Berlin 2006, acros @ 100, rodinal 1:50, 28mm

Since 1993, and the introduction of the "don't ask, don't tell" law - which permitted homosexuals to serve as long as they kept their sexual orientation to themselves - nearly 10,000 gays have been "separated" or discharged from the US armed services. A number of those had skills - such as languages in Arabic, Farsi and Korean - vital to the US war on terror.

Shot at the Christopher Street Parade, Berlin.

Since Stig is posting so many slightly disturbing photos, I thought I would share something a little more "tasteful" with you.

*giggles to herself*

First day of my scouting camp this summer. We took the train with three people until the Belgian border, then hiked from city to city.

Berlin 2006, velvia 100, 28mm

Due to popular request (London, Basque area, ..) , here is more of germany's modern men and contemporary fashion. Very harsh sunlight (sunny-16) this hot day in Berlin, so using slide film was maybe not the smartest thing, but if all you have is a hammer everything soon looks like a smashed thumb.

Someone asked me what the boblycat policy on nudity is. It's pretty simple, if you shot it on a street and it's in good taste it's free game. This shot will probably get us censored in Utah, sorry Tyb.

Christopher Street Day, Berlin.

I've been a small trip to Haugesund for some work related stuff. Anyway; While I was down there I picked up my fathers old Canon AE-1 Program with a 50mm f/1.8 and a 35-210mm f/3.5-4.5, wheras the latter produce a horrible bokeh. Which has nothing to do with this picture, since it's taken with a digital.

On my way back to Bergen, on the ferry, I see this bloke. Yes, the man in the picture above. Also notice that he is in the dead center of the photo. Now; The reason why I took this picture, except to see if it was possible to take a usable photo in the dim light, was the space around him, his attitude and the lines in the backround. And indeed it was; Usable that is.

Bergen 2006, plus-x @ ~160, rodinal 1:50

Lasse posted a terrific collection of street-portraits, namely of the people struggling in this town. Not all people are struggling though. Most are fairly well-off and therefore the ones who fall outside are just more visible. A common and important genre in photography is to focus on those who are disenfranchised, those who live in the shade of society or who stand out among the crowd. Often lacking resources to tell about their situation, photos can help tell their story or your story about them.

Current boblycat issues; we are seeing that the code to fetch the images from the gallery are stumbling a bit in that they either fetch the fullsize image and then let the browser resize it in an ugly manner, or it shows a thumbnail. We'll see what we can do about it during the weekend. :)

I may also have to extend the size of the blog-button area at the top, so many cool new blogs, and we need more :)

Slightly out of focus because of the situation, Velvia 50 and a dim tent. I wonder if autofocus would have handled this properly.

So, my first blog on boblycat... or... actually... my first blog ever! Oh my, can that really be? A blogirgin? Yes.

So, as some of you might know, I've been in Norway for the past 9 days, staying at Stig and Fay's place in Bergen. In the short time I've been here, I've already bumped into most of the local nutcases, some of them nice, some of them annoying, some just downright scary. The following lot, that I was able to get on camera, were quite nice though...

This guy was the first I bumped into. I was looking through the viewfinder, trying to take a picture of a girl by a payphone, when suddenly someone poked me. I thought it was just someone who walked past me initially, but when I got poked again, I looked up - and there he was. Clearly affected by something, he looked at me with a couple of glazed over eyes, and said to me: "Smiley faces." He repeated it yet another 2 times or so, before I actually understood him, whereafter he took a step back, pointed at me, and told me to take a picture of him. And so I did.

I guess that's what you get from wearing a PacMan t-shirt.

The following day, I ran into this fellow:

A nice old chap, driving around on his bike, collecting bottles and enjoying heavy discussions with imaginary friends over the subject of artsy statues in Bergen city centre. Not much more to say, didn't get a chance to talk to him since he seemed busy talking to himself already, but who knows... I might get back to Bergen sometime and have a conversation with him about art, over a nice, hot cheeseburger and a milkshake. Strawberry-flavoured.

A couple of hours later, walking around the city centre, I notice this guy sitting on one of the benches:

This bloke is my personal favourite. I snook up behind him when he was looking the other way, and stood there; focus, composition, everything ready for when he turned around. And so, this is the result. I'd say it was worth the coins I gave him when he asked if I had any spare change.

Definitely.

And so, that concludes my first blog. It's now 2:16 in the morning, Stig and Fay are both fast asleep, and so should I, considering that my plan is to get up at 9 in the morning and follow Stig to work, and then go streetshooting a couple of hours before I have to catch my flight home to boring, homelessguyless Denmark.

Take care, Bergen. 'Twas good to see yeh.

- Lasse