Bits and pieces

Yes, that's a song by the Dave Clark 5 in 1964. But it also describes my brain thinking about blogging these days. I've got a bunch of half built blogs thrashing away up there. One of them is waiting for a roll of film to be finished and developed. One of them is thinking about flowers. Bees and dragonflies are on the agenda. And of course, Image of the Month. And all of this is swirling around to a melange of 60's pop songs from my childhood. (Windy)

I realized after the last couple of blogs that I'd shorted the Of the Day feature, by missing out on the Green Fools. My bad. Sorry about that. (Pretty Woman) I've got a list now. I'm thinking that more and more I'm going to need a checklist for stuff. 

Like going out to capture the galactic core with Neil and some buddies. I had everything packed in the bag, including the film camera. The digital camera had the 24-105 lens on it, sitting beside the camera bag because I was pretty sure I was going to want it before it got dark. Near the jacket and hat. Humped everything out to the car, and tossed in a last minute bottle of water. Then had to get out of the car and go back to get the camera itself. (Don't let me be misunderstood) It all worked out in the end.

And of course, today being a stat holiday Monday, (Monday Monday, then California Dreaming) I'm thinking that I'm glad I don't have to be going to work in this heat, and that every day is weekend for me know. Sometimes I have to look at the phone to know what day of the week it is, which sometimes matters for where I might be going. (Hair)

There was a new experience for me yesterday. Regular readers know that I started off as a photographer of things. Then I started doing people, which is more challenging, and more interesting. (Summer in the City, which seems so appropriate these days) A friend asked me to capture the first birthday party for her daughter. The idea was to also capture all the moms in the room, and the thinking was to do it outdoors in natural light. Except. There was light rain as we left home. There was sort of light rain when we got there, in that there weren't many drops but they were huge. We got inside and the deluge started. Then the hail. An outside photo session was out of the question. As always I took lots of photos, and sent her 99. (I get Around)

Which is another blog thought, my summer reading. One of which is this.

Which is a much better book than I thought it would be. Actually good advice about creating better portraits, almost none of which had to do with the camera or lights. It's all about the connection between the photographer and the photographed. (Good Vibrations, a lost studio version) The more honest and authentic the connection, the better the photograph will be. I had lots to learn here. If I saw it at a reasonable price I'd probably buy it.

Of the Day

Driftwood

(The Boxer, Paul Simon and Nat Ratcliffe at the Newport Folk Festival)

But first two serendipities!

Flower

And first another serendipity.

Peony, same one, taken a few minutes apart. (Ferry across the Mersey)

Lily

Landscape (Daydream Believer)

Green Fools

Film

GW690 Portra 160 in Fish Creek) (A detour past the immortal Gene Krupa doing Sing Sing Sing on the way to I want to hold your hand)