Photohumourist

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:56:00 +0000

I just posted over at UK STREET COLLECTIVE

PHOTO@PAULTREACY.COM

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:14:00 +0000

This is a test.

PHOTO@PAULTREACY.COM

Coffee and chocolate craving

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:02:00 +0000

While walking home after dropping the boys at school, I decided to sit on a small wall and scan the headlines in my newspaper. After an article or two I was struck by a formidable craving for espresso. But I was also craving some good chocolate.

So now I'm back home and have just done a quick search for mocha recipes. I tend to like my coffee black and my favorite method is the simple Italian stove top pot. I also like to make the boys hot chocolate using warmed milk and Cadbury's Bournville powder. It never occurred to me to mix the two and that's exactly what I'm going to do now before I carry on with packing boxes before our house move on Monday.

Back soon.

PHOTO@PAULTREACY.COM

Here I am

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:20:00 +0000

It's about time I showed myself. This is a very recent picture from a couple of weeks ago just. My wife and sons were making sand castles and I was filming. Realised that I rarely made it into the holiday photos as I was mostly the one photographing. So thought I'd stick myself in there.
Back soon.
Paul.

PHOTO@PAULTREACY.COM

GETTING SORTED

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:01:00 +0000

Gearing up for big changes to my online activities. Photohumourist.com no longer points to my Blurb book but instead now points again to this blog.

As I plan to move my book publishing ambitions to the iBookstore, having just recently been greenlighted by Apple, I will soon begin writing about the ebook creation process. I will chart my failures and successes as I work through the various programs I use to eventually arrive at a completed ePub eBook and chart in detail the journey from concept through to the ebook's eventual arrival in the iBookstore.

I will also blog about my filmmaking activities and post both short clips of works in progress and completed pieces. I will chart my progress as I explore shooting footage for stock.

All the while, of course, I will be posting my street photography which is what I'm all about as a photographer.

So please check back soon as I get a handle on things. First up is a house move next week just after the boys return to school. Once that's taken care of, I'll get stuck in.

'Till then,
Paul.

PHOTO@PAULTREACY.COM

London's Rioters and looters.

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:33:00 +0000

I've been in quite a few riots over the years on the news beat and they are utterly terrifying. There's a collective mob intelligence that takes effect and can cause normally well behaved people to act irrationally as they are enveloped by the group dynamic. I guess the serotonin levels go through the roof causing something like the phenomenon that causes crickets to morph into locusts. Humans are as susceptible as any other creature and some in the know manipulate their peers accordingly.

Our technology just amplifies this.

The authorities were equally alarmed at the invention of the printing press and it's potential for propaganda.

Twitter is also a powerful tool for good, of course. Just think of the arab uprising for example. And to a lesser extent, the call now for communities to counter the rioters by collectively cleaning up the mess.

I'm growing increasingly furious at the government for taking away the youth centres that many of these wayward youngsters availed of. They are rudderless now with no clue where to go for guidance as they struggle on their journey to adulthood.

We are much too protective of young children in this country. We do not let them take any risks. We don't allow them to walk to school. There is an irrational fear of the stranger. They're mollycoddled. They are not making decisions for themselves early enough. And then when they become teenagers their loud and boisterous behaviour has adults cowering in fear. THEY'RE JUST KIDS! They're all too aware of their being marginalised. And many of the parents of these wayward youth are themselves not well developed adults.

There are of course so many other issues at work here too. I know that. But for adolescents, it's very easy to be lead astray. These are extremely vulnerable people and we adults need to be more involved in guiding them. These are potentially extremely intelligent people with copious amounts of energy and dynamism that could be such a massive force for good in our society and it boggles my mind that they should be so isolated. They are this country's most precious resource and this government just doesn't get it.

I really think it's time to very seriously debate lowering the voting age. Let's get these youngsters involved in the political process. Let's give them a voice while they're young, fearless and confident instead of letting them become terrified of their future prospects and utterly dejected with nothing to lose, as appears to be the case with the looters and rioters.

Let's try and figure this out.

Blog Update and Summertime Water Fight

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:45:00 +0000

It's time to reawaken this blog. I have decided on it's purpose.

Not so long ago I established The X100 Files as a venue for my street photography endeavours with my FujiFilm X100. I also co-founded the UK Street Collective with colleagues, Richard Baker and Justin Sainsbury which is also a blog to which I post regularly. So my postings here have been few and far between for quite a while now. But that is about to change.

I've been trying to figure out what to do with my two online identities, Paul Treacy and Photohumourist. Well, I've figured it out.

Having just been accepted as an independent publisher on Apple's iBookstore, which turned out to be a rather drawn out process for me for all manner of reasons, I have formulated a plan. I will, over the coming months, be publishing as many as six ebooks in THE PHOTOHUMOURIST series. Several will be new ebook editions of previous print books, including Woofers: Dogs & Their People, Observing The Flag and most recently, Mixed Messages.

I will also publish a substantial body of work called, Stroll NYC which will showcase my best material from 1994-2008 with Stroll London to follow later, perhaps sometime in the first half of 2012.

For now Mixed Messages is available in print and as an eBook but not available yet at the iBookstore. The iBookstore version will be slightly different with some additional material. Expect to see my iBookstore publications from September (2011).

Right, lets look at some photos.

© PAUL TREACY 2011. All Rights Reserved

These photos were made with a Nikon D200 and 19-35mm Tokina lens.

My family and I will be heading to Ireland shortly but I hope to post here again before I go with news of the first of the iBookstore releases. I don't expect I'll get much work done on holidays. I will, I expect, make lots more pictures like these ones.

Paul.

A first writing commission

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:36:00 +0000

I was recently commissioned to write an introduction to street photography by Warehouse Express for their WEXBLOG.

I hope you'll have a read and perhaps share it amongst colleagues and friends.

Thank you.

Paul Treacy

PAULTREACY.com

Posting elsewhere these days

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:33:00 +0000

I tend to post my photos in other blogs these days. Still have not decided what to do with this blog going forward. There's something brewing in my head for this space but it has not yet revealed itself.

In the mean time you can see regular postings at both UK Street Collective and The X100 Files

Thank you.

PaulTreacy.com

UK Street Collective is GO!

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:38:00 +0000

A quick announcement that the UK STREET COLLECTIVE that Richard Baker and I set up with Justin Sainsbury joining soon after is up and running.

There's also a blog.

We are in the earliest stages and are still figuring out what we would like to achieve with it but we'd like to start with a good audience.

More later.

The X100 FILES is now live

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:38:00 +0000

Hello there.

I will be posting less often here from now on.

I was always a little unsure of where this blog was going and what purpose it served me. It has always been a bit all over the place.

Recently, however, I purchased the new FujiFilm FinePix X100 camera and it's a sublime piece of equipment. It's everything I hoped it would be. I haven't had the pleasure of using such a camera since the Konica Hexar RF 35 fixed lens piece of magic many years ago. I made some of my best work with that little thing. Since Konica's photo business was taken over by Sony, many hoped that they'd release a digital version of that camera.

I certainly did.

But it never happened.

I came close to committing to a Leica M9 but just could not justify the enormous expense to myself or my family. But then came news of this amazing development happening over at Fuji.

I got tremendously excited and as soon as pre-orders were being accepted, I booked mine.

So from a blogging perspective I now have a focus. I will do most of my blogging now at The X100 Files. I hope you'll come join me there for weekly postings of mostly my street photography.

Thank you for your time.

Paul Treacy

PaulTreacy.com

Mixed Messages book review

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:45:00 +0000

This is the first book review for The Photohumourist - Mixed Messages. It was published in fLIP Magazine, the publication of the London Independent Photography group. It's available at London's best art book shops including, Tate Modern Bookshop, National Portrait Gallery Bookshop, Serpentine Gallery Bookshop, Whitechapel Gallery Bookshop, Artwords Bookshop, Eastside Books, Koenig Books, Photofusion, Muswell Hill Bookshop and Third Floor Gallery.

The book is now just £16.

My next post will discuss the setting up of the UK Street Collective, a collaboration between myself and the talented, Richard Baker with another photographer about to join us.

More later. Thanks for your time.

Recent Street Photography and Future Blogging Plans

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:58:00 +0000

I've been thinking seriously about my blog over the winter. Haven't posted only because I've been dissatisfied with it recently. It lacks direction and purpose.

From March through June I will blog about the new FujiFilm X100 camera that I hope to purchase as soon as it becomes available. I will write about my impressions of the camera and most importantly, I will post lots and lots of pictures made with it. And perhaps some video too but I plan to get the Panasonic GH2 for my pro filmmaking work.

I had planned on getting a Leica M9 and starting a dedicated blog but I cannot justify the expense of this camera to myself or my family. But then, along came the announcement of the astonishingly exciting Fuji. It's what I've been waiting for since my Konica Hexar fixed lens camera from years ago.

Here are some pictures I made recently.
© PAUL TREACY 2011. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Wheelchairs, blonde and a handstand along the Southbank.

Photo pants in Trafalgar Square.

Woman with rock, or something and a haloed dog.

Interrupting a photo moment.

Waiting for a dude to light his pipe.

Three dudes under fedoras. Well, I think they're fedoras. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Dude in a blue dress, for some reason, in Charing Cross Station.

Demonstrating against Iranian regime in Trafalgar Square.

Back soon.
PaulTreacy.com

Parkour Documentary is BACK ON!

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:05:00 +0000

After a months long delay, my project is back on the agenda. I'm scheduling shoots now for the spring. Much to do. Should you like this idea of this project, please help me a spread the word amongst your friends and colleagues. And if you know a traceaur or traceuse that might be a suitable subject, please let me know. I'm keen to find more people who are mature, articulate and eloquent.

THANK YOU KINDLY.

Santa in Hot Air Balloon in Crystal Palace Park

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:48:00 +0000

And now I present, SANTA IN A HOT AIR BALLOON (for some reason) in Crystal Palace Park.
© PAUL TREACY 2010. All Rights Reserved

I'll have lots to report soon. Stay tuned.
PAULTREACY.com

Testing Olympus E-PL1 in low light with BMX riders at Southbank

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 11:39:00 +0000

© PAUL TREACY 2010. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
I recently headed out to test my wee Olympus E-PL1 in low light. I spent a little while watching these amazingly skillful youngsters on their bmx and mountain bikes doing tricks along London's Southbank.

I should gather some audio too next time so I can make a wee film. In fact, I already have some sound from a previous video test with the same camera but shot during the day.

I also made some shots of the various Christmas stalls scattered about but will post them separately.

Before I show the pictures, might I just again link to my new book, The Photohumourist - Mixed Messages? Thanks.

All photos are available as 8x10 prints, by the way.
© PAUL TREACY 2010. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

That's it for now, people. Back again soon with more street photography from London.
Thanks for your time.
photo@paultreacy.com

Book Promo Video for MIXED MESSAGES

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:30:00 +0000

Mixed Messages Book Promo from Paul Treacy on Vimeo.

This is the promo video for my new book called;
The Photohumourist - Mixed Messages.

A visual exploration of cultural anthropology in modern, consumer society through photography, looking at commercialism, protest and propaganda in signage.

Just £18 at;
PHOTOHUMOURIST.com

Please share. Do let me know if you think it works or not. I need to know so that I can make it better next time.

Thank you.

On The Bus Again

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:30:00 +0000

© PAUL TREACY 2010. All Rights Reserved

Back on the bus. I wonder where all these bus images will lead? Perhaps a small limited print run book would be fun to do at some point.

Sometimes I find these red buses to be strangely hypnotic, particularly after dark. And on bright sunny days as the reflections are great fun to get lost in. Mirrored streets rendered like some weird parallel universe.

Had a stroke of luck last evening which might get me a step closer to my dream of a Leica M9. It's not the Leica brand I'm after, rather it's the tool that Leica happen to make. The large sensor. The durability. The simplicity of purpose. The elegant design. The smallness. And frankly the fact that it'll likely see me to my grave for I'm quite certain it'll see me out.

The only camera that would put me off buying the M9 would be a new digital Hexar should Sony ever decide to resurrect it now that they have enveloped Konica's camera operations.

I miss my old Hexar. 'Twas a stunning camera. The fixed 35mm f2 lens was a real gem. Held its own alongside the 35 Summicron f2 as far as I'm concerned.

Alas I went digital and stopped using it.

Tonight I'm screening at the ASA COLLECTIVE Slide Show, 7:30 at Cafe B, Cable Street Studios, London E1.

Tonight's lineup includes;
Arnau Oriol- Lamb Lane - A Church in Hackney
Carlos Albala- Outskirts
Jenna Selby- Girls On Board
Jim Naughten- Re enactors
Kim Haughton- Shadowlands
Paolo Woods- Walk On My Eyes
Paul Treacy- Flying Space Hoppers
Poulomi Basu- In Between Your Eyes
Rian Dundon- Between Love and Duty

Okay, that's it for now but for a reminder of my new book,
The Photohumourist - Mixed Messages

Thank you for reading.

The PINK LADIES

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:39:00 +0000

I cut through the park the other day and happened upon these little dogs. They and their owners let me follow them around for a few minutes. The humans were a little bemused, I think. Hopefully when they see the prints they'll understand what I was up to. Nine photographs follow.

© PAUL TREACY 2010. All Rights Reserved

There's not much more I can say about these photographs. They are what they are.

Next up I'll post some snaps from the Mayow Park Community Garden.

Finally, another mention of my new book published last week which I think will make a wonderful Christmas gift, particularly for those who love photography, humour and anthropology. Please see;
The Photohumourist - Mixed Messages Please tell your friends.

The Photohumou...

7 x 7

By PAUL TREACY

Book Preview

Thank you.

JUST PUBLISHED!

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:25:00 +0000

The Photohumourist - Mixed Messages has just been published. This is an affordable, small format and softcover version priced at just £18 and is loaded with cultural anthropological wit.

When previewing, please expand the view to full screen to best appreciate it as some of the pictures are quite detailed.

The Photohumourist - Mixed Messages by PAUL TREACY | Blurb.com

The photographs that make up this body of work come from personal and professional assignments dating back to about 1996.

It features some of my best and most thought provoking work to date.

This is a premium quality book using paper that is 35% heavier than regular photo book stock. It has superb opacity and a lustre finish.

I chose a square format for this book so that all the images, whether vertical or horizontal, would feature at the same size. There's an image on each page and on each spread the two images play off each other in hopes of creating some wit and tension.

It's a detailed little book. One that you can really get your teeth into.

I hope you enjoy it and that you'll tell your friends and colleagues about it.
Thank you for your time.

Paul Treacy
PAUL TREACY.COM

THE BUSES

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:47:00 +0000

ALL IMAGES © PAUL TREACY 2010. All Rights Reserved.
The 176 arrives at Tottenham Court Road on a rainy night.

I use the buses a lot getting around London. I live in Sydenham in the south east of the metropolis which is not as well served by London Underground as neighbourhoods north of the river although the overground train network is improving all the time.

But I love the buses anyway. And if I have time on my side I'll take a bus over a train. I'll save money and will likely get more pictures like these.

This might be turning into a project, I think. Certainly I find myself making more and more pictures on the buses now instead of reading which is what I used to do. Now I'm reading people and situations and looking to make photography.

I think you can expect to see lots more work from the buses on this blog.

A bus speeds past the glowing red cross of a church in Balham.

Tottenham Court Road.

A tiny passenger.

Friends readying for a night out.

Prints available at 6x9 and 8x12 for £15 and £25.

I'm excited to make more pictures on the buses tomorrow.

Comments are welcome. Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues if you think they'll enjoy these pictures.

Many thanks.
PAULTREACY.com
photo@paultreacy.com

Street Photography: Thames Festival

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:53:00 +0000

I showed the film I made but not the stills from The Mayor's Thames Festival. I really enjoyed making these shots. I did not set out to cover this event but simply happened upon it and so got stuck in. I just happened to have all my gear with me.

I'll start off with my favorite photograph from the day's take, of people sitting on Boris' bikes.
© PAUL TREACY 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Then there's this wonderful dragon creation with impressive teeth;

Next we have these beautiful butterfly like creatures;

This shot is reasonably amusing and so I'll throw it in;

Here we have some zombies getting ready;

Sitting around waiting;

More preparations with the aid of a wing mirror;

And finally some dinosaurs;

And if you'd like to see it again, here's the film I made.

Please share this link with anyone you think might enjoy these pictures.

And if you're an assigning editor, please keep me in mind.

Many thanks.

PAULTREACY.com
photo@paultreacy.com

MORE NEW STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:02:00 +0000

I have a lot going on at the moment.

I've just started promoting my large format book;
the photohumourist: mixed messages
and will shortly re-issue my Flag and Woofers projects publishing as The Photohumourist. I'm currently developing a page at my website dedicated to this endeavour.

I'm also back shooting on the streets (of London). I've been away from that for too long. Street photography is my number one passion outside of my family.

I have a large body of work on New York City which I will start to manipulate into a cohesive project for publication and exhibition over the next year or so. I will, I expect, need access to an editor to help me forge this work into something special. If anyone has any ideas as to who could help me in such an endeavour, please let me know.

I'm also involved in a new co-operative of filmmakers which is beginning to take shape here in London which I'll address here again soon.

last week I attended the Blurb Books Pop Up which has really helped shake off the cobwebs of my publishing efforts. I learned a lot. More than I expected. I received some excellent tips on how to improve and promote my books and will seek out the major competitions and festivals throughout 2011 accordingly. All very exciting and energizing.

Now, let's have some pictures. These are not especially brilliant but I'm getting back into the swing of things, for sure. I'd forgotten how much I love photographing in London. It's a marvelous place.

All Images © Paul Treacy 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank.

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank.

Man carrying a car bumper somewhere in the East End.

A smoker in China Town.

Tourist photographers, Piccadilly Circus.

More Picadilly Circus photographers.

Best Comedy, Piccadilly Circus again.

Back soon with more from the streets.

PAULTREACY.com (now publishing as the photohumourist).
photo@paultreacy.com

Please comment if you like.

Look what I found in my archive today!

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:06:00 +0000

Came across this today while sorting through my archive and posted it to my PhotoShelter account.

I'd love to own a DeLorean. They are so cool. Would like to rig it out with some kind of electric motor. Keep it green.

Anyway, I hope you like it.

I'll be back shortly with an update on what I've been up to recently. See you then.

New Front Page and Portfolio Features

noreply@blogger.com (PAUL TREACY) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:10:00 +0000

I've re-drawn the home page at PAULTREACY.com

More details later.