Tag: blogging

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

 

B328 – CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURES HOTEL ROOM REVIEW

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Last night I slept in a bunkbed. I had the choice of a double bed but I chose the bunkbed all for the content of this post, tonight Im staying at Chessington World of Adventures and its pretty cool. Not only do they have Bunk beds but they also have a Lizzard in the reception and the lifts look like your in a hot air ballon. If I was a kid this would be where I would want to stay.

I suppose this post is my kind of review of this hotel and straight of the bat it gets a 6.5/10, I would give it higher but then thats probably unfair to all the 5 star hotels out there, but if I was coming to the theme park of a day out then yea I probably would stay here first and make life easier. For in room entertainment I feel a bit let down, no nice tv and the themed rooms aren’t that themed im in the jungle room and it doesnt feel too much like a jungle. chuck some themed wallpaper up and make it feel like im in the Lion king. There are two pats to this hotel so may be the other half is more themed. One major flaw is the temperature of my room, i would have to say its probably the same temperature as the Sun or maybe a big bon fire it just wont go colder. Climate control in a hotel room is the difference between a good nights sleep and a few hours broken kip. not that Im complaining or anything because there is a lizard in reception!

If we were to judge the food here I would probably give it a 5/10, my reason for a kind of low number is because I didn’t order an adult meal, Danny (this guy I work with) and I went half on the kids menu, we literally ordered everything they had on that menu and at one point it was hard to tell the fish fingers from the chicken dippers so not great and the beer here, not a massive choice and premium prices which you just have to accept at hotels.

This place is perfect if you want to pack a full day of Chessington in and dont feel like an early start but maybe a night or two would be enough, anymore and I would probably think about going somewhere else. but the bunk bed is comfy and the rooms are a nice size, I also apparently have a few of the animals but its dark now and Im leaving the room before it gets light so Ill just have to take their word on that.

Heres my photos.

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– this is the cool reception, i would take a photo of the lizzard but it was asleep and I couldnt get a good photo of it –
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– the room and my bunk bed for the night –
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– the kids meals were actually a good shout £18 for four kids meals, cant really beat that –

 

 

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 –

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 –

 

B324 – I WILL BE BACK BUT THIS TIME WITH MY CAMERA – **NEW FORMAT**

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Right now is a pretty busy time for me, yesterday ended up being about a 14 hour working day, with a fair few other things that made it a bit more of a tough day. but that is all in the past now, its now Thursday and Ive woken up a bit earlier to get this post done. The only issue with that is, I dont think Ive woken up early enough, I think maybe I got my timings for this morning a little bit wrong. So the plan is now to type as quick as I can and make some time back up.

Yesterday started off a really cool location, we were over in Essex on a shoot in a Dock yard, obviously doing something that I can really talk about, the whole day has given me so many ideas for future shoots that I would love todo. I feel like places in the UK like Dock Yards are held in a really cool ere in the UK, they all have that cool working mans vibe, where sons follow dads and dad follow Grandads down to the docks and to keep the UK stocked up with supplies. I would love to come back to this place and just take portraits of the people working here, I bet all of them have a story from the docks.

If your looks at my photos my photos today and thinking that Ive filmed in the a weird frame, then thats because I have. from now on I think my plan on really busy days is going to post photos that I put on my instagram story. for two reasons really, firstly on those busy days if you can be bothered to read through my paragraphs of grammar mistakes then just head over to @joshfspear and look at those photos stress free and also I think that its easy to take good portrait mode photos on the insta story and they are really easily transferable to WordPress and sometimes with this blog taking the easy root is the difference between an extra 45 minutes in bed.

Here are my photos from yesterday, much love! and please let me know what you think of these photos, its a new idea for me to use not everyday but maybe every now and again.

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– I wish I could of gone on a ship, they are pretty impressive  –
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– even the stair cases have the work mens vibe. I will be back to the docks with my camera in hand to photograph it more –
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– dont those tall machines look like something out of starwars –
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– this is me, looking all professional –

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 –

 

B320 – SAVE YOURSELF!

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Saturday and just like most Saturdays I seem to have at the moment, this one was no different. It involved awaking up pretty early, getting dressed and heading out. The first mission was to get a hair cut but after the que was over two hours, it was quickly apparent that I was going to have to suck it up and walk straight back out the door and head over to Amys Nans house to help with some gardening stuff, not really sure what you call it, but my job was basically to move some rubbish from the garden and fill a skip up.

After we had moved everything into the skip, it was time for me to get a quick lesson in putting up a fence, something that Im pretty sure if push came to shove, I might be able to do my self now. I also got to use a sledge hammer, I refuse to believe anyone that says they instantly don’t feel more manly as soon as they pick up a Sledge hammer and I could of sworn that after I used the sledge hammer I had way more hair on my chest than when I started. but thats taking things to a completely different post entirely.

After my day of learning new DIY tips, it was onto the part I was dreading, the place thats sucks your sole and leaves you broken and craving a cheap fake hot dog, the places I’m talking about is Ikea and for some reason its Amy loves it. I genuinely believe that she would happily walk around there from dawn till dusk. luckily we were only making a quick pit stop there to pick up a wardrobe and some other little things, so we didn’t have to hang around and look at 20 different types of kitchen cupboards. I would just warn everyone out there, that if the idea comes up in conversation to head to ikea on a Saturday night, please try to re-schedule, you will be saving yourself a whole lot of stress.

Anyway, here are my photos from yesterday, sorry they aren’t the best. it was all a bit rushed yesterday.

Oh and sorry if youve sent me a message recently, I will get back to you. I just haven’t had time to sit down and do it. Ill try and get sometime today and respond!

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– At the back of the garden, learning more DIY tips and stuff –
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– Amy rocking the Ikea look –
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– this is just a picture of the train ride, I still love the low light shadows you get this time of year –

B318 – TAKING PHOTOS WITHOUT WALKING ANYWHERE?

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After the shoot today my plan involved rushing back to east london to try and catch a demo of the New fujifilm camera, it looks pretty sick and I think I may be in love but on my arrival to Wex Photo in Whitechapel I was met with the news that I was 30 minutes late and as a result missed the demo and the camera. Coming away from the shop feeling like a had completely failed on my post shoot mission I decided that instead of heading straight home, that I should now try and finish on a high and take some cool photos.\

The only problem with that was for the fact that since 5am I had been on my feet and running around carrying peli cases and tripods, so I needed a plan which involved taking cool photos and not really moving a whole lot. Thats when my idea came to me, theres so many cool artists around brick lane, that spend hours and hundreds of pounds painting the walls and adding some colour to this city, its almost becoming an accepted part of modern day society. if you have a nice clean wall, then someone going to put some art on it free of charge. there comes my mini plan for today. Why don’t I find a really cool wall and just photograph people walking past it and see if they even acknowledge it?

Apart from the guy that swore at me and polity told me todo one, it was pretty successful I think. after coming home and looking at the photos, I really like the choice of wall but I’m not sure what I think about the people being out of focus. I would love to say that was a choice but it really wasn’t, I wanted them to be in focus. so maybe I need to re-think my strategy a bit. I think the idea is there, I just need to now concentrate on the delivery now, I will be back and Im now thinking of this idea a lot more. Im not going to say anymore because I dont want someone to steel my idea, but if you do give it a try please send me some of your photos so i can see if you do it better than me.

Heres my favourite photos from today.

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– this is what the wall looked like when no one was standing in front of it –
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– probably my favourite photo from today, hes in my picture and maybe I made it into his –
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– she likes the art –
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– they look like they’ve seen something happening up ahead –

 

 

B317 – SUSHI ON THE FLOOR

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Its that day of the year again, Valentines day. What I like about this day is that everyones exceptions are so different is unreal, not like christmas where if you don’t spent every last penny in your bank they your a scrooge. No, Valentines day is more of a decision between partners on what is an acceptable gift, for Amy and me its simple, this year we got a card each, I splashed out on a pen that had a dog stuck on the top and then we sat on the living room floor watch classic movies, eating Sushi and drinking Prosecco.

Thats probably about as valentines day vibes as the flat gets and to be honest it was kind of just right, there was no going to expensive restaurants, where i have to wear a shirt and Amy nearly has to break an ankle in shoes which are way to high for her hips. we just took it easy this year. Im not really sure where Valentines even comes from to be honest, I really feel like maybe a card factory has too many blank cards left over from Christmas and just decided to create a day to help get rid of them, but what i do know that it kind of is important to spend a day with your partner having fun and just enjoying the company and maybe Im being naive but thats just kind of something that happens most days in Flat 315. Amy is definetly going to read this and think that Ive reached the highest level of “cringe” there is, but im sure she will build a bridge and get over it.

Anyway thanks for a really fun evening amy and im sorry that instead of carrying on, im now laying in bed writing this post because again I have to be up really early and wont be able to get this post done in the morning but much love mush and happy valentines!

Josh

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– cheers to another valentines together –
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– take away sushi, what is better on a day like todo –
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– this photo is from my lunch time walk today, how cool is east london –

B316 – ITS A NATIONAL PRIDE

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With the internet being somewhere I am posting about everyday of my life for a whole year its hard not to reveal things, but there is definitely one topic that is forbidden and will not be spoken about in public or private, in fact its probably my biggest secrete, its something which I feel needs to be left between maybe my closest friends and family.  Ive been doubted and belittled by many and mis understood by a few but one thing is for sure, they may take the piss but they will never take my pancake recipe!!

And then once a year we have a whole day dedicated to this amazing dish and then because tradition dictates, we then get to throw them round our kitchens till we’ve run out of lemon juice and sugar. Im not sure on a lot of things but one thing I know for a fact is that no matter what you go through as soon as you throw that little sizzling mixture of carbs and dairy in the air, nothing else matters, you know you just need to nail the landing, no half flips, no folds, just land the pancake the other way up and you have successfully achieved what probably half the country will fail todo.

its a human right to have a great pancake day and enjoy the fruits of our labour, everyone should have the right to a “flippin” good night and I hope that everyone got in the sprite and showed that shrove Tuesday is something which makes Britain Great. We are a country of culture and diversity and a love for Pancakes. that should be celebrated and enjoyed indulged. So please think of thy neighbour on this holiest of days and celebrate the wonderful thing of flipping pancakes in a kitchen, just don’t try and copy my recipe.

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– Amy doing a flippin good job –
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– I will never reveal my recipe –
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– the early morning call time yesterday, up and out the door by 6am –