Questions, Answers

I have no idea who this group of women is or why so many of them are dressed in a similar style. You can speculate to your heart’s content and still probably come nowhere near a convincing answer. Even the most powerful AI systems available can only suggest that they are “likely to be members … Continue reading Questions, Answers

The Imperfections Of Age

The problem with modern AI-driven photo-restoration apps is their need for perfection. Faces become as fresh as regenerated daisies, and clothing appears dry-cleaner pressed. Old photos need blotches, smudges, and indistinct patches. They should show their age and wear their imperfections with pride. Just ask my great-uncle Wilson and his wife, Clara.

The Family’s Past

Albert was the only member of the family to leave Bradford behind - the factories, the mills, and the smell of lanolin. Rose Ellen was wedded to the future but drawn to the past: Victorian in a post-Victorian world. Ivy would see so much, yet miss out on even more. Pictures from the family’s past.

Wedding Bells

I am attending a wedding this weekend, and I have dusted off my camera so that I can take photographs of what will be a splendid family occasion. It will continue a long tradition: I took the photographs at the wedding of the groom’s grandparents, and also at the wedding of his parents. Today's photograph … Continue reading Wedding Bells

The Essence Of The Image

I have suitcases full of old photographs - my lost images collection - and sometimes, when I'm sorting through them, one will shout out at me. It's not who the people are (I don't know them) or what they're doing; it's the very essence of the image itself. The lines and shapes ask questions; the … Continue reading The Essence Of The Image

Happy Birthday Roger

A photograph taken in a Bradford back yard more than three-quarters of a century ago. It features me sitting on my mother's knee, watched over by my brother, Roger. Next Monday would have been my mother Gladys's birthday. Today is my brother's birthday. Happy birthday, Rog - see you in December.

All At Sea

Having just booked a trip later this year to visit my various Caribbean relatives, perhaps I should prepare them for my arrival aboard the Queen Mary. After all, it has been some time since I've seen them. However, as they will discover, I haven't changed at all.

Good Or Bad?

This is a photo of a boating lake in Blackpool, taken by my Uncle Frank 80+ years ago. I can never tell with Uncle Frank's photos whether they were spectacularly good or spectacularly bad. I submitted it to an AI bot and asked "is this a good photograph?" The answer was: "Yes, it is an exceptionally compelling … Continue reading Good Or Bad?

Sunny, Happy Days

What a difference a century makes. Warm weather at the end of June 1926 meant that kids at Holy Trinity School in Halifax had their lessons outdoors, “under ideal conditions.” A hundred years later, similar warm weather brings a very different response. Before we start bemoaning the delicate snowflakes of the modern era, it should … Continue reading Sunny, Happy Days