A huge load of snow came and messed everything up.

The Kiwis celebrated Waitangi Day

March

Noodles with Severin

Poker

Homeless people

Haircuts and bent horizons

April

G20 demonstration, riot, and photographer overdose.

May

Probably spent this time playing poker.

June

Gay Pride, NYC style.

Michael Jackson Died.

Times Square.

Philadelphia

September

Squatters in Mayfair

Broke my Bessa R2M (again). Bought a Leica M6

Got a developing app for the iphone

October

Shoooting with the Leica and Sumilux now.

November

Getting deep into the fighting game community. Off to Paris for a tournament.

Two weeks later, to Sweden.

On national TV.

It was a good year.

This piece fell off the viewfinder.

Look at all the dust in the viewfinder.

I thought it was time to buy an R4M for the wider framelines, but did I want another temporary upgrade? I decided to buy the Leica M6 instead.

I have my suspicions that my 35mm f1.7 Ultron lens is screwed as well but I’m still doing tests. The whole front half of the lens is loose; basically everything after the focusing ring is currently only loosely connected to everything before and including the focusing ring. The lens literally rattles when I walk down the street with the cam hanging from my back. Once I buy a new lens, both the R2M and this lens will be going to Japan for repair.

Recent shots with the Bessa have been mostly out of focus. I took a test roll with the Leica to see if the lens was OK. Delta 400 developed in XTOL, and The Massive Dev chart for iPhone.

These shots were at f/8 so you can’t really tell if the focus is a little off or not.

f/2.8 or 4, can’t remember which.

f/2. Focus has apparently gone walkabout.

Focus should be on the woman but appears to be on the bag of the guy on the left.

Fine focus, slow shutter.

So some of the shots are off – is it a busted lens, or a back focus problem? Blah.

I want to buy the 35/1.2 Nokton, but Severin tells me Voigtlander lenses have back-focus issues with Leica cameras. I’m not sure if it was just one lens he tested or if it is a known common problem. Summicrons are too expensive. Zeiss in an option. More research needed.

This blog was written and published by wordpress for iPhone – how cool is that!

Welcome.

The ground floor of the Tanzanian High Commission had been turned into an art installation.

Curators. Should have taken a shot of them from the waist up as well.

Out of the Tanzanian, into the Mexican.

My composition has gone to shit for some reason

I thought this was pretty cool.

Not to my taste, shall we say

Awesome charcoal painting by Annie Attridge

A bed blocking the path to the higher floors. Quite ironic sign, I thought.

Shark and maker of the shark, George Dulake.

George asked for a shot at the entrance to the embassy. I prefer the other shot.

It was interesting to see a squat/gallery, its inhabitants and their demeanour; the different way of life, and the enthusiasm about things most of us would barely even notice.  I question the futility of the squatters’ ways, though; they enter and occupy a building for an always finite amount of time before they have to leave and search for a new building again. Not always having water and electricity, seeking unused food from delis at the end of the day and doing flexible jobs to generate money every now and then. I think better understanding comes with spending extended time with a community like this – being a squatter for a night.

Maybe one day…

Geeky stuff: Canon EOS 20D, 24-70 f2.8 lens.

Left eye:

Right eye:

Now my Optometrist explained what each part of the image is in great detail – unfortunately I’ve forgotten almost everything she said. The big blood vessels are veins, and the smaller ones are arteries. I think the bright dot is the cornea, I can’t remember what the black part is. Ten points for anyone who knows.

Eyes closed

On the way home from poker.

How could I resist? I wish I had a polaroid so I could have placed a copy in his pocket.

Eyes open

Tanya with her Nikon F3. She’s in India with my Canon 24-70 right now, looking forward to what she brings back.

Waterstones

Severin flew over to have some noodles.

And look at Graffiti. My film scanner has problems scanning dark photos, and I end up with things like this.

Eyes down

Jay Luck had another fancy dress Team Freezeout at The International.

I went as a banana, Kevin went as Buzz Lightyear, Nick went as a pimp and ginger Chris refused to wear his flashing police helmet. So Nick wore it. Kevin took second place for our team.

Nick and the hat.

Another scanner screw-up. I’m going to get this printed then scan the print.

Also in the news

We’re fast approaching the end of the financial year. This is when councils dig up the roads and spend as much money as possible. if they don’t spend it, they get less next year.

I wonder what his story is.

There’s something about shaving my head that makes me feel like I’m shrugging off the blandness of the working week, ready for the weekend, freedom and fun.

I’ve booked flights to NYC & Philly for mid-late June with Sean Mayer. Looking forward to seeing some friends across the pond again. And documenting the whole thing!

Geeky stuff: Voigtlander Bessa R2M; 35mm 1.7 Ultron; Kodak TRI-X 400 + 2.

Being a man

He was obviously a drug addict, a fact I didn’t really have a problem with; some people make the wrong choices in life. The problem was he was deliberately getting into the personal space of women and trying to intimidate them into giving him money by briefly putting his hand on their knee, and I didn’t do anything about it.

He did this to one woman who was sitting near the door but I couldn’t see from where I was at the back. Then he tried the same thing with the girl sitting next to me, who shrugged his hand off of her knee. I said to myself if he tries that again to any woman on this bus I’m throwing him off the bus… He then approached the older lady by the door again and kept talking to her. She eventually gave in and went into her purse. I was very angry but I sat there staring at him and didn’t say anything. I should have stopped her giving him some money and thrown him off the bus but I just sat there and watched, infuriated. After she gave him money he sat opposite her and had a jolly conversation, though it was clear she was just being polite and wanted to be left alone. I just sat there and stared at him.

It was my duty to protect those women from this man and I failed them. Saying ‘if he does that again…’ is all well and good but I should have acted immediately. There will be no hesitation if a situation like this arises again.

Being a photographer

I work in property, and this year is going to suck for financial stability, but I’m going traveling anyway. I’d like to do the bull run again but none of my friends are willing to put themselves in front of large animals this year; I’m not sure if I’ll go there on a solo mission. I’m definitely going to Amsterdam & The Hague to see Pete in China Holland. I am also going to France; any other suggestions are welcome. Also, my makeshift developing guide will be here as soon as I get T-money to model for the photos.

Being a friend

Too much time has been spent playing poker recently; not enough time spent with friends away from the poker table. This will not be the case in February so expect more frequent blogs again.

Being a model (!?)

I was recently an emergency Jacuzzi model for my local gym when one of their girls had to cancel, and you can now find my chiselled exterior being handed out at London Bridge Station.

I’m like Hasselhoff without the hair.