Camber sands ; using the Hipstamatic to capture a timeless resort

camber sands, mid october, a photo by Caroline Fraser on Flickr.

As a good friend has been known to say "It doesn't get any better than this". Walking on Camber Sands this weekend under clear blue skies at low tide has been a joy.

I have been experimenting with the  Hipstamatic app , and considering which combinations of film and lens work best.

I don't have an answer yet; it seems to depend very much on the subject matter. can i get back to you on this one; I strongly suspect that someone else has already done the work on this and  made a U-tube video too.

Donuts © Caroline Fraser 2011

I have not yet got over my recent need to include overhead cables in my photos; it seems that landscape photographers take great pains to remove them. My other half doesn't even see them. I am therefore determined to raise awareness of them. I was surprised to learn on "Have I got News for You" this week that there is a society called the telegraph appreciation society. They even have a "telegraph pole of the month" competition ..................... hopefully I will resist the temptation to enter this, as it is unlikely to progress my photography, and goodness knows what sort of individuals I would be mixing with.

Starlings and cables © Caroline Fraser 2011

What I like about Camber is its timeless quality; the attractions of the beach and Pontins don't seem to change from year to year, and I can feel a series coming on that shows the village in a picture postcard style that I feel the Hipstamattic effect may well suit.

Flags abound in the shops and on the beach. Even the front gardens sport them.

Camber village © Caroline Fraser 2011

Enough of this nonsense...................a glass of wine beckons, and  I have to start preparing for Open Studios at The School Creative Centre, Rye................I hope to see you there!

White van man becomes a photographer for the day

view from a transit van, rainy day, Manchester © caroline fraser

 I have been a little lapse in my posts; I can only blame the following............

1. a holiday
2. the washing
3. the dog
4. work
5. Manchester

Anything else would be untruthful. Manchester being the most interesting from the list, if only because I drove a transit van all the way there and back, without a radio.......... for the love of my youngest who is now ensconced in a city that is desperately trying to promote itself from every window, high rise block and restaurant. 

With a van full of old stuff unsuitable for a trendy new flat, but free and therefore desirable, my other half and I drove van, delivered furniture, had lunch with youngest and then explored the city that was waiting for us.

I had my camera;  felt obliged to take photos; it was raining hard; so I was a little limited in my options. 

I saw

•  the street through the van window in the rain; see above

• the view from my hotel window; something rather surreal and impersonal about this

view from a hotel window © caroline fraser 

• a voodoo doll in the "penny falls" at the Odeon cinema - had to do something while my other half queued 20 mins for tickets, and I have fond memories of the "penny falls" in amusement arcades on childhood days out in Bognor, in the days when you actually won something.

Voodoo doll © caroline fraser

I cannot comment on the attraction of a voodoo doll as a prize; clearly I am not the intended audience for this game.

• fire extinguishers in my hotel; as you can see all the photos taken indoors due to problems with the climate "Up-North"

fire extinguishers © caroline fraser

It fascinates me that I sometimes feel compelled to take a picture, even if I have to risk looking completely mad; luckily no-one caught me .............

We eventually made it to the Manchester Art Gallery, where I was excited to find that Grayson Perry had a small exhibition. Having never seen his works, I dragged other half up the steps and into the gallery............ but they were closing in 5 mins and were very politely sent on our way. My opportunity to add a little culture to a very uncultured day was lost.

White van man x2 went to the cinema instead.