A Story can be Told without a Story

A day off today. I woke up happy only to find a hair sprouting on my nose! Geeze, cribbens help ma boab! I had an immediate pluck and it hurt!

I was quite excited, despite the earlier trauma, as I had arranged to go out in Manchester with Marshall today. He's a semi-pro wedding photographer now, but he rarely gets the chance to be a bit more creative. I got to the train station and took a test shot only to discover....no battery! Eek missed train to recover it from the charger. Surprisingly for me, I arranged to meet him at North Tea Power as I had promised him cake and coffee. He chose milk with the V60 which in my eyes is not quite right, and he appeared to enjoy his pain au chocolat more! Mon dieu!

We started off in the Northern Quarter Marshall said how much fun it was to shoot static objects rather than brides, but 10 minutes later said he was bored, because he got easily bored! Ha! We headed down Deansgate for a wee while, but being a family man his ball n chain was weighing heavily on his ankle so he had to head home.

I went to the camera shop, Calumnet near Piccadilly. I didn't buy anything but would thoroughly recommend them as there was no sales pressure and they were incredibly helpful. My D3000 is defo an entry level camera and I am saving for one that has a better sensor. I was really wanting a play with a D7000 but they were out of stock because of the flood in Thailand that destroyed the Nikon factory. The D3 was lovely, but at £2k 2nd hand......

I then went off to Manchester Art Gallery. I spoke to a posh old chap whilst we were both looking at the Constable (not a policeman). I critiqued it saying that although the sky was beautifully painted, it accounted for over 2/3rd's of the image......the old boy politely pointed out from the label that the artist was simply practising painting sky! Blahhhh, likely bloody story!

I then headed off to the Cornerhouse and had a rather fine muffin and a nice, albeit Illy coffee. As it is freezing, I thought I may as well stay and watch a movie there (it's a cinema too) and all that was on was at that precise time was film called "Shame". Shame it was about a sex addict, with lots of boning and full nakedness! Still, it had a nice soundtrack!

In all seriousness, the film was superb! It didn't really have a story but it told a thoroughly engaging story implicitly very explicitly. It was directed by Steve McQueen and the main character was acted wonderfully by Michael Fassbender. The cinematography was superb, thought out in a French arthouse way, with most frames in perfect proportion. It had a deep message too, that sex addiction was a malaise, underpinned by deeper psychological issues. It was one of these films that you come out the cinema feeling mentally tired, sad but moved all at the same time. I thoroughly recommend it, but maybe not for a 1st date.....

On my blip today, not one when I took with Marshall, but I am proud of this one. Just love the colours and perspective. Only tiny tweeking with contrast and exposure levels.