lee moran

Sitting on the dock of Sorrento's bay

2012-01-23T20:24:00.003Z

This is a beautiful little spot in the Italian resort of Sorrento, a secluded seaside alcove where there are slightly less tourists and the restaurants are a bit quieter. Check out the stunning sea bass at one of the eateries - its name escapes me but I'll post it once I've remembered. Google Map search Via Del Mare in Sorrento and follow it to the sea and you're there!

Chiesa del Soccorso in Forio d'Ischia

2012-01-23T20:03:00.003Z

Ischia - the setting of Blily Wilder's brilliant Avanti - the funeral scene of which was filmed just by this cross outside the Chiesa del Soccorso in Forio d'Ischia. Matt Damon's The Talented Mr Ripley also takes place on the volcanic island, a short ferry ride away from Naples and Sorrento. A beautiful location.

Mushroom hunting with River Cottage's John Wright

2012-01-10T20:43:00.003Z

I spent the day with River Cottage's John Wright (above) hunting for mushrooms, and here's what happened. To see the story click here.

The saddest sight this side of Christmas

2012-01-09T20:22:00.002Z

There's something really sad about a dead Christmas tree thrown into the road, waiting to be carted off and chopped up. Kensington, London, January 2012.

Who is the Original Assassin?

2012-01-07T22:12:00.002Z

Saw this lurking on several streets off High Street Kensington. Any ideas?

Kensington Street Art

2011-12-12T20:51:00.003Z

Even the up-market boroughs of London have their own street art scenes - evident with this intricate display of vintage alcoholic receptacles delicately placed around Kensington Square.

Old school: My first ever radio...

2011-12-12T20:21:00.003Z

During my last trip to Spain I stumbled across this cracking JVC radio - my first ever ghetto blaster. I think it was handed down from my Yayo. I vividly remember it sitting on my bedside table, always with a cassette tape in it prepped to record. I'd make five or six tapes per summer, solely from Los 40 Principales station, to keep me going with Spanish music for the rest of the year back in England.

London rain/shine

2011-10-28T22:04:00.002+01:00

A rain cloud started to follow me as I walked down Kensington High Street, London, on my lunch break - I think I somehow captured it in this picture. October 2011.

Spanish dragonfly

2011-10-05T21:19:00.003+01:00

I'm not entirely sure what this little creature is, but I spotted it last time I was over in Salinas, Spain. Does anyone know what it is?

Train talk

2011-09-06T20:34:00.003+01:00

A genuine quote from a woman on the train last week: 'OMG, we've just gone past Hitler Green, is that where he lived?' -- no, it was Hither Green. I love #traintalk - and I also love this picture of a man's finger, which he kept in that position for an hour!

Who needs Boris bikes when you've got these machines?

2011-08-30T19:45:00.002+01:00

The start of yet another mini-project - this time of people in London using their bikes.

The magic of the daily commute...

2011-08-25T19:23:00.002+01:00

Sometimes the daily trip into work is made even more worthwhile with a fantastic view from the train, such as this one...

Vaca en La Romana

2011-08-25T19:18:00.003+01:00

Just back from a brief stay back in Spain where I took lots of pictures, including this one at the Vaca in La Romana, a few miles from our home town of Monovar.

Walking in the rain...

2011-08-11T10:55:00.001+01:00

Hello! It's been a while since my last post - things have been quite busy and, although I've been shooting lots of pictures, I haven't had much time to upload them onto the site. Here's one from Tunbridge Wells in July when we were hit by a torrential downpour.

Hopping onboard

2011-07-03T13:21:00.002+01:00

Here's another snap from the millionaire's playground island of Capri (Italy) - where the lanes are so narrow the hotels transport guests around on these mini-vans.

Amalfi Viagra

2011-06-24T12:07:00.004+01:00

I wonder how many hits I'll get on this picture 'for the wrong reasons...' - taken in Amalfi, Italy, May 2011, where it must be much in need, seeing as the average age of the tourists (myself excluded) was around 80!

Vesuvius Lizard

2011-06-20T12:02:00.002+01:00

I spotted this little dude running around with his friends on Mount Vesuvius, Italy, in May 2011.

Centurion downtime

2011-06-14T20:38:00.002+01:00

This is what the Roman Centurions that hang around the Colosseum do on their lunch breaks...

Catching the nut thief in the act...

2011-05-29T15:43:00.002+01:00

I've been trying to figure out how our bird feeder keeps getting thrown to the ground - and today I caught the culprit in the act. The second picture isn't as sharp as I'd have liked it to be, but he was swinging quite quickly in a desperate attempt not to drop his bounty!

Naples Airport

2011-05-23T09:56:00.003+01:00

While waiting for the plane I started messing around on my iPhone and found the great Camera+ app - I used the clarity function to give it a bit of a lomo look.

Italia

2011-05-14T14:54:00.002+01:00

I've just come back from two fantastic weeks in Italy - so apologies for the lack of posts. We stayed in the Bay of Naples and visited Rome, Amalfi, Sorrento, the ancient cities of Pompeii and Erculano, climbed Mount Vesuvius and took in the islands of Capri and Ischia. I'll be uploading some of my pictures over the coming days and weeks - here's one of a bus driver getting ready to go out in Capri.

Bluebell Woods

2011-04-26T18:24:00.000+01:00

There are some beautiful bluebell woods around Tunbridge Wells at the moment - here's one we found on the way to Pembury.

The Beast of Tunbridge Wells

2011-04-25T18:12:00.002+01:00

I spotted this wild animal roaming the fields near Tunbridge Wells - I couldn't quite make out what it was though - any thoughts? ;)

Royal Wedding trinkets

2011-04-13T20:50:00.001+01:00

I'm currently loving the sheer amount of tat being produced "in honour" of the royal wedding. Here are some Prince and Princess garden gnomes I spotted in B&Q in Tunbridge Wells - which was also selling bunting, "royal" doormats and confetti.

Dunorlan Park, Tunbridge Wells

2011-04-12T21:40:00.002+01:00

Just some pictures I snapped of the beautiful Dunorlan Park - in Tunbridge Wells - when the sun was shining over the weekend.

One Man Band

2011-04-04T20:51:00.002+01:00

This One Man Band is regularly seen busking the streets of Tunbridge Wells - picture taken in April 2011.

Spanish market

2011-03-28T20:41:00.001+01:00

Here are the first two pictures from a series I've been working on about Spanish markets.

Freddie's first step outside

2011-03-27T20:09:00.003+01:00

Freddie's been a house cat for 18 months so he's loving having a little garden to run around in - here are a couple of pictures of his first steps outside - he looked to his right, to his left, up at me, and then bravely stepped into the outside world!

Valencia train station

2011-03-26T16:59:00.001Z

Taken as the sun started setting on Valencia's train station in October 2010.

The sun, the moon... and a plane

2011-03-23T21:17:00.003Z

It's been a crazy few weeks moving house and we've only just been hooked back up to the internet today. So I apologise for the lack of posts!

To make up for it, here's a picture I took on top of the Dunstable Downs - check out last weekend's super-moon peeking from behind the plane.

Granada procession

2011-03-01T16:02:00.002Z

I got caught up in a street procession in Granada when I was there in October 2010 as part of my Project Spain trip (which I'm still working on behind the scenes!) - I love the couple in the top left of the picture peeking out from behind their blinds.

eBay - a nightmare

2011-02-28T21:25:00.003Z

eBay - everyone has a horror story to tell. I didn't - until now.

Last week we put an eight-year-old Dell laptop with its battered case up for sale. It'd been sat in the cupboard for six months and, after wiping the hard-drive clean to appease my paranoia it would be sold and looted by scammers, I uploaded the details on a free-listing Sunday.

Thinking a £5 profit would be better than nothing, I clearly explained the item was for "spares or repairs", I wouldn't be offering a refund, and set a very low starting auction price.

The days rolled by, and the watchers clocked up, until an email pinged into my inbox stating someone was prepared to pay £58. "Brilliant," I thought, as I checked the balance in my PayPal account.

I found a cheap courier company, packed up the laptop in its case, and had it shipped out to the buyer.

Three days went by and the new owner sent me a message - he didn't think it was in good condition and wanted a refund. "I clearly spelt out on the listing that it was for spares or repair and I wouldn't be offering a refund," I replied.

He didn't like my answer and took his complaint to an eBay adjudication panel where we'd both have our say and a face-less tech-geek would tell us who was in the right.

Needless to say - and the whole reason for this post - I lost.

Despite clearly stating what condition the laptop was in, and because he obviously hadn't read the description properly, it's now winging its way back to me.

Once it's arrived I'll have to click on a button to refund his money, and then spend half an hour putting it up for sale again.

But I probably won't bother. I've lost my faith in eBay. I followed the rules... and am now out of pocket.

I'm still debating whether to post the buyer's name on here once the case has ended. I admit it would be pretty spiteful but then he has cost me quite a bit of time and, after I've refunded the P&P, around £20.

Decisions, decisions...

**** UPDATE **** (posted March 16)

So, here's some good news - karma eventually came around and has pinched eBay username "dell_laptops_bought" firmly in the rear.

Once I'd lost the Paypal case he had 10 days to return the laptop. Then the cash would be transferred from my account back to him.

But for some reason, and I can only assume it's because he was trying to pull a fast one, he didn't do it within the time-frame and Paypal wrote to me on Monday saying the case was closed and the money stays with me.

Result! But I'll still be wary of eBay in future - I'm sure there are lots more people like "dell_laptops_bought" out there.

Nick Clegg - "No one can hear me scream..."

2011-02-28T20:57:00.003Z

I've started taking pictures of funny things I spot in newspapers and magazines - I figured that so much effort goes into making them that it's only right they live on for more than a day. I think this one was in the Mail back in December - more to come over the next few weeks. And if you spot any good ones please let me know!

The Shard through the fog...

2011-02-23T20:36:00.003Z

The Shard has arrived on the London sky-line out of nowhere - one minute it was a building site, now it's looming over the Thames. I took this at the weekend when the fog was hiding the highest points of its construction.

Overhead

2011-02-21T19:02:00.002Z

I can't even remember when or where I took this picture - but there's something about it that I really like.

Alicante port

2011-02-19T17:55:00.002Z

So, my Project 365 lasted a grand total of 48 days - finding a picture for each day of the year was a lot harder than I thought, especially since a few things have cropped up in the last couple of weeks which have been taking up a lot more of my time (new job and house!).
I'll still be posting as much as possible and once things have settled down I'll try and kick start Project 365 again - for the time being, here's a snap of Alicante port.

Plan B

2011-02-16T08:15:00.001Z

Plan B on stage in Bristol in 2006.

Sky help

2011-02-15T08:15:00.000Z

I laughed so much that I cried when I went around to a friend's house and her dad had left her the instructions on how to use the Sky remote - H, you know who you are!

Dizzee Rascal

2011-02-12T08:15:00.001Z

On stage at T4 on the Beach 2007.

Somerset cat

2011-02-11T08:15:00.001Z

A cute little cat I spotted in Wells (Somerset) in 2006.

Tower of containing watery jade

2011-02-10T12:24:00.001Z

Another beauty from my 2006 trip to Shanghai - I still can't decide whether it's a sign for one thing or a number of them...

Birnbeck Pier

2011-02-09T12:08:00.002Z

The rotting Birnbeck Pier - Weston-super-Mare - taken sometime in 2006.

Dragonair

2011-02-08T19:58:00.001Z

I love the patterns on this plane I spotted at Shanghai airport in 2006.

Monovar Clock Tower

2011-02-07T14:45:00.000Z

The clock tower in my home town Monovar - my dad was born really close to this landmark!

Masterchef

2011-02-06T14:43:00.001Z

A little panorama from the Masterchef Live exhibition 2010.

Leeds Castle, Maidstone

2011-02-05T11:37:00.003Z

A few of the residents at Leeds Castle, Maidstone.

Girls Aloud

2011-02-04T16:49:00.004Z

A little picture of mine from T4 on the Beach 2007 - Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh (not in the correct order) in all their glory!

Queen

2011-02-03T12:47:00.003Z

I've been digging around my photo boxes again and found this snap of Roger Taylor and Brian May - from Queen - taken when I was working for a radio station in Madrid and I covered the opening of We Will Rock You in the city.

Teddy Bear Lost...

2011-02-02T18:48:00.001Z

There's something quite sad about seeing a lost teddy bear on the streets - southern France - August 2010.

June Sarpong

2011-02-01T20:48:00.001Z

I've been digging around through my old pictures again and found this snap of June Sarpong - taken at T4 on the Beach in 2007.

Fordcombe village sign

2011-01-31T17:59:00.002Z

There's something quite quaint about English village signs - this is one of my favourites - of Fordcombe, just outside Tunbridge Wells, in Kent.

Drying the socks...

2011-01-30T18:58:00.002Z

I love spotting quirky bits and pieces when I'm out and about - here's some socks I spied hanging outside a window in the south of France.

Seven Sisters... again...

2011-01-29T18:16:00.002Z

The final set of pictures from our little jaunt down to Seven Sisters Country Park in Sussex - it was freezing cold and we couldn't find anywhere to eat afterwards - but it's still well worth a visit.

Seven Sisters crazy cliffs

2011-01-28T18:08:00.000Z

I'm not entirely sure how this happened - but here's a panorama picture of the cliffs at Seven Sisters which, when I was merging the photos together, distorted in a weird way. I've decided I kind of like it though, so I've kept it.

At least I didn't do what Dover Town Council did in this story - and try to pass Seven Sisters off as the White Cliffs.

Beach time

2011-01-27T19:05:00.002Z

This couple was chilling out on an empty beach just outside of Malaga in October 2010. I love the way the picture is broken up into three pieces - the sea, the tractor tracks and the sand.

Seven Sisters Sheep...

2011-01-26T14:38:00.001Z

A lively sheep at Seven Sisters Country Park in Sussex - January 2011.

Osborne

2011-01-25T13:40:00.001Z

El Puerto de Santa Maria - Spain - October 2010.

High Brooms through the snow...

2011-01-24T18:50:00.003Z

The tunnel under High Brooms station, Tunbridge Wells - taken during the snow in December 2010 as I trudged my way to work!

Watching the apes

2011-01-23T11:57:00.002Z

The main tourist attraction in Gibraltar - watching the people watching the apes - October 2010.

Fiestas...

2011-01-22T19:46:00.002Z

Somewhere in Castilla La Mancha - October 2010 - Spain.

Einstein in León

2011-01-21T19:39:00.002Z

A quick shot taken from my car in León, Spain.

After the fight

2011-01-20T20:42:00.001Z

A lone bullfight fan sits on the concrete in Zaragoza waiting for the leaving crowds to die down - October 2010.

Bourton-on-the-Water

2011-01-19T22:27:00.002Z

Another picture from the archives of my Spanish grandma and granddad - this one when they came over to England to visit (well before I was born). They went up to Bourton-on-the-water, where my parents ran a restaurant, and went to the model village.

Yaya & Yayo

2011-01-18T22:13:00.002Z

Another cracker from my great uncle's collection - this one is of my grandma and grandad - not sure where it was taken though.

Oxaca, Mexico

2011-01-17T19:48:00.001Z

From Blogger photos

Oxaca - silver capital of Mexico - October 2002 - view from the cable car.

Clevedon Pier

2011-01-16T21:07:00.002Z

A rough panorama of Clevedon Pier - taken when major renovation works were underway in 2010. The pier was semi-destroyed in 1970 when it collapsed during stress testing and it took 28 years for it to be rebuilt. I contributed in my own little way and now have a bronze plaque with my name on it about half way down the walkway.

In Port

2011-01-15T12:22:00.002Z

I've been digging through my great uncle's photo box again and found this beauty - My grandma Virginia is on the right and I presume it was taken in Alicante - but I don't know who the other two people are. I've scanned in a few more of his pictures today which I'll be posting on the blog over the next week or so. I hope you like them!

Windmills...

2011-01-14T12:45:00.001Z

Belmonte - Spain - October 2010.

Confession

2011-01-13T18:16:00.001Z

Not the most technical of photos I've ever taken, but the light was low and I didn't feel I could hang around setting up the shot for too long. Zaragoza Cathedral - Spain - October 2010.

Gibraltar

2011-01-11T13:14:00.001Z

Taken on my first trip to the Rock in 2003.

St Antonin Noble Val, France

2011-01-10T18:28:00.001Z

St Antonin Noble Val - southern France - August 2010.

Banksy

2011-01-09T19:36:00.001Z

Some more pictures of Banksy's Bristol exhibition in 2009.

Valencia, Spain

2011-01-08T15:00:00.000Z

Here's a panorama I took from the top of Valencia's Cathedral, after climbing hundreds of steps, during my October 2010 trip.

Welcome to Monovár

2011-01-07T12:43:00.003Z

The signs for my home town in Spain - Monovar - I love the way someone's painted in an accent on the top of the a!

Guildford Walk

2011-01-05T17:22:00.002Z

We spent the day after New Year with my brother, his girlfriend, my dad and his fiance, at my bro's new house in Guildford, eating a lovely shoulder of lamb, drinking a brand new Spanish wine (of which I'll blog more later) and walking Bobby the dog - who they were looking after as his owners had gone on holiday. Here's some pictures from our walk!

Bear Circus

2011-01-04T13:44:00.002Z

Here's another picture from my Spanish project - this time an advert for a bear circus in Zaragoza. You'll see some antis- have slapped a sticker on it which says "Only the worst Circuses need animals - Boycott!"

ATP Tennis @ O2, London

2011-01-03T10:07:00.002Z

Here are some more pictures from my trip to the ATP Tennis finals at the 02 in November.

Sitting, watching and waiting...

2011-01-02T20:41:00.004Z

I've recently developed an interest in the older generations and how they look when they're out and about. Here's another picture from my trip to Spain - this man was sat in the square in front of Leon's cathedral. This picture is Day Two of my Project 365 - only 363 days left to go!

Happy New Year - and Project 365...

2011-01-01T18:31:00.004Z

Happy 2011 - I hope everyone saw in the new decade in style! For my first post of the year I've figured out on Photoshop how to do collages, this one being my pictures from our Boxing Day walk in Somerset, so expect a few more in the coming months.

Also, as one of my resolutions, and one I really don't intend to break, I'm jumping on the Project 365 bandwagon. It's an idea I've been toying with over the last couple of weeks and I've decided to go for it.

The posts won't all be photos, I'll also be sharing a few book & film reviews and any other bits and pieces I think you might enjoy.

Although I've had this blog for 18 months I still feel like a newbie to the game, so if there are any tips or hints you want to share please let me know! Now, back to the New Year's Day television...

Walking in Barton St David, Somerset

2010-12-28T20:35:00.002Z

Another snap from our Boxing Day walk - this one is in Barton St David, Somerset.

Kingweston Church, Somerset

2010-12-28T19:57:00.003Z

Happy Christmas everyone! Sorry for being slack on the blog but it's been a very busy and festive few days. We made the trek back to Somerset for the big day and then went on our annual Boxing Day walk, which this time had the added bonus of being in the snow. Here's a picture of Kingweston Church, I'll try and put a few more photos of the walk up onto the site soon. Hope everyone has a cracking new year!

Stephen Merchant @ The Stag, Sevenoaks

2010-12-21T20:25:00.005Z

"Karl Pilkington's got a head like a fucking orange," heckled the middle-aged audience member within seconds of Stephen Merchant arriving on stage. Damn it, I thought, I'd bet a friend a fiver to shout out the very same thing and my lack of originality was showing through.

Thankfully Merchant's didn't - as the hour long set touched on a lot of new material, and not just anecdotes lifted from his output alongside Ricky Gervais, which is what I'd half expected.

I was more nervous about going to this gig than any before.

As an admirer, actually more of a disciple, of his work, I've deconstructed The Office, endorsed Extras, loved Cemetery Junction and replayed the podcasts over and over again. I was worried he wouldn't live up to my hype. I was wrong.

Although Gervais proved to be a slight elephant in the room - "I'm doing stand-up for the lucrative DVD sales which I won't have to share with you-know-who" - the polished performance proved the "lanky goggle-eyed freak" has what it takes to become a main player on the comedy circuit.

He set about explaining, sometimes in excruciating and meticulous detail, how he longed for a wife - and then set out his rules as to how she should behave if she wanted a bit of "Steve love".

Merchant has decided to develop his stand-up career with a series of low-profile gigs, rather than cashing in, like "you know who", on already being a household name by bursting onto the big stage with a tour.

A friend who's seen him three times this year said there'd been a huge improvement with each performance. If he's correct, and Merchant's endearing debut at The Stag's Outside The Box is anything to go by, I can soon see him stepping out of the shadows of his partner-in-crime to rack up those sales. I can't wait.

Old love...

2010-12-12T17:04:00.002Z

León - October 2010 - I love this picture of an old couple walking towards the Cathedral for mass.

Roger Federer

2010-12-03T20:35:00.002Z

Roger Federer in his match against Robin Soderling at the ATP finals at the 02 in London in November 2010. I ripped my dad's arm off when he said he had a spare ticket, just a shame Rafa Nadal didn't win in the final!

I Hate Summer...

2010-12-03T20:14:00.002Z

I love this picture - taken by my brother today in Guildford.

Somewhere near Salamanca

2010-12-01T16:03:00.002Z

I took this on my way to a bull ranch, near Salamanca, on a freezing cold morning in October 2010.

Men at Work

2010-11-23T20:53:00.001Z

The bodega of San Jose - in El Puerto de Santa Maria - Spain - October 2010.

Different lives...

2010-11-21T17:55:00.002Z

A tale of two people - Santiago de Compostela - Spain - October 2010.

Cheeky Guys...

2010-11-18T20:33:00.003Z

Zaragoza bullfight - Fiestas Del Pilar - October 2010.

Granada procession

2010-11-13T20:09:00.001Z

I love the expressions on the faces of the two men at the head of the procession - Granada, Spain, October 2010.

Gibraltar...

2010-11-13T20:07:00.001Z

It comes to something when the only cool thing you remember about a place is a sign for the toilets - Gibraltar - October 2010.

Waiting for the fight

2010-11-07T20:22:00.002Z

Zaragoza - October 2010 - this guy was waiting for the bullring doors to open for the main corrida of the Fiestas Del Pilar.

Spanish Parmo

2010-11-05T22:02:00.002Z

Ever since a Teessider joined our office we've spent hours debating the best way to create one of his favourite foods - The Parmo.

With a heart-busting 2,600 calories per serving (which we found out needs a 32km walk to burn off) it's become a firm favourite around Middlesborough ever since Nicos Harris arrived in town in the 50s.

Thousands devour the bread-crumbed chicken fillet, coated in Bechamel Sauce, cheddar cheese, and served up with a portion of chips and manky salad, every single weekend.

In Llanes, on the northern Asturian coast in Spain, I tried a local lamb chop version, covered in a local rich blue cheese.

I was close to popping after chowing it down, especially since it'd come after a plate of beans and mussels, and before a Natilla - a cold custard and biscuit pudding.

I could still feel the after effects two days later.

Anyway, the picture above is of said Spanish Parmo (as I've christened it). For those who'd like to try the proper authentic Teesside Parmo - here's a recipe I found online at parmos.co.uk.

1. Buy the key ingredients – fillet of chicken, Cheddar Cheese, one egg, half a cup of breadcrumbs and – for the Bechamel suace – milk, butter, a bay leaf, plain flour and an onion.

2. Take one strip of chicken fillet, bash the hell out of it until flat and thin with a kitchen hammer.

3. Evenly coat the Parmo in beaten egg-yolk and breadcrumbs ready for deep frying.

4. Deep-fry the Parmo in oil until cooked through and brown on each side.

5. For the Bechamel sauce – heat milk and simmer for five mins on a low heat with a bay leaf and onion – add flour – season with salt/pepper.

6. Pour over the cooked Parmo.

7. Add Cheddar Cheese to the top of the Parmo, heat it under a grill until the cheese is melted.

8. Serve the finished article with chips and salad.

Gibraltar

2010-11-04T18:03:00.001Z

Gibraltar - October 2010 - possibly my least favourite place on earth...

Salamanca

2010-11-03T18:30:00.001Z

October 2010.

El Puerto de Santa María

2010-11-01T19:16:00.002Z

Regular readers of my blog will know I like quirky bits of graffiti - I spotted this in El Puerto de Santa María, on the south west coast of Spain.

Why don't you...

2010-10-31T14:52:00.002Z

I'm back from my three-week trip to Spain where I saw some great places, met fantastic people and took lots of pictures! I'll be sharing them on the blog over the next few weeks - here's the first - from Altea, in the Communidad Valenciana.

Project Spain...

2010-10-09T18:03:00.001+01:00

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few days but I´ve been putting the final touches to an exciting project I´m working on in Spain for the next three weeks. Can´t say too much more at the moment and I doubt I´ll be able to blog, but I will try and update my progress on my Twitter @lee_moran as often as I can - hasta luego!

Through the door...

2010-09-30T19:22:00.001+01:00

A little doorway leading to a few more in Ile D'Oleron, southern France, in summer 2010.

Exposed @ Tate Modern

2010-09-26T16:25:00.002+01:00

The young boy stares into the distance. Decked out in a baseball cap he pulls the perfect pose - intense in thought yet somehow care-free, like he doesn't even know he's being watched. A group of gaggling school girls are similarly captured unawares, smiling and talking to each other.

Wow, I thought, this photographer really knows how to portray people at their most relaxed. Were these shots staged or a sublime sample of street photography? Whichever it was, he'd captured the life of New York's streets in their most natural and uninhibited form.

When I read the blurb accompanying Philip-Lorca diCorcia's series of Heads it started to make sense. It's a lot more subtle than that. He hid cameras in nooks and crannies across the city to automatically capture people when they walked past.

His results, shown in the first room, are as impressive as the rest of the exhibition which looks at pictures made on the sly without the explicit permission of the people depicted.

The freedom of being able to take pictures in public is a topic which interests me, having recently had a brush with the law over the very same issue. "Haven't you got any respect for the people injured in that car accident," said the angry copper after he'd screamed at me to stop taking photos for my newspaper.

In his ignorance he failed to realise I was only chronicling the scene that hundreds of onlookers who had stopped to stare were taking in with their own eyes.

I hadn't crossed the police line, I wasn't invading anyone's privacy and I wasn't doing any harm. What made it worse was it was the second time this had happened in as many weeks.

I'd previously been put in the ludicrous position of having to wait for permission from the "skipper" (a mystical man who was contacted via mobile by the watching PC) to be able to take a photo of a cordon around a piece of road.

Yes, it looked as daft as it sounds. Something had happened (I didn't yet know what) and it could've turned out to be a good story. Having a photo would illustrate it better.

"Just don't go any closer and don't zoom in on anything," said the copper. I stifled a laugh as I snapped away from a distance of about 20 metres. As click followed click a woman with a pushchair circumnavigated the blue and white tape.

In both cases I wasn't half as sly as the photographers being showcased in Exposed. I hadn't hidden a lens in the bottom of my shoe, nor in a walking stick, nor through the button hole of my shirt. Yet the police thought I was a public danger/annoyance/other negative adjective, and had to act quickly to stop me.

Imagine if they'd caught Ben Shahn using a lateral viewfinder, Paul Strand with his fake sideways lens or Koshei Yoshiyuki and the infrared flash bulb?

"Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance & the Camera" is a thought-provoking look at the subject of photography, privacy and freedom of speech. I'd recommend it. But you'll have to hurry, it closes next weekend.