Finding my religion and camera use

Probably more than minutes though 

One of the things I have had in mind since before the start of 2017 is around religion - it's something that is questionable for me but important and I'm hoping that Marcus Weeks's book which I recently received will act as a starting off point for my consideration much as an earlier book on Philosophy by him did.

Keep an eye out here and I'll be reflecting on what I get from the book weekly.

Photography and The Canon G7 X

Almost SLR ability to give sharp focus and depth

Enjoyed watching the part 3 of 'Britain in Focus' with Eamon McCabbe on BBC catch-up - I suppose the fact that Martin Parr was a large part of it helped (loved the insight on the influence that  a photographer called John Hinde's Postwar holiday postcards had on him).

Background Focus &

'Throwing' Focus

I'm adjusting to my new camera - it's surprising to me that it feels so different (in terms of the pictures I get) from the G 16 - really do like the different picture ration that I'm using and impressed by its capabilities at low light.




Not so sure about not having an optical viewfinder and not being able to access an 'electronic zoom' but think depth of focus is worth having - also intrigued to find that exposure (to me) tends towards underexposed but detail in 'the blacks' is there to be accessed if wanted - am hoping to find that I can take advantage of this when I start to learn a bit about Adobe Photoshop at RACC later in the week.

G7 x- Good at low levels of available light 

Yes it's me alright and Red 86

How could they have known?

Well when I was on the way to the Pop Up and passing some religious types for the second time  someone in the group, a lady I think gave me this  - close but they'd got the spelling wrong.

I'm somewhat fascinated by religious types who seek to help with no obvious reward - Jehovah's Witnesses don't fit that category as part of their agreement (as far as I understand) is that they only get their 'mansion in heaven' if they do certain duties one of which is to tell people of the consequences of not seeing the light.

These people seem (as far as I can tell) genuine kindly with some positive ideas.

My trumpet.

I shouldn't blow my own trumpet but here goes ...

One of the shops in the reflection

This is currently a favourite photo' of mine and it works really well in the Pop Up - it's about reflections of shop fronts and what's curious is how with other reflections (from Bond Street)  - you wonder which are in the photo and which are in the nearby shops - it can take some time to decipher - which I reckon is enjoyable.

Works well here but I'd like a bigger print

Red 86

Blue Guitar was a hit some years ago but not for this guy who was playing outside Ealing Broadway station yesterday evening,

Not a guitar for the blues?

Calvinism and more along with Red 178

Odd the way that certain phrases seep into general use without many of us stopping and thinking what they're actually about.

Scotland and a part of Calvinism?

The idea of the Protestant Work Ethic is a cliché now that many of us use (often without consideration of the religious aspect) - having heard an In our Time BBC Radio programme that reflects on it as an idea (précis would be that Protestant Countries were the ones that had Capitalism/Economic success) it seems the common use of the phrase is down to German Sociologist Max Weber I find myself looking up Calvinism - which many of us bandy about also without reference.


[Note 1: I wonder if it's down as much to temperament  and environment/climate as a supposed religious mood music.

Note 2: My feeling had been that Calvinism and it's founder were rooted in Scotland - in fact the umbrella term for the branch of Protestantism, Calvinism is named for the Frenchman Jehan Cauvin.]

Red 178

A big red van

It looks workmanlike doesn't it?

Religion-ish Unitarianism and Red 206

Often Church (particularly of 'England') figures seems to occupy a different plane from many of us.

Of course the current  story about the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is something that rings a bell with many people and his attitude to the revelation says much about the man.

Church as a place of 'Wonder'

There are many strands of religion and as we go down from some sort of Divine creator the divisions and subtleties become more nuanced oddly as in politics the small differences between Sects and strands can cause more friction than the big ones between major religions .

Although ostensibly raised as a Christian (C of E) for me religion has for most of my life been a closed book and I've sought arguments on occasion almost as a sport.

Of late I would say I am more tolerant of those with faith and am  finding the idea and the history of worship  of greater interest.

Looking at Philosophy there's an area that exists which covers much the same territory, personally not being aware of a personal revelation  the Charismatics, Catholics and Born Again varieties do not excite me but I'm drawn to the practical  (and rather utilitarian) in terms of The Salvation Army (A great programme Paul) , the Quakers (quite similar to the Unitarians ) and now the Unitarians.

From what I can see from my research so far is that Unitarians are outrageously free minded and welcoming  - followers believe (I think) that Jesus lived but do not necessarily hold with an idea of him being part of a holy trinity (i.e. he's not divine?) - so they're not Christians Per Se.

I might even visit a Unitarian Church service one of these days and see what a 'service' entails.

Red 206

Design Pencils in a fetching red

A good pencil is 2HB and easy to find

On trial? Church of Scotland Crown Court and Red 236

Odd in London?

So many varieties of religion and even within Protestantism there seem quite a few subdivisions.

When I was in the centre of London the other day I chanced upon the Church of Scotland Crown Court, which puzzled me.

I thought that it was an alternative form of justice (perhaps in some ways it is).

But it's down as something of a 'home from home' for Scots Presbyterians.

Intimidating and dour?

A rundown of what's on

Red 236

Love this, perhaps slightly jarring use of an accented feature in housing development Jamaica Road Bermondsey

A stand out feature