I'm shattered today

 

I've had two weddings in four day and another tomorrow, tired doesnt come close.  

 Part of the problem is wedding seem to be getting longer, and secondly I'm getting older.  It's no fun carrying a heavy camera around for something like ten hours, especially when you have lots of aches and pains that go with old age.

 Another factor is I'm not getting any real downtime,.  I'm either editing, shopping or being a taxi, one of the reasons I'm finding it hard to get pictures for this blog, I dont have time to get out and shoot any.

 Theres no two ways about it.  I have to have a proper break this year, some ME time.  Chill out and shoot some fun pics.  Mind the crap weather isnt helping, dark and gloomy is the normal for August it seems.

 Today I seriously sat down and thought about what I want to be doing in the near future, I cant go on out and on the go fourteen hours a day, I'm too bloody old.  I'm not getting time to catch up either.

 Whinge over.  Sorry readers.

The band

 

 Took these at a family wedding the other day, didnt have the best camera and lens for low light as I was a guest, but got theese anyway.

 

 

Food shots

 

 Another two recent shots of food.

 

 

Shattered flowers

 I did this shattered image type thing years back, cant remember the date now.  But here is the same style again.

A few more random photos

 $ moor odd random pics I've spotted, all shot on the TZ80.

Marshmallows

 

 Another shot from a recent shoot.

 

 

Strawberries

 

Had a bad day again

 

 I had another bad the other day, while out I just got very down, 

 I still havent got over my mothers death, not really had time to grieve properly.  Every now and then it catches up with me, and it hits me hard.

 At the moment I'm going through a bad patch, up and down.  I'll be ok, it's just a time thing.

 When my father died I went down my then local beach with a bottle of whisky and got pissed and had a good cry, got it out of my system, ok I was still upset on times but I'd mostly delt with it.  This time I've not had the time or chance to spend time alone and get my head sorted.

 I'll get there, it's just taking longer this way.

Wigs and Glasses

 

 Got these colourfull shots the other day.

 

 

The red bottle

 

 Took this a few days ago.

 

 

Strange day yesterday

 

 Yesterday was my birthday.  Yes I enjoyed myself, but it was a very strange day.  I went for a lunch with one of my sons, and then in the evening we went for an indian meal.  I enjoyed both.

 The strange part was it's the first year with no phone call or present from my dear Mum who died in march.  I know it sounds daft but I really missed it, not the present, the phone call and the fuss she used to make of birthdays.

  Every year there would be a big fuss for weeks before a birthday, what do you want for a present, where do you want to go for a meal.  Then shed ring on the day to wish me happy birthday, and of course there would be a cake.  I know it sounds silly, I just missed it and her a lot yesterday. 

 The fuss over a present was the same, this year my birthday present was 5 pairs of socks, and I knocked them down from a tenner to 6 quid (who said I'm tight.  Oh it wasnt the money, I could have bought myself a proper present.  It just wasnt the same not coming wrapped from dear old Mum.

 Ok to be fair I did get a watch from my brother, and very nice it was too, I'm wearing it now.  It's just this year was very quiet and strange.

 Thank you Sam for spending time with me, it was nice.

Met office heatwave forcast

 

 To be honest I'm panicing a bit.  I've just seen a met office forcast for a heatwave for the southern UK, and thats means me.  My problem is I cant find my mask, snorkle and flippers !  Which I'll need for the flooding downpour we'll get.  I got lucky and found my winter down waistcoat which I'll need for the cold spell we'll actually get.

 As I've said before, if you guess the weather or flip a coin you get a fifty fifty chance of being right, the met office claims around seventy four percent, and cost £83 million a year.  Money wasted then.

TZ80 zoom range

 

 I've mentioned the TZ80 a few times on the blog and did a bit of a review not too long ago.  While out yesterday at the dentist I took a few more test pics to compare wide angle and zoomed all the way in.  Here they are.  It shows the huge range of this little compact camera.

 

 

Some black and white abstract pictures.

 

 These may not be to everyones taste, but I like a few of them.  All shot on the panasonic TZ80 

Camera bag update

 

I've mentioned my camera bag a few times on the blog (theres a review on aug 14 2015) and to be fair it's still going strong and been a bloody good bag. It's a Lowpro flipside 500.  And it's easily the best bag I've ever had, while the Billingham bag was a beauty and well made it just wouldnt hold what this bag holds, and worse all the weight is on one shoulder.  Not ideal for a bloke with a dodgy back.

 No, the problem isnt the bag, it's the kit I carry.  While the bag has stayed the same for 8 years, the kit in it hasnt.  I've bought new gear, different lens, new flashes ect ect in that time.  And for ages it's just too small.  Now it's got to the point when the gear wont fit.

 Imdeed the last few times I've used my big kit I've had to take a second bag for one camera with lens and it's flash .  The empty bag is just left in my car.

By bag is set up to hold 2 cameras with standard zoom size lens.  2 flashguns, 4 extra lens + a microphone and small video light.  The front pouch holds all my other gear like spare batteries, an off camera flash option (only when I think I might need it) a small towel, first aid and a million other odd's and sods that often come in handy.

 Part of the problem is new cameras and lens are bigger, better and worse heavier.  But I'm out of options.  If I want better faster lens they weight more.  Sadly noboby yet makes a 15-600mm F1.4 That would solve a lot of my problems (and make my back a happy bunny) but it is what it is.

 I like to carry 2 bodies because I have back-up.  One is none two is one (US marine corp)  Same with "standard" zoom lens, the range might be slightly different but they cover the normal most used focal lengths.  2 flashes, one for each camera and the 2 gives me a level of back-up. I carry 3 mostly now so I have a back-up spare and I sometimes take 3 bodies..

 The lens I dont carry a back-up for are my long telephoto and my ultrawide lens.  The reason I dont carry sparres is because I dont actually use these lens a lot in my normal day to day use.  I do have spares but I cant fit in any more gear.  The last item I like to carry is a fast "standard" lens, something like a 50mm 1.4 for full frame and a 18-35mm 1.8 art for crop sensor cameras.

 I also normally carry a proper macro lens, although theres no "spare" one of my standard zoom lens focuses very close and is near enough true macro to cover as a back-up.

 Ok so what this ramble all about?  Well I'm in the market for a new bag... and thats where the problems start.  You see the bag I have is nearly perfect for me, I just want a slightly bigger one, and thats the problem.  I cant find one.  Theres a new version of my bag, and very smart it is, but it's thinner so my gear might not fit, and it's not bigger anyway which is my main problem.

 At the moment I'm stumped  So if anybody knows of a bigger bag that the Lowpro flipside 500 please let me know.

Cute or what!

 

 Cute or what!   No not me, the dog!  

 

  I've never been called cute.  I've got a face like a ferret catchers elbow.  Heck I was so ugly as a baby my pram had shutters on it.  I was a model... for gargoyles.

 However, Mia the dog is cute, very cute.   She seems to think I'm grubby and my hair needs a wash, maybe bacon flavored shampoo was a bad idea???

A few abstracts, a train and berries

 

 All shot on the Panosonic TZ80 which I carry around more or less all the time.  It's got a usefull zoom and half decent quality in good light.  gets a bit ropey when the light goes though.

 

 

Funny place for a fridge?

 

 Me, I'm old fashioned.  I like my fridge in the kitchen.    Yes I'm taking the piss.  Spotted this yesterday.  Panosonic TZ80

 

 

Night walk picture

 

 Went out for a late night walk recently and couldnt resist taking this shot.  It's on my phone hand held, to be fair it's pretty decent. 

 Theres something  really nice being out in the dark and quiet.

Mia the dog (picture)

 A picture of Mia the killer guard dog... well maybe not actually a killer, more a lick you to death if I'm honest.  But she is cute you have to agree.

The Dog has landed

 

 The dog has landed.   No not a follow up to the film the eagle has landed.  This is the arrival of a dog at waynesworldblog coastal headquarters.  (yes a house)  Ok my other half just got a new dog, so there will be cute dog pics soon.

A few random shots on the tz80 compact

 

 A few random shots taken on the panosonic   compact over the last week or so.

Aviaition update

 

 Two recent "trends" with commercial aircraft seem to be suffering a bit rise in numbers.  One is the number of airliners suffering engine issues, this seems up on recent levels.  The second is the number of commercial aircraft suffering gound incidents or accidents.

 These are way up over the last few months, these while normally minor involve the aircraft either hitting a light pole or clipping another parks plane ,or more commonly being hit by ground vehicles.  In one case the air bridge ripped off the aircrafts door.

 Now while these incidents are normally just a PITA for passengers they do offer some real potential for danger.  You see even a small amount of damage to an aircrafts skin can lead to a catastrophic event if it's not repaired properly.  And with costs rising daily more or less every airline is counting the pennies.  Sooner or later theres going to be a crash caused by minor damage being badly repaired.

 Dont laugh, it's happened before.  Japan airlines lost a plane with 15 crew and 505 passengers back in August 1985 as a result of a faulty repair.  That repair wasnt done by cut price repair company either it was done by Boeings own engineers.

 The crew did a stunning job of flying the crippled aircraft for 32 minutes before it crashed.  Since then a number of highly trained pilots have recreated the situation in a simulaator.  None managed even close to 32 minutes.  The crew had no flight controls to speak of and really had no hope of a safe landing.  But they faught to the end.

Weathers a joke

 

 It's August here in the UK and as a child I'd have spent most ov every day sitting on the beach being roasted.  Now I'm sitting around indoors with a fleese on and shivering under a 12 tog quilt at night.  Damm that global warming.....  No wait, hang on.   Global warming... getting warmer?  So how come it's getting colder not warmer?.    They cant be wrong can they?

 The weathers bloody awful here in Wales UK at Waynesworldblog global headquarters (yes my house) Anyway wet and grim it is.  Good thing modern cameras are better at high iso.  Looks like I'm going to need it today.

 I looked today for a professional underwater camera, no seriously I really did and nobody seems to make a pro version.  Yes you can buy underwater housing (I've got a cheap version myself for the 30d) and theres a few waterproof compacts, think go-pro and the like, but a proper full frame pro camera... No.

 Back in the film days Nikon did one, the Nikonos 5 35mm film camera, if I remember rightly it came with a 28mm lens and looked sort of normal camera like.  I nearly bought one at one point, they were bloody expensive though but I used to swim a lot back in my younger days and we had boats of one kind or another.

Water on plants.

 Got these the other day in my garden.

Black and white picture question.

 

 I've been asked about how I do my black and white pictures.  The answer is several different ways.  The first and most common of the pics on this blog is Photoshop.  I use a plug-in called Silver Efects.  This is my favorite method and the one I use when I have time.  It gives a better B+W and has lots of options including a sort of "clarity" slider that makes the pics look more like old real B+W.

 The second method  I use is in camera.  Some of my cameras have a custom setting option on the main mode dial.  I have this set to black and white, with a orange filter and the contrast boosted a click or two.  This has the advantage of letting me see how the shot works as I take it.  That said I can get a good ised just from my eye as I used to shoot a LOT of black and white in film days.

The third option is in Lightroom, I use the B+W options there.  This is what I often use for say a wedding as I'm editing a lot of pics.  Lots of the blog stuff doesnt go through Lightroom, I jst use Photoshop unless it's a lot of images.

 My last and least favorite method is Photoshop again, this time using the built in B+W options, I have a custom preset in there, although IMHO it's not as good as Silver Effects or Lightroom.  I usually have to tweak the contrast after this option.  Its only advantage is it's a lot quicker than Silver Effect which is slow loading.

Hindu festival part 4 (the last)

 

I didnt get that many pictures this year, between missing the friday and only coming across the satuday part when it was 3/4 over (and I couldnt do the sunday either) I got a lot less than previous years.   This is the last batch.