Wednesday, April 30, 2025

X-ray and long day!

 

 Yesterday was knackering.  It started with a long walk, then an MRI scan, with an IV in my arm, then a good while later another long walk home, leaking blood from the hole in my arm where the cannula had been.  The medication I had taken thins my blood so it doesnt clot.... and thats a minor problem if you have a hole in you.

 After getting home I was shattered.  It was a fairly hot day for a start, and as it goes from cold to hot, we dont have time to acclimatetize to the change here.

 I had two parcels come, one a lens hood the other a radio microphone for doing videos, I was too tired to even play with them.  Although I did fid the lens hood to check it was the right size,  before going back out for another long walk in the heat to the chemist to get my script, then to a friends hose and finally ages later... home. I was wrecked to be honest.

 So onto the photo.  This is an old fashioned X-ray machine, not the one they used on me, that was a high tech MRI and to be fair the staff were all brilliant, including the nurse who had to help me up after it.  I'd seized up.

The X-ram maching, shot on my phone (note hospitals dont allow photography, but I did get permission first)




Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Sunsets and bluebells

 

 Shot yesterday on the evening dog walk.  Panasonic TZ80 compact camera.

 







 

Monday, April 28, 2025

A few more AI pics

 

 Several more AI images.

 




 

Cricket

 

Back in tin my press days I shot a lot of sports photos.  Since then though I think I'm done something like 2 football matches in 30 years, so I'm a tad out of practice.

 Back then I'd have 2 cameras at least and 1 or 2 great big lens, 400mm or 600mm was the norm for cricket, sometimes longer.

 Fast forward to yesterday and I was going out and spotted a cricket match, could I still hack it?  So I took this (this was the best of about 25 shots over 2 minutes)  Personally I think it's not bad.

 Actually it's not bad at all considering I wasnt even in the cricket ground, I was standing on the railway bridge nearbye, and shooting with my pocket size compact camera.......

Shot on a Panasonic TZ80 compact.




Sunday, April 27, 2025

AI images

 

 Some of you will have noticed I'm playing with AI generated images.  Now I admit I'm a beginner with AI, but it does have some possibilites.

It occures to me that those who can no longer go out taking photographs can still create art.  Is it the same as going out, well no.  But it is still fun and your can produce some lovely images.

 Heres a few I did this week.

 





 

Fungi and flower

 

 Ok the flower is probably a weed but it's still a sort of flower.

 Not taken a lot of pics recently, been lots going on.  Got these yesterday.

 



 

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Sometimes I'm almost lost for words!

 

 We all know local councils are often run by the village idiot, and mostly comprised of other villages idiots.  Sometimes it shows with the level of stupidity and waste of taxpayers money that beggars beliefe.

 Take my local council for example (please take them because we dont want them)  This week they decided to put up a bollard to stop cars driving in a local park.  A good idea some might say.

 Well yes and no.  You see the park in question doesnt have a problem with cars driving in it in the first place..  Secondly and a bigger problem, the entrance they put the bollard in has railings across it. A car would need to jump over the railings to be stopped by a shorter bollard.

 The gap at the sidesof the railings is about 4 foot, way too small for any car.  The gap each side of the bollard is wider, but also too narrow for a car.  So the logic of putting a bollard there to stop something makes no sense at all.

 Even better, they put a folding bollard that costs more so they can fold it down to drive over it... except they cant because of the BLOODY RAILINGS!




Thursday, April 24, 2025

Ahh doctor, I need a what?

 

 Ahhh Hello Mr Clarke, I'm afraid I'm not happy with your test results, your going to need a cat scan.... Here tiddles...

 Yes amusing, well sort of.  I'm off for a CAT scan myself next week.  Only mine wont involve tiddles and a bowl of kity cat.

 Still my doctor...  well not exactly if I'm honest.

 


 

Monday, April 21, 2025

Fun and games with computers !

 

 Today I've been sorting out my computers.  This one that I use for the internet is old and sad, but it has photoshop on it which makes it handy for a quick edit for the blog.

 My main editing computer, that I use for serious stuff, isn't connected to the internet, that has photoshop and lightroom on it.  I've been using it for ages.

 Now while it's a really good computer, it's old-ish now, and it's a monster, liquid cooled beast.  So a little while ago I got a replacement for it.

 The replacement is also a beast, an Alienware something or other.  But I didnt have any editing software on.  Thats what I've been doing today. OMG!

 Installing photoshop, lightroom and a few other programs I use a lot took AGES, not helped by the new computer not having winrar to open the bloody rar files.  Then the antivirus wouldnt let me do ANYTHING.  What a PITA.

 Finally after about half the day I got the programs I use installed..... Then because I'm an idiot, I deceded to install some photo programs on my back-up internet computer.  I should explain.

 The PC I'm typing this on is Win xp, it what I've use for the net for decades, it's a Dell, but as it still works and has an older version of photoshop which is fine for the blog stuff I'm happy.  Thing is it's now reached the point it wont work on some websites, and Youtube is a non starter!.

 About 2 years ago I got a replacement, but as I dont think it'll run photoshop (it's a low spec just for the net) I've pretty much only used it for Youtube watching.  Anyway today as I was installing a million programs on the Alienware I got to thinking about bunging some photo software on that one too.

 So many hours later and it's now gor several photo programs, I havent tried photoshop, but I'm now seriously thinking of trying it.  Well not now but tomorrow, I'm knackered now and it's late.

Mia sleeping

 

 Madam Mia sleeping with her favorite toy (minging ted)  Shot on my phone.

 


 

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Bluebells

 

 Took these this afternoon.   

 


 

Pug heavan

 

Pugs love a sasuage.

 


 

Girl in a red dress 2

 

 The next girl in a red dress.

 


 

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Black and white tree.

 

 A moody black and white image.

 


 

Pugwind

 

Pugwind. A new member of Discworld ......




Formular Pug.

 

 First on the grid.  And in the food queue....

 


 

Pug burger please...

 

Pugs love food, burgers are one of their favorites.

 


 

Castle reflections

 

 It's a really busy time for for me.

 


 

Monday, April 14, 2025

Windmill reflections

 

 I do like a reflection shot.

 


 

 

Giant UFO over London

 Yes folks, a giant UFO visits London... Although why any alien in his or her right mind would go there now as anybodies guess.

I used to love London, I spent a fair bit of time there over the years, now though it's a giant shithole.

 The streets are full of phone thieves on Ebikes, lots of pickpockets everywhere (mostly women) The place is full of beggars and rough sleepers, and I'm told it now stinks of human shit, I kid you not!

 Frankly, looking at the place now, it looks and feels more like a third world country than the capital of what was Great Britain.

 Still maybe the aliens will wipe it out like they did in Independance day movie.




Nice sky.

 Got this a few days ago.  Shot on my phone.





Sunday, April 13, 2025

Apugalypse now.

 

One of the great war movies...

 


 

I'm taller now!

 

 Some pugs are short, some pugs have longer legs, other pugs use the world to make them taller...


 

Pugs got talent

 

 With his new song, the Howl of the Baskerville..

 


 

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Ferris wheel and surfers.

 

 Got these the other day on a dog walk.  TZ80 compact camera.

 






 

Friday, April 11, 2025

Sunset

 Recent sunset.  Shot on the Panasonic TZ80







Thursday, April 10, 2025

Soft focus filter

 

 I was taking some stuff out of my camera bag after a shoot on the weekend and I went through my filters(I only carry a few all the time)  One was the old Cokin soft focus.  heres a shot with it.