Sunday 21 February 2010

L3 & London

It's been said before and I'll say it again.... we've been to London seven togs and two shoppers in love. What for I hear you ask?  'Because we can' I answer!, yes but why?

Somebody? I believe it was Steve said lets go on a photography trip, or expedition dependant on view, good idea each of us replied. London he suggested, then promptly went off to the help desk, leaving the seeds of an idea in everyones minds. By the time he had got back it was all arranged all Steve had to do now was turn up and pay!

Eric was the tour guide leading us to the best car parking price this side of Liverpool and circumnavigating the non existent Circle line, first stop Baker Street and a supposedly quick walk to 'The Photographer Gallery' promising us all that every destination was only 20 minutes walk away, which was probably true if you was double timing and not 7 togs taking a photographs of anything that moved or didn't, or Ruth and Steve attempting to get run over at each junction, I can't imagine why they thought cars wouldn't want to use the road? we eventually arrived at our first destination and proceeded to arrange for Rebecca to meet up with us, Eric again master of ceremonies with directions abounding and words like 'head north' and 'just by the alley' needless to say she never got there. Next stop the Portrait Gallery via China Town and for some strange reason Eric took us through what seemed like the red light district? Eric had said previously that he has spent five years living down here, now I know why...  Rebecca in the meantime was zigzagging across London like my daughter doing a dot to dot, finally finding us at the Portrait Gallery which was showing an Irving Penn Exhibition.

We had a quick look round,  I gained a few useful insights into where did portrait photography get its inspiration from... what was before photography? Oils. water colours etc another medium to portray the play of light on a person or object, I suppose the first portrait painters could have been the good old cave men, whoops sorry 'cave people', Yes Sue your right it would have been animal portraits!

Having a greater desire to take photographs rather that look at others about half of us left the Gallery, we headed round the corner, on Steve advice, to the Silver people with some smattering of gold people too! Then onward into the eye of the storm, you know what I mean.... fighting your way through the the masses at the MacDonalds next to the London Eye, of course with the obligatory stops for more photographs.

                                          


Once re-energised from the nutritious and healthy photographers staple diet we pressed on to more street performers that were located further along the banks of the Thames, I knew it was the Thames because I recognised it from the  Eastenders program.


We met up with the other group making our number back up to seven, 'The Magnificent Seven'  yes a bit weary and cold by now but magnificent none the less, Somebody did ask the question as to who was  Yul Brynner whilst looking at Eric, but I can't remember at this moment who that was?
A quick discussion entailed as to the next battle plan, again Eric and Steve the main players, a decision was made to head for the Museums The mighty Natural History Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Crossing over the Thames heading for the Embankment Tube station presented us with some more photographic opportunities,  some expected and some different, I assume all been done a thousand times before.



And others that have never been taken before!


Once at the Natural History Museum everyone went the different ways with different agendas, I was just interested in the architecture and movement of people, as Steve had set the gauntlet down for the subject of motion in the next BoTPS competition I had to rise to the challenge! and get two in one. 


Having got what I wanted from the Natural, Steve and I decided to go over to the Victoria and Albert Museum which was just over the road literally! Once inside Steve set about getting photographs of statutes and busts, for his digital editing passion saying that this is more like it which made me wonder which bust's he was talking about.  I just wandered around looking for something interesting to photograph.


We attempted to look for the photography section of the museum, as the museum takes up a whole city block it is a rather large museum after a few wrong turns we decided to ask for directions, even after that we still managed to get lost when we eventually found the right way... just as an announcement was made for the museum to close and everyone to make an exit!

So we made our way back to the arranged meeting point at the Natural and waited for the rest to come out.


While we were waiting Steve decided to lie in the gutter with his camera getting some time lapse photographs, all the Japanese tourists were looking at him gone out, I half expected some of them to join him in the gutter to take some of their own photographs! Eventually the rest arrived and we decided to make out way back to the car, again stopping at every opportunity to take a photograph as Eric said it would only take 20 minutes to get where we are going.


At the tube station we we in two minds as to whether we ate in or get something on the go, a pub meal was decided and a pub was duly found but was too busy with no place to sit we came out and brought some sandwiches, much to Eric dismay as he was ready for his nightcap. At the tube station there was still time and opportunity for more photographs, Steve was going for more time lapse and wanted to get the tube train coming into view, the only trouble was he set his camera up pointing the wrong direction,  how we laughed, ho ho.

back at the car we said our cheerio's and scraping the ice of the cars we set off for home and a good rest, bath, drink or what ever else everyone had waiting for them..

5 comments:

  1. A wandering we will go, around and around, snappy snappy, follow the guy in the hat, said Matt, Matt who? Tube, what tube, only a shortened version, a short ride, a walk!
    Plan plan and plan again. The City, Covent Garden and Canary Wharf. Where are they,did we get there, no, on the plan? Never mind, a 20 minute wander, get there 2 hours later, so much to see, so many images to take. Where are you Becs? Where are you now, we are here! where have you gone to now? we are here now!
    Brynner, who he? some mystery tour guide? where do you really want to go?
    Some day though aye, wandering through this great Capital of ours, place to place, no plans, just images to make. Best Music? Guy on the bridge, drumming for the world.Sunshine all day, sunny characters all day, some got lost, some lost things.
    No time to stop and stare, snap,move,snap, move, laugh, chat up the young men "can I take you photo please?" portrait time(Pip?)
    And then the day came to an so quickly, time to go home, come back another day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am luvin your photos, Jim, and I can't get enough of your histograms.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi
    Great that you work so well as a team, try to draw what you can form this to add to your work, gallery visits, etc.. camera techniques, use of light, etc.. composition practise,etc...

    steve

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi
    Not sure if my last comment went through okay but some of these images and others I'm sure should be considered for the exhibition even though they werent strictly for the course they were taken during it.

    steve

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi
    You have shown very clearly that you have been to exhibitions, galleries, used the internet, books and magazine to inform and influence your photography. C1 criteria met as labelled.

    Steve

    ReplyDelete