We’ve whisked around to another Friday. Busy, busy working week, including a dash to and from London to deliver a workshop on Dynamics AX administration. Optimistically, I imagined that before and after my client visit would be perfect time for capturing some of the atmosphere in London. Sadly this didn’t quite work out: a hastily-snapped shot on Mrs G’s Fuji X20 (the Canon being too awkward to carry to London in my laptop bag) to fulfill the requirements for the day’s photo was about all I managed. After a few hours delivering info on AX, the most important thing seemed to be the train home, rather than wandering around central London with a camera and the knowledge that I was storing up a more crowded return journey for myself.
However, before we got into this working week there was the interest and enjoyment of a RPS Distinction Advisory day in Nottingham last weekend. Roger Force, Richard Walton and Joe Cornish assessed prospective applicants’ panels for both LRPS and APRS distinctions and provided fascinating, frank appraisal and insight, delivered in a humane and kind manner if it wasn’t universally positive. It was an absolute pleasure to sit and listen to Fellows of the RPS with such an obvious affinity for and level of expertise in their subject. Inspirational, if tinged with realisation of the levels of nerves that I’d experience if I was being advised in such a public forum.
Mrs G was particularly taken with one of the images displayed in a LRPS panel, and took the opportunity during the lunch break to approach the photographer and explain how much she enjoyed seeing his work. He happily let her look through his mounted images, and she asked him to consider whether he’d like to sell her a print of the one that initially caught her eye. I hear from her this morning that he has been kind enough to provide a copy of the image to her, a very generous gesture given both the amount of effort required to produce images of such a standard, and her clear and genuine indication that she’d be more than happy to pay for it.
The week took an irritating and expensive turn yesterday, all because I attempted to tidy up. Bringing my camera and the 50mm lens that was on the kitchen table next to it upstairs to my office, I managed to drop the lens on the floor from a height of around three feet. Initially I felt confident that there’d be no negative effects, but mounted it on the camera to confirm all was operational. Unfortunately, I soon realised that the focus mechanism was jammed, and neither AF nor MF functioned. A quick google suggested this as a common issue with this lens, a Canon 50mm f/1.4, if dropped on its front element. Happily, a call this morning to Dale Photographic in Leeds, an excellent independent camera shop with very informed and helpful staff and great stock, and a chat with their in-house camera repairer, reassured me that this common issue would most likely be repairable at a cost of around £95. Not ideal, but not terminal, and I think I’ll take the opportunity to have a sensor clean and general spruce of the 5d done at the same time. Looks like next week’s 365 images will be shot on the 500d, with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 replacing the 50mm Canon.