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What’s been happening lately? (Part 2)

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Ok, catching up with part 2 of what I’ve been up to in the last month.  Part 1 almost got us to the end of June haha   I’ll wrap up June here and jump into July.

So, read on to see what else I’ve been doing …

Bletchley Park…

Right, first off I completely forgot something in the previous post.  Back on June 20th I went with some ex-colleagues to Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes.  This was a great day, the weather was good, which was nice as we had a bit of walking to do around the grounds of the Park.

Before meeting up at the park we arranged for some lunch at Willen Lake.  I’d driven past this place many times going to the mall in Milton Keynes but never actually gone to check it out.  I got there really early since I had the day off, figured I might as well make use of it and get some fresh air out doors.  So I had a wander around the place before everyone else arrived.

One thing you’d first notice when you get there, they have a couple of geese and ducks knocking about the place…

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There is also a lovely looking Nipponzan Myohoji, Buddhist Temple near by as well.

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A few more photos of the grounds plus the Pagoda a short walk from the temple, that too should not be missed if you’re rambling about the area.

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20120620-D7K_6375_exportOk, so enough of that, on to Bletchley Park.  Oddly enough, the guide that took our group from the BCS (British Computing Society), as was the same chap that showed our group when my father was over last year and I took him to the park.   A very nice chap, whose name I’ve forgotten (again), but he’s also a fellow Canadian too Smile

The tour was the standard one, starting with the Mansion then around the back via the Post Office and other buildings and around to one of the huts that houses a movie mock up of a Bombe .. they have a working Bombe in the main Museum building, it’s well worth a look.  Considering how fast they built them back in the day and how long it took them using modern technology to build another in recent years it’s amazing, granted, they built the current one without any detailed plans that would have been around during the war.

The tour also takes you into the room with a working Colossus Computer.  Here are a few photos of the Colossus.  The final image is me trying to take a stop action photo of the double ticker tape that’s flying around the system at about 30 miles per hour.  I’ve nearly got it stopped but this was shot at ISO 6400, 1/8000th of second shutter and f/5.3.  I’m sure if my camera could have gone to 1/10,000th it might have been a nice frozen photo .. sadly not though.

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Read about the Colossus Computer by clicking this link for the book.


Location shoot with a model…

Next up, another great 2 hour session with Tracey from Red Fish.  This time we assembled at Castle Rising, what looks like it would have been a lovely place back in the day.  However, like everything that gets old, time is not kind to it.  The model to day was a lovely lass named Rachel. 

The idea behind this shoot was Rachel was dressed in period clothing and had some period props.   We were shoot with the sense of she’s a ghost that’s trapped in the Castle after some unfortunate accident.    I’d love to see some of the other photos shot by others, but alas I’ve not seen any (yet).  Here are some of mine.

Quiet Contemplation

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UntitledLost and alone

Ancient ArchesFeeling Forlorn

We all had a great time with this shoot.  The castle was still open to the paying public, so we had to work around them, it wasn’t overrun with people but they were about the place.  Some stopped to see what we were all doing hehe following around this girl dressed for the day .. well the day a couple hundred years ago, and our cameras at the ready.  Some even asked, others just looked on.  As with other workshops run by Tracey, this one fun, full of laughs and people learning from each other.  Just wish they’d share their photos Smile with tongue out


I’ll close this update off here and do one more…

Watch this space.