Bramble art

I shall have to gee myself up to make some trips further afield, as I am running out of/getting bored with pictures of the immediate locality. I'm still a little wary of the virus situation, not convinced it's advisable to come out of lockdown yet but I am perhaps too cautious.

In an effort to find some inspiration, on a walk back from Shipley, I decided I'd look for square format pictures, just using my phone. I quite like this one. Bramble throws out exploratory creepers and is really rather a tatty plant, albeit it can produce luscious blackberries in the right spot. I don't think this one will bear fruit but I loved the vibrant colour against the fading graffiti on the wall.

Just with my phone

I finally treated myself to a new phone, after having a scare when my old one refused to charge up for a while. The renewed battery life alone has made it worth the expense! It has a much better camera than the old phone too, so I decided I'd leave my Fuji behind when I went for a walk recently and just use the phone. It's pretty good. Though some of the images don't look quite pin sharp to me, it renders colours well. It has a wider angle lens than my usual Fuji lens, so big views like the one above, of Roberts Park from the footbridge, are easier to take. There is lots to experiment with; I expect I'll get the hang of it eventually. 

It was a glorious autumn day. After several days of continual rain, the river was very full and the weirs were dramatic. 

Tree colour has come on a lot in the last week or so too. It all looked beautiful along the promenade, around the bandstand.

The shining

Here's another abstract constructed using 'Enlight'. Again, don't ask me how I did it... Just messing about really. Perhaps as time goes on, and with more practice, I will develop more of an instinct for the kind of base shots that work best using this layering process, as well as exactly how to combine them to good effect. It's an enjoyably creative, if random, process.

It seemed an aptly 'shiny' image as we enter December and the festive season. The shops are already awash with Christmas sparkle and Christmas lights are being switched on in our local high streets. The Saltaire Living Advent Calendar is happening again between now and Christmas Eve. I'll bring you some photos of the windows eventually.

You can follow it virtually, with each day's windows being revealed at: https://m.facebook.com/saltaireadventcalendar

Abstract

If I don't feel like reading and there's nothing on TV, I often sit with my iPad in the evening, just playing and experimenting with photos. I've been playing with a new app called 'Enlight'. It has lots of functions, including some excellent processing tools and presets, but perhaps the most interesting and fun element is its ability to combine and blend layers easily, much as you can in Photoshop but rather more quickly and intuitively. It's a bit addictive!

The abstract above started off as a photo of a boat's prow against a brick wall. Don't ask me how I did it though. I was just playing. Unike Photoshop, the app doesn't record your actions and you can't easily go back and undo any but the last action. Still, it's an entertaining tool for an idle moment.

Jeremy Corbyn

I've always voted Labour and briefly held membership of the Labour party back in the Blair years, resigning over the Iraq war. I rejoined the party some months ago, since I felt they had put together a manifesto for the last election that I could really support. I was nevertheless a little surprised to receive an invitation from the local Labour group, on Tuesday, to apply for one of 100 seats available at a meeting locally, where Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, would be speaking. I was even more surprised on Wednesday to discover I had been allotted one of the tickets for the meeting - on Thursday at the Victoria Hall in Saltaire! It was all rather hush-hush; I suppose they didn't want vast and unmanageable crowds to turn up. 

I duly went along. He arrived a bit late (he'd been visiting a care facility) and it felt a little like waiting for a rock star to turn up! Palpable excitement in the room. It was pleasing to see the huge mix of people gathered: all ages and ethnic groups, students, business people in suits, ordinary blokes in jeans and trainers, techie types, young mums and a fair sprinkling of retired folk (the full spectrum... ageing hippies, purple-haired sirens, grey perms and M&S grandmas like me!) How's that for a list of stereotypes !?  but what I really mean is that it wasn't a stereotypical gathering.

Mr Corbyn spoke well and clearly, without notes, for maybe 30 minutes. He talked about the Labour party's history and core values, the development of the current manifesto, the enormous recent growth of the party (now over 500,000 members) and its wide spread of supporters, and about some of the key policy areas in the manifesto. He was serious, though with a twinkle of humour. There was a quiet authority and confidence in what he said, though he was very 'ordinary' and apparently quite relaxed, accepting being the centre of attention but not playing that up. He seemed (to me anyway) very genuine, very sincere and very well-informed. When he talks - about poverty, housing, families struggling with dementia, students, the environment - you can sense that his opinions and views are formed by really hearing people, by being genuinely in touch with the reality of ordinary people's day-to-day lives. He's been a constituency MP since 1983. That doesn't always guarantee that one's feet remain on the ground, but in his case I sense he is a real listener and learner. I heard vision and passion in what he said but sensible pragmatism too. 

There was some enthusiastic applause. I actually found myself, several times, saying 'yes' out loud, so heartily did I agree with what he said. There was no time for questions from the floor, which was perhaps a shame (though so often people's 'questions' are actually statements of opinion and so maybe it was sensible to avoid opening things up in that way, in a packed schedule). At the end though, he avoided a standing ovation (which I'm sure would have been forthcoming) by inviting people to come and speak to him and people surged round, asking for 'selfies' and the odd autograph. He seemed mildly amused by it all, very gracious and generous. I think my photos show that what he was doing, as people crowded round, was listening. He has that knack, I think, of making ordinary people feel like they are important and valued. 

I think I can say I was something of a fan before though I don't tend to have 'heroes'. Seeing him and hearing him speak live, I am now sure that 'what you see' with him really is 'what you get'. If he became our Prime Minister (and I sincerely hope he gets the chance), I think there'd be a radical shift in tone coming out of government, as well as direction. It remains to be seen if he could retain his calm rootedness, under pressure in office. I hope he could. I hope he can continue to seek the collaborative, consensual, informed approach (nationally and internationally) that he seems to believe in. I've never understood why governments ask for advice (from experts and end-users) and then so often seem to ignore it. I don't believe he is 'the messiah'. (Nor does he! He stressed many times that it is all about a grassroots movement, a collaboration, a pooling of ideas.) I know there'd be areas of conflict, as there are in all parties. Perhaps he has things to learn when it comes to effectively managing his team.  But I long to see the policies he espouses given a chance to work, and I long to see a more respectful and caring attitude coming down from the top in our society. It will, I accept, take a long while to really turn the country around. I hope we can. I will work towards that, even if that only means going out shoving leaflets through letter boxes. 

As I say, it was a privilege to experience this and I am thankful. 

(All iPhone photos) 

If you want to comment, please make your comments respectful. I shall delete any that are rude or inflammatory. 

Shipley Street Arts Festival 2017

When I popped into Shipley town centre on a few errands, I happened across some activities taking place as part of the Street Arts Festival. (Thank goodness for camera phones!) It is a long weekend of street entertainment organised by our local Q20 Events, funded by Arts Council England and Bradford Council. I'm not sure what had been going on to amuse these children; the performance was just drawing to a close. But I was intrigued by the beehives in the background...

Sunset at Formby

'The biggest cliché in photography is sunrise or sunset.' Catherine Opie

Never mind, I think I'm allowed a cliché now and again. We took an evening walk on the beach near Formby when I was on my Liverpool trip a while back. The sunset was not spectacular but the sky was pleasing, nonetheless, and my iPhone did a creditable job of capturing it.

I was going to post something else today but in the wake of a lot of bad news both nationally and further afield, and from a couple of my friends too, I decided a brief pause to reflect on a peaceful scene might be the more appropriate thing for today. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends I know personally and also all those I don't know, who have lost or are anxious about loved ones or who are suffering in body, mind or spirit.

Pink path

Normally I arrive at my weekly Camera Club meetings after dark but in the last few weeks of the club season, when we've changed the clocks to BST, it is light when I arrive. After a week's break for Easter, I was unprepared for the amazing sight of all these cherry trees in full blossom on the path up to Addingham church. (We meet in the church hall.) I didn't have my camera (!) so this is an iPhone photo. The cherry blossom all around this area is really splendid this year, although a cold snap is forecast this coming week so that may ruin it prematurely.

I'd planned to photograph this last weekend's World Heritage celebrations in Saltaire. I had a prior engagement on Saturday and then a migraine on Sunday! So, no photos - and it's been a lovely sunny weekend too. I feel I am failing in my 'local 'reporter' duties!! Must do better...
If you want to see how real reporters covered it, click here!

Romance in the air!

I decided a while ago to get winter tyres fitted to my car, since I have to drive over the high Pennine moors to my daughter's home periodically. I find it a hair-raising drive at the best of times and, whilst I don't deliberately drive in snow if I can help it, there is always the chance of getting caught out by bad weather. So, the expense and hassle of specialist tyres seems worth it. It meant a bit of waiting around at the garage in Silsden, so I went for a walk. The Leeds-Liverpool canal winds its way through the centre of the little town. I took a snap from the bridge on my iPhone and then added some textures to the image, whilst I waited for the car to be finished. Much better than being bored! The end result gives a decidedly romantic flavour to the scene.

Twilight

Another reflection - and another late afternoon walk, that brought me back home via the canal towpath as night was falling. It's rare that I pass that way on a winter evening. There was no wind either and it struck me that I'd never before noticed the lit windows of Salt's Mill reflected there so clearly. I liked the way the bright windows echoed the autumn leaves floating on the water. I played around with textures to give the image more depth.

Through a glass...

Iceland holiday - A few more iPhone, slow shutter abstracts, taken through the minibus windows as we were speeding along. The distances we had to cover were rather longer than I had realised; it's a big island (40,000 square miles) and basically there is just one main road that circles the perimeter. Although we stopped frequently for photo opportunities, there were times when we just had to drive, to get to our next accommodation stop. 

What a wonderful trip I had! I've been having to adjust to a more settled life again since I returned, albeit no work to have to go back to. I can still hardly believe that! Unfortunately I've had a dreadful cold and cough. (Blame the grandchildren for sharing their germs so generously!) I've felt really under the weather for a couple of weeks and haven't been out much to take photos. Nevertheless, from tomorrow, it's back to 'normal life' here on the blog, and counting down to Christmas now.  

Abstract Iceland

Iceland holiday - Sometimes on the longer drives, I amused myself by taking slow shutter photos with my iPhone, through the minibus windows. I discarded a lot of them but occasionally I thought the results were pleasing. They seem to me to give a flavour of the colour and the landscape, without actually having any specific points of reference. The activity kept me quiet anyway!

Salts in the sunshine

Some days when I am coming home from work, the late afternoon sunshine just catches Salts Mill, leaving the foreground in shadow. It gives rather a magical effect. It's one of those scenes that I feel I could embellish a bit, so I am going to continue to play around with it. You may see it again in a slightly different guise.

Sleight of palm

The area where I am currently working is seriously weird!  There was an old, empty industrial unit with half its windows smashed and very neglected. It seems someone has bought it and is 'doing it up' as a Banqueting Suite (of all things!). They have put in new window glass, with rather ornate gold swirly patterns on it. For some reason they seem also to have decided that a few huge plastic palm trees will create the ambience they are seeking. Mmm.... But 'each to his own', as they say!

A post from a post (box)

'Monday Murals' regularly showcases the varied and wonderful graffiti and artwork to be found in cities all over the world. I don't think this is quite in the same league but I found something oddly pleasing in its swirls and spots. It has a slight feel of Japanese lettering or something similar.  It is just a scrawl on the side of a mailbox. Yet another thing that caught my eye on one of my lunchtime rambles near my workplace.... It is quite surprising how many things I've found to snap, in what at first appears to be a deeply unpromising area photographically.

Foundation Stones

I pass these two massive stone statues every morning on my commute-walk through the centre of Bradford. I've been waiting for a good day to photograph them but where they are situated they rarely seem to catch the light. I've had to apply a bit of an HDR effect on this iPhone photo, to show up the detail in their faces. I rather like their solidity.

They are called 'Foundation Stones', an early work by sculptor Gordon Young (who specialises now in large-scale public art and was once the curator at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park). The plaque with them says: 'The two figures, carved from Mansfield stone, represent the original personal relationship between a Provident insurance agent and customer. The sculpture took nine months to complete and was unveiled on 18 July 1986 at the former location of the Provident Financial Head Office on Sunbridge Road in Bradford.'

So there is a personal connection for me. I was born in Mansfield, where they quarried the stone.

'Insurance agent' is a bit of a euphemism, I think, because what the Provident company were set up to do in the 1880s, and have always done, is to provide affordable consumer credit. Their agents used to call regularly at people's houses to collect the instalments due on loans, in the days before you could make bank transfers online and most folks were paid in cash. I believe they still operate in the home credit arena, lending to people who may have difficulty getting loans. At one time they held an estimated 60% share of the home credit market in Britain. They still have a Bradford Head Office.

The sculptures have been moved from their original location and now stand between the Law Courts and the new Broadway shopping centre.

Broken glass

Dance on broken glass, build castles

with shattered dreams and wear 

your tears like precious pearls.

Proud.

Strong. 

Unshakeable.

Anita Krizzan

(Well, you knew one day, on one of my lunchtime walks, I'd stop and take photos of those shattered windscreens on the cars in the scrapyard!)

Trotting

Ooh, I had to be quick to take this. I was just setting off for my regular lunchtime walk from work when I heard the sound of hooves on the tarmac.  Turning round, I saw a horse trotting at a fast pace up the hill, so I had to whip out my iPhone and take a very quick snap as it went past. This version is cropped a lot from the original as I didn't even have time to zoom in, so the image quality isn't great. Nevertheless it conveys the speed quite well, I feel. The horse has the diagonal gait of a fast trot and all four hooves off the ground at once! The little buggy it is pulling is the kind they use for harness-racing. The man's flat cap is a Yorkshire working class stereotype but something you don't see a lot these days. (They've been replaced by the ubiquitous baseball cap, I guess!) I never saw a sight like this on my walks around Salts Mill, so there are some compensations for working in a new but not quite so idyllic area.

Shadows - up Spook Hill!

It's a great delight lately to have one of those rare days when the sun shines brightly enough to create some shadows!

I've started having a very short lunchtime walk 'round the block' when I'm at work. It only takes ten minutes but the area around my temporary workplace is really pretty uninspiring and desperately lacking in places to go (especially compared to my habitual jaunt along the canal and around Salts Mill). However, even a brief foray outside to stretch the legs and release the mind, is, I feel, a good thing to do.

So it is: across the car park, up a bit of a hill (Spook Hill in my mind!), past the old but still functioning textile mill, through a 'dark canyon' between the old buildings where no sun ever penetrates, past the shabby but busy little sandwich shop (all those workers have got to eat), past the scrapyard that seems to extend across both sides of the road and onto the pavements too (marvelling at the way they can pierce a car windscreen with the prongs of a forklift truck to lift them on to a pile - and how a broken car windscreen appears to be made up of thousands of little turquoise gems), past a couple of old and beleaguered terraced houses (fancy living in the middle of an industrial estate and next to a scrapyard?), along a snicket beside the railway and back down to work again, enjoying a brief but interesting vista across the whole city, which lies in a bowl below the surrounding hills.

Even on such an uninspired walk, I enjoyed the shadow pattern created by a few spindly little trees and some railings.

Playing before breakfast

The very early morning sunshine through my bedroom window was unusual ('what is that golden orb in the sky?'), welcome and rather beautiful peeping through the tracery of the tree branches. My iPhone snap looked rather underwhelming compared to the real thing but some enhancement to it using iPhone apps, whilst not quite true to the reality, gives a pleasing image I think. I just love playing with photos before breakfast!