Oh, this hurts!!

Honestly, I don't know whether to laugh or to cry! this strip is so true it actually hurts :D

Did I ever tell you I'm an accountant trying to finish a PhD in accounting?? jeez. But a true photographer at heart... [sniff]

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Update

Don't you hate it when you make a promise and immediately afterwards something happens that prevents you to stick to your word? Well that's precisely what happened just after I promised to air the anti-school of photography (which is basically a collection of funny lessons covering the basics of photography).

What happened? well the thesis is what happened. I've been really trying to get it done as soon as possible and with personal, university and computer issues it's been hell!! I kid you not! bloody vista must be shot right in the eye!!

Anyway I wont promise anything but will try to write more often. Even if it is only to vent about my misery. I've heard many times that writing is a lonely process, well it is right. Nobody can help me now I must sit down and attack that keyboard until my fingers bleed!!! ok ok I'm not a martyr either hehe (for the Mexican folks exageré, exageré, exageré).

So lately I've been writing the lit review chapter and it is a real pain. You know, you have this top notch author who has a book, a paper (in top journal 1), a conference paper, a chapter on an edited book (from one of his/her sidekicks I'm sure), another paper (now in top journal 2), etc. And all of those say the same with the same data!!! sometimes at least he/she changes the order of the paragraphs so as to make your read a bit more before realising what's going on!!! Publish or perish is right but when you are checking on extant work this is terrible!! I only hope one day I'll do the same ;¬)

I did make some time this weekend to have some fun cause a friend of mine visited from New Zealand and he's one hell of a Kiwi I just couldn't let him wonder around Manchester alone!!

I also had a day-long photoshoot on Saturday. First photoshoot since I dislocated my shoulder and it was simply brilliant. I have some good shots that I'll share with you soon no promise, just saying). After all day my shoulder hurt a bit and my legs even more. This thing is not easy ;) need to join a gym or something.


Ok, that's what been going on. Bear with me and I'll show you some shots and also some basic photo tips.
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Beneath murky waters - Revisited

If you follow this blog you might remember this post about the Manchester Canal. Well at that time I asked my friend Francisco (aka Darth Tradd) to write a short "Noir" story for me relating the canal with some obscure crime or something, he has a great imagination and I'd say he can write as well.

Sadly, he was busy at the time and I had to come-up with my own story to accompany the pictures. A rubbish story to go with some very good pictures of rubbish floating by the canal, I had to say all that to avoid saying "rubbish pictures" but I digress. After almost a month Francisco got some time and wrote this piece for which I'm very grateful! (he even linked back and included my pics).

If you follow this blog in English I'm sorry, the story is in Spanish so chop chop and head to the closest Spanish Institute so you can read it within a year's time. :D

Gracias Paco!!


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Mexican Cultural Evening 2009

Mexican Cultural Evening 2009

Last Friday at the Instituto Cervantes in Manchester, the Mexican Society presented the now traditional "Mexican Cultural Evening 2009". It is a very nice event in which one gets to listen traditional Mexican Music as well as some very well rehearsed traditional dances. This was the seventh instalment of this event.

The place was a bit small to be honest so there was no way of avoiding the heads popping into my frames. This time I chose a very fast zoom lens to get the action, a Tamron 28-75mm, 2.8, the 2.8 is the maximum aperture which means it lets in lots of light (the smaller the number, the more light gets to the sensor), most of the point and shoot cameras have a maximum aperture of around 4 which is considered pretty slow.

Hope you like the pictures. More pictures from the event on Facebook, you don't need to register or anything.


MTK

Thanks to Roy Tanck for the widget

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Finally it's coming! The Anti-School of Photography

Yes that is right! I'm preparing a programme that includes a good range of photography "Anti-lessons". Hopefully I will learn lots by planning them and you will also get some valuable information the fun way. I started this project a while ago but never really saw it through. This might be the chance.



As you can see from this image, any age is perfect to start with photography :)

So write down in the comments if there is something that you would like to learn and I'll try to include it. Might be a good idea to register as a follower so that you can get a notice every time I update an anti-lesson.

More to come...
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Photography's Serendipity

Image by Art Wolfe

I just wanted to share with you the latest article from "The Luminous Landscape" a great photography site that I normally follow. Give it a good look!

In his article (click on the immage), Art Wolfe explains how did he get the picture above. I think it's a great image and loved the way he shares his outtakes with the readers. I picked the title for this post because I believe photography is a little bit of technique, lots of patience and a great deal of luck (not chance, because you make your own luck in photography by choosing the subject, the site, the equipment, the time of the day, etc) and the article shows precisely that.

Have a look at the different outtakes and pay attention to "Pic 3 Flash Failure", do you see any similarities to your party pics? I believe anyone could have taken that image and that is why I really enjoyed that article. It is not the equipment but how you use it, and sometimes you are bound to have some bad pictures. The key is to persevere! as he did and he went away with a great image to show for his trouble.

I'm working on a series of photography tips, stay tuned.
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Beneath Murky Waters...

She made a run for the alleyways near the canal in a desperate attempt to lose him. She had no clue on his intentions but had no plans of finding out, not with the news she read this morning – “Sixth victim of the Jackal found in a dumpster” – suddenly the idea of walking back home with the obnoxious Johnny from the office didn’t sound too bad.

Amanda was kicking herself for not driving to the club tonight; drinking and driving seemed like an excellent idea at that moment. Wearing those high heels was not helping either – she was proud of her legs and those heels were the perfect final touch, so much for that now! She stopped a moment to listen … nothing … “where’s everyone?”… no sound! … “maybe I lost him!”… two more steps… damn clacking noise! … a shadow!! … silence.

Amanda was nowhere to be seen, only a couple of rain-washed blood drops that went unseen by the inspectors searching the alleyways…

I know, I know terrible story! that's why I'm a photographer and not a writer. However the pictures I want to show today made me think in criminal novels and wanted to give it a shot. Obviously it's more difficult than I thought ;¬)

With TV shows like "Life on Mars" shot in my adoptive city - Manchester - I always considered the canal banks like something mysterious and full of stories. Despite being renovated now I cannot stop thinking it could have been a good place to hide something or err someone...

"“What the hell does that fish mean?” ... "It's a Sicilian message. It means means that Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes"”

Last year I had the chance to take some pictures when the water level dropped in the canal for some reason and this is what I found. No skulls or anything like that though ;¬) only rubbish.

see more images after the jump >>
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Can this be considered urban art?






Let me know what you think!!


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