Dirty Laundry

London: A Love Story

So, here I am with the family hanging out in London for a few weeks. My editor didn’t want me to get bored so she sent the copyedits for Beat the Band so I’d have something to do in between seeing priceless works of art and having tea with the queen. I have to say, it was fun rereading the manuscript. It’d been a couple of months since I’d sent it along and I was pleasantly pleased to visit with Matt, Coop, and Sean again. Plus, I got to add a few more funny jokes which I’m sure you’ll appreciate when you read it in September.

And now, onto the first of what promises to be many photo essays from this trip. Don’t worry. This is not your typical “Here’s what I saw on my vacation” photo show. No. It’s more of a glimpse inside my mind. Which can be scary at times. Also, I’m still trying to figure out this new camera (which I love, by the way) and so you will be treated to several photo studies that I have been conducting.

Enjoy!

Okay, so this one really is a “Here’s what I did on my vacation” shot, but I’m including it only to show you the beautiful interior of the Natural History Museum and to set the stage for where we are. Also, apparently you’re not supposed to caption your photos as they are supposed to speak for themselves. But I’m a writer first and I can’t help myself.

I’ve entitled this one “Speaks For Itself.”

Robert De Niro playing a dinosaur

Robert De Niro playing a big hunk of gold

Here I am practicing my isolation technique on an unsuspecting toy Brontosaurus.

This beautiful black and white image of the Prince Albert Monument requires no caption and so I’m not going to sully the experience of viewing it’s grandeur by trying to come up with some silly little comment like “Do you have Prince Albert in a can?” or something. Just relax. Breathe deep. And experience…

And now, a bald man framed in an arch.

All right, seriously, I’m going to be quiet now because, really, this is too awesome for words. (Actually, now that I look at this one I realize it doesn’t translate so well to a website. Perhaps a caption would help it. If you come up with one, please email me or comment below).

Further isolation study, this one to do with a lion at Hampton Court -  (you see, the background is out of focus which is something you just can’t do with your standard point and shoot cameras—I have to justify the expense of this camera somehow. Oh. Oh. Maybe I’ll write a book about a photographer… Or put some of my photographs in a book… then I can write the camera off… I think… I’ll have to check with my accountant…)

Depth of field! (That’s a little photography humor for you, there. Okay, let me explain. Depth of field means your photograph is in focus from foreground to background AND this is a field, sort of, so… let me try that one again.) Depth of field!

Me trying to make you sick.

Robert De Niro as a tray of eyeballs (and we see, this has become my fallback joke and another reason why pictures shouldn’t have captions)

Got to meet up with my brother and sister-in-law at the wax museum

Me and jolly King Henry VIII who, according to the people at Hampton Court - aside from having several of his wives killed, was also quite the tennis player and more of a misunderstood cuddly teddy than a tyrant. As you can tell by the picture, he’s got a great sense of humor, too.

P.S. I believe Emily in the comments below was trying to post this very funny video:

Posted by Don Calame on 3.20.10 at 01:22 pm in Prattlings. (1) Comments