Day #31

Title: Stating The Obvious
Location: No.19 Bus Route, Chelsea
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: I was in Battersea this afternoon to take down my photographic exhibition, then I needed to be in Holborn for Substandards Pancakes. The No.19 bus rather conveniently connects the two. Sitting on the top deck, somewhere near the Kings Road, I happened to catch the bus in front just passing the right word painted on the road :-)

Day #30

Title: Sushi Symmetry
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: I've been playing with my food today - even though mum always told me not to. The 366 2008 Flickr group I belong to has a weekly theme which you can use for inspiration on some or all of the days. Between #26 and #33 the subject is Food. Having been to the shops to buy some lunch, I dug out this lovely Japanese plate I was given as a present, rummaged in my cutlery drawer for some chopsticks and set out the luscious sushi. It was lit with natural daylight from a north-facing window. Really enjoyed the photography. And eating it afterwards!

Day #29

Title: Enigma III
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: You can probably guess what this one is - I've been having some fun with macro shots today.

Day #28

Title: The Ethereal Forest
Location: London Hill, Galleywood
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: It was foggy first thing, so I went out for half an hour's shooting. I liked the recession of the trees in the mist. Not long after, it had cleared up, leaving just a boring grey sky.

Day #27

Title: Penney Breaches The Defence
Location: Vicarage Road, Watford
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / Canon 100-400mm EF f/4.5-5.6 L IS
Notes: Saracens had a good match against Bath, winning 26-20. You can see more match photos elsewhere, but this is one that nearly got away - Rodd Penney breaks through the Bath defensive line and heads for the gap. Lighting was a bit tricky with bright sun on one side of the pitch and deep shade my side. At least an early kickoff (1:30pm) meant there was some sun for a change!

Day #26

Title: Waving In The Breeze
Location: Dawes Farm, Handley Green
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: I found these Pampas Grasses near a set of ponds between Handley Barns and Dawes Farm, during my 4.5 mile walk around Mill Green, and I deliberately chose 1/30th shutter speed when taking the image, to show the grasses blowing about in the breeze. But I was struggling with the light today - there was only weak sunlight and thin, high cloud which meant things looked OK in reality, but as soon as a scene was committed to the camera, everything looked pale and washed out, with little contrast. Some fiddling with Photoshop has helped.

Day #25

Title: Bullseye Lenses
Location: Chelmsford
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Another nice day today, and since I had an appointment in town this morning, I decided to walk there and back (over 4 miles done today, which is good!). I took various odds and ends along the way; this was on the rear light cluster of a Ford Focus, parked in a side street.

Day #24

Title: Birch Curls
Location: Galleywood Common
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: After getting loads of work done this morning, I was able to take myself out for a constitutional this afternoon, while the sun was out, before returning home to carry on with various jobs. A 2-mile stroll round Galleywood Common with the EOS 30D was quite productive. I liked this the best of the shots I took. I tried it as momochrome, but it didn't have the same quality - I like the subtle colours - slightly yellow in the sun and a darker blue in the shadows.

Day #23

Title: Enigma II
Location: At home
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Easier than the last one, I think.

Day #22

Title: Sunset On St. Peter's Way
Location: Near Margaretting Tye
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: After days of rotten weather, the forecast perked up for this afternoon. So I went for a 3 mile ramble in the mud around Margaretting and Margaretting Tye. The light was beginning to fade, and I was worried that I wouldn't get any more shots. Then I climbed a stile and came across this flooded bottom corner of a field, just as the sun poked out from under the cloud bank. Crouching down to maximize the reflections, I took quite a few over the next five minutes, and knew I'd got the shots of the afternoon by being in the right place at the right time - purely by accident!

Day #21

Title: Monkey Off My Back
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: After weeks of prevarication, I finally managed to demolish a huge pile of filing and get my tax return filled in - and they owe me money - hurrah!

Day #20

Title: Funky Wallpaper
Location: The Castle, Battersea
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: I met some friends at The Castle in Battersea for lunch and to view my exhibition of Rubgy Photography which is up until the end of the month. The place has recently been refurbished and the funky brown and silver wallpaper panels caught my eye. Reminds me of those 1970's Spirograph patterns...

Day #19

Title: Nearly Tea Time
Location: At home
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Another rainy day - when will we get some nice weather?! Spent the day chilling out at home, so this is a bit of fun indoors. No Photoshop here!

Day #18

Title: Result!
Location: At home
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: I was out this evening when Saracens were playing their crucial Heineken Cup match in Glasgow. I wasn't able to follow the match online, but the final result arrived by text and put a grin on my face. The win means they have a home Quarter Final at the beginning of April - definitely a Result!

Day #17

Title: A12 Traffic
Location: Romford-ish
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: On the way to Newbury Park tube, for PubStandards this evening. Luckily, I was in the passenger seat!

Day #16

Title: Sundown
Location: Galleywood Common
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: After the recent rain, I was hoping to get out for a walk this afternoon after a meeting, but unfortunately it went on longer than planned. As I was driving home, the sun was setting, so I pulled over and took this picture of the sunset over Galleywood Common.

Day #15

Title: Going Shopping
Location: Chelmsford
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Another trip to PC World to feed the new laptop's insatiable appetite for more software.

Day #14

Title: Booty
Location: At home
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: New laptop arrived today; I spent the rest of the day installing software and setting it up for development work.

Day #13

Title: A Thousand Eyes
Location: Hall Farm, near Dedham
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: I only had my compact with me today, so when I spotted several peacocks strutting about in the farmyard after a nice lunch in their restaurant, I had a job to shooting anything decent. The birds were rather nervy and didn't hold still for long! This is a crop of a wider shot, but I like the more abstract feel of just the feather patterns.

Day #12

Title: Chesney's Lineout
Location: Vicarage Road, Watford
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / Canon 100-400mm EF f/4.5-5.6 L IS
Notes: Saturday afternoon at the rugby - traffic queues were a nightmare, but worth it for the 45-16 win against those pesky Basques, Biarritz. Heineken Cup Quarterfinals are one step nearer...

Day #11

Title: Inviting
Location: At home
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Another grotty day outside, when you have to have the light on at 10am. The sofa looks very inviting to curl up on, with a good book to block out the rain and wind. But no. Must. Do. Filing. And. Tax. First. Ugh.

Day #10

Title: Jasmine Tea
Location: My kitchen
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8
Notes: Rotten day, not been out. Realised about 9pm that I hadn't taken a picture for today. Then remembered the lovely Jasmine flower tea balls which a friend brought back from Hong Kong for me. Just add hot water, and they unfurl into an amazing flower while brewing your cuppa!

Day #9

Title: The Goal Posts
Location: Chelmer Park
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: The forecast for today promised a nice morning with rain in the afternoon, so I took myself out for a walk before lunch. The long shadows of these goal posts in Chelmer Park caught my eye. Wrong sport for me, obviously, but I couldn't find any rugby posts!

Day #8

Title: Looking Forward, Looking Back
Location: My kitchen
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: New Year is when we tend to get all reflective about what's gone on over the past twelve months, and speculative towards what the next twelve will bring. Since the weather's been less than lovely today, I decided to do a little bit of still life - here are a couple of spent Champagne corks and the medallions from the top, lurking on my kitchen window sill. The Moët was from my retirement going freelance party back in April (looking back), and the Bolly was what we toasted the New Year in with (looking forward). I can't help having expensive tastes!

Day #7

Title: Neal Archer
Location: British Museum
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: I had a couple of meetings in London this morning, but was able to get time to see the Chinese Terracotta Warriors at the British Museum during the afternoon. This was one of the first you saw as you entered the exhibition. I managed a couple of shots and then one of the staff said "no photos". Loved the dramatic lighting which really accentuated the modelling on the face. I know he wasn't really called Neal, but I can't read Mandarin...

Day #6

Title: Approaching Little Baddow Lock
Location: Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: It was a lovely sunny day, so I took a hike for 4.5miles from Paper Mill Lock, along the towpath (very muddy!) to Little Baddow Lock and back along the lanes past Little Baddow Hall. The winter light was great for pictures. The canal has plenty of boats tied up near Paper Mill Lock, but I liked the tranquil scene here with the reflected trees.

Day #5

Title: Winter Wonderland
Location: Hyde Park
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: I met up with some friends in Hyde Park who went skating on the rink in the Winter Wonderland. Then we wandered round the Christmas Market and had a ride on the Big Wheel, which was very impressive.

Day #4

Title: Enigma I
Location: At home
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: From time to time, I'll be taking a "what is it" shot; this is the first. Any guesses? Anyone listening? ;-)

Day #3

Title: Coffee Break
Location: Costa Coffee, Chelmsford
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: I've been running round most of the day, taking the car in for a service; walking into town for various appointments and a quick mooch round the sales; then back home for lunch; deal with some emails and out again to collect the car this evening. So this represents a very pleasant 20 minutes respite where I was able to sit back and drink coffee while reading a chapter from Mike Catt's autobiography which I'd just bought half price in the sale at Waterstones.

Day #2

Title: Back To Work
Location: My office
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Nose back to the grindstone. Note to self - take down those cheesy Christmas lights eBay sent me for "being a good customer" last year - before Twelfth Night!

Day #1

Title: My Birthday Cards
Location: My front room
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Guess who's having a birthday today?
Spending it quietly at home, recovering from the New Year party I went to! So a shot of my cards will do for today - it's pretty grim outside for taking anything better.