September blog update, the exhibition, a ban from my Dentist and Gay websites.

Welcome back to my little piece of the web. Thanks for returning.

Well I might as well get the embarrassing one out of the way first. So Amy and I are preparing to move and needed to find somewhere to store a lot of our stuff. I found a good place locally that was easy to get to and at a reasonable price. I then toyed with the idea of getting a man with a van and some people to help. Hoping to keep the price down. Finding the van was no problem but the hired help was a bit harder. So I Googled 'Hire men in my local area'. To see what would come up. It never occurred to me that that sounded a bit dodgy, but I got the shock of my life when the screen inundated me with the likes of .'Find Hunky Gay Men Waiting-to Meet You In Your Area NOW!!!' That was not what I had in mind. But since then it has been hanging around my Google searches ever since. I won't make that mistake again.

That over, so how did the Exhibition go. Well it went well with quite a good turn out of people during the open times. A few pictures were sold, but it was the exposure that mattered. Getting your name out there and there will be more exhibitions in the New Year.

Dentists …. don't you just love them? They butcher your mouth then smile when they give you the bill. Now it is only fare to say that from a child I have never liked Dentists and never will. I view them as sadists at play. I get nervous around them and do not want to be there. I know this is a damning statement, as many Dentists are good people, its just the few I have met have been not as welcoming in the past. But I was in agony and had urgent need of two teeth removing. So I went along to my local Dentist who proceeded to argue blind with me that I had not been to the practice since 2013. I argued back that I had and she was very wrong as I had many of my teeth removed there and that it was hardly a fact that you would forget about in a hurry was it ! But she still argued I had not been there until her assistant checked the records again and corrected the Dentist by saying it was infact 2023 and not 2013 as she had claimed. No apology was issued … just silence. Then she looked into my mouth and told me I had two loose teeth. Which I had informed her of on entering the room. She then said I would need to book an appointment for the following week for extraction. Disappointed, I did as she asked and turned up a week later. On this visit she told me I needed surgery on my gums to get the teeth out and I should suffer the agony of loose teeth for another two weeks. Now two wrongs don't make a right, but on hearing this I raised my voice and made my opinions known. Refusing to leave until she tooked the two teeth out as promised and agreed on the week before. Clearly she was not used to customers being so forthright and although I should not have raised my tone to her. I don't suffer fools gladly, especially when my mouth was in a state and I had come especially for the extraction. So she goes and seeks advice from another dentist and then returned saying that yes she would do it and then after this she did not want to see me ever again. So be it then and she pulled the two offending teeth out with no trouble after numbing my gums. No surgery was needed. After that I went home and God was in heaven and all was well with the world. Anybody know any good dentists?

I shall leave you all now to enjoy the blog for this September.

X

The Exhibition – Nicolie, Shadrine and Tyler.

So the Beyond Capture Exhibition came around as I attended the opening nights do at the gallery. It was fun and Amy and I enjoyed it greatly. There was some seriously good photography there, Some looked like works of art in themselves. We also had a few Surprise as Tyler Dyce (who put me onto the exhibition in the first place) came along with her lovely little daughter Ayzha - Amore. As well as her Mother and Sister. It was lovely to see them and get their support. My makeup artist Shadrine came along as well with her husband and Parents. (See the pictures below) Then as an extra my friend , champion boxer and star of one of the pictures Nicolie Campbell called me up to wish us luck. What a gentleman. He didn't need to do that, but it means a lot that he did. So thanks to everyone on the day including the team that put on the show. Well done … you got something special going on there. A special mention to my friend and taxi driver James Burrows who took me there and back with the pictures.

Emily Bajic Third Shoot Slide-show.

Model: Emily Bajic

Music: Streets Of Your Town – Ivy

Emily Bajic Third Shoot.

Welcome back Emily Bajic to her third (but not last) shoot with us. It was another laid back shoot to the Boardroom Studio in Derby. For more fashion with the gang. Everyone was there. Amy, Phil and Shadrine at Kavour Beauty on the makeup. Thanks then to all involved your all great people with oodles of talent to spear.

Still Life

I have been buying on this last month on some different kinds of vases. Some fractal as you will see below and some interesting styles yet to be photographed. I like going to Etsy as well but they see you coming on prices and pull your pants down to drain you of all of your cash. My friend and studio owner Phil Lynam gave me some dried poppy heads and some dried Artichoke heads that I keep thinking are called Asparagus.

When I do this kind of Still Life that I love, I try to do them a bit different from what you would normally get for the subject. Google Still Life Photography and see what comes up. It is all good photography, but a lot of the same styles over and over ...Traditional I think is the word, where as my images are more vibrant in colour.

Still Life Minimalism,

Flowers, mushrooms,chilli peppers and a sea shell this month are offered up for your pleasure to Shoot on a plain white background it can be a back breaking to do.

Still Life fractal glass

Once again I turn to Ebay the online car boot sale is a great source of this kind of glass at a reasonable price. So I have been purchasing some vases that have the kaleidoscope of colours in them. I lay back on my couch. Point the camera at the ceiling lights and Amy holds the vase close to the lens to get this effect. There is nothing more scientific about it than that.

September Flowers Update

As always it is the last Saturday of the month and I get some fresh flowers to snap away at with some fragile ones this month, but they look great on camera. Also Tyler Dyce gave me some flowers at the exhibition night, which are still looking great after a week. So as always thanks to Chris and the ladies at the Brambles florist and Flowers to yours as well as Tylers flowers she gave me and Amy for her arranging and help.

That is it again for this month, be sure to come back and see something new again at the end of this month.

Bye xx

August Update, and preparations for an Exhibition at The Broadway Gallery, Nottingham

Welcome back to my little piece of the web. Thanks for returning and a warm welcome if your new to the site.

Its been a quiet month, again due to the hard weather we have been having. With no studio shoot this month we went on location for the model fashion shoot with Mercybongo.

One interesting scrap of information is that three of my pictures will be hanging on the wall of an art gallery for two weeks in September and early October. I was pushed by Tyler Dyce to enter my pictures to this event where they were looking to showcase local photographers. I was reluctant at first as I thought a bit on the negative side with the view that nobody gives a toss about who took a photograph, only that the subject of the picture is pretty. But then I thought why not …. I have nothing to loose and I know it meant something to Tyler. So I entered it and they liked all my three pictures and will display them all. So here we are. The exhibition is called 'Beyond Capture' and is being held in the Broadway Gallery, Nottingham. The show dates are between 21st September to 4th October, 2026. They have added the three images to their website pre-Exhibition/ You can see it here.

Its a very flower orientated blog this month, with a picture or two from my Fathers garden taken a few months ago, as well as the normal flowers I get from the florist.

Sorry to hear Dolly Parton passed away, she was a good person from all that has been said about her. And she gave us 'Jolene' which is one of my favourite ever songs.

That's it for now, please enjoy the blog.

X

New stuff for the other site

This small gallery is some of the wall stuff using a polystyrene head and hands in my friend James taxi. We parked up one Sunday morning and used his back seats and windows to create these weird images. Heavily edited they will be used in the other site,

Mercybongo Location Shoot

Mercybongo came down to this location shoot in Nottingham around the Train Station on a sweltering hot day, so some of the images do have harsh shadows which cannot be helped. She was lovely as ever and a joy to work with. She even gave us a lift home afterwards. We shall see Mercy again in the new year I hope. Thanks then to Mercybongo and Amy for her help.

The Garden - Dads Summer Garden 2026

August Flower Updates

After visiting the florist this month, I was lucky to get a reeky special Calla Lily which I took quite a few pictures of. Some for this months edit and some saved for a future special edit. I know it has been top heavy with flowers this month, but I hope you enjoy them all? So as always thanks to Chris and the ladies at the Brambles florist and Flowers to yours and Amy for her arranging and help.

That is it again for this month, be sure to come back and see something new again at the end of this month.

Bye xx

July Update, A visit to my parents, a welcome visit from the Ly and Ma family as well as time to visit to an Art Deco heaven.

Welcome back to my little piece of the web. Thanks for returning.

So we got away for a day or so this month with a visit south to see Mum and Dad. Its always great to spend time with them as we do often get much of a chance to do that these days. We should make the effort really and it pricks my conscienience that we don't. None of us are getting any younger and time is catching up with us.

We had the extra honour of a visit from members of the Ly and Ma families to Mums house and garden for English tea and cakes. We all enjoyed it and it was especially nice to hear Amy speaking her language again. During our visit and just before we set off back to our hole, we got to see an Art Deco house in Northampton. I really enjoyed it as I love that sort of thing. You can see the images I took in the place and at its rear in this blog.

Munira returned for her eigth but not last shoot with us all in the studio in Derby this month. We got some Flamenco Dancers inspired pictures from the session.

Whilst down at my parents we got to take quite a few images, but I have not finished editing all of them yet due to not being able to get to the computer. Its the relentless heat that does me. So some of them are here and the rest will have to wait for another month. I do hope you enjoy this months collection of goodies and feel inspired to pop back at the end of next month.

x

78 Derngate, Art Deco Building, Northampton

This was a treat to see, especially as I love all things Art Deco. This is a house at 78 Derngate in Northampton designed by renowned Glasgow designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the early years of the last century. Its well worth a visit and tour around the building if your interested in this kind of thing as I am and in the Northampton area. It is just a pity I did not get more time to take a few more pictures, but you can get the feel for the place. See more of 78 Derngate at their website in the link.

Still Life – Minimalism

Just three Minimalism pictures this month. A can of Heinz Beans, A banana and a splatted ripe tomato, I had originally done them for last month, but was not entirely happy with them. So we did it all again and this time it worked out.

Still Life – NEW Fractal Glass

When drinking a Pepsi Max at my parents place, Amy pointed out the refracted light going through the glass the drink was in. It looked almost two tone with its vivid purples, yellows and greens. So I reached for the camera and snapped away at the glass (I shall let you in on a secret …. I did not know this at the time, but its actually made of plastic … Could have fooled me ….. Who Knew?)

I was going to file these under the Random section of this blog, but liked the results so much I started a new page in Still Life for more images like this when I can find them.

Munira Model 8th Shoot Shoot – Slideshow

Model: Munira Model

Music: I Want You – Marvin Gaye

Munira Model 8th Shoot Shoot

Oh no! its the lovely Munira Model returned for her eighth shoot. I say ,Oh No …. but it really should be oh yes as she is brilliant and puts so much into our shoots. And she is lovely with it as well, an treat to work with and know. The theme for this months shoot was getting the look from Spanish Flamenco Dancers, as well as jewellery made from yellow jelly babies. We will see more of Munira again soon as I want her to star in the first shoot of 2027 in February. She is that good. So thanks to all there. To Munira, Thanks then to Shadrine at Kavour Beauty. Phil Lynam at The Boardroom Studio in Derby and my dear wife Amy for all their hard work.

Project Update – Architectural Metaphor

Again I have used the art deco design of the building at 78 Derngate as well as the art deco flats on the opposite side of the road. I never knew that Northampton had such great buildings by design. There is also a Rushden Lakes snap thrown in for good measure taken from outside Magazine Heaven shop.