I’ve been working on a site for a local Nottingham digital aerials company. It’s now on-line!

…after encountering the issue of limited web server features (ie, no php support) I had to adjust the code and couldn’t use a contact form. I reluctantly opted for just an email link cloaked by javascript. It’s just a small site to replace the old one, and we’re already seeing pleasing results on Google Analytics!

Anyway, it’s now online at Aerial Force.

My next project is a new site for a Nottingham mobile disco business.

Photo Day!

Been pretty busy today – went out with the dogs to Wollaton park — took loads of pics, and I’ve taken the opportunity to sort through the Lake District pics.
Spent the evening playing with Lightroom. Why must I insist on shooting in RAW?! It’s worth it though, even if it does eat disc space!
I have been making some of my first HDR images too – it’s amazing how varied the results are, and they can be made from a single RAW file with equally good results.
The photos are from the Ambleside region. High Street Mt. in Hartsop and Helm Cragg near Grasmere.
Here’s some of my faves:

In an attempt to make my own entertainment for lack of anyone else to help, I decided to go to Nottingham centre to have a proper play with my new camera.

I’m now understanding how F/numbers work and how aperture size needs to be compensated by shutter speed etc. I’m now getting it…but still trying to figure out how to take a long exposure in daylight with a camera which only goes down to F/22 without complete whiteout. n00b!

I went to the Nottingham Contemporary to see the ‘Star City’ exhibition. It was all a bit odd. Got some fairly interesting pics, but it was all a bit too post-modern. Had a walk around the Lace Market while I was at it.

It’s so odd walking around Nottingham and actually noticing stuff, as you do when looking for photo opportunities. Normally, the nuanced character of Notts city centre passes one by, until you stop to notice it.
I stopped caring about the potential for people to try to steal my camera…it’s not really a threat. If someone tried, they’d be the ones in danger, anyway. When one walks around a city purely to look for photos, one feels like they’re not participating in what everyone else is doing – you’re there in a different context!

I filled up my memory card with RAWs, so I look forward to going over them, and getting frustrated because I’m not brave enough to get the more risky shots.

I don’t know how many others were in Honda’s most recent direct marketing campaign, but it struck me as incredible hypocrisy!

“Start with the small stuff, Honda”

Put it this way, there’s no way I’m in a position to buy a brand new car, and won’t be for some considerable time, yet Honda still deemed me an appropriate target for a significantly-sized mail-out telling me about their green initiatives and eco-friendly range of sensible cars.

Indeed I have been looking at cars recently, but second-hand, immature cars with big engines — no idea how Honda knew I was in the market for one, but they need to look at green marketing before they expend so much on green engineering!
The mail-out (pictured) was of substantial weight and quantity, and was made of quite a thick paper. Suffice to say, it’s of no use to me, and so will go straight into recycling (after ogling the Type-R!).

My point?
Surely their endless investment in efficient engines is totally undermined if they are completely inept at targeting their direct marketing properly. All that waste paper and resources comes at huge carbon cost — more, I bet, than they can ever hope to offset with their ‘eco’ engines.

Something tells me that their ‘eco’ image is only skin-deep, and does not apply to their fundamental business processes.

Start with the small stuff, Honda, if you want to be a ‘green’ company.

I’m now going to recycle this.