Peter Bargh

Sights & Sounds

Archive for the ‘Diary’ Category

September 10th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

Alport Castles

Dave Horton and I went for a circular walk that took us up Win Hill, over to Hope Cross, down to Alport Farm, and then up to Alport Castles. The final leg was a descent to Westend and round the reservoirs, Derwent and Ladybower. Back over the bridge to the Yorkshire Bridge inn for a pint of Bradfield brewed Farmers Stout. and finally back down the hill to rejoin the car. The round walk was approx 17miles and was completed without too much effort.

September 8th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

William Cheung’s Best Man

Wadenhoe House, nr Oundle

wedding invite

Will Cheung tied the knot with Joanna Raines today and he’d invited me to be his best man.

We’ve been good friends since he employed me as his technical writer on Practical Photography back in 1991. Over the years we’ve travelled around the world together, eaten in some of the finest restaurants and when our hosts were taking the rest of the European Journalists on the usual tourist excursions we’d wander off together photographing the back streets of the cities.

When he asked me I froze. It’s not that I didn’t feel honoured…more terrified of having to stand up and do the best man speech. Public speaking is a big phobia of mine and I usually avoid it at all costs!

After months of worry the big day arrived and we spent a wonderful day at Wadenhoe House nr Oundle Peterborough.

They were married at 1:30pm.

Good to meet up with old friends and colleagues in the afternoon and evening including my previous bosses Karen Lynch and Richard Hopkins,  work colleagues Roger Payne, Chris Robinson, Ian Fryer and Mike Elliott, and industry friends Graham Armitage and Angela Warnes.

I took a few snap shots using the OM-D in between my minimal duties.

 

 

August 25th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

William Cheung Stag Night

Peterborough Beer Festival programme 2012

Will’s stag night was a fairly quiet affair…just the way we both like it…and so it turned out so did his old school friends. We met at Charters on the river Nene. Had a few beers and then crossed over to the Peterborough Beer Festival where we sampled some real ales from the 350 on tap, and then had a go on Dodgems.

The festival was on its last day and many of the breweries had sold out and shut up but there were still plenty of options to choose from.

We finished the night out at the curry house and were surprised the Indian had run out of Pilau Rice…when does that ever happen?

Back to Will’s for a late night game of brag..I didn’t do very well so suggested we played shoot and took over as winner.

August 24th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

Significant photo

An old school friend has died recently and a page has been set up on Facebook to post tributes / photos/anecdotes/memories called  The Smile of the Moon – Remembering the Surreal Genius of Mick Fidler

I got hold of a photo of him at school and thinking about it this photo has some deep meanings for me.

1 I was shy at school so didn’t get too active in this playful, energetic and experimental period

2 The photo was taken by Ian Jennet who got me into photography and if it hadn’t been for him I have no idea where my career would have taken my. I only had O levels in woodwork and tech drawing and had no interest in being a draughtsman or joiner.

3 I never used a camera to record people so all my early photos are pointless landscapes and still lifes that hold no real value. My close friend Craig Feetham used to take photos of them having fun…priceless memories now

4 Mick – the centre person in the shot – was a true leader even though we didn’t really know it at the time. He was also a genius in humour and was far more surreal than Vic and Bob…and 15 years ahead of them.

5 I lost touch with him many years ago, but he still holds a magnetism now. A powerful person who will be truly missed.

 

August 19th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

Doddington Hall Sculpture Exhibition

I visited Doddington Hall today to look at the sculpture exhibition that was arranged around the grounds. It comprised 350 pieces from 70 artists and was curated by David Waghorne. Very interesting and good for photography.

 

 

 

 

August 16th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

Re-enactments

Where people dress up as figures from past eras.
I’ve been to a few of these over the years but last weekend I enjoyed the experience from a different angle. Thanks to ePHOTOzine member KevSB I got to mingle with the reenactors. And he arranged a few one to one shoots that gave endless photo opportunities that the public would not get chance to experience. It was great fun and I took a lot of photos in a different style than the normal people round the camps or in the public displays.

This is one of the shots I took which features members of the Pulteney’s Regiment (13th Foot) Jacobite Rebellion 1745 from the Lace Wars.

The event was a Kedleston Hall near Derby.  Great fun. Well worth a visit…when you get talking to the members you realise how passionate they are about history and the events. Such enthusiasm makes you want to get involved.

June 1st, 2012 by Peter Bargh

A week in Isle of Skye

I took a week’s holiday and spent it on the Isle of Skye.

It’s the first time I’ve been to the island and I was expecting typical bad (but hopefully atmospheric) weather. It turned out to be a really unusual week – sun most days while much of  England was on flood warning!

We set off Saturday morning at 4am and the first stop was Scotch Corner for a coffee then on to the first photo stop at Glencoe.

blackrock cottage

I did the usual tripod hole shots of Backrock cottage but also aimed to get some slightly different viewpoints and also in infrared. Here’s one of those

Buachaille Etive MorThe next stop was just a short distance up the road – another classic shot – this time of Buachaille Etive Mor taken from a low angle on the river. I was disappointed to find the flow of water was limited so there were no really interesting cascades.

I’d gone to shoot the famous three cascade shot with a small tree in frame and the mountain in the background. I couldn’t see the particular falls so took a shot from here. I later (on the return home) found that this was the spot the shot is taken from (although slightly more to the left).

I really missed it on this first visit due to the lack of water and not realising that the large tree in the distance was actually the small tree in everyone’s photo.

The weather was also too clean for this shot. It needs more atmosphere to make the shot dramatic.

Quite interesting to see people wandering around with black nets over their faces. I’d yet to encounter the famous midge!

There was also what looked to be a tutorial group of photographers wandering around.

Next stop was the Glencoe war memorial which I also shot in infrared. And then on for a quick stop at Eilean Donan castle where a wedding was being held. The visitor centre was closed by the time we got there but we were able to wander around and even go over the bridge. I liked the shot from the right of the bridge as the sun was low in the sky and lighting this side.

statue
Eilean Donan

 

We arrived at our destination Pier House Apartment around 9pm just before sunset and I quickly unpacked and rushed down to catch the last glimpses as it set behind the Cuillins.

I wandered around until about midnight and enjoyed the warm June weather and light conditions.

elgol boat and pier

elgol beach

On day two we hung around Elgol to rest from the previous day’s drive and soak in the location. Elgol is a beautifully peaceful village with some stunning coastline and views over to the Cuillins.

Coruisk House menu

On the last day we decided to eat at Elgol’s local restaurant at Coruisk House. What a good move that was.

The hosts were wonderful and the food exquisite. I had Samphire for the first time. It was served with Hake and I think it’s the slowest I’ve ever eaten a meal. Superb food.

And followed by a weird Ice Cream combination…salty caramel.


March 20th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

Sheffield Wednesday vs Walsall

owls-vs-walsallWent to football match at Hillsborough –  Sheffield Wednesday vs Walsall – with Will and and Joe

 

February 26th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

Doddington Hall

Visited Doddington Hall and gardens to photograph snowdrops.

doddington-hall

 

 

February 25th, 2012 by Peter Bargh

Old Moor nature reserve

A walk around old moor nature reserve.

Entrance fee £4. Hoping to see kingfishers but they must have been hiding.

old-moor