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I took this in December 2000 in Florida on my first digital camera. It was a Kodak with a whopping 2 megapixels. I was still using a film SLR at this stage but buying a digital camera really put the nail in the coffin of film for me. Anyway, it was lovely and sunny in Miami but there were beasties in the sea so as you can see in the photograph, no swimming allowed.
Priestman are, or at least were, a brand of crane and excavator manufactured up until possibly the late 1990s. They have a long history according to this page. I found the logo above on a crane on the docks in Cork Harbour back in 2005. It’s probably still there!
The Priestman story began when William Dent Priestman in 1876, who had founded an engineering firm in Hull six years earlier, was asked to build a winch and grab for work off the west coast of Spain, in an attempt to locate lost gold. Though nothing was ever found, the mechanism that William Dent created was found to be equally effective at dredging mud and silt in docks, rivers and harbours.
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Today, what is left of the firm trades in Bradford under new owner, Gardner Denver, the american based compresser and blower manufacturer. No longer are cranes or excavators manufactured. The replacment parts business became unsustainable after the last Priestman emplyee retired in 2007. All the drawings and specifications exist. These are all in storage slowley deteriating with age. The legacy lives on ?.
I gotta go back there and check if that crane is still there and get a decent photo of it. Here’s a very enthusiastic fan of Priestman vehicles. If that link doesn’t ping his post, I’ll leave a comment pointing him here!
PS. this is my first post from my newly installed Ubuntu 9.10 on a big 500GB internal drive. Previously I managed with about 40GB of space which wasn’t enough when shooting in RAW. Working off external USB drives was sort of painful but now I can store a few years worth of photos on my speedy internal drive!
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It was daylight when he arrived.
If I had charged Ryanair rates for the luggage, I’d be in no need of a pension. He left it all over the hall. We were stepping over bags and bundles to beat the band.
“Is this your bedroom? he inquired as he slipped out of his coat. Suddenly shy, I nodded my answer. “Are you sure you want to go through with it?” he asked.
“In for a penny, in for a pound!” I announced cheerfully. He smiled and pushed open the door.
The bed was turned down and ready. As he crossed the floor to the bed the sun was streaming in the window. “I think we should close the blinds.” he said more as a suggestion than an order. I tilted the blinds and closed the curtains. As I turned, the zips were open and he was fiddling with his gear.
Cameras both digital and the real stuff, a light meter, laptop, arc lights umbrellas, you name it he had it. RIGHT HERE IN MY BEDROOM!
I had been warned… it was a slow process. Like all good things in life, slow and steady is the way to go. I wanted my evidence but: every time I took a photo my flash killed the arc lights and we were in darkness for a few seconds. It was like a flash in reverse.
My new found friend with the shoe fetish wanted to see where and how I stored my shoes. It was supposed to tell him a little about my personality :!: Boy, was I glad I emptied the bath.
I did it in a hurry so some of the shoes were in a heap on the floor of the cupboard.
It must have taken about an hour to set the whole thing up. Three tripods to unlock and place at the correct distance and height, the white umbrella positioned on one of them; then there was a large hooded light and finally the digital camera on the lowest one. The little silver spirit level that had belonged to Elly’s granddad, was just the right size to sit on the camera when it was on the tripod.
You thought we were ready! We had not even begun. The next stage was connecting the laptop so that the photos went straight to it from the camera so we would see each shot as soon as it was taken.
Then it was down to business….
You didn’t believe me, go on admit it!
The shots of the shoes and boots in the wardrobe, the boxes in to the sides and the clothes hanging above all gave the image he wanted. A couple of hangers were moved this way or that if they cast shadows. The actual shots used were not much higher than my knees. Some were taken at different light levels and exposure. It was fascinating to watch. Announcing that the first part was finished, I sighed and offered to make coffee.
Over our coffee we chatted about the project, I had some questions to answer. They were the same questions no matter whether you were a 20year old or an old biddy like me.
I suppose you want my answers. Was that a yes? OK. Here we go.
Killer heels are those awful impulse buys that are comfortable in the shop for about five minutes and then become implements of torture. Out on the town; late at night any weekend you will see so called young ladies with legs half way to heaven, a top that fits where it touches and the shoes being carried as they pick their way round puddles and rough pavement with bare feet. Thankfully it was a stage I managed to miss in life. We picked my navy courts with the highest heels. They are in fact very comfortable, but only worn on special occasions.
Apparently some of the earlier subjects of this project had Love Shoes. They were bought as presents by a Fiancé or a husband. Most of them ended up like a brooch or a scarf, back in the box, only taken out to daydream. I bought all my own shoes to wear for comfort and because they matched an outfit.
My favourites? The low heeled dark green pair, bought to go with a suit for a wedding in 1998.
My Sexy shoes? Well you have seen the footwear I feel most sexy in already on the blog. What do you mean you don’t remember? Be patient I will show you in a minute…!
The pair of shoes I wished to include might be a surprise… They were not my usual style, colour or shape. They were tomato red. Are you with me? The red shoes I wore post-op since September. Soft wide and secure when testing a new hip and relearning to trust my right leg. They are the shoes that got me to where I am today. Steady as a rock on my pins and once more able to wear my usual footwear.
MY Sexy Boots
Then it was on to the next and final stage Five pairs of shoes each in their box.
Now this was a surprise, all my boxed shoes were covered with tissue. So a new idea developed. Several shots of each stage of uncovering with the digital camera and then finally with the REAL camera with film in.
Another stage of uncovering.
So the five pairs of shoes chosen were:
Working clockwise: The red shoes - my choice, The navy courts - with the highest heels. Blue dolly shoes with surface stitching and a leather beige flower - these were chosen as the surprise elements to my character - the outside the box GM. Brown Mock Crocks - the shoes I wore the first day we met for coffee. and the dark green low courts with mixed textures - my favourites.
All the photos above were mine, The professional version will go towards a degree project. Perhaps when all is finished I might cadge an odd copy.
Four and a half hours in my bedroom with a strange man was fun, we laughed plenty and I learned plenty of tricks. Thank you Jim for inviting me to take part. I hope when you graduate that you keep me a Strawberry!
This is the follow up post to More Shoes
Mallow Camera Club toasted the success of four members who gained their Licentiateship Distinction at the recent judging of panels on Sunday last, the 28th of November. Karen Fleming, Rodney O’Callaghan, John Flynn and Denis O’Leary all received their first Irish Photographic Federation distinctions at the recent event, at the first time of asking. Pat Sheehan, Club Chairman, congratulated all four on their distinctions, calling the clean sweep of four from four a major personal achievement and a great result for the club. All four are pictured here with Mark Sedgwick, President of the Irish Photographic Federation.
