Some Pumpkin carving fun.

My photo of Rosa was used in Amit Gupta and Kelly Jenson's wonderful new book 'Photojojo!: Insanely Great Photo Projects and DIY Ideas'.

We had to wait a couple of weeks after the actual publication to get a copy of the book and were tickled pink when we saw that the photo has an entire page (p.150) in the book! Not only that, its used on the inside cover so its quite possibly the first photo (besides the Molly pictured on the cover) seen by people when they pick up this book.

I think its pretty cool to have one of my photos included in such an awesome book - which contains tonnes of great photography and projects to do cool things with your photographs.

Every connection you make will change your life. This is one of the reasons why I love the random happenstances of internet. I became aware of Photojojo a couple of years ago after posting a comment on an article by Erica O'Grady at The Business Makers. i had a brief IM chat with Erica and one of the links she gave me was for the Photojojo website...from there I found the great article about spinning your kid around and getting someone else to take the photo. I modified the instructions slightly and ended up parcel-taping the camera to my head!

I love taking photos. I wish I had started from the get-go with an SLR camera. The image quality of the 10k+ pictures of my children has improved every couple of years with the upgrading of my digital camera. Like most things i realise that with photography you should always go first-class. You can't go back and capture those precious moments again. And as my old friend Yossi Bal said to me: 'You can't polish a turd'!

So its time to take my photography a little more seriously. I'm gonna get a big grown-up digital SLR.

Thanks to Amit and Kelly for including us in your book! There really is something in it for the whole family, Ella (8) is going to make Magnetic, Fridge-based Mr You Head (page 111), I'm working on some 3D Glasses (page 121), Rosa (4) is working on modifying Doggie Cam (page 153) so it will work with Snowy (the school hamster we are looking after over half-term) and my wife Susannah is planning on making a Photo Chandelier (page 99) - there really is something for the whole family! I heartily recommend this book!

一期一会

I ‘won’ a chance to strand  on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, London for 1 hour from 3am on Monday 12 October as part of Antony Gormley’s One & Other.

On 12 October in 1797 a famous Mackem nailed the Union Flag to the broken mast of the HMS Venerable. At the time Britain was at war with France, Holland and Spain. 212 years ago British and Dutch navies met in battle off the coast of Norway, near Camperdown, close to Bergen.

During the fierce fighting, HMS Venerable was badly damaged and the main mast was broken. Jack Crawford climbed the broken mast and nailed the flag to it, whilst under heavy fire. The Union Flag was the command flag of Admiral of the Fleet. In a time without electronic communication systems this flag was a very important identifier, and a proud symbol of British power. The loss of the flag could be a great blow to morale and could affect a battle. The phrases to “nail your colours to the mast” and “show your true colours” refer back to the original use and meaning of these flags.

After the battle there was a victory procession in London. Jack’s action was said to have helped win the battle. In 1890 a bronze statue commemorating Jacks deed was erected in Mowbray Park, Sunderland and unveiled by the Earl of Camperdown, the grandson of Admiral Duncan.

I applied to be involved in Gormley’s latest art attack as I thought it would be a good excuse to stand on the plinth and see things in the square from a new perspective. Its a silly thing to do and I love a bit of nonsense now and again. Since being selected the One & Other team have asked me what am I going to do on the plinth? Like I am supposed to attempt some sort of performance for the Sky Arts Endemolesque reality show.

Friends have suggested things, which in there own right would be quite fun to do anywhere – a Punch and Judy show, Nude Karaoke or something else to get a reaction.

Plinths in Trafalgar Square are reserved for monuments of monarchs or military heroes. Places where dead heroes disappear in to the landscape of myth, legend and bird shit. People like Jack Crawford.

So i’m nailing my colours to the mast: I’ve decided to boycott my slot at One & Other. The fourth plinth should not be hi-jacked. It denigrates the value of the real plinthers.

Real ‘plinthers’ make their actions on the ground (or in the air) and the lone and level sands stretch far away.

Didn't see any graff on a recent trip to Sweden but there were a few ghosts and stickers spotted around town.

Found this in my Dad's garage a couple of weeks ago. Was searching for this specific picture (I have a crystal clear memory of my childhood). Particularly love this photo because you can see my Mother's reflection in the glass doors crouching down to take it. I don't look that different now but you wouldn't recognise my big brother!

This kind of says it all about how I feel at the moment after returning to the UK from a short stay to Sweden.

Licorice Allsorts tuner keys. Pink Icing Fingerboard. Cake Bridge with cotton strings. Smarties pick guard. White icing finish.

In case you're wondering, we got Ella her first guitar for her birthday - she had an Hannah Montana themed party with a hoedown throwdown and everything.

Long exposure, happy accident shot. Laser beams at disco, fast moving children....

With self-applied face paints...

Rosa is 4 tomorrow and her birthday party is on Saturday. She's having a frog themed party and has asked for all her friends to come dressed as frogs, although she has said she is of course not dressing up as a frog - naturally she's dressing as a princess.

I'm on cake duty again and had a great idea for a Frog cake in mind but my wife reminded me that I had made Rosa a froggy cake for her 2nd birthday party - I completely forgot about this one! So here it is to add to my Flickr cake collection!
Not sure if I can hop this high hurdle again on Saturday!

Froggy joke:
What did the bus driver say to the frog?
"Hop in!"

from the video.

We got our old APS films processed at Mr Scan's, this is one of my favourites. Ella is about 1 year old here.

Taking Rosa's new pet dog 'planky' for a walk.

His bark is worse than his bite. badum ching.