Friday 29th July 2011

And so another week, and month passes.

In work news, I have had to move desks. So goodbye to an office of my own, and now I share a big open space with all the technicians on site. On the plus side, most days they are out at work and so I have the whole office, cooler and photocopier to myself. The real bonus is, however, is that I have a desk right by the picture window, with views over the ferry terminal, and to Pegwell Bay and Sandwich and Deal beyond. And right in the distance I can see where the cliffs rise, and somewhere up there is where our house is. My old office was good, but had two tiny windows, the opposite side of the room to my desk, so all day, every day; no daylight. So, I moved this morning after a request, several requests from the client to have their office back. And as it’s their building, we really had no choice.

So, instead of staring at the walls or the blinds at the window which just looks into the warehouse, or the back of some nice shelving in the warehouse, I have sea, sun, ships, yachts, seagulls. Its good.

This week I have been swimming, or drowning, in a sea of data, numbers with just my databases to help me. Its been tough, trying to get numbers on one spreadsheet to tally with the totals on another. At times I was drowning, drowning in a sea of numbers. But, I think I am now at least keeping my head above water, and within another day I might even have some data and reports which to handover.

Other than that, the weather has not been too good, not good enough for an evening walk, or the evenings it was good enough, we had other stuff going on. Last night after work, I headed to Tesco in Ramsgate and did the weeks grocery shopping, and then drove to Minster to photograph a steam locomotive thunder past.
I had half an hour to wait, but the weather was glorious, and it was pleasant enough waiting with just the summer breeze to enjoy, and the occasional passing electric train. A few more people arrived just before showtime; and then in the distance we could see Britannia rounding the bend and accelerating towards us.



Through the shimmer of a summer’s evening, she came, and then when she was about half a mile away, we could hear her pistons working. And then as she came near the platform, the driver opened the regulator again and she pressed ever more forward. My camera went ‘whirrrrrrrrrr’ and I took 150 shots. And then, she was gone, heading towards Ramsgate and then round the north Kent coast line.

Yesterday morning, saw me call in a newsagent to get a copy of one of the local papers as the editor had asked me to take the shots at the ceremony at Dover Patrol on Sunday. I paid the woman behind the counter, walked outside to see which ones of my shots they had chosen. They had printed just two shots, one not very good, not using any of the good portraits I took, and worst of all, no picture credit for me! I am not happy at all. I will check to see if they do something even worse to actually sell my shots online. Time will tell.



And also yesterday, I got a mail from Shepherd Neame asking to use one of my shots for their annual report. I said yes, and they are paying me in beer. Does that make me a professional? Photographer that is! It’s a start, maybe more work will come from them? Who can tell.

Not me.

And so the weekend looms, we’re going to visit our friend Bob in his new gaff tomorrow, go for a walk and he is going to cook. There is a festival in Folkestone, we hope to be there for nine tomorrow morning, maybe go for a walk along the Leas as well, and take many, many photographs.

Sunday there is a steam fair at the Chilli Farm just down the road from Dover. It should be a roasting hot day, and chance for more shots of classic cars, tractors and other such fun things.