Here’s a quick round-up of some stuff I’ve been reading by way of information and entertainment for your weekend. Whatever you have planned, I hope you find it enjoyable.

Guardian Article - Are Photographers really a threat?
We already know the answer to this question but it’s good to see the Guardian speaking with a reasonable voice on this one.

Look3
James Nachtwey featured at last week’s Look3 event and PDN are running excerpts of an interview he held with Mary Anne Golon together with a video round-up of the festival.

Julian Love - Getting started as a Travel Photographer
Julian’s blog post is a couple of weeks old now but it’s refreshingly free of an false encouragement for budding Travel Photographers. There’s also my own FAQ page if you’re seeking advice and guidance.

Matt Brandon’s vlogging a dead horse
Trying to get an Indian visa in San Francisco can be a problem but at least it gives us a chance to see Matt’s first video blog entry.

How to be creative
The Gaping Void guide to creativity is something that I return to occasionally, if only to remind myself of the first of the 36 steps to creativity: “Ignore everybody”


Mark Tuschman in Bhutan
Lastly, I’ve been looking forward to my Bhutan trip in October (I know, I’ve only just arrived in Bangkok, what can I say, I’m a rolling stone) and enjoying Mark Tuschman’s photos from there. Click on “International” and then “Bhutan” on his site.

Tags: guardian, matt brandon, creativity, bhutan, photography in public places

There's something comically appealing about Rickshaws. I love them. They're a great way to get around, especially in big cities and places like New Delhi now have NPG-powered rickshaws so they're environmentally friendly too.

Sitting in the back of a rickshaw, you don't feel like you're removed from your surroundings in the same way that you do in a car. Sometimes that's a bad thing as zooming down a crowded city street at improbable speeds can make you feel a little vulnerable but mostly it's a good thing as it keeps you involved in what's going on. Also, rickshaw drivers are a hard-working but friendly bunch. In places like Agra, where there are far too many rickshaws for the numbers of tourists, the drivers can become a bit pushy bit in my experience they're never far from breaking into a smile and although they might trail behind you as you walk back to your guesthouse or hostel from a nearby eating house, they are rarely without a sense of humour.

This article in the Guardian comes from a couple who have just driven a Rickshaw over 4000 miles through India to Nepal. There's more information about the Rickshaw Run over at the Team Snailpace web site.

Tags: guardian

"I don't give a damn what TripAdvisor says", declares the proprietor of the Nanford Guest House in Oxford, recently announced as the "Dirtiest Hotel in Britain".

I have used TripAdvisor quite regularly in the past when planning trips as it's useful to see what previous occupants have said about a hotel or guest house where I might be planning to stay. Visitors often leave helpful advice like "avoid the rooms on the ground floor" or "Room 6 has a fantastic view of the beach" so it's a bit like asking a friend to go and check out a place for you before you book.

However, the proprietor of the Nanford clearly doesn't share my enthusiasm for TripAdvisor and I can understand his reticence. It's hardly a glowing recommendation and if you check out the individual reports then you'll find unadulterated comments like "The entrance hall stank of urine, the staff were incredibly rude, the beds had ticks, the shower was a dribble, but best of all what came out of the taps genuinely looked and smelled like it had came from the toilet"

Every cloud has a silver lining of course and the proprietor is currently welcoming a string of journalists keen to check out the accommodation for themselves. The latest report comes from The Guardian and whilst the journos are probably staying at the nearby Randolph Hotel rather than the Nanford, their regular visits is at least giving the proprietor a chance to brush up on his reportedly rusty Customer Service skills.

Tags: guardian

It's been a while. How are you? How have things been?

Me? Oh, I've been pretty busy with one thing and another. Thanks for asking.

Unfortunately, the .Mac web site, from which I'd hoped to see great things, has been experiencing "some speed issues in Europe". I liked being able to update my site from anywhere and the iLife software was easy to navigate but the speed of uploads and downloads was little more than ponderous. I struggled along with it for a while, wondering if it might have been something in my set up but after several e-mails to and from the .Mac support team they finally came clean and admitted to a less than sparkling performance on their European-based web sites.

I'm sure that it will improve but until it does I'm back with a proper ISP and a piece of software called RapidWeaver, which is proving to be first class. I've put all of these new web pages together with it and managed to integrate it with a customised PhotoShelter installation that will go live as soon as I've finished populating the photo galleries. The advantage of the PhotoShelter site is that it will allow me to sell prints and photo licenses online with the minimum of daily management from me. Whilst the Digital Railroad web site was also excellent, it doesn't yet offer the levels of integration.

I'm quite excited about the new site and the way that I'm hoping it will work. You can get a preview of the image galleries by visiting http://archive.gavingough.com.

I'll be posting more to the blog in the next few days so we'll be able to catch up.

In the mean time, you might like to entertain yourself by compiling your own Top Five Commuting Tracks, in the manner of the Guardian's "OK Commuter" column. The one below, from a correspondent you may be familiar with, was published in last Monday's Office Hours supplement.



Guardian's Office Hours

Tags: mac, guardian, photoshelter