Documental.ly - Filed under 'photo'

The Lost Podcasts - Number 41

I found a folder of old recordings. I may start rummaging through them in order to upload some with more context and history.

They remind me of a time when I spent longer in the story. Taking the time to listen & create. I still create long form media but rarely get asked for the more pensive timeless stuff. Most people seem preoccupied with transient disposable media. Something created for SEO. A pretty picture or video, a snatched conversation that may or may not drive someone to click a link or become aware of a brand. We all have to earn a living, but I'm sure there is a way to inject some art, some passion and meaning into all of this.

Before I used apps like Audioboo I used to 'long-form' podcast. I recorded over a hundred, 45 of which sat on the Apple store under the title Documentally - 'Mentally documenting the mind'. I used a handheld mp3 recorder and edited with either Audacity or Garageband. It used to take me ages for some of my more complicated shows. I did it because I enjoyed it. I never did it for the money as I was never paid for audio back then.

Not sure if my podcasts even appear on the Apple store now but having found this folder with clips and snippets, if there's any interest I may dig out a few more.

This clip is the first half of one of the last podcasts I recorded before switching to Audioboo. It's dated February 2008 and is a recording made in a street in Jordan while I was working on the video featured below. With the UK involved in yet another war I am again reminded of the victims. The migrants forced to flee in order to find some kind of sanctuary as the powers that be move their chess pieces in another battle for oil.

The image at the top is of an Iraqi refugee living in Jordan and the music in the podcast clip is by Lone Pigeon

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // audio jordan photo podcast refugee video war

Posted March 23, 2011

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The Story

I knew little about the conference at The Conway Hall in London called 'The Story' until @Sizemore invited me to check it out with him today.. More info on The Story 2011 here: http://TheStory.org.uk

It was great to catch up with so many people I connect with online but don't get to see ant the normal conferences I attend.

The topics and visuals experianced and discussed covered a variety or subjects, from mass SMS based automated story telling, sculpture, photography, Zombie LARP and Father Ted.

It was a low-fi affair, packed with Inspireing brainfood delivered by a great bunch of speakers showing that you don't need a lorry load of sponsors to deliver a throughly engaging conference. Perhaps it helped that the event was in London with a loyal density of story lovers on hand.

Either way I'll certainly be putting my name down for next year and looking for similar events wherever they may crop up.

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // photo photography the story

Posted February 18, 2011

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I'm A Passenger

It was hard leaving home today. Harder than it has ever been. I guess it's being part of my own little family. Not someone else's family, my own. Weird.

Yesterday was spent packing and repacking, I am a bugger for taking too much kit. The trick is to pack and then ditch half of it.

The problem lies with having a gadget for everything and not a gadget that can do everything. Then there's the issue that many of my gadgets take power. Which tends to come from batteries.. that need chargers ..and cables ..and adapters so those cables can work off a foreign supply.

Anyway, despite all this I am packed into two bags. A backpack with laptop and all the tech i need in order to work. And a holdall with clothes, tripod and non essentials.

I may go into more detail as to what I am carrying as sometimes I am amazed as to how much a person can do with so little. Technically I am playing the part of a videographer, producer, sound engineer, interviewer, archivist, photographer, live blogger and my own general dogs body. I am sure I can rustle up a few other job descriptions like coms expert, secretary, writer etc but I don't want the Union on my back.

Some jobs require a different way of doing things. As a vlogger who loves to travel and has done so to some random parts of the world before, I guess on this occasion I'm the perfect choice for The British Council who need a fast turn around on some important media, from multiple locations worldwide. It's great working for an organisation that is not afraid to experiment in new ways of capturing and distributing multi-media. As an organisation centred around communicating and educating cultural relations internationally, it makes perfect sense to be moving with the times.

What used to take a team, can now be done by a well equipped individual. I guess I will come to find out how well equipped I am over the next week as I grab interviews photos and video, travelling across Asia.

Should my trusty Vodafone data sim manage to get some content out, it will no doubt pass through my Twitter account @Documentally

To find out what the British Council are all about you can visit their site and follow @BritishCouncil on twitter.

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // asia bc75 british council gadgets photo tech train travel vlogging

Posted January 16, 2010

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Sleeper Reader

I often see guys crashed out on the London Underground. Not being a Londoner myself the scene always fascinates me. I wonder if the person parties hard, works hard, or both.

I imagine a few sleep past their stops and some have nowhere to get off at.

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // gh1 london lumix panasonic photo photography ptoto sleeper tired underground

Posted January 14, 2010

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The Dog Loves Snow

This photo was taken today. It's rare I take my Nikon D3 out on a dog walk. I'd love the D3s as it shoots video as well as stills. I can but dream.

There are more photos in my Flickr stream

@Dogmentally is on twitter but doesn't tweet.

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // cold collie d3 dog dogumentally nature nikon photo photography snow weather white winter

Posted December 23, 2009

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Light the blue touch paper and stand well back

Last night is a bit of a blur. I remember It was a great party with family and friends. I remember fireworks and great food and drink. Too much drink.

I imagine I will be reminded of the smaller details when I review the video.. Oh yes. There's lots of video.

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // bonfire documentally drink firework november party photo portrait

Posted November 8, 2009

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Sleep

I wonder what babies dream of.

Our minds are so full of the things we think are important I doubt we can ever sleep as deeply and purely as our children do.

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // baby bed dream minimentally photo sleep

Posted November 3, 2009

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A Fist With The Thumb Tucked In

This little stone fist is over three thousand years old. Maybe more. It was loose in the bottom of a large box of Egyptian artefacts that I was asked to photograph for a museum.

I was fascinated by it because at the time the logo for my Documentally Podcast was a fist.

The fist I had chosen was nothing like this though. This Egyptian fist has the thumb tucked in and my fist was based loosely on Hunter S Thompson's two thumbed fist on his Gonzo logo. There was no formal connection to the Socialist fist as many thought.. That likeness was not intentional.

I have googled, researched and even looked in dusty books at the library to try to find out why the thumb is tucked in on the Egyptian fist.. Was it a secret society? A religious icon? Is it sign language?

Perhaps it was meant to confound a bored blogger 3000 years later forcing him to post the image online just incase someone out there in the ether knew the answer..

I'm @Documentally on Twitter

Filed under // design documentally egyptian fist gonzo history hunter s thompson ourmaninside peyote photo

Posted October 4, 2009

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Beaver Wax

I've been in a few bands over the years. Some never left the bedroom recording studios they were born in. One hit the decks of the late great John Peel and others toured the UK bars and Uni's brushing dangerously with the possibility of becoming something.

I was just trawling through an old photo folder and found a mock up image for an album cover than never got made. 'Beaver Wax' were formerly (and i think latterly) called Reptile Sounds and after the death of one of it's members we drifted apart.

Here is the image and one of our unfinished track's I found on my hard drive.