Taking pics on my trip to Leeds

Yesterday I took a wee business trip to Leeds... It was a real whistlestop trip - left Motherwell at 0704hrs and arrived back at 2000hrs. 8 hours on the train... 4 hours in the office... but it was worth it... I got what I needed out of the trip.

Anyway... I took a load of pics while I was travelling... (you can view them here) I was able to play with a couple of fab wee apps for the iPhone :: toycamera and quadcamera. I have post pics from them before but it was fun to have the time to play with them.



I love the randomness of the toycamera app... you use it like a camera (rather than as a post-pic filter) and a random filter is applied. Its just your Donald Duck as to which one is used and sometimes you need to take the pic a few times to ensure you get the effect you are after... but most times the randomness works and a fab image is captured.



The quadcamera takes multiple pics in one go... I prefer a fourshot and was pleased with the results... they help to capture the view from a moving train.

Both apps are made by a chap called Takayuki Fukatsu... who was recently interviewed in Michael Surtees' blog design notes (via psfk.com) ::

Takayuki Fukatsu: …When I got an iPhone, I wanted to make something that is both product and interactive thing. The first thing I was interested in is camera. Yes so I thought, there is something, that I can make it more fun. The first concept of ToyCamera is that, make iPhone’s camera more cheap. I don't think cheap is bad. Sometime cheap is very attractive. That’s why I decided to make ToyCamera. ToyCamera like lomo or holga is very cheap.

Michael Surtees [DesignNotes]: ToyCamera and the QuadCamera have made it easy to take great pictures in NYC…

TF: Thanks. So as a first step I want to suggest that “cheap and uncontrollable is fun”. That’s why ToyCamera only has random effect. I wanted to pick up the essence of uncontrollable fun of actual ToyCameras. Also I want to make my ToyCamera as Camera not application. That's why there is no Undo, Redo, and import taken photo from album.

I like the idea that he is making the iPhone's camera "more cheap" - this is strange in the current technological climate but is something I can get behind. The iPhone's camera is what it is... its a 2mp camera with no zoom (unless you get the 4x zoom app). Its an OK camera but its not brilliant... and is downright shameful if you believe the tech geek critic journos whose life it is to compare, contrast & sweat the details. There are better cameras out there on mobile phones... in fact I believe there is an 8mp camera out there somewhere...



But for me... that's not the point. I was disappointed with "vanilla" camera... but absolutely love the apps that allow me to manipulate the images captured. I love the way the apps (including another fave of mine :: camerabag) "cheapens" the image in a way that makes it more valuable... in a polaroid / lomo kind of way, if you know what I mean.

There is an old adage... that the best camera you have is the one you have with you... and I completely agree. Sure I have a Nikon D60 dSLR that I am still learning to use... but, by far, my fave is the iPhone... because I always have it with me... and with the filters, I honestly love the pics I get from it.

Its almost like the iPhone is filling the void left by the withdrawal of the polaroid. Now... if there was a portable printer that enabled a polaroid-like experience... that would be cool.

At the end of the day... its not what you have but what you produce with it that counts... and these apps help me create some nice imagery, imho.

My response to the Aporkalypse...

Red Nose Day 2009 (72/365), originally uploaded by Headphonaught.

My Maharishi jacket has this awesome snow shield built in... and I thought walking about with it up would help me cope with the current Spamdemic.

Some photos from this evening...

A trip into Glasgow is always a pleasure & tonight was doubly so... Church at the Spoon was happening & I had the opportunity to hang with some dear friends.

This evening we focussed on Jesus... determining who He is and isn't... using whatever method we had (biblegateway.com or concordance etc) to back up what we thought with Bible verses. The challenge was to ensure our view of Jesus was based on Scripture & not our romantic idealism. Some of the thoughts presented afterwards were very challenging.

Afterwards I talked briefly about what Andrew Jones had said on the podcast about prayer, telling stories, building community then evangelizing based on Luke 10. Hopefully I made sense. We have a great opportunity to connect with the community at the Tron but need a "person of peace" to aid us.

What is apparent is the community that is being built within the participation of those involved. There is a real desire to be together... with the focus on Jesus.

So here's to the future in the Spoon. I celebrated with a spoon of my own... in a "Copa Fragola" courtesy of Olly... thanks honey!

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Yesterday's good hunting

Yesterday was a great day for many reasons... but I thought I'd focus on some of the fab things I found.

I picked up this awesome harrington style jacket in the Salvation Army charity shop for £3.99 - its reversable and unique in its own wee way.

I also picked up the books there too - a Star Wars novel for 59p and the Harry Potter book for 79p - a steal, to be honest. I should start reverse haggling one of these days... once I am able to overcome / short circuit my Scottishness I'll give that a go.

Yesterday saw me come into possession some fab music too:

1. "Before the dawn will heal us" by M83 (£1.79) - a wonderfully euphoric electronic album with some "shoegaze" guitar expression... it is a really uplifting album.
2. "Prophesy" by Nitin Sawney (£2) - this was a mistake... nothing to do with this stunning album that brings traditional Indian orchestration together with classical guitar and electronic soundscapes to make something wonderfully powerful. Its just that I boobed because I ALREADY HAVE THIS ALBUM. I check on my iPod before I bought it but mentally spelt "Prophesy" with a "PH"... d'oh!!! That said, I was glad to contribute to the wee second hand record shop down the wee lane off Byers Road where the Bothy is... its an awesome treasure trove of old vinyl. Note to self: get new needle for record deck.
3. "Donkey" by CSS (£3) - I can't resist FOPP and to pick up CSS' sophmore album for £3 is a prime example why. A beguiling listen... an upfront clash of electro and punky elements makes this Brazilian group a worthy addition to my collection.
   

So yeah... that was what I picked up. I don't want to talk all about stuff... all the time... but I think its important to acknowledge/celebrate the sort of goodies that can be found off the beaten track with some patience and good hunting.

I hope this piece can inspire you to look beyond the mainstream shops and a scavenger's eye.

New Tunes :: [Shovels And Cava] by Amish82

The 24th release on the mighty sutemos netlabel is from a duo who go by the name Amish82. Here's what sutemos have to say:

Amish 82 is an unpretentious elektro/house duo based in Trondheim, Norway. Percussionist/programmer Jørgen Meyer and keyboardist/programmer Snorre Valen is the core of the project-based group, and they often hire guest artists to contribute with vocals, guitars and other instruments, both for recordings and their regular live gigs.

"Shovels And Cava" is the result of one year of experimenting. The mini-album combines layers of genres, and showcases the contrasts between minimalist and dry house beats on one hand, and baroque arrangements on the other. It is Amish 82's first regular release"

From what I've heard... this is an exemplary release.

Basically the release consists of five original tracks and ten remixes... all of which add to make a fab album. Remixers include familiar names from previous sutemos releases... Tammetõru... Sabi... Leon Somov... and Maps & Diagrams... along with some new names including one - Sky Barstow - whose production is a highlight for me.

I would recommend this release (its on my iPhone already)... because it is filled to the brim with promise and potential. Enjoy.

This is WAY cool :: "Heaven" UNKLE x Spike Jonze

Heaven (Fully Flared Intro Video Remix)
by UNKLE_UK

Simply stunning! Spike Jonze is a genius... and this video for UNKLE's song Heaven is jawdroppingly wonderful.

According to we heart stuff from where I caught wind of the video... it was shot with zero CGI. Yes... zero! zip... nadda... nowt... now that's why its wonderful!

Photos from our afternoon on Byers Road & the Dr Who exhibit at Kelvingrove

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

I still need to upload the pics from my iPhone... until then... here are my pics from my Nikon D60.

We had a fantastic day: beautiful "t-shirt" weather... plenty of time to wander around the various charity shops and vintage shops... looking for interesting threads, books and CDs... then off to the best museum in the world, Kelvingrove, for the Dr Who exhibit. Afterwards we grabbed a beverage in Beanscene then a curry at the Ashoka Shak. That's my definition of fantastic!

Enjoy the pics... they can be viewed here too.

U*P*D*A*T*E
I've added the pics from my iPhone too. Delighted with them.

Today's bag + contents

Heading over to the Kelvingrove soon to see the Dr Who exhibit & I thought it apt to bring a suitably geeky bag. It's a fab Star Wars bag with Asian script & a big DV head. Nice for $5!
 
It's a smaller bag than my usual so I've stripped the contents down to the bear minimum for a trip to Glasgow: wallet, camera, iPhone, iPod etc.
 
What's in your bag today?
 
[Sent from my iPhone]

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Some photos from today...

Taken on the 25th April 09 with my iPhone and the Toycamera & Camerabag apps... Enjoy. Tx

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Out with the Soup Van in Glasgow...

Last night I joined John, Carolyn, Marrion & Tom out in Glasgow for a couple of hours to serve the homeless and needy... and what a rewarding experience it was.

The van has the facilities to serve soup, tea, coffee and water to those in need... with rolls (plain & filled), crisps & chocolate thrown in for good measure. We also had a selection of male and female clothes, and sleeping bags available for folks to take away.

Its an awesome van... an old Defender thats been modified to include a kitchen... that is so slow and cumbersome when on the move and yet so sturdy when in situ.



Our pitch was outside Borders on Buchanan Street. It was really meaningful for me because this is my space through the day... Borders being where I browse the magazines and consume way too much coffee. It felt special to be on the outside... giving back to Glasgow and to the people of Glasgow.

The folk... and indeed they were folk like you and me... ordinary folk with their problems, issues and addictions like you and me... not a broad categorisation as "the homeless" and a subsequent write off. These folk are real people... Theresa... Duncan... Paul... real people with needs and preferences and dreams.

Thats what struck me about being out. I cant take pics of the folks... its not fair on them... I wish I could convey the happiness on their faces as they had something to eat. It meant the world to be able to give some soup out... give some bread... and help someone out.

Someone like Duncan, who John & I met on our rounds on Queen St. Duncan loved Isabel's soup... he spoke of it "sticking to his ribs" which is a true compliment. The chap must of had five cups of soup in the time we were there. Thing is... he was so grateful... and acknowledged the work done in God's name.

The folks knew who we were and trusted us accordingly... which was truly humbling.

The experience has changed my views of homeless folk... for one thing I no longer see them as a collective entity but as a group of individual human beings who were made in the likeness of their creator. Not bums... but people of worth. It has also made me realise that I can do something to help the situation... that the darkness isn't that dark... that we can shine light and show an alternative to, not only the folks we serve, but those passersby who have seen what we have done.

This is the Salvation Army I am proud to be part of and I thank God for the opportunity to serve the people of Glasgow and, ultimately, Him in this way. This is what its all about, in my humble opinion.

More pics are available here on Flickr.