Monday 28 December 2009

Marble Arch


Marble Arch
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Surprised at how many people were about on Christmas Day around London. People just walking and enjoying the wonderful sights of London itself. My only complaint was that ALL the public conveniences were closed and of course were the majority of cafes and bars.

Sunday 27 December 2009

World's #1


World's #1
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Our few days away finished with a super breakfast at the Ace Cafe, Wembley.

Wrapped for Christmas

Spent Christmas in London again and we had a fabulous time, just as I had visualised.

Monday 21 December 2009

Happy 18th Gordon.

& Happy 16th James & Sophie



We ventured out in the winter snow to join in with the Birthday Celebrations of Gordon, James & Sophie. A good time was had by all.

Friday 18 December 2009

Keep smiling


Keep smiling
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Couldn't get to work today as the A12 closed due to a mixture of accidents and breakdowns exasperated by the heavy snowfall.

Monday 14 December 2009

Bruges at night


Bruges at night
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Went to Bruges over the weekend with the Upminster CC crew. A good time was had by everyone. Bruges is beautiful and being the Christmas season, the atmosphere was special.

Sunday 29 November 2009

Men, Betting, Drinking and Smoking

Everything my mother had warned me to against.

So it is true, Barbie has finally gone to the dogs.

The race


The race
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll

Believe me this is no easy shot to take. I am determined to get better than this, and plan to return under better lighting conditions, as Flash is definitely NOT alowed, as I learnt to my peril.

This was also the first time that I have seen the hounds catch the hare.

Not because the hounds were super fast, but because the mechanical hare developed a fault, slowed and eventually stopped.

Tuesday 24 November 2009

Sunday 22 November 2009


Here I be, collecting the 'Don Byatt' award from Don Langford, for 'The Deviant Dr. Faustus' (picture:- top middle behind me.)
Photographed at the Hanbury Turn in Bromsgrove. We have spent the weekend at Coventry, so that we could be at the opening of The Bromsgrove National Exhibition. We arrived early so went to The Hanbury Turn for a drink. It was pouring down with rain when we left but couldn't resist photographing this discarded chair on our way back to our car.

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Rusty and Roxy our Chilean Rose Tarantula

Groggy Froggy our 'Whites' Tree Frog, named after the man who first discovered the species.
We've had him over 16 years and he was fully grown then.

Sunday 8 November 2009

Lake District Traffic Problems

Just returned from a weekend of lectures given to the North West region of the RPS. It was held in the beautiful location of Ullswater in the Glenridding Hotel. We were well and truly pampered whilst we were there. On the Saturday we had a chance to see a little of the neighbouring area, but after a few hours the weather turned nasty.

Sunday 1 November 2009

Bastards broke into my Mazda

They broke a bottle and used this cut into the roof. After gaining access, they ripped out the glove compartment, clock and cigarette tray. There wasn't anything worth stealing so they have done hundreds of pounds worth of damage for nothing. They must have been pissed off to find nothing worth nicking but I'd love to tear out their innards if I got hold of them!

Tuesday 27 October 2009


CONGRATULATIONS RUSTY ON ACHIEVING YOUR FBPE!

Rusty has been waiting for one more award in the BPE National Exhibitions and has finally done it with one extra award spare in the Bromsgrove National Exhibition. This means that he has had over 500 exhibition acceptances in total (600+ in reality), plus 50 awards since gaining his BPE5*.

Thursday 22 October 2009

Paul Mason ~ World's fattest man

Unbelievably

now weighing 70st and costing

the taxpayer nearly £100,000 per year.


Monday 19 October 2009

Autumn at Losehill Hall

Taken through the bathroom window of Losehill Hall

Sunday 18 October 2009

Losehill Hall

We had a lovely weekend at Losehill Hall meeting up with a couple of old friends along with making a few new ones. We were invited by the YPU to do some lectures and workshops here and we were looked after very well. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as Russ and I did.

Whilst at Losehill Hall, I was persuaded to model for the group on the Saturday afternoon by Robert, captured himself on camera by Rusty.
But being such a shy and introverted soul that I am, I don't know how I managed it!

Should have gone to Spec Savers


We arrived late Friday night and only managed to see the tail end of fellow lecturers Clive Haynes and Martin Addison's talk. This particular display consisted of a panel of 3D images needing these green and red lensed glasses to view them correctly.

Sunday 11 October 2009

Ready for baby 'Sky'


Went to Lucretia and Clive's for a lovely meal. Lucretia showed us the new Nursery ready for 'Sky'.

Sunday 4 October 2009

Finished judging the Shrewsbury Open Exhibition of projected images yesterday, alongside fellow selectors Ralph Duckett & Rusty Lindsay. It was a long day but a very enjoyable one. The standard was extremely high amongst the two and half thousand entries received and some tough decisions had to be made. Congratulations to all who had work accepted and special congratulations to the award winners. All well deserved.

Saturday 3 October 2009

Too Wild?


Too Wild?
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll

Deemed too extreme for 'Family viewing' ! for 7Daysofshooting This was photographed at the London International Tattoo Convention where children maybe rare but are allowed in. They would have seen far worse than this in reality and not just a photograph of a comical stage set up. Are we really still living in the dark ages? Have we not moved forward to the 21st Century yet?

Perhaps I am either very naive or plain amoral, as I see nothing wrong with this image. It's just a bit of fun.

Shiny see through hair

Taken at the London International Tattoo Convention. Not everyone is either tattooed or extreme, but this is the ideal venue to photograph willing models of all styles whether competitors, vendors or purely visitors.

Monday 28 September 2009

Glamour at the Tattoo Convention

There are pretty girls everywhere you look. Some are performers, some stall holders, others calendar girls, pin up models, I am sooooo jealous.

Unique Fashions


Unique Fashions
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Unique fashions can be found at many of the Tattoo Conventions but pribably the London one is the best for clothing stalls.

Smooth talker


Smooth talker
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Another gentleman photographed at the London Tattoo Convention over the weekend. Not all visitors or vendors are extreme but all seem willing to pose for the camera. I don't think I have ever been refused at a Tattoo Convention.

Sunday 27 September 2009

LOVE


Went to the London Tattoo Convention over the weekend and came back with lots of interesting photos as per usual. Tattoo conventions are ideal photo opportunities. Here I am being photographed with 'The Scary Guy'. In 1998 Earl Kenneth Kaufmann changed his name by deed poll to The Scary Guy. His motive:- "The Total Elimination of Hate, Violence and Prejudice Worldwide," Scary has worked with over 7 million people around the world teaching anti-bullying, tolerance and acceptance of being different.
Various forms of entertainment could be found in different areas around the Tobacco Dock location.
On this occasion the young lady was dancing (erotically) and laying/bouncing around in a bath filled with broken glass.

Yes he is totally inked up!
Photographed at the London Tattoo Convention which was held over the weekend of 25th - 27th September 2009.

Big G on a good day

Met Gary at the London Tattoo Convention. Louise and Gary are a great couple and Gary really isn't as grumpy as he looks.

Friday 25 September 2009

Barefoot and pregnant

Paulina is due in November & I wish her the very best. It was a long hard day and she did brilliantly. I thought this photo idea was appropriate for the model. I didn't want to glamourize motherhood for its not. It's hard work, rewarding yes, but still hard work for 18 years plus..

Thursday 24 September 2009

Missing Madonna


Missing Madonna
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Veronique, a 3rd year college student studying Illustration, was my favorite model. She really got into the acting side of all my ideas, no matter how surreal, during the course of the photoshoot.

Yoka


Yoka
Originally uploaded by An Old Barbie Doll
Yoka, a classically trained dancer with a super figure made the shoot look easy.

Struggling with his sexuality

Johann, an experienced model of 15 years was photographed at Salve Mater, Lovenjoel, Belgium.