Bringing You The Best In Photography

A wedding photography album was praised on trustedplaces.com where I have had more than 250,000 clicks on my reviews. I must add my comment that British style photography, presenting photos in an album, is eclipsed by the poster size, oil painting style photos I've seen in Singapore. I felt really envious of their lovely photos and wished I'd had such an opportunity, and wish to describe it so that wedding photographers and future brides and grooms can copy the system.

My good friends Jaya and Ruby, had a huge poster size photo of themselves on an easel at the entrance to the wedding reception. Later their two best wedding photos were displayed in their new home, one large picture reproduced like an oil painting above the dining table, the other, a more romantic picture, over their double bed.

The system in Singapore adopted by at least one photography studio is that you pay a large sum of money upfront for a day or two of photography. I think it costs £500-£2,500, depending on which options you go for.

The full package would give you a visit to the studio where you dress in your own wedding clothes and/ or a selection of costumes for the studio shots a few of the bride alone and the groom alone, but most in special poses, such as the two looking at each other, him standing behind her chair with a hand on her shoulder, or both shoulders, the two on love seats, holding champagne glasses, whatever the studio and couple deem suitable.

In order to have a large photo of the couple displayed at the door of the wedding reception, you need to do the photography at least a day earlier, more usually a week earlier to allow for delays caused by rain, cloud or other bad weather. If you are having a winter wedding, you could even do the photos the previous summer or autumn. If you already have your wedding clothes, they would be used. If not, you use the studio's historic costumes for the day shots, and a cocktail dress or even a night dress for the romantic bedroom picture.

The second day is a trip around the city - or across to Malaysia, to be photographed in romantic settings, at a waterfall, under trees, beside flowers, in areas of natural beauty, gardens, hotels, famous buildings, historic buildings, religious buildings, on bridges, on beaches, beside water, at dawn , mid-day and sunset, in a horse and carriage or grand car, tandem bicycle, museums - wherever the photographers can take the couple with permission or not needing permission.

I understand that in the old days brides liked to be photographed outside the main (Protestant?) cathedral. But this became so popular that worshippers would try to emerge and be held back by brides who had been married elsewhere, at other churches or the register office, or temples and other non-Christian buildings, but wanted their photo taken at the grander and more expensive cathedral. The cathedral admin, I believe, then limited photography to those who had just been married in the cathedral.

Although the upfront cost of the photography package including the two oil painting style pictures seems a lot, it can be good value compared to what you would end up paying if you hired a photographer and then paid for photos to be turned into oil painting style pictures - I've seen these services offered separately.

Certainly some protection against an eternal triangle. Off-putting for any other woman, or the family's maid, if she had an eye on the husband, if the bride's photo, hugging her husband, is watching everyone in the living room and over the bed! No way the husband can pretend he's single whilst his wife is out of town. And when the bride has turned into a plump pregnant woman, or an elderly mother or grandmother, instead of those old photos being lost in an album, she is preserved in her radiance for her husband and children and the family to admire. And I'm sure it's also good for her own morale. And an encouragement to stay looking young and slim and pretty.

I also do photography and caricatures. And wedding speeches. And comic poems - about weddings, bride and groom, anything you like. I wrote a book called Wedding Speeches & Toasts by Ward/Lock/Cassell which you can probably find in your library or on line. I mentor speech-writers and performers.Your business enquiries, information, and other feedback are welcome. Contact

annalondon8@gmail.com

Passing Exams

Today's News - Some Pupils Were Warned Of Subjects. Cheating?

It is absurd that some people know the subject. However, it really should not matter. In a French test, you can either speak the language or you can't.

However, the whole exam system is absurd. Teachers set the school's exam or are on the board / committee which sets the regional exam.

In many 'competitions' such as public speaking, the subject matter is revealed at the last moment, given to the examiner in a sealed envelope. Or you have ten possible subjects in numbered envelopes and at the last moment one is selected by a throw of the dice. So the person tested would have to be proficient in ten subjects. An exam could be in two parts. The second half could be prepared. For example, it's perfectly reasonable to practise asking the way to a station in a foreign language. A student who prepares and practices everyday conversation is doing the right thing. But everybody should do it from a set of questions in a test book which everybody sees.

The purpose of the school leaving exams is to save the employer the time of testing every applicant.

The GCSE was a good idea. You get a credit just for attending a course. Instead of the stigma of failure, you get credit for whatever level you achieve. But it is easy for an employer to ompare two candidates

How to pass exams

Most teachers do some or all of the following:

1 Take a sample exam paper such as a previous year's, sold by the exam authorities, and the pupil answers the questions and answers are marked.

2 If a pass mark is not reached the pupil can re-read the comments and try the paper again.

3 The pupil works slowly using a dictionary. After several attempts, the words in the dictionary are in the pupil's brain so he can finish an exam paper in the time allotted, and answer a question in the street without hesitation or worry.

4 Reach the top standard so that you are guaranteed to pass whatever question you are given.

Supermarket Feedback

Tesco are inviting Feedback. Wonderful. You hate to be a nuisance customer. It's lovely to have a chance to tell them what you'd like. Here's what I sent them.

Dear Tesco feedback

I shop at Tesco Express Hatch End, bigger Tesco Pinner Green and the huge Watford 24 hours branch.

This is what I would like:

1 More Gifts - especially pot plants, at all prices, wanted at all stores. Including kosher.

Easter and Passover I was invited out to meals and needed gifts. My local Tesco Express always has bunches of flowers but they are not a permanent gift and look cheap next to other people's gifts of pot plants. I needed a potted plant, whether real or artificial. Next year I'll have to go to Marks or Homebase or a bigger Tesco - all involving a long drive, wasting time and petrol.

I'm also fed up with guests who bring me cut flowers. Nuisance to find a vase and keep changing the water. I can't take cut flowers to granny in an old people's home. She doesn't water flowers and we find flowers are dead three days later in the heat at her o.a.p home. Also we can't take cut flowers to hospitals because nurses are too busy and hospitals (both Watford General and Northwick Park) won't accept cut flowers.

I wanted a kosher gift and could not take non-kosher food. Stocks of kosher for passover food were on shelves but nothing smart enough for a gift.

2 Smarter Chocolates

For dinner party invitations I need a smart box of chocolates - ideally like a Christmas present with some small gift attached. A swiss chocolate factory Alprose had a shop full of chocolates with gifts attached. Hundreds. At all prices. Something for when you are just popping round for tea, or going to a big party.

Also more varied boxes. I often hear that a hostess was given identical chocolates or even the same orchids in a pot by two guests. Have twenty colours of orchids or rainbow selections of boxes of chocolates, not 200 identical ones on display. Then at least one guest might give a magenta orchid and another might give a white one.

Same with boxes of chocolates. Boxes could have different colour ribbons attached. Ribbons are often thrown away - such a waste. They can be re-used as a bow tie or hairband. Then the hostess might get different hairbands or bow ties in red and black as well as the two identical boxes of chocolates. If magazines under five pounds can afford a different free gift, then so can manufacturers of chocolate boxes. Especially as so many people are dieting.

The Pinner Green Tesco had lots of Easter chocolates with gifts. But the Tesco Express had none.

3 Non-fattening chocolate plus drinks or other gifts for dieters

How about some weight-watchers chocolates or fancy fruit or chocolates with a gift such as a pair of espresso coffee cups or quarter size champagne or sparkling wine with chocolates. .

If you got two or three of those you could share them out amongst the guests.

4 Less spice

Granny won't eat spice. Spice makes my eyes run and worries me. I also think it gives me and everybody else bad breath and BO - no good for social events, job interviews, etc. So I look for non-spicy but often buy spicy by mistake. You only find out after opening the packet. You don't want to spend another half hour and petrol returning the item. Rather than going back, you make a note not to buy in that shop again. For 2-3 days afterwards you are sub=consciously programmed not to buy and find you have an aversion to shopping and can't identify why, until you find your previous itemised bill.

The words spicy are often small. Bland foods such as chickpeas and hummous which you buy in a hurry turn out to have huge amounts of chilli. I like herbs but not spices. Not chili. You can't taste the flavour of food at all. How do you know the food is fresh?

5 Bigger print

You need a magnifying glass to read lots of print. I want large print so I can see at a glance when buying. Also when reading in a poor light at night. As for instructions on chemical cleaners which you use in bathrooms - should be larger. The designer uses tiny print with huge areas of blank around. Probably because it looks okay on the computer screen.

People also don't want to have to run off for their reading glasses. Nor to keep impatient husbands or drivers or friends waiting whilst trying to decipher small print.

6 Bacon

I've heard complaints that when you cook bacon water comes out of it.

We have lovely obliging service from the staff at Tesco. But they seem to have no way of taking feedback. They seem to have no control over what is ordered. It's all sent by head office. After you've left the shop you've forgotten what you wanted to say. So I'm delighted to have the chance to give a year's worth of feedback.

Caricatures by Angella

£1 - a minute. £5 for a five minutes sketch A6 - you get a photo of it. £10 ten minutes, £15 for £15 minutes. £30 for thirty minutes. £60 for 60 minutes A3 - you keep the original and I take a photo for my records. Timing Five minutes - pencil sketch. 10 minutes colour sketch. 15 minutes watercolour wash. 20 minutes outline with black ink. 25 minutes add more details. 30 minutes tidy up sketch and intensify colours. 60 minutes -- make one or two small version in 30 minutes, and if you like copy to large size. Or commit to large size and start straight away.

Entertaining Adults

For a party, charity event or evening - I can arrive with artist's materials hidden in my handbag and bring them out at the interval. Or transport large size sketchbooks. It helps if somebody else can transport me so I can concentrate on having everything I need without finding the way and watching traffic.

Or if there is an easel or display board on site, I can commit to a whole evening of sketching to amuse the host and guests (depending on how much detail they want). I could spend most of the evening on one person - such as the host - or just a few volunteers or do everybody in turn.

Price negotiable. It's a lot of fun for everybody - those being sketched and those just watching. It helps to have a glass of water. I will drink the water and tip some out for the watercolours. Food and drink is always welcome.

Entertaining Children

I've also been invited to champagne Sunday lunch as an 'Aunty' to amuse, entertain, occupy and distract the hosts' and guests' children with my puppets and drawings. I can use the puppets, loan puppets to the children, draw the children, teach the older ones to draw, and give the younger ones paper and pencils so they can copy their older siblings.

Comments, compliments, testimonials and enquiries - to see, or add, go to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

Contact angelalansbury@hotmail.com

Caricature of Calculating Paul

Paul loved this caricature of himself, portrayed with his calculator as

Calculating Paul.

I do a sketch of people with some object which shows them enjoying their favourite hobby, sporty, work or pastime.

I try to make up a punning title.

I add the full name of the person, the date, and my illustrator's signature Angella which is short for ANGELA LAnsbury.

£1 - a minute. £5 for a five minutes sketch A6 - you get a photo of it. £10 ten minutes, £15 for £15 minutes. £30 for thirty minutes. £60 for 60 minutes A3 - you keep the original and I take a photo for my records. Timing Five minutes - pencil sketch. 10 minutes colour sketch. 15 minutes watercolour wash. 20 minutes outline with black ink. 25 minutes add more details. 30 minutes tidy up sketch and intensify colours. 60 minutes -- make one or two small version in 30 minutes, and if you like copy to large size. Or commit to large size and start straight away.

For a party, charity event or evening requiring travel - Negotiable.

To chat about caricatures or order, please contact: annalondon8@gmail.com

Restaurant Rants

Another restaurant voucher company, Groupon, rhyming with coupon, has emailed me. They are mostly in America.

I signed up but they have not yet started.

I filled in their survey. They asked for extra comments. This is what I said.

Would like vouchers lasting longer than a day - a week or a month - by the time you're home from work or holiday the event such as lunch may be over.

Don't want to print out coloured vouchers - cost too much in printing ink

I like complete meals including coffee and a drink like the French - otherwise if the price is unpredictable I get told that we can't afford to eat again

I would like option to give the restaurant feedback.

I hate places which charge extra for vegetables - half the time you end up ordering double and paying for food thrown away, half the time you end up with a disappointing, unsatisfying meal of meat and carb only which is unhealthy and you are all eating at different times.

I love a three course set meal with a glass of wine, coffee and service included.

Nearest I get to that is my favourite Fellini.

I also like a dessert assorti. They do that at Cafe Rouge and Ember Inns.