Recession?

For those not familiar – Europe is in a bit of trouble at the moment. Some may remember a little over a year ago Mr Cameron proclaimed that Britain was out of the woods. I beg to differ somewhat - a few little reminders have recently caught my eye in the local media:

·      In Rotherham, South Yorkshire 100 drain covers have been nicked in the last 2 weeks – to be sold for scrap metal!

·      Youth unemployment in Barnsley, South Yorkshire is at 35%

·      Manchester Police are facing cuts of 3000 jobs over 3 years

·      Doncaster council is cutting 800 Jobs

·      The Ministry of Defense cannot afford to commission it’s fleet of new spy planes – so they are being scrapped before they are even commissioned!

·      In a similar vein the government  decided that it could not afford to commission an aircraft carrier – so it decided that it was ‘strategic’ to share it with the French

Then again there are plenty of other bizarre things going on in Britain with regard to finance and jobs:

·      A litre of petrol costs £1.30 and a haircut can be had for £3

·      A sound 10 year old car can be had for £500-600 – yet the insurance will more than likely be more

·      For many unskilled jobs it is possible to earn more money by claiming government benefits than to work!

·      Fixed speed cameras are thought to be more effective than police – yet it is thought that only 10% are actually operational. Interestingly after 8,000 miles driven since moving I have only seen my first traffic police car yesterday

The best way to high quality B&W prints?

On face value these days it would seem that it digital is the only way forward with photography. How many of us ask this question simple question: what is the final output of the image? It’s likely that this answer will be a print, well for anyone who is half serious about photography  – but how often are digital files ever printed? Moreover if printing is the final destination a decent quality digital camera costs a few grand when compared with an entire 35mm setup which can be had for a few hundred – top lenses included. So perhaps 35mm is a good starting point –its cheap, and the resolution can be even higher than digital if one chooses to use slow speed b&w films. A lot of film addicts remain convinced that the best images come from these often far-out difficult to source slow films, with odd developer combinations, development timed to the nearest second and exposed to the nearest 1/20 of a stop. And while this may be true – i cannot help but think these guys have thrown a few basic principles out the window such as simple scientific method – this kind of accuracy is really excessive – not to mention the lack of repeatability!  Chances are too you are buying a product that is already on a very short rope, and probably costs the earth. Not only are these products difficult to source, but require a lot of testing to get it ‘just so’ – yet another cost! Then there is the quality - generally with a mainstream larger film supplier they will be ISO 9001 quality certified – meaning you get film of a more consistent quality every time. Not to mention if you are out and about you stand half a chance of being able to buy a few rolls, or if you cannot be bothered to develop the results you stand a greater chance of finding a lab that is experienced with your particular choice of film.

So how do you get quality from film if 35mm is either difficult / complicated / expensive with slow speed films, and digital is now beating all the higher iso regular stuff? Trouble is most people into these kind of films use scanning as their means to make a print – yet another cost – either to buy a scanner that will cut it quality wise – or to pay a lab that will no doubt charge according to the file size. If you are going down this route – you might as well cut the middle ground and buy a digital. Otherwise wet darkroom becomes a very viable alternative when you consider that for around $100 of consumables and about the same in second hand equipment you can make around 20-50 high quality prints. That’s pretty cheap, when you consider the cost of scanning and printing digitally. Not to mention the quality is usually better. But how to improve this quality? This is really rather simple – more surface area.

At present with a massive switch to digital by the pros a few years ago, a medium format outfit can be had for about $USD300-500. Not expensive really if you spent your film testing / scanning budget on that and gave up testing!  A few more things about the ‘professional’ format – there is good reason why  it carries this name. With films having the capacity for 8-16 pictures – each film really is about the perfect length, no chance of forgetting what was on the film as typically happens with 35mm. Not only that, but due to the modular nature of most MF systems, it is possible to change film type mid-roll by simply changing the film back. Also contrary to popular opinion that there is not much kit to lug around - 3 primes and a body is less kit than the typical digital/35mm bloke who carries 2-3 zooms, spare batteries and a flash. Its also less likely to be nicked.

In the darkroom there are more advantages to be had over 35mm.MF negs can easily be contact printed onto 10x8” paper unlike 35mm, not to mention you can actually see what is on the neg pretty easily. Also the format is ‘right’– 35mm is 3:2 – not the most desirable format for a final print, while 645, and 6x7 fits nicely into 4:5. This means when you are taking 35mm you are drawn into composing to the less than optimal frame.

So at this point in the argument you may think I am about to dive in and spruik for large format. Not so. While I personally love LF, there is little major advantages to be had over MF – the equipment is a lot heavier and demands a tripod for any kind of shooting. Enlargements require more expensive enlargers, and sorting out film is a whole other battle.

At the end of the day taking good pictures usually has far more to do with talent, timing and lighting than anything else. Use what you got – but if you wanna get the best results for your hard earned in black and white prints – i reckon you cannot look past MF.

Things English people like

Clearly the “things _____ people like” blog idea is a popular one. Being a foreigner certainly opens your eyes to a few things, which got me thinking – what do English people like? I can think of many, but sadly I have been beaten to it. Mind you I can add a few here I reckon. 

This one is perhaps not so obvious, but there has been an invasion going on in the advertising campaigns of English financial product retailers of late  though the use of  non-relevant cartoon figures. For example, my fabulous insurance company uses babushka dolls as the motif on their policy documents. What the hell do they have to do with car inurance, or any financial product for that matter? Hell the insurance company is even called Admiral – you could understand if they jumped in with a nautical theme there, but they go for this. 

Lloyds tsb has done a slightly more relevant (albeit equally as cringworthy) job with the use of cartoon figures to replace scenes that typically would have used stock/lifestle images. I guess these companies can never win really – lifestyle photography is horrible and fake at the best of times, and these cartoons are certinaly not any better. When will they just realize its all about the bottom line. 

Sorry I forgot, they don’t make their money on educated people, they are clearly aiming at the lower end of the market that can be enslaved to debt – they clearly see something in these commercials that I am oblivious to.

American Impressions

Travel inevitably brings with it a load of unique and shared experiences – so I wont attempt to cover 2 weeks worth of hectic travel in The States with a blow-by-bow  here – just the bits which got my attention.

Having ventured over there before I knew what to expect in terms of consumerism  - yet this time I think it has been quite firmly cemented in my mind the fundamental differences that America posses when compared to Australia and the UK. I recalled after my last trip some 4 years prior that my personal tolerance for consumption practices such as these boiled over after about 10 days. So how did the latest fare?

Returning after the GFC, I expected things to be of a different order, but alas In hindsight I was clearly sheltered on my first visit. For a country apparently in the grips of crisis It is tough to comprehend the sheer volumes of retail operations staying afloat – New shops everywhere, car dealers holding onto literally hundreds of vehicles in stock. But I guess this mass consumption is the American dream….

Reading the in flight magazines on my flight over, and being drawn in by seemingly endless infomericals on TV, one is almost convinced that they could be suffering from any range of ailments –for which the advert generally proposes a solution – be it a product or service. As a foreigner it is difficult to be drawn in on such hype and therefore one must conclude that The States is suffering a mass dose of hypochondria.

Next down the tree of strange impressions is sales tax – in the civilised world this is incorporated on the ticket price of items. Not in the states – which for me is somewhat difficult to comprehend for 2 reasons. First Americans are generally down on arithmetic in my experience – I was nearly mistaken for 21 in an ID check when I was 19 because the guy couldn’t calculate the years - how the hell are they supposed to work out what 8% or 7.5% extra is – it isn’t even a round number! Then there is the change – being that they still have pesky 1c pieces, getting it wrong results in a delay to sort the change, or a hand full of shrapnel. So much for a land of convenience.

While we are talking about transactions, I have always been prepared for tips when dining out – it makes sense given the low wages waiting staff are paid, and the service is generally superior. This is fair enough, but when other industries start to expect it, I think the limits might be being pushed a bit too much for my liking. For example when a taxi driver who is driving during regular hours on a regular route, and gives no special treatment complains about having the fair rounded up to the nearest dollar, something is a little wrong! I certainly have a tip for folk like that – earn it!  This, I believe, is part of a wider problem in The States – where customer service can be summed up as a game – to win it – and receive good service – one must be seen to tip or make a positive  comment regarding a member of staff to the management .

As somewhat of a conclusion, as I have said in the past – the quality of life Is usually directly proportional to the quality of regularly available coffee – so you can see where I am going with this one -  we all know that The States has a reputation for bottomless cups of the drip filtered variety – An abundance of readily accessible quantity, but lacking in terms of Quality. This was also evident in the espresso varieties where porcelain was few and far between, and the abundance of flavours and copious amounts of milk far too suffocating for my liking – Emphasising America’s desire for not just quantity – but demand for quantity of options –of which many are not even realistically complementary! 

Starbucks Coffee traveler - a whole lotta coffee!

 At the end of the day, you might think that I have an overwhelmingly negative opinion of the states – maybe have spent too much time in a nation of whingers? It aint really that bad, and I tell you I will certainly be back. If there is one thing I have learned from previous travels there are friendly people and aresoholes everywhere, and if you look hard enough you can find a good coffee. The American wilderness is just too dam good for photography and mountainbiking!  

 

British and the snow – why are there so many problems?

 After more than a week of ice and general snowy crap blocking my street, I think I have a fair idea of why Britain suffers so badly when the weather turns it up a notch. Popular opinion would suggest that it is down to the inability of local councils to clear roads due to limited resources – I beg to differ somewhat – there must certainly be something deeper at work in order to cause such widespread chaos.

Firstly – sure a council snowplough can clear snow a lot faster than a single chap with a shovel, but a snowplough cannot make it everywhere, nor can it really compete with the mass action of a whole neighborhood equipped with snow shovels to clear otherwise inaccessible routes! For 2 weeks my street sat covered in a thick layer of snow, which within a few days became an ice skating rink to play car hockey on. Not once did it get cleared, nor did anyone in the neighborhood attempt to shovel anything out. One of the locals at the local pub suggested that people were afraid to clear driveways and streets for fear of being sued should someone slip! I cant help but think if people shouldered some group responsibility and got on with the job that it might just be a success.

           

Another reason for the chaos has got to be the supreme lack of desire to go to work. Pretty much everyone knows about the great Australian sickie – the snow must be the same for the British – maybe it is symptomatic of an overworked society, sick of their soul-destroying, dead-end jobs?

While on the topic of snow - one of the most marked difference I have noticed, having soldiered on to work through the snow is the dramatic drop in traffic on the roads. Seeing a similar trend over the Autumn school holidays, It seems a no brainer to put this down to school closures. To go off on a small tangent, it amazes me the amount of parents who insisit on driving their children to school, and the difference this makes to an already overstretched road network.  It comes as no surprise then that school is canceled when it snows – that would mean 3 hours in traffic to get anywhere. Perhaps that is the answer to the mystery of school closures due to snow in Britain?

Finaly I have to say it, but Inexperience has to be at play; the Brits are better drivers than Australians every day of the week, but when some drivers decide to drive at 10Mph in a 60Mph zone, with no foreseeable obstacles to hit if braking was not possible, it would seem a tad ridiculous.  Inexeperience is not just limited to driving techniques, it also extends to equipment– Britain is one of the few European countries where winter tyres are not required by legislation, nor is the carrying of chains. It then comes as little surprise that several motorists became stranded on certain sections of road last week What is suprising however is how long it took for them to get out  - up to 2 days stuck on the side of a road! The whole event was a crisis, with motorists having to stay in their cars overnight to be rescued by the mountain rescue the next day– all within a few miles of the nearest village. I guess this is a reflection of modern society – someone else will look after it- look out if someone was to do something radical like take responsibility for their own actions and bail on foot to the nearest town and get a train home – crazy talk!

Overall I think the chaos in the snow can be put down to a society that is unorganized, and overly reliant on others to get the job done. I cant help but wonder what a difference it would make if people helped each other out and tried to get the whole country running, rather than simply complaining that things are not being done on their behalf. At the end of the day, I say let it snow – I can get to work faster, enjoy the drive much more, and keep up with my offices archaic HR policy and avoid losing pay.

“ You’ll never get good parts for it” – Peugeot Parts update

A while ago I comented on the parts shortage, or at least the perceived parts shortage for European vehicles in Australia. Now it would appear the shoe is firmly on the other foot. In September I became the proud owner of one of Peugeots smaller offerings for the equivalent of a measly $1,100 AUD equivalent. On face value, it was a bargain – 1 year registration and tax, recently serviced, well presented, and low mileage. Unfortunately I realized it was cheap due to a nasty underlying problem – a head gasket failure.  For those who are not into cars, these are caused by either running the engine too hot, or running out of water, but I can firmly add another to the usual list in the UK: Cheap parts.

I bought the car with a freshly done head gasket with a machined head, complete with new thermostat, radiator cap, and the works. Usually enough to secure the nasty job of changing the gasket done and dusted for the foreseeable future.  A few weeks into ownership I experienced the first overheating due to a dud thermostat. Whether or not this was the cause of what was to come who knows. After replacing the thermostat and radiator cap ( and discovering  much to my delight that they were the worth equivalent of about 2 seconds of a Peugeot mechanics time in Australia) along with 10 L of water in a few weeks, became obvious that the head gasket was gone. Big bucks in Oz. Thankfully this sort of thing is part and parcel for a UK mechanic and was taken care of backyard style in a day with just over a hundred bucks worth of bits. Yep some were even the real deal.

So whats the point of all this? Sure European car parts prices are overinflated in Australia, but clearly the opposite problem is being faced in the UK, whereby cheap and nasty parts are readily available. There use is made even more attractive by the fact that cars are worth next to nothing after 10 years and the price of proper repair becomes significant in comparison. Sure the UK is far more competitive when it comes to business, as it still has a pseudo class structure, low minimum wage, and a far bigger market with enhanced buying power. But these very things that conspire to a varied and competitive market are also those that bring about the market for a cheaper option, of which my 106 had fallen victim.

I do wonder if there a country where one can have a Peugeot, and have it repaired reliably at a reasonable price? Think I’d better look at France, but then again, that brings a whole new problem when you considers the effects of the ever present touch-parking there!

Cyclocross



Well it has been a little while since I posted something cycling based under a different blog, so here goes once more. New country, new bike, new house, new job, No more fatigue!

So with the move to the UK now complete, the first mission, being sick and tired of dragging bicycles about on planes, was to source a new set of wheels (naturally). Having dabbled very briefly in ‘cross before, and hitting the UK right at the beginning of the season, also in need of a ‘one bike does all’ there was nothing for it but a cross bike. Naturally I also sourced a car, but am pleased to report that it did indeed conform to the rule of being cheaper than ones bike(s).

Back to the bike - for those unseasoned, cross bikes run cantilever brakes. Strangely the best ones are not even current tech ala shimano XTR 1997 spec. Nope these pups are straight from the early 80’s – yep those wide profile buggers. First impressions were not good at all. The brakes have less performance than a 6” disc that has had a full can of WD40 applied (not that I have ever accidently done that!). I questioned the chap selling me the bike about this – his response – it’s cross, it’s on grass, if you are doing it right you wont even need them. I had to take his word, hell he had ridden a world champs in his time!

First race near Leeds, was an absolute baptism of fire – more rain than the UK has seen all summer, and a course which once was a field now more likely resembling a peat bog. The first thing that hits you as a mountain biker about this sport is the sheer pace that can be achieved – cross is like riding a road bike on grass, that also happens to corner better than a mtb (still amazes me how far you can lean on 35c tyres). The course was no where near as technical as a mtb course, however, as it got wetter, the mud just got deeper – trouble on a mtb - but the cross bike goes straight through!

Next lesson aside from the supreme speed one can achieve is how to negotiate the course. MTB is a pretty simple affair –take the most direct route and brake at the last minute. Cross, you have to be thinking miles ahead with the brakes when it gets steep, but otherwise it’s a cinch: the fastest line is usually the widest (and the courses are a lot wider than XC), where you carry speed and try and slide the thing if it gets loose.  

So first race down in supremely nasty UK ‘summer’ conditions, and I was hooked – reeling in 18^th place of a 50 or so fleet, no ‘training’ in sight for 18 months or so. 2 weeks later and it was time for another – in the more familiar Notts-Derby league.  Arriving fashionably late once more (read I had to plead for the last entry 10 mins before the start), I was on the grid with mere seconds to spare in 200^th position. The turnouts to these races are epic when the weather is right.  200^th place was a familiar position on the grid from my earlier XC outings, so it was game on, and time to call this race a training exercise with many short burts to get to the head of the race. I ended up getting lapped just before the bell, being one of a handful of riders to get lapped – 6 mins or so down in 28^th place from 150 men. Not bad given that experience tells me you nearly loose this much time getting stuck in mass starts. Better get there earlier next time I reckon.

The course was even more of a school in ‘cross technique – the fastest way in even the tightest of forest tracks was once again super wide to carry speed. Once I had fought my way through traffic, I counted how many times I needed the brakes – just once to dab the rear through a tight set of ‘s’ bends.

Another lesson for those unfamiliar with cross is tyre pressure. Rocky sections are explicitly forbidden in cross races, so pinch flatting is pretty much not a risk. As a result, tyre pressures go down – as was once told to me “if you are not hitting the rim several times in a lap on a cross bike, you aint doin in right” I ran 35 just to be on the safe(r), as I am not flash enough to own a set of Tubs.

It’s early days in cross yet, but it would seem it has the best of both worlds, the speed and spectator friendliness of a crit / kermesse, but the social atmosphere of a mtb enduro – if you are having an average day you can still enjoy sliding and racing some punter for 120^th place –something the road cannot offer. There will be more of this madness to come no doubt!