VELVIA | Saturday, October 31, 2020
#VELVIA: before the 2005 trip to #India, I was there in 2001, and still shooting film. Contax for B+W, Nikon for colour, and I think every photographer of that era must miss #Fuji Velvia. This is a straight high-res scan I found in the archives, and I’d hoped I’d see this image again someday. There’s some places you just can’t reach with a digital camera. #flowers #filmphotography
KASHMIR | Saturday, October 31, 2020
#KASHMIR: after @vtwingrin asked after a video made in 2004, I ended up gathering a billion CDs and DVDs from my mother’s to look for old material. And found the RAW files from Kashmir that I’ve not touched since I shot them in 2005. I’d been trying to get to Kashmir for over a decade at this point, but was constantly fobbed off my relatives on spurious grounds, until I was finally able to do it myself. And you can understand why they’re fighting over it. It truly has the most staggering natural beauty and photographs barely do it justice, including this one. The place is not especially stable, and YMMV, but it won’t stop me if I ever get a second chance. I don’t know what the poor people of Kashmir ever did to deserve being trapped between three hideous human rights abusers seeking to outdo one another. #india #crown #lineofcontrol
MORALE | Friday, October 30, 2020
#MORALE: it is sad to see America in such a state, given the lofty-ideals we were once used to hearing, but, as Wallace Shawn pointed out a few days ago, for many, both in the USA and far away, America has not been good, and “the face of America has always and forever been the face of Donald Trump.” The electoral college ensures a lot of focus on swing states, as narrow gains there can override big margins elsewhere. The EC could do with some reforms, but abolishing it could break federalism too. It does some things well: it discourages fraud, surprisingly, although new ways of committing fraud are always found. It does stop tiny mandates caused by dozens of candidates, although that might not be a bad idea. And it does force candidates to pay attention to more places and not just dense urban areas. One good thing is that losing the popular vote but still being President means that one cannot legitimately claim to speak for the people, an unusual but interesting check/balance. #uselection2020
FOOD | Tuesday, October 27, 2020
#FOOD: feeding kids isn’t political, but allowing them to go hungry is. While I am very proud of my fellow Brits for coming through, I am pretty furious that the #Tories created the problem over the last ten years, deliberately countenanced it and then expected, encouraged and applauded everyone else filling the gap. Kids going hungry is heartbreaking. @shtinky_puddin, similarly enraged, has spent the week on the phone sourcing food - and in stepped @richmondrugby who are cooking all the food for local kids - so she can deliver it from the local community centre or drive it to those unable to collect it. People still defending the government? I’ve got two words for you.
DIARY | Tuesday, October 27, 2020
#DIARY: ideally, my end-of-the-day ritual would be a strong habit by now, but COVID has junked that so I’m playing catch-up for a few weeks - I print out a strip of pictures which are actually stickers and write about them. It’s not I have much else going on in my head that feels productive. How’s everyone else’s diaries going? I am absolutely NOT writing about the virus, which I will probably think is stupid if I ever look back on this. #journal #photos
LOOKUP | Sunday, October 25, 2020
#LOOKUP: like a complete muppet, I forgot the single battery for my camera on the charger at home, so I was pointlessly carrying it around like an idiot, and instead having to use my phone. On top of this, I was wearing my contact lenses which means I can’t focus on anything properly within about six feet, and right up close is a total blur. This isn’t a problem with the camera, because it has a little diopter correction knob to adjust the viewfinder, but I’m waving the phone around like a fly fishing rod, hoping I’ve got the shot. Luckily, at Virginia Water in the autumn, one can point and click at random and everything is just stunning. Note to self: carry backup camera. #lockdownwalks #autumn #stircrazy
BREATHE | Sunday, October 25, 2020
#BREATHE: yes, I live in the greenest place ever, squished between the river and the park, but sometimes you have to get away to encourage a longer walk. I think I would enjoy living by the sea, I’ve always loved being in #Pondicherry and walking to the ocean, but the river is more human-scale and practical, I wish boats were slightly cheaper, though. #lake #virginiawater #autumn
