My Year In Pictures

A New Home!

2008-07-07T14:13:00.001+01:00

I have NOT given up on my Project 366 - it's just moved house...

It's always been my ambition to get my various blogs integrated properly with their relevent photographic website. And whilst I've enjoyed the blog being hosted with Blogger for the past six months, now I've finally managed to get everything set up properly on my general photography website.

The main site lives at cazphoto.co.uk and you can now find this blog migrated to the site too, with a properly integrated version of WordPress and a lovely new style to match the rest of the site.

I shall be leaving this site here as a permanent record, but all new posts will now appear at the other site. I hope you follow me there!

Day #188

2008-07-06T23:29:00.002+01:00

Title: Best Seat In The House
Location: At my parents’
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Mum is an avid tennis fan, and she’s glued to the box during Wimbledon fortnight. I visited for lunch today, and there’s no prizes for guessing where she was camped out after we had eaten. The Men’s Final was quite a Marathon, and was, of course, accompanied by the obligatory strawberries. At least we didn’t have to don our macs during the interruptions for rain!

Day #187

2008-07-05T20:13:00.001+01:00

Title: Saturday Cricket
Location: Mountnessing
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Despite dire predictions for today’s weather, it was actually a lovely day. The big fluffy clouds, against the blue sky would make a perfect backdrop for a picture of Mountnessing Windmill, so that’s where I visited around lunchtime. I took a few pictures just of the mill, and then noticed they were gearing up for a cricket match. I haven’t photographed cricket for ages, so I hung around for a while at the boundary and took some action shots, as well as this wider setting.

Day #186

2008-07-04T22:37:00.000+01:00

Title: Stand Out From The Crowd
Location: Ingatestone
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Exploring the fields around Ingatestone for today’s picture, I liked the way this ear of corn did its own thing, and really stood out from its neighbours.

Day #185

2008-07-03T22:23:00.001+01:00

Title: Molten Lead
Location: Buttsbury Church
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I deliberately left it late for today’s picture as I wanted to revisit the location of Day #64’s image, which faces west. Despite taking quite a few ordinary sunset pictures there, I wasn’t really very enamoured with any of them when I got home. I much preferred this view of the sunset reflected in a window of Buttsbury Church. It reminded me of some of fellow 366 Flickerite touchingthelight’s images.

Day #184

2008-07-02T22:26:00.000+01:00

Title: Red Sky At Night…
Location: Galleywood Common
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 75-300mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: For the most part, it was another grey, miserable day. So I stayed indoors and nursed my poor, bruised knees. However, by about 8pm, there was a chink of light coming through the clouds, and I decided to go to the Common for a hobble round. I got a few fairly mundane shots in the woods and grasslands, and then returned to my favourite spot overlooking the Wid Valley to watch the sunset. I was rewarded with a great Red Sky At Night just over Hylands House, which is lurking in the shadows at the bottom.

Day #183

2008-07-01T20:57:00.002+01:00

Title: Half Full Or Half Empty?
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: This week’s 366 theme is “a phrase or saying” - so here we have, The Glass Is Half Full/Half Empty. At the moment, I would have to say it’s half empty. I’ve been having a bad week generally, and just when you think it can’t get any worse… This evening, shortly after I’d taken this, I managed to trip over in the garden. So now I have two sore knees, a slightly fat lip, scratched glasses and a bruised ego. Wonderful. On a slightly more positive note, at least we’ve made it to Half Way today - day 183/366. Congrats to all who have come this far too.

Day #182

2008-06-30T18:58:00.000+01:00

Title: Beach Hut Pastels
Location: West Mersea
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: After doing a load of dull jobs at home this morning, including finding my car’s MOT and insurance documents so I could go and renew the tax disc, I took a trip this afternoon to Mersea Island. I haven’t been there for years - I used to have Clarinet lessons in West Mersea when I was at school, but probably haven’t been back since. I had heard about some smart new beach huts in West Mersea, so that was where I headed. The sun was out, there were fluffy clouds in the sky, and the pale pastels of the beach huts didn’t disappoint. I took many shots from lots of different angles, but I thought this view was a bit more unusual than most.

Day #181

2008-06-29T16:35:00.000+01:00

Title: Bottoms Up!
Location: Hanningfield Reservoir
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 100-400mm EF f/4-5.6 L IS USM
Notes: After all the time I’ve had to spend in front of the PC this weekend, restoring numerous websites after the server crash, I thought I’d get out for a bit of fresh air this afternoon. So I went to Hanningfield Reservoir, armed with my longest lens, to see what I could find. Generally the birds were quite a long way off, but this Coot swam nearby and I caught it just as it dived under the surface. Perfect for this week’s 366 Theme, “A Phrase or Saying”. So this is “Bottoms Up”. Cheers…

Day #180

2008-06-28T10:55:00.000+01:00

Title: A Bit Of Passion
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: The passion flower over my back gate is beginning to flower now, and looks quite sculptural in detail. It’s always a devil to get a big enough depth of field to keep all of it sharp, so this time I’ve mainly concentrated on the central portion and petals, and let the stamen go a little bit fuzzy.

Day #179

2008-06-27T15:05:00.000+01:00

Title: Elemental: Water
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I intended to go out this morning for a photo or two but didn’t get around to it. By 3pm the rain was hammering down oustide, so I nipped out the back door and took this (from underneath an umbrella!) - heavy raindrops splashing on the top of the neighbour’s fence. Another for this week’s theme, The Four Elements.

Day #178

2008-06-26T17:52:00.000+01:00

Title: It’s All Gone Pear-Shaped
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Had a major disaster with my web hosting which began late afternoon yesterday. It still isn’t resolved. The server which hosts all my websites (personal and for clients’ sites) decided to give up the ghost with no warning. The tech folks are having to rebuild it from scratch, and then I have the joy of reinstating nearly 20 sites of varying complexity as soon as it’s fixed. I thank the Gods of the Interwebs that I backed up everyone’s databases just yesterday morning, hours before the system fell over! As I said, the problem is ongoing, and has been occupying my thoughts for much of the day today. So I bought some pears from the shops, intending to photograph them as an illustration. But they looked pretty dreary, so with a bit of fiddling, a cutout filter and some tidying up, this is the end result. It did start off as a photo, honest!

Day #177

2008-06-25T17:50:00.000+01:00

Title: Elemental: Air
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Another one for this week’s 366 theme, The Four Elements. I saw a face in the clouds, looking back at me!

Day #176

2008-06-24T20:49:00.000+01:00

Title: Enigma IX
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Not much inspiration today, so I present another Enigma; it will have to do.

Day #175

2008-06-23T21:36:00.000+01:00

Title: Elemental: Fire
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: This week’s 366 theme is The Four Elements. I was getting a bit pushed for time this evening to take a picture, but I thought of the theme as I was cooking some dinner - and came up with this view of fire.

Day #174

2008-06-22T13:35:00.000+01:00

Title: Ally Pally
Location: Alexandra Palace, London
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Day 2 of Mashed, and although we were promised howling gales and heavy rain at midday, this was the scene around lunch time as we ventured outside to watch one of the hacks - a rocket launch in the park! Great fun.

Day #173

2008-06-21T20:33:00.000+01:00

Title: Pie & Mashed
Location: Ally Pally
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Spent the day geeking out at Mashed and this was part of the catering provided for dinner - a surprisingly tastey steak and mushroom pie. With Mash, of course.

Day #172

2008-06-20T05:31:00.000+01:00

Title: Early Bird
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 75-300mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: I hate early mornings, but had to get up just before five today to answer a call of nature. Whilst looking blearily out of the bathroom window, I noticed a soft, orange glow in the sky to the east. “Could this be what they call dawn?”, I thought to myself. So in a state of half-consciousness, I managed to find the camera, fit my long zoom and take this image out of the back bedroom window. It’s not quite as dramatic as the other dawn I photographed (there have been only two!), but the silhouette of the wood pidgeon sitting on the neighbours’ TV aerial is still quite nice.

Day #171

2008-06-19T18:29:00.000+01:00

Title: Windy Whitstable
Location: Whitstable, Kent
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 75-300mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: After a nightmare 4 hour journey to Whitstable, it was eventually worth it for the sunny skies, sea breeze and good lunch which we enjoyed in the town. This adventurous chap was kite surfing on the choppy waters, with the Thames Estuary wind farm in the background. The train journey home was much more comfortable, and I’m able to live-blog this on the move thanks to my new mobile data modem for my laptop. Ah, gotta love technology.

Day #170

2008-06-18T16:27:00.000+01:00

Title: Que Pasa Cappuccino
Location: Chelmsford
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Had a couple of meetings in Chelmsford this morning, so spent some time drinking posh coffee. This one from Que Pasa was rather nicely branded.

Day #169

2008-06-17T22:18:00.002+01:00

Title: Afterglow
Location: Galleywood Common
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 75-300mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Another busy day at home, it was about 9:15pm before I realised there was a nice sunset to be seen outside, so I nipped out to my favourite west-facing bit of the common to take today’s image. There’s a saying amongst photographic judges, who often see so many sunsets in the course of their careers they get rather immune to their wonders. So here it is, ABS - “another bl**dy sunset”

Day #168

2008-06-16T23:16:00.001+01:00

Title: Cameron House
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Another picture for this week’s theme, My Favourite Things. I love the architecture and designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and this is my homage to his work - Cameron House.

Day #167

2008-06-15T13:15:00.002+01:00

Title: Iron Out The Wrinkles
Location: Danubury Park
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Years ago, I was made to go on a camping trip with the school to Danbury Park. It hammered with rain non-stop, and we had a thoroughly miserable week. I've been traumatised by camping and have steered clear of Danbury Park ever since! But today, I decided to take a trip out to the Lakes area of the park for some pictures. The sun was in and out, as were the bees on the flowers. I happened to spot this curiousity on my way back to the car - it was a clump of plants growing at the water's edge. Some of the leaves were completely smooth, and others (often belonging to the same plant) were all wrinkled. I wonder why that happens?

Day #166

2008-06-14T23:18:00.000+01:00

Title: Surface Tension
Location: Highlands House, Chelmsford
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I was busy on the computer for most of the morning, but then things started going a bit wrong, and I decided to step away from the keyboard before I got too mad with it. The early afternoon was sunny, so I took myself off to Highlands House for a look around the ornamental gardens - I've seen the house and walked in the park, but hadn't been around the formal gardens at all. There were plenty of floral images to be seen, but the one I liked best from the shoot was this one of the base of the fountain in the entrance to the One World Garden. It was built to commemorate the World Scout Jamboree which took place in Highlands Park last summer. Thankfully, with some fresh air in my lungs and photos in the bag, I returned home and sorted out my PC problems quite quickly. Infinitely better than banging my head against the screen for a couple of hours!

Day #165

2008-06-13T22:59:00.001+01:00

Title: Anyone For Cocktails?
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I love all things Art Deco. This is a 1/12^th-scale model of an Art Deco cocktail bar. Another shot for this week's theme - A Different Viewpoint - this time, a doll's eye view.

Day #164

2008-06-12T22:45:00.001+01:00

Title: Dusk Grasses
Location: Galleywood Common
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I took a few pictures in the garden earlier today, but wasn't really happy with them - they weren't terribly inspiring. I'd almost forgotten about taking any more until about 8:30 when I noticed the evening clouds turning nice colours outside. So I headed out to a favourite spot on Galleywood Common and found some grasses waving in the breeze looking westwards. Crouching down low (another different viewpoint for this week's theme), I managed to get some interesting shapes in silhouette against the setting sun.

Day #163

2008-06-11T13:20:00.001+01:00

Title: The Pollinator
Location: Wivenhoe
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: I stayed at my parents' overnight, and had a quick wander around their garden this morning before heading home. I found this big, fat bee buzzing around their Arum lily under the kitchen window. It very quickly got covered in pollen - just a bee doing it's job!

Day #162

2008-06-10T21:57:00.001+01:00

Title: An Evening Swim
Location: Ardleigh Reservoir
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: After an evening meeting in Colchester, I managed to find a tranquil spot to watch some ducks have a swim on Ardleigh Reservior on the way home.

Day #161

2008-06-09T23:26:00.001+01:00

Title: Red Stripes
Location: Galleywood Common
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I took a few pictures this morning, but nothing really grabbed me. So I took my camera with me when I went out this evening. My meeting finished around 9:30pm and the sun was just setting low behind a bank of clouds as I stopped on Galleywood Common to bag picture of the day.

Day #160

2008-06-08T20:17:00.000+01:00

Title: What Are You Looking At?
Location: South Bank, London
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I met friends today for a lovely lunch in Roast, a swanky restaurant inside Borough Market. All very civilized. After three courses of gorgeous grub, I decided I needed a bit of a walk! So I took a stroll along the South Bank and caught this chap looking down from the Millennium Bridge.

Day #159

2008-06-07T21:49:00.002+01:00

Title: Magic Mushrooms
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Spent some time tidying the garden again today. This week's 366 theme is "A Different Viepoint" so I got down low to photograph the ceramic fungi in the autumn corner of the back garden.

Day #158

2008-06-06T14:03:00.002+01:00

Title: Copper Fittings
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Having had my boiler condemned on Tuesday (don't ask), I managed to get someone in to fit a new one at short notice - a relief since I've had to manage without hot water at home in the meantime. I've been boiling kettles furiously and going to a friend's to have a shower. This is a box of copper bits the heating engineer left in the kitchen while he went for lunch.

Day #157

2008-06-05T22:10:00.002+01:00

Title: Sisyrinchium In Bloom
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Having had some folks wondering what yesterday's flower looked like fully out, I took another image this morning when the sun was shining and the blooms were showing their faces.

Day #156

2008-06-04T18:21:00.002+01:00

Title: Sisyrinchium Striatum
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: A quick grab shot in the garden today. It took me ages to look up the spelling!

Day #155

2008-06-03T10:34:00.000+01:00

Title: Bokeh²
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Another miserable day outside. As this week's 366 theme is bokeh, I thought I would use the dictionary definition and take a shallow depth of field image. However, my dictionary is too old to have an entry for it (the term has only been in use for photography since about 1996). So I found the definition on the internet and mocked up a dictionary entry in the same style as the real thing.

Day #154

2008-06-02T18:50:00.003+01:00

Title: Rainbow Puddle
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Distinct lack of inspiration today, not helped by the miserable June weather. I use old CDs as coasters at home, and spilled some water on one this evening - which then caught my eye with the distortion of the rainbow pattern.

Day #153

2008-06-01T16:14:00.000+01:00

Title: Fancy That
Location: Leicester Square
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 17-85mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Part of the lunch menu provided at BarCampLondon4 by eBay.

Day #152

2008-05-31T23:46:00.000+01:00

Title: Enigma VIII
Location: Leicester Square
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 17-85mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Another enigma for you today. No Photoshop, just some naturally swirly patterns I found.

Day #151

2008-05-30T23:54:00.002+01:00

Title: Dusk Over The Thames
Location: Westminster
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 17-85mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Another day at @media, plenty of interesting things to listen to. Plus I got to hang out with some delegates and a couple of the speakers afterwards, which was really nice - just chilling out watching the light fade from Hungerford Bridge, then enjoying a beer or two by the Thames. Great way to wind down after the conference.

Day #150

2008-05-29T12:50:00.002+01:00

Title: Big Wheel
Location: South Bank, London
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 17-85mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Time for the annual @media web conference, one of the main events of London Web Week. So I spent most of the day (and a good chunk of the evening) on the South Bank with some old mates and making some new ones too. The London Eye towers over the top of the South Bank Centre, with Big Ben poking his face over the rooves.

Day #149

2008-05-28T23:24:00.001+01:00

Title: Bricklayers Lampshades
Location: Bricklayers Arms, Fitzrovia, London
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 17-85mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Another London Web Week event this evening, this time the Web Standards Group meeting about Findability. All interesting geek stuff. Afterwards, most of us repaired to the Bricklayers for a pint or two. Since none of the other pictures I took today have any photographic merit (!), this is the one you've got as Picture Of The Day.

Day #148

2008-05-27T23:57:00.002+01:00

Title: hBeer!
Location: Yorkshire Grey, Grey's Inn Road, London
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: London Web Week has begun, and tonight was the Microformats vEvent meeting at the Yorkshire Grey. There were a couple of speakers, free beer and giveaway sticker schwag. Some bright spark had the idea of shoving a logo on their pint - does this mean we need a new microformat - hBeer? RFC to follow :-)

Day #147

2008-05-26T12:26:00.005+01:00

Title: Zen Ripples
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Typical Bank Holiday weather - it's been hissing down all day. I ventured out into the garden briefly before lunch - under the cover of a brolly - to photograph the rain landing in the Tsukubai bowl in the Japanese (Winter) corner of my garden. This had been empty on Saturday but was almost overflowing after two days' rain. It's quite diffucult trying to hang on to an umbrella in the wind with one hand while trying to zoom, compose and hit the shutter with the other! Japan gets quite a lot of rain, so their traditional garden philosophy is that things should look beautiful in all weather. I liked the ripples on the surface of the water as the raindrops fell - plus that wonderful rich caramel colour of wet bamboo.

Day #146

2008-05-25T11:00:00.003+01:00

Title: Singin' In The Rain
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 17-85mm EF-S f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: This week's 366 theme is Song Titles, so I thought I would take advantage of the beautiful Bank Holiday weather to present you with a one-off, exclusive performance of "Singin' In The Rain". It was hammering down at the time - I hope you all appreciate how I suffer for my art! I haven't attempted any self-portraits before, so please be kind to me...

Day #145

2008-05-24T18:07:00.001+01:00

Title: Layers Of Shadow
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Spent the morning doing chores around the house, and the afternoon mowing the lawn and tidying the garden before the impending deluge we are promised tomorrow. Late in the afternoon, I was sitting pulling weeds and throwing them into the plastic canvas collection bag when I noticed how nice their shadows were against the side of the material. This is just as seen, I haven't done any Photoshop fiddling, apart from Levels and a slight crop. I find these sort of pictures out of nothing to be quite satisfying, as is having a tidy garden again!

Day #144

2008-05-23T23:38:00.004+01:00

Title: Project 366 Breeds Success!
Location: Ingatestone
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: My Camera Club's season finished this evening with the annual Print Of the Year competition. During the regular season, we have six competitions and any print which has been placed 1st-4th in any of these previous competitions is eligible to enter Print Of The Year. All the prints are put out on display and the club members are asked to judge the pictures via a ballot - the one with the most points wins Mono Print, Colour Print or Slide Of The Year. Since I joined in 1992, I've won the Jack Oswell Memorial Trophy for Mono Print of the Year three times - 1994, 2006 and tonight! The print was a black and white version of Day #71, called "Boredom", and was previously placed 3rd in a set subject competition "Emotions". So if I hadn't been taking a photo a day for 366, I wouldn't have been in Thaxted to see the cat and get this picture!

Day #143

2008-05-22T17:38:00.000+01:00

Title: Buried Under Paperwork
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Been busy with wireframes and a quote for the first stage of a new project all day. This is my desk - not sure where the laptop and keyboard have gone!

Day #142

2008-05-21T15:03:00.000+01:00

Title: Arachnophobia!
Location: Stock, Essex
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: After a meeting in Stock first thing this morning, I decided to stop off at the Church in the village to take a few shots inside. However, I found they were just gearing up for 10am Mass, so I had a look around the churchyard instead - there is a memorial garden with some pretty flowers which are just coming into bloom. There I spied a spider, crawling on a rather attractive-looking flower head. This was as close as I was prepared to get! I know it was only a tiddler, but me no like spiders...

Day #141

2008-05-20T21:58:00.003+01:00

Title: The Cowparsley Path
Location: Galleywood
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Spent all day working hard finishing off client work, as well as putting the finishing touches to my own revamped photo website. As the light was fading, I went out to get a takeaway - making a detour via this scene - a reprise of Easter Sunday, a rather different view this time.

Day #140

2008-05-19T20:32:00.000+01:00

Title: Parking Is Scarce
Location: Dedham, Essex
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Having been away for a week for a sensor clean, the 30D was ready to pick up today. Dedham is a short hop from Colchester, so I met my parents in the pretty village for lunch and a quick picture or two, before returning home to get on with some work. It's always murder trying to park in the High Street as it's a very popular destination for visitors. I love the old buildings, but it's a pity there are so many cars in the way, preventing you getting a proper, uncluttered view from any angle.

Day #139

2008-05-18T18:35:00.002+01:00

Title: Grazing On A Sunday Afternoon
Location: Walnut Tree Farm, Great Waltham
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Have been kicking myself that I didn't go out this morning when there was more sun to be had, but I was busy with jobs before lunch. I managed to have a pleasant potter around the village of Pleshey this afternoon, enjoying a cream tea in the churchyard, which they serve every two weeks (proceeds towards the church restoration fund). On the way home, I also stopped for a look around Great Waltham which has a nice church and Elizabethan Manor house. But the sun wasn't really playing ball, so I drove home across the back lanes via Chignall. I noticed these two horses grazing in a field at Walnut Tree Farm, and was taking pictures when the pheasant rather obligingly wandered across the field.

Day #138

2008-05-17T16:56:00.004+01:00

Title: (Castor) Oil And Water
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes : Confession time - this is real lazy photography, I'm afraid. I've been busy all day and it's been raining steadily, so I literally poked my head out the back door for five minutes to see what I could find. My poor, drenched Castor Oil plant (Fatsia Japonica) was looking soggy in the Autumn corner of my garden - quite appropriate, since it's felt like it for most of the day. I hope the sun shines tomorrow.

Day #137

2008-05-16T23:14:00.003+01:00

Title: In The Garden
Location: At a friend's house
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Inspiration was just as lacking as the sunshine today. I still hadn't taken a picture by the time I was going out to my photographic club this evening, picking up a friend on the way. I had the compact with me, so took this shot in their garden before we went to our AGM.

Day #136

2008-05-15T23:33:00.000+01:00

Title: Gone With The Wind
Location: Piccadilly Circus
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: The London OpenCoffee event has been running on a weekly basis for some time, but yesterday was the first time I had been able to go. An interesting mix of people, most of whom I haven't bumped into before in the London web community. It was a dreary, drab day in the West End, but I was lucky not to get the drenching which the weather forecast had promised. Perhaps the rain had Gone With The Wind? Or was it the traffic? I also met up with a friend in the afternoon, then went on to another monthly networking event in the evening. Consequently, I spent rather too long camped in Starbucks, drinking coffee and working on the laptop. Was feeling rather buzzy by the evening - I haven't drunk so much coffee in ages!

Day #135

2008-05-14T18:10:00.003+01:00

Title: The Cowparsley Bridge
Location: Good Easter
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I attended a training course in Margaret Roding for most of the day, but it had finished by 3pm, so I took a detour to Good Easter on the way home and had a potter around the village. There is a pond with bullrushes (and big, splashy fish). The pleasantly cool church was open for visitors. I particularly liked this scene, at the rear of the churchyard, where a footpath crosses a stream on a little wooden bridge. It was surrounded by gently waving Cowparsley and numerous Dandelion clocks.

Day #134

2008-05-13T17:24:00.003+01:00

Title: Stinky Bob Is Hairy At Heart
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Stuck at home working all day, I've been listening to some good music but haven't felt very inspired visually today. I took a potter out into the garden to see if I could find a picture, and my nose was assaulted by the wonderful smells of the neighbours' dinner cooking, which drifted out of their open window. So I was distracted for a while. But then I spotted this little plant in one of my herb pots - I'm ashamed to say, it's a weed - Geranium robertianum (Herb Robert, aka Stinky Bob) - which is doing rather better than the actual herbs! But I did like its hairy red stalks backlit by the sun.

Day #133

2008-05-12T16:36:00.002+01:00

Title: On The Edge
Location: Ardleigh Reservoir
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I took a trip over to Colchester this morning to book my EOS 30D in for a sensor clean. It's needed doing for a while, but I've been putting it off until the end of the rugby season, as it could be away for up to two weeks. But having looked closely at some of the shots I took on holiday, I couldn't really delay the inevitable any longer - I've spent ages "spotting" unsightly black blobs of varying severity out of some deep blue Sardinian skies, and enough was enough! Ardleigh Reservoir isn't far from the Canon repair place, but unfortunately there's no public access to most of it, only if you're an angler. I found this tenacious flower blooming on the lichen-ridden side of the reservoir bank, close by the road - where you can get a look at the water. Of course, I'd got the backup DSLR (my old 300D) on hand to take the picture - I'll be using it until the 30D is fit again.

Day #132

2008-05-11T21:10:00.004+01:00

Title: Redeye
Location: Maldon
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I spent the afternoon at a friend's house in Witham, and realised it was only a stone's throw from Maldon via the back roads, so I made a detour to the Hythe on my way home. An old Thames barge was coming up the Blackwater to moor and I tracked its progress as the tide brought it upstream. I took plenty of regular pictures, but this one stood out as something a bit different, so that's why I chose it for today.

Day #131

2008-05-10T20:20:00.000+01:00

Title: If You Go Down In The Woods Today...
Location: Swan Wood, Stock
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I took a walk in Swan Wood today, looking for Bluebell pictures. Quite a few of them have passed their best by now - I think they would have been lovely while I was away. But I eventually found this patch of flowers in a clearing towards the bottom of the wood. I wanted the contrast between the purplely blue of the blooms and acid green of the leaves. Somehow, the photo doesn't do the scene justice, despite my best efforts at a little bit of dodge and burn with Photoshop. Anyway, it was a lovely cool place to visit in the heat of the day. Didn't see any teddies having a picnic though!

Day #130

2008-05-09T22:37:00.002+01:00

Title: Montana In May
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Since I've been away, the neighbour's Clematis Montana has gone mad flowering with hundreds of blooms, which hang over my side of the fence to face the westerly sun. I was so busy today sorting out my photos from my trip to Sardinia and posting the backlog after an internet-less week, that I nearly forgot to take a picture before going out this evening. But the Montana caught my eye, and I was able to home in on a few blooms which were in different stages of flowering.

Day #129

2008-05-08T23:58:00.002+01:00

Title: Martis Falls
Location: Northern Sardinia
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: It was another hot day, my last on the island. So we packed a picnic and headed to Martis and this secluded waterfall. We found a huge fig tree by the banks of the pool and sat in its shade eating lovely local produce - smoked Riccotta, home made potato salad, focaccia, Sardo sausage, cherry tomato and onion salad, home made wine and some lovely little cakes from the bakery down the road. A very peaceful spot to relax before the journey home again - and one which isn't much used by the locals - no idea why! See more pictures taken today.

Day #128

2008-05-07T23:10:00.001+01:00

Title: Chiaramonti Sunset
Location: Northern Sardinia
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 75-300mm EF f/4.5-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Went for a quiet walk around the Botanic Gardens in Cagliari this morning, then took a drive out to Capo di Pula to see the sea and palm trees jutting out on a little peninsula. Next it was on to the airport to pick up another friend before the 200 Km drive back north. For my last evening in Chiaramonti, I went up to the castle again and watched the sun set dramatically behind the surrounding hills, with the gentle clanking of bells for accompaniment, as the local sheep grazed the hillside below. See more pictures taken today.

Day #127

2008-05-06T22:08:00.003+01:00

Title: Corinthian Columns
Location: Tharros, Western Sardinia
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: We ventured south today to explore a little more of the island. Heading for Cagliari, we took a detour near Oristano to the Capo San Marco where we stopped off at the Phoenician site at Tharros. It had rained heavily on the journey, but the sun eventually came out as we were wandering around the ruins. The thermal baths were nearby, and it must have been quite something to lie in one of them and look out at this view over 2,500 years ago. This was a peaceful part of the day, and a complete contrast to having to negotiate busy Cagliari in the evening rush hour to find our hotel! See more pictures taken today.

Day #126

2008-05-05T23:05:00.003+01:00

Title: Harbour Reflections
Location: Alghero, Sardinia
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Spent a lovely day exploring the north west corner of Sardinia today, with stops at a couple of ancient churches, a paddle at Cape del Falcone, drive around Porto Conte and rounding it off with dinner in Alghero. This was after we had eaten and decided to take a walk along the ramparts before heading back to the car. See more pictures taken today.

Day #125

2008-05-04T22:02:00.002+01:00

Title: Evening Sparkles
Location: Lago del Coghinas, Sardinia
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: We had a nice tour around the northern coast and inland to some of the hills today, doing about 100 Km in all. That might not sound very much, but it was plenty on the twisty, winding roads we had to negotiate! On the way back from the coastal town of Isola Rossa, we passed through the Valle della Luna and then onto a pretty little church by the side of a lake. This was one view of Lago del Coghinas before we got to the church. I liked the sparkles on the water and thought it made a good monochrome image. See more pictures taken today.

Day #124

2008-05-03T21:59:00.003+01:00

Title: Festa di Santa Guista
Location: Chiaramonti, Sardinia
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Practically the whole town turned out for the Festival of Santa Guista today. A few hundred locals gathered in the shade of the trees next to a church outside the town and spent the afternoon eating, drinking and making merry. We were invited along as guests of the Accorra family (friends of the friends we were visiting) and so we sat down to the feast of pasta, salad, mutton, potatoes, cakes, and home made wine. There were market stalls too, selling local produce, kids running round with waterpistols, men surreptitiously playing Burra (an illegal counting game only played when drunk), and everyone chatting merrily. Some of the more aventurous townsfolk also had a go at paragliding off the nearest big hill. All great for photos! This is Santa Guista herself, installed in the church before being paraded back into town in a convoy of cars and tooting horns. It was a lovely day out, and great to be involved in some real local customs; we were made to feel very welcome. See more pictures taken today.

Day #123

2008-05-02T22:56:00.002+01:00

Title: Lago di Casteldoria
Location: Northern Sardinia
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: We spent the first part of the day pottering around the little hilltop town of Chiaramonti, where we are spending the week. It's an ancient settlement which has a ruined castle dating from the 12th Century, and the town is criss-crossed with tiny little backstreets, often very steep. The locals aren't phased by trying to squeeze their Fiats through gaps you would worry about walking into. We were a little more cautious with the hire car! In the afternoon we went for a pleasant drive to the coast, along more winding mountain roads, to Castelsardo. Along the way, we stopped at a viewpoint over the Lago di Casteldoria and were treated to this lovely view of wild flowers growing above the lake. The bank was covered with poppies, daisies, roses and wild fennel, as well as numerous different grasses, which were being blown about in the breeze. See more pictures taken today.

Day #122

2008-05-01T23:54:00.000+01:00

Title: Time Flies
Location: Over France
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I had a late afternoon flight to Sardinia today, and managed to take a few pictures from my window seat as we flew over France. It was dusk by the time we got to Alghero, and dark by the time we picked up the car and drove to our accommodation. Looking forward to a lovely week away, with lots of local food, views and atmosphere. It's Day 122 - a third of the way through the year and this project! How time flies (as well as me).

Day #121

2008-04-30T16:48:00.002+01:00

Title: In Days Gone By...
Location: Boots, Chelmsford
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Sometimes my fridge used to contain more film than food, especially if I was about to go on holiday. Well, I'm off to Sardinia for a week starting tomorrow, and so was in town this afternoon getting a few last minute bits and pieces when I saw this in Boots. It was the sum total of their film stocks - about a foot of shelving. I also remember the days when they used to have a whole aisle dedicated to 35mm film stock. How times change. These days, all I need to do is make sure all the batteries are charged and stuff as many memory cards as I can into the camera bag. Which reminds me, I need to go and finish packing! Posting to the blog might be a bit sporadic over the next week - I'm not sure how good the internet access is going to be. But rest assured, I'll still be taking a picture every day (probably quite a few more!) and will post the backlog when I get home.

Day #120

2008-04-29T13:58:00.005+01:00

Title: Here's Looking At You
Location: Russell Park, Bexleyheath
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Another trip out today, this time for a client meeting in Bexleyheath. It poured with rain for most of the way, but I arrived about half an hour early and took a look round a local park to kill some time. By then the rain had stopped, thankfully. This was part of the playground equipment I found in the kiddies' swings area. It was completely deserted, and looked a little forlorn after the deluge.

Day #119

2008-04-28T21:13:00.003+01:00

Title: Wot, No Ducks?
Location: Finchingfield
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: I had to go to a client meeting in Haverhill this morning, and as I was in plenty of time, I managed to stop off in pictureque (aka "Chocolate Box") Finchingfield for a few minutes on my way - while the sun was out. Glad I did; by the time I returned in the early afternoon, high cloud had moved in and it all looked rather less pleasing. Anyway, this week's theme is Absence, so I present you with the village pond without any ducks. Or perhaps the busy road without any cars (and no, I didn't Photoshop them out!). As an aside, I realised that I've been freelance for a year and a day today - being able to get out and about in the sun is certainly one advantage over sitting in a cramped office in London. There are, of course, pros and cons, but on the whole I've enjoyed the change in lifestyle a great deal, if not the drop in income. But I'm working on that...

Day #118

2008-04-27T22:14:00.004+01:00

Title: Leap Into Action
Location: Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 75-300mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: Great Heineken Cup semi final today, a really nailbiting game. Munster won by a mere two points (18-16), but Saracens kept attacking right up to the final whistle. This was early in the first half - Munster Captain Paul O'Connell reaches for a restart kick but just misses - while Saracen Hugh Vyvyan does a little dance down below.

Day #117

2008-04-26T19:26:00.003+01:00

Title: The Four Seasons
Location: At home
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Spent five hours tidying the front and back gardens today. It had needed doing for ages, but whenever I had the time, it was too wet to get on the job - living on clay means you have to have a good few days for things to dry out or the garden ends up looking like the Somme. So this is the back garden, sans weeds, with the grass cut nicely. Each corner of the garden is supposed to represent a season - starting at top LHS and working clockwise; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Day #116

2008-04-25T22:13:00.002+01:00

Title: Sliced & Diced
Location: Minories, Tower Hill
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Finally made it up to London this afternoon, thankfully no travel woes on the way this time. I was visiting a photographic shop and gallery in Hammersmith which a friend is thinking of buying. We had a great walk back from Hammersmith to Putney Bridge via the South Bank Thames Path. I took a few pictures on the way, but the weather wasn't up to much. By the time I got back to Tower Hill to change from the District Line, the Circle was completely screwed up, so I decided to walk back to Liverpool Street. This was a shot of the building on the corner of Minories and Goodman's Yard which has a huge, curved profile and copper-tinted windows. The reflection of the building opposite was sliced and diced by the flat panes of glass.

Day #115

2008-04-24T14:16:00.001+01:00

Title: Pushing Up The Daisies
Location: Ingatestone
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: For the second time in a week, I tried to get a train up to London today, only to get to the station to find everything up the creek thanks to a fatality at Romford. Last Thursday it was a jumper somewhere else, but still the same effect! What is it about Thursdays? Anyway, I drove home via some nice back lanes and saw this scene as I stopped at a post box to post some important letters.The sky's not great as it was raining at the time, but I liked the Daisies and Dandelions running riot on the greensward, with the blossom trees in the background.

Day #114

2008-04-23T10:53:00.003+01:00

Title: Enigma VII
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Two enigmas in a week? Yep. This might be a little harder than the last. You decide.

Day #113

2008-04-22T15:45:00.002+01:00

Title: Put On The Spot
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Another Household Object for you - probably not difficult to fathom out what it is! I liked the patterns in the reflector.

Day #112

2008-04-21T15:38:00.002+01:00

Title: Enigma VI
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: In keeping with this week's 366 theme, Household Objects, this is another Enigma for you. It's not really too difficult to figure out.

Day #111

2008-04-20T22:05:00.001+01:00

Title: In The Pink
Location: Vicarage Road, Watford
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 100-400mm EF f/4-5.6 L IS USM
Notes: Saracens were supporting Breast Cancer Care this weekend, and wore special pink shirts for their match against London Wasps. Unfortunately, after an atrocious first half, Sarries' faces matched their strip - they went in at the break 12-35 down. Harsh words must have been spoken in the dressing room at half time - they did pull their socks up for the second half. But it was still Wasps who were in the pink once the final whistle blew - a resounding 29-40 victory for them. And after that display, Munster must be quaking in their boots [cue sounds of ironic laughter] at the prospect of playing The Men In Pink (back to Black now) in next weekend's Heineken Cup Semi Final. I only hope the change in fortunes is as temporary as the change in kit.

Day #110

2008-04-19T23:26:00.000+01:00

Title: Pictures At An Exhibition
Location: Parish Rooms, Ingatestone
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: It was Ingatestone CC's Annual Exhibition today, and we displayed about 90 prints for visitors to see. This is one corner of the mono section, showing three of my four black and white efforts (all of the top row except the second from the right).

Day #109

2008-04-18T17:17:00.002+01:00

Title: Colour Clash
Location: At the supermarket
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: Not much time today, and less inspiration. The weather was cold and grey. By late afternoon, I could put it off no longer and venutred out to do the shopping - touble was, I left it 'til after the kids were out of school, so the supermarket was bedlam. That'll teach me. This was a quick grab shot of a colourful bunch of flowers in the shop. Although I liked them, they were frightfully expensive, and not my colour scheme. At least a photo is free!

Day #108

2008-04-17T15:54:00.005+01:00

Title: Priory Place
Location: Chelmsford
Camera: Canon Ixus 850IS compact
Notes: I was due in London for a luncthime meeting and evening social today. It was a nice morning, so I walked the 2 miles to the station, only to find the trains were all up the creek with no resolution due for hours. So I postponed the meeting, bought some lunch in town and caught the bus home again! This was taken on my way into Chelmsford - it's a polished steel sculpture outside the new County Court building on the corner of New London Road and Parkway.

Day #107

2008-04-16T15:56:00.003+01:00

Title: Spring Reflections
Location: Ingatestone Hall
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: My local club run monthly photoshoots midweek during the Spring and Summer months. This is the first I've been able to get to this year, at the local manor house, Ingatestone Hall. It's a beautiful Tudor building in well kept grounds, the family seat of Lord Petre. In July, they have an evening of Summer Jazz on the lawn. Twent-five of us descended to make some pictures this morning. I managed to sneak this one when the sun was out and there were no other photographers in the frame!Post Options

Day #106

2008-04-15T15:23:00.002+01:00

Title: Fields Of Gold
Location: Brook Farm, Galleywood
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Had a quick drive around south of Galleywood and north of West Hanningfield at lunchtime, when the sun was out for a while. Some Oilseed Rape crops must have been planted early as they are already flowering round there. I know some people aren't too keen on this crop, but it does provide a splash of colour in the landscape for us photographers!

Day #105

2008-04-14T22:37:00.000+01:00

Title: Hedgerow Sunset
Location: Stock Road
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Sunshine and heavy showers all day, but I was busy at home for most of the time. The sun hadn't quite set as I headed out for an evening meeting, so I was able to get a quick shot as it dipped below the hedgerow on my way to Stock.

Day #104

2008-04-13T23:17:00.001+01:00

Title: Rainbow Pews
Location: East Bergholt Church
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: The weather was sunny and blue when I woke up, so I spent a pleasant Sunday morning pottering round Flatford Mill, a place I hadn't visited in 15 years or more. When the crowds got too busy, I decided to head to East Bergholt to photograph the Bell Cage at the Church. But the clouds were rolling in, so I went inside for a quick look around after the service had finished. It was still overcast, apart from about 20 seconds as I looked at one of the side aisles, when wonderful rainbow light came through the stained glass windows at the top of the main nave and illuminated the pew ends and flagstones. It was so fleeting, I managed only three shots before the light was gone for good.

Day #103

2008-04-12T22:14:00.002+01:00

Title: Tranquil Moorings
Location: Dedham
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: After a day out in Suffolk with my parents, we were cutting across country from the A12 on the way home and passed through picturesque Dedham, just as the early evening sun was hitting the boats moored on the river. A group of teenagers were playing Pooh Sticks on the bridge as I took this - proving that some, at least, aren't so sophisticated that they can't enjoy simple pleasures every now and then!

Day #102

2008-04-11T23:08:00.001+01:00

Title: The Old Ship
Location: Heybridge Basin
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: On my way to stay with my parents near Colchester, I decided to take the back route and stopped off at Heybridge Basin for some late afternoon shots. It had rained heavily earlier in the day, but by 4:30pm the sun was out, there were fluffy white clouds, and a breeze so bracing it could blow you into the Canal! The Old Ship is the pub right at the end of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation (which runs between Chelmsford and Maldon), where it meets the Blackwater Estuary. The lock gates are rarely open, but do provide an easy way for pedestrians to cross from one side to the other.

Day #101

2008-04-10T19:44:00.002+01:00

Title: Polo Holes
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: I was messing about with white things today, and managed to find some Polo Holes. Very rare, you're lucky to see them.

Day #100

2008-04-09T16:47:00.004+01:00

Title: Made It To A Century
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: No, not my Dad, who's birthday it is today! But those of us sticking to our 366 journey have come this far today. Quite an achievement. I deliberately haven't looked at the 366 Flickr group today as yet, as I didn't want to see anyone else's idea for the anniversary until I had taken my own. It's also a bit of a departure from my normal style. Having taken a photo of a greeting card I found in town this morning, I decided to have a little fiddle with Photoshop to liven it up a bit. Anway, here's to the next 100.

Day #99

2008-04-08T23:49:00.000+01:00

Title: Fishing Bear
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Having a look at grey today. This is a lovely Hematite sculpted bear from Canada. He has caught a fish in his mouth and is ready to eat. I love the shine and weight of Hematite, and tried to convey this in the picture.

Day #98

2008-04-07T23:47:00.005+01:00

Title: Trigger Happy Birthday
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 300D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: I realised earlier that my EOS 30D is 366 days old today. I've really enjoyed using it over the past 12 months. And as I was exploring black today, I decided one of my subjects should be the EOS itself. This meant getting out my old 300D, which has been sitting in the cupboard as a spare (I did dig it out for a week or so when I was having the 30D's sensor cleaned last year). I was amazed at how different the 300D now feels, since I haven't used it in agner for so long. I had trouble remembering where some of the controls were!

Day #97

2008-04-06T22:52:00.000+01:00

Title: Stopped In Their Tracks
Location: Vicarage Road, Watford
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 100-400mm EF f/4-5.6 L IS USM
Notes: I had originally planned to carry on with my colour series for today, but in the end, I decided that it had to be a rugby shot. Three weeks ago, Ryan Jones led Wales to a Grand Slam in the Six Nations. A fortnight ago, he led many of the same players in the Osprey's decisive 30-3 defeat of Saracens at the Millennium Stadium in the EDF Semi-Finals. Today was payback time. The Welsh side visited Sarries' home turf in Watford with a sellout crowd of 18,214 watching the Heineken Cup Quarter Final. The home side were the underdogs and everyone expected the Ospreys to stroll into the Semis without much trouble. Wrong! Sarries put in an epic performance and beat the Ospreys 19-10, with the crowd yelling support from the rafters. A cracking game. Here you can see Ryan Jones being stopped in his tracks by Saracen Nick Lloyd. So obliging of him to be holding the ball the right way up for the Heineken Cup logo!

Day #96

2008-04-05T15:34:00.003+01:00

Title: Glorious Gluttonous Galaxy
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: The 366 group has a new theme for this week, the Seven Deadly Sins. And since I was photographing brown things today, I present you with G for Glorious Gluttonous Galaxy. Let's face it, one chunk is never enough, is it?

Day #95

2008-04-04T22:51:00.002+01:00

Title: Pink Fizz
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Continuing the single-colour theme, today's colour was pink. This is a glass of fizzy Russchian Tonic which has a pale pink hue.

Day #94

2008-04-03T19:08:00.002+01:00

Title: Exploring Violet
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Today sees the end of the 7 rainbow colours, with this image of Violet. However, I've had a lot of fun exploring single colours and I think I might have a go at a few others which aren't in the "rainbow", like pink, brown, black and white. Watch this space...

Day #93

2008-04-02T23:08:00.003+01:00

Title: Exploring Indigo
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Exhausting day today - finished off my presentation in time for this afternoon's meeting, which seemed to go very well, thankfully. After getting home and catching up with some jobs, I had a bite to eat and got on with my exploration of Indigo. This week's 366 official theme is The letter J, so here is some of my Jewellery, sitting on my Jacket.

Day #92

2008-04-01T20:26:00.001+01:00

Title: Exploring Blue
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: I've been really busy preparing a presentation for a meeting tomorrow, but managed to find the time to have more fun with everyday objects. This is the top from a water bottle with a sports cap. Add a desk lamp and you get some great patterns and shadows.

Day #91

2008-03-31T20:12:00.002+01:00

Title: Exploring Green
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: Some more table top work today, for the my rainbow week theme. This is a pencil case I've had for years - it shimmers wth irridescence in the right light. And it had the perfect combination of textures and different greens to give it a bit of interest.

Day #90

2008-03-30T21:00:00.004+01:00

Title: Exploring Yellow
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: Before heading out for the rugby this afternoon (Saracens beat Leeds 66-7!!) I had a play with some props for today's colour.