“The thing about photography is, it’s actually very easy. There are just a couple of rules you need to know. I studied photography you know. There is that one in three thing, and well, another rule or two… My Mum bought me several lessons so I know what I’m talking about. I’m really good at it, you know. After that, you can get great photos, the rest of it is just a matter of refining it a bit.”

Somehow I managed to avoid the overwhelming temptation to break away from my coffee and insert my views into their conversation (or for that matter, insert my tripod somewhere else). Apparently, to do really good photography, what you really need is an SLR, which, he reckoned, cost £500. So when he managed to get that sum together he would be able to move away from using his compact and his photography would become even more genius. He had a mate who had a Canon, and that took absolutely wonderful pictures.

I really wanted to listen to the rest to see what other gems I could glean, but unfortunately was forced to move upstairs for some fresh air. At least there’s a wifi connection upstairs, so I can post this while it’s fresh!

Of course, mostly I hated his idea that you can get good photography by applying simplistic rules. But he added salt to the wound – I have a personal allergy to the so-called ‘Rule of Thirds’. People claim to apply it where any element is not in the centre and not right at the edge of the frame. It’s pretty tricky to avoid that without getting the subject right out of the frame altogether. And anyway, many of the best pictures have the subject either bang in the centre and not at the edge, so the whole thing is a bit of nonsense. It has its use as a way of getting beginners to try to experiment with moving the subject round the frame a bit, but that’s about it.

While I don’t believe in the Rule of Thirds, I also don’t believe in trying to avoid it – because as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t exist. So, just to make Mr. Old Spice happy, here is a rule of thirds afficionado’s wet dream, from Coasting:

The Musee de L’Elysee had a proper budget to give a really spectacular launch, flying photographers from all over the world and providing accommodation, as well as a programme of events, including a delicious Thai barbecque. We met many lovely and talented photographers, several from the Helsinki School who seem to be dominating contemporary photography. A particular favourite was Saana Wang, both for sunny and radiant disposition, and her intriguing photographs, which, like Saana herself, transcend the divide between Finnish and Chinese cultures.

Here are Sylwia’s pictures hanging in the exhibition. reGeneration2 is being published by Thames and Hudson:-

As you might expect, everything in Switzerland runs like a clock. The driverless trains on the city’s metro system are especially cool. Which makes you all the happier when you come across a little design flaw, proving that we are all human after all.

Here is David Cameron:-

And this is Pitt the Younger:-

Coincidentally – David Cameron just happens to be Britain’s youngest Prime Minister for 200-odd years since, errr…, Pitt the Younger.

We just came back from a whole 5 days in Florence, yippee!

Ryanair isn’t an airline – it’s a game. The object of the game is to reach the destination as cheaply as possible, (preferably more or less on the day that you were supposed to). The Enemy has the task of trying to make your journey as expensive as possible.

The cards are stacked against you, because The Enemy gets to write the rules of the game and can change them when it wants to, just to keep you on your toes. Their strategy is to quote an irresistibly cheap up front price to hook you. Then throw every trick in the book to squeeze your wallet like a grape.

This starts with the obvious ruse of adding various unexpected charges as you go through the booking process, so that you’re right on the edge of cancelling the booking – but go ahead anyway. You’re probably forewarned about this and expect it, to a some extent. But usually the enemy has thought up a new kind of extra charge since last time you flew, and throws it into the stew on the very last page before you complete the booking. Booking fees, whatever the hell that means, are the most annoying. They undoubtedly piss you off, but you probably take it on the nose and go ahead and complete the booking anyway.

Why should I pay them a booking charge? It is me making the booking, I should be charging them for doing it. I have been daydreaming of sending The Enemy a bill for my own booking fee. Did I forget to mention up front my £50 fee for this? I’m so sorry Mr. Enemy, but it is in my standard terms of business. You wish to make a complaint? Of course, here is my Complaints Hotline (50p a minute, all our operators are busy at the moment, but please hold and we will answer your call as soon as I become available. In the meantime here is some information about our standard range of Complaints Fees, read veeeeery slowly). They’re not quite that bad yet, perhaps, but getting there.

That is only the start. Much of the battle goes on around the fraught subject of baggage allowance. The Enemy is hoping that you will try to economise by not paying for all of your hold baggage, that you think at the time of booking that you will get away with carrying less than you inevitably do end up taking by the time you get to the airport. Big mistake. They are counting on you changing your mind, or trying to sneak on a few sneaky kilos extra, or that your hand luggage will be 1cm wider than the allowance, or that you will try to carry your laptop separately, or have a camera on your shoulder, or that you will buy a few presents or books while you’re away for the return journey.

I know all this horror is going to happen, and I always try to find an alternative airline. I’m happy to pay more to fly on Easyjet or Wizzair, or any other airline that is relatively up-front about the ‘extras’. But as often as not flight timetables and geography mean that I end up coming back to playing the same old game with The Same Old Enemy.

Oh, and Florence? It was fantastic of course!

My faith in democracy is restored. Though it is a little sad that MP’s have a better understanding of the impact that the legislation would have on intellectual property than the Intellectual Property Office do.

Kudos to the organisers of the Stop43 campaign, many of whom are lights on EPUK – Editorial Photographers UK – for carrying out a brilliant information campaign to stop the draconian proposals.

To celebrate, here’s a picture taken from the bus this last Friday. As you can see, it’s been snowing here!

Instead of seeking the owner of the photograph’s permission and paying for use, publishers will be able to pay a nominal fee to a government body instead of the owner. To take advantage of this, all the publisher needs to do is say they couldn’t find the owner of the photo. In theory, they are supposed to do a ‘diligent search’ for the copyright owner – in practise, given the billions of photos online this protection means nothing.

What is more, the Government plan to pass the law without even debating it properly in Parliament! Only the Liberal Democrats have so far mounted any kind of convincing opposition to these plans.

Section 43 needs to be struck out. Click below for the “Stop43″ website:

And a more sober one, which is maybe a bit more ‘corporate’:

And Portobello beach itself:

While we were down there I took a picture or two: