A good friend

I spent the afternoon visiting John and Liz in their home, down a long track on a hillside overlooking Salmon Springs in the Painswick valley. I wanted to see John to find out how he has been getting with his production of a series of fifteen stereoscopic images. He will be demonstrating them in their full 3d glory as part of the imminent exhibition which we are putting on to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Stroud Preservation Trust.

John and I were at school together and have ended up living near to each other more than one hundred miles away from where we met. We've stayed in contact throughout those years, more or less closely at different periods of our lives. In the end today, we didn't talk too much about the exhibition, but he did tell me of his good news regarding his innovative optical project which he has been evolving for a number of years. My fingers are crossed.

We all had a cup of tea together and Liz told me about her new exciting new workshop that they are having built in the garden, where she will be able to spread all her materials and tools for her trade as a textile artist.

John has his own workshop for his his photography, and his studies in microscopy, built underneath his woodworking workshop in a small barn close to the house. His windows look out eastwards with fantastic views across many interlocking spurs covered by fields, woodlands and wood pastures stretching for miles up the river valley towards Sheepscombe.

I had brought my newish lens with me, as I thought he would be interested to see it. I took a few pictures of the sheep, cows and horse all grazing together on the interlinked fields that are bordered by old hedges, large trees and a stream running steeply down the hillside below the house. When we returned to his workshop, I took this photo of him as I was showing him the lens in action, as he leant his head on his hand. There was no other light than that coming through the shrouded window on a dull grey day. John then looked through the viewfinder and took a picture of me, but I like this one of him more.

I blipped a related scene from here once before.