Took a walk down Jomtien beach today with the proprietor of PattayaDaze, and we checked out the beach volleyball competition.

Frustrating sport to photography because the net gets in the way of so many angles. And it is hard to catch the moment because the leap for the ball and the subsequent hit are over before you can finish pressing the shutter, so you have to anticipate. Finally, the mess of colours meant I felt the results looked better in black & white.

Photographing the beach volleyball, and out of the corner of my eye I spot a child that really, really wants some candy floss. No time to move get a proper composition, just aim the camera and take the shot. Would have been much better without the guy in the background behind the child; but I think it’s a cute shot worth sharing.

You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin’ to? You talkin’ to me? Well I’m the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to? I’ll peck your toes off.

Walking the beach waiting for the wind and we are inspecting the ground. She who must be obeyed is digging up some sort of shellfish which are destined to be a fried tasty snack. I am looking for anything that might be a worthy photo subject. And I find this:

My first posting outside of Europe was to Kuala Lumpur. Our house had an aircon in the bedroom but nowhere else. The theory was that there would be a pleasant flow of air through the house because it was made of wood and was full of slats and holes. The reality was that it was still bloody hot and we were robbed a lot because bad people could easily gain entry by the simple expedient of removing the slats or widening the holes. It was also very humid, the impact of which I did not realise until I inspected my substantial and loved record collection and discovered that instead of black vinyl I had green life forms.

The mould was removed at some cost, only to return a few months later. My record collection was doomed; in retrospect a good thing because it was almost wholly shit. But when I acquired a camera and some lenses I was determined that they should not fall victim to the dreaded mould.

The answer was a humidity cabinet. A sealed box with some electronics that facilitate the removal of moisture; so the humidity content in the air drops from the usual 70%+ to around 45%. You don’t want it too low, otherwise you get a different type of mould, which is probably also green although I have never seen it.

My cabinet has served me well and has seen the ebb and flow (usually flow) of gear over the years. It was getting a little tight in there, but manageable; until three Russian cameras came along and I really needed more storage. The answer, a second cabinet:

Number two in the occasional “shit I pick up on the beach” series.

When I started Pattaya Days in 2008, I didn’t really have any readership numbers in mind; I just wanted to write and stick it out there. I knew Billy might read it because he was the catalyst, and maybe a few others would pop in from time to time.

So it was quite surprising to me that, by the end of last year, around 300 people a day had nothing better to do than pop in for a look. In addition, there was a hard-core of amusing and intelligent commenters who could be relied upon to keep me straight (e.g. “There is no such word as “commenter”) and add some sparkle.

Sorry, just slipped out.

What a star.

Comments 🔗

2012-08-01 | Pete says

Just a stab in the dark, but I’m guessing he’s won something else then?

2012-08-01 | Spike says

Most perceptive. Just a gold medal.

I used to use Windows, since before it was called Windows. But a few years ago, after much prodding from friends, I tried using a Mac. Specifically, I tried using a Mac which was slightly less powerful than my PC, and discovered that it ran Lightroom seven times faster. Good enough for me and I switched. Never regretted it, and although I have a Windows 7 install for gaming, I am happy to use a Mac for everything else.