Sep 3rd, 2009

The Age of Design

It’s all in the detail – I’ve always been fascinated by small design details, more so since I started taking photographs.  Marry that with my passion for typography and graphics and what could be more perfect than a visit to the gramophone shop to see (more…)

Aug 29th, 2009

Virgin Clematis

The virgin clematis, planted only a month or so ago, has begun to flower.  This variety, Dancing Queen, flowers bi-annually, first with blowsy doubles in June/July and then again with singles in August/September.  But I had zero expectation that it would give me any flowers in its first year. After all, it’s barely out of its training canes.  It can be pretty gusty up here on the second floor and I’ve tried to give it a little help with gardeners’ string.  The railings should make an ideal climbing frame. I’m talking tenderly to it and making sure it’s kept moist and cool at its roots – the rest is up to that amazing old broad, Mother Nature.

Aug 22nd, 2009

An old friend returns

I needed a home for my photographs and have recently been mucking around with various looks and domain names.  In the end, I replicated the look of curlsdiva to tie the two blogs together.  I did play for a while with a black background (so flattering onscreen for images) with green accent, but  found that it hurt my eyes, so I scrapped that idea and went back to pure fresh white.  Then I returned to the first domain name I ever purchased.  I’ve always been fond of it and although I don’t live in an attic anymore, I’m claiming (sentimental) artistic licence.

I’m slowly loading it up with photos, although I haven’t taken any for rather a long time.  Perhaps the creation of this blog will motivate (more…)

Jun 29th, 2009

Bridal

A couple of years, I did a photoshoot for a bridal salon which was situated in my street. It wasn’t quite as grand as it sounds – I had pleaded to take photos inside this place for ages.  All I had dared do was take pictures of the windows by night. But the tented ceiling and gold and cream decor were irresistable.  A, the owner, was a lovely lady and encouraged me in my photographic ambitions.  Eventually, a date for a real photoshoot was set, with the seamstress, a most beautiful girl from Eastern Europe,  as model.

The light in there turned out to be awful and I didn’t have any photographic lighting.  No Annie Liebowitz set up for me!  I had my DSLR (more…)

Jun 14th, 2009

A gift of roses

My neighbour brought me these heavenly roses from her allotment.  The pale bloom has a wonderful scent.  Looking at them sitting on my bookshelves, I had to add my grandmother’s ruby glass jug.

May 25th, 2009

The very pegness of it

I’ve an abiding fondness for the humble clothes peg and its line.  And washing blowing in the wind is something that makes me feel like home.  Bringing in the line-dried clothes then burying your nose in them to inhale the sweet softness that air and sun have wrought. Here’s some photographs I’ve taken.

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May 17th, 2009

A woman of her time

This is a kind of still-life composition of some vintage objects that I put together a couple of years back and photographed.  Here’s the story.

A small hall table, covered with a damask cloth, sits by the front door. The lady of the house has just come back from doing some shopping in the High Street, which was crowded and noisy. She takes off her second-oldest pair of cotton gloves – one should never wear one’s best gloves when buying cabbages at the greengrocer’s – and flings them carelessly onto the table.  She notices the red silk handkerchief, remembers that it fell out of her coat pocket earlier and resolves to put it away immediately after she makes a cup of tea.  She glances at this morning’s post – two postcards, one of them from Timothy’s rather dashing cousin in Munich – and sets them aside to read later.

Apr 26th, 2009

Cherry blossom

I completely understand why the Japanese have a thing about Cherry Blossom.  I took this picture today of the blossom on a large cherry tree by the swan pond in the park.  Forget those tiny, manicured ornamental cherries that adorn people’s back gardens.  This is a handsome, mature tree whose roots reach over the wall into the next door rugby field.  This year it’s wonderfully floriferous, every branch stuffed with bloom.

I make a point, every Spring, of standing under the canopy of a cherry tree for a few moments, just gazing upwards.  My heart never fails to sing.  Each flowerhead is exquisite in and of itself but cumulatively, their beauty is breathtaking.

You don’t have to be Japanese to stop by a cherry tree in Spring and gaze in wonder and joy at the Cherry Blossom.

Oct 6th, 2008

Light lumiere licht

Photographers always say that it’s all about the light… and damn, it certainly is.  Since I moved to a place that actually has some light, I’ve been transfixed by the amount of different moods light has.  Sitting here as the gloaming drew in tonight, I saw this…