Movie future looking bleak!

 

 I was looking through the latest film releases today, my God they look bad!  

 One was about a terminally ill man who finds an injured migrant and takes him to stop the police finding him. Another was about the teenage angst of a young downs syndrom girl. Yet another was based around an 18th centure lesbian artist struggle to find recognition.... Yes gripping stuff!  

 I was so gripped it took me two hours talking to a counselor before I went off the idea of cutting my own wrists.  God help the Samaritians when the Cannes film festival is on, they'll have to bring in reinforcements to cope with the load.

 But being serious who really want's to watch crap like that?, yes I know it takes all sorts and theres always someone who will find it interesting, but  movie making is a business, it's bums on seats that matter, not catering for seven people with... lets be generous and say eccentric viewing tastes.  Thats not going to pay the rent.

 Yes it's woke and trendy to show your sympathy, with different cultures and minorities etc, and thats fair enough, live and let live I say.  But if your trying to make money you have to cater for the biggest audience.  That means  car chases, BIG explosions, space movies or good old fashioned love stories.  

 Look back at what made a ton of money in the past... I bet it wasn't a movie about a Bulgarian lorry drivers search for new shoes, or the relationship between a one legged man and a door frame...

Food pictures

 

 A few recent food pictures.

 

 

Wedding season starting

 

 Well it's Febuary and the 2022 wedding season is starting this week... and the weathers looking grim.

 Truth be told, I used to love doing weddings.  I was never nervous or worried before the wedding, I know my gear and what I can and cant do.  But now... well, I'm just not as bothered. 

 You see while the gear has got better, I'm getting older, and humping a heavy bag of kit around for 12 hours is knackering, add in the covid nonsence and bridzillas and I really not sure it's worth the trouble.

 Peoples expectations are getting higher, they see a shoot in Hello or Vouge magazine and then wonder why the pics from the local photographer who charged less than the baloon arch's pictures are not as stunning.  It's simple, Hello had a huge team of people with lights and cost about £15 grand, you cant expect the same results from a bloke who hasn't got a team of  8 and 200K worth of lighting and generators to produce the same results on his own, that why they have the big team.  

Plus Hello is working in a stunning 15th century manor house in the south of France, not a grotty pox ridden hotel that was last painted in 1963 next to a coaltip in a Welsh valley with all the appeal  of Jane Mansfield after the car crash (the top of her head was ripped off).

 Then theres the couple, do the bride and groom  actually look like Brad and Angelina?   Errr no! they look more like Noddy and Big ears.  Not helped by the brides orange fake tan and a dress 6 sizes too small, oh and Brad didn't have a black eye and a broken nose either in his wedding pics.

 Thats why I'm really not fussed or fired up about weddings any more, I've got one this week, now while the bride and groom dont look like the above mentioned the venue isn't the best and the weathers looking shite, wind and rain.  Theres nowhere at this venue to do the " nice" couple shots and worse times very tight, if it's wet outside it's really hard work.  While a pro can still do it and get good restults, it's never going to be the same and a lovely set of couple shots in the sunshine in the woods or an old castle ect etc.  Same as your clapped out Ford Cortina isn't a Ferrari.... it still goes but it's not the same.........

Different look to some pictures

 

 In the absence of time to go out shooting I've been a bit stuck for some new pics, so while having a play on Photoshop I came up with these variations on some steampuk portraits.

 

Underpass kaleidoscope effect

 

 This is the underpass photo I posted a few days ago, turned into a  kaleidoscope effect.

 Now some of you will know what a kaleidoscope is (not the fashion brand) A kaleidoscope was two or more reflecting mirror surfaces usually enclosed in a tube, often with coloured objects at the bottom on a translucent surface, by rotating the mirrors you got different patterns.  These were very popular in my younger days.

 The name was first used by a man called David Brewster around 1817. The name is claimed to originate from the Greek word Kalos meaning beauty (or something similar)  The original idea of many  reflecting surfaces goes back to the mid 1500's.  This image was done in Photoshop.

The Apprentice tv series

 

 Seriously I feel sorry for Lord Sugar, where do they find these candidates?  Do they shake a tree and they fall out and land on their heads?

 This week it was design a computer game.  One teams game consisted of the same level each time, the other team... 

 Well despite having three so-called "business" men and women they couldn't spell the word Arctic between them, spelling it Artic instead, also the entire team didn't seem to know that Penguins only live in Antarctic, not the Arctic.  Frankly I'm amazed, any child who grew up in my day would have known that. If I remember rightly theres about 18 different species of them as well.  

 There Lord Sugar... "Gis a job mate"  I do have a suit, I also have common sense, which if I'm honest is more than many of your hopefulls!

Hectic and underpass

 

 Well the last weeks been hectic, my car needed a mechanic (briefly) then it needed an MOT, that sorted I've been dashing about like a blue arse fly.  If it's not one thing it's another.  I've also managed to pull a neck muscle, (I suspect it's the Lavator Scapulae) Anyway it's bloody painfull when you twist your head.

 I've also had bugger all time to take any pictures, so this is yet another off my phone and a week or so old.