I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER NOT A TERRORIST

I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER NOT A TERRORIST!

ARCHITECTURE: PADDINGTON BASIN

MORE TESTING AT HOME

Been trying to learn the Capture One software this week! Here are some shots from my tests.

TOO COLD FOR DRESSY NEW SHOES!

We are still experiencing the big freeze here in London.

It is too cold to spend extended periods of time outside and too cold to wear my new shoes...

So, I stayed cosy inside and shot them instead!

SNOW DAY 2010

This is Britian shot today from a NASSA satelite!

This year I was fortunate enough to be able to experience snow day outside unlike last year when I was couped up in a plane on the tarmac at Heathrow after flying in from Canada.

Here are some shots from my walk in Kensington Gardens through the 'Blizzard'!

It was stunning!

EXHIBITION

I loved this exhibition! I felt a real sense of what it would have been like to be a part of the swinging 60's with rock in full roll and all the girls wearing Mary Quant's mini skirt.

The exhibition resonates a real sense of liberty and freedom for the youth of the day and made me wish I were around then to be part of a decade which saw so much change.

London was where it was all happening and the effects were felt all over the world. Alot of the names and faces such as Lulu, Cliff Richard and Dusty Springfield were familiar to me from my parents recollections of growing up in the swinging 60's in Australia!

Pattie Boyd in a Mary Quant dress, with the Rolling Stones, photo John French. England, April 1964

All the photographs were great but with out a dobut, the ones that stood out above them all were the shots by David Bailey! You forget exactly how amazing his shots were especially for their time. He took his subjects into the studio and shot them on white backgrounds in high contrast focusing all the attention on the sitter alone. This is something that had not really been done before. Mounted along side the other shots from the same decade, you can see they have totally stood the test of time stylistically!

Mick Jagger

Paul McCartney and John Lennon

Of course there were other amazing shots by very famous names such as this shot of Marianne Faithfull by Gered Mankowitz

I also absolutely loves this shot of Terence Stamp and Jean Shripmton shot by Terry O'Neil! What an amazing looking couple!

COLUMBIA ROAD FLOWER MARKETS

One of my favourite 'Sunday in London' activities is to visit the Columbia Road Flower Markets in London's East End!

From 8am till the early afternoon, a small part of Columbia Road is closed off to traffic and becomes a bustling pedestrian wonderland packed with plants and cut flowers of the season. Some of the pitch owners have been set up and selling flowers here for generations. The flower market is lined on either side of the street with colourful and quaint Victorian store fronts of all interests. You can find an array of art, cakes, teapots, vintage fashion, jewelry, interiors, furniture and everything for the garden here.

We visited on a chilly clear first Sunday of 2010 to find it not as busy as usual. Some pitches appeared to still be away on holiday and alot of the Victorian store fronts were also closed. The atmosphere, however, was fabulous as usual with the vendors chanting their convincing sales pitches of... 'two bunches a fiver!!', 'get your hyacynths, three for a tenner!'

Unable to resist, as usual, we snuffled up three beautiful bunches of pink and white Lisianthus.

They were just the flowers I was after

and they are at home looking

beautiful on our coffee table.

I always visit 'RyanTown', the work shop of artist Rob Ryan who's work I absolutely adore. He does the most beautiful and intricate paper cut out pieces with gorgeous poems and stories! the shop was closed on our visit but I will be sure to return and hope one day to own one of his peices!

My other religious pit stop is Treacle, the cupcake and tea shop! (only tea - no coffee sold). Besides selling the most gorgeous cupcakes, they also sell a range of tea accessories. I simply love their selection of tea sets, teapots, retro tea towels, mix masters and other comfy home wears! It is a pleasure to be in the store with all their great displays and ideas! I just had to buy their interpretation of the 'keep calm and cary on' poster'! you can see in the above shot!

There is always something new to explore that wasn't there or that you didn't get to see the last time you visited the market. This time we spotted a very packed cafe called Campania Gastronomia! Through the windows we could see people drinking coffee and eating nutella on toast! YUMMY! We did not have time to wait for a seat but we bought take away coffees from a window off to the side of the shop which were divine. The delicious coffee is not surprising considering the owners are originally from the Campania region of Italy.They are local residents on Columbia Road now and run the cafe during the week as well as Sundays!

We will be back early for a seat next visit!

Here are some more snaps I took on Sunday at the markets! Enjoy, and if anyone ever wants a market companion, you know who to call!