I continuously wrestle with why the hell I want to make images. Sure a hell of a lot of it is a fascination with the process. I like the technology. Not the modern pixel peaking type so much as the physical side of traditional photography. But then I’m sitting at…
Category: Misc
The ‘other’ always needed in any classification.
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Marathon Monk: November 2018 – 248 days & 1,488 mindful miles
What has happened this month? I’ve started to Bullet Journal. Bought new camera bag and Hasselblads. Spending too much on camera gear but enjoying the sensations of owning in my 50s what I wanted in my 20s. I’m calling my Sunday Anxieties FOMO now. That’s what it comes down to….
Misc
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Real Photography with a CAMRA
This is an image of Scotland that I created as part of my job. The green is Normalised Difference Vegetation Index which is basically the difference between red and near infra-red light as seen by a satellite. This image is a composite of around one hundred and fifty satellite passes over…
Misc
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On Scottish Independence
Scotland is a country. Countries choose their own governments. No countries are truly independent but choose to pool some sovereignty for mutual benefit. or Scotland is a region. Regions choose local representatives to a central government. Regions are delegated powers by a central government which may choose to revoke them. Pick…
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Marathon Monk: September 2018 – 217 days & 1,302 mindful miles
A quiet month again. Lost a few days to my sinuses playing up. Had to get the bus back or work at home. There is a general feeling of embeddedness. I feel the period of being really low has past. Perhaps 2018 will just be a year I remember for…
Misc
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Bath Climate Mews
Twelve years ago we moved into our flat in Edinburgh with our two daughters who were six and a four years old. We aren’t fussy about decor but the fibreglass bath looked like it was about to crack and would have to be changed really soon. This week, just after…
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Marathon Monk: August 2018 – 199 days & 1,194 mindful miles
Not sure what to say this month. Not quite to 200 days – although I am on the 200th as I type. Here are two photos.
Misc
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Afghan Box Camera a.k.a. Cuban Polaroid a.k.a Camera Minutera
I don’t feel I really understand something until I have had a go at it so, having watched some YouTube videos on Afghan Box Cameras, I had the urge to “waste” a couple of weekends building one. Now it is more or less working and I’ve learnt my lessons I…
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Marathon Monk: April 2018 – 137 days & 822 mindful miles
Five years ago I made a commitment to do a 20 minute mindfulness walk ever day during my lunch hour at the Botanics. I put a blog post on the Wild Geese website inviting people to join me and occasionally they have. I’ve managed to stick with it through all…
Misc
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Sometimes you should bark yourself
Why bark if you have a dog? We need to be reminded to let someone else take over and do a job rather than doing everything ourselves. But sometimes it isn’t the right thing to do and we should get our hands dirty. I like making images and it has…
Misc
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Does the BBC broadcast propaganda?
I’m teaching myself to make podcasts. Like many things this is harder than I thought but I like learning stuff and the way I force myself to get on with it is to share what I’m doing. This morning I put together a podcast that chops up a BBC news…
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Marathon Monk: February 2018 – 112 days & 672 mindful miles
On Tuesday 6th February I passed the 100 walks mark when, if I was a real Japanese Marathon Monk, I would have asked formal permission to continue. I thought about marking the day in some special day but in the end it was just a normal walk. Perhaps I’ll do…
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Marathon Monk: December 2017 – 89 days & 534 mindful miles
I was really losing it at work in the run up to Christmas. No motivation, just staring at the screen or surfing the web. I have a load of leave to use up and a colleague said “Just go now” so I jacked in 2017 on Wednesday 18th December and…
Edinburgh
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First Binaural recording attempt – Christmas Market
I’m having fun with a couple of mics making some binaural recordings. Here is the first one that is even worth sharing. You need to wear headphones to get the effect. Close your eyes and you are almost there.
Misc
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Why we shouldn’t advocate “people” have fewer kids
I often hear people say that there are too many people in the world or even that responsible “people” should have fewer children. There is never the opportunity to explain fully why this is such an inappropriate thing to say but now I’ve had a rainy day with no distractions…
Misc
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Marathon Monk Index
Just to reiterate I’m not a monk and I’m not running 26.219 mile marathons – which makes the title a bit of lie. I’m walking to work as a Buddhist training exercise inspired by the Tendai Buddhist Marathon Monks of Mt Hiei in Japan. This is the Marathon Monk Index…
Edinburgh
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Harry Potter and the Hairy Rhodies
It was 20 years ago today, not that Sgt Pepper taught the band to play but that I submitted my PhD thesis. Of course that is not what they are talking about in the papers. They are all talking about J.K. Rowling and a mildly successful tome Harry Potter and…
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Setting Off on Project Marathon Monk
Pick a date, any date. I pick this one. A nice astronomical date. This is when the series of “marathons” begins. Summer Solstice 05:24 Wednesday 21st June 2017 I’m taking as my muse the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei in Japan. I’m going to use some of their rituals to…
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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Marathon Monk: Back story
I remember a story about a guy who set off to walk from the centre of the USA to the ocean relying on the kindness of strangers for support. He was curious to learn more about his country and himself. At first he found it very difficult. People were suspicious…
Misc
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A View to a Chill
Coverage of my recent paper in The Sun – I’ve made it! But surely it should be “Its A View To A Chill.”? The film was “A View To A Kill“.
Misc
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Biophilomatics: A new field courtesy of IKEA?
Biophilomatics: A new field courtesy of IKEA?
Misc
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DIY “Silent” Practise Guitar
I just made my first Instructable: DIY Silent Practise Guitar https://youtu.be/4tfI8PNirJs
Mindfulness & Buddhism
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One year old today
I took lay ordination into the Order of Interbeing as True Embracing Oak (Chân Sồi Bao Dung) on 28th August 2015 – a year ago today. This is my Oak Tree ordination family. From the top down Anthony Leete, Julia Claremont-Brown, Me, Margaret McClean and Patricia Diaz. We came together on…
Misc
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Henry mobbed by his public
During my photo drought I have taken to having my X-Pro 1 with the 27mm pancake in my bag. Carrying but not using. At Henry’s book launch this evening the official photographer was a little late but just as they asked me to help out she turned up. So I didn’t need…
Misc
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Botanic Cottage People
About a year a go I had committed to photograph people on their allotments as my next project when Sutherland Forsyth suggested I document the people who were involved in reconstructing the Botanic Cottage at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Needless to say the allotment project fell by the wayside…
Misc
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Robert from Poland to India via Scotland
Lovely to be joined by Robert on my lunchtime walk today. He’s off to India for five months is a couple of weeks.
Hawking: Humans at risk of lethal ‘own goal’?
Can’t resist a quick comment on this article on BBC News today.Hawking: Humans at risk of lethal ‘own goal’. He says that assuming humanity eventually establishes colonies on other worlds, it will be able to survive. “Although the chance of a disaster to planet Earth in a given year may…