Tag Archives: House

Lane End

When we first started planning the trip to the UK, I decided to try and schedule a shoot with the lifeboat crew in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. The boat house is at Lane End in Bembridge. I had shot a launch there from the shore a few years ago and wanted to plan something a little more involved. I talked with the RNLI team there about getting something together and it looked like it might work out. Unfortunately, a number of issues cropped up shortly before the visit and the whole thing was scrubbed.

While this was disappointing, it did free up some time during the visit to do other things. Even so, I did take a walk from our hotel down to Lane End one early evening. The lifeboat is kept in a boathouse at the end of a pier. This allows it to launch clear of the rocky ledges in the area. The boat house is a relatively new building. The old pier and house were demolished and replaced when they upgraded the lifeboat.

The new pier is a cool structure and the whole thing fits well with what was there already. I got there after the house had closed to visitors for the day but I did walk out on the pier and look through the windows at the boat. It was a lovely evening to be out at the water and certainly made me feel pretty relaxed on my vacation. A couple of days later, I was able to get some aerial shots of the boathouse when we flew by too which was pretty cool.

Skypark Family Fun Day

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Big airshows can be fun. However, the confined nature of things and the number of people involved can also make them a little less enjoyable. Small events at local airfields do not provide the same level of activity but they can prove to be every bit as fun. Such is the case with the Sonoma Skypark’s Family Fun Day. This is one of those opportunities for a local airfield to invite people from the area to come and see what happens at the field. It is a good way to build relations with the local community.

I may not be “local” but I wasn’t going to miss the chance to join in. I arrived relatively early and some of the setting up was still in progress. A selection of the most interesting (read old) planes based at Skypark were being lined up on display. Some vintage cars were also being added to the lineup. Meanwhile, some of the stands were getting set up for local societies and offering food and drink.

There was no flying display taking place. However, there were some movements covering pleasure flights and some sky diving flights. The airport was shut for the main part of the event although one pilot didn’t seem to notice that. Another arrived and managed to leave the runway and ground loop in the grass. I missed this as I was watching a parachutist landing from the opposite direction. All ended up fine with no significant damage incurred.

Entry to the event included free lunch. There was a steady line of people taking advantage of the food that was being cooked and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Rides on a trailer pulled by a tractor seemed to keep the smaller visitors amused and there were competitions for paper airplanes as well. A lot of people showed up during the day and, hopefully, the bond between the airport and the community got a little bit stronger. I had a great time!

Houses on Hills

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Being up at Twin Peaks, there were plenty of interesting things to look at. San Francisco is a city with such great terrain which is obvious when you are moving around the city but which gets lost as you view things from a distance. The view from the top of the hills includes the various rocky outcrops but you do lose a little perspective on the steepness of things. However, as I looked around, I could see various locations where the houses were climbing the available ground and finding their spot, however precarious. I used a longer focal length to try and show just how they were stacked up on each other and the terrain. The odd rock face right behind them or the house immediately below looked fascinating to me. I suspect this is something I will be seeing a lot more in time.

Wintery Suburbs

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Coming home to Chicago recently, we were landing just after some snow had blown through the area. We made a slightly unusual approach to Midway and did some maneuvering pretty low over the suburbs near the airport. I love this sort of thing since I find the rows of houses really fascinating from above. I managed to snap a few shots out of the window as we came in. These were grabbed with the camera on my phone so the control was a little limited but it was better than missing it altogether.

Some of the industrial buildings in the area also look cool from the air. This part of town has a bunch of rail yards and the geometry of them is impressive from above.

Theater With the Personal Touch

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Our trip to Woodstock included poking our heads into the Opera House on the square. An old building that has history dating back to the early days of the town, we were nosing around the front door when a passing lady told us to head inside. I was not going to bother but she was quite insistent so we did head in. One of the staff was in the lobby and greeted us warmly. He suggested that we should wander around upstairs if we wanted.

We headed up to the auditorium. It was great. A small venue so everyone was very close to the stage. It seemed really cozy. There was a balcony too so we checked that out as well. They have a variety of acts throughout the year so the place seems very busy. They had a musical on that evening but they also had music acts performing at varying times.

The restoration of the place was nicely done and it was in great condition but also felt suitable period. While Woodstock is not a big town , it does appear that you could keep yourself entertained with the the various acts coming through on a regular basis. Not only that but the friendliness with which we were greeted by everyone really made you glad to have made the trip.

One last picture of something interesting. Some of the original seats are on display in the lobby by the box office. Not a comfy as the present seats, perhaps, but they do have a feature that few seats have today. Under the seat is a wire frame in which a gentleman can slot his wide brimmed hat during the performance. Probably a common feature in years gone by but certainly a novelty now.

Around Chicago

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Continuing the theme of my Mum’s visit, the two of us took a stroll through the city the other day. It is always fun to exploit the visit of someone to do some touristy wandering that you would otherwise never do. It also makes you explore some things that you haven’t seen before.

We included the Cultural Center on our route but I was surprised yet again by this place. Having only recently discovered it courtesy of friends visiting in the past (see this posting), during this visit I found another room that I hadn’t been to before. It was an empty room but quite ornate. It was very dark so getting a good shot was tricky. I tried a bit of HDR which was okay but I will have to go back again at some point to try again I think.

Another stop was at the Palmer House Hotel. Now a Hilton, my Dad stayed there recently when he was visiting and told me about the grandiose lobby it has. I had never been in before – why visit hotels when you live in the city – and it was impressive so we stopped in to take a look. How many other things from the city have I missed?