Photo assignment

Absolutely ages ago I took some photographs of the Free French Memorial in Greenock but wasn't overly happy with the results. Seeing today was sunny and I wasn't at work (whoopee!) I drove out to retake them. Much happier with the results and also retook some photos of an iron beacon while I was there.

On the way back home I stopped and took some photos of the Millennium Bridge in Glasgow, lovingly called the Squinty Bridge by the weegies as it runs over the River Clyde at an angle, see it here.

Well earned rest

Today is the start of a week off work. Looking forward to the rest, not doing anything in particular and not planning to really go anywhere or do anything other than take Denise through to Edinburgh for some shopping for supplies for her blossoming Jewellery business.

The day doesn't look promising on the weather front, but I'll take my camera just in case.

Rain stops play

Was all ready to go out this morning with my camera to take pictures of the Slide over the Clyde charity event but rain has stopped play. Typical West coast weather, fine yesterday but raining today. Might wander along to watch anyway but too much rain for me to get my digital camera out.

Planning to go through to Edinburgh tomorrow so hopefully the weather will be better and I can get some shots while I am there. The Festival is on at the moment so there will be plenty of photo opportunities.

It's been a while

Not been posting recently and really need to get into the habit of posting a bit more often. I've been quite busy at work lately and have been driving right across the country for 10 days and found that very tiring. When I got home it seemed to be eat, sleep, get up and go to work. :(

All work and no play...

Did set up a blipfoto account though. Check it out here http://www.blipfoto.com/amnoaweegie

I hope to post something to both on at least a weekly basis. We'll see ;)

Bad drivers

You know one thing that really gets my goat, bad drivers. They come in a variety of guises, perhaps you recognise them.

The Queue Jumper
Can't wait in a queue like everyone else, they have to drive ahead in another lane and then cut in in front of someone (or sit like a fool waiting for someone to let them in - I never do).

The Sign Ignorer
You're driving along behind a car, there's a road on the right but there's a no right hand turn sign. The tail lights go on and they begin to indicate. There's a lot of oncoming traffic, but hey!, who cares about the queue forming behind, they want to turn here.

The Speed Freak
Drives too fast for the road conditions and doesn't think about what would happen if he hit someone.

The Lane Changer
Weaves in and out of lanes without indicating, often cutting you up.

The Undertaker
Lane 2 moving too slow? Just undertake everyone by zooming along in Lane 1! Why didn't I think of that? Perhaps because it's illegal and stupid.

The Phone User
"Shh! I'm busy on the phone on a really important call." Wish I could fine them myself, I'd be rolling in it.

Planning for my retirement

Not quite a hobby but this will be occupying me for the next couple of years. In January 2007 we finally got the keys to this wee cottage in Calvados. It needs a lot of work internally but is in great nick outside.

That's a couple of pear trees covering the front wall and there is a small orchard of cidre apples at the back. Looking forward to trying my hand at cidre making at some point in the future.

There are two front doors but it's all one property. No internal door between the two halves at the moment but there will be soon. I'll bore you all with updates no doubt. I hope to retire here one day, but that's a long way off at the moment.

Photography

I’ve been interested in photography ever since I bought my first camera, a manual Zenith EM, way back in 1980 just before the Moscow Olympics. It was a totally manual model, so was a good introduction to photography.

In about 1983 I bought my second camera, an Olympus OM10. This had a bit of automation but nothing like modern cameras.

In about 1986 I began to take less and less photographs and my interest waned until I decided to buy something a bit more up-to-date. I bought my first Canon, an EOS 300n. A year later I supplemented this with a couple of lenses and then another camera an EOS IX7 which took APS film instead of standard 35mm.

In 2003 I decided to dip my toes in the world of digital photography and bought a relatively cheap (at the time) Fujifilm Finepix S304. I was hooked. To be able to have complete control over my photography for the first time was like looking on the world through new eyes. I could choose, as I was taking a photograph, whether I wanted to keep it or not and I could take 250 photographs before I had to download them to my computer, more if I reduced the resolution down from the maximum.

In November 2005 I finally bought myself a Canon EOS 20D, which uses the existing lenses that I have from my two file Canons. I invested in some studio lights and have had quite a number of private commissions.

Computing

I love computers and all the things you can do with them. From blogs to editing photographs you can do almost anything. I use a Toshiba Qosmio G20, it's about a year old as I write and I've not really had any problems with it. Not got a great battery life but it is a beast of a notebook so power get's used very quickly. I tend to run it off the battery all the time anyway.

The only thing about technology is it is always racing away from you. Just when you think you are bang up-to-date someone brings a new gadget out or a faster processor or something.

Got to start somewhere!

Not being native to Glasgow I do however have a fondness for the place, even though it still has a lot of rough edges. I hope to post some thoughts of the city, Scotland and anything else that takes my fancy, over the coming months/years and hope that you find something of interest along the way.

Hope you get to know me over time and in turn that I get to know a few of you.

See some of Glasgow here.