Film Photo Blog: Abbotsbury
These photos are from another of the camera films I got developed this week. These photos were taken in Abbotsbury on a film that was in my vintage SLR and the expired film really shows in some of these.
An Adventure on the Isle of Wight
At Christmas we promised my niece and nephew a trip to the Isle of Wight, two weeks ago, we got to go on that adventure.
Video Blog: Abbotsbury
During half term, I drove west along the south coast, to meet my very good friend Corrie in Abbotsbury.
Corrie works at The Clock Workshop, just at the bottom of St Catherine's Hill. After meeting her for work, we walked up, past St Catherine's Chapel, and sat overlooking Chesil Beach.
We walked back down for dinner at the village pub — a halloumi, pepper and humous burger, followed by a chocolate brownie for me — before going to watch the sunset from Chesil Beach.
First February Weekend
It's been a busy first weekend in February....
Auxy Remix:
Auxy is an app I use all the time. Recently, the company that make the app have been running a “Beat the Clock” competition, which I've had a lot of fun entering, and even had one of my pieces shortlisted. This weeks challenge was to remix a previous winner's short track, in to a full length piece. I spent most of my Saturday lazily working through ideas, and piecing together my remix:
Sunday Walk:
Keyhaven is one of my favourite places to visit for a walk: the view across the Solent to the Isle of Wight and the Needles is stunning, and despite the bitterly cold wind, it was a beautiful day to take some photos across the water too. I took lots of pictures with my new Canon 80D, and a few with my faithful old Nikon D5100. It was nice to get some more use out of my new wide-angle lens.
Sunday Lunch:
Even when I'm cooking for just myself, I do love a good Sunday Lunch. Today's lunch included pan friend pork chop, rainbow carrots and baby parsnips all served with a side of roasted cauliflower and broccoli cheese.
Honestly, my only regret, was not going full veggie: the roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese was hearty, and tasty enough to be the main dish — there was no need for meat at all frankly. The trick to keeping this recipe big on flavour, but cutting down the calories is to roast the broccoli and cauliflower before stirring through the sauce and baking again. The big flavours of the roasted vegetables mean you need less cheese and less sauce, which is great for keeping the calories low.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese — Recipe:
- Half a head of cauliflower
- Half a head of broccoli
- 12g butter
- 12g flour
- 225ml whole milk
- 25g parmesan
- 25g extra mature chedder
- 1 bay leaf
- a few pepper corns
- a fine grating of nutmeg
- a dash of mustard (english ideally, but any will do)
- 1 shallot, skin removed and cut in half
- Salt, pepper
- Split the cauliflower and broccoli in to florets, season with a little salt and pepper and roast until golden and a little crispy around the edges, around 10–15 minutes
- Meanwhile, make the sauce, buy first warming the milk with the bay leaf, peppercorns, nutmeg and shallot. Melt the butter in another pan, adding the flour and stirring to make a roux. Let this cook out for a few minutes before adding a dash of mustard. Slowly add the warm milk, straining through a seive to remove the flavourful extras you added earlier. Stir until you have a silky smooth sauce, and let it gently simmer for a few minutes. Finally, strain through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Melt the most of the cheese in to the sauce, saving back a little for the top.
- Stir the roasted broccoli and cauliflower in to the sauce, and tumble in to an oven proof dish.
- Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden
This recipe serves two as a side, or one as a main dish.
Putting this in to MyFitnessPal, it works it out to to be about 260 calories as a side, or 520 as a main. Your milage may vary.
Engagement:
My brother and his girlfriend — now fiancee — are engaged! I couldn't be happier for them both, but also, very happy for myself, to be gaining a new sister-in-law too. After two Christmases shared with Helen and her family, she felt like part of the Brombley's already, so it feels even more special that it will finally be official.
Black Bean Brownies
When these vegan, gluten free, low carb brownies popped up on Facebook today, I knew I had to try them.
The recipe comes from So Vegan and it's basically fool proof: you blend everything in a food processor and bake. The only thing I would do differently next time, is to smooth the mix down a little better before baking: the mix doesn't flatten out in the oven like a regular brownie mix does, so mine turned out a little gnarly, although still quite pretty thanks to the whole walnuts I put on top.
Honestly though — and it's not just the mid-January diet desperation talking — these tasted incredible. Gluten free needed or not, vegan or not, these were packed full of deep, rich flavour and a bunch of healthy ingredients... plus some less healthy ones... but a treat is a treat.
Links:
Autumn (Bits ‘n’) Pieces 08: Holly Hill Woodland, Southampton
An experiment with format — a series of shorter video clips rather than one longer video — accompanies experiments with music and photography for Autumn Pieces 08.
This week I decided to take on some creative experiments. Inspired by a very talented friend of mine — Lulu McArdle — who, a few years ago, took some photographs of me using a prism to create light effects I decided to take a prism with me on my trip this week to play with whilst shooting.
Walking though Holly Hill Woodland and down towards the River Hamble, the changing autumnal colours stood out in the light coming through the trees dropping their leaves for the coming winter. In front of the iPhone camera, and in front of the 35mm lens on my Nikon the prism created unexpected shapes and patterns from the woodland surroundings and the autumnal light.
On the walk, I found little spots in the woodland to pause and shoot, but it wasn't until arriving at the River Hamble that, in the low, late afternoon light, I could sit and make a time-lapse.
Autumn Pieces 07: East Cowes Esplanade
This short film and soundtrack from a recent visit to the Isle of Wight are part seven of the Autumn Pieces series.
Working on the Isle of Wight again this week, I had a spare couple of hours in East Cowes before I had to catch the ferry home. I decided to use the time to walk along the Esplanade.
Walking along the esplanade, the road was closed much earlier than it showed on the map. I decided to walk along the pebbles and see how much further I could go, reaching where the land has subsided over the road. Seeing very rough paths across, I decided to try and find my way through.
After totally stacking it — falling multiple times —I learnt a lesson that probably should have been obvious before: Oliver Sweeny brogues are not the shoes to go climbing over wet landslides in. But, even with all the slips, bumps and scrapes, the pay off was worth it: beautiful little spots and secluded views that are well out of sight from all but those who dare to explore.
The misty Autumnal dusk over the water made for views that felt expansive and uninterrupted as boats and the horizon faded in and out of view in the cloud. The peaceful calm that came from the sense of being alone came through in the spaced out notes of the soundtrack composition that accompanies the film.
The old walls marked the end of the esplanade, and the furthers I could go along the coast for the day — I had to get back and catch the ferry home. On another day, with more time and better shoes, perhaps I would have gone up in to the woodland to see if I could make it around the old walls, but, sadly, that's not for today.
I almost forgot to mention my new lens. I will perhaps write about it a bit more, but it is the 35mm version of the 50mm lens I have been using up until now. The less tight field of view makes it more adaptable, and I think leaves these pictures and film feeling a little more open. Although it's still capable of detailed close up shots, It tends to present wider, open views by design.
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Autumn Pieces 03–06: Isle of Wight
Setting off at 8.30 a.m. last weekend, I took a day trip to the Isle of Wight. After some work in the morning, I set out around the Island to create more Autumn Pieces.
Autumn Pieces 03: Isle of Wight Ferry
8.30 a.m. on a Saturday morning is an ungodly time to be at a ferry terminal, but I made it — and on time. Once again with my GoPro, my Nikon and my iPhone, I was ready for a day trip to the Isle of Wight.
The weather was crisp, and the clouds were clearing, and as the ferry set out from Southampton on the journey to Cowes, I found spaces out on deck to sit, film and compose.
Through Southampton water, the ferry journey takes you past Calshot: it was a satisfying moment sailing past the place I was the week before, but this time, seeing it from the other side.
Approaching Cowes, the call comes to go back to the car, and I must go complete a morning's work before I can explore that afternoon.
Autumn Pieces 04: Newport
After working the morning at Medina College, I drove in to Newport to visit Quay Arts, a cafe and art centre on the bank of Medina River.
Quay Arts is an old industrial building, with a bridge over the river leading you from the gift shop through to the cafe and arts space. The out door area over looks the river, and it was the perfect location to grab lunch, and recharge.
Walking along Newport Harbour after lunch — I had the hand-made burger — it was great! — You see a mix of disused and renovated industrial buildings and along the edge of the industrial riverside, flowers grow through the cracks in the concrete over the water's edge.
With lunch finished, batteries charged, and a brief explore of Newport Harbour, it was time to head off to Alum Bay to see The Needles and explore the coastline.
Autumn Pieces 05: The Needles
Arriving at The Needles at 3 p.m. I spent some time walking and sitting along the cliff tops, capturing time-lapses, taking in the expansive views over the water and turning them in to music.
Grey clouds started to fill the sky, the light started to fade, and with only a few hours left before my ferry back, It was clear that I wouldn't have time to walk along the cliff tops as well as down to Alum Bay beach. And so, with the rain starting to fall, I decided to walk down the steep steps to the beach.
Autumn Pieces 06: Alum Bay
Film arriving Friday at 6pm
As the rain started to fall, I was determined to make it down to Alum Bay to see the needles from the beach. I knew my GoPro would be fine in the rain, but I was tempted to leave my DSLR behind. However, I decided to tuck my D5100 under my jacket and chance it.
The steps down to the bay are steep, but reward you with incredible views across the bay and out towards the Needles: the windy stairs providing perfect stoping points for photos and a quick time-lapse.
Once down on the beach, the soggy walk was repaid with beautiful clear views and an empty beach: I guess the rain had put everybody else off. The view across to the needles was uninterrupted, and I was glad for my (now worryingly rain covered) DSLR to capture the clouds over the bay.
With clouds continuing to gather, and the rain continuing to fall, it was soon time to make a run back up the steep steps, back to the car, and back to the ferry home. With the fan heaters set to full, I tried to dry myself (and my gear) out.
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Autumn Pieces 02: Calshot Castle
Now that Autumn has arrived, I want to carry on what I loved about the Summer Shorts series: finding a place, composing piece of music and making an accompanying short film.
The past few weeks have been exceptionally busy for me. The start of a new school year is always busy, but in my new role as project manager for the M-Tech project I have had some of the busiest weeks I can remember. It's been rewarding but exhausting.
Making time to go out and create these Autumn Pieces (and the Summer shorts before that) has become almost a ritual for me now. The boost that I get from the creative release is infectious. There is something mindful about heading out in to an unknown space and creating my own space within in: through the camera lens and through channeling my focus from the world around me in to the music I compose.
I took my GoPro again, and whilst most of the time-lapse video footage didn't come out as well as I hoped, some of the pictures I really loved, particularly this one that I took as I sat over the castle moat, staring in to the glassy pool of water below.
The other thing I have noticed over the past two weekend is how much better my iPhone 7 camera is than my iPhone 6 camera, and, even the disposable Instagram story pictures I took became some more of my favourites from the afternoon.
The music for this piece took multiple restarts before finding an idea that I liked enough to develop in to a full piece. Bob Dylan famously said to write ten songs a day and throw nine away. In a world of digital iteration, finishing nine bad songs doesn't seem like the right approach, but the spirit of trying, and trying again, is one worth remembering when finding new ideas seems illusive.
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Autumn Pieces 01: Hill Head
Even though Autumn has arrived, I still wanted to carry on what I had loved about the Summer Shorts series: finding a place, composing piece of music and making an accompanying short film.
Heading down to Hill Head, I knew the changeable autumnal weather would likely bring challenges that the clear summer evenings had kept at bay. So, I decided to take my GoPro camera with me, and I'm glad I did: as my DSLR and GoPro sat on the beach, and as I sat composing on my phone, the tide rolled in. I looked up, just in time to see the waves rolling through the legs of my DSLR tripod and saved that, but the footage of the tide rolling in over the go pro is some of my favourite of the day.
With the waterproof GoPro and my new "water resistant" iPhone 7, I decided to make my way down the spit to catch the waves breaking, and got quite wet. So, retreating back to car with the heaters blasting on full, I worked on finishing the music.
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Summer Shorts: Compilation
As the year turns to Autumn, it felt right to bring together the short Instagram films from the Summer Shorts series.
Over the summer I set myself a challenge: find a location, compose a piece of music and create an accompanying short film.
These 11 short films and their accompanying compositions represent a body of work created during the summer of 2016.
Music was all composed using the app Auxy (www.auxy.co) and films were shot on a Nikon D5100 with a Nikon 50mm f1.8 FX Lens.
For Annora Bird
Last week, two of my best friends brought the most perfect little baby in to the world: Annora Bird. I wrote this song for her on the day of her birth.
Today, at 11 days old, I met Annora Bird for the first time. She is perfect. My heart bursts with joy and pride and wonder when I look at her, and look at my friends Davyd and Emma, and see them at the start of this brand new journey in life together.
I wrote this song as I thought about this bold new adventure they will take together; inspired by lullabies and the quiet moments of peaceful wonder that come in the stillness between the crazy haze of new life.
Today I found out that Annora hates lullabies. They make her cry. Whoops.
So, I just hope she will grow up to appreciate this gift from a new friend.
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Summer Shorts 07: Mayflower Park, Southampton
This week, I set myself a challenge: find a location, compose a piece of music and create an accompanying short film.
Finishing work at 8.30 tonight meant that if I was going to catch the last of any light, it had to be close by, and Mayflower park seemed the obvious choice. Arriving to find the horizon dyed yellow and orange with the last of the dusk sun, and the industrial lights flickering on the docks, I made two friends who showed me where to climb the fence to get the best views.
As my new friends listened to Kanye West out a phone speaker — who am I to judge? after all, I mixed one of my songs on my iPhone speaker this week! — I put my headphones in and started to play with melodies and sounds.
Summer Shorts 06: Mount Lake, Lymington
This week, I set myself a challenge: find a location, compose a piece of music and create an accompanying short film.
Having spent far too long filming and writing down on Keyhaven Beach, it was becoming clear that I wouldn't make it as far as the castle before sunset, and I certainly wouldn't make it back before dark. As I carried on walking down the coast — the Isle of Wight to my right, Mount Lake on my left and the sunset behind me — the noise of day visitors was replaced with a peaceful calm.
After a couple of misfires — it's a good thing, I think, to write and throw things away — I finally settled on a melody that captured the feeling of quiet stillness that I found sat watching the sunset, sheltered by the pebbly dunes.
As if it were not already clear enough that I wouldn't make it all the way to the castle, it started to rain. The glass-like reflections of the clouds in Mount Lake becoming broken by the splashes of rain and the ripples that spread across the clear surface. With my t-shirt over my camera, it was time to head back to the car and drive back home through the forest.
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Not wanting to carry my big headphones with me on the long walk today, I decided to try writing on my Apple EarPods. Judging the bass was easier than on the iPhone speaker, but still needed some tweaking back on the car speakers later.
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Summer Shorts 05: Keyhaven, Lymington
This week, I set myself a challenge: find a location, compose a piece of music and create an accompanying short film.
I set out this afternoon with the aim of reaching Hurst Castle just before sunset. After a drive through the new forest, I arrived at Keyhaven to walk along the shore front, down to the castle. After a cloudy afternoon, at 5pm, the sky was clear and the sun was bright. Stood on the edge of Keyhaven Lake I started to write my first piece of music.
As I stood, headphones in — just the Apple EarPods this time — I was absorbed in to writing in a major key again. Walking along the water's edge, I carried on writing, as time quickly moved on.
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Not wanting to carry my big headphones with me on the long walk today, I decided to try writing on my Apple EarPods. Judging the bass was easier than on the iPhone speaker, but still needed some tweaking back on the car speakers later.
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Summer Shorts 04: Warsash, Southampton
This week, I set myself a challenge: find a location, compose a piece of music and create an accompanying short film.
This evening I set off to walk along the Hamble at Warsash. With views of marina's to one side, and coastal pools and marsh land the other side, the path leads along the edge of the Hamble river, past the ferry stop and up towards Holly Hill.
There was always going to be one time this week when I would be caught in the rain — this is the British summer after all — and tonight there was a brief moment when, as the rain drops started to gather on the camera, I wondered if I might have to turn back. But it was just a shower.
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I forgot my headphones this time, so I mixed out of my iPhone speaker whilst walking around, and then finished the mix off using my car stereo. It was surprisingly effective, although, the bass needed a complete reworking when I could finally hear it back in the car.
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Summer Shorts 03: Netley, Southampton
This week, I set myself a challenge: find a location, compose a piece of music and create an accompanying short film.
With light and time to spare after Weston Shore, I resumed my journey to Netley Abbey, only to pull in to the car park and find that it was closing. Determined to visit Netley Abbey again soon, I continued eastwards, and found Royal Victoria Country Park.
This place holds a lot of memories: we used to come sailing here as kids. With the sun starting to set, the music I created, the photographs I shot, and the film I made, all took on the locations washed out, nostalgic mood.
Summer Shorts 02: Weston Shore, Southampton
This week, I set myself a challenge: find a location, compose a piece of music and create an accompanying short film.
After last night's sunset trip, I decided to head out earlier today, and in a different direction — east, rather than west — and at just gone 4pm, I drove to Weston Shore. Or rather, more accurately, I was on my way to Netley Abbey when I got sidelined by Weston Shore.
I found myself a spot on the pebbly beach, away from the sunbathers, and started to write a song. The brighter light made me want to work in a major key. I don't often work in a major key — I find happy songs much harder to write than sad ones — but I gave it a shot: the whole point of this week is try new stuff, so it felt like the right thing to do.
