atypical rides again...

Pen and I have sorted out, spruced-up and re-launched our photoblog atypical...

We've chucked a load of pictures in the skip, changed the layout and chosen a new colour scheme - but most important, we've added a load of new pictures... and we will add a lot more over the next few days... and then we will keep the site up-to-date with regular new posts.

You can copy pics from the site for personal use - but please ask before you use any image commercially, or to promote a product or an idea - see details of our Creative Commons license on the site.
<<< pan people puzzle - Stoke PAN is a purchasing co-op committed to sustainability of food supplies and the environment. They had an event for members in spring 2007 and used an innovative consultation tool based on a jigsaw to put across their views...this picture won the Higher Education Academy SWAP photo competition.

going west...

... it was rather windy in Wales last Monday (that's why I'm squinting)

another beard sculpture by blueshawk beardology, picture by Pen

I give you.......

the HandleBar Beard.


You've seen the handlebar moustache and the ZZ Top beard.

Marvel now at the wonders of the HandleBar beard - a true marvellous wonder, and a veritable wonderful marvel.
I give you the future of beardology.





#3 in a series of beard sculptures

let them eat cake...

...on Saturday we went to that most civilised of events, a cake party.
It was in honour of Janet's birthday, and there were some friendly and interesting people there and a little alcohol for people for whom cake is not enough. There was tea. And there was CAKE, prodigious quantities of it, the vast majority of which was prepared and baked by Janet's own talented hands.
I ate quite a lot of cake, but (and I say this with a tear in my eye and sadness in my heart) I didn't have the capacity to try all the varieties - in particular I didn't try a reportedly very fine Victoria sponge. A younger me would have done better - it is one of the sadder truths of ageing, that one's capacity for cake consumption is greatly diminished - ho-hum.



If you are thinking of holding a cake party, please don't forget to invite me - I like cake, honest...



PS we brought some home with us - I've just had a piece of brownie - mmm-mmm

click the pic to see bigger cakes

found sculpture - beard 2

I had such a positive response to the last picture of my facial quiff that I thought I would, on an occasional basis, share with you what I see when look in the mirror first thing. I will not visit the rest of my face upon you - it is simply too disarranged first thing in the morning.
This morning's effort is a particularly fine example of the genre, which has form reminiscent of early Henry Moore or even Babara Hepworth. I did consider posting the picture the other way up - that's the problem with modern art, you can never tell which way up it is supposed to be.

photographically speaking...

...this woman walks on water

my great uncle Percy...

... I have been scanning more old photos, and also trying my hand at retouching and correcting.
I decided to work on this image because I met Percy's son John last summer and it was he who suggested I take my Aunt Joan's photos for scanning (she had originally lent them to him). I'm in touch with John by e-mail and have just sent him some pictures of his father...

The first image (left) is a small version of the original scan, which I then cleaned up in various ways - getting rid of stains, marks, folds and dust. I then processed the image to improve the contrast, sharpness and also indulged in a bit of artistic license and "improved" the highlights in Percy's eyes. I think I prefer the original sepia - but I also produced a black and white version - what do you think?