Insecurity and Images

It seems lately I've been redefined as a "photographer" - which I don't feel is a fair title, any more than I am a musician. I was sorting through files on my DP1 for the latest review (the street shot of Dag/clouds, and the digger in front of the Abbey, were used in the end) and I found short_mort's photograph of jenova_red.

The composition, Jen's expression, it's all considerably more natural than the images I manage to take; regardless of technology.

I find the same thing looking at other people's images; potatojunket in particular has an exceptionally good eye. Perhaps it's because he has two, though I only ever use the one when framing myself... there's definitely something which I'm lacking where this is concerned.

What set this of, of course, is reading the Sigma forum and seeing more of Carl Rytterfalk's blogging and DP1 articles. Carl is a very well regarded Sigma user, one of the people first allowed access to the DP1 from Sigma Japan (I got mine from Sigma UK, but not in advance of other users). And his blog says "Digital Film user since 2002".

I sort of look at this and go "So what?". 2002? 2002 was yesterday. 2002 I'd been writing about and using digital imaging technology for almost a decade. There may have been a lag in my using digital SLR, but I started with scanning cameras, so my expectations were somewhat higher than any DSLR at the time would give.

However.

It doesn't matter when he started; his reputation (like pretty much anyone else's) is deservedly much greater than mine, despite the similarities in our outlets/subjects.

I'm not having doubts about what I can and can't do; but I am curious if I deserve to call myself a "photographer" any more than I do "musician". I've done a little in each field that people appreciated; even a blind pig finds a truffle sometimes.

Once the move is done, both of these fields will be addressed. I hope to talk more to my friends about creative, rather than "kit" subjects. And maybe with luck I'll get to collaborate more with good musicians like deathboy and perhaps become more comfortable with my own skillset.

This content brought to you by "glaring angrily out of window at noisy shitheads in the street thanks to that arsehole up the road who appears to have decided to allow his teenage son to a: have regular, uncontrolled access to the drinks cabinet, and b: have the sort of rowdy, shit friends that gravitate towards the kid with an uncontrolled drinks cabinet".

Aha, the storm

The rain is cleaning the air, and the streets.
I can hear it pattering on the roof of the MX5 and 2CV in the yard.
I can smell it through the window.

A sunny bright day, a distant thunderstorm, and heavy, powerful rain at night, when I'm inside and safe.

Sometimes it happens in the right order after all

Progress report

Another late night, but so far I have:

Taken lots to the dump - Hiro looked decided "Beverley Hillbiliies" piled high with parts of old kitchen. Not all of it is moved, as some is so very disgusting and bulky I simply can't envisage getting it into the car, but the first load was dropped off, I dropped the roof, and the dump-bloke said "Enjoying the weather".

"No. I can get more stuff in this way!"

Hiro has been rewarded with a very thorough interior cleaning, and is now parked on the road with the windows and roof up but the back window open, facing into the sun, so his seats dry out. They didn't get mucky with rubbish, but they had waterstains from the leaking roof, hopefully I've removed those now.

I've also cleaned the kitchen windows and screens, refitted the screens, done some yard cleaning (need a new broom though), scrubbed the gas meter box, done some dishes and laundry, got Hiro a new foglight on eBay, fed Chickens and cat, tidied a few bits around the house, and rewarded myself with a Fab! lolly.

Now it's time for tea and to look for "sell your house online" sites. I have an idea... and with the cleaned front yard, once it's dried out I'm going to take a shifted picture of the front and rear of the house (may do some more lawn mowing) and see if I can make it look appealing.

This update got distracted...

The bottom two pictures - the house in Hawick, quickly snapped on the 24mm PC-E, sadly the weather a bit dull. Before it goes on the market I will sweep the yard more and get a picture on a good, sunny day.

But then I noticed two pics in the gallery - one, a picture of the old Scottish Office in Edinburgh, a subject I must revisit with the PC-E lens I feel. And a sunset from one of the outlying villages.

So what do you think we should do with the house? Predictions for what the estate agent says. It's 8/9 bedrooms, two kitchens, three bathrooms, 2 extra wcs, extra kitchenette/laundry room, cellars, garden, parking for four cars and 2.800 sq. ft about 100 meters from the high street on a "quiet access only road" *snerk*.

A 3 bedroom apartment in a 1960s converted telephone exchange is on the market for £239,000.

So. Where will he put it?

£210K, what I've asked "people who might be interested" for as a "look, take it, we need to move"
£245K, what I'm thinking
£280K, what we hoped before the market slowed down and thought may be possible with more work, which we don't have time for...

Remember that Scottish prices are offers over. I'm tempted to underprice and go for fixed price.

	This is the future. As seen from the 1960s. Hail, citizen. Are you complete?
	Sunset on Empire Actually, a truck on the A7.
	For Sale The front of Abbeyfield House on 11th May 2008, prior to Estate Agent visit
	Rear of House The front perhaps, rear as it is now.