As promised in by reviews part 1 post the other week I have now been round more of what the Brighton Photo Biennial 2010 and Photo Fringe have to offer and I am poised to whack out a few more reviews for you.  I managed to get round a few key shows at the weekend and found them to be a mixed bag!  So I am going to concentrate on the three that I have the most to talk about!

However, before I begin, I must say that the more of the Biennial I get round – the more impressed I am with the drive and vision Martin Parr had with his New Documents theme.  The 2010 Biennial is the best yet in my mind – full of really interesting work and a lot of pieces that are getting people debating photography…which can only be a good thing!

DEGENERATION BY HUMAN ENDEAVOUR

(Degeneration @ Bellis Gallery, 8-9 Kings Road, Brighton)

What did I tell you in my last set of reviews?  I told you that this exhibition was one of my hot tips as worth going to see, before I had even seen it myself.  So – now I have been and checked it out, and with this new found hindsight – do I stand by my conviction?

Yes I do!  This is a really fantastic exhibition of really interesting images.  The Human Endeavour collective is a group of Brighton & London based photographers who all produce work in their own right but have a similarity in aesthetic and subject matter.  Whilst the members of the collective seem to change about every so often, four of its permanent and key players were on show at the Bellis Gallery:

FLYOVER - SIMON CARRUTHERS	ELECTRICITY SUBSTATION - RICHARD CHIVERS	Simon Carruthers – who produces stunning large format images generally concerning human intervention in urban and rural landscapes.  I am very jealous of Simon’s photographic eye as he seems to make the banal look quite lovely! Richard Chivers – Richard again works in large format making imagery that is concerned with contemporary landscapes and issues surrounding these spaces.  His images of quarries are stunning!
FEEGLETSHER 1 - OLIVER PERROTT	PARK HILL FLATS - ALEX CURRIE	Oliver Perrott – Again his personal works tends to concentrate on the man altered landscapes and the built environment and his amazing landscape images sit very well alongside work by photographers like Jem Southam. Alex Currie – Alex takes a much more industrial and urban approach to his subject matter and indeed his aesthetic.  Truth be told – I hate Alex because he seems incapable of making a bad composition!  His images of what should be a very dry subject matter are beautiful and the composition of line is stunning.

So, now you have met the cast, what about their new combined work ‘Degeneration’?  Well, this could either of gone horribly wrong or horribly right!  Get 4 great photographers, give them all a large format camera and a quite narrow subject matter and let them loose on various towns across Britain to photograph the degeneration of modern housing estates.  On the face of things, it could have been the most drab and soulless exhibition in the biennial.

Bucksburn Road, Springburn, Glasgow 2010, © Alex Currie

Instead – they have succeeded in making one of the best.  This is the sort of show that everyone can see because it covers all three main bases that a great photographic series should contain:

1) Technically great photographs.  This is achieved through great exposures, beautiful large format prints and 4 keen pairs of eyes for detail.

2) Beautiful images.  Again this box is firmly ticked.  What should be grey, uninspiring and rather bleak and depressing is transformed into a set of inspiring photographic images.

3) Meaning and context.  Thankfully, they also have something to say!  Personally, I love photography with some form of message behind it and this work raises numerous questions about the state of modernity, urban decline and the consumerist nature that fuels our society.

The Heygate Estate, London 2010, © Simon Carruthers

What I found interesting was you could see each photographers unique style in the images – yet they all hung together brilliantly as a joint project.  If you are familiar with their own personal work – it doesn’t take long to start spotting whose images belong to whom

and this is what makes this collective approach such a joy to look at.  Oliver’s emphasis on the natural landscape can clearly be spotted in his images, whilst Alex & Richard’s eye for architecture and industry produce gorgeous images of high rise flats and buildings in decline.  Whilst Simon’s eye for line and pattern show a different side of London estates with brilliant results.

This is a great show and as I say, there is something for everyone – from the technically obsessed photographer to the political activist to the casual passer by!  Go and check it out until the 14th November.  A highlight of the biennial for sure.

In the meantime – I hope Human Endeavour extend this project and I hope they eventually produce a book of the images, as I will certainly be first int he queue to buy one.  Get in quick guys before the Arts Council loose all its funding!

Until then, check out more info and images at: www.humanendeavour.co.uk/

STRANGE & FAMILIAR: THREE VIEWS OF BRIGHTON

(Strange & Familiar, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery)

Well, here we are at the main event.  This show is part of the curated programme and features three prominent photographers who were commissioned to create a body of work in response to Brighton.  Three very different series were created and they were not only a mixed bag but also raise many questions.  Lets look at each Photographer in turn!

ALEC SOTH – BRIGHTON PICTURE HUNT

Alec & Carmen Soth - Brighton Picture Hunt

This is a strange one, as this was Alec’s first commissioned work in the UK (he is American don’t you know!).  Like many people who are a fan of his work, particularly his series Sleeping by the Mississippi and Niagara were probably as excited as me by the prospect of him producing work in and about Brighton.

So before I launch into one – here is a bit of background!  On arriving in the UK with his family in tow – he was accosted by customs and questioned about his purpose for being in the country and the work he was undertaking.  Due to an apparent mix up with the visa application – he was told he could not produce any work in the UK under any circumstances, but he would be allowed to stay in the country.  He was warned that if he was caught taking any images, he would risk fine and imprisonment.

What do you do in that situation?  After a few days aimless wandering, Alec passed the camera to his daughter Carmen Soth and began inviting her to take photographs.  Essentially, the images on show are that of a 7 year old girl and not Alec Soth.

Alec & Carmen Soth - Brighton Picture Hunt

So, what do we think?  Well – I am undecided!  The argument from Alec Soth and camp is that he had an integral role in editing Carmen’s work, questioning her motives for taking shots and motivating her to produce the work as they walked around Brighton.  So this does raise some interesting points about the art of photography and how important the image making is in comparison to the editing of a series of images into a body of work that contains meaning.  I guess each view could be argued equally well.  But, Fabrica’s show is entirely comprised of collections of images taken by a variety of photographers and the meaning of the show comes through the editing of these collections.  So, in a sense, this is similar – Alec editing and collating Carmen’s images into a body of work that had some coherence and meaning.

And so there is a thread of a story that runs through the images.  Parallels can easily be drawn and the pictures are interspersed with newspaper headlines from the Argus (Alec’s original idea was to follow one of the Argus’ Photographers for a couple of weeks – until customs refused to allow it!).  I think the interview between Martin Parr and Alec Soth that is on display in the gallery is well worth 5 minutes of any visitors time, because it really highlights the points that are most interesting in this exhibition.  Namely that a child photographs in a very different way to an adult.  Firstly, they are not full of the pre-conceived ideas of what a photograph should be and what a photographer should photograph.  Secondly, their perspective is lower down than an adult and they view the world looking up or, perhaps, spot things lower down that an adult might miss.  Finally, the fact a child with a camera is less threatening and more anonymous than an adult.

Alec Soth - from the series Niagra

These are all interesting points and ones that are reflected in the images on show.  I do think it raises some interesting questions about photography and the process of editing.  BUT – would I have preferred to see a series of images taken by Alec Soth himself?  Yes, I most certainly would have.  And are Carmen Soth’s images any good?  Well again yes, some of them are quite accomplished – BUT, if one were to give a camera to any 7 year old, give them some direction, make a good edit of the images and hang them in Brighton Museum, would this not always be the case?

And that my friends is the most interesting thing about the show for me, all these questions that it raises.  Given the constraints placed upon Alec Soth when he entered the country, I am pleased to see that he stuck with the commission and put something on show that might make photographers question the fundamentals of photography.

As for Carmen Soth, I think she has taken some amazing images that many long standing Photographers would have been equally happy to display in a gallery.  I think Carmen’s achievement should not be overlooked and I look forward to seeing how her interest in photography progresses, because no doubt she has a very good eye!

Check out Alec Soth’s previous work as it is amazing - www.alecsoth.com

STEPHEN GILL – OUTSIDE IN

Stephen Gill - from the series Outside In

Wow, wow, wow.  Wow.  Once again, Wow.  This is a truly amazing response to the brief and an utterly stunning body of work – I was in awe for the whole thing and my respect for Stephen Gill went from high to even higher!

I am not sure I have much to say about this really as it speaks for itself – to give a brief background, Stephen adapted medium format cameras to allow him to drop objects inside – therefore taking a photograph through the objects in the camera body.  So the images presented are scenes of Brighton intersected with a variety of objects – in an unlikely scale, which were sitting behind the lens.  The objects in question were found in the general vicinity where he took the photographs and as I understand it, for some of the portraits, he let the sitter choose the object to go into the camera.

The result is a set of images that are poetic, beautiful and highly original.  They speak of Brighton in numerous ways and are infinitely viewable.  They are the sort of photographs I will keep returning to and always get something new from as well as a pleasure in viewing.

This shot was taken in Hackney before the Brighton series and led him onto the concept for his work.

What I love is Gill’s exploratory approach to Photography.  This has been shown in much of his previous work and the great thing about Outside In is that it is allmade in camera.  No Photoshop, no superimposing, no double exposures – but real craft and experimentation that results in amazing work.  This hands on approach, I think, takes these photographs to another level and elevates them from the great to the sublime.

That is about all I want to say, because you should see it rather than read about someone banging on about how good it is.  Also, I urge you to check out Gill’s other work, much of it is on his website and I have been following him for years as it always pleases and delights.

This, for me, is without doubt the highlight of the Biennial.  Thank you Mr Gill.

More on Stephen Gill at www.stephengill.co.uk

RINKO KAWAUCHI – MURMURATION

Rinko Kawauchi - Murmuration

I’m afraid to say that this to me was the weakest of the three Photographers on show and a rather disappointing exhibition.  Like with Soth, I had high hopes for Rinko Kawauchi’s work having been a fan of some of her previous images.  However, the result is rather unsatisfying and not very original.

First of all, the concept of producing work in response to the Starlings Murmurations seems rather cliched – therefore, to pull it off, I would expect a rather outstanding and originally conceived series of images.  But, what is on offer does not fit any of these criteria.  The photographs of the birds are rather drab and essentially look like badly taken tourist shots.

For the second part of the work, Rinko tried to draw parallels with the movement of people around Brighton during the busy tourist filled month of May.

However, these photographs again look poorly taken and rather rushed.  The style of presentation was too messy for me and none of the photographs really sung out or spoke of the movement of people in Brighton in any way.

That said, there are some nice images and the longer I spent looking the more I got from them – but this did take some serious determination on my part.  In all, I have to say the work felt soulless and rather rushed and altogether badly executed.

All three photographers work has been published in a set of books by Photoworks and, Rinko Kawauchi’s Murmuration does work much much better in book format.  If I had only seen the book, I might have been a bit more encouraged – but for me, the work left me cold.

I stress again, most of her work is fantastic.  There is a moderate selection at : www.designboom.com/contemporary/kawauchi.html

Rinko Kawauchi - from her 2004 series 'Aila'

So, this exhibition really is a mixed bag, but does have much to offer.  Stephen Gill’s work stands out a mile above the others and is a great piece of work – interestingly Gill moved to Brighton for 6 weeks to produce his work and I think it is this dedication and attention which really shows.  Alec Soth’s work raises many interesting questions and is a great debating point for Photographers and viewers alike - and whilst I did enjoy the show, I was still left with a slight sense of disappointment.  But, given the situation he was placed in – he has produced an interesting result from a poor circumstance.  Rinko Kawauchi’s work is just disappointing and was not for me worthy of being shown in such a prominent venue.  But, I will look at the book a few more times and perhaps new meanings will come through and there were some beautiful shots hidden amongst it!

A NIGHT IN ARGENTINA: ALEJANDRO CHASKIELBERG & ESTEBAN PASTORINO DIAZ

(A Night In Argentina @ University of Brighton gallery)

For my final review in this part, I am going to look at A Night in Argentina at the University gallery.

ESTEBAN PASTERINO DIAZ – SALAMONE

© Esteban Pastorino Diaz, Townhall. Gonzales Chaves. From the series “Salamone”. 2000

I really enjoyed this exhibition, Esteban’s work concentrates on the architecture of Francisco Salamone who practiced in Argentina in the 1930′s & 40′s building some truly amazing municipal buildings.  The images are beautifully printed and really show off the quality of his large format long exposures taken at night.  His style of image making gives the buildings an eerie yet majestical sense of grandeur.  The buildings glow out of their murky backdrops and you almost get the sense of walking through some futuristic and deserted landscape to be confronted by these temples of architectural beauty.

What I cannot fathom, is whether the incredible architecture is the main interest in these photographs rather than the photographs themselves.  I mean the design of the structures really is awe inspiring, they are utterly stunning and shine with a modernist come art deco look.  They are lovely.

But then so are the photographs, they are immaculately taken and brilliantly composed and perhaps the sign of his skill is that the buildings come alive and almost stand separate from the images themselves.  His skill has made these buildings take on a personality and for me, left me quite moved.

Curiously, I notice on his website that the original images were shown as gum prints and as such, are much more grainy and low quality.  I think the printing method chosen for this show was a good move and the crisp sharp printing only adds to the glory of the constructions they depict.

Looking at his website, it seems his work is all quite experimental, with previous bodies of work including images taken from kites and stereo-panoramic.  To see more of his work check out www.estebanpastorinodiaz.com.

ALEJANDRO CHASKIELBERG – HIGH TIDE

ALEJANDRO CHASKIELBERG - THE DUMB ONES

Next to Gill’s work – this for me is the other highlight of the Biennial.  Chaskielberg’s High Tide documents those who live and work along the Paraná RiverDelta near Buenos Aires.  Partly documentary and partly constructed, he observes and then directs those who appear in his images based on the events he has seen.  Shot on a 5×4 camera using the light of the moon and some carefully placed fill in flash – the photographs are amazing.

The colours in the images are remarkable and are an affect that could never be achieved by daylight and give the photographs a cinematic and mystical property.  Most distinctly, he uses Focus Shift (also known as Tilt Shift) to play with the depth of field and sharpness of his subjects.  The images drop into and out of focus in a very unusual manner which really makes you look deep into the surface of the photo and look all around the print, absorbing every detail.

N.B – I do not know much about the technicalities of Focus Shift – but intend to find out.  Wikipedia has some info on Tilt Shift photography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt-shift_photography

The work is varied, imaginative and fantastically realised.  His use of both long night time exposures and focus shift completely adds to the work rather than being a novelty gimmick.  It is rewarding and refreshing to see a different approach to the traditional aesthetic of photographers being explored and presented with such success.

The subject matter itself is also rich and interesting and whilst the shots are themselves somewhat constructed, they do give a good sense of the life and culture of this area of Argentina.  The epic approach he takes makes you feel like you are stepping into another world and getting a glimpse under its skin.

This is a must see and a show that can appeal to all whether dedicated photography fan or just a curious art follower!

Again, his website has his previous work on it, much of which is equally striking: www.chaskielberg.com

ALEJANDRO CHASKIELBERG - THE FALL

___________________________________________

So a good weekend of photography was had!  Some extraordinarily good work was on offer and I was only too pleased to soak it up.  It was disappointing that only Stephen Gill’s work truly impressed at the Museum, but this was made up for by the stunning exhibition at the University and the pure quality of Human Endeavour who had to motivate, fund and promote their show off their own backs.

As before – get out and about in Brighton and check out some of the work on offer as it’s too good an opportunity to miss!

Coming soon – part 3!

Welcome one and all – welcome back.  I would describe my postings as ‘scant’ in recent months.  Perhaps partially to my lazy, procrastinating nature, perhaps partly due to not having a lens for my D80 (regular viewers will remember the last image of the rest of my life incident) .  I have shot loads on film and all, but just haven’t had the time nor means to scan images and put them up (but I shall!).

So, after an absence for some time – what better way to start a come back post than giving it a riveting title like….

NIKON DX AF-S NIKKOR 18-135MM 1:3.5-5.6G ED

I am sure the photography geeks out there will be moderately interested in such a title, but normal everyday sensible browsers will not.  Its the kind of title that could divide a family.  So, for anyone interested in lenses and all that – here is my lens on the Nikon website with all the facts and figures you could desire.

Modeling shirt on Ebay!!!

THE FIRST TEST DRIVE

You may recall from the summer, I had a masterplan to raise cash for my lens.  However…a small amount of thinking made me determine it would take a long time from hair brained schemes alone, to raise the money I needed.  So, that side project should be reserved for getting money to pay for the rest of the stuff on my wish list!

Instead, I sold some stuff.  Lots of stuff.  Anything I could find in fact provided:

a) I no longer needed. it; or 
b) I hadn’t looked at it/used it in two years or more.

Its a good system and turned up a plethera of clothes, bags, photography stuff etc.  A couple of months later and I had enough cash.

As you can see to my left, I even had to turn my hand to modeling – rather successfully I think you will agree!

So, after a late night bidding war (which I won in fantastic bargain hunter style), my lens arrived last Saturday.

Luckily – that weekend happened to co-incide with a general plan to attend various events around Brighton so I had the perfect chance to test the lens out and see how it felt.

Barulho Prepare To March (2009)

BARULHO & THE PROTEST

My brother plays in a Samba Band based in Brighton called Barulho and they were playing at a protest on Saturday morning.

Can’t remember exactly what the protest was for – how bad is that!  But it was for something rather specific… Equality of rights for LGBT Mental Health patients I believe.  So went down to watch the band and got caught up in the protest while I was at it.

Check out the link to Barulho above, they are in Brighton and beyond a lot and hold open sessions regularly for any budding drummers out there.

Arch & Rust (2009)

CHRIST I MISSED MY CAMERA

So, I never thought I would utter the words – but I missed my Digital SLR.  A lot!

For years I held out from getting one.  For years I battered on about how it was as good as cheating and film (Medium Format specifically) was the best way to take images.  For years I spent thousands of pounds I didn’t have on processing and photographic paper.

Then – after my degree, I caved in.  I could no longer afford to regularly shoot film as the costs practically tripled without my student discount or darkroom access.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love film and for serious project work, would generally opt to use Medium Format.  But, for regular image making and the ability to take a camera everywhere and make images constantly – I love my Nikon.

Interestingly, when I first smashed the lens for it, I didn’t take any photos for about a month – I was too gutted.  Then, gradually, I started taking shots on my old Nikon FM-2 35mm.  Partially out of desperation and partially as it seemed appropriate to go from a fairly modern piece of technology to a fairly old and outdated one.

If anything I would say being forced back to 35mm and the constraints of a basic camera really helped me.  It made me more motivated to take lots of shots, made me think about my images in a different way again and I suppose I kind of fell back in love with taking photos just for the love of it and not always having to have a pre-defined goal to aim for.

Dawali Celebrations - Brighton Old Court House (2009)

DAWALI CELEBRATIONS AT BRIGHTON MUSEUM

Also headed down to Brighton Museum for the Dawali Celebrations.

Living in Brighton, it never fails to shock me what a white middle class kind of city it is.  Compared to towns I have lived in before, the ethnic population is very small.  So it was refreshing to find an event like this that celebrated another culture and one of it’s important days.

Much of it was aimed at kids, but it was an interesting event none the less with some interesting things to see.

I must admit to being very ignorant of the Hindu culture but learnt a bit more about Dawali and what it actually means.

Courthouse Portrait (2009)

MUSIC IN THE OLD COURT HOUSE

The best part of the Dawali celebrations, for me, was the music on the old court house – over the way from Brighton Museum.

My brother (pictured) is a musician and was keen to check out the sounds and record some for use in his own creations as The Reverse Engineer.

Whilst I wont pretend to know anything about the music they were playing or the instruments it was played on…needless to say it was very enjoyable!

Do you know…I have just realised that this post has basically turned into one of those stories you had to write at primary school after the summer holidays…

“This summer I did lots of fun things.  I went to the zoo and saw an elephant which was good because elephants are big.  I also went to the park with my friend and we ran around a lot.  I like the summer because its hot”

Apologies if anyone else picked up on the rather bland formulaic approach I took when writing it, but there you have it – I am out of practice at Blogging!

I guess the point of this post, in summary, would be:

I got a new lens.  I tried my new lens out.  I was pleased with my new lens and pleased to have access to my digital camera again. as it will make keeping the blog up to date much easier. I also got to see a Samba band, a protest and some interesting music at the Dawali celebrations.  All in all, I am happy.

Which is better – the waffling story or the concise summary…you decide!

Digital Pinhole 1 (2009)

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A BROKEN DIGITAL CAMERA?

Just a quick post to update you on the digital camera disaster (see previous post).

So…the lens was ruined, but I had no real way to tell if the camera body was also damaged. I had managed to download the latest images off the camera – which was a good sign. But without a lens, I had no way to check the camera’s functions and sensor had not also taken a battering.

Sitting in my small technician’s room one lunch time – I wondered if you could create a digital pinhole camera. This train of though mostly came about through my frustration at having an expensive camera body but absolutely no way of affording a new lens to make the thing usable in any sense!

That line of thought lead me onto the most basic form of photographic image – the pinhole camera technique.

So, thinking that there was no reason it shouldn’t work, I set about turning the Nikon Digital SLR body into the most expensive and technologically advanced pinhole camera the world has ever seen!

So far – I have only done a basic test to prove the theory correct and the process would work. To do so, I just got a bit of black mounting card, poked a very small hole (a pin hole no less!!!) into the middle of it and cut the card to be slightly bigger than the lens housing on the camera body.

Digital Pinhole 2 (2009)

I then firmly held the card over the camera body where the lens would normally fit, and took a photo as normal (this has to be done in fully manual mode; otherwise the camera goes mental trying to find a lens). I also had to experiment with exposure times for a while to try and get that right.

However – I was quite pleased with the results – three of which are displayed here. I didn’t Photoshop them other than a very small tweak on the levels. So what you see is what I got.

I am quite excited by them truth be told! Think there could be some mileage in this ironic form of digital image making!

So – my next project will be trying to make a slightly more permanent lens attachment so I can use the Nikon as a digital pinhole camera until I get the funds together to buy a real lens!

Or perhaps it will change the way I take photographs for ever?!?!

I will post more results on the blog as I get them.

Digital Pinhole 3 (2009)

In the mean time – try it yourself! It will fill you with a smug satisfaction to use such expensive and advanced equipment for such a basic task!

Just Before the Lens Breaks (2009)

NIKON D80 LENSES ARE NOT SHATTER RESISTANT!

So…how much bad techno-luck can you have in a day?

In my case, quite a bit!  There is good reason for my lack of posts this week (apart from one I had already half finished, so finished up at work).

The tale begins last Friday – it was a glorious day.  The day before Hannah’s birthday.  I had the afternoon off and the sun was blazing.  So, we went to Stamner Park – our mission being three fold;
1) Have fun in the park
2) Go tot he nursery there to buy some plants
3) Have a walk and take in the glory of Spring

All was going well…very well…too well.  Took a few shots in and around the nursery and was thinking of doing a post about it on my return home.  Then went for a cup of tea and cake in the local tea rooms – again, thought I might mention it in the blog.  Post tea, we set off and after what can only be described as a camera bag malfunction, my digital SLR went flying through the air (in slow motion of course) and struck the pavement below.

Nope – it really is broken

If this had been a film, I would have dived to try and catch it (also in slow motion) – but it wasn’t and I didn’t.  I think my exact reaction was to stop still for a second and then pick up the pieces of the lens and put them in the camera bag without looking.  Fuck it, I thought, wait till you get home.

So – I managed to continue the walk in the park, trying my best to keep my mind off the impending doom that would face me when I got home and opened my bag.

Sure enough, on closer inspection…the lens is buggered.  Royally buggered at that…in pieces buggered.  The sort of buggered that gives you a sense of relief at the fact there is no chance of it being repaired – so at least you know where you stand!

So…now I have a £700 piece of kit that is absolutely useless until I find £300 for a new lens.  On my salary – that’s about a year away!!! One useless camera….OR IS IT?  See my next post for perhaps an exciting revelation!

The image attached to this post is the last photo my camera took before doom struck! I was going to bang on about how one of my favourite things about the summer is clear blue skies criss crossed with aeroplane trails and the sound of light aircraft gently humming in the background – but that seems pointless now!

WHEN A MAC WONT START – PANIC

As if ruining my digi was not enough, there was also the matter of my imac.  Now Mr Mac had been doing me proud for the past few years.  It is only about 3 years old and prior to this machine, I had always used PC’s.  The conversion to Apple was a tough road, but I had gotten through it and was enjoying the results.

Friday evening, Mac went super slow…almost to a dead still.  So I did what all good computer owners do – I turned it off and on again.  However, in this case – it didn’t have any of it.  Now Mac decided to freeze on a grey screen during loading and show the spinning wheel of doom.  “Can this get worse” said I “yes” the Techno-Gods replied.

After many attempts at restarting…I knew investigation was needed.  Never having had problems with the Mac before, I was stuck however as don’t know how to get behind the scenes with them.  So after a good hour of searching blogs and forums, I had some things to try and some possible solutions…I sighed a sigh of relief – thinking after the camera incident, I deserved a break!

You know what gets my back up?

I was wrong!  My investigations showed there was a problem with the hard disc, which is stopping the computer booting up…or me accessing ALL my data. I checked when I last did a back up – it was a year ago! Basically leaving me in the position of loosing all my work for over a year, including thousands of digital images – unless I can sort the problem.

At the bottom of this post is a bit of dull technical detail of what happened and how I will attempt to fix the problem – so you may want to skip that bit! I am going to post it in case someone with a similar problem finds this post looking for some help!

So – that explains my lack of blogging and general internet time! I am hurriedly penning this entry at work during my break.

Tomorrow is the big day when my last ditch effort to save my hard drive will commence – I will let you know the outcome!

INVALID NODE STRUCTURE

So – the technical bit about the Mac. The computer in question is a 17” iMac, 2 GHz, 1mb RAM – Intel duo processor. The problem started with the computer starting to run a bit sluggish. Taking a long while to load things and shut down etc. I guess this problem built over the course of a couple of weeks.
The day it went wrong, I went to open a program and it froze – so I did a hard re-boot to try and kick it into life. However, it never re-loaded, just stopped at the grey screen with the apple logo and a spinning wheel.

I did a bit of internet research and did the usual tricks – starting it in safe mode, resetting PRAM, running fsck etc etc. Do a quick google search and you will get many links to many documents about these processes. Nothing worked, so I booted the computer from the OS X instillation disc and then ran Disc Utility on the hard drive.

Disc Utility looks for errors and tries to fix them. In my case, it stated there was an Invalid Node Structure which could not be repaired. After more research, it seems that running Disc Warrior 4.1 on my machine is the best hope. You can buy a version that has a bootable CD, so the computer can be started by booting from the CD (holding C whilst turning the machine on) and then you can run the repair utility. I have ordered a copy of the programme and it should arrive tomorrow, so we will see then if it works or not! Apparently Node Failures are often not the hard disc going wrong in a hardware sense, but just some of the header in the catalog tree for the data has been written to the disc incorrectly. Disc Warrior can often (but not always) fix these issues.

If Disc Warrior does fail – then I guess I am screwed! I will put comments on this post with my progress tomorrow. Until then, fingers crossed!