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Retirement: The Fast Approaching Last Day
There was a time when I would never have considered retiring and retirement, it wasn’t in the scheme of things, an unthinkable event far, far in the future. And now, here we are, with my retirement date officially set and a considerable amount of paperwork still to be completed, officialdom approached and convinced, plans set and followed through on. Yet, in the back of my mind is that thought, set in stone one sunny day back in 1969, sitting at a desk in a bleak primary school classroom in London, when I patiently worked out how old I would be in the year two thousand, and what I might be…
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The Reverse Dangers of Restaurant Reviews
Although a great lover of travelling and eating out, I rarely write reviews of the places I visit, the restaurants where I eat, the hotels I overnight in. It is enough for me that the food was enjoyable, that the room was comfortable, that the city or town had places of interest. Aside from which, there are so many reviews floating around the virtual world, boosting internet web sites and search engines more than the businesses being reviewed, it seems to be an overload. That is, unless I come across a brand new business, one which has not yet broken through into the public gaze, or been recognised by those…
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Photographic Abuse: Loopholes in the Law
Street photographers who make their living, or pursue their hobby, in search of the perfect spontaneous image out in the wild have enough problems with the law and with the belief in a private sphere for those who could become the subject of their work. That the law is not clear, in many aspects and not just photography, has been accepted for many years, with constant promises from politicians – especially on the hustings – that matters will be addressed, and the law reformed to make it better, precise, workable. Yet, no matter the promises, no matter the varied and various attempts to reform, there are loopholes which the less…
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Winter, Weather, And The Theory Of Chaos
Completely unexpected, as ever at this time of year, winter has hit what used to be part of the frozen north. For the first time in many years there is deep snow on the ground, the air is freezing cold, and winter woollies have regained their rightful place as a fashion statement. The news media have been quick to highlight the impending chaos as transport connections fail, bus, tram and train lines are cancelled, and the streets fall into an eerie silence. Only the chaos is missing. The human – of whatever sub-species we might claim to be – is reasonably adaptable, given the right warnings and personal balance. Most…
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Criticism In Photography: A Reckoning
It is that time of year, and has been for over a month, when we look back over what has happened, in photography, on television, in politics, world-wide. A rash of programmes come out on the various visual media telling us what we should consider to be the great, the moving, the memorable from the previous twelve months, attempting to shape our minds and influence our memories. Amidst all the bright fanfares and commercial shouting, a few smaller entities voice their opinions, often about the work of others, sometimes with a critical eye on their own production. Rather than letting myself be influenced by those many critics who have opinions…
