Wednesday 1st February 2006
Snap
I bought a shiny new lens for my camera on Monday - a zoom telephoto. It was only when I bought it that I realised just quite how filthy my current lens is! Hopefully, when there’s a bit more sunshine in the evenings I’ll be able to get some good photos - my 18-55mm lens has got me through 3600 photos, but I’ve often wanted a bit more zoom. I’m still waiting on a new 50mm f1.8, which should help a bit for the low-light stuff I do with dramsoc, but there my tripod will come in useful. As for the ri-dic-u-lous ancient telephoto that I got given at Christmas - which is almost two foot long - well, I’m sure it’ll get me arrested if I used it outdoors. Which is a shame, since it has a 7.5 metre minimum focus!
I was reading an article on public photography earlier today. I’m glad to say that I haven’t had an encounter with the police (yet), but I’m building a collection of “you can’t take photos here” photos - most recently at the Southside shopping centre at Wandsworth. I blame the image of me with an SLR - I would lay money that I will get stopped far more often than an middle-aged American couple with a happy snapper. Hey ho, I’ll just have to name and shame.
When I visited the dear old Soviet Union years ago they had rules that it was forbidden to photograph any military installation, airport, railway station, and even bridges. One day I wanted to photograph a museum piece old Tupolev bomber at an airport and asked the Intourist guide if I might do do.
“It is forbidden to photograph anything at an airport,” she snapped. Then she turned and smiled and said, “Did you ever hear about the Englishman, the Frenchman and the Russian all of whom committed suicide by jumping off a suspension bridge? Do you know why they did it? The Englishman’s business had gone bankrupt and he was too ashamed to face the future and the Frenchman had come home and found his wife in bed with another man. He too was ashamed”
And the Russian” I asked.
“Oh, he jumped because he saw the big notice-board that said IT IS FORBIDDEN TO JUMP OFF THIS BRIDGE.
So I’ve got a nice set of photos of that old Tupolev.
Comment by Jim — 2/2/2006 @ 8:35 pm
that’s a good story. I like it :-).
Comment by Nia Stevens — 4/2/2006 @ 2:08 am
I’ve been desperately trying to think of a “In Soviet Russia…” joke. Good choice of lens.
Comment by Andrew — 5/2/2006 @ 10:50 pm
Mmm, yeah - I was retelling this story last night, and accidently started it with “In Soviet Russia…”, which made it sound less believable.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakov_Smirnoff)
Comment by Andy — 8/2/2006 @ 12:22 pm
[…] Last weekend, Dave and I went to the Barnes Wetlands Centre. It’s about 15 minutes walk from our flat, and it’s somewhere that I’ve been meaning to go to for a while (there’s about a million places in London which I Really Should go to). It was about half and half an excuse to play with my new lens. […]
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