Vol.2 Is done!  The text and my photos, along with those scanned from Key Publishing’s extensive archive will wing their way to India this week, and I suspect at some point in the middle of August, there will be a very loud thump on my doorstep, as a box with my author’s copies arrives. If you can be happy, proud and sad all at the same time, that’s me.  Happy and proud, obviously because it’s finally going to print and having seen the layout, it looks better than Vol.1. The text is somehow more polished as well I think,  it “reads” better if that makes sense, though after vastly more…

I’ve had the first layout copy of Volume 2 back to go through and it’s looking well.  Added to which, I was sorting through some books I’d bought as research material for  what would have been the next book, and one unexpectedly provided some additional info for Vol.2 that I managed to condense into a graph/info chart, which has been inserted as a near full page image and looks great.  “Dead chuffed” as we say in Yorkshire. I’ve had another visit to Key Publishing and re-raided the archives for suitable images to accompany my more recent shots.  I increasingly had a suspicion this would need to be done, but it’s…

Back to normality, sadly.  I say sadly, because Sheffield definitely lacks the sparkle of San Francisco.  It also lacks clean streets (which if the signs are accurate, are cleaned at a set time EVERY week!), pedestrian minded drivers and in too many cases, the level of friendliness and service in shops you get everywhere I’ve visited in North America, both above and below the 49th parallel. Strangely, I’ve yet to receive any editing requests from the publishers, so that’s definitely a conversation to be had.  I know I’ve rewritten most of Vol.2 “several” times, some chapters more than others, but it’s bound to have plenty of things they don’t like…

My photos have finally been sent to the publishers, along with their captions and after yet another read through and, for now, a final edit, the text to Volume 2 has also been despatched….and breath. Next steps;  email tennis with the copy editor and probably a couple of adjustments to the captions text once the archive images are sorted.  If it’s to be a repeat of last time, the final copy plus all the images will be sent off to India and Vol 2 will get printed there, then return for publication in July, accompanied by a heft thud on my front doorstep as my 10 free authors copies arrive.…

After a weekend spent looking at all sorts of reviews and trying to balance those against experience and knowledge, as well as a bit of soul searching I suppose, sometimes you just have to go with your gut; I am now Nikon-less. I knew myself well enough to know that the Zf would end up sat in a bag (yes, one of many before you say it) and the little X-E5 would become my go to camera.  Much of that is to do with its size and weight, as well as the fact you can actually stuff it in a jacket pocket; with the 23mm lens on at least.  But…

Back in February, I mentioned a term called GAS: Gear Acquisition Syndrome and I’m desperately trying to avoid another bout of it, other than for the obvious reason that it works out rather expensive! Some time ago, I think I said for one reason or another, I’d done complete camera system/manufacturer swaps three times over the years.  The last one was to full frame and Nikon simply to get the photography finished for the book(s), certainly to an original image standard I was happy with.  As it turned out, I probably didn’t need to bother, the size and quality of the printed images would have masked the problems with “noise”…

Interesting day out this week with my friend to the Midland Air Museum (MAM) near Coventry to add a couple of extra options for my photographs for Volume 2.  Quite spookily, the morning after an email from Key Publishing appeared asking how I was doing with the pictures!  Hence, I spent the day going through the captions for said pictures; but as it turned out, much as happened last time, the issues were more to do with archive photographs. About three years ago I spent a day at Key Publishing, sifting through a pile of their archive photos I’d asked them to drag out so I could choose a few…

The lineys are out kicking the tyres and checking the fuel, ground power is on standby and we’re readying the inputs for the NAVWAS.  Volume 2 is scheduled for July.  Hallelujah. Consequently I’ve been through my ramblings again, especially the captions for each image as quite surprisingly there’s been more movement of aircraft exhibits recently than you might think, and it’s not all good news.  Lots of talk about “making it relevant” and “non-core exhibits” basically means we’ve had funding to make it “educational” so all the aircraft beloved of those who know what they’re looking at is getting marginalised,  placed in storage or offered to other museums. Worse still,…

I’m off on a bit of a tangent this time, mainly because there’s no news on all fronts, I’m yet to arrange a trip to Coventry to take extra photos for Volume 2 and I’ve not chased Key up about a publishing timescale either.  I have however booked a holiday and as a result,  the logistics of transporting cameras, lenses, filters and all the rest of the paraphernalia has loomed large in the thought process. A common problem many photographers have is commonly known as GAS, no not that sort, but Gear Acquisition Syndrome, buying new (or used) kit because they think it will make life easier or help them…

First post of 2026 and January is nearly done, but photography wise, not a deal to report, mainly due to Mother Nature!  The UK is three storms in, we’ve had snow, sun and torrents of rain, but at least the hose pipe ban has been lifted….  This retirement lark still feels a little odd at times, mainly because after logging on to a PC at work in a morning for the last 35 years or so, and knowing you’ve jobs to do, you can feel a bit lost.  But at least my “office” has become my study and had a coat of paint and some new flooring, the dog is…