over to the Dior exhibition over at the Musee De Arts Decorative on Rue De Ravoli, its basically this massive museum which shows you the history behind Dior and how the company has got to where it is today, so it was pretty interesting. I know nothing about fashion or Dior really, but even for me it was just cool too see what goes into it and where the whole company originated from. In the exhibition theres a massive section on photography so that was pretty interesting to see. I definitely think if your in paris between now and the 7th January you should go and see this whole thing even if your not really in to fashion, the whole thing is just cool to see and even though its a museum full of dresses they don’t really look like dresses. they are more like pieces of art I suppose.

its now the next day and we are having a bit of a lazy morning trying to think what we should do for breakfast, we are staying at the Hotel Eiffel Blomet and they seem todo a good breakfast but nothing will ever beat €1 espresso coffee and a Jambon croissant.

Today the mission is to find some prints and stuff for the flat, Amy also NEEDS to see the shop collet! so I guess we will probably to that too.

Heres my photos from yesterday Bon Appetit.

B216-1 — – this was in the last room at the Dior show, all the walls are full to the ceiling in dresses and dress making stuff –

B216-1-2 — – the new Louis Vitton shop, they went all out –

B216-1-3 — – my photo of the Eiffel Tower. Hello Paris –

B213 – THE FREEMASONS!

November 3, 2017November 2, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Dad you’ll like this fact, so where I am in Massachusetts is home to the oldest fraternity in the world. The Freemasons, they literally are from where I am right now, they even have a load of Freemason lodges in the area where if you are part of them you can go a stay. thats pretty cool.

Im not sure if they are the same as we have in the UK but from there website it sounds like they are. Here, its a brotherhood for men to make connections work or life related and be part of “something bigger”.For the people who dont know what the Freemasons are the best way I can describe it, the organisation is a bit like an Adult scout’s group meets Social club. its full of traditions and teaches important life skills, but also it’s there for men to look out for one another. Im not saying I completely agree with this idea, but it is a part of our history and something that is still relative to us today i suppose, so we should really at least try to understand it.

Heres their website, have a look and see what you think. I mean if anyone can join and they just have a good time, eat good food, socialise, while having the odd secrete handshake, I don’t see a problem with it.

http://massfreemasonry.org/what-is-freemasonry/#!/brotherhood/

Im just kind of happy Ive managed to see another part of the world I probably would never have seen if it wasn’t for this job. Im now 213 days down on the blog and really feel like my photos are getting better. today on my drive through Palma, Massachusetts, I saw this motor bike parked outside some 1960’s america cafe and as I went to take the photo I completely got the focus wrong, and as I pressed the shutter a red mustang drove past, 6 months ago I would probably have written the photo off as a fail, but today I looked at it and really liked how it turned out. a lot of photography, is purely about being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing. that was difficult thing I had to understand when I first started this photo challenge thing, going out for 10 minutes once a week to take photos is pointless. but now I feel confident in my photos and seem to always be carrying my camera around with me, I think I’m slowly starting to get some cool photos from places I’ve been.

Here are my photos from today, its my last full day in america before I head back to London from all of 15 hours before I leave for my next trip and it should be a good one, I’ve been excited about this one for a while and cant wait to share the photos with you.

B213 (1 of 1) — – the home of the freemasons –

B213 (1 of 1)-2 — – this photo, out of focus but I really like the colour in this shot, give its a 35mm feel –

B213 (1 of 1)-3 — – the type of place Im in at the moment, surrounded by proper wildness –

B210 – THE FINISH LINE IS IN SIGHT!

October 31, 2017October 31, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Today I feel slightly better. I still haven’t really eaten which is becoming a bit of an issue. but im not going to carry on moaning, I’m just going to get on with it, ill eat something for dinner tonight and then ill be back to my normal ways. I’m just going to stop eating American junk food; my problem is I love chips (fries) and those little treats. From now on only organic and fresh stuff.

One thing that I want to talk about is the light this time of year; it’s probably the best time of year for light. Clear sky’s and a low sun and you get these cool shadows during golden hour in the afternoon for in Boston golden two hours. I’ve literally just grabbed the 85mm lens and took a walk around a car park, seeing what shots I could get. The sun was in the perfect place, that and the fact the leaves have started to die fall off the trees, which makes for some really photogenic views.

I like about the 85mm prime, it’s a 1.2 f-stop, which means that its really good in low light and also captures loads of colours. A great lens for portrait photography but I would love to see what its like for street photography, my favourite kind of photography. I know when shooting street photography people like to use like a 20mm or just a wider lens than an 85mm, but I would love to see what its like shooting tighter around the streets. Maybe when I get back to London Ill give it ago. My problem is I have a long list of camera gear I need, but I just can’t make my mind up what I need to buy next. Im saving up for my next big purchase but I cant stick to something and just aim for that, I suppose I just need to save some more money and then walk into a camera shop and just pick something there and then, that’s probably the best thing I can do.

Here are my photos from today, we are currently in the middle of the storm when it comes to shooting and finding those few minutes to grab some photos is getting harder and harder so sorry if the next few days aren’t that great. If anyone knows how I can get just one extra hour of sunlight each day please let me know and I promise I will use the whole 60 minutes! I NEED MORE TIME!

B210 (1 of 1)-2 — – this was just me in a car park –

B210 (1 of 1)-3 — – taking some snaps and playing with one of my new favourite lenses –

B210 (1 of 1) — – that house down there was in full halloween mood –

B206 – I’m outta here

October 27, 2017October 27, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

right Ive got to start this post by saying Ive had a few to drink, so sorry for any spelling mistakes of problems with this post. Its been our last night in New York before heading back to London and Ive loved spending time and working here. we move on to the next state tomorrow and im looking forward what it has to offer.

each day of these post I aim to write 300 hundreds words, 100 words for each picture. i think thats pretty responsible. its not too many and not too less. the one thing about photograhy is writing about your photos I hate it. but it kind of make sense, if you take a picture you should be able to write about that picture, end of. so thats why now when I take a certian photo, I always think about how I will explain that photo to someone. its definitely something I need to work on and from now on Im definitely going to make an effort to improve, just so my work can get taken seriously.

america has been a weird place to spend time, its not like anywhere else in the world. its got its own views and its own lawers. so of which are wrong and some are just a bit hazy. but I hope this country can take its own lead and some day show the world what makes this place a cool country.

anyway im just a young kid whos had the chance to see this place, some day I want to bring amy here and have a holiday here, but for now Im just looking forward to getting back to the uk and painting my flat.

its been 206 days since I started this blog and I cant wait to spend some time working on my house!!! michelle spear you are a legend and the blinds look great. christmas 2018 at 315, city view house!

B206 (1 of 1)-3 — – we managed todo this trick at the bar –

B206 (1 of 1) — – new york at lunch time 0

B202 – 17 HOURS LATER…

October 23, 2017October 23, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Tomorrow we leave Florida and head back to New York, its fair to say that we are now in the middle of filming and if we can get through the next 11 days of pure craziness and long hours we will be sitting on that flight home with a beer in hand. But first back to reality, before we leave florida tomorrow morning, this place has left us with one last gift a heard of blood thirsty mosquitos, which have really just aimed for my legs and attacked both my pale white bread sticks with all they have. my legs have lost the battle and the war to these mosquitos and now I can stop itching them.

My post today is about the other famous restaurant in town, it wouldnt be fair to write about one and not the other, this time im talking about the BBQ joint called Sonnys. this place is everything I hope for an more, they know what they are doing when it comes to baked beans and BBQ meat, both times Ive gone for the two meat, two sides option and it hasnt let me down. today I had some kind of sausage and pulled pork with Mac “n” Cheese and BBQ Baked beans and it was just what I needed. its totally different to Catfish country which was more of a family run place, this is a small food chain in Florida, but it packs a punch, they even make their own range of sauces, from what I can remember I had only had the Spicy sauce and that had just the right amount of spice, not too hot not too mild. no one wants a really spicey BBQ, its just not right.

if you’re ever in Bartow, please go and try both Sonnys and Catfish Country and let me know which on you think is better! for the experiacne I would say Catfish Country but if you really want to reach food coma levels go to Sonny’s.

Anyway I think ill keep todays nice a short, I cant really keep my eyes open much longer, its been a proper long day. the next few weeks are jammed packed, so ill do my best to keep these post top notch, but sorry in advance for any rubbish days that might pop up (like this one). I haven’t done Sonny’s justice.

Also you know the rules, any spelling or grammer just ignore them, we all know it’s one of my downfalls.

Enjoy these snaps.

B202 (1 of 1) — – it may look simple on the outside but this place serves some proper food –

B202 (1 of 1)-2 — – It just looks like a southern BBQ joint, happy days –

B202 (1 of 1)-3 — – did what to show a picture of my food, but it arrived I ate it and forgot to take a picture, so heres a photo of a beer and some of their own sauce –

B198 – I FEEL LIKE A TRUE AMERICAN

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 joshfspear3 Comments

So just got to our hotel in Tampa, Florida and the journey feels like its gone on forever, first we didnt have a pilot of the plane, no idea how that happens but it did. Im not going to moan about it thought, because now we are in Tampa and the car hire company have given us the one things I’ve always wanted. a proper american SUV, this thing is a beast. they have given us a GMC Yukon SLT, this thing is like a $60k monster. No idea why they looked at me and thought it would fine, but they did and Im happy about it.

Overall it feels quite good to be back in the south, I know Flordia is quite touristy but it doesn’t feel like that where we are, it feels like a cool part of the world, even though Ive only seen it in the dark. Tomorrow we have a day off, so im looking forward to explore this place, at the moment my main goal is to see a crocodile, like a proper wild one on the side of a river bank, but not sure if that will happen. the chances are ill just chill all day and try to burn of that ridiculous amount BBQ food I just eaten.

This is now like my sixth america state in the past 5 weeks and I really feel like I’m starting to understand a bit more about this place, it almost feels like I’ve completed america if that makes sense. every time I go to a new country I always want to feel some kind of connection to that place, and get the lingo along with the way of life. Im not sure if 5 or 6 weeks is enough time to feel like that, but with america I kind of feel like I’m starting to get the hang of the crazy country.

As today was just really like a travel day not many photos were taken but I did try and get out after dinner and do like a mini photo shoot with the SUV. and to be honest I think thee photo look pretty cool.

B198 (1 of 1)-4 — – Would this SUV even fit on UK roads? –

B198 (1 of 1)-2 — – I would love to drive round London in this –

B198 (1 of 1) — – flying to Newark airport to Tampa, literally spent the whole time just looking out the window, apart from when I was sleeping- (only good thing about sitting at the back of the plane is that you can take good pictures) –

B190 – HOW HAVE I NOT DONE THIS YET

October 11, 2017October 11, 2017 joshfspearLeave a comment

Its been 190 days since I started this blog and I still cant believe this hasn’t come up before. Im talking about dedicating a post the Restaurant across the road La Forchetta, the place for food in East London and possibly London (bar charlotte street which is home to Siam central) has the best food.

La Forchetta is on Bethnal green road just up by the Underground station and a stones throw away from Mcdonalds, if you can see Mcdonalds you can see La Forchetta. some people might think this is a biased opinion on my behalf but I can honestly say anyone who goes there would agree there pizza’s are the best and the service is up there too, not voodoo rays friendly where people just slag off politicians and talk about vintage markets, then charge you £4 a slice of pizza and a £1 for a pot of Ketchup. but La Forchetta is somewhere thats stood the test of time and proven that good food doesn’t have to be expensive, they even offer the occasional post dinner shot of Lemoncello.

The main waiter’s been there since I started going like 3 years ago and from what I can tell has been running the place ever since. He’s a pretty quite guy but always up for chucking a few jokes out there every now and again.

Living in London is a weird thing, before I moved here I didn’t think I would find an area and spend 99% of my time there, but thats not the case. when Im in London its almost like my life revolves around a 2 mile square radius full of pubs, shops and things todo when Im bored and inside that radius is where I feel at home. Then I might travel to west London and that could be a different world for all I know, full of different shops and people. its definitely true what they say about people not leaving the area in London. from now on I’m going to make a more conscious decision to try and break that cycle and start seeing new parts of this city.

but for now, I’m packed and ready for my next destination, tomorrow morning I leave for New York. see you in 24 days London!

Anyway enough of the talking, heres some of the photos from today.

B190 (1 of 1) — – theres no pizza that can compete –

B190 (1 of 1)-6 — – they even have a picture of the godfather up and an actual boat stuck on the wall –

B190 (1 of 1)-4 — – these olives maybe from a local supermarket but that doesn’t matter –

B187 – ITS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR

October 8, 2017 joshfspear2 Comments

FIRSTLY ITS MY BIRTHDAY, POSSIBLY THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR EVERYONE. I have a few reasons for this, October babies are the best type of babies, mainly because summer is over, christmas is still that little bit far away and everyone needs something todo, so bam October birthday it is. The only thing is one of my good chums, possibly the top chum, benjamin Delany, the happiest, grumpy person on the planet is moving to Australia on Wednesday , so last night he stole my brithday and had leaving drinks, they were incredible and to be honest I’m not sure what happened, just know that head hurts and that I saw a whole lot of old friends.

The photo you see below is from when Ben and myself went to a concert at Twickenham, we were about 14 years old and had no idea what we were doing, turn out its 10 years later and we are still no closer to know what we are doing with ourself.

Much love Ben and have a good time down under. and never steel my birthday again. Im sure you’ll have a sick time.

Anyway I cant just post one photo and don’t want to waste too much time talking about Ben, so heres a few photos from my train journey yesterday. I was on the train Amy had fallen asleep and I realised I had played with my 5d in almost a week so, I was just have fun talking photos out the window and ended up with these photos. After playing with a few lenses I have to say that for everyday “bloggin” the best lenses has to be the 24-105, it gives you a lot of focal length and to be honest, hasn’t let me down yet. When Im just walking around with my camera, the chances are ill have the settings on Auto, just as a safety, incase I miss something and this lenses always seems to get the focus right.

Anyway enjoy these photos and see ya later ben, don’t get too sun burnt.

Screen Shot 2017-10-08 at 14.07.12 — – ben and me 10 years ago –

B187-1-2 — – I feel like most of my life is spent on transport –

B186 – A TRUE LIFE SAVER

October 7, 2017October 7, 2017 joshfspear1 Comment

Friday was on of those days there I had about a million things todo and 10 places to be, its the last weekend before I leave for the states again, and its actually my birthday weekend. so last night Amy and me went out for some dinner and to let lose. she knows this really cool Italian tapas bar in Smithfeilds London so we headed there is was called Polpo, its like a small chain if you are ever in London I would definitely recommend it. the tapas was incredible.

Anyway, after a meeting ran over by 30 minutes earlier in the day it put me a little behind but with the thought of a beer and some good food I managed to pull it all back. I know this post is more of a commentary about my day, but thats just what it is. One thing I do want to say, is how much I love the fact that phones are now proper camera’s, my Iphone has literally saved me from complete failure of this three photos a day challenge. When I don’t have my DSLR camera on me, I know that my phone will back me up and get the shot.

even though it is so easy, I kind of do miss the days of film photography where taking a photo getting it exposed and then seeing the end result was such a big ordeal that it meant you had to be constantly thinking about exposure and what film you wanted to use. I kind of like that idea, maybe I should do a project after this focusing on film.

Maybe thats my opportunity to buy a Leica.

anyway thank you Amy for a great little birthday meal, and Ben Delany if your reading this, you’ve stollen my birthday Saturday night and for that I hope you realise I’m not happy about it.

Heres some snaps from our evening, I tried not to take to many photos but just enjoy the evening. One thing I want to ask is my iPhone doesn’t seem to be great in low light, but Ive seen other peoples and they seem to be a better quality, are people using some sort of app or lens. if so which one should I get, want to up my iPhone photo game.