Archive for the 'Photography' Category

The Literary Cat

[link] Thursday, June 13th, 2013


The Literary Cat, originally uploaded by jjn1.

Analogue nostalgia ain’t what it used to be

[link] Sunday, May 26th, 2013

This morning’s Observer column.

Instagram filters represent an interesting contemporary phenomenon – what one might call analogue nostalgia. Digital technology enables anyone to take photographs that are – technically – flawless, in the sense of being sharply focused and properly exposed. Some cameras even have features such as smile detectors so that they won’t shoot until they detect at least a rictus grin. They have elaborate systems for controlling or eliminating the “red eye” effect of direct flash photography. And, of course, if you don’t get a satisfactory picture first time you can keep going until you get something that looks acceptable on the camera’s LCD screen.

All of this would have seemed like attaining Nirvana to earlier generations of (analogue) photographers. And yet the popularity of things such as Instagram, Hipstamatic, Pixlr-o-matic and other apps for creatively mangling photographs suggests that the effortless perfection offered by digital technology has come to seem, well, boring. So just as painters abandoned realism once photography arrived, Instagrammers, Hipstamaticians et al now seek ways of creatively degrading their imagery so that it looks different, arty or just plain cool.

Bankside

[link] Sunday, May 19th, 2013


Bankside, originally uploaded by jjn1.

Walking across the Thames to Tate Modern.

Vanishing point

[link] Saturday, May 18th, 2013


Vanishing point, originally uploaded by jjn1.

Our latest resident

[link] Monday, May 13th, 2013


Our latest resident, originally uploaded by jjn1.

A pair of housemartins have built an exquisite nest on our vine.

Lilac time

[link] Saturday, May 11th, 2013


Lilac time, originally uploaded by jjn1.

The colour purple

[link] Friday, May 10th, 2013


The colour purple, originally uploaded by jjn1.

UL framed

[link] Wednesday, May 1st, 2013


UL framed, originally uploaded by jjn1.

Cambridge University Library as seen from the CRASSH building.

Si monumentum requiris…

[link] Wednesday, May 1st, 2013


Si monumentum requiris…, originally uploaded by jjn1.

… circumspice.

St Paul’s seen from the end of the Millennium Bridge.

The Amazon cat

[link] Tuesday, April 30th, 2013


The Amazon cat, originally uploaded by jjn1.