Can you see the truth?

"What do you see? You people gazing at me?" These are the lyrics going round and round in my head. They were sung (I just found out from a film buff) in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Truly Scrumptious. ...What a name! But this (oh so random) song is going through my head because I was thinking about what we see when we see. How much do we "pre-see"? Prejudge? Call it what you like.

Explain this! Weird

Going through sets of photos. It's a rapid process. On the whole, I rarely go back to see the things that have been dropped on the proverbial editors floor. But once in a while, you go back and see something that your really, really, can't explain.

Your images are safe with me. They look pretty good too!

Technology and change. It makes and breaks our "developed world" lives. Well, it makes and breaks mine anyway! In the last few weeks, I've been changing, upgrading, and generally looking up new nascent and needed technology to augment the heartfelt creative skills. ... Maybe we are all becoming cyborgs - funky technology precisely wrapped around a warm imperfect heart.

Proud to eat in public

I sat there watching TV. Spaghetti bolognese on my lap. Chowing down. Hungry. Ravenous. "Eat the plate too" type hungry. Now, like a typical man, when I got my plate, eyes became focused  on my feast. No wavering gaze. If I was by myself, I may have even dispensed with the interruption of the knife and fork.

And just like a true animal, after a few minutes head down, face full, my head popped up to do a quick scan of the surroundings making sure no other hungry creature is going to attack me and take my feast. Teeth slightly showing in preparation for any challenger. I scanned behind me. Eyes widened.

My girlfriend sat there. Mouth open as wide as her head. Lowering a ball of spaghetti the size of an adult fist into her mouth.

I was impressed.

She wasn't.

I'm still here! Soon won't be.

Forgive me. Please. I have been quiet. A dearth of facebook posts. No images. No blog posts. No Tweets. No Google Plus. People have thought I've disappeared. Maybe kidnapped!

Well, I haven't. Oh no. I've been doing a range of things. Some I love - travelling. Some I don't mind - helping my brother move place. And some I hate - tax returns. Seriously, if Hermione had a spell for sorting taxes, I'd be on my way to Kings Cross now!

Oh, and I'm soon to disappear. To another place. Another world. I will write a tearful goodbye before I turn my pack on this world. I've even got the tape, plastic sheets and good strong rope ready. It was fun while it lasted. But everything must come to an end.

I'm moving place. Wading knee deep in boxes. Living with a partner that packs so well she has to be sedated so I don't go to sleep under a duvet and wake up on the floor under a coat! She is truly an unstoppable force.

"Baby, where's my camera charger?"

"Oh, was that yours?!"

"Baby, where's my..."

"Oh, I thought you didn't need it."

"Baby. Please. Only pack your stuff. Please. Baby. Baby! Put, the box, down."

My cameras and lenses are being used as pillows at night just in case they go "missing". Better safe than sorry!

So forgive my silence. I haven't left you. The plan is always to move to better things, and as usual, I will keep you all updated. Now let me go and put that rope to good use!!!

Angus D

Ice-cream and fighting

Oh my diddy! It's the beginning of 2012!

While I sit here with a smile on my face listening to House of Pain, Jump Around, playing on the radio (good memories), having just finished the last of the chocolates, cakes and enough sweet things to give you diabetes overnight, I have to think about where I've come from, where I'm going, and what I need to get there.

I solemnly promise... No wait. I swear to... What is that thing where people go to court and promise to tell the truth? Well, I do that. And I promise to end 2012 more than I am in 2011. How's that?

As people go back to work and I start mine, all I can think to myself is that everything has to be about moving forward. Images looking more amazing. Images looking more fitting and often deeper. Soul searching scenes.

I look around me and with people having the troubles they do, I see a number of people taking a deep breath and getting ready to fight for success in 2012. I see them getting ready to fight for their existence. To fight for their happiness. One thing is for certain in uncertain days is that there is a sea of potential to nourish our lives. We have people around us to give us energy when we are doubting ourselves. Seriously, we do. No matter what you see on the news, the majority of the world is not full of evil people sharpening knives and eyeing areas of your back.

I plan to shoot more, put myself in more inspiring situations, drown myself in more ideas so I can nurture a soul in my images. And failing that, I'd like to get enough money to buy some Haagen Dazs Strawberry Cheesecake ice-cream. :-)

Welcome to the new year. See you all soon.

A new dawn shot from my phone while relaxing a the house of close friends.

Angus D

I absolutely hate it! Banned from taking pictures. :-(

I've been banned from taking photos. Again. Can you believe it?!

It happens when friends and family don't want me working at their wedding. Which is funny because when I end up a groomsman, I end up working just as much as if I was behind the camera. Cheating b......

Anyway, I do get to look at pictures because inevitably they all send me links of wedding photographers to see if they are, in my view, any good. I'm always happy to do this because even if I am not doing the job myself, I hate seeing people using the wrong tools or services for their needs. It really does grate on my nerves. Fingers down a chalkboard grating. ... Our kids will never know what that sounds like! I digress.

I was drip fed a series of links to photographers websites. Good stuff. I pass my all seeing eye of Sauron over them. Burning red flames and all. Normally, I can tell within about 3 seconds whether I will like them or not. 1, 2, ahhh I like! But sometimes it's 1, 2, what the hell?!

I just had one of those moments.

Now, I'm in the business of art. Art is in the eye of the beholder. That is always true. But when someone asks me what I think, it's my eye that gets to behold. And I saw something that made my eye wince like I had tried to drink lemons through the iris of my precious eye of Sauron. I saw a picture of a baby. The baby was in a lovely little wedding frock with a nice big pink bow at on the side and she was smiling with such cuteness. But... Big "but"... The baby was in a position that only an adult would be in, but no baby would ever naturally be in this position. Ever. Everevereverever! It was like taking a model from the cover of a mature womans magazine, with the model lying down on a couch for example, then instead of a woman, you have a baby.

There are a number of pictures I've seen of babies doing what they wouldn't normally do or in positions they wouldn't normally be in. They are often funny. This one, not so much. All I could think is, I'm glad the people that wanted that picture didn't choose me. I honestly think when I saw that picture, a little part of me vomited into my cringe centers. I'm so glad that the lovely people who come to me like my work first and foremost.

Not a normal sight

Angus D