Thursday, February 28, 2008

Lancashire Life

We have received word from the managing editor of Lancashire Life that a recently submitted article that I authored, along with accompanying photographs is scheduled to be published in the May 2008 edition of this lifestyle magazine. It is an interview with and profile of actor David Ross, co-star of BBC 1's television programme, The Green Green Grass. The very talented and personable David resides here in Lancashire's Ribble Valley, when he is not working on his show in London or "treading the boards" within the theatres of that city's West End. Additional news to follow.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Focus On Imaging

Sarah and I just returned to "home base" after spending a couple of days in Birmingham, where we were at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) attending the annual Focus On Imaging convention. The organisers bill their event as the largest photographic trade show in all of Europe, and everyone who is anyone, from Adobe to Zeiss, was there to roll out and demonstrate their latest products.

Nikon was a major presence at this year's show, and I had the opportunity to try out their recently released flagship D3 digital camera. I was quite impressed with it. After dissapointingly being against the ropes during the past few years, Nikon has finally rebounded and is coming out of their corner fighting hard against it's very worthy opponant Canon, who had seemed to have all but sewn up the professional photographic market.

The trade press and other publications were visibly present, as well. Sarah and I had an enjoyable conversation with the very personable Will Cheung FRPS, editorial director of both Professional Photographer and Photography Monthly magazines. In addition to his editorial duties, Will is also a very good ambassador for his publication and we'll be looking forward to the opportunity to have even more conversations with him in the future.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

BBC "Super Tuesday" Interview

BBC Radio Lancashire invited me into their broadcast studios, earlier this evening. Local broadcaster Brett Davison had me on his radio show to provide the perspective of an American living in Britain on the Super Tuesday presidential primary elections taking place in the United States today.

I have been pleasently surprised at the amount of media coverage that has been given to the U.S. presidential election race in this country; there is a genuine interest in it by the British people. As one person remarked to me recently, "It's not so much the ultimate outcome that interests us, we just like the competition that is taking place." Fair comment from someone who lives in a country that considers football (soccer, to you heathens) a religion that rivals the Church of England.

But, I'd like to sincerely think that the interest goes much deeper than that for most of the people of Britain. Rightly, or wrongly, how Americans eventually vote in November will create a ripple that will be strongly felt here and throughout the rest of the world.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Riverdance (The Ship, Not the Musical)

Gilbert and Sullivan may have written a musical operetta entitled HMS Pinafore, but a real maritime drama has been unfolding in our very own backyard during the past couple of days, which Sarah and I have photographically captured over the weekend, on the coastal shore just north of Blackpool.

On Thursday night, the cargo ferry Riverdance beached herself here after being struck by a large wave that was driven by the gale force winds that have been the bane of local mariners this past week. Riverdance was enroute from Northern Ireland to the port of Heysham, which lies just a few miles north of where she is now stranded.

Personnel from the RAF, Royal Navy, HM Coast Guard, Irish Coast Guard, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution heroically came to the rescue of the ship's twenty-three crew members and airlifted them off the listing, windswept deck. Thousands of packages of McVities Biscuits have washed ashore from the ship, giving the local gulls a special gastronomical treat. Salvage operations are reportedly planned to commence on Monday.

Additional photo images have already been forwarded to our representatives at Alamy Images.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Snow

Remember that snowfall that I had predicted for Christmas morning? It finally arrived 38 days later and sprinkled itself upon the sleeping village of Whalley overnight. Other parts of Scotland and England have received quite a bit more than just a "sprinkling" of the wet white stuff.

Where's Paul Moyer, Colleen Williams, and Fritz Coleman? I need to hear one of them dramatically proclaiming, "THIS is the Channel 4 News, and we're on STORM WATCH!" Well, if this were Burbank, and not the Ribble Valley, just possibly...