Oxford

End of Term Revelry (Oxford University) The tradition of “trashing” i.e. spraying each other’s academic gowns with champagne, eggs and shaving foam after completing their finals. Plus Heinz Soup it would appear :-))

Entertaining the shoppers in Cornmarket Street.

I have been working my way through some old shots trying to get them organised………some hope :-) Anyway, this was taken a long time back in Cornmarket Street in Oxford, These gals and guys were wonderful entertainment :-)

Haven't done many candid shots of late but have re-worked this Oxford shot from some long time back :-)

I was most impressed and inspired by the following shot from Pierre - www.ipernity.com/doc/blueman/22820563 I thought I could try out a similar framing idea with a shot I had been working on :-) This very old shot is of some colourful Punts in Oxford. Of course, with hindsight, I should have used the icm technique here! But as it is too late I had to revert to applying some motion blur :-) And, then I tried out a similar framing idea to that used by Pierre. Thanks very much for the inspiration, Pierre. Obviously, next time I am in Oxford I will be focussing on the icm technique in accordance with Bev’s www.ipernity.com/home/beverleyplaya challenge :-)

I was tempted to clone out the 'WARNING' sign' :-) Taken last Thursday that was possibly the last day of summer :-( A most perfect day spent in Oxford :-)))

N is for… NASSAU HOURS Book of Hours made for Engelbert of Nassau. Flemish illumination by The Master of Mary of Burgundy. c.1470-1490 O is for … OWEN Photograph of the poet Wilfred Owen, who died in action on the Western Front in the First World War

It's probably not that relevant but I'm not sure if this was taken in Broad Street or Catte Street :-)

This was the result of following a 'Digital Photo' magazine tutorial and I did put the original on that other site! A couple of errors that needed fixing have now been sorted and I thought it worthy of showing here on ipernity :-) I don't think the light in the wheelbarrow was being pinched................it was probably being taken away for repair/restoration :-)))

I honestly didn't see the camera when I took this candid! With hindsight, it could have been an opportunity to discuss the benefits of owning a Nikon :-))

The following is courtesy of Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldonian_Theatre "The Sheldonian Theatre was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, Chancellor of the University at the time and the project's main financial backer. It is used for music concerts, lectures and university ceremonies, but not for drama. The building has a prominent eight-sided cupola in the centre of the roof". You can visit inside the Cupola and take photos of Oxford views through the glass. I have been inside once and, as far as I know, they don't normally open the windows for us photographers :-( But, on this day one of the windows was open and I could see a camera poking through :-)) With hindsight I think I really should have gone inside on the 5 September!!

Added to Soundtrack Weekend www.ipernity.com/group/362993 To me the most obvious choice of a song here would have been “These Boots are Made for Walking” by Nancy Sinatra. But, the YouTube clips I found were, quite honestly, out of bounds ‘cos of some of the most distasteful comments I have seen in a mighty long time!!! So, next on the list is “Boots of Spanish Leather“. I don’t know if the young ladies boots were from Spain but they will have to be for the purposes of Soundtrack Weekend :-))) “Boots of Spanish Leather” written by Bob Dylan is performed here by Nanci Griffith. Here I go again :-)) but, Nanci is one of my fave singers :-)) From Wikipedia - “Nanci Caroline Griffith (born July 6, 1953) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Born in Seguin, Texas, Nanci’s career has spanned a variety of musical genres, predominantly country, folk, and what she terms "folkabilly." Nanci won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1994 for her recording, Other Voices, Other Rooms. This album features Nanci covering the songs of artists who are her major influences. One of her better-known songs is "From a Distance," which was written and composed by Julie Gold, although Bette Midler's version achieved greater commercial success. Similarly, other artists have occasionally achieved greater success with Nanci’s songs than Nanci herself. For example, Kathy Mattea had a country music top five hit with a 1986 cover of Nanci’s "Love at the Five and Dime" and Suzy Bogguss had one of her largest hits with Griffith's and Tom Russell's "Outbound Plane". In 1994, Nanci teamed up with Jimmy Webb to contribute the song "If These Old Walls Could Speak" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization. Nanci is a survivor of breast cancer which was diagnosed in 1996, and thyroid cancer in 1998.” Watch/Listen here- www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXMW2otJXMQ

Looking through some old shots.................as you do :-) And, I thought this is a fair effort :-) Taken by the river in Oxford.

Štěpán Honc (guitar, cittern) and Pavlína Bastlová (flute and vocals) have recorded two albums with the Per Kelt band from the Czech Republic. In October 2011 Štěpán and Pavlína moved to London to perform here. Pavlína and Štěpán regularly entertain the shoppers in Cornmarket Street, Oxford. When I took this shot there was also a guy on percussion but I haven't yet worked out his name. Website - www.perkelt.cz/?lang=cs

Added to Soundtrack Weekend www.ipernity.com/group/362993 “Let the music keep our spirits high Let the buildings keep our children dry Let creation reveal it's secrets by and by By and by-- When the light that's lost within us reaches the sky” “Before the Deluge” was written by Jackson Browne and features on his 1974 album “Late for the Sky” From Wikipedia - “Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States alone. Coming to prominence in the 1970s, Browne has written and recorded songs such as "These Days", "The Pretender", "Running on Empty", "Lawyers In Love", "Doctor My Eyes", "Take It Easy", "For a Rocker", and "Somebody's Baby". In 2004, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Music by Occidental College in Los Angeles, California.” I would normally only put in one link. But, I have found (in my humble opinion) three totally brilliant performances on YouTube……two from Jackson (Glastonbury and from the ‘Going Home’ DVD) and a performance from Christy Moore. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8y45mAGJRA www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhQM41vBKvs www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQpoLUPSa1U

You can visit many of the Oxford Colleges either for free or by paying a couple of pounds sterling. But, I have never known Brasenose College to be open to visitors :-( However, that doesn't stop you taking a shot or two through the entrance :-) From "Oxford Scene; A View of the University and City" - "Brasenose College was founded in 1509 by two northerners from the Cheshire-Lancashire border...Bishop William Smyth and Richard Sutton a lawyer and the first layman spontaneously to found a college. The buildings were put up on the site of several medieval halls including Brazen Nose Hall."

I have bought myself a new 70 - 200mm lens and thought I would try it out in Oxford. I particularly wanted to photograph the writing on the side of the Kings Arms Public House plus the ‘HOLYWELL STREET’ sign to see if it was all readable @ 200mm. I was most surprised that at the very instant I pressed the shutter this young lady stopped in front of the letters O, L, Y and W and partially obscured the letters H & E and one of the L‘s. So, as well as checking out the clarity I also, accidentally, captured a candid shot :-)

This is pretty much my first Autumn shot this year and I am hoping that I will get at least two more shots before the colours disappear :-))