A Note on: Winning. (Last Week)
So I haggled and I won!

I'm getting a beast of a phone: A Samsung galaxy Note II LTE.

I reduced my monthly bill by £1.

I will pay £70 for the phone but they gave me a 16GB memory card for free.

(and I can trade in my old phone for £62.50)

Pay heed my fellow hunters of bargains. Shop around and give them the challenge of making you a better offer.

-----------

Details:


EE's initial offer was I £50 upfront and £37pcm over two years.

The issue was Phones For You were offering a better contract (500 minutes, Unlimited texts AND data) and a special offer for the free 16GB memory card and £70 on downloads.

There was all for a Galaxy Note II as a much reduced upfront value of £29 and £26PCM compared to EE's above offer.

I gave that to the guys in EE and asked them to make me a better offer.

What they came up with was this:

£26 PCM for 300 minutes, 500 texts and 1GB of data.

iI might be helpful to know my averages over 3 months were a mere 99 texts, 159 minutes and 850MB data used. (I'm obviously a heavy internet user!)

So this offer did not meet P4U in terms of capacity BUT what it did offer was to INCLUDE calls to 0800, 0870, 0844 and 0845 numbers (i.e whenever I call the EON to ask about a bill and sit on hold - that will come out of my contracted monthly minutes.) on P4U's offer I would be billed for this. It also includes free calls to UK landlines, so calling home basically., which P4U's offer didn't.

Then we come to the issue of cost.

After much nudging, EE dropped my PCM charge by £1 to £25. This you can view as an over-all saving of £42 over the two years or you can take that and theoretically subtract it from the cost of the phone (£69.99) so the phone effectively "cost" £27.99

Is one way of looking at it.

After ringing the area manager to get approval, they also gave me FOR FREE the 16BG memory card.

So on balance, I think that EE came up with just the better offer (P4U's thresholds far exceed my usage and don't include any of the fringe benefits) and my PCM bill is cheaper than I currently pay and what P4U wanted me to pay.

Oh and in case I didn't mention I'm going to get out of this a 1.6Ghz quad-core with 2GB RAM 5 " HD AMOLED screen with Android Jelly Bean (4.1)

- for **LESS** than I am currently paying.

I call that: winning.
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Lettuce Spry (3 Weeks Ago)
Hallelujah!

He is everywhere, in the heavens and the Earth!

He is noble, abundant and fills the universe!

He can lift you into the sky!

He is invisible and yet appears to us in many forms.

He can help us to heal.

He can create and he can destroy.

Praise be - to Helium!


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(6 replies, Latest reply: 3 Weeks Ago)

Sunset panorama (2012) (Mar 16, 2013)
Originally taken back in September 2012 of my trip to the south coast, but only processed this weekend, the events surrounding this photograph were as follows:

Day #2 of my holiday I spent around Portland. The day had been beset by heavy cloud, dark skies and strong wind. As I drove back to Weymouth cursing the gods of weather, I noticed the clouds were all headed out to sea. Taking a chance, I detoured to Chesil Beach. hoping I might at last glimpse the sun.


Alas, I was disappointed more grey skies.

As I looped round the one way system to head back to the hotel - the skies literally parted - and this amazing sunset erupted into full bloom. I never seen the sky so golden. If you'd dropped it, it would have fallen to the ground and gone "clink!" I could scarcely believe my luck! I parked, (probably illegally) grabbed my gear, ran up the pebble mound of Chesil beach. Set up my tripod - and this was the result. Enjoy!

P.S The storm to my left, was heading in-land and I got thoroughly wet about 5 minutes after this shot was taken. But it was worth it. ^^


http://www.flickr.com/photos/richar...8563230180/in/photostream/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richar...8562574633/in/photostream/lightbox/
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On being mortal after all... (Jan 23, 2013)
Found out late last night (from his missus) my oldest friend has a double brain tumour.
He's in for surgery today ("brain surgery" - I find I keep testing out the phrase: two words i'm familiar with suddenly seem conspiratorally more daunting or rather requiring reassurance ....)

One is trickier than the other; wound round his optic nerve.

Last I checked in he was complaining of headaches and bemoaning having to get specs for the first time in thirty years.
My glee at him joining the myopic amongst was, it now seems, premature.

That's another thing: we are the same age. A trivial fact when you think about it (we were at school together) but being a few days my senior I always joked and called him old man especially as we weren't - where he went I was bound to follow.

I don't begrudge you this journey Ste, but I will be thinking of you and your family and hoping for some good news.



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Seeing someone <loveblush> (Jan 20, 2013)
I've started dating Alex Holloway. We met on OKCupid and have been seeing each other for the last few weeks with the prospect of more to come.


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Halloween Pumpkin Carving 2012 (Oct 31, 2012)

The Mummy (with REAL bandages!!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richar.../in/set-72157631884325116/lightbox/

Dracula: Lord of The Un-dead.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richar.../in/set-72157631884325116/lightbox/


Evil Ned Flanders
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richar.../in/set-72157631884325116/lightbox/

Count Von Montgomery Burns.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richar.../in/set-72157631884325116/lightbox/


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(8 replies, Latest reply: Nov 2, 2012)

First attempt at HDR sunset from Weymouth (Oct 21, 2012)
I'm starting to get into the swing of post-production of my holiday photos. This 'un's the first - and it's not perfect so I've some kinks still to iron out, but let me know what you think.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richar...8109476726/in/photostream/lightbox/

Thanks.
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(6 replies, Latest reply: Oct 27, 2012)

The Ostrich Holiday Blog (Doobry Part 2) (Sep 15, 2012)
I am less than happy - I figure I'll be late leaving Corfe, nothing but delays all morning (who drives 20mph under the speed limit, honestly?) had cost me getting in here in time for the steam train.

Drat and double-drat! Check the timetable....

Next one not for another hour - damn!

So I dithered home or wait. Eventually I settled on getting some lemonade in the pub to defizzle my brooding irritation and I went down to the tracks to set up and wait.

I decided not to shoot from the platform but from a crossing a way down the track (which I had to find the the entrance too from the bottom of the school-playing field) - I was informdedc by a guard the other day that the trains cruise into the station but to shift the train out have to open up all the valves. He recoked this spot would be ideal. So here I am - and no trains.

But then as I was setting up and getting the lens focussed, getting the tripod levelled. I head a distinctive chug and a toot on a whistle. The train was late! It glided into the station while I was sat waiting - and just as the guard had said it roared into life to get it's bulk moving back out.

I just caught it pulling out in full steam!!

My final photo of my holiday! And it's a stunner!




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The Ostrich Holiday Blog (Doobry Part 1)) (Sep 15, 2012)
The race is run, my holiday is over.

So the computer is going off, I am going to go and get breakfast, collect my new glasses and fuel up the car, load it up and head off.

I'm going to make a detour to Corfe to try and photograph the steam train I didn't get a chance to earlier in the week. *then* I'll be heading back to Newmarket.

I've taken over 1,500 photographs on this trip. That includes
a lot of mixed exposures, duplicates and crap, but that is the beauty of digital photography, I now have a wide selection to choose from and edit.

So photos will be appearing but this will be a process that takes several weeks as I'll be doing it by evenings and weekends and I've got a lot of images to trawl through and select the best.

Then comes the fun part - editing them!

Hi-iddily-ho-it's back opp norf, I go...
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The Ostrich Holiday Blog (Thing Part 3) (Sep 15, 2012)
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade...

Since I can't drive anywhere (I feel rather like Donald Pleasence in The Great Escape. "I can see. Take me with you!") and am therefore restricted to wandering about Weymouth, I shall make the best of it - and take some photos of the town where I am staying as well as the oft-put off series of self-portraits 'cos most photos of me are at least a few years old now.

How I shall look (let alone focus the camera) without my glasses remains to be seen.

-----------

Later:

Just had my nap (4am starts don't come free) noon heat has passed into afternoon light so I'm goin' 'splorin'.
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The Ostrich Holiday Blog (Thing Part 2) (Sep 15, 2012)
So today my glasses broke. I say broke- snapped clean in two destroying one lens in the process: the result of an unfortunate spectacle/jumper malfunction. Just the bridge, the right lens and the arm remain intact.

That this took place at 5:30am on a high hill in Corfe while I was waiting for dawn to start and so faced driving back to Weymouth in the near-dark monocular and squinting. We did try experimenting driving with no glasses until we realised I was unable to read the road signs and this was therefore a very bad idea.

£260 later my new specs'll be ready Saturday.

Life'd be boring if it were simple....
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(3 replies, Latest reply: Sep 15, 2012)

The Ostrich Holiday Blog (Thing Part 1.)) (Sep 15, 2012)
Took a gamble last night: I finished taking photos in Corfe and watched with impending doom as the rain cloud rolled in huge and black. Fled for the car.

Driving back to Weymouth I could see the storm piling in from the sea. But the point is it was moving AWAY from the sea! So tired and hungry I decided to risk driving to Portland again.

I set up camp on some rocks to the far end of Checil beach with waves crashing hard against the rocks.

I was able to get the complete evolution of the sunset in clear blue skies fringed with orange.

Some of my best photos yet!


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(5 replies, Latest reply: Sep 16, 2012)

The Ostrich Holiday Blog (Wibble)) (Sep 15, 2012)
So my photographs of the sunset of Kimmeridge didn't quiet come out owing to the filter I was using being speckled with salt when I was out around the head of Portland the other day in a gale photograph the lighthouse.

The littler beggars you can't see 'em through the viewfinder but the sun catches them and makes them all visible all when it's low as sunsets are wont to be.

So I guess that means we shall be rolling up our jeans and wading out into the shallows once more on Thursday when we are promised some better weather.

Today, I am going for a massage (can't wait for that - I ache in places I didn't know I had!), then we've a choice: I can either go back to Portland and try and locate the gothic arch that leads to the know ruined St Andrew' s Church which overlooks the Church Ope Bay

or I had over to Corfe for the railway station - which loomks like it belongs to the depositing of new arrivals from the train from platform 10 & 3/4 it Harry Potter.

I think railways is a more likely winner, plus it will put me in spitting distance of the trail I want to take up to the hill overlooking the castle tomorrow. Gothic Arches, while interesting, can wait....

My speckled filters however have a date with some fairy liquid and a a microfibre cloth.

P.S

Top tip for breakfast in Weymouth. The Clipper does a quit excellent fry up bacon sausage, egg and a hash brown n beans for £1.99 +£1 for a pot of tea, which makes two cups.Served until Noon.
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Suddenly, sunset!! (Sep 10, 2012)
After a pretty dreary and disappointing day I was driving back home from portland in a bit of a grump, then as if the universe heard, the clouds literally parted and this amazing sunset burst into the sky.


I pulled up at the first chance I could, luckily this was by Chesil beach (a large mountain of pebbles basically), picture your intrepid hero running up the side feet sinking into the pebbles with each step higher up the gradient tripod in one hand camera bag in the other.

Finally I crest the peak...

Imagine it (becuase it will be a while before I process these..) an arc of pebbles curving off around the bay, off to one side a storm is arriving in from the sea - the waves are pounding the beach and centre stage an orange sun, a yellow/purple sky and red clouds...

I hope the photos come out - becuase that was extraordinary!


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(4 replies, Latest reply: Mar 17, 2013)

Life under an atmosphere... (Sep 8, 2012)

There is something awesome - and I use the word in it's true sense - about seeing dawn break into day.

The colours banding the sky, the mists in the valleys, and a glow so golden that if it fell to the floor you'd think it'd go "clink".

This is for all those who have shared in this experience.

Thou slumberers: sleep on and sleep well, but I envy you not.


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(1 reply, Latest reply: Sep 9, 2012)

The holiday begins! (Sep 8, 2012)
So it's ridiculous 'o' clock - and with some small amount of protest - I am up and awake and eating breakfast.

Just time to throw the last wotsits into the suitcase, stuff which couldn't go in yesterday like the computer and various plugs.

Then I'm off for a week in Weymouth.

Weather predicts mostly sun and clouds (good for sunsets!) and only two days of rain - and that's not bad either. Rainbows and choppy seas might get me some good photos too...


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(8 replies, Latest reply: Sep 9, 2012)

Birthday Boy (Aug 27, 2012)
It's my birthday!!
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So good it's almost suspect... (Aug 27, 2012)
This is why I love the internet.

I've just managed to acquire 32gb Sandisk memory and two (TWO!!) spare batteries for my camera, also the velcro straps* and the usb cable for my Ipod (my original one died) all for less than £30 with free shipping on Ebay.

The equivalent memory in Jessops was £90. London Camera Exchange wasn't even open.

And we wonder why the high street is dying.

*the velcro straps in case you were wondering are so that I can attach the intervalometer to the leg of my tripod and not have it dangling about the place when I'm taken long exposures or time-lapses.
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On Being 'A Good Guy'... (Jun 21, 2012)


So, how's this for a good news story?

One of the cars I was looking at viewing just got sold.

However the owner, took the time just now to call me up to tell me, said how much he'd enjoyed our conversations and that I was an sincere and nice man, and since he has a circle of friends who all have fords and who some are looking to sell, he'll pass my details around and try and get my name at the top of the list if any of them are open to recommendations.

Thank you Patrick!
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Stormy Seas at Southwold Pier (Jun 8, 2012)
As my week off rounds of to a close, I set off to the coast with the intent of doing some self portraits on golden sands (my online profiles are in serious need of updating); maybe some long exposures of gentle waves breaking over rocks, to hang up around the flat.

This was not to be.

I arrived at Southwold, on the Suffolk Coast, with the sea crashing against the pier in spectacular, pounding, waves, the weather growing steadily worse and just out to sea a large front was visible. In the centre the rain was coming down as an obscuring mist. I'd timed my arrival with the hope of seeing the tide come in, but behind the tide was a storm accelerating the sea forward up the beach!

The wind went from blustery to buffeting on a whim, rain fell cold and hard like nails, and the clouds rolled into toward the coast promising worse to come.

Today, as it turned out, was a good day to be out with the camera!

Despite my best efforts on so many of the photos I got spray and blobs of water on the lens!! *sob* , so I've rescued what I can.

Also, I'd gone with ambitions of hunting down the converging lines to attract the eye. However with the sea rapidly advancing up the beach I had abandon this plan and make a swift retreat for the safety of the sea wall - and so from then on was confined to taking my photos from various man-made vantage points - and not low to the ground where I could get some nice angles, seeing as low to the ground was now under-water.

I hadn't done any HDR and my long exposures were minorly successful but nothing special - so as I sat diddling about in photoshop wondering what I could do to make the images sing - I decided to try something different and apply textures to the photos: I began liking the results and figured it works by complementing the rather chaotic , and non-uniform nature of the waves by giving each image a different sense of character or story.


But do tell me what you think.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardhealy450d/sets/72157630020986559/
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(8 replies, Latest reply: Jun 9, 2012)

What I did with my weekend: Photos from The Peak District. (Jun 5, 2012)
For the bank Holiday weekend I assiduously ignored all matters pertaining to monarchy and departed Cambridge to return back to see my family and be in my 'spiritual home' of The Peak District and Derbyshire.

Have wanted to practice photographing long exposures of flowing water for ages - to get a feel for doing it right.

This has proven impossible in Cambridge; a flat-land where the water dies not flow - it ambles ... sedately, like an arthritic sloth on a Wednesday afternoon coming back from the pub.

So day one after getting back I headed out into the hills beyond Chesterfield with my camera and tripod to the town of Grindleford, The Longshaw Estate, to a little hewn-valley I know, where the water does flow downhill and in spectacular fashion!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardhealy450d/sets/72157630060959980/
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(7 replies, Latest reply: Jun 7, 2012)

Photos from Da Vinci: Anatomist (Jun 2, 2012)


http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardhealy450d/sets/72157630017433148/

"On the 6th of June 2012 - I travelled to London, Buckingham Palace, The Mall. To the Royal Galleries to see the newly opened "Da Vinci: Anatomist" exhibit.

This was truly awesome, and luckily they let me take my camera inside....

It's taken me a while to process and upload these - but here they are at last - enjoy!"

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Chocolate Hob Nobs 'n' Tea with Liz... (May 6, 2012)
Today I am off to The Palace.

Well actually The Queen's Gallery on the far side; am going to go and view an exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci's anatomical drawings.

Then in the afternoon I shall be heading over to Kew for a saunter with my camera.

Today will also be the proving ground for the new camera bag and tripod set-up and how easy it is to get around with.

Report and photos to follow....
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(2 replies, Latest reply: May 6, 2012)

Martin Heidegger, The Wasp and the Yale Lock*. (Apr 20, 2012)
Tonight, I am £40 quid light for having locked myself out of my flat and requiring the talents of a local locksmith.

I failed in my attempt to undo the latch with the coat-hanger provided by the neighbours below.

On reflection, that's probably a good thing.



*
I'm starting to think after my run of car accidents and finally being able to start saving - and now we're running at a loss again - it probably that all this bad luck might all stem from that time I successfully swotted a wasp with a copy of Heidegger's "Being and Time." My stripy-nemesis was perched on my bathroom mirror at the time. Neither the wasp nor the mirror survived my vigourous back-swing and enough continental philosophy that at a distance and in bad light might be mistaken for the continent for which it was named.





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Urgh! (Apr 4, 2012)
That is all.


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(5 replies, Latest reply: Apr 5, 2012)


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