weekly 2021 TP52 - week 52 - SHOWCASE (sort of)

I think the full colour version works best for me. It's just more real.
 
Week 23 - Personal.

So, I recently acquired a copy of the excellent photography book (Coal Town) about my home town (Ashington, Northumberland) and was happily browsing through it when I stopped in my tracks at this picture.

Taken in 1982, when I would have been 10, it features my Grandad's Barber's shop. I had no idea it was in there - although most people from Ashington (at that time) would have known the shop, so it's not altogether surprising.

Now, my Grandad died in 1995, and I've not really thought about him for years and years. But in that moment, right there, my heart melted a bit and my eyes began to leak.

I've deliberately blurred out the photo to avoid copyright infringement, but have also included a link here to the photo in question, as well as a link to the book.

TP52: WK23 - Personal by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

This is the photo:

Coal Town (mikcritchlow.com)

And this is the book:

COAL TOWN (mikcritchlow.com)
 
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Nice shot and story Kell.

I have fond memories of Ashtington. I went to college there in the late 70s / earlt 80s. Lived in digs in Whitley Bay and the NCB bused us into college each day :)
 
I think the blurring not only serves to keep the copyright police happy, but also focusses the attention on the text. With the theme of "personal" you know there's a story behind it. Thanks for sharing that story Kell.
 
That must have been a lovely surprise for you. I agree.. the deliberate blurring focuses the eye on the name which is the personal element for you.
 
-Oy- said:
Nice shot and story Kell.

I have fond memories of Ashtington. I went to college there in the late 70s / earlt 80s. Lived in digs in Whitley Bay and the NCB bused us into college each day :)
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That's quite a schlep on a daily basis - did you not fancy the halls? Although, to be fair.., staying by the sea or in Ashington, I know which one I'd choose.

Having said that, several people in my class came in on the bus from Hexham every day.
 
Lovely personal story / memories, and, as said the blurring works well in keeping with the memory.
 
Personal
I know you've purposely blurred the book for copyright reasons, but I actually think it works well. I like your narrative about this photo in the book.
 
Up close
It can feel strange staring into a lens that very close, I like the colour pop as to me it just adds more interest

Personal
Focusing on the text with the shop image blurred does help it convey the theme better, it's great to have a memory like that, more so when it was a complete surprise. I hope you were sitting down when you saw it for the first time.
 
I spent a weekend in Ashington and as a Southerner it was a huge culture shock. I'll not go into details as I have no wish to detract from Kell's memories but it was not a good weekend and if I ever go back it will be ten years too soon.
 
ShinySideUp said:
I spent a weekend in Ashington and as a Southerner it was a huge culture shock. I'll not go into details as I have no wish to detract from Kell's memories but it was not a good weekend and if I ever go back it will be ten years too soon.
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I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it - I've always believed that you're less likely to have bother up there if you're from somewhere different as there's the whole small-town/tribal mentality. Certainly when I lived there, you'd get into a fight with someone from two miles away - two streets even.

I'm not going to lie to you - it's a poor town and has gone downhill rapidly. It's now "affectionately" known as Ashganistan.

I certainly wouldn't be moving back any time soon.
 
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That's a lovely back story and very fitting for the theme. I think the blurring works really well. My father in law was from Newbiggin on Sea - so not too far away!
 
Week 24 - Green.

I immediately thought of money when I saw this week's theme.

Normally we have a few dollars lying around from trips where you couldn't quite get rid of it all. But I couldn't seem to find anything other than one $5 note.

Had some Rand and a few Singapore dollars though.


TP52WK24: 2021 - Green 2 by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

Green doesn't have to be green:


TP52WK24: 2021 - Green 4 by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

When the wallet is worth more than the contents...


TP52WK24: 2021 - Green 5 by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

But this was my fave.


TP52WK24: 2021 - Green 3 by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr
 
Money is an interesting interpretation of the "green" theme. I think you chose the best one for the main thread though I would crop it tighter. On my iPad I zoomed in slightly and it didn't seem tight. The open wallet is colourful but the design is so strong I don't really notice the money.
 
An interesting and effective take on the theme...

"I've got a pocket full of pretty green
I'm gonna put it in the fruit machine -
I'm gonna put it in the juke box -
It's gonna play all the records in the hit parade "
 
Green
Great take on the theme. I think any of those would have been a good choice.
 
My brain would never have gone down that route - great angle on the theme. Your chosen shot would be my preference too.
 
TP25: Snapper's Choice.

Was at a wedding last week at Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe.

Went down to the tidal pool at about 7:00 am on the morning of the wedding for a very cold dip, but managed to snap this before we got in and disturbed the water.

Would have liked to get more detail in the gull ( and ironically, decided not to take the extender as I thought I wouldn't need it), so it's a bit of a heavy crop.


TP52: WK25 - Snapper's Choice

by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr
 
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Nice reflection, I think there is just enough detail in the gull, personally. It's a nice crisp and clear image and i do like the narrow crop.
 
Week 26 - Look down

Don't think I'll have time to do something new for this week, so I'm submitting some old ones.

Last time we went to South Africa and Climbed up Lion's Head, then back down and got the cable car to the top of Table Mountain.

This is looking down on the 13 apostles from the top.

TP52: WK26 - Looking Down by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

Lots of people looking down from one of the viewing platforms.

TP52: WK26 - Looking Down by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

And a bit of forced perspective to make it look like my daughter was right on the edge looking down over Cape Town.

TP52: WK26 - Looking Down by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr
 
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Old or not - it's a nice set of pix :)
 
Nice set Kell, they all work (y)
 
Photos like the Cape Town perspective make my palms sweat. They always have a high bit in video games and I always sit back in my seat when I reach it; as you can tell, I'm not good with heights.
 
ShinySideUp said:
Photos like the Cape Town perspective make my palms sweat. They always have a high bit in video games and I always sit back in my seat when I reach it; as you can tell, I'm not good with heights.
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I have to be honest, the parent in me looks at that pic and it makes me nervous - even though I know she couldn't have fallen more than about three feet.
 
Nice set of images. I have to say my heart skipped a beat when I looked at your chosen shot... your chosen perspective certainly has impact.
 
Looking down
They're all good, I particularly like the first shot, the crop works well and the mist/fog/low cloud.
 
Week 27 - Indigenous

I think this is a juvenile blue tit (maybe someone can confirm or correct) due to the face marking and lack of blue colour. Which would make it indigenous to the UK.

Bought a new (to me) lens (Canon 35-350 L - see first thoughts here) and wanted to test it out.

Love the bokeh from it.

It's quite a heavy crop (see below) as I wanted to crop out all evidence of feeder etc, but I think it still holds up.

TP522021: WK27 - indigenous by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

Full image:

5D3_4460-2 by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr
 
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That all works Kell, nice clean crop too (y)
 
Indigenous
That's a pretty clean, detailed image for the size of crop. The background is well diffused and compliments the bird nicely.
 
Nice! Even zoomed in of Flickr there's plenty of detail there. The colours are really nice too.
 
Nicely captured - his stance works well with the crop. Lovely colour too.
 
Simonbrown16 said:
That's a great crop, quite surprised with how much detail has been captured.
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This particular lens becomes a macro lens at 135 with 0.25 times. I thought I was there or thereabouts (turns out I was at 130) - but anyway it might explain how I was able to crop into it and retain a bit more detail.
 
Week 28 - Plant

Thought I might be the only one to go Heavy Plant, but it was not to be.

I can never decide it it's better to look through the thread and see what other people have done or not.

If you look, and see something similar to what you were going to do, should you do it anyway? Or use it as impetus to do something else?

Anyway, I didn't look this week until I went to post mine.

iPhone shot as I was out on my bike. Did think about walking there tomorrow morning and retaking with a 'proper' camera. But unless I'm there really early or late and get it in low light, there's not a huge amount I'd do different.

TP52: WK 28 - Plant by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

TP52: WK 28 - Plant by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

But the others for contention were:

These young ladies about to PLANT their oars.

TP52: WK 28 - Plant by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr

And, you'd think with the name of this restaurant, they'd PLANT some Ivy...

TP52: WK 28 - Plant by Kell Lunam-Cowan, on Flickr
 
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