Reason 4 is photography – seeing the shot and making it happen.

Here is David ‘seeing his shot’ and here am I seeing mine. Even though I have done several shots along broadly similar lines in recent weeks, I still reckon this is a good one.

After a twenty-year break, from a time when this would have been my subject matter – the shot taken at the Lyceum twenty-four years ago was a good example of the stuff I was interested in photographing then. Now, my subject matter has changed (most of the time – Elvis, Edwyn and Richard aside) but I’ve taken up a camera in seriousness for the first time in donkey’s years and had much pleasure and success with it.

I’ve made loads of new friends – pbase is such a special place. I’ve spoken on the subject at the biggest flower show in the world. I’ve published a book (five copies only but nonetheless – yeah, yeah, I know I could be accused of it being a pure and shameless exercise in self-promotion and in many ways it was) and now two calendars, the new one goes to the printer next week. The meeting rooms at our offices are just about to have my ‘artwork’ (sic) adorning their walls – I was asked to provide the material a few weeks ago and two of the themed rooms’ photos are now at the framers, the third is waiting for me to find time to compile the shots for my third idea. DM and I have done three weddings this summer (and some may say that’s three more than we should have done given the precarious state of our lives).

I feel good about my photography although I know I still have so much to learn – DM is pulling out his hair today because I couldn’t remember how to change a setting on my camera and he is constantly on at me about custom white balances and stuff like that. BUT I know that the only reason why I’m lagging is because my head is exploding with other stuff at the moment – worries about the grand plan and work still occupy so much space in my head and so much of my consciousness that I just don’t have time or the energy to cram in any more stuff.

Two years ago, I was busily preparing spag bog and the year before, we were out bowling!