No, not forgotten were the words of Archbishop Vincent Nichols as he welcomed Archbishop Bashar Warda at Westminster Hall on the evening of Thursday the 17 March 2011.

The visit of Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil in Iraq coincided with the launch of a report by Aid to The Church in Need on religious freedom which revealed that three-quarters of religious persecution that goes on in the world today is sadly against Christians. The day at Westminster began with a reception which was followed by a press conference at The Friary

A special St Patrick's Day mass accompanied by a full choir was then held at Westminster Cathedral



where both archbishops came together to give communion to the many who gathered

The evening continued with a speech by Archbishop Bashar Warda who then took questions from the audience before the evening drew to a conclusion.

In my day, school uniforms were a right drab. Sports colours were scarcely more inspiring either. It was my great delight to experience more than a splash of colour at the netball courts at SY12 9AB last week when Ellesmere's Netball 1st VII hosted the visit of Moreton Hall.

I think you'll grant me the indulgence of saying that these are the most exciting sports colours I have seen in years

My Friends

I am pleased to have found this

The Manfrotto Neotec Monopod.

To be able to have something that is capable of being set up so quickly is an absolute bonus, leaving me therefore to concentrate on the important thing - getting that shot.


Enjoy!!!

Well as they say, ' There's a first time for everything '

Quite a busy weekend prior to which I attended a meeting in respect of a big event shoot next week, followed by an enjoyable telephone conversation when I caught up with my friend Carli who is quite the most exciting events, advertising, fashion and corporate photographer I know and more importantly, one of the loveliest people one could ever hope to meet. She had just added the finishing touches to her new site so when you have a moment, please visit Adby Creative Images

My Opus One in singlehanded video reviews is finally up. It was recorded on Saturday along with other pieces to follow and features my favourite shoulder bag, the ThinkTank Urban Disguise 40. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

My delivery sounded more polished as the afternoon unfolded but I'm quite happy with the first published attempt despite battling the wind and aircraft noise. Hope you like it or at the very least, please don't fall asleep :D


Have a good week ahead everyone.

I was shooting some videos this afternoon and noticed a welcome indication of the first signs of spring which backed up the sunny start to the day and the first weekend in three in which I was able to shoot a whole afternoon uninterrupted.

On such a beautiful day it seems so unreal and one feels utterly helpless that many face real tragedy in Japan. Our prayers and thoughts must surely be with those who try to cope with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami and those who are helping them rebuild their lives.

The Japanese people have a long history of being very resilient. If ever they needed to be inspired by one of their ancient proverbs, it surely is now.

You don't see it these days. Not that there were many examples of it in it's heyday. It certainly wasn't something you could have placed into your basket at Amazon, Adorama, B&H or Calumet. Well, not at the $89,579 price tag which was the asking price of the unit when it was launched.

Measuring 32.9 inches without it's hood and weighing in at 36.4 lbs ( 16.5kg ), the Canon EF 1200mm f5.6L USM Super Telephoto is the world's longest and rarest autofocus lens.  Only available through special preorder arrangements,  lead times were being quoted at 18 months. It's hardly surprising that the lens took several months to construct since the growing time for  the large fluorite crystals which made up the third and sixth elements was around a year. Introduced in 1993, it was finally discontinued in 2005 with as you would expect, a very exclusive uptake. Sports Illustrated and Canon Professional Services are known to have two copies a piece, with National Geographic and James Jannard, the billionaire founder of Oakley having one each.

When shot with an EOS 1Ds MkIII, faces were said to have been recognizable at distances in excess of a mile. Mount this onto a 1.6x body like the 7D and you would have a field of view equivalent to a lens bearing a focal length of 1920mm. That would indeed have to be quite an L lens!!!

If you're looking to take a picture of that woodpecker in your back garden, get a 600mm or a 400mm with a teleconverter instead. This thing has a minimum focusing distance of 45.9 feet or 14 meters. Another reason why the Canon EF 1200L wasn't perhaps for everybody.



Picture - http://www.robertphotoblog.com

Further information and a review, look up http://www.the-digital-picture.com/reviews/Canon-EF-1200mm-f-5.6-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

Most of us have read good advice amounting to having a small table tripod as part of the accessories to have in one's camera bag. You never know when you are going to need a stable platform on which to mount your camera and the chances are that you don't have it when you need one and are then compelled to make do with something of a makeshift nature. Trouble with table tripods is that while not the most stable of mounts and perhaps suspect when you are using a heavy camera in portrait orientation, they are it seems to me, not solid enough to mitigate vibration. Well, possibly until now.

Manfrotto have just announced a selection of new items to their catalog which include two pocket tripods. Available in with black or silver  and in two sizes, they look to resolve the stability and transportation issues.

This is the small pocket tripod, model MP1-CO2 ( CO1 being the version in black )

In today's competitive world seizing the opportunity is vital, so presenting yourself well and making the right impression is all important since in most instances you only get one chance. With help from someone who understands organisations and what they require, getting and staying ahead can be that much easier.

Marion Mitchell has used her 20 years of experience with some of the biggest names in industry based both here and abroad to help a host of executives do just that. Companies like BP, Cable & Wireless, Diageo and Tesco stay ahead by benefitting from Marion's coaching skills borne of a background in HR consultancy. Marion can be reached on www.marionmitchell.co.uk

With more professionals and enthusiasts using the HD Video capabilities of their DSLRs there has been over this past year, an increase in the number of products on offer. Any acquisition in respect of photography is as we know too well, a costly exercise so below is a very useful survey of microphones by Dan Carr which may just narrow the choice and take the sting out of buying a less than suitable tool. Dan is a commercial outdoor sports photographer from British Columbia who will be familiar to many users of Think Tank products. Thanks Dan, you've got me working out my budget!!


http://dancarrphotography.com/blog/2008/11/30/video-accessories-for-the-canon-5d-mark-ii-part-1-microphones/



Enjoy everyone

On Thursday the 17 February, Caroline Spelman as Secretary for the environment apologised to members of the house and announced the government's decision not to change the ownership of 258,000 hectacres of state-owned woodland.

In what was the biggest campaign since the government took office which involved public gatherings, advertisements in national newspapers and sustained pressure including use of  social media and over 100,000 emails being sent to members of parliament,  the nation spoke with one voice that Britain's woodlands were a national heritage and it's ownership should remain in public hands. The forests rightly belong to the people.


This is only a beginning since with the Forestry Commission being run down, much of the future of our woodland remains at risk and much action and discussion is needed to ensure the continued well-being of our forests.

A Christmas tree located on the main corridor and decked in the colours of the school announces the spirit of advent amidst the daily business of the school day.

In the evening, the first of three carol services, this one comprising visitors from the community including Old Ellesmerians with the singing led by a 60-strong choir under the direction of Roger Paul, Ellesmere's music director.

The average age of the British soldier is 19 years, scarcely more than the ages of the the head boy and girl of Ellesmere who, representing a new younger generation are seen here observing a moment's silence following the laying of the wreath on Remembrance Sunday in tribute to Old Ellesmerians who have fallen in the two World Wars.

Aid To The Church In Need (ACN )  began their annual event on the 16 October with a morning mass

at Westminster Cathedral which was led Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro from The Sudan




while Fr Michael Shields, an American priest who has for the past 16 years been working in Magadan, a former gulag town in Siberia preached from the pulpit.




Before a capacity crowd in the Cathedral Hall, Bishop Eduardo would go on to speak of the growing tensions in the run-up to the referendum on the possible secession of South Sudan from the north.



while Fr Shields explained how his work was making a difference to survivors of the gulag. In the afternoon, John Pontifex the Charity's UK Head of Press and Information spoke of conditions faced by Christians in Pakistan

and holding the attention of a captivated audience




ACN's National Director, Neville Kyrke-Smith gave an account of the state of the church in the Ukraine




Question and Answer sessions followed both the morning and afternoon talks with the proceedings being brought to a conclusion around 4pm.


The day provided an inspirational and uplifting experience to the many who were privileged to hear the detailed accounts provided by what I can only describe as some of the best and most gifted speakers whom I have heard ever to gather under one roof in support of a worthy cause.  A definite date for the diary in 2011.

October 9 was Open Day at my alma mater. Ellesmere holds two Open Days each year, designed for prospective parents and pupils to take in the college. The bright sunshine that was forecast was nowhere to be seen which was just as well for shutterbugs.

Much was on show including the junior lab which in my day was the sixth form bar. That said, there's more fun to be had these days in SY12 9AB as I'm sure we're all aware.


There was a display of musical instruments in the upper section of the Lower School which proved too tempting for this gifted young man.


while the new Shooting Academy had it's first public exhibition. Here Tom Rylands is assisting a young shooter with high tech aids. Next summer, Ellesmere is presenting a team for the Ashburton Cup in Bisley for the first time in over twenty years.


And don't tour guides just start so young these days?


For all who attended the event, there were treats at three





Have a sunny October day everyone!!!

It's been raining somewhat heavily this morning, washing away the dust and grime from my car and along with it my morning run. Just at the downpour was beginning, I spotted that the earlier shower had highlighted a spider's web in the garden. Thus braving equipment to the elements I grabbed this shot before my 5D2 became too wet for comfort.

As with most of the pictures in my blog, you may supersize the image by clicking on it. For those who care about these things, the subject is a Garden Spider, also known as a Cross Spider because of the cross-shaped mark on its' abdomen with adult specimens seen between June to October in these isles.

Hope the day promises some dry spells so I can get in the third of my four runs this week or I won't be such a happy bunny. Mind you, I'm not always happy doing it either but that's another matter.


Y'all have a nice day now