New Camera

Treated myself to a FujiFilm JZ510 point and shoot camera to carry around always - in the bottom of my bag or tucked into my pocket.

It is a strange little thing and has some odd picture options including DOG and CAT. ha ha ha. This amused me and thought I should try them out.

First find your cat - usually they are laying around somewhere sleeping.

Point and Shoot:

Jack asleep on my bed



Pie asleep on a towel



Jack loves the camera and is following me around the house

Also tried it out down the pub last night to see how it coped with low light conditions.



Molly



Alan

I am pleased with my new toy.

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Minister of State

Attended a Conference held by The National Forest Company at Conkers Discovery Centre today which was attended by the defra Minister of State - Jim Paice MP and also the local MP Andrew Bridgen was also in attendance.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food - Jim Paice MP

The National Forest Company outlined their plans for the future. It was good to hear that the plans and targets already set are to be kept in place. There was a chance these may have changed with all the adjustments taking place within the National Forest Company - including the reduction in funding from Central Government and the change of Chair. It was a relief to hear that plans are still on track and that targets are being met and that the work continues apace and continues to amaze.

Simon Evans - Chief Officer Land Use, The National Forest Company

Sophie Churchill - Chief Executive, The National Forest Company

The Minister was given a tour of iconic sites around the National Forest - including the new Cycle Centre at Hicks Lodge. As this is in Ashby Woulds I was asked to be available to meet and greet the Minister and assist with a tree planting in commemoration of his visit.



The New Cycle Centre at Hicks Lodge

 

The Cycle Centre is almost complete



Tree planting to commemorate the visit

The Cycle Centre is approximately 6 weeks away from being completed and opened. The last time I visited it was 6th Dec and the temperature was -14. brrrr. It was lovely to see it almost completed and on a sunny day. It will be a fabulous attraction when it is complete. I might even apply for a job there to keep me busy over the Summer.

brrrrrrrr

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Still Films

Quite interested in the idea of still films. DuckRabbit has some simple but stunning ideas on this idea. This is something I want to do for the Photo-Canopy brief when I visit the Clay works and the Landfill. I will also be doing some personal projects on the heritage of my local area and this would be a lovely way to show the work on the website.

Although this is not a new idea - it is a lovely way of adding layers to photography. 

Equipment and Training

Oral History practitioners in the East Midlands have suggested a Zoom H1 with an accessory kit as cost effective good starting point for this idea. I have organised to receive some training from East Midlands Oral History Archive. 

Zoom H1

Accessory Kit

Watch this space as this idea develops.

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Experimentation continues

Whilst responding to the word coexistence I also had a look for other interesting images. The day was warm and very bright although there was no direct sun and very low grey clouds. A weird one for decisions on camera settings, but interesting for the lack of shadows. Here are my favourites from the day:

Train lines

Tree Lines

Orange Roof

Orange Floor

Arch Inside



Arch Outside



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Coexistence

Responding to the National Forest Brief - Photo-Canopy - to the word coexistence:

The image shows how the forest and the built environment rub shoulders and get along. The Copper Beech leaves mirror the colours of the Red Ibstock Bricks and the leaves obscure the house windows.

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Networking

Excellent networking meeting this morning. I showed some of work - as usual - and got a lot of very positive feedback. It also led to a chat about future commissions that I mentioned and how a fellow networker would like to use my services.

I thoroughly enjoy my network meetings - they are very pleasant, delightful surroundings, wonderful crowd of people and I am starting to get business from contacts made at the meeting. All going wonderfully well.

A first for me today - I created my first invoice for a commission. Feels really good. Everything I do has many learning experience contained within them - even the smallest thing. Life is grand.

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Further experimentation

Pick Triangle and Moira Furnace on a beautiful Spring Day:

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Experimentation

Started experimenting with the lines idea for Photo-Canopy brief:

The beginning of a forest

Perihelion Moon with con trails

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Helen Saunders

Very interesting talk by Helen Saunders about her work and her commissions. Very illuminating. I do believe I have found a kindred spirit in the kind of images she creates and the work and artists that have inspired her.

 

Here are my notes:

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Books aplenty

This weekend I have mostly been making books.

Mothers Day 

Blurb had a 50% off promotion that I couldn't resist. I decided to create a photobook for my Mum for Mothers Day. I have so many photographs of her that I thought it would be nice to put them all together as a gift.

Front Cover of 210x210mm softcover (62 page) Blurb book

My favourite dps in the book

Small World

Jessops sent me a promotion for 50% off a softcover book which expired  midnight Sunday so I thought I would like some of that. I put together a book about my inspiration for the 'Small World' project I am working on. It can be 'Part One - The Inspiration' and when I have made the images I can create 'Part Two - The Project'.

Front Cover of 210x210mm softcover (32 page) Jessops Cewebook

Title Page

Andrew Graham Stickman

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The things I do

The sort of things I do on a Sunday morning:

l-r: Chairman of NWLDC Nigel Smith, Cllr Alison Smith, Mayoress Marie Mayes, Mayor of Ashby Woulds Town Council Joanne Cooper, Andrew Bridgen MP; Hedgehog, Rabbit, Dragon, Badger

The funniest thing was watching the 4 mascots do a hundred metre dash. I really felt that I was in a Monty Python sketch. Weirdly they were not allowed to speak to people so I spent I lot of time talking to a six foot rabbit. He wasn't a white rabbit and I don't think his name was Harvey - so I think I'm safe.

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Dark Portraits and Sappho

Getting inspiration for an idea for the Photo-Canopy brief. I love dark portraits with lots of contrast and lots of dark spaces within the image.

Bruce Gilden 'Head On' exhibition as part of the FORMAT Festival had 3 images which I found intriguing:

I also like the darkness of the Sappho painting that I saw in the Manchester Art Gallery:

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Salford Nights

Had a bit of time as the sun was setting around MediaCity, Salford Quays and the Lowry Centre on a rainy Saturday evening.

Very enjoyable.

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Life on the Edge

Was in Manchester looking at Transportation. Whilst I was waiting for Trams and Buses to be in the correct positions I decided to see what the pedestrians were doing and took some subtle shots.

When I had a closer look at the edge of the image I noticed what was happening to the lady on the left.

Enjoyment.
Shame the weather was so grey and uninteresting.

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