With the Fluffy one being ill I took it apon myself to make sure she got in the spirty of the holidays.
Now I am not a massive fan of xmas, That is a long story but lets just say watching all the Hollywood movies of family's together and having a good time and the fact that I did not leave with my real family growing up it kinda made me hate on it. Add that to the fact that its no longer about who's around the tress but what's under it I had a massive issue with that!
Now that being said, Fluff (like my brother) love this time of year, making cards and singing songs and just love the feeling of Christmas, But being ill 2 times in less then a month has kinda slowed the start of that feeling in her.
So skinny got out the decorations, put up the tree and the lights. Got a new album on the iPod to find new (and really REALLY SHIT) Christmas song! (LINK)
I have been out doing some of the shopping and getting in some of the gifts (Only the leg work I might add as Fluff has been at the for-front of the right gifts - Shes great at that)
I am really worried that SOPA is going to happen in the USA. This without a doubt turns America into China, Taking down any site that uses any kinda of copyrighted (or what people might see as copyright) without going to court or even see a judge before had.
AMERICA - YOU NEED TO STOP THIS! YOU SAY LAND OF THE FREE? I SAY LAND OF THE PEOPLE THAT DONT FIGHT BACK!
Dont make me right on this one, please please please call your members of the centit and make sure this does not happen!
It has now been pushed to be sorted in the new year and I hope that they spend there time reading everything they can about it!
I am starting to take more photos then I can edit in a day and the back log is starting to get high.
Most of it is coming from my sleeping trouble of late... Maybe I'm pushing it a little hard or not taking the best care of myself but I would like to blame it on my computer.
Yea yea its cheap to blame my tools but since I got the new camera, It has become longer and harder to edit my images. In short my old camera's RAW images were around 10mb each, My PC could take it and as long as I rebooted often it was fine with both lightroom and Photoshop.
Now with the Canon RAW files from the 7d are around the 25mb range. That's almost 3 times the amout of work my poor old computer is used to handling. At nearly 5 years old and running windows vista I am asking alot from her and I do have my eyes on a new computer (Apples MacBook Pro) but thats just a VIP Warning for the next 6months.
Funny that just as im exporting an image for this very blog, My computer has slowed to a crawl
I had an amazing party with many of my friends and close family to help bring it in.
With many of my spits friends, old school rave friends and some of my closest buddies I could not have asked for a better time. My brother was feeding everyone Vodka shots (of witch I had around 13 of) Some peps doing a burn down in the car park and a Dalek entertaining so much more then it really should have!
I just wish to say thank you to everyone that made it and to all that called, text, FB messaged and tweeted me messages! You made it an amazing day!
Wednesday Night I had an EP Launch party and gig fro a very good friend of mine.
Klara of Happy Street (LINK) has had an amazing year with many gigs and events across London, but this EP is showing the world that She is ready for the big time. A turly great person and one of the sweetest people that I have ever met.
Some of you might have seen her latest video (If Something Went Very Wrong) And some might have seen her playing out with a smile on her face.
Anyways, The gig was great and her supporting act was really good as well, Now I have not finished the photos at this point but I will give you a sample for now.
Klaras EP is on iTunes on this LINK, trust me its well worth the money and supporting a great artiest!
Last Tuesday I did a shoot for an old school. He had an Artiest doing a gig and he asked me to come along and get some images for him.
Muzikality is a live music and networking event showcasing the very best in unsigned UK talent. There Facebook page is on this LINK.
It was a good night with some really good music, I love live music but this was my 1st Live hiphop night and I really enjoyed myself, good vibs and good tunes, what more could I ask for!
I have not been out much of late, being ill and work does tend to take up alot of my time, smoe for now I am just going to post this happy pic I took tonight!
Today we got a gift from a Swedish friend in New York.
It was an advent calendar by Jacquie Lawson and it is alot of fun making your own digital tree and watching little snippets of fun Christmas themed clips.
This is a clip from last years to give you an idea
If you would like to see more or get one for a loved one (and if they love Christmas then there going to LOVE THIS). Check out this LINK.
Some of you might remember a while back that I help shoot a music video. I have talked about it a few times and its also where I 1st got to play with my nice new shiny camera (the Canon 7D).
My friend who's lived her whole life on happy street realised the video and is now on YouTube! but as I have been ill the last few days I have not posted it yet.
Well now is the time and I am posting the Video below, I will not say much about the shooting as I wanna leave some of the magic intact but if you enjoy the music then you might want to check out her page (HappyStreet MySpace)
This is a funny blog to post but tonight I have been thinking and feeling very much that there is something very wrong with the world. I have my eyes open and am awake to see what it happening around me. The promises made and then forgotten, The hope of my childhood was that every one was equal no matter of colour, sex or class.
There are things happening in the world that I think are so impotent and then I flick on the news and not a peep of info about it. With Russia trying to pass an anti-gay bill to America trying to copyright the web. The 1st step to suffering is fear, The 1st sign is to take the freedoms away!
I have seen the ways in witch things have changed, In my life time and with everything that has happened to me. Something needs to change before we end up going backwards instead of forwards. Riots, Protests and the stamp out of free speech and this is all within 3 months!
Thank you to the people that have talked to me, Opened my ears and my eyes to the world that THEY wish stay hidden to everyone! Wake up and see it for yourself before we cant stand up any more. Stop watching the x factor and being part of the dumber fife masses, take an interest in what's happening in the world, we live in a world with unlimited information. We have no reason to not be aware and no excuse not to know.
Thank You:
Ylva, Karl, Emma, Eric, Lewis and Ian and to the men that have guided me through my life to do the right thing and not just the easy one, John Bruce and Bill
For the people that dont know, Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is bill that might be put through in the US to censer the internet on the right of IP protection. To find out the full details check out this LINK.
Now I only just herd about this and as Jim said above,
This will turn the US into metal gear solid 2. If this law is passed then almost anyone with a site that deals in reviews or blogs that use freedom of speech are going to be raped up the ass by SOPA!
THIS IS A BAD IDEA!! as Fluff said - "This makes the US into China!"
Well I have had it for about 3 days and I am loving it.
Now I have not really been out with it yet but as I have been working I have been very busy and slowly getting used to the set up. As I am going from a different brand its going to take a little while to get my hands and head around it but with only 3 days I have got most of it down.
The Good!
This camera is FAST! I mean really fast, the focus is amzing and quick but sometimes it does like to focus on something other then what I want (my fault as I need to get used to the AF areas)
The ISO performace is amazing and i have been shooting at 6400 without to much noise at all but at 3200 its almost noise free!
8FPS = Shooting 8 frames per Second is just mind blowing, Its like Kia said on one of the DigetalRev vids "This is the essence of man"
The Bad! This comes down to the lens more but with the battery grip and the 24-70 f2.8 this set up weight is over 3/4KG (Will check when I get my scales fixed)
The Lens does not have IS but having an 2.8 max app its kinda muted as a bad thing.
Now I will be having a shoot soon and I am looking forward to seeing just what I will get. There are still a few things I need to get before I can really let lose on my style of photography like a Canon Speedlight (SB580 exII) and a few other little bits.
Now I will post some sample images that I have got so far, There nothing great and they will get much better after a week or so with the camera. Check my site for details or I will post a link later
For the people that don.t know who he is do me a faver - Look at your computer screen, your mobile phone, your TV and your lights above your head.
Now thanks Alan Turing for all of it!
This is the man that came up with the idea of the modern computer, all computers in fact.
The idea of zeros and ones comes from this man, Cracked the Enigma machine code as well as being one of the smartest people at Bletchley Park During world war 2
Any ways back to the point as I could go on about him for a long time as he is a GOD to anyone who is remotely into tech or computers... Now the Turing Test, Have a look at this image...
The idea of this test is to have an AI so good that it can fool a judge to thinking that the computer is a human. Now I love this idea and the fact he was coming out with this idea before modern computers were even invented. Now this is still being tried today and with the new iPhone coming out (with Siri) I think we are slowly getting to the point of solving the Turing Test.
Guys were living it the biggest jump in technolorg. Lets help it along and lets keep this going without the fears or worry's from movie's and ignorer people.
Today I watched a vid from playpoi and saw something that I really liked the look of...
Yes the heads are really nice and maybe I will get a set one day, But what I really liked the look of was the Chains. Now I found them on HOP (HomeOfPoi.com) and at only £32 I dont think they are to bad... dubble swivels and single loop and thats great for me as I love my orbital (LINK)
Bear with me while I run around my room like a little school girl!!
Ok I'm back... So yes, I placed my order with DigitalRev and and I cant belive that its been nearly a full year since I started putting away my pennys towards getting this camera.
I 1st got to play with it at the Happy Street music video I did last year (I am told that its in the final stages of post) And once I had it in my hands I knew this was a camera that I needed to get.
I am sure that most of my readers are sick of hearing about it but the Canon 7D is one amazing Dslr and I have pared it with one of the best work-horse lens you can buy (the 24-70 f2.8 L USM)
this video was shoot using the same set up I am about to get so Enjoy and I hope to be shooting some of you guys soon with this super sweet set up!
The people that know me know im a gamer, The ones that really know me well know that I LOVE Stealth games!
One of my all time fav games would be MGS on the PS1/PC. I played that game to death and killed off 2 copys of it on the PS1 and 1 on the PC as well. I still have it as a text tone on my phone!
Now I hear this was coming out and I was a little pissed as everything I saw said it was only on PS3. I own an XBOX as I like the lay out of it plus online is far better on the 360 then PSNetwork (no fan boys here and that's a fact!)
But thanks to the guys at AchievementHunter I just found out that The MGS HD collection is indeed out on xbox 360. Now this is a game I am going to buy, My oldest Brother LOVED this games and when ever I play them it reminds me of him!
For the guys that done know "The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection" is not a full collection, the collection is an HD re-release of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and also has the NES versions of the 1st 2 games in the MGS franchise(Metal Gear & Metal Gear 2) but this game lacks Metal Gear Solid and MSG4, Now number 4 I understand but dropping the best of the set and the game that really put Solid Snake on the map is shocking by its absence!
That's a pity as this would have made it the measuring stick of witch all remakes/Collection would be compared to!
Something that has been floting around the spinners facebook walls of late, This guy has some amazing skill that i think would be lost on the "normal person"but for anyojne that works with spinning or the body in general, I think you will love this!
This weeks I am mostly going to be blogging about my new toy... Sorry other readers but right now I am kinda one track minded.
The last few days I have been looking up everything about the Canon 7D all over again, Tip tricks reviews, And I mean everything!
While I have been looking around I have kinda hit a brick wall, And that is Video! Now this camera does everything I could need for Video, But I really have no idea how to shoot it.
How does shutter speed effect filming? What does the frame rates really do? How much of my photography skill going to carry over into shooting Videos?
I am sure that this will come with time and in a few years I will be as good at filming as I am with stills now but it does feel kinda daunting
After nearly a full year of saving, going without so many things and putting every spare penny I have, all the shoots I've done and all the missed nights out and driving fluff up the wall.
Next week, give or take a few day I will be placing my order for the sexy canon 7D, an 18mp C-Mos camera with everything I could want in a camera (bar a full frame mode). Full HD Video, 8fps shooting rate, ISO 12,800, wireless flash trigger and so much more!! I'm pearing it with a 24-70 f2.8 L lens and boy is this set up going to be sick.
This is the top of the range canon in the c-mos range and one of the best cameras on the market. And worth every penny, if you thinks images where good before, then they are about to take a big step up with the control I can have with this bad boy I can do so much more then I ever could on my little old Sony
Just found something that some of my readers will like the looks of....
Any of you guys using a wired keyboard but would love to have it free of something else to get in the way or have a BlueTooth/USE Wireless keyboard but hate going though so many batterys.
Then you might wanna have a look at this
Logitech K750 for Mac/PC Wireless Solar Keyboard
This is now on my raider as I really hate having a wired bored that gets in the way when im editing images using the table but at the same time I know as I work from a computer all the time I would just KILL battery.
Plus unlike alot of bored these days, IT HAS A NUMBER PAD!!
I already go through enough with Speedlights, Poi, Staff, Xbox controllers, guitars, mic's etc) So having something that you get the best of both worlds and (from what I have read) This works from not only normal sun light but from standed home lighting and lamps. One charge can last 3 months on a single charge (That sounds good to me)
Anyways the cheapest I have seen it is at Pixmania for £49.90 (LINK)
It being Halloween you know there is going to be some crazy things happening in London.
But as its falling on a weekday you will see some things this weekend or next, With my friends it was this weekend. And to one group of mates there is the "Crawl of the Dead"
This was the 6th Crawl of the dead in witch everyone gets Zombied up and does a pub crawl across Londons Bar's Pubs and night clubs. Its a shame that I had made other plans and could not stay the full night be it was alot of fun!
The full set of images are on my site on this LINK.
Tonight I got one of the biggest FPS of the year, battlefield 3! Fluff and I was up town anyways so we got a midnight copy from HMV, could not wait to get in and play it!
Trouble is that its published by EA and For the people that follow my blog know, I really hate EA!
Now I bought the game brand new, within minuites of it coming out and they treat you like a pirate! EA needs to stop doing this or this might be the last game I buy from them.
To play this game online I had to input a 25 digit code, join a fucking website, confirm that I am who I say I am and after 30 long mins after putting the game in my Xbox I still could not play its fucking muit player!
Now this game is great and I'm so happy that I have it, but they way I feel is that EA has just robed me of nearly an hour of play time just to jump through hoops and make sure that i did not buy the game used. I feel like shit and all i wanted to do was play a game I have just paid nearly £40 for.
While Fluff was looking around the web and came about a site about yet another dance that Beyonce stole.
This LINK will take you to the site and I ask you to please read the article as this is an on going fight that she (Beyonce) is so guilty of plagiarism!
He is quick to admit that this technique should not be considered off-limits ” Anyone can think of it, and the method does not have a copyright.” he states, adding ” I predicted some people would create their works with the technique and those rivals would give me very good inspiration.”
However, since there are clearly elements used directly in Cuccarini and Beyonce’s performances that are unaltered or show little original thought he adds sadly “to steal the (artist’s) work means to steal the creator’s life and identity. I have no tolerance for someone bringing out the work with no efforts as if it were original.”
This one shows yet another clone/Copy from Lorella Cuccarini
Anyways the vid is great and I would say give it a watch and hope you enjoy!
Been a while I know but life has been very busy of late and sometimes its hard to get around to doing all the little things...
Any ways, One of the things that I have done of late has been a Photo shoot with an old family friend. It was for her little boy and It went really well.
This is the 1st image from the set and the blog is the 1st place that i'm showing it... There will be more to come but for now its just this and I hope you like!
If anyone I know has seen anything like this before please let me know what it is... Fluff just found it on one of the blogs she reads and I must say I have never seen anything like it before!
He is an English man living in the US and does not feel no to ways of saying what he thing about any issue in the games world...
Now I have many games that are used, But the ones that I feel are great games or ones that I have been waiting for along time, I will buy them brand new... But I will not fork out nearly £60 for a load of shit that I might just play for a few months.
Great games are fine, Like Jim I have games that I got new in 1996 and still own to this day. I play my N64 for time to time as golden-eye is still an amazing game. Metal Gear Solid on the playstation(One) is still to this day one of my favs and lets not forget Pac-man and tresses that I have bough so many times on different platforms that I could open a museum.
I have to give it to Jim that not only is he having a good old English stylre bitch but his also giving advice to make it better, Something most bitching people never do!
Today we feel the loss of one of the greatest men in the would of tech.
Steve Jobs passed away today surrounded by his family after a long team illness that has seen him taken to the side from Apples main front man.
No matter how you feel about Apple, You have to give this man the respect he deserve. This is one of the men that have fought Microsoft and won, He has giving us a view computers dont have to be ugyl, That A phone can do alot more then just send texts.
You will be missed Steve Jobs
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." Steve Jobs 2005
Just in case you missed it, A man found a 140 year old photo that looked so much like Nicolas Cage that is must prove he is a vampire! LINK.
Now this image has come out as well!
Something we dont know about some of the superstars of our time? This photo from 1860 shows a man very close to looking like MR Saturday night fever himself John Travolta!
Tonight the subject of Gender came up... It came from a you-tube vid (This youTube vid)
Now for a little back story...
I have a different mind to most (I'm only talking about the normal view of people coming from a White working class English background). I never really saw what made people different. Yes i know coming from different places makes you different but I'm talking about boiling it down to race or gender. I always just saw people as just people. I have tried to work out why racist people see the world the way they do, why a man THINKs it is his right to be paid more then a woman. Believe me I can go on but this is just the way that my mind works. I cant get my head around why you would see anything like that!
Now back to the blog in question... While chatting I told a story that a friend told me the other day. He was carrying a box of heavy things at work and an old lady (working with the friend) said "Why cant a man do the dusting, his got 2 hands just as I have?" after which my friend placed the boxes by her, took the duster and said "ok I'll do that, these boxes need to go up to the 3rd floor"
As I was telling that story and said that he was right- put the right person to do the right job, I got screamed at that how sexist that was, that I was so wrong for saying the lady cant do this job because of her gender... implying that women are weaker then men and so on. The point of the story was not that she could not do it as she is a women, but that she is older. The old lady made it into a gender issue, not just finding the best person for the job.
What shocked me was that before I had even finished, some people jumped right in to have a go at me. "So does men being physical stronger automatically mean that thy are better?" and "So thats why would men should be paid more then us women". I was wowed at the shit storm that had just hit me.
At 1st I through it something that I said, maybe I painted that picture for them? I went over in my head and worked out that it really was not me, but themselves that did it. There views painted the picture, Even smart people can just become so narrow minded without listening to what is really said.. Expecting to hear something that they have hear a million times over. Trouble is they fill in the potholes before the road is even built.
See I love to talk about anything, even things that THEY say you shouldn't... Anything and everything should be spoken otherwise we will never grow as humans, never open our minds to new things and fix all the shit and trouble we have made for ourselfs in the past.
Now as a White English Man I have a lot of shit to put up with from my forfarthers - from slavery to womens rights and God don't let me forget the British Empire. trouble is that I did not do any of these terrible things, I fight on the side of equality not Political correctness as I think the way that its seen does more harm then good. I call out rastist people I meet, try to make a male chauvinists see what it is that they are saying (as pig headed as they can be)
Look at the end of all this we are all just people, lets just get the fuck along and be happy. After all, thats what we want.... RIGHT?
