adetorrent; photography, lifestyle.

I've always wondered why they call it the 'Lake' District and not the Mountain District.  Sure there are a couple of breathtaking lakes there, but my goodness the mountain folds live you in absolute awe of nature. Many people, much better with words than I, have spoken of the place.  One of such wordsmiths was William Wordsworth, who in 1804 wrote the following; I wander'd lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretch'd in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed - and gazed - but little thought ...

Here is the second half of the photos from my latest walkabout in Hackney. The sun was out and the colours were beautiful as usual. I only wish I had used the Helios lens with the Zenit-E instead to get the full colour impact.  I finished the day with some unhealthy, yet delicious, snack and brew at a café/bar that used to be a warehouse. I was quite taken by how nice the staff are there. The guy that made my coffee had a chat with me about film photography and how he's noticed more people carrying film cameras 'these days'. It's Hackney, I said to him, that's totally normal.

Is it me, or do reflections almost always make for a good photo? Here are some from my last walkabout with my Zenit-E with a 23mm Vivitar lens.   I find this lens somehow doesn't give the same beautiful colours I'm used to with the default Helios lens that comes with the Zenit-E, but I needed the wide view.

Many people around the world start their day like this; with a bowl of cereal. I for one really love anything with a bit of crunch, honey or nuts. Lately though, I've been a little concerned about what they are putting in these processed foods we start our days with.  The astonishing levels of sugar, salt, and unpronounceable ingredients that are aimed at preserving the food, and not us. Not to mention the 'milk'. This morning I made a switch to something I hope is at least healthier - a bowl of fruits.  It tasted infinitely more delicious, and I'm yet to experience the usual post-sugar-high 'ugh' feeling.  I may make the switch permanent.     

On an ordinary day in London, I ordered a beautiful cup of coffee, set it on the table, took a photo of it to preserve its beauty, set the Praktica BCA on the table and proceeded to commence drinking the coffee. "What's that?".  She sounded Spanish, accent-wise, so I answered "Es un cappuccino".  "No, I know what that is, THAT - your camera!".  "Oh!, It's a Praktica BCA....".  And so began the conversation.  Turned out she's a foreign student, from Spain, doing a Ph.D. in the sciences, as well as being a photography enthusiast.  I can't remember her name to save my life.  She was there to meet her boyfriend, who was visiting from New Zealand.  He was running late. And then this guy sat opposite us.  I hadn't noticed before.  He had mobility issues due to cerebral palsy.  He was on an epic film making quest about the daily issues and challenges faced by cerebral palsy sufferers such as himself.  He wasn't having...

One extremely busy day on Brick Lane, thousands of feet walking the streets, there was suddenly a moment of eery emptiness, and I was ready.