This study of a wheelbarrow is one of my favourite shots to date, and probably the closest I’ve yet come to the sort of images I want to make. It has a painterly quality and the shallow depth of field (with only the wheel guard and the front edge sharp) is exactly what I was after; it makes the scale appear slightly odd, as if it might be a toy shot close up.

“Gotcha, yer coffin-dodging little bastard!” - Grim Reaper

The shortcomings of sandstone as a headstone.

Apparently, I owe Claire a share of any royalties I make from this image of her plant; I think she’ll still be paying into the college fund for some time to come.

People seem to think the foreground, unfocused leaf is distracting. I thought it juxtaposed the sharp pepper, but perhaps I’m mistaken.

BB has long been bemused by the attempts of hifi buffs - aided and abetted by a whole shelf of magazines, as usual - to turn the passive experience (we won’t say “activity”) of listening to music into an active hobby. Put media in, press play, relax and enjoy. There, that’s it. The only way to actively involve yourself in this process is through - yup - buying gear. (And those magazines will be right there alongside you to help out! Is your bass feeling a little slow? Highs a bit lustred? They are, aren’t they? You need a new amp - and our buyer’s guide will ensure you get one. Erm, the right one.) [See also Photography, buying cameras vs. taking pictures.]

Now, courtesy of this Slashdot poster, we have an excellent collection of audiophile verbal wankery.

Seen on Solaris Central: > JNI Ships ‘No-Reboot’ Solaris Driver

This takes me back. The first and last time I had experience with a Solaris driver from JNI, it too was “no-reboot”. As in, the system would no longer boot once the driver was installed.

The BB bunker (OK…bedroom) is currently rockin’ to the sweet soul sounds of The Best Prog Rock Album in the World…Ever, a compilation so authentic that it’s a triple album - the horror (look, if you don’t want to read about this then fine, sod off back to the real world). Scabby old punks are doubtless snarling “we fought for our country so that people like you could live free from oppression” already; I hope they choke on their own expectorate. Oh look, one of them did (RIP Joe).

The ants are watching you. They know your game. They’ve seen you eyeing the kettle speculatively. Their spies have told them how you’re secretly favouring the woodlice while loudly claiming to have no alliances or bias in public; passing them supplies of rotting wood and funding their training camps. Already, you’re being denounced as a traitor, an infidel and a caterpillar-lover. In the ant hills, along the crack in the garden wall and across the patio, the ants are seething with resentment over your shameless betrayal of them.

Well buddy, one day you’re going to let your guard down and then … the ants will strike! Strike out against your oppression! Hard! And your picnic will be ruined.

For the last time, don’t piss the ants off.

When I first got my film scanner, it took me several weeks and many attempts to produce a satisfactory scan. I’m sure everyone goes through the same thing, but there seems to be a shortage of simple how-to guides or example workflows for beginners, exacerbated by the fact that everyone uses different software. So here’s my current workflow; not perfect and certainly not professional, but it will get you started.

The most concise statement I’ve ever seen on taking great photos with a film camera. Manually.