Experiment Time
As many of you will know, I've been getting pretty agitated with work for a while now and, as such, I have started to look into other employment options.
One of those options, is to follow in another's footsteps and become an Assistant Photographer.
Okay, so I don't have the HND or appropriate education but should that stop me from trying?
For as many people that tell me its a bad idea, I can point out as many people that would tell me its a great idea. I guess only I can really answer that one.
Well, as I don't have the training, I made a start on Friday to see if I could build up a portfolio of pictures ... and I don't think I've made a particularly great start!
Well, we all have to start somewhere.
To kick the evening off, I decided to take some pics with my new running mascot, Squeaker, in order to create my own header for my Great North Run training blog, Sneaker Squeaker. The little mite was into everything and especially enjoyed playing with my lens hood!
Sneaker Peeker
Runaway Sneaker
Thankfully, I managed to get him back in his home - currently a paper bag - and get cracking with the proper photography*.
All in all, I took over 400 photos and posted just 17 of them on Flickr. Not a lot by any stretch, but a start. To be honest, I don't think I should have posted even that many!!!
Out of these meagre few, I'd say that the following are my favourites:
Tuna Sushi
Drip
Evil Tomato
In total, I was photographing until the early hours of Saturday and I finally got to bed at the rather unsociable time of 2am ... which meant I didn't get up until the unsociable time of 1pm!!
This didn't give me a great deal of time to go on the hunt for a red shirt for Valentine's Night at the salsa club I used to frequent, invited by Emma, one of my favourite dancers.
As I haven't been to any salsa class for around 15 months, I was a little nervous of joining the intermediate group, but it seems that everything I learned before hasn't disappeared just yet. Dancing with the familiar faces in the club afterwards had my confidence bouncing back as a lot of moves came back to me ... and I even succeeded in making up a couple and pulling them off, too!!
Unfortunately, Emma wasn't getting much dancing in, so she was sitting in a corner, watching the DVD of the Salsa Congress and getting rather tired. As I gave her a lift, it didn't seem fair to go off and have fun whilst she fell asleep, so we cut the evening short and I dropped her back off at home ... politely declining the offer of a sleepover in the spare bedroom.
I guess if she had her own place, then I would have been more likely to say yes, but as she lives at home it didn't seem appropriate. I find it hard enough to stay over other people's places when I know them, so there's no chance of staying at a person's place whom I don't know.
So, another late night under the belt and another late rising on Sunday, which saw the usual trip to Presence to read through the script for the next play, and attempt to get a feel for the character. I wasn't going to have anything to eat as I knew I would be eating later. However, if I didn't like what I was eating later then it would be good to have had something.
Earlier in the week, I had discussed food with Biker Betty, and how there are certain things I won't eat, like black pudding. That said, not wanting to wuss out on things, I said I would try anything once, to which she invited me to partake in Haggis with her.
The very thought made my stomache turn but I couldn't say no because of my 'anything once' rule!
I have to say that I was quite surprised.
When BB unwrapped the lump of ... whatever ... it looked like a thick condom filled with mince meat or, at least, what I think a condom full of mince meat would look like. Knowing that this was actually a sheep's stomache took the humourous edge of it.
A reasonable slice was dished up, along with a portion of mash and a portion of swede - something else I hated as a kid and haven't touched since. I looked at it and wondered where I should start, figuring that I might as well dive in to the bit I was most apprehensive about...
...hmmmm, it actually wasn't that bad. It tasted very much like a well-seasoned mince: it was only the awareness of what it was actually made of that stopped me completely enjoying it.
Would I have it again? Though I would still be apprehensive, I probably would have it again ... and maybe next time, we'll be able to include the wee dram to go with it :-)
* I'm not losing it. Honest! Its just late at night and I'm tired!!!
One of those options, is to follow in another's footsteps and become an Assistant Photographer.
Okay, so I don't have the HND or appropriate education but should that stop me from trying?
For as many people that tell me its a bad idea, I can point out as many people that would tell me its a great idea. I guess only I can really answer that one.
Well, as I don't have the training, I made a start on Friday to see if I could build up a portfolio of pictures ... and I don't think I've made a particularly great start!
Well, we all have to start somewhere.
To kick the evening off, I decided to take some pics with my new running mascot, Squeaker, in order to create my own header for my Great North Run training blog, Sneaker Squeaker. The little mite was into everything and especially enjoyed playing with my lens hood!
Sneaker Peeker
Runaway SneakerThankfully, I managed to get him back in his home - currently a paper bag - and get cracking with the proper photography*.
All in all, I took over 400 photos and posted just 17 of them on Flickr. Not a lot by any stretch, but a start. To be honest, I don't think I should have posted even that many!!!
Out of these meagre few, I'd say that the following are my favourites:
Tuna Sushi
Drip
Evil TomatoIn total, I was photographing until the early hours of Saturday and I finally got to bed at the rather unsociable time of 2am ... which meant I didn't get up until the unsociable time of 1pm!!
This didn't give me a great deal of time to go on the hunt for a red shirt for Valentine's Night at the salsa club I used to frequent, invited by Emma, one of my favourite dancers.
As I haven't been to any salsa class for around 15 months, I was a little nervous of joining the intermediate group, but it seems that everything I learned before hasn't disappeared just yet. Dancing with the familiar faces in the club afterwards had my confidence bouncing back as a lot of moves came back to me ... and I even succeeded in making up a couple and pulling them off, too!!
Unfortunately, Emma wasn't getting much dancing in, so she was sitting in a corner, watching the DVD of the Salsa Congress and getting rather tired. As I gave her a lift, it didn't seem fair to go off and have fun whilst she fell asleep, so we cut the evening short and I dropped her back off at home ... politely declining the offer of a sleepover in the spare bedroom.
I guess if she had her own place, then I would have been more likely to say yes, but as she lives at home it didn't seem appropriate. I find it hard enough to stay over other people's places when I know them, so there's no chance of staying at a person's place whom I don't know.
So, another late night under the belt and another late rising on Sunday, which saw the usual trip to Presence to read through the script for the next play, and attempt to get a feel for the character. I wasn't going to have anything to eat as I knew I would be eating later. However, if I didn't like what I was eating later then it would be good to have had something.
Earlier in the week, I had discussed food with Biker Betty, and how there are certain things I won't eat, like black pudding. That said, not wanting to wuss out on things, I said I would try anything once, to which she invited me to partake in Haggis with her.
The very thought made my stomache turn but I couldn't say no because of my 'anything once' rule!
I have to say that I was quite surprised.
When BB unwrapped the lump of ... whatever ... it looked like a thick condom filled with mince meat or, at least, what I think a condom full of mince meat would look like. Knowing that this was actually a sheep's stomache took the humourous edge of it.
A reasonable slice was dished up, along with a portion of mash and a portion of swede - something else I hated as a kid and haven't touched since. I looked at it and wondered where I should start, figuring that I might as well dive in to the bit I was most apprehensive about...
...hmmmm, it actually wasn't that bad. It tasted very much like a well-seasoned mince: it was only the awareness of what it was actually made of that stopped me completely enjoying it.
Would I have it again? Though I would still be apprehensive, I probably would have it again ... and maybe next time, we'll be able to include the wee dram to go with it :-)
* I'm not losing it. Honest! Its just late at night and I'm tired!!!
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