Throwback Thursday: Moseley Road Swimming Baths

Back in February Friends of Moseley Road baths invited IgersBirmingham to capture Moseley Road Baths.
The baths are due to close soon, leaving the area having to travel to Sparkhill baths when they reopen.

If you haven’t been to Moseley Road Baths the Friends are having a community action day on Saturday 18th March and more details can be found here for more information.  It will be a shame to see this building close.

Thank you IgersBirmingham for the opportunity to capture this beautiful building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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World Mental Health Day.

As I think about going to bed tonight my mind goes back to the fact today was World Mental Health Day.  Lots of friends have shared their struggle with mental health.  There always seems to be an assumption that other people have got their lives together but no.  A hidden fight is going on in their lives. 

My mental health is why I knit and crochet.  At a point in my life where I couldn’t make sense of who I was I found knitting.  I struggled with insomnia and still have sleep issues but at it’s worst I learnt to crochet from videos on YouTube.   I don’t knit to sell as I find the pressure crippling.  If I decide to knit something for someone, it’s my choice and it’s not as stressful. 

Over the last year I have had the opportunity to learn about pain management, pacing and self care.  This has given me a fresh outlook on my life and how to stop shrinking.

I still have a long way to go but have already made small positive steps.  Tonight I took some time to knit and it felt good.

My week in photos

For some time I have been choosing 9 photos I took in the previous week.  Then I post the collage on social media and wish everyone a lovely weekend.

Today I thought I would share the meaning behind the photos.

 

Last Saturday I met up with my friend Imogen and went to the seasonal markets at the Bond Company.

I took this photo as I love routemaster buses.  Growing up in London they were everywhere and they remind me of being a child.

Being gluten free going food events does make me anxious.  So when I saw The English Indian stall and it was clearly marked gluten free I squealed.  I went for half and half which was a piece of fish, a piece of halloumi, chips and spiced mushy peas.  Oh my goodness, it tasted great and I would definitely recommend it.

Also at the seasonal markets was Pip and her hot sauces.  She makes great sauces if you want to add some spice to your food.  Check her out.

Wheelchair basketball and basketball have played a major part of my life and my officiating season started last week.  So there will be many weekends spent in sport halls around the country between now and May.

A friend asked if I would take some profile photos for her.  The location was beautiful and autumnal, hopefully she was happy with photos.

I have been sewing a fair bit and I didn’t have any Tilly and the buttons patterns so to cheer myself up I treated myself to the Bettine dress pattern.  Unlike commercial patterns there is only a dress pattern with 2 options and generally it’s a summery dress, I am looking forward to cutting this out.

I love drinking tea and a few years ago I was introduced to Yogi tea.  Each tea bag label has something meaningful on it.  There can be a lot of hate and that can take up a lot of energy so I posted this on my Instagram feed.

I caught a cold during the week and all I wanted was soup.  So I made some chicken and vegetable soup from scratch, it was just what the doctor ordered.

I love knitting it’s like my zen and I don’t knit to sell.  So taking myself out of my knitting comfort zone, I have joined a knit along organised by Sitting Knitting in the West Midlands.  As a dyslexic I find reading patterns really challenging but I managed to crack this one.
This was the meaning behind my collage of photos.  I hope you had a good weekend and have a good week ahead.

Breakfast Muffins

Uncertainty, in the presence of vivid hopes and fears, is painful, but must be endured if we are to live without the support of comforting fairy tales.

Nik thanks for sharing your account of cancer, sharing this is the least I can do.

Bad To The Bone

The above passage from a book called ‘A History of Western Philosophy’ by Bertrand Russell jumped straight out at me as I scanned across the pages. I recall being half way through a seventy-two-hour chemotherapy cycle, I was bored, pissed off and was just doing my best to pass the time when I was stopped in my tracks by this passage. For some reason those words had evoked a sense of calm amidst a whirlwind of frustration and anger.

My name is Nikky Gibbons, I’m thirty-two and have had to battle cancer twice in the last five years. One thing to note is that I’m not usually very open or forthcoming when it comes to expressing my feelings or sharing my experiences. But it had been pointed out to me that I had been through a fair bit the past five years and by sharing my story I hope…

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International Women’s Day 2017

Today is International Women’s Day and this year’s theme is Be Bold for Change I am going to revisit some photos taken for a project I created last year for IWD.  I had all bold ideas to do another photography project based around this year’s theme and  my health has not allowed.  Then one of my  comrades said it not about one day but making a difference everyday.

I pledge to create inclusive, flexible cultures

I pledge to create inclusive, flexible cultures

Photo Credit: Tim King I pledge to call for gender-balanced leadership

I pledge to challenge conscious and unconscious bias

I pledge to create inclusive, flexible cultures

I pledge to create inclusive, flexible cultures

Photo Credit:Thomas Kavanagh I pledge to create inclusive, flexible cultures

Photo Credit: Thomas Kavanagh I pledge to create inclusive, flexible cultures

I put together a photo montage and it included about 25 portraits and I couldn’t of done it without the help of Thomas, Tim and Ian.  I added some music called Self Reflect Jared C Balogh.  I will be revisiting a number of projects and shots taken and reflecting on how far I have come as a photographer.

My pledge for this year is:

  I’ll celebrate women’s achievement

#BeBoldForChange and …

• raise women’s visibility as spokespeople in the media

How better than taking photos of women and telling their stories.

Be Inspired – Kizomba, Semba & Ginga Workshops

About this time last year I contacted my friend James to ask if I could take photos at his “Be Inspired – Kizomba and Semba Workshops” It’s been one of the scariest photo opportunities I did last year.  How do I freeze movement, how do I make sure the images are clear. I was shooting with both a Fuji Finepix bridge camera and a Canon 400D.

Fast forward just over a year and I have the opportunity to capture another one of James’s workshops.  I prepare myself to shoot at the same venue as last year, anticipating the lighting and what shots I want to get and the venue changes.  Calmly I make sure I have my external flash and extra batteries.

I got to the venue, with time to take some test shots with my Canon 1300D and introduced myself to the teacher Maria.

I really like these shots.  The guys were busy setting up the music for the party night Testa Com Testa that follows the workshops.

As people started to arrive I started to wonder around and so people would feel at ease with me taking photos.  I found out that people had travelled from London and Bristol to attend the workshops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really enjoy challenging myself as a photographer and these workshops are a great opportunity to do that.  Everyone is so friendly.

 

 

Maria will be hosting a Kizomba festival in Germany at the end of March click here for more details.

James will be hosting his own festival in Sardinia more details can found here about Sardinia Afro Beach Festival – The Kizomba Festival of Friendship.

Thank you again James.

Throwback Thursday

Last weekend at the street workshop with Kris Askey, I remember listening to a conversation about revisiting your photos.

I started taking photos just before the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012, as I wanted record moments that would never happen again.  I am so proud to of been involved in the Paralympics as an official at the wheelchair basketball tournament.

I printed this shot and love it.

This was underneath the extra seating at the aquatics centre.

I bought a Fuji Finepix bridge camera and all shots in this blog post were taken with it.  I had no real clue how to use it so kept using the auto settings.

Opening ceremony at Paralympics 2012

 Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if I knew what I know now about photography, wow. I hope to share some more shots from my archives.  You can find more of my shots on Flickr 

Street Workshop with Kris Askey & IGersBirmingham

When I start writing my blog posts I always struggle and this is the same with my photography.  So when I found IGersBirmingham on Instagram and started going to some of their meetups I started to move out of my comfort zone and challenge the type of photos I shot.

Today was no different.  I kept thinking what if I don’t like any of my shots, I hope no one takes my camera.  Will I have the confidence to give street photography the justice it deserves.   Oh well lets go and see what a Street workshop is all about and listen as well as learn.

Kris Askey kindly gave up some of his time to talk us about how he got started, what fuels him to take the shots he has.  Kris captures some amazing moments and people, last year he shot an exhibition for Birmingham Children’s Hospital which could be viewed in the streets of Birmingham.  After some advice on taking shots on the street, we went out to take our own shots.

Here’s one of my first shots, I like the whole view of taxi versus bicycle.  I could of been closer , but I like this shot.

 

 

 

 

These shots were some distance away  or blurred to have any real impact in my view.  But I am happy to share them.

 

 

 

 

I liked these last  three shots when I took them, but I could of had better angles.  Enough of the critiquing, the shots below I am happy with, so enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

Once we had been out shooting for an hour, we met again and Kris edited some shots.

The opportunity to see Kris edit shots taken by fellow IGers was really useful.  This workshop has given me a kick up the bum to keep challenging myself, try something new & consider printing some of my shots.  So yet again IGersBirmingham and Kris thank you so much.

Kris has an exhibition starting on the 18th February at Park View Gallery in Kings Heath for a month.  So if you want to see and buy prints from Kris go along and support.

 

My week in photos

Now that photography is a  major part of my time, I will be posting more of my shots with you.

f/1.7, 1/2488, ISO:40

 

f/4.5, 1/80, ISO:800

 

f/1.7, 1/25, ISO:160

 

f/5.6, 1/13, ISO:800

Have a great weekend.