Big Beautiful Doll

It's been a hectic week so I apologise for the lack of posts. I have only one week of work left until holidays and as usual it's crazy busy trying to get everything done before we close.

Should I apologise for posting another image from Flying Legends? I feel as though I should but I must admit that the process has been a pleasant one and the images have certainly captured imaginations everywhere judging by the responses.

So I'm off to finish off that bottle of white that's calling me, let me know what you think, good, bad & ugly.

Oh and the title is the name of the Mustang, not the big fellow giving me the stare!

CM2009

Ship Shape

We've just arrived back from a HAG BBQ. For those of you who don't know what that is it's a combined Hen and Stag do. So I would just like to say thanks to Hilary and Jeff for inviting us, it was great to see you and meet everyone. Good luck for monday, good job the best man has a couple of days to recover!! :)

On another serious note I've just read some terrible news, fellow blogger/twitter/facebook friend Tammy Warren has had a fall from her horse and as I write is being flown to hospital. Those of you that know her either personally or, as I do, through her blogs A Cricket In The Garden or Standing Still please hold her and her family in your thoughts and prayers. My thanks to Marcel for letting us all know and keeping us informed too.

The image is again from Flying Legends but I guees the title has a double meaning today and I hope Tammy is ok and ship shape again very soon.

You can see the original version here by the way.

CM2009

Safe Return

I've spent my evening up to my elbows in dirt fixing the brakes on my son's car. I also spent a whole Saturday afternoon two weeks ago doing the same.

This has taught me three things;

• If you're replacing one wheel cylinder do the other one whilst you're at it because two weeks later it'll fail.
• I'm really not a fan of Peugeot's policy to use many different components on the same year and model of car!
• Last, I'm too getting too old for this stuff, I used to do it for fun and now can't remember why!!

So this is the last in the series of three I had in mind. It's not the image I was going to use but that one didn't meet my expectations. I wanted to get across a feeling of relief and joy of a loved one returning safely but I'm unsure as to whether I've achieved that aim. I can say though that I liked this image just because and that's a good enough reason for me to post it.

Ever conscience of boring myself and you this will be the last from here for a while and I'll stay away from the textures too. I do feel that they suited these subjects though.

Let me know your thoughts as always.

CM2009

Terra Firma

I don't think I have a lot to say today, in fact I haven't had a good old moan for ages eh? Never fear, I'm sure something will crop up soon enough ;-)

I would like to say thanks for all the great comments and responses to the last two images, it's really great when others like what you've done.

I was/am very undecided about this one. I'd planned this as a follow on of the post before last with a third to follow. With that in mind I wanted to keep that sort of feeling going with this one but I also liked the straight version. In the end, obviously, I plumped for this one but you can see the straight version here if you wish to. Let me know which you prefer, if any at all!!

CM2009

Whispers In The Wind

Whispers in the wind
Bygones in the breeze
Sometimes you may hear them in the bowing of the trees

More than sixty years of skies have passed
Yet still the signs exist
Rusty hangers and crumbling nissen huts
Appear through morning mist

Off you set upon your round
Putters and irons close to hand
But there’s something different about this land

Airstrip on the edge
And criss crossed paths you find
Windsock flapping in the breeze
All echoes left behind

So when you reach the eighteenth hole
And before the nineteenth beckons
Spare a thought for those who have passed
For without them
These days may never have happened

Whilst the images were all shot at Duxford the inspiration was taken from Earls Colne airfield which is now a golf and sports complex in Essex, yet from the air you can still see they were there.

CM2009

One Ship Still Missing

As you may have read we went off yesterday to the Flying Legends airshow.

The weather stayed fine (in fact I've never had a bad day for this show) and the show was fantastic. Almost three hours of magnificent flying, too many highlights to mention.

I knew that my longest lens was nowhere near long enough for good aerial shots (not that it stopped me trying) so we got there earlier and went on the flight line walk. It was full of folks in period dress and they made for a great photo op. I shot several hundred frames, most of which are just for me but I did capture some that I will post and this is the first. I didn't go for the posed shots, they don't really interest me. This young lady really looked the part and I managed to capture this shot, she seemed to have a distant, lonely look, despondent even.

I didn't feel that full colour was appropriate for the mood. As a side note, on a WWII airfield with aircraft and people to match it was still difficult to get a frame without something modern in it!

So let me know what you think as always.

CM2009

P.S. small update, I've just entered this shot into Photo Friday because this is one of my favourite spots to be! :)

AV Gas & Paint Fumes

The less said about this week the better, I'm glad it's over and it can only go upwards from here right? Honestly it's been a crappy one that I won't bore you with the details of.

I have had a blast with these textures and/or layers this week though. It's really been fun experimenting with them. So I hope you'll forgive me for posting another?

The theme over on Shutterday this week is Aviation. Those of you that know me, have been reading long enough or indeed unfortunate to live in the same house, will know that this is another passion of mine, especially WWII aviation.

So you would have thought it'd be any easy one for me but to be honest I've hundreds of aircraft images, mostly taken with the old Fuji (to which I seem to have some aversion to posting, (should I?). I had quite a few to choose from then, one of my choices was this which was taken with the old Fuji and I love this one, would have pleased the purists too as I haven't touched it.

However I'd been working on an image of Sally B (star of the Memphis Belle movie), the UK's only airworthy B-17, for no particular reason other than I liked it. When I got home today I started to play around with textures on it and I have to say I'm really happy with the way it turned out. You can see the straight(ish) version here. She's been grounded this last year through engine trouble but I know the new engine had been delivered and was close to being fitted when I last saw her so I'm looking forward to seeing her back in the air this year where she belongs :O)

As a side note I was saying the other day that I wish I'd could put up an alternative image, as I have done today, so you can see the difference but you can't do that on blogger without creating another post. A light bulb came on, dimly, in my head this morning that I have a photobucket account. So there, another problem solved!

Phew that was a long one today, let me know your thoughts please, it's always nice to get the feedback.

CM2009