Whasblog

I believe I left you off last telling you about my Shooting For Story module. Documenting a workplace or profession. I was about to phone Stanstead Airport if I remember rightly. Well then, may the tale continue. I phoned the number I had been given at the front desk. They then referred me on to the Media department. I phoned them and was referred in turn to another part of the airport. They gave me the number for my final victim of telephony. Their answer was a resounding ‘no’ to my question of being allowed in to take photos around. They wouldn’t even let me in the public area to take photos, let alone perhaps get a photo of a crew preparing an aircraft. So that rather scuppered that idea. Yet, undeterred, I thought on a smaller scale, perhaps Cambridge City Airport would be more forgiving! So I phoned their Customer Relations department, who (unsurprisingly) forwarded me on to another part of the Airport. Again the answer was a resounding ‘ :frown: ‘ as there are ‘military aircraft’ at the Airport. They said I couldn’t even get in the office blocks and civilian hangers on site. Presumably in case I snuck out surreptitiously to photography all that new testing of nuclear weaponry and world-class fighter jets, which goes on at… Cambridge City Airport… hmmn? I could see this wasn’t getting me anywhere.

Thus I moved on to my current idea (after a bit of an attempt to phone the RSPCA, who are only in on two weekdays, in case you should ever find a stray animal. You’d best pray that if you do its on a Tuesday, otherwise you’ll have to look after it yourself for a few days?) .. where was I? Oh yes, current idea. Religion! Mum’s comment was ‘Ooh yes, good idea. After all if a Minister can’t help you who can!’ I thought this was quite fair. So today I went to see the University Chaplain who has given me the numbers of the local preacher types, whom I will be phoning over the next few days. I’ve also got an appointment with the Chaplain himself to take photos as the Graduation Ceremony. Which should be interesting even if it doesn’t quite fit into the groove of the project. I met up with my local (from back home) Methodist contact who was very helpful in giving ideas and help and such things. Maybe I can convince her to let me take some photos in church back at home! Provided I don’t have any hidden agendas of trying to make Christianity appear evil or sinister I think all should be well. So no Photoshopping 666 into the communion bread / the vicar’s forehead! I don’t think that would go down very well anywhere. So that’s that for Shooting For Story, things slowly moving ahead, which is good because tomorrow I have a group crit on the work I’ve done so far, and as of 2 hours ago that was absolutely nothing! Here I am procrastinating once again. :bigo:

You may think you’ve escaped my ramblings there, if so you are very wrong, as you can see this blog extends further down the screen. :catfish:

Digital Imaging. That’s my Photoshoppery module. CD Covers is the project at hand. The deadline is in two weeks for them and I have only done about 1/3 of 1/2 my journal work for it! Although, even though I do say so myself, I’ve got a few good photos and ideas for it, see below! (Again just trying to add colour to these monochromatic proceedings).

Speaking of monochromatic proceedings, I’m back in the darkroom. Ah good times. This time we’ve actually been to taught to use it a fair bit better than we were at A-Level, not that I’m slagging off the previous teaching. One would expect degree level to be slightly more in-depth after all. However, this is where the rant comes in. Technicians. We have none :buck: In theory our darkroom is open Mon-Thr and open access when classes aren’t on until 9pm! Hooray. Unfortunately that is not the case. We’ve been making up our own chemicals (not a bad thing) and the darkroom’s been closing as early as 4:30. Not good when you have assignments that need to be in. I’m not too fussed about that though. I am fussed about the small studio now being totally trashed. Someone thought the light bench was a chair, and sat on it. We are now minus a vey expensive bit of equipment, rather invalidating the use of the small studio completely. But don’t worry, there’s a large studio too! Oh wait, one of the bulbs is blown in there and every time you book to use it there’s no technician to unlock it or lend out the necessary equipment. So much for the excellent resources at the university :unhap: I’m fairly miffed at this, as many others of us are, so there is much official complaint going on. Which doesn’t really help the stress levels of our already over-worked lecturer. Hopefully things will improve shortly as we have a new full-time technician starting soon. But anyway, life goes on, and I’m still managing to get on with my projects reasonably well

Sorry to leave it on that rather rantariffic note. I feel much better for getting it out my system (again). No doubt things will improve and everything will be sorted out. I imagine there is a lot of this kind of hassle at the start on a new academic year. On another note, it’s half-term for all those slacking young types. It made me feel very old when I realised that half-terms are a thing of the past. Just as Mufti Days were a thing of the past a couple of years ago. Brr, Autumn’s chill through the window. Time to get back on with the work. Hope you hear from you all soon, especially from those of you who have yet to tell us about your courses and universities! I look forward to reading all about it. Hope you’re having fun with work and play, time is ticking ’till some kind of Christmas reunion, and it’s ticking fast.

Bai. :happy: