I really dislike pictures with messy backgrounds. In this shot, below, from Launton Fete, Simon Williams has used this massive Union Flag to fill the whole of the background, keeping it nice and tidy, the main focus being on gunner Steve Harris with the barrel of a MK1 1941 Bren gun almost stretching due to the lens being on 18mm.

Oxford Mail:

  • Steve Harris

A great big pat on the back goes to Mark Hemsworth for his selection of pothole pictures he literally stumbled upon.

He was just passing when he noticed this little community event of residents on Poplar Road in Botley, below, repairing their own potholes.

He diverted, got some really good shots and the story all at the same time. Cheers Mark!

Oxford Mail:

  • The pothole repairers

Cliff Hide did a cracking job in Witney just before the screening of the film Belle.

Star of the film Gugu Mbatha-Raw was due to sign autographs before it started and Cliff got shots of her arriving.

This picture, below, shows how lovely she is, stopping to pose for ‘selfies’ with fans Caroline, left, and Eleonore Organ-Jennings and having a good chuckle at the same time.

Oxford Mail:

  • Gugu Mbatha-Raw, centre, with fans Caroline, left, and Eleonore Organ-Jennings

A giant plastic swan pedalo... in Oxford? This is Oxford, don’t you know!

Makes a refreshing change, if you ask me. This long lens shot from Jon Lewis has it all, well framed composition, smiles, lovely depth, contrast and on a day with no blue sky we have overhead branches hiding the grey bits.

Oxford Mail:

  • The pedalo

The Oxford Story Museum had a visit from this life-size road legal ‘Cozy Coupe’ children’s car this week.

Jon Lewis took this great picture, below,  of the museum’s Alex Coke using his maximum depth of field f.22 on a wide angle lens to get the foreground and background both in focus.

Oxford Mail:

  • Alex Coke and the tiny car

A bit of a hairy moment here for soap box racer Benedict Fletcher up on three wheels!

Photographer Andrew Walmsley had a good idea to slow his shutter speed down to an 80th of a second to not only catch some action but to preserve some of the motion in this shot, below, by panning with the racers as they shoot past down the hill.

Oxford Mail:

  • Karting around

Jon Lewis went along to Oxford’s Mela organised by The Oxford Hindu Temple Project last weekend.

He took a selection of these Kala Arpen dancers.

I particularly like this shot, below,  because of the symmetry, bright colours and happy faces.

Oxford Mail:

  • Striking a pose at the Mela

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