Meaning in the tartan

I knew that each individual tartan had specific meaning and this tartan that was designed for the Pope's visit to Scotland is no exception. The Papal colours are gold and white. They are both there even if they are not as prominent as I would have expected. All the other colours have specific meaning but there is so much more to the tartan than the colours.

452 threads in the design represent the number of Scottish parishes. Each white line has eight threads representing the number of Scottish Dioceses. I am showing an enlargement that you can enlarge further so that you can see the detail in the tartan. There is a lot I don't know about this tartan but there is an amazing amount of detail that you can start to appreciate when you take a close look.

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The best and worst of wedding photography

I am not sure what I would say is the best part of being a wedding photographer. It could be being part of the day, getting the best views and getting the best photographs. It could be working on the photos, making them even better and making variations that some may prefer. It could be handing the photos back and seeing the faces of the bride and groom. And I get paid too.

As for the worst part it is having someone (usually the bride) phone up, tell me that they want me to be their photographer as they have seen my work but the date for their wedding has already been taken. Even worse than that is when I have not received a deposit which secures the day, and another couple come along. This has happened a couple of times and it happened yesterday.

I do make it clear that the deposit secures the day but that didn't make sticking with that any easier. My problem is that I pencil people in without the deposit and phone them up to let them know. The easy answer is to throw the pencil away, but then it would happen again when they come back to me. At least the good bits far outweigh the bad.

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Two more of the bay

These photos were taken at the same time as those from yesterday's blog. They show Morecambe Bay and the distinctive background caused by snow. It really is distinctive anyway but I suppose change makes you see things in a different light.

I usually avoid paths and fences but everything looks better with snow. You can also see how someone has moored their boat in a protected area. Normally the bay is quite placid but it does have its moments.

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Wrap up warm

I was walking along Morecambe prom yesterday morning and I took these photos. The Lake District always looks good across Morecambe Bay but looks particularly good with snow.

The important point here is the importance of lighting in photography. You can see what I mean particularly in the photo on the right. If all the boats were in shade then the photo would be lifeless. If you are a landscape photographer you really have to wait for the right conditions, and it might be really cold as it was yesterday.

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Why vineyards look like this

When I was in France I didn't just visit Paris but I was also in the Cognac region. It was about four weeks after the harvest and it was starting to get cold but I thought I'd show you this photo of a vineyard just in case you haven't seen one. There is an advert on television which shows you a vineyard in New Zealand but these grapes become brandy.

It is not the best vineyard in the world and the grapes are not the best - and that's why there is a double distillation. They don't take care during the harvest. In fact the gaps between the vines are there to allow machines to drive by and rip the grapes of the vine. That's also why the vines are kept at this height. I understand that hand-picking takes care of the grapes if they are going into wine production.

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Almost a Morecambe Webcam

We had some light snow a few hours ago in Morecambe but for Morecambe this means heavy snow. I know things are a lot words around the country so I was going to take a photo of Eric's statue at night with snow on it. I took a look outside and decided to stay indoors.

I was supposed to watch Fylde on Saturday but the game was cancelled. I was checking their website and the webcams and the roads looked clear but I noticed that they didn't update their webcams very often. In fact these photos are a little like webcams as they were taken after 11pm yesterday. On the left you have the Shrimp roundabout and the snow is not particularly prominent. That's why you also have the side street view.

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Negotiating the Place Charle de Gaule

This photo was taken near to the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees. There are six lanes in the photo but I think it goes to eight around the Place Charle de Gaule (around the Arc). It's difficult to tell because there are no road markings and every vehicle is moving at a different angle.

And this leads to the photo. It is a photo of two cars rouges (red buses) which take you around all the sites of Paris. You can get off and take a look round and you don't have to wait long for the next one. You can take red buses in many cities and there are othe companies that do a similar job. My favourite trip was on with a rival company in Liverpool. They didn't use recorded commentaries but had a running commentary from a guide. He interacted with the tourists and we heard jokes. You don't get that with a recording. The good news in Paris is that you don't have to negotiate those lanes.

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