Friday 7th October 2011 - Wadi Wurayah

I drove to Wadi Wurayah today - this is the only waterfall in the United Arab Emirates !!

En route, I spotted this ornate garage door just south of Masafi (whilst looking for a short cut across the mountain range, which I never found !!).

Portrait Studio at home - come and meet my new girlfriend, (T)wiggy !!

I have finally set up a portrait studio in my flat !!

(Nikon D700 : Sigma EX 12-24mm f4.5-5.6 : f11 : 1/30" : 12mm : ISO 400: 05.10.2011 16:15:25)

If you fancy travelling from the chaos and bustle of Dubai just a few kilometers north to the peaceful beach area of the Sharjah Corniche, I will offer you a portrait session free-of-charge in my home studio !!!

(Nikon D700 : Sigma EX 12-24mm f4.5-5.6 : f8 : 1/60" : 12mm : ISO 200: 05.10.2011 17:30:33)

You can also meet my new girlfriend, (T)wiggy ....

(Nikon D700 : Sigma EX 12-24mm f4.5-5.6 : f4.5 : 1/60" : 12mm : ISO 200: 05.10.2011 17:31:18)

.... she is such an incredibly patient model !!!

(Nikon D700 : Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 : f11 : 1/60" : 100mm : ISO 200: 05.10.2011 16:42:46)

For those of you wondering where this studio is, it is only 4 storeys down from the top of the 50 storey tower block on the left ....

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f11 : 1/500" : 28mm : ISO 400: 08.10.2011 16:50:52)

.... alongside the beach in Al Khor / Sharjah Corniche !!

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f5.6 : 1/125" : 38mm : ISO 1600: 14.10.2011 18:04:59)

Another view of the tower block, from the jetski area on Sharjah Beach.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f8 : 1/250" : 60mm : ISO 400: 08.10.2011 17:30:42)


If that isn't enough to get you away from the bright lights for a couple of hours, I will gladly pack my backdrops, lights, etc. into my car and set them up in your flat or villa .... but I will have to charge you (Dhs. 199) for the extra convenience of a portrait session in your home !!

Saturday 1st October 2011

Although 42 photographers registered on-line to join in the Worldwide Photo Walk in Dubai today, only 13 turned up for the event (mainly because the Walk Organiser changed the timing and location only the evening beforehand !!). So, now that my bitching is out of the way, here are a few of the photos that I took during the walk through the streets of Deira and Bur Dubai (in the sequence in which they were shot) ....

Reflections of the building across the road.

(Nikon D700 : Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 : f8 : 1/250" : 95mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:07:35)

This guy looks like he has just completed a Worldwide Photo Walk, as he nurses his foot !!

(Nikon D700 : Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 : f5.6 : 1/125" : 200mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:10:38)

One of the modern skyscrapers in the Naif area of Diera.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f11 : 1/125" : 50mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:20:18)

The Crystal Building.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f5.6 : 1/125" : 65mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:23:12)

The Florida Hotel.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f8 : 1/250" : 120mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:31:00)

This old man was quietly relaxing on a bench in the market until a dozen strangers suddenly started snapping his photo !!

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f6 : 1/60" : 135mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:40:24)

The handles of countless carts stacked up against each other, waiting for more goods to arrive and be transported to the market stalls.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f6.3 : 1/15" : 200mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:43:24)

Taking a break on the carts before the market goods need to be transported again.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f4.8 : 1/60" : 65mm : ISO 400: 01.10.2011 17:45:39)

Fake watches for sale on the outskirts of the Deira Gold Souk.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f8 : 1/125" : 38mm : ISO 1600: 01.10.2011 17:56:59)

A colourful shop in the Deira market.

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f8 : 1/60" : 28mm : ISO 1600: 01.10.2011 18:27:11)

Spices for sale in the Deira market.

(Nikon D5000 : Sigma 18-50mm EX f2.8 : f4 : 1/60" : 18mm : ISO 800: 01.10.2011 18:39:35)

These are the hard-core walkers left at the end of the 2 hour long walk in sweltering heat and humidity !!

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f16 : 1/30" : 28mm : ISO 6400: 01.10.2011 19:13:59)

Still standing !!

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f16 : 1/30" : 28mm : ISO 6400: 01.10.2011 19:14:34)

The last photo of the evening, looking from Diera across the creek towards Bur Dubai.

(Nikon D700 : Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 : f2.8 : 1/8" : 86mm : ISO 800: 01.10.2011 20:33:00)

Friday 30th September 2011

I watched the transformation today from this suckling pig being thawed out in a basin of water ....

(Nikon D700 : Tamron 28-300mm f3.3-6.3 : f4.5 : 1/60" : 60mm : ISO 400: 29.09.2011 22:10:02)

.... into this delicious meal !!!

(Nikon D700 : Nikkor 28-100mm f3.5-5.6 : f8 : 1/60" : 44mm : ISO 400: 30.09.2011 09:53:06)

How about some Cuchinta to go with the Lechon ?! ....

(Nikon D700 : Nikkor 28-100mm f3.5-5.6 : f11 : 1/60" : 100mm : ISO 400: 30.09.2011 10:07:48)

.... and some Palitaw ?!

(Nikon D700 : Nikkor 28-100mm f3.5-5.6 : f16 : 1/125" : 48mm : ISO 400: 30.09.2011 10:40:33)

Friday 2nd September 2011

I took a week off work and drove back to check up on my house in Germany on Thursday 24th August. On my return to England on Friday 2nd September, there were massive queues and delays at the Euroshuttle terminal in Calais.

Unfortunately, the woman in the vehicle in front of me decided that she wanted to jump into another lane that appeared to be moving faster, so she selected reverse and rushed backwards ....

.... until her Land Rover was stopped abruptly by the front end of my Jaguar.

The only apparent damage was to the grill and bumper bar of my car, but the impact pushed my car backwards about 15 cm (although my engine was switched off and the car was in Park), so I will find out what else suffered when I get a quote for the repairs on Monday.

No, pulling it straight will neither fix nor hide the damage, madam !!

Annoyingly, the only apparent damage to her Land Rover were a couple of small scratches on the bumper bar and tow bar .... and yes, they are reversing warning sensors fitted to the rear bumper bar .... such a pity that she never knew what that loud irritating bleeping noise after she selected reverse gear meant !!!


The Jaguar main dealers in Southampton (H.A. Fox) estimated the cost of repairs at £1625, her insurance company assessor estimated the cost of repairs at £1580 .... in both cases, significantly more than 60% of the value of the car, so her insurance company bought the car back from me as a Total Loss :-( for slightly more than I paid for the car 10 weeks earlier, saving me the hassle of readvertising the car for sale on eBay :-)

Friday 5th August 2011

On my way into work to start the night shift, I stopped off in Newbury to take the following photographs ....

Full spead ahead !!!

Feeding the swans and ducks on the canal.

Getting hooked just before sunset on the Kennet and Avon canal

Lovers in the park

Sunday 31st July 2011

Just to round off a disastrous weekend, I decided that instead of leaving my house in Germany at 5:30 am on Monday morning and trying to get to Calais past all the rush hour traffic in time for my return Euroshuttle train (which I had booked on-line earlier for 11:50 am), it would be better to drive back to England on Sunday evening.

My first stop was outside the office in Germany where I used to work, to get this shot of the company car that I had driven for the previous 4 years (and had hoped to borrow for the 10 weeks that I am working at the Head Office in England) alongside the car that I am now driving, only because the company wouldn't lend the car to me !!!

OK, so in my defence, I didn't know when I asked to borrow the Subaru that I would later buy the Jaguar !!!


I arrived at Calais at 00:15 am and tried to change my shuttle ticket for the next available train (at 01:47 am). Euroshittle refused to allow this, so I had to throw away my ticket for the 11:50 am train (which cost £ 51, and the train would probably have been fairly full) and buy a second ticket for an additional £ 51 (for the train that was almost empty).

Appalling customer service from the greedy money-grabbing Euroshittle !!!

Friday 29th July 2011

I drove (via the Euroshuttle train under the English Channel) back to check up on my house in Germany today. Very disappointing .... I had agreed to lower the rent from Euro 330 per month to only Euro 130, provided that the tenant (a 66 year old retired man) mowed the grass and maintained the garden regularly ....

.... but he is in a permanent alcoholic haze and has done nothing since I left in March, so I spent most of the weekend trying to cut back the grass, weeds and bushes in the jungle !!!

Friday 29th July 2011

Saturday 30th July 2011

Friday 29th July 2011

Saturday 30th July 2011

Friday 29th July 2011

Saturday 30th July 2011

I ran out of time before I got round to clearing the weeds off the terrace in front of the rented flat.

Is that such a good move ?? (in the pedestrian precint in Neuwied)

Day out in London

The only reason for an expensive trip up to Oxford Circus today was a failed attempt to personally sort out a massive screw-up made by CitiBank International (which has led to my entire life savings in three accounts in this branch being frozen since 30th June 2011), following on from numerous frustrating and wasted phone calls and faxes to some Indians who can't speak understandable English in the Shittybank call centre.

After wasting another 2,5 hours in this building (and receiving assurances from the incompetent idiots there that the issue would now be resolved, but as of 10th August 2011 is still unchanged), I decided to spend the next hour taking a few shots around that part of London town ....

That reminds me, I forgot to bring my map with me !! At least I know that this is Regent Street, so let's hang around here for a few shots !!

St. George chasing his dragon.

Out of Regent Street, but still not lost yet.

Even if you can't spell, that is still rude !!

All Souls Church, Langham Place.