Time diagrams

appear to be rather hypnotic (and who does not enjoy getting hypnotised?).

A concert...

...trully needed. After the work hours I have been keeping recently (kind of reminded me of the time I was in school in London and there was this time I got detention (I think almost all the boys in class did), which meant that I had to be in school from 9-4 and then an extra hour or two or something like that... And then at some stage after that I heard the Blackbox Recorder song that includes double detention and I started to think how many hours would that mean I would have to spend in school... Well, I think I would need to re-record that song and insert triple detention for a fortnight if I wished to explain the hours I am keeping these days) I really needed (this is just a test to see if you remember how the sentance started) a concert that ended up in a dance on stage... just to put my mind in that no-thinking zone... and it actually helped me more than sleeping I think... I mean don't get me wrong, as soon as I finish editing this book (seems like tomorow evening is on the cards for this little milestone), I will probably zonk out for a good noght's sleep that will most likely last at least 6 hours, 7 if I am lucky... Once you get your brain into overdrive it is sooo hard to get it back into fourth gear again... anyway, ta-ta for now...

Nobody's bride

which undoubtedly leads to ...

Nothing

At the moment capitalism has gobbled up my life, thus preventing me from taking any pictures whatsoever. For the past few days I have not gone anywhere and my joy for taking photographs in the home has packed its suitcases and left for a photo op on a deserted sunny island far away (with plays, dance performances, concerts and exhibitions at all times of day and night, oh and did I mention, that this is also where the cutest girl ever lives?).
Luckily I have got a photo op Tuesday night. Yey!
So until the next post... farewell to you all and enjoy...

Weekend

What weekend? The idea behind the blog is to show you something of what I have seen during a specific day. Well this photo not only captures Sunday, but also Saturday (and most of the previous week, and most of the week to come I am afraid)...
Well, I hope you will enjoy my messing around with photos more than I enjoyed the weekend...

Guest appearance No. 5

I do realise that I had a blog entry with this title already. But at the time it was wrong... I checked. At the time it was only the 4th guest appearance.... so here is guest appearance No.5, second time around.
This time the reason behind the guest apperance is to show support. Support for people demonstrating against the cuts in the UK.
(And the photo was taken by my dad, who took part in the demo's - so hip hip hurah for him!)

All about the light and dark

Tonight it was all about the dark (mostly) and light (a tiny little bit). First the concert was obviously conceived as a dark affair (not the best for us photographers). So the only other photographer in the joint (will not mention his name, but he used to be a hot-shot in this joint and still thinks he rules the place - as well as just about any other venue his foot has ever stepped into) first sent me to speak to the light guys and get them to turn the light up... as I refused and told him to do it himself (as he knows everybody there better than me anyway) he decided that I am an amateur and decided to share his opinion with me... As I make my living mostly by translating, and not photography, I can't really disagree with him ('cos I am certain that this (and the equipment at our disposal) is what in his mind puts him much higher up on the photography ladder than me)... I might not have liked his tone, and I certainly never appeciated his manners, but hey, the world was not created with my whims in mind...
But anyway... we got the two minutes of light to make a few photographs... and then it went back to the darkness... in which I took most of my photos, as I was toying around with the camera trying to get a good result in impossible conditions...
But towards the end of the concert two women came on stage and started singing... and guess what... the light man immediately turned the lights up... I found that quite funny, as it seemed that all the guys on stage were not truly worthy of being in the limelight, but as soon as some women appear everything is completely different...

Sometimes things do not go according to plans

I wanted to go to a concert in the evening. But when the evening came I was so tired that I truly could not master the energy or will to go. There I was, on the red couch... a semi-dozing couch potato... No energy left in the tank...
So instead of seeing a photo from a concert you will have to look at one I took with my phone in the morning on my way to a meeting... Even though it should be entitled spring, it has the odd title On the way to a morning meeting...

TM Stevens

and the rest of the gang... I think I took quite a few good photos at the concert, but I decided to post this one because it is a tad different... you know... variety is the spice of life.... And even though it is similar to a David Byrne one I exhibited a few years ago, this one is not manipulated to look red... this was the actual light at the time...
On second thought, I would also like to post this one
Because I think it is fun that he invites some youngsters on stage and plays the bass with them...

Why can't I leave you

was the question posed in this dance performance. I have a feeling this question (similar to many) will remain unanswered... (Blowing in the wind as Bob would say, the only problem is that it is blowing somewhere in the solar wind bypassing Jupiter).

Dance in the spring sun

Outdoor dance performances... Why aren't there more of them? We cycled a bit, we stopped every now and then, watched him perform, continued on our bikes, stopped again.... and in between I took some photos (I know, how predicatble)... And all along we were listening to Chopin... And if all of this does not spell out spring, I don't know what does.

Photo Coffee

Today I got together with a bunch of photographers for a coffee, lunch and a stroll down the flea market. As we were strolling down the flea market N. started trying on glasses at one of the stalls and this immediately reulted in the rest of us taking out our cameras and starting to take pictures like there was no tomorrow... So, imagine, a stall with second hand glasses, one model and a bunch of crazy photographers... I guess we looked like a weird bunch, but hey, that's who we are I guess... We just like taking our cameras out and taking pictures... and as most of them went B/W I decided to go into colour overload mode...

Exhibition (x3)

I guess it is not often that an artist has an exhibition in three galleries in the same town at the same time. But sometimes it does. And I went to all three in the same day. They are quite different... Even though in the smaller two bones seem to play an important role. The third and largest (which was also the only one with an official opening) is more of a documentary one of Fabre's theatre work (photos, videos, sketches, miniature set designs...). But this photo is obviously from one of the smaller two...

Snippet

from a farewell party... Don't forget to pack the baloons :)

Musical

Saw the musical in two forms in a single day. First at the rehearsal (not a dress rehearsal mind you) where I saw the musical acted out in plain clothes and then in the evening at the official performance, where they were dressed in their costumes. As the story takes place at a 19th century school (as much as I can gather) they all wear school uniforms (well except for the teachers). And I must say that it worked in both clothes... But this is from the performance...

An evening of storytelling

And a bad one it was - well, what else can one say when absolutely nobody in the audience feel asleep. And isn't that the point of storytelling? Or is this not the grand master plan no more? ... Ooopps, maybe that only works when you are a child?
No, really I had a great time and I liked it that it was not just plain ol' storytellin' but that there was some music and some singing and it all went with the stories.... So yes, I guess it is good to be a kid again, at least every now and then...

Late

But better late than never... I had the photos... I just didn't have the time to go through them... Maybe I need to start thinking about photography as a profession instead... 'Cos it just doesn't seem right that all of you, my blog readers, don't get a photo just because I was busy translating some serious books... Does it?

Hommage

Well, I guess you could call it that. I just like some of her combinations, so I thought I would make my own... just this once...
But the ones that inspired me can be seen here
http://potiho.tumblr.com/
or some others here
http://www.ljudmila.org/potiho/
enjoy :)

See?

I told you there is always another day for tea and biscuits... And you didn't believe me...

Last minute

I truly thought that I would spend the evening at home for a change... You know, my red couch, a library book, steaming and soothing tea and biscuits, maybe even hot chocolate (no, not hot chocolate, 'cos I never have it at home).. . But you know the feeling...

Then I came home from an afternoon in the sun (still cold and clumsily setting three rays into spring while leaving the majority behind in winter). It was a good and relaxing afternoon, tea with a friend, followed by lunch and a post-lunch drink with more friends). On my return home I turned on the computer and saw that one of the youngsters (which means one from a new, young & unestablished band) asked me if I could come to their concert and take a photo or two... Why not I ask? The youngsters need a bit of support... And I guess I can do my little bit. And by some strange coincidence I met a newspaper reporter who wanted to interview them so I promised her some photos and passed on her email onto the band. That should help them a bit hopefully...

As far as the concert report goes, the young ones still need a bit of training I guess, but they are on the right path, doing their own stuff… this was especially noticeable as they were followed by a band of oldies (you know, like my age), who proudly announced that they are playing at this event for the ninth year running and that they have been playing the same songs more or less for all nine of them - I have no idea whether that was a joke or not, but considering that during the time I was there they did not play a single original song (nor did they add anything original to their covers) I think I just might believe them... )

As for the tea and biscuits thing, there is always tomorrow.

Poor timing

to have a holiday, the main manifestation of which seems to be letting houses float down the stream at the same time as Japan was hit by a devestating tsunami.

Summer exhibition

It is just before 9 pm. You sit on your bike. It is dark and cold. The temperature is just about on the right side of zero. You arrive at the gallery, certain that you will escape the cold and the wind. You step into the hall. Wave hello to Tao. Say hello to a few other peeps. Enter the gallery... and you are back in the wind...
Does Tao not realise it is winter?

The village jester

and his hat.

Opening

It is always fun to go to an opening just a few minutes before and find the artist, or one of them (as was the case this time) and take a few pictures of him or her... It gets them relaxed, and you get a fun photo :)

Not so much taking, more looking

Today was more a day for looking at photographs rather than taking them. I saw two exhibitions, took three photographs and am posting one for you to see...

Glass Candy

For some reason the whole event made me think that a very early Blondie concert might have been similar in some ways... Don't ask me why... maybe it was the sort of basement feeling, the small but enthusiastic crowd, her image, her energy, her missing the notes (not as bad as it seems - let me remind you there are some huge singers who can't hit a note if their life depended on it, but they somehow compensate with their charisma or something else)...
But otherwise, her lips (I know, this is not the photo to see them on) reminded me of somebody... very much so... but that's another story...

Spoilt for choice

Unexpectedly, I saw two performances today. One was the dance performance (yes, you guessed it, the photo is from here) that I was really supposed to go and see the day before but you know how things go... sometimes things just don't go the way they are supposed to... But anyway, in the end it all worked out and I got to see it and photo it :)
Then I got a message from my fellow photographer that his knee is knackered and could I go and photograph something instead of him (after substituting another fellow photographer the day before as he was ill - obviously being a sub-photographer is my calling)... And this was a real toughie... I think I worked up more sweat in the one hour performance than I did the day before at a four hour concert... All that concentration... and a bit of nerves... wondering if something will come out...and yes in the end it did... (a mini Mexican wave for me there)...

I know, I haven't been to a concert for a while...

Another day, another concert, another band (or four)...
These marathons (strangely known as snickers these days) can be quite tiring... Specially if you decide it might be wise to go to a party in between instead of going to bed... But the weekend has come, so I guess there might be a minute or two to rest...

No contest

A total no-brainer. No concert can be more exciting than your friend's opening. Well, maybe your friend's concert. And maybe the Arctic Monkeys. Or.... No, no, no... seriously. Obviously when deciding for today's blog, I felt there was no contest. It had to be my friend's opening. (Go Mazi, go :) )
and the rest, and the concert... well, that's also a no-brainer... you know where to find the photos

The small things in life

Today one of my small achievements was that I made a series of photographs in which a person is smiling and having fun. So here is one of them...
(p.s. the other great news, nothing to do with the photo, is that we had a meeting for the 2 September exhibitions in Vienna... and they will be huge (in many ways) and great... )

Bonecrusher fest

Not really my type of music, but every now and then... hey, why not... I am an open-minded kind of guy (I guess)... and it is good to broaden one's horizons, I like trying to decipher their lyrics (something I find impossible), trying to ascertain what are the advantages of a strong neck (they sure work them out like there is no tomorrow - if anybody knows what all this hair display is all about (even though there was also a bold bass player twirling his head) please share this secret with me – really)... one thing I sure did enjoy was the double bass drum (I don't know is that just me becoming a teenager all over again or what, but the entire venue trembling from the quick beats of them made me fell... ah, I don't know... like a teenager I guess...)