November 12th – I was busy most of the day, and slipped out after dark on errands.
I’d forgotten how good the Nikon was at night. This camera loves the dark, but you do need a gorilla pod or similar.
I know it’s a cliche, but this spot at night feels so homely to me. It’s my patch and I adore it.
November 11th – I had to go to Telford, and bruised but a lot more careful, I popped over midmorning on a beautiful day right on the cusp of autumn and winter.
The surprisingly strong sun melted the frost and suffused Telford with a beautiful, sunlit mist that made even the railway look beautiful.
November 11th – I noted that I was using Specialised Armadillo tyres earlier in the week, and mused if they’d be any good on ice. This morning gave me my answer – they’re crap.
Dashing to work just as the sun rose in the first hard ground frost of the season, I rounded a bend in Darlaston, forgetting I was on an untreated backroad. There was black ice lying in wait.
I went one way, the bike went the other. I came off at about 18mph.
Save for bruised legs and a sore elbow, I’m fine apart from the damaged pride, but I’m going to have to get the studded tyres on as soon as possible. If only to forestall snow…
November 10th – It was a very long, tiring day; I was in work early, and in the afternoon, made a couple of errands by bike in the Black Country and Wolverhampton. Whilst there, I was called back to work take on a very urgent job, so I hopped on the train to Coseley. Sadly, as I boarded the train, it started to rain, and it caught me in a downpour from Coseley to Darlaston.
I found myself starting work again at 5pm, soaking wet and cold. I finally got home around 10.
I love my job but sometimes it’s unrequited.
November 9th – A wet night in Walsall, returning later than usual through the area near the Civic Centre, I noticed the fallen leaves were forming a glistening, multicoloured carpet. This area is surprisingly beautiful at any time of year, with usually unnoticed mature trees and wide pedestrian areas, but in autumn, after dark, even with the peculiarly strident street lighting this place is special.
Walsall is a place of many hidden beautiful and unexpected corners.
November 9th – Passing through New Street on a drizzly, cold November evening, I caught the lights and signals of New Street mingling with the city skyline, centre stage the brilliant Brutalist gem, Alpha Tower.
One of the joys of winter is seeing this view, the signals, the reassurance of light, warmth, machinery safely in control and life above going on as normal.
Birmingham is glorious in it’s beauty sometimes.
November 8th – For the past few months, I’ve been running different tyres to my preferred, trusty Schwalbe Marathon Plusses – I was wanting to go back to 28mm tyres, but the frame is just a tad too slim to use marathon plus 28s, so I bit the bullet and tried Specialised Armadillo 28s instead. I’d heard great things about them, but wasn’t expecting them to be as good.
They haven’t been bad, actually; maybe not as tough, but the tread is wearing better than I’d have expected, and they’re only a little less grippy than my favoured brand.
Despite being classed as ‘all condition’, I’m not sure they’ll be suitable on ice, but we’ll see. So far, so good. Genuinely shocked.
November 8th – Back to the Nikon S9900, and this is what I was after yesterday. I love the harsh way can be set to pick up on light sources. It doesn’t suit everything, but I think it works better on the bridge scene that the fuzz the Panasonic does. The light was completely different tonight, sadly, as I travelled home in steady rain – but I may flip back to this camera for a while and see how I get on…
November 7th – Coming up from the Black Country, back to Walsall – at this time of year, Junction 9 is the safest route, as the traffic volume makes negotiation of the junctions easier.
Music is ‘Snapshot’ by the Art of Noise.
Novemebr 6th – Lichfield on a dark, damp and nearly deserted Sunday evening was a treat. Armed with a tripod and some time to kill, experimentation was undertaken. I managed to get the hard light I wanted, and loved the effect long exposeure have on passing strangers, rendering them ghosts.
There are few better urban spots for night photography than Lichfield.
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