Time to leave the country

There is a deep seated discrimination and segregation in this Western society where one minority group of people, young and old, is deprived of basic human rights in a way which is both flagrant yet generally and willingly accepted by the passive majority.

This minority section of society does not have the right to free speech or to discuss religious beliefs, is not allowed to use profanity in public, is not provided legal protection against false allegations, is prohibited from being open about their sexuality and sexual practices, is restrained from using social networking and dating websites, cannot write or talk about the people they know and interact with in public, is expected to maintain far higher standards of decency and morality than the majority, is expected to hide instances of mental illness and anguish for fear of victimisation, is not allowed to have spontaneous fun, can be physically attacked with no prospect of protection from the law, can be threatened with death and ignored by the police, can be prevented from witnessing the birth of their own children, is not allowed to get drunk and can never admit having smoked pot, whether they inhaled or not; can be wrongly and hopelessly accused of murder simply because their place in society marks them out as a target and absolutely cannot reveal the truth to the majority populous.

Have we reached the Kristallnacht point? Are we all going to have to leave suddenly? Or will everyone blithely carry on in a fog of moral decrepitude?

But of course, that’s all too negative. Everything is going to get better. It’s in the wind.

 

About to fly away

About to fly away, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

Via Flickr:
A lady bug about to fly away. I spotted it crawling over a set of sample art papers which arrived in the post that day. She didn’t think much of the 300 gsm canvas rag, but really seemed to like the eco friendly bamboo stock – a classy lustre affair coming in at 200 gsm. I had chance to get two shots off as she scurried to the edge before alighting to a plant border, never to be seen again.

 

One flap of my wings will change the world

One flap of my wings will change the world, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

Via Flickr:

Read my beak – no more butterflies! One flap of my wings will cause the end of the global economic crisis, a permanent improvement in British weather and the immediate introduction of Rondel Oro Semi Seco Cava into every Morrisons supermarket.

 

Sweet William Flowers

Sweet William Flowers, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

Dianthus barbatus

Another sea of bokeh macro flower image. Beautiful sunshine today – lots of landscape pictures to start editing and processing.

 

Sweet Williams

Sweet Williams, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

Dianthus barbatus

A macro shot using the D7000’s small flash limited by holding my hand over it. 60mm at around 2.8 to severely restrict the depth of field to the pastel stamen. I know the point of a good macro is to achieve edge to edge sharpness using tiny apertures, but I like fuzzy, swimming bokeh to frame the object, and throw it forward towards the viewer. Sweet Williams seem flavour of the month around here – I picked these up in a supermarket on my way back from work. The best part of the long out of county commute and daily grind.

 

Nearly but not quite

Nearly but not quite, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

The first of many pot plants. A single ornamental thistle in an oversized plant pot. Part of me had to wonder whether I’d been conned. ‘Bee Magnet’ and ‘Butterfly Bonanza’ screamed the signage. ‘Five pounds for a weed,’ screamed my wallet. The promise of an orgy of bees for my 60mm f2.8 macro lens won out.
The D70s is quiet. The D7000 has an almost sound effect shutter which acts as a sonic cattle prod to anything with wings. Many bees – none in shot.

 

Sailing towards the edge

Sailing towards the edge, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

By mid- afternoon La Gomera has sunk into a haze. Either that or someone on the east coast has a hot tub to die for. The early evening sunlight speckles the sea sending mirages of shifting horizons towards the eye. Only it doesn’t – the shimmering is an optical illusion and one which could be corrected in photoshop. But the raw file’s highlights and string of light hints at a Rothko edge of the world where negative imperfection is good, especially when the pirate ship booze cruise rocks up in just the right spot.

 

Los Gigantes – The most beautiful place on earth

Los Gigantes – The most beautiful place on earth, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

This really was the view from the balcony. Six pictures stitched together in photoshop from a fixed exposure and 55mm focal length. Taken after in the early morning – La Gomera – the island on the horizon, slowly disappears into a sauna like mist by the afternoon.

 

Hoverfly and lavender

Hoverfly and lavender, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

 

Ornamental Thistle

Ornamental Thistle, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

 

Smoke bush redux

Smoke bush redux, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

 

Woodland Dream – Symonds Yat, Wye Walley

Woodland Dream – Symonds Yat, Wye Walley, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

 

Hoverfly and Lavender Bokeh

Hoverfly and Lavendar Bokeh, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

 

Orange Hibiscus Glow

Orange Hibiscus Glow-1, originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.

Hibiscus “Morrisons Special Offer” in orange.

 

St Briavels Castle, Gloucestershire (2 of 2)

St Briavels Castle, Gloucestershire (2 of 2), originally uploaded by Thomas Tolkien.