Current temperature: here 9C/48F, there 0F/-18C

I loved the mixture of ages and colours of the buildings as I headed up the hill.

This plaque brought a smile to my face. So we’re commemorating the fact that a gate fell down and the debris was removed at a later date?

At the top of the hill I found the local cathedral, art gallery and the main public park with a castle and a number of museums and ruins. Much to see on future days out ambling around town.

I took a number of photos in this window. To quote my notes on flickr:

There were so many elements that I loved with these images. The definition of the numbers was what initially drew me to this window The combination of curves and straights are incredibly pleasing. Then there’s the framing of the view through the window and into the restaurant. The tables, set and ready for the next meal hold a certain anticipation. Next there’s the reflection of the outside world. Of the passage of time as people and vehicles pass by. There’s the confusion of seeing the buildings across the street and their signage recorded backwards obscuring its meaning. Finally there’s me and my camera capturing the scene.

While in town did a little shopping, acquiring an alarm clock and a German dictionary for the young’un before heading home taking a number of photos of the pavement along the way which proved rather fascinating. I’m just including a couple of samples here. The egg was such a surprise to see on the ground still in fairly good shape.

Cigarette butts are still everywhere over here. The ban on smoking in public places only just went into effect in England (the last place in the UK to implement such legislation) so it’ll be a while before things clean up. I look forward to it after having lived in MN with such laws for so long it’s only when you return to a world of smoker’s that you really appreciate just how dirty the habit is.

Current temperature: here 15C/59F, there 63F/17C

On Friday 13th July the exhibit Horizontal Grandeur opens at the local history museum hosted by the Stevens County Historical Society. Both Phi and I have had pieces accepted. Top/left: the only trees were wavy lines, top/right: Silo are mine. Bottom/left: Fighting Back (Tilting at Windmills?), bottom/right: Waiting are Phi’s

The title of the show comes from a piece written by Bill Holm that you can find here

I wrote descriptions for each of my pieces plus a short artist statement that I’m including here.

the only trees were wavy lines

All the Dutch elm beetle left us on its trek westwards was this stump. Yet the remains are still beautiful and infinitely fascinating.

Silo

Seasons change and sunlight captures different moods in the metal. The plastic refuse caught in the structure flaps in the wind like a celebratory banner.

Artist Statement for Horizontal Grandeur

I took my first photograph when I was 7 or 8 years old. It was of my Gran by the amusements near Ventnor pier on the Isle of Wight, UK. Some how I managed to miss my Gran completely; all you can see are pleasure boats floating in a shallow pool. When I look at the photograph all I remember is my Gran smiling, waiting patiently for me to take her picture.

As I continue to take photographs I’m always looking for a different point of view, an unexpected subject, and a way to remember a moment in time.

Opening reception is 6.30pm – 8.30pm.

Current temperature: 81F/27C

Having got a little fed up with having to lug around my Canon EOS with it’s zoom lens if I wanted to take pictures I’ve invested in an itsy bitsy tiny weeny digital camera, that weighs barely anything, and fits neatly into my bag with all my other stuff. A Panasonic DMC-FX9 to be exact and boy is it tiny! Scarily so. I had intended to buy a FX8, but since the FX9 was out and still sounded good in the online reviews I found, I went for the newer model. Here’s a photo from my first test drive. (Autoflash was on and there’s been no tweaking of the image.)

There were a couple of reasons for my choice that mostly came from watching Nic with his Canon Powershot A80.

• The view finder was a waste of time and you might as well devote as much real estate as you could to the LCD screen.
• It needed to be fast, no siginificant pause between pressing the buton and the photo being taken.
• It needed software that’d handle camera shake effectively.

It looks like the Panasonic handles these with aplomb.

Now I can embark on an epic adventure, where I learn all there is to know about how to use this amazing little gadget to it’s full potential.

And did I mention how fricking small it is?

Current temperature 61F/16C