The lows after the highs

Thomas has been feeling quite down since the end of term and feeling sad because it has suddenly hit him that Adam won't be coming back to school with him in September. What made it worse is that Luke worked all day today and Adam went to (yet another) party last night and stayed over at his host's house, so Thomas has missed his brothers today. I think his expression says it all.

I had an advisory day today with the Royal Photographic Society to check the suitability of my panel of images for my Licentiateship distinction from the RPS later in the year. There were 17 candidates and I was number 16... it took all day, from 9.30am to 4.15pm. However, it was very interesting hearing their constructive criticisms of all the other panels. The standard is very high and they were very critical of all technical things, from the paper the images were printed on to the quality and colour of the mounting board, plus of course the images themselves. Of the 17 candidates I think there was only one who they advised was ready to get her distinction, there were some who needed some changes (like me) and some who were far off and they suggested another year or two. The panel members did not like my printing - I had my images printed in a glossy finish and they did not like that at all, and they felt the mono images needed greater contrasts. Although I had some good strong images, it was also quite difficult to find 10 images that worked well together as a panel, so I may need to change one or two images so the panel works better. I had my images professionally printed by a lab in London, and right now I almost can't be bothered to get them all printed again and feel like abandoning the project....maybe I will feel differently tomorrow. I think my face is something like Thomas' at the moment!

We have four extra boys staying with us tonight as tomorrow they are going to Gatwick together to fly to Magaluf, for this dreaded post-A level holiday. At the picnic lunch yesterday all the mothers were giving the boys  advice about what not to do, so hopefully some of it will be remembered.