B185 – I COMPETELY FORGOT IT – PT.2

Firstly I want to apologies for yesterday post being so late, I genuinely thought I pressed post, but obviously I did and only realised when amy sent me a message telling me I didn’t.

forToday is just me carrying on from yesterday and talking about how much I like this weather and where the sun seems to be in the sky. Im not sure if its because im finished at the right time but between 5:30 and 6, the sun seems to be in just the right place to give me some cool camera flares. for most people it must be an annoyance and just get in your eyes while driving or some other really British complaint, but for photographers a like this is a great time of year.

When I finished work  today, i thought my idea of grabbing some lens flare shots was dead in the water, not only did I have to run across town to Argos and get some storage boxes, but I also had todo it during rush hour, possible my least favourite time of day. its like a bunch of wild animals travelling around in a coke can, no one wants to be there. But as I got off the train at Highbury and Islington at 17:40 the sun was perfect and I decided to walk a bit slower than everyone else and just take some snaps. and to be honest im pretty happy with how they turned out, my favourite from today has to be the business man walking to the platform looking out the window with his hand covering his eyes from the sun, for me that is perfect for talking about sun flares.

Flares are basically a quick way of turning a dull photo into a cool photo, it adds this other layer to your photo. I know a lot of people add flares to their photos in photoshop, but I always think its much better to try and master the art of flares before going ahead an modifying them.

Heres my three photos from today, I have one question for you guys though, why do adults ride push scooters?

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– Highbury and Islington today at 17:40 –

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– sun flares this time of year are sick –

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– why are adult scooters a thing –

B171 – COOL UNKNOWN AMERICA – I THINK IVE LEARNT SOMETHING – PT.5

Today is the last day of me doing my first mini photo project, Cool Unknown American. Im not really sure how much is unknown or how much everyone knows, but my plan was just to show the inner workings on America on a whistle stop tour of America these past few days. Im about to have a really busy few days, so I think its probably best is I go for a five part project.

I’m currently sat in someone’s garage as the temperature hits 95 degrees, its pretty hot and there’s no air con but that will no break me.

With these posts its always tough to figure out what to write about and with photos, Ive always wanted to let my photos do the talking and just let people read each image and take away from it what they please. That’s not really the case, if you can take a good photo that seems to be about 60% of it, the other 40% is your writing. How well you can capture and write about that photo. That’s what I’ve learnt about this project, my photos are only doing a percentage of the work, I need to explain the reason behind the photos and what I think. Maybe its time for a new shake up of this blog, change the layout and my angle. I’m coming up to the 6 month mark in 11 days and the past 171 days have taught me a lot.

Two of the photos you see below are from previous days, one is of this incredible sunset we saw over the Illinois river on the drive from St.louis to Chicago. It was like a 6 hour drive, on the same straight road of like 200 miles, we got bored half way through and turned off on to the old route 66, this photo was taken just after we joined back on the highway across over the river and then were met by this crazy sunset. I love taking photos of sunsets, they never get boring. my favourite part about this photo is the reflection off the river in the back ground, it makes it feel like mid west america to me.

The other photo is from the VW car meet, this guy was standing up on the flat bed trying to sell things I think. I dont know why, I just thought it was a good photo opportunity so i took it. that car meet was one of those moments that will stand out for me on this trip. I just happened to look out of my hotel window and saw all this craziness happening across the road, so grabbed my camera and just started taking photos. nothing was planned, it just all seemed to fall into place.

anyway I’ve just eaten way to much Chicago deep pan pizza to keep me full or the next week, so heres my three photos.  enjoy.

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– this is my view of the amazing weather outside –
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– sunset on highway 55, Illinois river –
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– this guy knew how to sell –

 

B159 – SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

So it seems these past few days Ive been in a bit confused as to what day this is of me posting, Ive been sat at my laptop trying to figure out how I messed up counting. but ive figured it out and its all correct now I think.

its my first proper day in the south and its a really cool place, everyone it proper nice and just happy to chat, from the people in Walmart to the guys we are down here filming. At the moment its around 26 degrees, I have no idea what that is in fahrenhiet, but apparently its not too bad for this part of the world, the hurricane has brought down the temperature a bit.

tonight we went to some bar in town and had a few beers and some food, it was good to speak to people from this area and to learn about them and how they live compared to life growing up in London. I completely forgot that its legal to carry guns in this part of the world and when I saw a gun at the bar, it was a bit of a shock. drinking a pint and carry a gun at the same time is something Ive never seen, but thats how they live so as long as my nights not ruined, who I am to judge.

Im happy to be there and looking forward to seeing more of this place and definitely think I should come back not for work, but to take cool photos and get to know the people better. I want to explore the south more and really see what this place is about, it’s full of people with a lot of stories to tell.

on another hand the food is crazy, today I tried deep fried corn on the cob, its not for me, I dont think I will ever be eating that again. ill stick to the way my mum does it. Burnt.

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– Taking photos of striaght roads is pretty fun for some reason –
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– this is a post box –
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– Hurricane Irma has emptied the shelves –

B158 – Im in a STATE OF EMERGENCY / Hurricane Irma!!

So good news is I’ve landed in the USA, bad news is I’ve landed in North Carolina, where they are currently in a state of Emergency for Hurricane Irma. Everywhere has sold out of water and the military are on stand by. Its re assuring to know that the hotel I’m staying in also doesn’t have any bottled water. We are just following the Hurricane at the moment and waiting to see what it does with Florida, if it travels north up the coast, it could be an issue with us or does it travel in land, either way its looking like our flight out of Raleigh on Monday is going to be delayed as that’s when they are excepting the weather to hit us. The waitress in the bar next door said they are expecting to get hit with possibly a category 3 Hurricane, I have no idea what that means but im sure its nothing compared to a category 5.

The worst thing about this whole saga, is that when there’s a state of Emergency, the sale of alcohol is stopped. Meaning I cant even have a beer and ignore this whole situation.

For now the plan is to stock up on water, food and anything else and then carry on as normal till we have more news and then depending on how it goes drive somewhere safer or try and get on a flight. What ever happens, I will try and capture as many photos as I can. Im sure the whole thing will be fine, over the next few days we will have a better idea of what is happening and worst case I just end up getting my socks a bit wet.

In other news I met a nice guy called reverend Jones from South Carolina, he was up this way to preach and sing at a funeral and was staying at the same hotel as him. I managed to grab a photo of Reverend Jones, what a guy he was. Top man.

Heres my photos from today, started off in Toronto Canada now in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

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– Reverend Jones, South Carolina, USA –
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– flying into a state of emergency –
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– Toronto yesterday morning –

 

B130 – WHAT A DAY THAT WAS

Yesterday was all about the rain, it literally chucked it down for the whole day. it was like a monsoon an english monsoon, but still a monsoon. The highest rain fall was in recorded in Kenley with 44.8mm of rain thats 1.78 inches!! when you compare that to places like Thailand where they get an average of 170mm of rain, things anit so bad, but I still go completely soaked on the way home.

One thing I love about the rain in London is seeing how different people deal with it, some put plastic bags on there heads and run around, some use a new paper and others just dont care. its the people that don’t care about the weather who make me smile, they anit letting the weather beat them, from the ones wearing a t shirt in the rain, to the guy who’s reading the newspaper while getting soaked (see my photo below), its all about beating the weather and sticking two fingers up to those pesky rain clouds. i think those are my favourite kind of londoners.

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– perfect place to catch up with the evening standard –
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– something pretty cool about london in the rain –
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– getting home quickly –

B127 – CANCELLED TRAIN – 5 HOURS LATER…

today was meant to be a straight forward travel day, spent the day on my sofa then catch a train this evening up north. a few diversions later and im standing a new castle train station waiting for a taxi to finish my journey off. this isnt a complaint its a big observation, it happens, I just wish it didnt happen on my straight forward travel day.

Im trying to keep this as something thats based around photos, but on days like today, where im a bit hungover and just sitting on a train, its just about trying to take the best possible photos from an adverage day, which is kind of fun because you end up trying to frame up everything you see and make something not so interesting, interesting.

anyway its late on sunday, i’m nackered so heres a few photos for today. in other stuff the hotel im staying in for the next few hours is really nice, if you’re ever in Hexham, then stay at the Beaumont hotel. They will actually show you to your room! not sure what breakfast will be like but just gimme coffee and its all good.

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– New castle has some crazy sunsets –
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– for some reason I like this photo –
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– GERAY –

 

 

B123 – back to the city 

This week I’ve been in a place called Allendale. Running about filming stuff. After a proper curry last night at a place called the spice mill, we are now driving the 5 and a half hours back to London.  I don’t know why the curries relevant but I thought I would meniton it anyway. As it was a pretty good curry. 
I’m looking forward to getting back to zone 2 life, but at the same time kind of think it would be cool to wake up in the countryside every day, chuck on a pair of boots, wake your dog up and jump on a quad bike and work on a farm. But for now I’ll just have to head back to London, and the fresh air of the underground. 
Here’s a few countryside snaps of Allendale. 

– can’t beat a local parish –
– another shot of a field –
– this is also a field –

B122 – GOLDEN HOUR IS THE BEST HOUR

this week im up north and to be honest you got to love the english country side, with tractors, sheep dogs and a good old fashioned english pub. Everytime I come to places like this I always think, I should pack my job up in London and move to the country life and just drive motor bikes, climb trees and not worry about politics, money and rush hour.  maybe ill give it a try one day and see how long I last before I miss the central line at 8am on a hot Monday morning. But for now I think these places are good to come to for work and to grab some clean fresh air before heading back into the craziness of central london!

another short and sweet post from me, but I need to sleep. Ive also got a really really cool idea of the website and sunday Ill show do it as well as my normal post. its going to change the game up alot!

but any way here some amazing views and cool photos from a really really busy days filming.

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– you dont see that in London –
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– its utterly butterly –
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– what are these walls called does anyone know? –

 

B117 – LUNCH TIME CHALLENGE

On my way into work today, I had a great idea. How far away from the office on my lunch break and can I take some good photos, eat lunch and make it back in an hour. So at 12:24 I ran out the office, stopping at sainsburys to get a meal deal and then on to the bus stop to jump on the first bus that came past 5 mintues later the 242 towards st pauls turns up. I jumped on it and quickly realised I was going the wrong way, heading towards Liverpool street, which if you know London has got to be the slowest road in London. not really ideal for seeing how far away I can make it.

So I jumped off and decided to walk to spitelfeilds market, the coolest place within walking distance of me, that’s when it started to absolutely chuck it down with rain, one of those weird moments when the heavens open and you just get soaked. not great for trying to take pictures of people out side.

Whole thing seemed two of paid off because I got a free Ribena from some promotion thing and also took a few cool photos. While I’m working in this office, I’m going to make it a weekly challenge, to see how far I can make it on my lunch break.

Today I made it exactly 1 mile away. So I would say this was a complete success and mixed up my normal routine of seeing how much I can eat on my lunch break,

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– I need this guys set up –
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– I should of sacked off the meal deal for this beuty –
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– that hat is something special –

B116 – RAIN DROPS ARE MORE LIKE BURGER BUNS.

so im now 116 days into this 3 photos a day and a brief paragraph thing, and trying to come up with things to take photos of and write about after working a days work anit so easy. but today I though, I would write about rain, the brussel sprout of the eco system, everyone hates it, but if it was for rain, we would probably most definitely be dead. it clears out the Carbon Dioxide from the air, keeps plants alive, which then keep us a live.

So heres a few interesting facts about rain and if anyone has any ideas on things I should take photos of, then please let me know. Im in an office all day at the moment and need to start doing some exploring.

  • The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in 24 hours is 182.5 centimetres (71.9 inches) in Foc-Foc, La Réunion. This occurred during tropical cyclone Denise on January 8, 1966.
  • The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in one year is 25.4 meters (1000 inches) in Cherrapunji, India.
  • Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth.
  • Under certain conditions, rain can fall from the sky without ever reaching the ground. It happens when rain falling from a cloud evaporates or sublimes as it approaches the earth’s surface.
  • rain has a smell. When raindrops fall on dusty or clay soils, they trap tiny air bubbles on the surface which then shoot upward – as in a glass of Champagne – and burst out of the drop throwing aerosols of scent into the air where they are then distributed by wind.
  • Raindrops are shaped more like hamburger buns. As a rain drop falls, it becomes less spherical in shape and becomes more flattened on the bottom like a hamburger bun.

 

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– Norfolk rain the other day –
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– this is a puddle –
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– rain clouds, the sign of summer in the UK –