Hi everyone, as you will be well aware, once again I am guilty of NOT posting to my blog on a regular basis. There are so many of you out there that I follow who are able to post every day! I only wish that I had the same…..whatever!
This time I have plenty of good reasons, but that is no excuse for not dropping the odd line now and then, and I am sorry for that.
Most of the time I have been attempting to get a website up and running. Somewhere, where clients and prospective clients could go and take a look at what it is I do. I have finished part of it and published, but I feel I should have waited a little longer and added more content before publishing. But what is done is done. I would appreciate it if you took a look and I would welcome your feedback. You can find it here http://www.magphotopix.co.uk .
I finished the photo shoot for Queenie May the young girl singer I told you about, and a shoot that I did last year for another album was for a singer named Robert Garney. That album is due out next week. And then last week I spent an evening shooting a heavy metal band named DeadManSugar. Talk about tough lighting conditions. I think the lighting crew had two scenarios, On or Off!!
It was very difficult for me, and a long time since I have shot any kind of concert or performance.
I had an enquiry from an old client who is a serial entrepreneur. In the past I have shot antique wristwatches for him, then he started a Sola Panel company and now his latest venture required my photo skills. He rang me to say that this was urgent and he needed me to shoot between 8 and 10 models for his new website and business. As it happens, I couldn’t fit it into my schedule and I had to politely refuse, but I passed him on to a fellow photographer – who as it turned out was also too busy. Imagine my surprise, when he sent me an email to tell me that the site was up and running and he gave me the address. It is an ESCORT AGENCY! The actual photos of both male and female straight and gay, are actually very good. The photographer he found in the end does nothing else except shoot glamour pics, and I must say that the photos are really very tastefully done. But when one starts to read the text on the site it soon becomes very clear what it is he is selling. When he rang me to ask my opinion I called him a Pimp! I said it in a half hearted kind of jokey way, but I meant it just the same. Needless-to-say, he was not amused and proclaimed his businesslike enterprise as being very much a service industry.
I am pleased that I didn’t do the shoot. Firstly, I have no experience in that genre and the pressure would have been to much. And secondly, it’s not a side of photography that I personally would enjoy, give me the outdoors and nature & wildlife every time. And I will leave the glamour stuff to those who are good at it and enjoy their work.
My Local Stomping Ground
As many of you will know I have been away a lot this year shooting wildlife and nature from the comfort of our new Caravan, hence I hadn’t visited my local wildlife area for a number of weeks. Imagine my surprise when I visited last week and found that people had been down there and ‘tidied’ up! Not only have they removed 90% of the reeds growing naturally in the water way, they have also poisoned all the Budleia which the butterflies absolutely adore. They have also, dredged the waterbed and dumped all the silt on the banks. Unfortunately, I didn’t see one Damselfly or one Dragonfly. No butterflies at all, whereas last year I took one photo of 7 butterflies on one bush! As a fully paid up member of my local Wildlife Trust I immediately got on the phone to enquire who had wreaked this havoc on the local wildlife. Yes it looks very pretty down there now, all the nettles cut and carted away great for people to walk their dogs and drag their kids, but nowhere for the insect life and the Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers to build their nests.
The charming young lady I spoke to at the Trust was as alarmed as I was and said that she would investigate and come back to me with an explanation. Watch this space I guess.
Mark Antony Jewellery 
Thanks for all the likes and comments on the blog. I appreciate your making time to write, Mark.
Be sure to check out http://cardboardmetravels.com today.
Summer vacation is drawing to a close but it has been a great one for me.
Best,
Ruth in Pittsburgh
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I did laugh about the serial entrepreneur! You may have broadened your horizons in more ways than just photography :-O
I remember something similar happened down here in Cambridgeshire with a fen dyke which had been horribly neglected but it was amazing how quickly it recovered,… do keep us posted on why it happened..
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Grea job on a website.
Now as for the nature area…is it a levy?
If not, then somebody really had a cruel idea…
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Thanks for the comment Barbara,
I’m not sure what a Levy is, other than hearing Don Macleane saying that he took his girl to it and it was dry!! In American Pie.
The area I am referring to is about 10 acres and is an old Railway siding from the Victorian period. It has been left for many years and become completely overgrown. It has a drainage channel running through it which we call a Rein in Wales. I think most people call it a ditch! About 10 feet wide and probably 4 to 5 foot deep.
The whole area was taken over by the local Wildlife Trust a while ago and they have always done a brilliant job. But in this case we think it may have something to do with the local Council workmen, who were sent down to do a little tidy up.
As soon as I get a response I will post the reply.
Take care
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Oh my – I can only imagine the scene playing off if you had accepted that job!!! Funny-funny!!! 😀 **
So sad about the absolute disregard & lack of any respect for nature!!! 😦 **
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Good looking website Mark – I have f/b and tweeted . Presumably you have done the seo as well. Re GWT site – I haven’t been there for a few weeks but your pictures are disturbing. Surely they use people who know what they are doing? Doesn’t look like it.
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Thanks Bob,
I have spoken to Rebecca (I think) at Monmouth and asked what she thought had happened. She said she hadn’t visited the Rogiet site but would make enquiries. I’m no expert by a long shot, but it certainly looks like it’s gonna take a long time for it to reestablish itself. The local girl who does some gardening for me said that a number of years ago the Council went to Rogiet Countryside Park and filled in all the ponds…..they were stocked full of newts and frogs!
Thank you for the heads up on FB every little helps.
Cheers
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Hi Mark
I know how hard it is to keep finding time to post to a blog, and I’m as guilty as the next man (woman) to not post regularly.
Your local wildlife reserve looks like its been decimated somewhat – here, where I live in deepest darkest Cheshire – the difference is that our reserve is barely managed at all – work needs to be done on the lake, pond and so called bird hide…. at least the reeds will grow back eventually.
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Thanks Di,
I spoke to the local Wildlife Trust lady yesterday and explained my concerns. She was very good and said, that she had not personally been to the site but was very concerned about my comments. She also said that sometimes when volunteers drop out of projects a lot of the work is handed to the local Council. In those cases this sort of thing can happen. She promised to explore and report back as and when.
Cheers
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