The Hard Work Begins

As with all my other colleagues I am now immersing myself in the research for the first essay for the MA course.   I have to say this is an absorbing activity.  However, the knock on effect has been that I am no longer paying as much attention to my own photography as, perhaps, I should.   This is not a unique problem.  David Manley on his blog as eluded to the same issues.   Trying to mix work with study is never easy.  I know this from personal experience when completing my degree with the OU.  I still have a second degree course started with the OU and I doubt this will ever be completed as my life has moved in new directions.  It is hard.

Now the good point for me is that I have recently retired and so have the luxury of being able to commit myself to the course full time.  I also live reasonably close to the university so can pop in to the library at short notice as and when required.   This is not the case for most of my colleagues, although some do work at the DMU but I am sure their day jobs get in the way.  I am not sure what this prattle is saying other than the course demands hard work and having to keep down a job at the same time adds to the pressures.

Back to the images.  I am not sure whether this is just the time of year/age or the course having an effect but I have noticed that I am starting to look at my photographs differently.   It is far too early to quantify this in any meaningful way but it is something that I feel is happening.  I will have to watch this otherwise I will start to be looking at photographs with the intensity and eloquence of Greg Lucas!

O Winston Link and Kite Surfing

(O Winston Link Museum - Property - Do not reuse)

O Winston Link

This man is starting to become imbedded into my psyche at the moment.   He is the photographer that I am researching for my first essay.   Yesterday I spent all the day chasing down facts about the man and his photography.   This was mainly successful - see 21st October blog for details.   Today I am back on his trail.   I will try and find the book previously mentioned but I will also start to research the similarities between Link's images and Norman Rockwell.

On a lighter note I have finally started to work on the kitesurfing  (apologies to kite surfers who I mistakenly called Wind Boarding.   What can I say I got it wrong - sorry.)   I have just posted a new intro image of a kitesurfer on my website.  Over the next few days I hope to develop a new gallery around this fascinating sport.  That is if O Winston Link does not get in the way.   Oh the joys of university life!

The Mystery Wind Boarder

This should be the mystery wind boarder I mentioned earlier

Wind Boarding

Having spent an enjoyable evening and afternoon watching this incredible sport I'm hooked.  Not to take part you understand but to take pictures of the boarders as the skim and slice their way across the surface of the water.   There a friendly bunch too and only too happy to indulge a photographer trying to capture that essential image.

If you the young wind boarder I spoke to and gave my web address to I hope you contact me.  I think I may have some god shots of you.   However, like the dunda head that I am I forgot to get you email details.  What an idiot I am at times! 

Hunstanton

We've just got back from a two day shot at Hunstanton.  It should of been three days but the stay at the Le Strange Hotel was so stressful that we called it a day after two days.   However, the two days were simply brilliant for photographs.  ( I say this when I haven't even started to process the images captured so I may find myself posting another blog retracting all of this.)

The main reason for the visit was to watch and capture the awesome display of birds at Snettisham. (More on this in a subsequent blog).   This didn't disappoint.