Sunbather at Sheringham, Norfolk, UK

This week hasn’t been too bad. It started well when the post delivered a cheque. Yes, i finally got paid for a job completed in late August. Total time from delivery to payment was seventeen weeks. With clients like that who needs enemies! The sad things is, there is nothing i can do about it, AND it’s becoming far more common for clients to pay in that kind of time frame. In their own time sums it up nicely. My record of ALWAYS being paid still stands…. for now.

A number of changes have been made regarding the business presence online. Many of you have already changed over to the new Facebook page. Thank you if you have. It is a bit of a pain moving pages, but i’m actually starting to like using Facebook and i want to develop that page more over 2010. It’s useful for posting snapshots, links and experimental material. I’ve also managed to design a business card that i like which will replace my old, and rather out of date, cards. It needed doing, so it got done. My motto for 2010.

Field boundary in winter – North Yorkshire, UK

For the first time in years, i’m having to look at my broadband provider. After years of great service by my old ISP Tiscali, i’ve been forced into the hands of the UK’s second biggest internet service provider TalkTalk due to a takeover. So far it looks like i’ll keep the status quo and remain a ‘loyal’ customer, but what i find rather annoying is the lack of choice i have from my new supplier. Upgrade or go really sums up the attitude.

ISP’s are like banks – we rarely swap from one to another. It’s too much hassle and the choice is just bewildering, even after ten years of consolidation in the ISP industry. What’s more…. they KNOW this!!!  Why fight it? I’ll sign up to TalkTalk for 18 months and see how it is. My broadband is currently under their control and it’s been the most solid,  consistant speed  i’ve ever had. Important when you deliver images to clients via the internet nine times out of ten. After 18 months i’ll review it and go from there…

The yacht Ayesha departs Scarborough harbour

I’m going to keep my new year resolutions simple. More photography, keep running/jogging and develop more commercial ideas for selling work. There are a few other smaller resolutions but these fall into the catagory of self improvement. My only bit of advice for 2010 is enjoy your photography. It is a theraputic pastime and good for the soul. It doesn’t matter what you take your photographs on, whether a box brownie, a phone or a state of the art digital SLR. Just go forth and snap!

 I wish everyone a happy and prosperous  New Year 2010 ! 

 Self Portrait

I’m very fussy about portraits, especially self portraits. Too fussy probably. How you look on camera is often different to how you see yourself. I’d love to be one of those gorgeous people who can be photographed at ANY angle and still look fantastic. Saying that, the great Marlene Dietriech only allowed herself to be photographed under certain lighting conditions and always from a certain direction.  In the era of Photoshop, it’s often tricky to know what is real and what isn’t. Smoke and mirrors.

This shot was taken using the iPhone, put through the excellent CameraBag app twice and hey presto. I’m going to shoot some more portraits to see what i can get. I will post the best ones. Pretty happy with this though. A bit rock n’roll in tone, it has the feel of an album cover photograph. Most pleased.

Church door – Newcastle Upon Tyne, North East England 

A couple of photography books were among my presents this year. The first was the World Press Photo yearbook and the second was a book containing reviews of Magnum photographers BY other Magnum photographers. In Magnum Magnum, Magnum photographers get to pick their favourite images by other Magnum members, both past and present, with some surprising results.

The choice of photographs made by various contributors to the book  is sometimes enlightening and sometimes puzzling. Robert Capa is especially let down by a poor choice of images by Susan Meiselas. Her choice of Capa’s Spanish Civil War photographs are adaquate but hardly let Capa’s talent shine through. That is just my opinion though, and opinion is what makes a photography so exciting . How different photographers think, understand and view photography is always fascinating.

Going across the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northern England

I’m about to start writing my own personal ‘end of year review’, something that i always do for the last post of the year on my main photoblog. It’s a post where i reflect on how i’ve done creatively regarding work and photographic ouput over the year. Have i produced photographs that i like? Have i improved on last year’s work? So far, after a couple of strong creative years with 2007 and 2008, the jury is out for this year. I do expect a fair judgement when it comes though. 2009 wasn’t too bad, but i do intend to make 2010 a more outgoing and vibrant year photographically. More on that in the last post….