tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7405909481536927802024-03-19T12:16:20.393+00:00LookingupPhotography by Linda WrightLinda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-72986839145654299472014-07-27T08:17:00.001+01:002014-07-27T08:23:43.814+01:00WIN WIN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year, Monmouthshire County Council, along with several other councils, has planted wildflower verges along several roads and traffic islands.</span></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykWSUDJsDiBWuyYv2ameZ00jPQB5dyj_XGQL2IJoxCdCC1f0UnOLe-611QfmmVjVnOB-dYtJKNEnocmnR2BdjfrwPjJndkau3_EkLHry_LBGWdpAv9D576_KDZesITPIdtKZfR6I-9Z3c/s1600/wildflower102.jpg" height="213" width="320" /> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2BEQNCWs4uikugIlkpUCRfX0U-IXIBUeCJmARu45hH-3_ZAN3CFYgxU_5ctSEqESpkLONFZPMartl2YyLKr1bGhGwsS-fRyBODI-0QTOn3XiGs7gSbtRlGpxL8pJvoytYRLFjGlP3q9y/s1600/wildflower130.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Apparently, it saves mowing, it enhances the environment for residents and perhaps most importantly, provides luscious feeding grounds for insects. The bees needed no signposts to find them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A couple of them consisted of poppies only, providing the most glorious spectacle as the dense planting created an intense swathe of colour.</span><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX2XwpUqDQ81KazpXk4vyEw5LZu00ipZYTYgUxJtCNbOKEmcWrN9ZyGcR43viyUaBcGm2tD94_ZUMHnxOprRpiIkb95qEd54mhiIPiJWrnU5fjlg26I7egY8CnPhVeaQa_ckRCdBuVhzH/s1600/wildflower110.jpg" height="320" width="213" />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSz3H7KZzjKvnpVcmcYL4U0OQgJ7FHmlsK6qCRsJq-dDScxk5qXf6bf3DdhUsLtZ4yRtASfHvdnkpaMND25KTRONSzZ1Ok5RJ1BEUi5OBWM9OFZV6Bua_Gp9UNQIvbusWkIICDI1zLtXoP/s1600/wildflower117.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">..And early morning sunshine provided perfect rim lighting</span> </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1AhQR9lxpFQpS2k5B4rEUMnsF2aK4aSJ9KEdvUKsL6KHjAeRnnNuZlSMS6YR3fZ-uM3Iu3qbmwrxXcmMKkDn6tCs2nVjMlcTKomYN72N6mA5devmxkCMoEkqP2PT3FPemBfc0j1yfaca/s1600/wildflower128.jpg" height="213" width="320" /> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJRnOyTB7OI7LWKvQ_mEuHCgsBg7tr62_jRHrkZpZLRXm8I0BTwvFh5dlkt4-T4L2V1tsWnc6zq0H_n2avXRdEmVChdVFlpjLmLeOvvEWhN_5Mg3JzxqVPgSYdC3qmnPoVwf7CATK5hxo/s1600/wildflower127.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">WIN WIN!</span></div>
Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-36213294153337901202014-06-30T10:40:00.000+01:002014-06-30T10:40:01.367+01:00The Lost City<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What an amazing place! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcQZWmMXxgLe3KQffqh0PhXYRZRZ-5DOD8wqSnnZNYK0fy4s8dd7_eG2f1Aafmq7QqIroYugS9IJuHpc9zNFP2HlEx93dw5a3JYVVigcBjxvKrRsecNSS21ZIXizYq9XkXpU6gJFYvaFB/s1600/Peru_machu_picchu01xxsmall.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Machu Picchu was built by the Incas in the 1400s about 80 years before the Spaniards plundered Cusco, the Inca capital, in 1533. It is thought it was built for the great Inca <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Pachacuti,</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> and a self-sustaining population lived there for many years. After the Spanish conquest, it was abandoned but, unlike the other Inca cities, which were largely demolished by the Spaniards, this legendary site was never found and remained hidden in the mountains until 1911 when it was rediscovered by the American historian, Hiram Bingham. After two years of excavation, the full wonder of the city was revealed but its </span></span></span><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">inaccessibility meant that it was visited very little during the first half of the 20th century. However, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" title="UNESCO">UNESCO</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" title="World Heritage Site">World Heritage Site</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> in 1983.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Seven_Wonders_of_the_World#Winners" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" title="New Seven Wonders of the World">New Seven Wonders of the World</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> in a worldwide Internet poll.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">We arrived in thick cloud and were unable to appreciate the famous vista from the Sun Gate. However, the next day, after a rest in a very agreeable hotel, we were able to explore it in relatively clear air. Although it is at 2430m, it was quite easy to negotiate after the rigours of the Inca Trail. On the bus back, a Japanese lady showed me her passport - she was 85 and had just spent the day there, so if anyone wonders if they will struggle, take heart!! It helps to be acclimatised to the altitude but as you can walk around at your own pace, it isn't too difficult.</span></span></span>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-68500449964242979122014-06-06T20:20:00.000+01:002014-06-06T20:20:05.845+01:00Morning mist<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The day we arrived at Machu Picchu was very wet. Although we were at altitude, we were close enough to the Equator for the temperature to be like an English summer's day. This turns the landscape into cloud forest and explains why the Inca Trail is festooned with lichens and decorated with begonias and orchids, all pollinated by hummingbirds. Very unlike an English summer unless you're in a garden centre. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Having reached the Sun Gate, we waited for an hour for the thick clouds to part. We were keen to get the iconic view of the Lost City but got too cold from waiting and had to set off towards it. Evidently, it was cloudy all night because when we went back in the morning, the thick mist was just clearing. So here is a view of us all listening to our guide at sunrise</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaR8rFf4Qf_JaOLsynbqA9vIc8uLdPpXFrzTNx3GR1b5ykNz7Uzycp7JcTvKkLVaR9R0LSwb2f0f8Vrs-PUH5miEyp_s6yXEJKfGvhQ-uqunKn8A2mEFsUGyMHa3lhe2joNMah6u0YX_av/s1600/Peru_1989_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaR8rFf4Qf_JaOLsynbqA9vIc8uLdPpXFrzTNx3GR1b5ykNz7Uzycp7JcTvKkLVaR9R0LSwb2f0f8Vrs-PUH5miEyp_s6yXEJKfGvhQ-uqunKn8A2mEFsUGyMHa3lhe2joNMah6u0YX_av/s1600/Peru_1989_small.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-78948075231285404382014-05-26T09:58:00.000+01:002014-05-26T10:07:06.392+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Etg5JmrgyTyGeT6FdhXTVfW7c_O7bM4Wpn7f_pGC-GFlxFQT3R8Yz44Ajm5-djdHIwC1eYIeNqvBt7SCJ-k-wZ-eyTED5c8dWBZnaZOwroCMoeQ13ZdQSBRmC_js9WfQQi1dq2FDsI9j/s1600/Peru_1784small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Cusco, Peru, photographed by Linda Wright" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Etg5JmrgyTyGeT6FdhXTVfW7c_O7bM4Wpn7f_pGC-GFlxFQT3R8Yz44Ajm5-djdHIwC1eYIeNqvBt7SCJ-k-wZ-eyTED5c8dWBZnaZOwroCMoeQ13ZdQSBRmC_js9WfQQi1dq2FDsI9j/s1600/Peru_1784small.jpg" height="213" title="Cusco, Peru" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cusco was the capital city of the Inca empire. It was even called the 'navel of the world' - clearly they didn't get out much. But it was the centre of their world - a haven in the Andes and an established and well-ordered civilisation until the invasion by the Spanish in 1532. This view, taken from the heights above the city, near the ancient fort at <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Saksaywaman, shows, if nothing else, the dramatic big skies that develop every day as thermals rise in the mountain air. The city was thought to have been built in the shape of a puma - one of the revered animals. Despite our many attempts, and help from our guide, we couldn't see it. But it is kind of imaginable on the tourist maps. Anyway, whilst scrutinising the landscape for the famous Temple of the Sun, I had actually not noticed the brilliant sky until looking at the pictures in the UK. And photographers are supposed to be observant</span>…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Taken with the Fuji X Pro1, which I plonked on a wall for stability.</span></span><br />
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Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-6589675505333831972014-05-24T08:21:00.000+01:002014-05-24T08:28:46.448+01:00A Fuji X Pro 1 Abroad<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A year ago, I was invited to go on a trekking adventure in Peru. I jumped at the chance and paid the deposit. At that time, the holiday seemed so far away that I hardly gave it a thought. But after the New Year, the challenge of getting fit for altitude and collecting all the gear became a great preoccupation. The process was not helped by the fact that I caught flu then developed shingles in the two months before leaving, but that's another story</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By far the hardest decision was which camera to take. I wanted to carry a full frame Canon but it was too heavy, even for the Kymin training walks, so I settled on a Fuji X Pro1. It's a compact system camera, really tricky to hold and fiddly to operate (</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">in my opinion), n</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ot least because the optical viewfinder is off centre, and the electronic one doesn't have the lovely clear resolution that you get in an SLR. Despite this, it had a wonderful reputation and the lenses are lovely, so I thought I would give it a go. I took the precaution of packing the user manual as, often on my Kymin walks, I was stumped with some of the controls. If nothing else, it would be something to read on the plane. The story unfolded in South America but I thought I would share some of the Fuji images, and even some of the events of this fantastic trip. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The day after we arrived, we took a dawn flight across the Andes to Puno. I unpacked the Fuji, climbed over friends to get to a window, and saw this first view of snow in April.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr5UsSibk3nxiE8AIPsxkxuRYceWXCf9ZLDbNcsTVDVNWrrc9__07s7uH2Uf8afhCO9_MbcBBjD4w-SVE9jrAcBE8nBvbwhCeku5ps9QpIu93UxaDSQCrJngXx3rnl55hxF4tTsZQnaz5/s1600/Peru_0889small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr5UsSibk3nxiE8AIPsxkxuRYceWXCf9ZLDbNcsTVDVNWrrc9__07s7uH2Uf8afhCO9_MbcBBjD4w-SVE9jrAcBE8nBvbwhCeku5ps9QpIu93UxaDSQCrJngXx3rnl55hxF4tTsZQnaz5/s1600/Peru_0889small.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have to admit to some editing in Photoshop as shooting through the double thickness of the plane window gave blue-ish images distinctly lacking in contrast and sharpness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had no expectation of good photos with the Fuji - I was comparing it with the oh-so-easy-to-use Canon, and not having access to any viewing device in Peru, I had to wait to get home to see if there was anything worth keeping. I was pleasantly surprised on reviewing them and think the Fuji is going to find itself on lots more trips in future. In this shot, I was pleased with the detail that could be extracted, and started to look through the other pics with a little more optimism. More to come...</span></div>
<br />Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-89706235893378649442013-09-30T08:32:00.005+01:002013-11-13T19:17:44.369+00:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hh1lQo5TWdOEMoPvP7PClGocYqCve3rjaksNXy-Tix_ZrABTUmHLTba5PIczFeC_qju9ZkET81vnNNYxIA255A7CIcawucAA0fMgfCTxI2YeMTQ1-kdwww0RbdGYjdDuESGu5GRiqyBx/s1600/moon01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hh1lQo5TWdOEMoPvP7PClGocYqCve3rjaksNXy-Tix_ZrABTUmHLTba5PIczFeC_qju9ZkET81vnNNYxIA255A7CIcawucAA0fMgfCTxI2YeMTQ1-kdwww0RbdGYjdDuESGu5GRiqyBx/s320/moon01.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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The older you get, the more people you know and, inevitably, some of them lose touch. These days, Facebook is a great way to avoid that, but in the dim and distant past, friends would never have had that opportunity. When i was thirteen years old and leaving Canada, where we had lived for three years, i made a pact with my best friend that we would look at the sun every day at noon so we could always be doing something together. In those three years abroad, i had forgotten how hit and miss the opportunites were to see a noonday sun in Britain!! I also hadn't reckoned on the five hour time gap, so despite my early efforts, we probably never got to do this simple thing together. However, I never forgot the pact, although did lose touch with my friend - and that was only one of the many regrets I had on leaving Canada. It is a truly beautiful country.</div>
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Recently, I put all forthcoming full moons in my diary in the hope of photographing them. Everyone was raving about the size of the harvest moon this month, so I was ready... However, I was fiddling around on Facebook when it rose and when I suddenly remembered, it was already high in the sky, very bright and disappointingly small. I'm setting an alarm for the next one!</div>
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However, when I put this pic on Facebook, a friend in Arizona said she saw it too - so the notion of looking skywards still works! </div>
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So this is for all friends scattered around the northern hemisphere. Friendships, like celestial bodies, never change...</div>
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(Click on the image to see it in higher res.)</div>
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<br />Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-14232371423340734052013-09-04T23:44:00.000+01:002013-11-13T19:25:41.572+00:00Never too old to learn<div style="text-align: justify;">
I thought I had sussed out how to take photos but always found it difficult to get the exposure right when facing into the sun. Then I talked to a guy over the weekend who suggested switching to auto ISO. I also changed the camera to spot metering and linked the principal focusing point to the meter. Spent a day today in lovely warm sunshine trying out the new configuration. Spot metering is a bit demanding when the birds are flying but works exactly as you would expect. Definitely a good strategy for the future. Here are a couple from today</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxAywXMNr3rokPkYUnUlSaPQjhHhGbL-bGwv_nop0QtoFIxjHIKNf5qDr6QEFvxoW2rCrshxiXal2kUwHIhBKvVtncKHo_W3lRLtEpYU4ilH9r_DCGSYC8SlHaowVqLdDMggNAlVhGcY8/s1600/dogs26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxAywXMNr3rokPkYUnUlSaPQjhHhGbL-bGwv_nop0QtoFIxjHIKNf5qDr6QEFvxoW2rCrshxiXal2kUwHIhBKvVtncKHo_W3lRLtEpYU4ilH9r_DCGSYC8SlHaowVqLdDMggNAlVhGcY8/s320/dogs26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-71748766441817410692013-03-17T18:21:00.000+00:002013-11-13T19:25:03.808+00:00A bit of wisdom<div style="text-align: justify;">
Owls have that reputation for being wise. I think its because they sit still and seem to be listening. When people reflect and consider things deeply they too sit still quietly. Maybe that's it. But on the news last week, they had concluded that Neanderthals became extinct because they needed large eyes to accommodate the lower light levels in the northern hemisphere, and that, as a consequence, there was not enough room in their cranium for a big brain. Thus the more intelligent humans out-competed them. But owls have such large eyes, adapted as many of them are, to flying at night, that they too have little room for grey matter. So maybe that's it. To be wise, you don't have to be brainy, just be someone who listens and doesn't prattle.. Hhmm.. so wisdom is within the grasp of us all.</div>
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Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-43325898656360440942013-03-10T19:27:00.002+00:002013-03-10T19:27:46.653+00:00Angi Wallace runs wonderful macro days where lucky course members get to photograph her amazing collection of amphibians and reptiles. Angi provides thoughtful and often very pretty props on which her pets can climb and pose. Yesterday I had a go at photographing a chameleon eating a cricket. It wasn't as difficult as I expected to capture the moment but I had not got used to high speed Speedlight sync and by the time I had worked it all out, the chameleon was full!! But I did get this one of a waxy monkey frog sitting on a gutzmania.<br />
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Well worth a day in Bristol!<br />
<br />Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-49019253323620081822012-09-04T09:31:00.004+01:002012-09-04T09:31:46.449+01:00Going for gold<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saw this post box while the paint was still wet. It is in Newent, Gloucestershire and represents Carl Hester's dressage triumph at the Olympics. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-41969453635071724562012-07-30T13:29:00.002+01:002012-07-30T13:30:55.264+01:00Morning gloryFlowers are a popular subject for photography but they are often quite difficult to capture in an attractive way - perhaps even more so when they are in the field. This is an attempt to separate a couple of poppies from the field of cornflowers and marigolds in the background. In early morning light, here is the result:<br />
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<br />Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-47159679681605118152012-07-12T22:28:00.001+01:002012-07-12T22:28:17.937+01:00Had a lovely time today in the wood with a baby tawny owl. Although only a few weeks old, it is amazingly capable and alert. It flew to a tree and literally just latched to the side of it. It was easy to attract with a squeak. Babies fall for that but they soon learn that it isn't really a dying shrew and stop taking any notice. I have noticed that these predators usually avoid eye contact. Anyway here he/she is<br />
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<br />Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-65683047378491663782012-07-07T15:19:00.002+01:002012-07-07T15:19:36.847+01:00OK so I didn't manage one post a day this week!!! But yesterday started at 3.30 am and didn't finish til past 11pm so its not surprising... I had a brilliant time photographing the Honey Monster at Alton Towers, as an assistant to Richard Crompton. Richard does the most amazing stuff, and I was so pleased to be alongside, following the big fella on the Nemesis ride and some scary underground place that frightens the wits out of grown men...<br />
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We caught up with the Honey Monster at breakfast time but he wouldn't share the Sugar Puffs. Despite his obvious terror around the big rides, he never lost that famous smile and was sufficiently hampered by his significant weight for us to keep up with him..<br />
It was a real eyeopener to see how hard it is to get good shots to order in a tight time frame and in the pouring rain!! It was a bizarre and memorable romp in the park..Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-40548504854223781052012-07-01T11:31:00.001+01:002012-07-01T11:31:05.430+01:00One a dayOK<br />
I know lots of photographers who set themselves the challenge of uploading one picture every day for a year. Apparently it keeps their photography fresh because it requires something different every day. I have just downloaded the Blogger app on my iPad so am trying it for the first time. Well here goes. This is a juvenile white tailed sea eagle. Admittedly, with a little Photoshop... <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq34BfTQAVj3U5uwua3mcfAyYqylCIgB-peyoViUJsrnpl-iJGvqpc4BF5T4h2LmcyRI8_obP1WhGYYqVztsdHDaDoQPtFNspZMpDFQe_GIvG1zdZ33KrTu4SaWkvz931K6FZX8FzwUzbH/s640/blogger-image--1814932131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq34BfTQAVj3U5uwua3mcfAyYqylCIgB-peyoViUJsrnpl-iJGvqpc4BF5T4h2LmcyRI8_obP1WhGYYqVztsdHDaDoQPtFNspZMpDFQe_GIvG1zdZ33KrTu4SaWkvz931K6FZX8FzwUzbH/s640/blogger-image--1814932131.jpg" /></a></div>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-30809262879295259642011-08-06T14:06:00.001+01:002011-08-06T14:10:20.150+01:00Not Quite Past it...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjWKndvuWKVL152ciND3dFWRGoN7FepCiIR76vCeS4XdpFmsKfkwS1KAeHfjZzPDKui2qtK7sPt28DGJyhz-w4XpLcKg1A4kMIqeqDhsFN1-2ImaANPAU8BXKsNtiNqkJB3ex23CtGkpn/s1600/meadow12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjWKndvuWKVL152ciND3dFWRGoN7FepCiIR76vCeS4XdpFmsKfkwS1KAeHfjZzPDKui2qtK7sPt28DGJyhz-w4XpLcKg1A4kMIqeqDhsFN1-2ImaANPAU8BXKsNtiNqkJB3ex23CtGkpn/s320/meadow12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It isn't until you see wild flowers that have just passed their best that you realise how significant age is. Although beautiful, they are clearly on the way out - like all of us, whatever our age.<br />
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It is rather sobering that this is the way of life and none of us will ever be as young as we are today. However, despite the ravages of time, there is still plenty to celebrate!<br />
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The nice thing with flowers is that you can look forward to a rejuvenation next year and I'm certainly going back to this venue - but in May or June!<br />
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The effect of a setting sun also added to the spectacle. I won't dwell on life's parallels - it's too easy to think of the twilight years....Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-16143384322806708272011-01-08T15:25:00.005+00:002011-01-10T11:08:46.848+00:00Triumph and Disaster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFlmo-6BQ7g3p7Qj8YWGqvU3YLmxzRAuQNtujpBrfq3pzP8PoMLBb0n2Qmd9XDLjVqOyK19uxFKxSe3I-2HW1IM3J9SyCm0oBknjQku3sms-OrFhQWEUuTmvpChRJ6j_i4k5D7Ip3yiHx/s1600/heron1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFlmo-6BQ7g3p7Qj8YWGqvU3YLmxzRAuQNtujpBrfq3pzP8PoMLBb0n2Qmd9XDLjVqOyK19uxFKxSe3I-2HW1IM3J9SyCm0oBknjQku3sms-OrFhQWEUuTmvpChRJ6j_i4k5D7Ip3yiHx/s320/heron1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Its funny how life comes at you. Most of the time I count myself as really blessed. But yesterday wasn't one of those lucky days - or was it? I took a friend to the Red Kite Feeding Centre in Mid Wales. It had snowed overnight but was forecast to thaw so I thought the roads would be safe enough to make a journey in pursuit of wild kite/snow pictures - especially as it was a Friday and the centre would not be crowded with weekend trippers. The spectacle was tremendous but not a great photographic opportunity owing to the low light and fog. The two hour journey to the centre always makes the trip rather a gamble. However, the pleasure of seeing the kites and knowing that my friend enjoyed it made it all worthwhile - as was an amazingly entertaining standoff between a sheep and a heron!! The sheep prevailed, but only after the heron had stolen some of the meat intended for the kites. As we were leaving, I noticed a slightly different engine sound. We stopped and listened with the window down - strange - it sounded like the cooling fan was on - not likely as the car had been standing in snow for two hours. The instrument panel seemed OK except that the radio LCD wasn't on - oh well - it must be a fuse - WRONG! I don't know why, after all these years, I haven't learned to trust my instincts but two miles out of town, the whole car shut down - at 40 mph!!! No lights, wipers, steering, brakes, nothing!!! And as we slowly cruised to a halt on the curbside of the A44, an ominous wisp of smoke (not steam) appeared from under the bonnet. Adrenaline does very unhelpful things in those circumstances. The only instinctive and helpful thing I did was to jump out of the car, squealing at my friend to do the same. Unhelpfully, I left the ignition on, and, on opening the boot, could not stop shaking to get the mobile phone out. Thankfully, I could find my AA card, the phone was charged, and the smoke didn't get any worse. BUT - having to listen to 4 recorded messages then be put in a queue while the lines were busy was not helpful either - especially as one message was about how to stay safe (not what I wanted to wait for when I thought the car was on fire). Then when I did get through, the AA control room could not locate my position, even though I described where we were to the nearest mile and spelled the name of the village that I could see on the road sign just 100m away!! It was called Gaufron but might as well have been Gallifrey! The frustration was excruciating, although I managed not to lose it because the smoke began to subside. I had already worked out that I was going to throw the camera out into the snow if the car showed any sign of blowing up!!!<br />
Well - many people have had traumatic breakdowns that would make great soap operas so I won't go on. But only to remark on how kind people can be in this country. While we waited in the rain and gloom, so many cars stopped to check that we were going to be all right - I'm sure that is a very British thing. We were rescued after 45 minutes by a local garage - who HAD heard of the village. The starter motor had failed to disengage and was now burnt out (the smell was the giveaway). Amazingly, once it was disconnected, we were able to bump start the car and I drove it home for the next two hours - it performed immaculately as if nothing was wrong - how weird.. The car seemed back to normal but I didn't stop shaking for hours!!!<br />
Anyway, the garage is going sort it out this week and I am reflecting that if all I lose is a bit of money (let's hope it's only a bit!!!), then I am very lucky indeed.<br />
Then today, I hear that I am shortlisted for the Weakest Link. I'm not sure if yesterday's trauma has affected my judgement, but I can't actually decide if a round or two with Anne Robinson is lucky or not!!! But pleased at least to have another adventure to look forward to...Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-71493418349195532332010-12-05T17:38:00.000+00:002010-12-05T17:38:40.684+00:00You are the...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">I guess I am the weakest link</div><div class="MsoNormal">The audition was good fun.<span> </span>I had always thought that because it is a competition, the contestants would be set against each other but in fact we were a jolly crowd and quite good friends by the time it was over.<span> </span>I can easily see some of the others making it to the real show but would be surprised to get through myself.<span> </span>I think they are looking for people who can hold their own in a conversation and roll with the punches.<span> </span>I expected to be OK with that but was almost at a loss to explain why my hair was so wispy – they said “do you call that a fringe? – it’s a bit thin – your hair looks as though you’ve had a perm that has fallen out”<span> </span>It was hard to sustain a conversation on those lines, except to say that I was a pensioner and these things happen (except that I haven’t had a perm – it always looks like that).<span> </span>I wanted to ask him why he was wearing his jeans so low that I could read the name of his underpants but I felt that might have been the end of my future prospects, so I refrained.<span> </span>I still wonder if he had done that deliberately to evoke a comment – was it a test, or was he a pratt? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc7f6p4e9r20n6t-ZLhTlIuvrWAsTOjU-i_E64nM1lu-MJ5XXkPThpYkMrJnCKJL5YWrO_syY5RGzsFmKxlwgTQclntaF97S1Tp2UvOIp5NngNmcOpZRDEBkPYqtkgJfgNlQl4Nrrx_h0/s1600/buzzard11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc7f6p4e9r20n6t-ZLhTlIuvrWAsTOjU-i_E64nM1lu-MJ5XXkPThpYkMrJnCKJL5YWrO_syY5RGzsFmKxlwgTQclntaF97S1Tp2UvOIp5NngNmcOpZRDEBkPYqtkgJfgNlQl4Nrrx_h0/s320/buzzard11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The couple of rounds we played were OK.<span> </span>I didn’t know which State has the capital city of Sacramento – I thought it must have been a southern state, nearly said Mexico(!) but settled for Texas, just to move on.<span> </span>However, the person who couldn’t add 12 and 7 was the weakest link – as everyone says, it’s easy when you’re sitting at home, but mindboggling otherwise… </div><div class="MsoNormal">The general knowledge bit was OK.<span> </span>I’m being deliberately vague in case anyone else wants to audition – it’s nice to have surprises!! </div><div class="MsoNormal">I really didn’t know what to say when he picked on my shoes, my outfit, hair, and the fact that I take photos of birds.<span> </span>It’s geared to make you feel small.<span> </span>And quite difficult to stay buoyant and think of something to say, so that’s why I think I might be out.</div><div class="MsoNormal">But it’s definitely worth going in for and one of those things I would have regretted not doing.<span> </span>We all have to wait up to four weeks now to see if we get shortlisted.<span> </span>I would put a bet on the guy who came in his wellies – really nice, friendly, handsome and as individual as you could ever wish for<span> </span>- like me, he had dressed for the weather:<span> </span>-7C and snow.<span> </span>I would have loved to have heard his interview, but the affrontery was a private ordeal in front of a TV camera.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Watch this space!</div>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-39426785142822219462010-11-19T17:00:00.000+00:002010-11-19T17:00:29.796+00:00Hello goodbye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiDzvPH6IC4Bhf_Z-f3s77YAJzPPSr_yo_908HvmDEwGWN0QloOrhn3lPlCyJ3hVRK5cDaAkSVC5qQ6jMPAV4fiqUgASeQ14rpU0mQepIGP-JthXtdluXiRACzCcjE1OiH8M_bJIe0v3w/s1600/1823_Oct10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiDzvPH6IC4Bhf_Z-f3s77YAJzPPSr_yo_908HvmDEwGWN0QloOrhn3lPlCyJ3hVRK5cDaAkSVC5qQ6jMPAV4fiqUgASeQ14rpU0mQepIGP-JthXtdluXiRACzCcjE1OiH8M_bJIe0v3w/s320/1823_Oct10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Its nice to try something new. On approaching retirement, I had a list of things I wanted to do (I've since learned this is called a bucket list - anyone know why?!). Having all the time in the world (huh!) I thought I would try to get on the Weakest Link! A full time teacing job precludes the possibility of swanning off to do TV and I don't think I could have faced the kids after the usual humiliation by Anne; but now that I haven't seen a school uniform for five months, the time is right. I was called by the researchers in August, but on the only day they were auditioning, I was having my double glazing replaced - you know the sort of thing your whole life revolves around for a few nerve-racking days, so I couldn't go. I thought I had blown all chances when yesterday, there was another call - amazingly, while the guy who had previously fitted my windows was up a ladder doing all the guttering! <br />
How would you feel if Anne is horrible to you? (After 34 years of teaching, it's not unusual)<br />
Do you have any physical attributes that she might make fun of? (Not that I know of but please let me know before I meet her)<br />
Why do you want to be on the show (like bunjee jumping - you think you want to until the moment comes)<br />
Well the audition is on Dec 2nd Watch this space!Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-4001826741352798602010-11-03T08:26:00.002+00:002010-12-06T22:55:21.908+00:00AutumnI know of so many photographers who post reguarly to their blog. I haven't before because I didn't think anyone reads it!! But then I guess they won't if there's nothing new.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHhmaB-EhPDbyFrhTrAkABwMGFYbLXdU3o-_Tj_iBUA3ZX_gVLXx6eJni4Yy1SvNcwYDsWdn6G4BGhePI_klj_ZFZie0VfhspO0LeDVEdWWNK28lLLVhd0g5a9b29rtDuPUVCThGH7bG4/s1600/beechwood01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHhmaB-EhPDbyFrhTrAkABwMGFYbLXdU3o-_Tj_iBUA3ZX_gVLXx6eJni4Yy1SvNcwYDsWdn6G4BGhePI_klj_ZFZie0VfhspO0LeDVEdWWNK28lLLVhd0g5a9b29rtDuPUVCThGH7bG4/s320/beechwood01.jpg" width="320" /></a>So here's to a new start...<br />
On driving through the Forest of Dean last week, I was dismayed to see so much of the brilliant foliage falling to the floor. I haven't been out once with the camera so on Monday, got up before dawn. It is sometimes difficult to get a perfect shot - there is a lot debris on the ground and trees not growing where you want them to! So I thought I would do the streaky tree trick - panning up on a tripod during a long exposure. It was much easier than expected. Not everyone's cup of tea I know,and not the best way to show off your photographic prowess, but a lot of fun nevertheless.<br />
I have to admit to a moment of pure pleasure when after an hour or so of walking, I looked at my watch and realised that in a former life, I would still have been teaching Period 1 - and that particular slot on a Monday morning has never proved so pleasurable as this little excursion.<br />
My brother bought me a supercool iPod Nano G6 which I thought I would use. I have always wanted to walk in paradise to lovely music. After a short time, I was startled by a deer jumping up on the path. Whilst fumbling to change my camera from F22 and 1s to something that would catch the running deer, I was further surprised by a man appearing beside me with a dog!! The deer had taken fright because of him and I had been frightened by them all - and to the tune of Eleanor Rigby (not heavenly music I know but I was on Shuffle!)... I think I will save the Nano for lunch times - and hope that next time I will see the wildlife before it sees me...<br />
Must get out moreLinda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-33813246819037489582010-07-22T08:00:00.004+01:002010-07-22T08:11:43.416+01:00So this is it<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The runup to retirement felt a bit like a slow car crash - inevitable, out of control and with an uncertain ending. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C-gSUi8gwDi35bR0D9bWI3l8fiaLGtyrKCvRUY77hWsLjyyajaGuQ-hnNIEtO3cpCgg4KVjl9Q_e-syLHQX5UP2rhM7-EAMOQSjpNs_RSiBjUPxveBbr3Jsa78kyMlEEh3HN8UWbpQPW/s1600/puffin8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C-gSUi8gwDi35bR0D9bWI3l8fiaLGtyrKCvRUY77hWsLjyyajaGuQ-hnNIEtO3cpCgg4KVjl9Q_e-syLHQX5UP2rhM7-EAMOQSjpNs_RSiBjUPxveBbr3Jsa78kyMlEEh3HN8UWbpQPW/s320/puffin8.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last week of school was peppered with 7 parties - 3 in one evening! So not surprisingly, the work needed to finish off did not get done, with the result that the following week felt like business as usual. Well, after two weeks now of tying up loose ends, I have finished. After 34 years, it was weird just to close the door to my classroom and leave. I imagined there would be some sort of shining moment but no, it was just a matter of turning off the lights and locking the door... </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">So what now? Well, since then I have taught two photo courses at the ICBP and today I get to photograph a pig farm. Yesterday I was asked about appearing on TV and radio some time next month so that will certainly be different. Having packed away all my suits and smart clothes, it looks as though something will have to be resurrected already. Hey ho... </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday I walked around town and imagined what it would be like to be able to do this at leisure during term time. Only a teacher, in the middle of a frantic, stressful term, would appreciate how significant and delicious that idea is. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, the future's bright so let's get on with it....</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxajCTlkYPJDl9Utj1Hi7_YV3JB2fbkCl8KwpQT0tFpIXiIDZ-vchEU9mZFg1PkuoNhUGm8ZwNOrgvB6SgaXd38keTWNQ7k3QYbvLVZQcVdzZ06AZ_TnggC9uVoalTt1HXRq7oD-FZCR3q/s1600/puffin15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxajCTlkYPJDl9Utj1Hi7_YV3JB2fbkCl8KwpQT0tFpIXiIDZ-vchEU9mZFg1PkuoNhUGm8ZwNOrgvB6SgaXd38keTWNQ7k3QYbvLVZQcVdzZ06AZ_TnggC9uVoalTt1HXRq7oD-FZCR3q/s320/puffin15.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-20718443472165545192010-04-03T21:50:00.000+01:002010-04-03T22:11:20.738+01:00Not retiring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVofcU1BCfC6lspnWjKrx9mRC_FFUB3OXrOCkjytsKS8kdTXyuaJHXAD_qS5GXu6CnBexj6a83DYgvWdKD1aBLVQy5HkWOuTu3tRckaMw2diar5MwEGcDshUBpESQizuwnmPSXb5ZGTdRs/s1600/kesblog.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVofcU1BCfC6lspnWjKrx9mRC_FFUB3OXrOCkjytsKS8kdTXyuaJHXAD_qS5GXu6CnBexj6a83DYgvWdKD1aBLVQy5HkWOuTu3tRckaMw2diar5MwEGcDshUBpESQizuwnmPSXb5ZGTdRs/s320/kesblog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456017641520016194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I used to think that retirement was a time to put your feet up and relax – maybe do some knitting and gardening – although I have never before chosen to do those things in any ’spare’ time. It’s just that when you are young, you think that this is what old people do..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">However, a passion for photography has led to what feels like a full time job, and although retirement from a teaching career is an increasingly attractive lure (90 days left and counting), it seems that it will not lead to the life of leisure that I had imagined.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />I photograph anything that moves, (or doesn’t) – large or small, special or not. I have ‘done’ three weddings, been published in books and magazines and won competitions. Photography has led to an invitation to the House of Commons, a hot air balloon ride, an afternoon with Royalty, a light aircraft flying lesson, an interview on the Today programme … and the list goes on.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Although teaching has been a lifetime commitment, the time has come to leave the comfort zone and undergo the sort of metamorphosis that births a photographer… Well, it's Spring after all</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span></span>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-42520691718646792372009-09-19T16:27:00.000+01:002010-04-03T21:33:37.762+01:00Quicktime Portraits UKsBP09<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: verdana;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >The invitation to a very nice house near Luton heralded the next round. Portraits hmmmm. We had 45 minutes to create three images and in that time, had to choose the model's clothes and scenarios. The introduction to the studio lights and offer of technical assistance from the very helpful people from The Flash Centre in Birmingham was sooo much appreciated. I was completely out of my depth. It was sunny and windy which made exposure with studio lights outdoors very tricky - especially as everything kept blowing over. I had 10 frantic but oh-so-fun minutes in the studio at the end. I managed three acceptable and quite attractive pictures but they totally lacked imagination.... Even I could see that! </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-size:100%;" >I opened the results email with some trepidation but knew deep down that I hadn't got through to the last six. Oh well. It was a very exciting ride while it lasted. Thanks, Photography Monthly - and grateful thanks to the guys from Birmingham who made the day so special</span></div>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-29614493795155931112009-09-08T20:53:00.000+01:002010-04-03T21:34:30.800+01:00UK's Best Photographer 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4ejLuZhXGMz-NEQ7X0_IofvW5XHst1clym9Yc-HVInqNSZNMSOfYfCfO9bQdXqmpcwEAXu4zLG1WOagFQe2e2Li8KAlngoRnul9vdXLHR2hC5SW4yyp6I6W3QP05M2dY8l_4gOa58ZI/s1600-h/peak11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4ejLuZhXGMz-NEQ7X0_IofvW5XHst1clym9Yc-HVInqNSZNMSOfYfCfO9bQdXqmpcwEAXu4zLG1WOagFQe2e2Li8KAlngoRnul9vdXLHR2hC5SW4yyp6I6W3QP05M2dY8l_4gOa58ZI/s320/peak11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379190233632416930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The competition is moving on. Having survived the test, the last 25 were invited to Buxton to meet the landscape challenge. We were given a choice of 3 venues, a map and four hours to come up with three good un's. What an exciting way to start ... After a very wet night, it dawned dry but grey but as time went on, began to clear promisingly. We rendezvoused in a village car park and were eventually let loose on Derbyshire. What a day!!! The sky quickly settled to fluffy clouds and it was warm and breezy. I headed to Chrome Hill along with about 10 others but apart from the first half hour, hardly saw any of them for the rest of the day. That's unnerving because some of them are landscape aficianados and I wondered if my choice to climb the 1400 ft hump had been wise, not least because once you got to the top of a high hill, there is no 'foreground interest' apart from the sheep which would not sit long enough for me to set up a tripod. I thought the big vistas would make for great pictures but unfortunately the best of them were south, into the bright sun. Except for having the foresight to pack a polariser, my preparation proved to be rather poor. Usually, I like to wield a 300mm prime and try to track fast falcons, and thought I had packed a fairly modest bag with two wide angle and a 70-200 for luck, WRONG. It was only when I got home and weighed the bag that I found I was carrying over 2 stone up a hill that took two hours to scale. It was how I imagine a bricklayer feels carrying a hod up a ladder but don't know of any who have to keep it up for so long. The biggest mistake was not to have packed water. Well I did, but it was in the car!!! Some passing walkers gave me a mouthful - a drink I will remember for the rest of my life. One or two of them obligingly stood still to provide the foreground interest I sorely needed. However, they did not have the knack that sheep have of being able to stand on the steepest of slopes and look comfortable. So they just posed triumphant on the highest point like the conquerors they were. But I was not confident that this would be a winner, as it could have been anywhere..... It was during one of those encounters that I spied a small limestone outcrop on a very steep slope close to the precipice. That would help to frame the rolling fields and provide the foreground. The only way to get to it was to slide down slowly on my derriere, using the tripod as a kind of ice axe... As I did, I reflected that I would never have permitted anyone else to do this. I was so close to the edge that there was only just enough ground to stand the tripod if the legs were shut down as short as possible. I told myself beforehand that if the tripod slipped, I would have to let it go. But the view was stunning. The scudding clouds were making a patchwork all over the bright green fields and the polariser was perfect for making the best of the big sky. There was a chain of hills far below and I would love to have moved to get it curving across my framed landscape. However, that would have needed scaffolding - and I hadn't packed any. I was happy to have found at least one view with interest that captured the ambience of the day. The others were different and one, taken with the long lens, included a sheep which, because of the distance, didn't mind being the subject of foreground interest. What a great day!!! I frequently mused that except for being in this competition, this is a hill I would never have scaled in my whole life. The weather was perfect, the challenge invigorating and the views were stunning. The walk back to the village was murder. At the outset we had been told it would take about half an hour. I normally pride myself on being able to organise time but I failed to compensate for the fact that the man who told us was at least 20 years younger than me, a foot taller, and was not carrying anything. I laboured up the hilly road back to Longnor so hot and thirsty that my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth and my hair was crusty with sweat. I drank two litres of water as soon as I got to the car and when I took the bag off, I was walking with a forward stoop. But it was worth it...... And the rest of the afternoon, spent outside the pub in sunshine with a few tall drinks, was sublime... Thank you Photography Monthly - see you in the next round!!</span></div>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-71906836077257469802009-07-26T12:10:00.000+01:002010-04-03T21:35:03.722+01:00What's up?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">I have sometimes been embarrassed by questions about my website address. 'lookingup.me.uk' sounds faintly rude - and Google's auto-prompt suggests you go to 'looking up girls skirts'!!! And the mind boggles as to what 'looking up me' means... So this is a rationale of my URL.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">Having been bitterly disappointed in 2003 by the failure of a cherished database project, I looked to photography for solace. Coincidently, Canon released the first DSLR to retail for under £1000 and I jumped at the chance to indulge my long-held ambition to be good at taking pictures. Before too long, the images were turning out OK and some were published. In this multimedia world, I looked for a way to showcase my work and a website seemed the obvious choice.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">It was in a lunch time that our IT technician first showed me how easy it is (huh!) to write a webpage. Second to photography (and my real full-time job of course), this has been the single most time-consuming occupation of the last four years. The acquisition of a copy of Dreamweaver led to months of obsessive html-ing with the result that I built my first site. Acquiring a domain name was not so straightforward as it left me at the mercy of what remained after the dotcom revolution.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">I thought lindawright.com would be cool but another Linda Wright had bagged it. However, it was in one of those dreamy moments when you first wake up but don't know what day it is or where exactly you are, that I thought of 'lookingup'. It represented the fact that, since buying a DSLR, the depression had lifted and things began to look up. Also, since at that time, most images were of birds of prey - and flying ones at that, and the fact that a website is a way of getting in touch, or 'looking up', I thought it a perfect name for my showcase.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">I soon discovered that I was not the only person to be so inspired. All the decent 'lookingup' URLs had gone. All that was left in Britain was the one with the extension that is meant to serve personal websites - the .me.uk. Not wishing to choose even less obscure ones that might indicate I was Danish, I plumped for <a href="http://www.lookingup.me.uk/">www.lookingup.me.uk</a> and have had to live with the embarrassment ever since.... However it has served me well and that is all I wanted...</span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzljxws6yjfuLJD9H_-YvhxqHxKu46jvVngNZLwV3YU4Npm_gY3BeOfAZ5jjpmoa8f_BGXqyL6ypb4Whv44pjt4neYKh4dlOFvXcNXRIbgCjCmjtrHzWa80e28Y19u-oseMGNu1lAnnBM/s1600-h/HCTbald29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzljxws6yjfuLJD9H_-YvhxqHxKu46jvVngNZLwV3YU4Npm_gY3BeOfAZ5jjpmoa8f_BGXqyL6ypb4Whv44pjt4neYKh4dlOFvXcNXRIbgCjCmjtrHzWa80e28Y19u-oseMGNu1lAnnBM/s320/HCTbald29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362732586225610258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">PS: Re looking up with a camera - don't!!! (or not into the sun anyway) You'll only do that once through a 300mm lens - believe me!</span></div>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-740590948153692780.post-73677808313973706562009-07-21T13:40:00.000+01:002010-04-03T21:35:30.677+01:00UK's Best Photographer 2009<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >The latest round of UK's Best Photographer 2009 competition, run by Photography Monthly in Saffron Walden, was great fun. A multiple choice test covering all aspects of photography was a surprise, and scary. Great slideshow and talk by Will Cheung, good company and a chance to meet loads of enthusiasts over lunch was appreciated. Whatever the outcome, it was a good day..</span>Linda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294763817994549491noreply@blogger.com0