1988 Carp Society tribute conference to Richard Walker.

[Nobby]

Park Road? I lived so near you and was often up on the ski hill, Len.


Or down the the A40 on the GUC. I was the most appaling angler then ( not much has changed to be honest ) but the sections up to Ricky still 'feel' part of me to this day. I don't suppose they ever leave you really.

I also spent a lot of time in South Ruislip building up a drag bike....

http://www.ukdrn.co.uk/forum/images/images/m/M-19.jpg

[Shaun Harrison]

Len

I'm very much from the old school [and I think you are too] please don't edit old photos. Leave photoshopping to the young'uns that understand all modern technology.
I love all the old pictures….warts and all. They all tell a story of 'our' history which won't come back. You and I were, I believe, some of the lucky ones that were fortunate to meet and indeed fish with some of the greats although we didn't know it at the time.
I think it incumbent of us to show pictures etc. to both entertain and educate those that follow……its all part of anglings history.

Take great care

Mike

Here, here, the moment captured in time is just that. The only editing I ever do is sometimes to increase the brightness on night shots when there was no background to bounce the light back around - this is a problem we have on some of the stretches of the River Trent when all there is is open fields. Always struggled to get the light right on those shots.
I think it totally wrong on historic pictures to actually alter content by photoshopping things out and or enhancing things. Just my personal opinion although I will hold my hands up and admit to altering the tree shapes on the skyline and removing a gate from the background of a couple of barbel pictures I used to illustrate something this year.

The originals will always be kept as that though - original.

Loving the pictures Len, keep them coming, the following generations need them to help keep the history going.

[Len Arbery]

Re: Old Pictures:

Well, Mike & Shaun, whilst agreeing with those sentiments I must admit to cropping-out extraneous backgrounds, but always, always keeping an original copy; digitally and, of course, the original slide or negative.

Besties,

Len.

[Dave Burr]

In a time when the vast majority of pictures are held digitally it is always nice to see some printed images in their raw state. We have a generation of virtual images that can be lost by the wrong click of a finger and history is gone forever, with a good print and a well preserved negative it is preserved for eternity.

Its also a real treat seeing these guys in a non angling situation, so many of our angling shots are that fixed grin or moody stare at a fish in the hand, relaxed social environments give a different view and humanises the subject of the photo. I've seen quite a few of Bob Buteux' portraits that he's donated to auctions and the like and like yours Len there's always an atmosphere about them that you rarely find in modern shots.

[Mike Wilson]

Totally agree Dave.
Len has some superb shots which way back some 30 odd years I was privileged to see. Many were in black and white which had atmosphere.
Look forward to seeing some more when your not 'playing' with your motorbike…….

Mike

[Shaun Harrison]

Interesting one is pictures capturing a moment. I have been working hard within my role in the B.C.S.G. in promoting 'The 7th B.C.S.G. Book - The Technical Edition' which we are launching next Saturday. Part of this publicity has been a facebook page where you obviously get to see how many have viewed each item. All the big hits have been pictures without fish. Cooking pictures and simple on the bank sitting there doing it pictures yet so few actually take this sort of shot. To me these capture so much more than any mug shot ever can. As for away from the bank shots in normal civvy street I couldn't agree more Dave. Almost the I didn't recognise you with your clothes on scenario.

[Len Arbery]

Hello Dave and Mike,

Do so agree with your comments re: pics.

Whilst "Mug" shots are, I suggest, necessary, perhaps my favourite angling shots include those where anglers are in action. Not necessarily playing fish but going about the business of actually fishing. These, personally, I find most interesting.

The Bill Quinlan shot here typifies precisely what I mean:



It was taken at Redmire Pool in 1968 and shows Jack Hilton adjusting his tackle. (Don't know whether I should re-phrase that!)

This picture couldn't have been taken at any other period. For example, note the curtain tape and hooks to affix the wrap-round to Jack's brolly; the new 'Winkle' Williams home-brewed buzzers; etc.

See also the new Herts-Chiltern Specimen thread, for more early pics.

Besties,

Len.

[Shaun Harrison]

I love it! The picture says so much. Total state of the art at the time. True pioneering in motion.

[Mike Wilson]

Yes…love it too Len

Mike

[Mark]

Very nice indeed Len.