Longrider

Becca Bland, a photographer from Brighton wants us to stop and admire the world about us. So driven is she by this idea, that she is proposing a non photography day on the 17th of July.

A photographer from Brighton in southern England is urging the people of the world to take a day out and stop taking pictures.

Becca Bland has launched “non-photography day” - planned for 17 July - through a website together with a sticker and flyposter campaign in various cities in England.

Ms Bland told BBC World Service’s Culture Shock programme that the idea has “gone global” with interest in Manchester, Leeds, London and Brighton, and even further afield in Australia and Japan.

Ah, now, here I have a problem… I’m all for taking time out to just be, to look at the world and experience the moment; be it the balmy warmth of a still summer evening, with the cats gathering for their crepuscular activities or that moment when snow falls for the first time in winter. To take in the scents of summer flowers and to look up and watch the high clouds joined by distant vapour trails; or to grab the camera and sneak out to the common early on a winter morning with the frost crunching underfoot, to take in the delicate frozen filigree on the foliage before the sun evaporates it and it is gone forever.

I’m all for that. I do it on a regular basis; just stop and take in the moment. Sometimes, so taken am I by that moment, that I get the camera out to capture it. How else would that Larzac sunrise ever be caught for posterity?

Yes, that one.

I can go along with Becca’s sentiment when she quotes D.T Suzuki:

‘The thing is there before our eyes, for it refuses to be ignored; but when we endeavour to grasp it within our own hands in order to examine it more closely or systematically, it eludes  us and we lose it’s track’

What I don’t need is organisation. I don’t need to be told on a particular day to abstain from a particular activity because I have an aversion to being organised by others and, which is more, I really object to people telling me what to do, or not to do:

She added that people really committed to the idea could join the “non-photography police” - a group who are telling people about the day when they see them taking pictures on the street.

No! No! No! If I want to take pictures in the street on the 17th of July, I will – and woe betide any “non-photography police” who try to stop me. My response will be somewhat sharp, so don’t even think about it.

By all means take the time to savour the ephemeral moment, just don’t spoil it with organisation and don’t just do it on July 17th. It is best enjoyed because it is snatched from the daily routine, because it is a brief stolen moment that will never come again and, importantly, was not planned.

Felix Domesticus, the book, is now available to buy on Lulu.com. Published in US Letter size; 11”x8.5” it has 79 pages with over 90 full colour photographs. The book is taken from the stories and images found on the Felix Domesticus blog. The cost is $18.88 + P&P for the paperback and $31.36 for the hardback. If you want to, you may preview it here

So, if you want to help replenish Longrider’s depleted coffers and enjoy a coffee table book into the bargain, then click on the button and order a copy today…

Softback US$18.88

Hardback US$31.36

Cross posted from Felix Domesticus

The Western Counties Photographic Federation held their weekend away again this year. This time it was “secret Dorset”. Saturday was a blustery visit to the Abbotsbury swannery to see the swans with their newly hatched cygnets. A small point, here; signs to the swannery proudly exclaim “baby swans”. You’d think that they would at least call them by their proper name – ignorance from those who should know better smacks of dumbing down, and it irritated. Young swans are cygnets, what’s difficult about that?

Minor gripes aside, the relatively flat lighting made for some nice close-up shots of the mute swans. There are also black swans nesting there and this is something of a rarity – the first time for 600 years apparently. Anyway, here’s a picture:

The mute swans also provided some photo opportunities:

I’ve posted some more over on my photo blog.

Sunday took us out to one of my favourites; a bluebell wood. This is so typical of the English countryside in late spring.

Fortunately, my latent migraine that surfaced mid morning on the Saturday and again on Sunday (staved off with copious doses of “migraleve”) didn’t put too much of a dampener in that I have a couple of hundred pictures to wade through.

The final insult was the bike not starting and having to be ignominiously transported home on the back of a flatbed. The problem appears to have been a damp connection causing a discharge from the battery – at least that appears to  be it… The bike is starting now after a night connected to the battery charger.

Looks like Mr Toad got lucky after all.

We’ve had a few warmer days of late. The daffodils are out and the crocuses are almost gone. The pond is full of frog spawn and today, I saw this magnificent chap waiting for a suitable female to come by. Yup, it must be spring.

I’ve finally started up my photoblog.

It’ll take me a while to populate it fully, but in the meantime, that’s where I’ll be putting all my photographic stuff.

Much as I dislike this time of the year; the interminable forced jollity of the countdown to Christmas, the fireworks going off incessantly for weeks on end, the dreadful trick or treat and the long, dark nights, there is always the beauty of nature.
This morning, the light was too inviting. I threw my clothes on and grabbed the camera. During a half an hour or so. I rattled off these shots. All were taken within a five minute walk of my home.
Enjoy.

It is a truism that people often do not explore their local area. So, with my sister and nephew staying with us while in France, we took the opportunity to do a little grockling* ourselves and show them about. The Grotte De Labeil is but a few minutes drive from our house so we decided it was worth a visit. This part of the Languedoc is riddled with natural caves bristling with stalagmites and stalactites. The mineral deposits in the rocks contribute to colourful formations. Many of these are open to visitors for a few euros and are worth the trip. We were also plied with cheese and wine after the tour - and, naturally, we were tempted by a nice little Roquefort…

Tomorrow, it’s back to the plumbing…

* Grockling: West Country slang for sightseeing. Not usually a complimentary term.