CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-04-30 18:49:31 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

So guys, over the next week my normal Google+ account will be transferring to this one, all to do with primary emails etc, it feels a lot more complicated than it probably is and hopefully all should go smoothly :-)

I will from now on, be using this account and the other will remain, but I will be adding no new posts :-)

Anyway, big hello and welcome to those that have already come through from my other account and also to those that have just found :-)

Now to fill in some blanks.......

2013-04-22 20:56:13 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 16 +1s)

Went for a wander today, just wanted to share this awesome view, we're so lucky to live here :-)

Hope Monday has been good to you :-)

2013-04-19 12:58:08 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

This is so exciting....

+David Baker and I have spent the last few months planting various chilli seeds..... we will no doubt be sharing some cool pictures over the summer.... the ones I'm looking forward to are the 'Black Pearl' mostly because of the Pirates of the Caribbean reference :-)

ANYWAY, that's not what I want to share my excitement of..... da da daaaaaar (some kind of excitable introduction sound)..... we have baby Venus Fly Traps which have popped up today..... say hi :-)

FEED ME SEYMOUR!!!!!!

Image taken on my iPhone ;-)

2013-04-18 09:58:01 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Four years ago, I did my first bungy jump. Two years ago, I did a solo jump from an aeroplane. One year ago, I took the photo on this page from the top of Kings Reach Tower. This year, I needed a new challenge. I love standing on sky scraper roof tops. I love the different pespective you get from viewing the city from such great heights. But sliding down the side of one with a rope? That is a new level for me. 

So, stand back, batman, spiderman, window cleaners.... because I am going to slide down 33 stories of glass.  The Broadgate Tower is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London. It is currently the fourth tallest building in the City of London. It's 540 feet from the top to the bottom. I am aiming to raise £1 per foot on the way down.

Exploitation, violence and atrocity are words familiar to all of us. No one likes them, and it’s onlynatu... more »

2013-04-17 10:07:27 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Sweeping

This is one of my own personal favourites, at the time I still didn't know how to use my camera properly, but I knew how I wanted my images to look.

This image was taken under a red brick viaduct, I'm not sure if it was the colour or the fact the barbs have a certain 'Batman' quality that I liked the most. 

2013-04-16 13:45:43 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

I can't believe that I haven't shared this one with you guys already....

Standing in a hosiptal ward in Pripyat, surrounded by decay..... it is the silence that is the most powerful thing about this city. 

Leaving the building to walk through the overgrown surroundings, we eventually came to a road.... a main road through a once prosperous city, now vacant.

This is some of the most beautifully peeling paint that I have ever seen!

2013-04-15 14:04:53 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

This image, taken on my iPhone is another beautiful location scouted through Ingress :-) The sky was amazing....

..... in even more exciting news, it would appear that spring has descended and at full speed WHOOP WHOOP :-)

Happy Monday :-D

2013-04-12 19:03:59 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

A big hello to everyone that has recently added me to their circles, and a huge thank you to everyone who supports me and my work :-)

ThIs is an iPhone image from my recent trip to the Lake District... I have so many awesome images to share with you guys :-)

2013-04-11 15:26:43 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

'Off'

This place was beautiful, there was little light in much of the building but in the odd place there was ample. I hadn't noticed, until +David Baker just pointed it out, but this wall has a certain 'map' quality to it. I have played with this image a lot, not content with the bright blue as I felt it was too much, but I really like it at the same time, not that I'm indecisive. There are plans for this hospital to be converted into housing, although it doesn't seem to be happening that soon, it seems a shame that these beautiful walls will be magnolia'd.

I'm won't mention any connection with ingress.... any similarities to intel maps, or faction colour or anything like that ;-)

2013-04-11 15:11:15 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Last weekend, I joined the Resistance.... no beret or dodgy French accent, just plenty of walking in random directions and standing in peculiar places.

The great side effect of this is that it gives me the opportunity to not only battle Frogs but scout out new photographic opportunities..... up until now I have found lots but the attraction to seek further portals is too strong, and crazy amounts of fun :-)

I have however taken plenty of phone pictures, here is the incredibly handsome +David Baker wandering around a field...

2013-04-05 22:42:52 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Long gone are the days where I would eat chocolate eggs all day.... but 11 chocolates so far isn't bad.... cup of tea time now I think :-) Thank you for my lovely egg Mr +David Baker xxxx

Happy Happy Easter guys, hope your day is full of chocolate and goodies and awesome family time :-)

2013-03-27 17:02:32 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

I have absolutely nearly almost chosen my new website :-)

I would love for you guys to post your own web addresses below, with a reason why you love your site and if there is anything you would change.... this is so I can check out your work but it will also help me figure out if the site I have chosen will do everything I need :-)

Feel free to share this post, the more help and inspiration I can get the better :-)

2013-03-19 21:14:27 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

I've had a lovely little invite to be a Getty Image Contributor.... which is awesome :-) I'm just going through the images they've requested now.... I have model release forms to chase up and one to sign myself ;-) 

Are any of you guys are Getty Image Contributors? And if so, do you have any tips for me?

2013-03-07 19:56:22 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Guys, I'd like some opinions.... call it market research I guess :-) 

I'm in the middle of choosing my new website..... and there are lots of things that I know I would like BUT it is you guys who will be taking time out of your busy lives to come check it out and support my work...... so this leads me to ask, you, my friends, and followers.... what is it that YOU want out of a website? What is it that you like to see? 

As always, I really appreciate your support, big thanks to you all :-)

2013-02-14 09:29:14 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

I hope today is full of lovely things for all of you :-)

Happy Valentine's Day +Dave Baker, you are my love, my man, my soulmate, my everything, I love you xxxx

2013-02-13 22:20:26 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Although I fear I may lose the wonderful +Dave Baker to the world of +Ingress .... it would make the perfect valentine's gift if I could get him an invite ....   +Niantic Project  #ingressinvite #ingressinviteplease #ingress

2013-01-27 21:35:17 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

I have finally finished my photography website, it has a bunch of work that I've not shown before so please, feel free to check it out and let me know what you think...

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do :-)

2013-02-11 14:52:24 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

How many times have you done it? Just stood or sat and lost minutes or hours in your own thoughts....... blinking back to reality, not quite remembering what you were doing before you paused.... those moments are special :-)

This image was taken in a hospital in Pripyat.

2013-01-17 11:06:16 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 28 +1s)

This image was taken at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment in Orford Ness.

This place was really special, quite barren but with the most amazing details and spots of colour. It was so cold and we were quite lucky that the rain held off most of the day, it's not that often that we shoot outside :-)

The wonderful +David Baker is off to Luxembourg today, you guys are in for a treat when he gets back, he has some amazing locations planned to shoot :-)

2013-01-09 21:02:13 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

I haven't taken many images since returning from the Ukraine. I have found it quite difficult, I'm not sure why.... my love of photography hasn't changed, I still love looking at the work of others.

The view of my own work has altered dramatically, I'm not quite sure how to put it into words. I am still unable to look at the images from the Ukraine, I dip into the folder for a few minutes, have a look around and then close it again. It was such an emotional experience, I think that maybe I still have some residing emotion to work through, who knows :-)

This image was taken on a walk with +David Baker  in the woods close to our home.

2013-01-08 10:48:51 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

Today is my son's 5th birthday..... I can't explain in words how much I love him and how proud I am of him :-)

Here's a peek at his birthday cake :-)

2013-01-05 23:56:51 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Happy happy happy new year :-)

Have you made any resolutions? I don't generally make them.... but,

This year I will:

1) Learn to drive.
2) Hold my first exhibition.
3) Try Sushi.

All the above are something I will achieve this year :-)

For number 2 I need a little help, exhibitions are expensive..... image printing is expensive....

It's not very often that I post things like this here, but today I've entered the image below into a competition, and if you guys get a second, I'd appreciate it if you would go check it out :-)

Whilst the winning images will be chosen by a panel, gaining popularity will help bring the images to their attention.

If you could add your 'likes' and comments to the image not this post, I'd be super grateful :-)
2 hours ago

2012-12-24 21:52:43 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas :-)

2012-12-18 10:22:40 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Art - discuss

So I have found that when looking online for art type people, whether it's dealers, agents, galleries, groups etc, they all seem to exclude photography out of art. Not in an elitist kind of way but in a 'all you do is press a button' kind of way..... I understand that, if my hand would do what my brain tells it to do.... I would paint :-) I have tried and whilst I am ok.... I still have the paintbrush control of a six year old.... I know in some circles that would be considered artful, to me it is something that stays in our family at craft times.

This got me thinking about abstract art, I remember on Flickr receiving a rude message from the moderator of a group because my work wasn't abstract...... I asked how they would define it it to gauge a better understanding, I had no reply.

So today, whilst tying to source a gallery that my work willf... more »

2012-12-17 22:30:55 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

Naming images is one thing that I really struggle with.... trying to sum up an image in one word, inline with the emotion behind the image is pretty tough!

I admire the artists that seem to randomly title their work.

 +Thomas Hawk is one of them, he appears to choose something so random yet completely fitting it difficult to imagine that it isn't carefully thought out.

I admire the artists with diverse music taste, they can pick an obscure lyric from a song I wouldn't even know, and add to its beauty through the image it titles.

+David Baker  always picks the coolest titles, many are lyrics and they are absolutely perfect!

I tend to veer towards awkward, I think. I spend lots of time figuring out something I think is fitting, only to end up unhappy with the amount of vowels or words and then going back to the first title that popped into myhe... more »

2012-12-15 09:28:00 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Happiest of happy birthdays to the very wonderful +David Baker :-)

My love, my man, my everything xxxx

2012-12-13 21:22:13 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

Taken on a late afternoon walk through the woods with +David Baker.

The light was beautiful, I have some really lovely images to share from here, all quite different.

As winter has landed upon us, these autumn images seem a little outdated, however I love the warm rich colours too much to not share them :-)

2012-12-12 09:55:58 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 20 +1s)

This was taken in an abandoned jet engine testing facility.

I love this place, on the last couple of occasions we have been here, I haven't even taken my camera from my bag.... just carried it around all day. 

This place is going to be flattened and turned into a supermarket distribution centre.... all that history will be lost, there will be no formal documentation of the site. This is why we do what we do, this is why whilst everyone is sleeping, we are entering these places, documenting them through photography, preserving their history in images and then slipping away before we are noticed.

This is the most difficult place to remain unnoticed, since I first visited, I have always known this site to be well managed. Most recently there has been a lot of theft, metal and such, which has lead to a higher presence of staff.

The last time +David Baker and I... more »

2012-12-11 10:17:04 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

In August +David Baker and I travelled to the Ukraine to shoot the Chernobyl and Pripyat in the exclusion zone.

We had the great pleasure of spending time in Kiev on Ukrainian Independence Day. The atmosphere was electric and the city was filled with yellow and blue. This was an awesome experience that was shared openly with us by the people we met that day, language doesn't seem so much of barrier when it comes to celebration.

2012-12-10 11:11:09 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Hi and thank you for the invite :-)

I'm an abstract photographer from Norfolk, UK :-)

2012-12-10 10:37:52 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

Taken on the +Talk Urbex cold war bunker tour, I really can't wait to head back here...... I am still putting together the historical background on this place, it is extensive and very cool to read up on! 

It's funny how you change over time..... at school, history and art were my least favourite subjects.... I'd have taken on extra maths and science within a heartbeat :-)

2012-12-10 10:24:49 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Hi everyone :-)

Thanks for the invite :-)

Do we have a community circle that has been shared? I do not have enough abstract photographers on my circles :-D

2012-12-10 10:12:23 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Hi +UK Photography Community :-)

Self introductions are something I'm not very keen on, but heres are five things about me....

1). I live in Norfolk with the very wonderful +David Baker.
2). I'm an abstract photographer.
3). I'm originally from Manchester.
4). In august, myself and +David Baker, spent two days in Chernobyl & Pripyat starting our photo documentation of the exclusion zone.
4). Mushrooms are gross!

Has anyone created a +UK Photography Community circle yet? Or Regional Circles?

Hope Monday is being kind to you all :-)

2012-12-10 09:58:52 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

This week I'll be sharing images only taken inside care institutions, that's 7 days of hospitals and asylums

Asylums and hospitals make some awesome places for exploration photography, finding the remains of things that happened in the past and capturing them is always fun.

This image is part of a children's ward in what was one of London's largest asylums. I do not know if it was for visiting or for patients, some times its best to create your own conclusions

2012-12-10 09:52:03 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Here is my circle of urban explorers, those photographers with a passion for abandoned places.

If you're not included and want to be included then drop a note below :-)

This is the season of goodwill, so share this circle, share, share, share :-)

2012-12-05 11:13:18 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

This was taken on the +Talk Urbex cold war bunker tour, we finally got to meet up with some of the forum members, which was cool and a great day out for sure :-)

My wish for next year is to plan and hold a gallery.... what are your plans for 2013?

2012-12-03 15:32:47 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

I've uploaded some new work onto my website.... some of my favourite images to date :-)

2012-11-27 11:24:38 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

The Calendars have arrived WHOOP WHOOP!
See the link below on how to place your orders :-)

2012-11-13 19:49:43 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 22 +1s)

This image was taken in a hospital in Pripyat.

The city was built on model living and as it was also a new city, it had what was considered the best medical equipment. There are signs on the walls giving tips for healthier living, advising people to seek medical attention for smaller ailments rather than try to tackle it themselves.

At the entrance of the hospital, there is a small metal paper bin, which contains a scrap of leather. This small piece of material is the liner from the hat of a firefighter who was first on site to tackle the blaze after the initial explosion. He died of radiation sickness within days. This small memento of bravery is still highly radioactive and had our guide not pointed it out to us, we would've walked passed it without warning form our Geiger counter and without experiencing this moment of humbleness paying respect to an unknown hero.

2012-11-12 10:54:28 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Last year I earned £337.18 cashback using Quidco, I love this site and I look forward to the bonus money :-)

2012-11-07 10:56:58 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 34 +1s)

This is the first image that I want to share with your from our trip this year.

This image was taken in a school in Pripyat... this place took my breath away, it's sorrowful beauty was, and still is, completely humbling.

Visiting the Ukraine, spending time with it's people and having the privelidge to visit the exclusion zone, has instilled something in me that I am unable to explain.

There are those that are unable to change their lives, there are those that gave their lives to change ours...... there are those who are unable to see beyond the excuses that they hide behind and choose to not experience life.

This moment, right now, is the start of eveything.... no more excuses..... start living!

2012-11-06 10:04:37 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

This image was taken on the +Talk Urbex Cold War Bunker tour.... such a cool place with amazing history!

As a little bit of fun.... anyone care to guess what this is a photograph of?

2012-11-05 10:22:43 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

Taken in an abandoned asylum.

I visited this place many times with +David Baker, taking only a handful of images but spending many hours wandering the corridors. This place is becoming offices.... the asbestos removal team have been working here.... the place is slowly losing everything that made it special, it is being cleansed for new purpose.

2012-10-24 13:22:58 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

I'm presenting at this years Association of Historical and Fine Art Photography 2012 conference at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Others on the day include Google, Tate Gallery, The Royal Collection and National Gallery of Art Washington DC

http://www.ahfap.org.uk/conferences/2012-uk-conference/

2012-10-24 10:13:02 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

I have added this image to my portfolio :-)

What I was wondering was, how do you guys get on describing your own images?

I am struggling between trying to not be completely emotional but wanting the viewer to have an insight into the background of the piece, without drowning them in my own interpretation....

I would appreciate any advice or feedback :-)

2012-10-23 09:39:23 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Such a cool weekend.... almost recovered, still tired beyond belief! Was awesome to meet +Bart Synowiec , +Matthew Godycki & Cess, +David Baker and I had absolute blast! Big shout out to all that came.... looking forward to seeing your images guys :-)

+Talk Urbex AWRE Tour 2012

2012-10-15 08:38:24 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Hi guys :-)

I've just registered with Rise Art and I've uploaded small selection of images.

I am wondering if any of you wonderful Google+'ers are register there too AND I would also like to know how you find it :-)

Hope Monday is being good to you :-)

2012-10-10 13:16:26 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

This another image taken on the +Talk Urbex cold war bunker tour, I have so many images to share, I can't wait to show you all my Chernobyl/Pripyat/Ukraine images... I am still working on them, hopefully they will be worth the wait :-)

2012-10-10 13:09:41 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Great Photographers With < 25,000 Followers
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The photographers here are all in my personal circles.  The choices are mine and mine alone.  No one asked, begged, or pleaded to belong.  No bribes were offered or accepted.  These are the people that I follow because I appreciate their great quality photography and their interaction.  Most I have met as I help curate several of the photography themes.  *There are NO requirements to share this circle*.  I wouldapprec... more »

2012-10-05 11:09:53 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Tomorrow we are at +Wex Photographic talking about our trip to Chernobyl, if you're in Norwich drop in :-)