Train to London - Breakfast

I had a lovely night's sleep in Grimsby.  I packed my CPAP, my overnight bag and my camera, showered and went downstairs.  I accepted some toast, jam and tea from my gracious son's-in-law mother.  We then made our way to Grimsby Town station.


I had hoped I would find time to photograph Steel's Corner House Restaurant for this blog.  It didn't work out that way.  The train arrived soon after we did and I was on my way to Doncaster.


I changed trains at Doncaster making sure I sat in the dinning car.  This car had only a service bar with an attendant.  I sat at the closest table in order to get some photographs.  I was sitting on the western side of the car.  The light pouring through the window was indirect and soft.  I went to the food service bar and looked over the offerings.  All the food was cellophane wrapped.  Some items were displayed on a wire rack on my side of the counter.  I asked for coffee, an egg sandwich and I picked a piece of fruit cake from the wire rack.  I paid for everything and waited for the sandwich to be warmed.

I brought the food to my table and started to eat the sandwich.  Although the attendant had the sandwich in an oven for quite awhile it was still cold in the center.  I have eaten cold food before.  I worked outside for thirty-four years.  The homemade lunches I took to work were mostly eaten cold.  I had no way of heating them.  I continued eating the, cold in the center, egg sandwich.


The sandwich was better than I expected.  Let me try and read the label to you -Free range scrambled egg, some kind of tasty (foreign sounding) cheese, red pepper, tomato and some kind of sauce,  possibly bechamel on a grilled ciabatta roll.  It was good.  


It was time for photographs.  I arranged the half eaten sandwich with its wrapper and the coffee cup on the table for a photograph.  A portion of the blue bag holding my CPAP can be seen on the right.

I also grabbed a photograph of the service bar and two attendants.  The near attendant pushed the stainless steel cart through the aisles and completed his trip in the food service area, securing the cart against the wall.


I arrived at King's Cross, took the Underground to the Overground to Hackney Wick station and then walked past the spot where my wife fell, to my daughter's apartment.  It was Monday morning and my daughter and her husband were back to work.  It was just us visitors, home alone, together.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Circe Invidiosa VII

In case you don't remember the last post, let me set the scene for you.  I was in the middle of a photography session with a young beautiful female model at an outdoor location.  I had slipped on wet rocks at the bottom of a waterfall that was supplied water from a murky, life filled pond.  I was wet and spotted with pond muck.  My right elbow was in pain.  I feared that my elbow was bleeding from lacerations I suffered in the fall but wasn't able to see my elbow.  My camera had visible dry spots of pond water on its body and skylight filter.  Mana, the model who voluntarily sat in the stream, was wet with the same pond water but was not injured.  There was a pond smell that emanated from me and probably Mana.

We finished photographing at the second scene and were on our way to the rose garden.  The rose garden had a fountain.  In the center of the fountain was a sculpture of a child holding an umbrella overhead.  Around the pond was a red brick border level with the grass.  One section of bricks was covered with moss.  Earlier in the day, before Mana arrived, I watched two large frogs jump into the fountain and disappear under the lilly pads.  

The sun found its way out from behind the clouds.  Gone was the soft, low contrast light.  Even with my reflector the sun cast dark shadows in Mana's eye sockets.  Most of the images in the bright sunlight were not good exposures.  It wasn't until I placed Mana with the sun at her back in the shade of tall bushes and using a silver reflector down and to her left that I was able to get acceptable exposures.

By this time my elbow was dripping blood.  A drop or two landed on Mana's back.  I was apprehensive about her reaction.  Some people freak out about blood.  I gingerly wiped off the drops of blood with my bandana as I explained to her what I was doing.  She wasn't at all apprehensive about my blood.

I am never alarmed at the sight of blood.  Even my own.  I am able to remain calm in health emergencies.  Maybe I should have gone to medical school.  Or worked in a slaughter house.

  

Knowing the teaming life that exists in the pond, I was beginning to worry my elbow would get infected.  I am the only bread winner in the family.  I can't afford to be in the hospital.  Four years ago, I spent two days in the hospital with blood poisoning.  I had waited four days after a puncture wound to get medical attention.  Once the pain and swelling reached alarming amounts I went to a hospital emergency room for treatment.  There were bags hanging and IVs in my arm within an hour.  (Did I say I was reckless with my safety?)  

  

As we worked near the fountain, Mana entered the water.  I think she likes being in water.  She was leaning against the brick border when she felt something between her leg and the wall of the fountain.  It was one of the large frogs trying to squeeze through.  She wasn't alarmed, just initially startled at its touch.  

I wish I had made an exposure of that incident.  At the time, I wasn't thinking about entries in a blog.  I need to change my thinking now that I am blogging.  At one point during our time at the fountain, I slipped on the mossy bricks and my left foot went to the bottom of the fountain.  I swear it seemed as though my shoe was full of tadpoles.  It wasn't, just full of water.  That was another photo op missed.

My first images of the photo session were captured at 12:37 and we called it quits at 14:05, almost four hours later.  Tempus fugit.  I packed all the equipment and props into my car.  I had Mana sign a model release and paid her cash in return for the release.  Paying a model for the release frees me to do as I wish with the images.  We discussed working together in early autumn on a project of hers.  The theme will be The Legion of Sleepy Hollow.  I obtained her email address in order to send her a link where she could download copies of the qualified images after post-processing.  We each went our own way.  For me, I needed a drink.  Water, iced tea or root beer would hit the spot.  

www.wawa.com

I headed to Wawa, a local chain of convenience stores, before heading home.  I was wet, soiled, swollen and scabbing over.  My right knee and elbow were throbbing.  I must have looked a sight and I know there was the pond odor.  At my age I don't care what people think of me.  I needed something to drink and I was going amongst people to get one.  Ten days later my car stills smells of pond water.

Circe Invidiosa V

The weather forecast for the day of the photography session was of overcast sky with a chance of rain.  I didn't mind the overcast part of the forecast.  Rain is something we didn't and still don't need here in the Delaware Valley.  This August was the wettest in history with hurricane Irene dumping 5.75" of rain on Aug 27 and 28.  Besides, rain would ruin my day.

Flooding in Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia

Actually, an overcast sky is desirable for this location.  The scene I chose for the Circe Invidiosa images was in direct sunlight.  With no overhanging tree branches or a nearby building to hide under or behind, the bright sunlight would be harsh.  An overcast sky will create a soft light because of the large area of clouds lit by the sun.  Light from a large close light source wraps around an object and fills in deep shadows.  Thereby, producing lower contrast ration between the highlights and shadows(the origin of the term soft light).  A clear sky would produce very hard lighting.  This kind of light source produces high contrast ratio between the highlights and shadows(the origin of the term hard light) and specular highlights.  So an overcast sky would be good but, no rain.

In correspondence with Mana, we agreed to meet at Appleford at 11:00.  I paced my day to meet our schedule.  I stopped at Panera Bread for a ham and swiss souffle, a chocolate pastry and large cup of coffee, which I ate and drank as I drove.  (As I sit here and think back, I took a dangerous risk!  I could have spilled my coffee.)  Upon my arrival at Appleford near 11:00, I immediately brushed the pastry crumbs from my shirt front and began to unload my car and set up the first scene.  The sky was overcast with the humidity rising towards an uncomfortable level.  A level when beads of perspiration spontaneously arise from my pores, congregate in large drops then drip down my forehead, nose, forearms and spine.  Not good when wearing eyeglasses.  Good thing I had my contact lenses in.  I walked the props, light stand and reflector over to the scene.  A few 100 yard round trips and my forearms and forehead glistened with non-specular highlights.  I placed the Lemon-Lime unsweetened Kool-Aid and water mixtures in sealed reused 2L Coke and Sprite bottles on the ground near the IKEA bowl and carafe, shear polyester silky chiton that was fused together with black Stitch Witchery and a Harry Potter magic wand pen(to be used to enchant the lemon-lime liquid).

Stitch Witchery

I have carried a large handkerchief, sometimes called a bandana, for most of my life.  I guess it is my working class origins or my 34 year job in construction.  Whatever the reason, it comes in handy for many purposes including, the then needed, mopping of the brow.  (Though I was wearing contacts, sweat still stings the eyes.)  It can also be used for wiping dirt and blood from your arms.  Even if you are not working at a construction job.

In any event, I now waited for Mana.  I took the time to wander the grounds looking for other scenes to use that day.  I noticed large quantities of frogs, tadpoles, gold fish and minnows in the water.  I heard finches, chickadees, cardinals, titmice, robins, blue jays, cat birds and I even spooked a blue heron from the lower pond.   As I walked about glistening and listening, I noticed not one other person enjoying the beautiful jewel that is Appleford.  Such a shame.  I found several scenes and moved some garden furniture to suit my needs.  The day looked promising.  All seemed to be going well and I hoped nothing would ruin my day.