I have a suspicion that I prefer the output from the G5 to the E-M5 (sacrilege). Certainly it has worse DR, it isn’t as well screwed together, but it is fun to shoot with and the results look very nice.

This made me laugh – an advert involving a cat being shot or filmed. Needless to say the cat was unimpressed…

We went by train this time because last time we took the bus and we were delayed by about an hour which was not cool. And with the Olympics going on, we weren’t sure how busy it was going to be, so we decided to pay a little bit extra and took the train. We arrived at Paddington Station. I’m really liking all these train rides!

River Thames.

Shakespeare’s Globe.

We then headed over to the Millenium Bridge which is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the River Thames. It was pretty cool, and you can see St Paul’s Cathedral in the background, which is where we’re going to next!

The next picture is an HDR picture of St Paul’s Cathedral. Unfortunately, the tours to the top of the cathedral were done for the day, and we weren’t allowed to take pictures of the inside so we just walked around some more! Yay for saving some money!

Another HDR picture.

Tower of London

Tower Bridge!

One more HDR picture!

The first one is from the last roll I took a good few weeks ago in Newcastle on the millennium bridge

When I saw the shot, I got a rush of excitement, pulled the camera out of my bag (olympus 35rc) set it up and snapped two shots as I passed. the first was too far away(confidence) the second was much better I did have to crop slightly. But I am pleased with this one seeing as I hadn’t really shot any street stuff in a long time.

The second is from our holiday. This was our day trip from Whitby to Scarborough shot at  the spa
This is a gorgeous location, there was a bbc organist playing beach tunes(and abba) and the place was full of pensioners sitting on deck chairs asleep. We didn’t pay the 3 pound to get in but instead climbed the steps and listened for free above. while we sat I noticed this guy asleep I really wanted the picture but his wife was sat very close to him wide awake. I tried some sneaky shots from affair but it wasn’t right. I needed to be close, but had to wait until we were leaving so I could get take it when I walked past. Anyway I got it but had to straighten the picture some. This was shot on hp5 in the 35rc on a very sunny day. I zone focused the camera to about 1.5 meters and shot from the hip. I am very pleased with it.

Developed in rodinal at 1+100 for 16 minutes(I am running out of developer and have no money for new so I am being very frugal)

More to come from our holiday!

Death Eaters Attack London (a reference video in case you have forgotten the scene)

I walked across the Millenium Bridge without being killed by Death Eaters! Boss.

So, as you can see, I recently went on a trip to London for 6 days. I had never been to England at all before, so it was a new experience! It was great to have people immediately speak English to you, and be able to overhear & understand conversations, because you never realize how fun that is until you’re living in another country and don’t speak the language. It’s much more entertaining when you can understand what’s happening around you

Overall impression of London is that it’s a huge, bustling city filled with a great mix of people. There were a lot of tourists and touristy things but it never felt excessive (like some parts of Amsterdam can feel way too touristy- London was not like this, for me).

Here are the highlights!

Day 1- arrive in London at 5pm, ride the tube (subway) for the first time, check into hotel and pass out from travel-induced exhaustion.

Day 2- Explore a bit. Have a look at Buckingham Palace and take plenty of photos. Take a bus to The Making of Harry Potter (also know as the Warner Brothers Studio Tour London) which is actually an hour outside of the city. This studio tour was, simply put, AMAZING. It also took all day.

Day 3- Go to the Tate Modern (an art museum with some great pieces, from folks like Picasso, Monet and Dali). Afterwards, more exploration which leads to us accidentally coming across Big Ben. Also had a great view of the London eye from here. Walk along the pier by the London Eye and come across an outdoor comedy/entertainment festival, where there are plenty of Londoners enjoying tasty beverages. Try Magners Irish cider and eat some dinner as well.

Day 4- Shopping in London! Finally hit up Topshop as I have always wanted to shop there. More museums, as we explore the V&A (Victoria & Albert) as well as the Natural History Museum (a little too geared towards kids). More shopping ensues, with a visit to Picadilly Circus, which is often described as the Times Square-like area of London. Find out that this is also where you go if you want to be consistently pestered to check out this club or that bar- seriously, watch out for these publicity guys because they are annoying and pop up EVERYWHERE…like pigeons.

Day 5- Have high tea/afternoon tea at a fancy shmancy hotel, which was possibly the most delicious and filling meal of my life. It had everything you’d ever want- English breakfast tea, tiny adorable sandwiches, delicious pastries/cakes. I felt like Marie Antoinette, except…English. Shop around a little more before heading back to the hotel to get dressed up. See Phantom of the Opera (my favorite musical, of all time) at Her Majesty’s Theater (the same theater Phantom opened in, 25 years ago). Tears were shed. Amazing.

Day 6- Last breakfast in London, so of course I opted for a traditional English breakfast- yum! Head straight to the Tower of London, which is so huge it takes several hours to go through. The Crown Jewels, however, takes about 10 minutes because you are forced to hop on one of those moving walkways; which while I understand is used to control the flow of traffic, it was kind of obnoxious because you can’t truly admire the detail of the jewels. Did a bit more Harry Potter sightseeing- found Platform 9 and 3/4 at Kings Cross Station, as well as spotted the alleyway filmed for the Leaky Cauldron scenes. Got dinner and drinks and said goodbye to London headed to the airport at midnight because our bargain flight (oh, Ryanair) was at 6am.

So as you can tell, we packed a lot of things into those 6 days but it was still a relaxing trip! My favorite part of trips is the spontaneous moments, so it’s great that London has a nice transport system. You can easily hop on the tube (though it’s not cheap, I warn you…day tickets are essential) to explore a new part of the city!

Now that you’ve read all through that…it’s PICTURE TIME.

Yule Ball Ice Sculpture, from HP4.

Golden Egg from HP4

Potions Props from Harry Potter

Tom Riddle's Gravestone...looks much happier in this context, doesn't it?

Had to get one of these pictures...cheesy but necessary!

Finally found Fish & Chips!

The Tower of London

I found Platform 9 and 3/4!

Anyway, as you can see my trip to London was exciting (although I might mention, quite expensive). I’d love to go to England again if I ever have the chance!

 Anyway, one lunch time last week I needed to go to the South Bank in London to get my sister a particular birthday present she wanted. Instead of taking the tube back to work (I work near St Paul’s cathedral) I decided that I had to bask in the glorious sunny day and walk back instead – I had just about enough time.  But ONLY on the condition that I took notice of everything and returned to work with an idea for a post. Well I tried to take notice, but I couldn’t quite hear what people were saying, and frankly I was distracted by Mr Sun shining on me and wishing for some ice cream to go with my stroll. But on the Millenium Bridge that goes from the Tate Modern to St Paul’s cathedral - there he was – my blog post. To my surprise there was a guy dressed in long red robes and a scary plastic head mask of the Queen, blaring out music from somewhere within his robes.  He proceeded to dance along the bridge shaking people’s hands, dancing with them or just giving them a hug. Obviously he wanted some tips but he definitely brought smiles to people’s faces. (Sorry for dodgy picture from the back – I was in a rush here plus he kind of scared me a bit!)

That is one thing I love about London – the complete randomness you come across and the crazy things people will do to earn money. On the flip side though – friendliness in not one of London’s stong points. In any other situation – there is NO WAY most of us English would go up and hug a complete stranger – in fact we would run in the other direction in case they were trying to mug us! I’m sure this is fairly universal? A strange man comes up to you open armed – do you just go up and hug him? Probably not. But as soon as you put on a mask or costume then this behaviour is perfectly acceptable! You come across I don’t know, Bugs bunny or even someone like our friend here dressed up as the Queen, and you’ll find the very same standoffish people almost queuing up for a hug! Strange creatures aren’t we? The fact we can’t see their face makes them non – threatening! (not the same in the case of balaclavas and scream masks it must be said) But why is this different? We have no idea who is under there or what their true intentions are!!! But hey – Mickey Mouse! I wanna hug! ME I wanna hug! I guess in this unfriendly and often mean society – we are all desperate for a comforting hug, and you may as well hug the guy dressed up as the Queen – cause the real thing sure ain’t gonna hug ya!

A cheesy but lovely hug poem that someone sent to me – you may have read it before but everyone needs reminding :) 

Plus it’s another gorgeous spring day. I scrubbed the post I was writing but am sadly short of time today, so will have to leave you only with a photo that I just snapped on the way home. I hope you like it.

There was some doubt about whether I would have to turn myself in at Scotland Yard — the thought of murder crossed my mind several times yesterday morning. The DH, he of the Scrooge McDuck tendencies, decided that the economic way to get from Gatwick to our hotel near Marble Arch was to take the train and Underground. He checked with our travel agent, who assured him that would be no problem.

Well, yeah, in theory. But she must have been thinking that we packed like normal people, not like people with two teenage daughters. There we were, with one normal size and three massive (and I mean that literally) suitcases, four carry ons, three purses, two pillows, two snuggies, assorted jackets, coats and hats — Ma Joad and the kids, heading to Cali-forn-eye-aye. And I, as a government lawyer, have bitched and complained about the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) for years, because it makes us provide all kinds of ramps and elevators that never actually get used. But I take it all back. Would that there was a Brits with Disabilities Act — the Tube is one series of long, steep staircases after another. Down with the luggage, up with the luggage, through automatic gates with the luggage… And then, DH, who was truly trying to be helpful (or maybe just truly trying!) left some medical equipment I need to sleep at night somewhere on the Tube.

By the time we got to Marble Arch, I had reviewed the plots of all the Rom-Susp books I could think of where the gorgeous wife kills her husband for the insurance money — although I was willing to forgo the double-indemnity by that point!

But once we got to the Tower of London, all was forgiven — I scoped out the crown jewels (“They’re not for sale, ma’am”), paid my respects to Nan Bullen and Dear Lady Jane Grey at the site of their executions, and had myself a Cornish pasty for lunch. Then on to Shakespeare’s Globe in Southwark, which was a thrill for my little drama queens. They were also relieved to see that the Millenium Bridge has been repaired after the Dementors got to it — or as one DD said, perhaps the Ministry of Magic simply did a Confundus Charm to make us think it is still there!

So here’s the DD’s in front of the Millenium Bridge. On to Buck House, Harrod’s, and the Jack the Ripper tour today!!!!

We are kicking of this weekly feature focusing on Newcastle, with a glimpse of the famous city landmark, the Gateshead Millenium Bridge. Also called “the winking eye bridge” because of its shape and tilting method, it is one of  six bridges crossing the river Tyne.

The photo is taken by Bjarte Buene, one of our full time workers on team in the city. Next week we will give you a presentation of him and the rest of the team, and the following weeks will contain everything from interviews with local pastors, sights and historical facts and more, to give you a picture of what is waiting to welcome us this summer.

Newcastle Chronicle: The Millenium Bridge

Vi starter denne ukentlige spalten med fokus på Newcastle, med et bilde av det berømte landemerket Gateshead Millenium Bridge. Broen har også fått kallenavnet “den blunkende broen” på grunn av sin utforming og måten den heves og senkes på.

Dette bildet er tatt av Bjarte Buene, en av våre fulltidsarbeidere i byen. Neste uke får du en presentasjon av ham og resten av teamet, og de følgende ukene vil inneholde alt fra intervju med lokale pastorer til historie, severdigheter og mer, for å gi et bilde av hva som vil ønske oss velkommen til sommeren. 

London at first sight

London is one city that blows me away. The more I try to understand, the more it beckons to me with fresh mysteries. Coming from unpredictable, impulsive India, I was first dumbstruck by the order and conformation to rules around the city. A tad bit boring I know but it’s amazing to watch the systematic flow of traffic with absence of honking and the single file columns on the tube station escalators ( strictly on the right hand side leaving space on the left for the ones in a hurry who march up/down like ants scurrying to a hole – makes me want to tap their shoulders and ask “What’s the big hurry?”).

Read on for a peek into London through my eyes…mostly photographs but you can expect some commentary side-by-side. :p

Big Ben against The London Eye

For those of you with no idea what the Big Ben and The London Eye are (I had no idea about the Eye & vague ideas about Big Ben until I moved to London) here is a crash course:- Big Ben is the nickname of the clock tower bell close to the Parliament houses and it is one of the most famous landmarks in London. If my ‘London walk’ guide is to be believed, it was nicknamed Big Ben because the bloke who was commissioned to build it was a big fella. Moving on to The London Eye, the giant Ferris wheel, one of the tallest in the world on which wide-eyed tourists take a merry ride lasting a loong time while they look at the city spread below.

Too many sculptures I say…!

I also can’t help but remark about the optimum use of historical structures and tourist destinations by the Government. It makes me bug-eyed about the potential India has if the Government decides to take it seriously. I could dare say London has some of the most well maintained historical structures and museums in the world. Add to it the fact that most of the museums and art galleries have no entry fee and you have the perfect cocktail of tourist and local footfalls.

Hampton Court Palace, dated early 1500′s, stands tall & proud till date

I am a history buff and it does not help that am a romantic too. So there you go…I have set myself the not-so-difficult task of visiting every palace/ fort in London. I have so far covered the most publicised ones and will work my way down to the not-so-popular ones over the summer. It sure is an amazingly good pastime to explore chambers where Kings & Queens lived while imagining the pomp and splendour of the olden days.

Tower of London. Let the looks not fool you…this is where the Kohinoor sits caged in a British crown

White Tower built by William The Conqueror in the Tower of London

There were times as a kid when I used to wonder if I would ever get to see the London Sherlock Holmes lived in (I had thought he was real ) or Charles Dickens’ characters relived. In a way I have but there is a mammoth difference between Dickens’ London and present day London of course.

It is one of my favourite pastimes to visit landmarks/ buildings connected to the literary characters I hold dear.

The contrast between the old and the new worlds is evident.

Street art: Fallen Telephone boxes, Kingston upon Thames

I have also taken a liking towards visiting sites where popular movies were shot. Try guessing in which movie(s) the locales in the two pictures below figure.

If you were able to guess then bingo you are a genius if not…then you are more of a human being. Ok here’s the answer, these two almost unrecognisable locales figure in different Harry Potter movies. The first picture is the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron (the blue telephone box like building entrance; it is actually an optical shop) and the second is Leadenhall market which is where Diagon Alley was shot. I know this sounds childish, but I actually went on a paid Harry Potter walk and saw the sites above and Ministry of Magic, Gringotts, Platform 9 3/4 etc…

The picture below was taken on a cold windy day from a wobbly bridge called the Millenium Bridge, close to the school where Daniel Radcliffe studied and where a Death eater attack scene of the movie was shot. (This is lame I know…!)

St Paul’s Cathedral as seen from The Millenium Bridge

Oh and I should mention about the Theatre scene in London. One term to describe it: ‘It takes my breath away’. I knew I could not go wrong with Phantom of the Opera, and sure enough, I was captivated. Then of course came the more earthly musicals like Mama Mia! (I enjoyed theatre in dear old India too but it’s so different here.)

I am not a person who is into art and architecture, but this city has some cannot-ignore buildings that leave me with a gaping mouth.

London Gherkin against St Mary Axe, the egg shaped skyscraper against an Old church. It is built on the site of a historic building destroyed in a WW bombing

The inside-out Llyods Building where every utility feature like stairs, lifts, heating etc are on the outside

Btw did I mention about the cities within London city? Guess not…so here goes…London comprises of two cities: The City of London (the ancient city with the forts etc & today the Financial district) and The City of Westminster (the present day Civil admn hotspot with the Parliament Houses and so on). The City of London is interesting for its choice of logo I thought. It still has the old (retarded looking) dragons of the days of Ye Olde Londinium. (It’s not just the Chinese who believed in dragons in those days.)

If you thought I was already too taken in with the sights and sounds of London, figure this!

Candies on sale at Winter Wonderland, the annual winter fair at Hyde Park

And this…

Mad shopping among mad crowds at Oxford street on Boxing day

And of course, I did the tried and tested ‘tourist tour’ of London aka the landmarks where tourists stand and get their pictures clicked for the benefit of their bug-eyed folks at home (and to post on FB of course…).

Parliament Houses

Horse Guards Parade

Westminster Abbey

Here’s an interesting fact. The horseman in the picture of Trafalgar Square below is Charles II, the only King in Britain’s history to be tried and executed for a tiff-off with the church (and some other politics). He was hanged in public and he supposedly wore two shirts during the hanging to not let his subjects see him shivering. His son was eventually restored to the throne and all ended well. But in the memory of this ‘sad’ event Big Ben has a black dot on its face at the minute when he was hanged. The statue in the picture below was also erected at the exact centre of London with every measurement of distance leading off from his statue (supposedly).

Trafalgar Square: Site of the Olympics countdown clock and location for large public gatherings in the city

So here’s to the end of this post (my first blog post corresponding to a travelogue). A picture of swans sleeping on the Thames.

Sleeping Beauties

and the picture of the event that made me jump around like a March hare. (Pssst…my first Snow experience.)

Enchanted forest? No…the campus woods after the first snow of the year

You may also like Back to blog Amy Winehouse style , Bangalore to London 2 and Midnight in London.

On my way to Hogwarts!

Why can’t I push it through?!

After that we hopped on bus 17 to St. Paul’s Cathedral! Took a lovely picture of myself on the bus.

St. Paul’s Cathedral was amazing! As we drove up to it my jaw just dropped; it’s so magnificent! I had learned a little about it in my architecture class this past semester but seeing it in person really made me understand everything the professor had talked about. It’s incredible how they were able to construct such an amazing building with such limited tools. Christopher Wren was definitely a genius! Fun fact: Christopher Wren only did architecture as a hobby, he was actually a mathematics professor!

View from the bus, coming up on the cathedral

“I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall walk in darkness”

This was carved into the glass on the front door

Protestors of some sort outside the cathedral

My feet in front of the cathedral

View from Millenium Bridge

On Millenium Bridge with Tower Bridge and the Shard in the background

Shakespeare’s Globe Theater (in the white)

View of Millenium Bridge (featured in Harry Potter 6!) and St. Paul’s Cathedral from Shakespeare’s Globe