Amsterdam Russ

Long shot...

There are many, many record dealers out there that you could bargain with. For the fairest of them all (in my view), contact Pete Smith: pete.smith@freeuk.com

Thanks. That camera thingy sounds a bit too posh for me! I did take a few worm's-eye view shots - holding the camera at arm's length at ground level, shooting upwards while crouched over – but it was a bit awkward to do... and as a result the pics didn't work. Had it not been so soggy out, and I had a carrier bag or something similar, I'd definitely have been on the ground taking pics.

Thank you. That’s appreciated. Quite happy with them myself, but think they could have been better if I’d gone out with a bit more preparation. With fungi often being found on or close to the ground, even just having a carrier bag with me would have enabled me to kneel down and get better compositions. I have a small fold-up chair that would have been perfect today. Being a wuss, I didn’t want to spend my afternoon cycling around with wet and muddy knees or worse, a wet and muddy backside!

Out on the bike to the Amsterdam woods armed with my camera on an afternoon that just got greyer and more drizzly as the hours passed. Not great conditions for taking pics, but I did get a few shots of mushrooms before conditions got too bad.

Thanks. I had a look online, but could only find this: https://vecta.io That appears to be for graphics rather than photos. Am I in the right place?

Vecta? Not familiar with that. Is it an image editing program?

Understood, but I'd want any blow-up to have the best possible clarity, focus and sharpness. An iPad pic - well, certainly my old one -doesn't offer that at all. Give me SLR or DSLR quality instead.

Nice idea, but being only an iPad-quality image, I doubt it would go that big without losing clarity. Probably get an A4 out of without any trouble.

Haha - we did agree it would have been really funny if it had been caught on video. And the lesson learnt is to get yourself and all your things away from the water's edge whenever one of those monster catamaran ferries comes speeding by at a great rate of knots!

Thank you. That's a great idea!

Indeed, although I expect every retelling will be accompanied with a "No, not that one again!"

Thanks, both. There is bit of a story to this, which is quite funny. About two minutes earlier, one of those giant island-to-island catamarans had come speeding past on its way to Mykonos New Port. The spray was the result of the bow waves hitting the shore. While that gave me a photo opportunity, it wasn't so much fun for my other half, Bev. She was having a paddle in the sea when the waves hit. Prior to this happening, the sea was pretty calm. Not only did the unexpected waves nearly knock her over with some force, but they almost dragged her into the sea when they retreated. At the same time, her dry clothes and bag - including money, iPhone, etc, etc (all of which was several metres safely away from the water's edge) - did get dragged into the water and there was a mad scramble by her, and a friend who was with us on holiday, to rescue everything. All her clothes, the bag, and the contents, got completely soaked through (the phone was in a waterproof case and so was safe). Luckily, we had a travel blanket that she was able to wrap herself in, otherwise it would have been a 20-minute journey back to the hotel in just a soaking swimsuit. As this little drama happened, I was sat on some large rocks about 20-odd metres away waiting for my photo opportunity. Priorities, right? Anyway, I got my photo, Bev laughed at her predicament and chalked it up as a mini holiday adventure!

Sunset and spray - Mykonos. I was rather pleased with this shot considering it was taken using just my iPad.

It was - far away from the madness of Mykonos town there are loads of these empty beaches to be found, and they’re well worth searching for.

Looking through a stone boathouse on Ftelia beach, Greek island of Mykonos. Pretty much deserted when we were there a couple of days ago, and that suited us right down to the ground.

Taken from on top of the highest peak on the Greek island of Delos - one of Antony Gormley’s statues (he being the creator of the Angel of the North), and by far the most effective. It took us about 45 minutes to climb and scramble up here in rather hot conditions, but it was worth it!

Greetings from the Greek island of Mykonos...

Hahaha - now that you say that, in looking at the bit of writing on the left of the label, it does in fact appear to say Ian Clark!

The one Manship had is a Monarch test press cut on behalf of RCA. Video here...

A scan would be helpful.

Taken about five minutes ago. Balcony life keeps on giving and long may it last.

Seen in direct sunshine this afternoon in a barber’s window in Haarlem by my partner Bev...