Emily

Posted By Mark on Dec 8, 2012

Earth, Wind, Fire, Etc

Posted By Mark on Dec 4, 2012

The Snow Queen

Posted By Mark on Dec 2, 2012

I tried the natural shot but didn't like it. I tried black and white and didn't like it either. She's the Snow Queen – well, she's a woman in white on stilts walking around Abingdon but let's not quibble over semantics – and she demanded something a little high key. And you always do what a woman demands of you. If I've learnt one thing in life then it's that. Google+: View post on...

A Battle Of Wits

Posted By Mark on Nov 29, 2012

"What you do not smell is called iocane powder," I told the two ruffians spoiling for a fight over some perceived slight. "It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in hamburger meat, and is among the more deadlier poisons known to man." I turned my back to the two and slipped the toxic stuff into the fast food I was concealing, then offered them up for perusal. "The battle of wits has begun," I continued. "It ends when you decide and we all eat, and find out who is right… and who is dead." "I'll 'ave that one," said the shorter of the men quickly, pointing at the bun nearest him with a grimace. "Has that got cheese on it?" asked his friend pointing at one of the remaining items of food. "I'm allergic to cheese." "You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work." "It makes me all bloaty," he carried on, looking to his friend for confirmation and receiving a brief nod. "It's not cheese," I conceded. "It's lettuce leaf. The colour is a giveaway." "Oh, right, yeah, yeah I see now. It must be the light." "You're just stalling now," I said with a slight smile. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you!?" he replied forcefully, but I detected the tremble of fear in his voice. A minute passed in uncomfortable, near silence. "How about we all just forget this?" I offered. "Yeah, yeah, sounds good," said the taller man quickly. "So, er, where was the poison?" "In all of them," I said. "I'm forming a suicide cult and felt I could do with a dry run. You were almost it." "That doesn't really make sense." "Did you say you put that powder in all the burgers?" asked the short man. "Cos I just took a bite and it tasted okay to me." "Ah," I said with as much sadness in my voice as I could muster. "It takes a few seconds to…" I didn't have to finish the sentence as he dropped to the floor. The bun rolled away towards some pigeons. "Poor Jake," said the remaining ruffian. "He was okay. I guess there's gonna be a few less birds around here soon too," he added, nodding in the direction of the feathered gathering around the tainted meal. "No," I answered. "I've spent the last few years building up the local pigeons' immunity to iocane powder." "Why?" "I get incredibly bored at work." "I hear ya," he said, looking around and then down briefly at the prone corpse of Jake. "Oh well, see you around." #StreetPics #StreetPhotography #PhotoStory   Google+: View post on...

The Thames Tunnel Ballerina

Posted By Mark on Nov 28, 2012

This week I and my wife popped up to that there London town for a couple of days break in order to take in a bit of culture. Monday started with a trip to the Victoria and Albert museum and culminated in a fantastic few hours at the O2 Arena where we caught the better-than-expected Marilyn Manson and unbelievably-incredible Rob Zombie in concert. We like to bridge all ends of the cultural spectrum. Tuesday then saw us wander around Greenwich where we looked over the Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark and ventured in to see the Ansel Adams exhibition (I went in not really liking Adams' work and left with the same opinion; it's okay, it's just not really me). We also visited the William Klein and Daido Moriyama street photography exhibition at the Tate Modern; now that was much more to my liking and highly recommended. And one more thing: we walked under the Thames and spotted a tunnel ballerina. I've always wanted to see one in the flesh. Google+: View post on...

Bait

Posted By Mark on Nov 24, 2012

It is a sad sign of the economically gloomy times in which we live when you can't even leave old people on the bench while you're out shopping without the risk of some desperate or just plain nasty person nicking them and selling them on for food, drink, or drugs. The West Sussex police force in  Chichester, at least, are trying to stamp down on the high levels of "geriatric-nabbing" by using bait pensioners. Each pensioner is fitted with a tracking device worn under the second cardigan beneath the vest below the third shirt level of clothing; this makes it difficult – and quite gruesome – to locate. Additionally, the pensioner can be controlled remotely to pee itself, swing its walking sticks threateningly, and ramble on about young people, bloody foreigners, and a confusing array of wars in which it fought. West Sussex police are using bait pensioners. Thieves beware! You have been warned. For #StreetSaturday , and for #StreetPhotography curated by +Tatiana Parmeeva +Thorsten von Eyb +Maria Roco Google+: View post on...