Wakefield (a lost city?)

This may be a day late however this is my response to the appalling article in The Guardian by ex Wakefield resident Nichi Hodgson the article can be read by clicking on "The Guardian" text link.

Wakefield, to someone like me who has spent a lot of my time living and travelling away from the city, it is and always will be home.

It has always been the place I came back to, not just because my family and friends are here but because Wakefield as a city holds a special place in my heart, as with all other TRUE wakefield residents born and bred here.

I will be the first to admit we have our fair share of "rough" areas, as with 99% of Britains other cities, yet in my experience non of the so called rough areas are as bad as their reputations, treat the residents with respect and humility and the same will be given back, that is how I have found it on these estates, and YES I have lived in one or two of these so called Rough areas  and I had some of the best times of my life there too.

Now onto this so called article which was basically a rich kid who's education was paid for whinging and whining about a city she obviously knows nothing about as she "escaped it's clutches" and moved to the big smoke.

Her rant about Rhubarb was totally unfounded and researched about as well as the collision capabilities of the Titanic, as a self taught historian I have studied the rich history our fair city has to offer and in doing so have come across mentions of Rhubarb being a rich source of income for the city in the latter 14th/15th century something that Miss Hodgson failed to find in her attempt to research the cities history.

Her attack on Sandal castle was even more amusing, now this is a national monument of historic significance, it may look like a pile of stones to an unimaginative over educated FOOL! but to someone who understands its significance the ruins of the castle are a magical place full of echos of the past, walking in the footsteps of historic figures such as Richard III a man so significant to Britain's history the great bard William Shakespeare wrote about him and in his play the castle at Sandal is also mentioned.

I shall also point out the nursery rhyme "the grand ol duke of york" was born here, as was "here we go round the mulberry bush" taken from Wakefield prison when the prisoners were given exercise around a mulberry bush in the prison yard.

Yes I have to agree that certain areas of the city are less than pleasant to look at, but it is a city which is developing and changing, more should be done about restoring our rich past as well as the modernization of

areas beyond repair but if you look beyond the few boarded up shops and the odd rowdy reveler on Westgate on a Friday and Saturday night you will find Wakefield has so much to offer.

The beauty of the surrounding area alone is enough to keep anyone intrigued, several nature reserves, a massive river, canals, old railway walks, woodland and hills all within a five mile radius of the city center.

I personally don't think Wakefield is a lost city I think we are just beginning to find ourselves and put Wakefield on the map with the opening of the Hepworth, the Unity Hall project, The Ben Manning Music Foundation all helping to bring awareness of local artistic talent, of which there is an abundance, the biased views of Miss Hodgson are misinformed, prejudice and badly researched, throw in a few BIG words and hope no one will notice, well I am sorry to inform you but Wakefield noticed, We stand up and salute you with one big middle finger if you don't like a place don't just spout rubbish about it LEARN, RESEARCH and maybe talk to people who actually live there.




http://phillross.brandyourself.com/

Disability and Landscape Photography.

Being disabled can come in many forms as we know, myself I suffer from Fybromyalgia which is a disease that effects the muscles and nervous system making getting some of the shots other photographers can do often unimaginable, and I am not alone here.

There are many photographers who have a disability of some kind yet adapt techniques to enable them to get the shots they need.

In this blog I am going to give you a few techniques I use myself to make the taking of good shots a little easier on the old body.

The first thing I would suggest is whenever possible take someone able bodied with you to carry equipment and support you when you come to terrain you may be uncomfortable on.

When it isn't possible to take someone with you travel light, I usually only take my camera, one lens, a 2x converter, tripod in a carry bag and any filters/flashes I think I may need, I also take my monopod with this being small when folded down it fits easily in the pocket  of my waistcoat (which has many pockets) and can be used as a support when stepping on terrain you struggle with.

Getting low: this can be a big issue if like me you struggle with bending or kneeling however taking a small fold up stool with you ( a rucksack stool is ideal as this can be used to carry equipment) place the stool on a flat area and setup your camera on the floor or a sturdy rock, using a timer is essential here and you may have to find some way to prop up the lens to get the shot you want, auto focus is probably best used for this type of shot, if you have a tripod with you use this at a low level.

Location finding: it can be daunting finding places to shoot and even more so if you don't have the ability to get out and explore like able bodied togs, my solution to this is good old Google Earth, with it's street view capabilities I can explore to my hearts content and with the panorama photo app selected I can view other peoples photographs of interest and then decide if I would like to create my own perspective on the location and if it is within a distance I can manage.

Rest often: I probably don't need to tell anyone this however I do find it is essential to rest whenever I feel the need, this can often lead to me spotting a shot I would have otherwise wandered straight past, take your time and drink in your surroundings, often we may miss a fantastic shot because all we are focused on is the pain so relaxing and taking notice of everything around you, above you and below you is a sure way of finding a perfect composition.