Mind's Eye

Outside the Hotel Inglaterra, Havana

SteelD — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:40:45 +0000

Of course, Cuba is associated with running old American cars – well, they have no choice as after the revolution all imports from the US ceased and the Cuban people had to make their cars last. And they do make them last. In fact, few have original parts and their big gas-guzzling motors have long been replaced by more economical diesel engines. They are often used as taxis because a) the tourists like them and b) it’s possible to cram more people in and make more money on each trip.

Marilyn

SteelD — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:05:22 +0000

Another 1940s day on the North Norfolk Railway (Poppy Line). This lady seemed to be a regular at such events and styles herself as a kind of Marilyn Monroe look-alike (the era is actually wrong for MM but we can forgive this). This was taken outside the ticket office but the lighting was very poor and created shadows on her face. A fair bit of work was needed in Photoshop to correct the lighting defects.

Pleased to See You

SteelD — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:20:00 +0000

This was at the Rushden 1940s event and this lady was dressed splendidly. She boarded the train for refreshments (the train doesn’t go too far on that line) and when she wandered along the corridor to get off, she passed by this open window at one of the doors and I asked for a photo (I was on the platform). She kindly obliged and offered several poses. This one worked particularly well.

The Veteran

SteelD — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:12:59 +0000

This was a 1940s recreation event at Rushden in the Transport Museum. Since it was close to Remembrance Day, they were holding a service on the Sunday and a number of verterans turned out. This gentleman kindly posed for me by the steps that lead down from the railway platform to the street. He wore his badges, cap and medal with pride, and rightly so.

Enjoying Cuba’s Finest

SteelD — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:08:06 +0000

I saw this gentleman smoking this cigar in a small park in the centre of Trinidad. I approached him and pointed to the camera suggesting that I might want to take a photograph or two. He nodded, and so I did. The background was somewhat cluttered and so I tidied it up. The cigar was not in the plane of focus and so was soft so I dropped in another cigar from a photo of a tobacco farmer. The finishing touch was to add a little smoke courtesy of Photoshop.

Poppy

SteelD — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:08:23 +0000

I suppose all photographers have a poppy shot of some kind. And why not? Their vibrant reds certainly add impact to a picture. This is my poppy.

Tulips

SteelD — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:50:06 +0000

I had bought myself a Canon EF100-400 lens and wanted to try it out. I found these tulips in the Fellows Garden at Queen’s College and wanted to use a longish focal length to isolate the tulip and a wide aperture to give me a narrow depth of field. (I didn’t keep that lens long – the size and weight as well as the trombone action didn’t justify the quality that it delivered.)

Dicentra spectabilis

SteelD — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:47:03 +0000

This is the variety known as Gold Heart. I liked the shape of the stem in the image area. Fortunately, the plant was in a pot at the time and I was able to move it to a location where there was a fairly dark backdrop (actually the backdrop is a distant Ceonothus).

John Connett

SteelD — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:35:39 +0000

John is one of the volunteers who helps to restore and manintain the exhibits at the Cambridge Museum of Technology.

The Kiln Loader

SteelD — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:30:37 +0000

This fellow was known within Stewartby Brickworks as Three Hat Solomon because he always wore three hats. His job was to load and unload the kilns so I have recorded him in front of some of the kilns that he worked with.