Unionist

#01 - 22/09/12, a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

Lots of YES on Saturday. Looks like this could be my first NO.

Independence Daze

Independence Daze, a set on Flickr.

Something of a record for me. Taken, processed and uploaded within 24 hrs. I think this weekend in terms of SP will prove to have been a watershed point for me. I'm so much clearer about what I'm trying to do and how to go about doing it. I have also completely lost the fear!

Yes/no - it's never black and white.

#29 - 22/09/12, a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

What a day yesterday. Totally in the zone, and working very hard on a reportage set of the March and Rally in support of Scottish Independence.

Astro Boy

#4(BW) - 21/09/12, a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

A particularly good shooting day walking home from work.

Easy Tiger

#2 - 21/09/12, a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

Really getting into this To & From thing. Took one similar to this sometime back. What makes this one that bit different is the Tiger thing. Beautiful day in Edinburgh today as you can see. Change from yesterday when it was bucketing it down, much as it has all summer.

SPNC - Year 2 - Instruction # 26 (possible)

SPNC - Year 2 - Instruction # 26 (possible), a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

"Photography should be fun and humour an important tool. Make me laugh-out-loud." - Peter Dench

Yul Brynner / Steve McQueen / Charles Bronson / James Coburn / Robert Vaughn / Brad Dexter / Horst Buchholz - thought not necessarily in that order.

Edinburgh, 2012

I've only posted this into SPNC - Year 2 - Instruction #26, as a POSSIBLE response to the instruction. It's the old question of captioning. Does this image require it, or is it strong enough to stand on it's own? I'm looking for a lively debate from the community. If the reaction is more negative than positive I will remove, and continue the quest to try to make Peter Dench LOL

Supplementary -The consencous is that street photography shouldn't be captioned, and should stand on their own. On reflection don't believe this does, so it has been removed form the group.

To & From

To & From, a set on Flickr.

An occasional series.
All images taken as I walk 'To & From' work. I'm never without a camera. Infact it's rare for me not to have a camera in my right hand ready for whatever catches my eye.

RSA, Edinburgh

#2 -19/09/12, a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

Taken on a beautiful Autumn (is it officially here?) morning on my way to work indoors.

I love photographing at this time of year, when the sun is so low in the sky. Feeds my shadow addiction.

Part of a new occasional series - "To & From (work).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexanderjblair/sets/72157631573407392/

Cécile McLorin Salvant

IMG_3772, a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2012

Cécile McLorin Salvant Quartet

A jazz vocal phenomenon - she wowed with her freshness and her special spirit.

Cécile McLorin Salvant comes deep out of the jazz tradition, imbued in Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, but able to sing and swing like Ella and Sarah and all the greats from the golden age of jazz - soul, sensitivity, style, and good old-fashioned narrative storytelling.

If you are a fan of great jazz singing try to catch her with her top trio led by New York pianist, Aaron Diehl.

The Line (1978)

P1030947, a photo by alexanderjblair on Flickr.

Small (only 9 works) but well formed exhibition of the late paintings of Philip Guston (1913-1980), currently at Inverleith House in Edinburgh until 7 October.

The exhibition also includes the documentary 'A Life Lived' (1982). Narrated by the artist, it provides a fascinating overview of his life in which he talks candidly about his philosophy of painting and the psychological motivation for his work. Films like this add significantly to the exhibition experience, and my understanding of the work.