London Daily Photo: Untitled

LDP 2012.07.03 - Untitled

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It Seems to be Happening a Lot More Often These Days

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Lately, I seem to be receiving more and more questionable emails from not so questionable sources. SPAM and phishing from friends and work contacts? Uncool, right? Well, I don’t think it’s entirely their fault. Their email accounts were compromised. Yes, hacked. No shame in that really, but then again maybe there should be a little bit of “shame on you” directed their way for letting their guards down or not taking the right precautions in the first place.

Online attacks are getting increasingly pernicious and harder to detect while figuring out how to keep your gear and your online information safe is becoming tougher to do. But the same tips as ever still apply.

If you think an email is bogus, don’t open any links! Try manually typing the domain name into you web browser’s location. Changing your passwords regularly is a smart idea as well. And it’s wise to make sure you don’t use exactly the same password for all your online accounts. Of course, added protection such as Norton Software is a resource that can be invaluable to help keep your computers and devices safe. It’s worth putting in the time to do the research and install what’s best for you.

If your computer, device or online account does get hacked. Don’t feel too bad. It can happen to anybody. The main thing to do is stay calm (and get off the internet ASAP). There’s lots more great advice out there worth checking out and familiarizing yourself with before such a horrendous problem occurs.

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Judging the International Chocolate Awards (Great British Chefs)

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Believe it or not, such a wonderful way to spend a day was just this side of gruelling. The judging procedure was incredibly rigorous, and we judges weren’t let in on who had made the chocolates we were trying. Yes, it was an epic endeavour (almost six hours sampling chocolate!). I left the judging high on an especially wacky sugar buzz with my exhausted tongue dragging behind. But please don’t think I’m complaining! I’d be extra keen indeed to sit on another round!

Read my complete post at the Great British Chefs blog.

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London Daily Photo: Knightsbridge

LDP 2012.07.02 - Knightsbridge

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Champagne + Fromage in the Heart of London (OneTravel)

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Following a successful run as a pop up, the folks behind Covent Garden’s Champagne + Fromage have apparently decided to sign a longer lease to continue offering their winning combo of French delights.

Champagne + Fromage in the Heart of London
OneTravel, 1 July 2012

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London Daily Photo: Soho Summer

LDP 2012.07.01 - Soho Summer

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London Daily Photo: Stacked

LDP 2012.06.30 - Stacked

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£20 Worth of Chauffeured Travel for FREE with @Uber_LON and @tikichris

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Arrive in style with £20 worth of free chauffeured travel with Uber. Use promo code UBERTIKI when you sign up for this free app and you’ll receive £20 worth of credit.

Uber is an on-demand car service that allows everyone to have a private driver experience through iPhone, SMS, and web based requests. It’s a Bay area techie start up that after making a big splash in San Francisco, New York, a bunch of other North American cities and even Paris has now come to London.

Uber’s drivers are all professionally licensed chauffeurs with their own well kept cars (expect a sleek Merc, Jag or Beemer). They wear suits, make the effort to open the doors for you, and give you a bottle of water and probably something to read like the day’s papers or some recently published magazines. They’ll even take a photo for you if you ask (see above). So what if they’re not the greatest photographers?

Anyway, sounds nice, right? But maybe a bit too pricey?

Nope.

Booking through Uber, the rate for your ride is about the same as it would be for a London Black Cab. At yesterday’s blogger and media launch, CEO Travis Kalanick put it this way, “Black Cab prices for S class cars.”

I used the service a few times during Uber’s soft launch here in London, and I loved it. My drivers were friendly, safe and knew the streets well. It was much more comfortable and convenient and way cleaner than I’m accustomed to when getting a car in this town.

Now there’s a chance for you to give this handy app a spin too – with a generous discount.

Use promo code UBERTIKI when you sign up for Uber (don’t worry, it’s free) and you’ll receive £20 worth of credit. So if your first ride is 20 quid or under, it’ll be a freebie!

iPhone users, search “uber” in the App Store on your phone. Got another kind of mobile? No worries. Just visit m.uber.com to get the app.

Some Uber details worth mentioning:

  • There is a minimum spend of £14 for any Uber ride in London;
  • The service is starting off in Central London only. For the time being, Uber’s focus is Zone 1, but they are picking up in Zone 2 as well;
  • The average wait for a ride is about 12 minutes.

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Photo taken by a blurry eyed me appreciative to have a friendly driver picking me up after a recent fun night out on the town.

Posted in Apps, Cars, Discounts and Special Offers, Freebies, London, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Street Photography with the iPhone, Notes from the Apple Store Workshop

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Thanks to those of you who popped in for last night’s Street Photography with the iPhone session at the Covent Garden Apple Store. It was a lot of fun, and your photos were great. A massive thanks to Clare, David and the rest of Apple’s events staff for the attention to detail, the friendliness and especially for the opportunity to share my love of photography with such a keen audience.

Please keep in touch. Some of your shots really impressed, and I’d love to follow your work. If you have any questions, need a photographer or would like some camera advice, feel free to drop me a line.

– Chris
Facebook – Foursquare – Flickr – LinkedIn – Pinterest – Tumblr – Twitter – chris.osburn@gmail.com
(And I’m chrisosburn on Instagram)

NOTES FROM THE APPLE STORE WORKSHOP 

As promised during the workshop, below are some notes and links based on last night’s discussion, whether among the whole group or with an individual.

The basic outline of my presentation

  • Practice makes perfect
  • Shoot from the hip
  • See what happens
  • Be discreet
  • Be polite
  • Respect personal boundaries
  • No means no
  • Be patient but be quick

Apps

Model release forms

Street photography

Street photography, your rights and the law

More resources

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London Daily Photo: Moored

LDP 2012.06.29 - Moored

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Big Plans for Frieze London 2012 (OneTravel)

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Frieze London 2012 will see a total of 170 exhibitors from 34 countries, thus making it the most international edition of Frieze London and confirming its position as one of the world’s leading contemporary art events

Big Plans for Frieze London 2012
OneTravel, 28 June 2012

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London Daily Photo: Another Life

LDP 2012.06.28 - Another Life

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Royal Academy of Arts Gets a New Keeper’s House (CheapOair)

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With a bit of help from celebrity Stephen Fry and artist Grayson Perry (who’s almost as famous for his crossdressing antics as for his artwork), London’s Royal Academy of Arts held a press conference to announce plans to renovate its current “Friends space.”

Royal Academy of Arts Gets a New Keeper’s House
CheapOair, 27 June 2012

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#LBM Notes for Photo Blogging

LDP 2010.03.23 - Relic


Hey London bloggers! I had a great time at last night’s meetup chatting with you about my experiences with photography and blogging. Thanks to Andy and Bernie for inviting me to come round and share the “stage” with Peter, Madlen and Shimelle. I look forward to seeing some of you at my Street Photography with the iPhone workshop this Thursday at the Covent Garden Apple Store.

There were a few questions posed to me or the group that I thought warranted a follow up. So here are a few links related to stuff brought up last night.

Apps

10 best iPhone and iPad photo editing apps

The 9 Best FREE IPhone Photo Apps

The best photo apps for the iPhone

Model release forms

Creative Photo Book pdf 

iStockphoto pdf

Photography, your rights and the law

I’m a photographer not a terrorist

Metropolitan Police Service – About the Met – Photography advice

PhotographersRight.co.uk FAQs

Photographers starting to fight back against ‘excessive’ security measures

LDP 2012.02.14 - Love is Learning How to ...

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London Daily Photo: Somebody’s Home

LDP 2012.06.27 - Somebody's Home

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The UK’s First Baking Exhibition Coming to London this September (CheapOair)

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A first of its kind, the Cake & Bake Show is coming to London’s Earl’s Court this September and looks set to be the baking event of the year, with some of the hottest and freshest personalities in the industry joining together under one roof for a delicious weekend of demos, workshops, shopping and eating.

The UK’s First Baking Exhibition Coming to London this September
CheapOair, 26 June 2012

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London Daily Photo: Lea River Idyll

LDP 2012.06.26 - Lea River Idyll

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Win a Free Gourmet Picnic Hamper from Drake & Morgan

Gourmet Picnic Hamper

Drake & Morgan bar and restaurant group has launched a couple of new “Britnic” picnic hampers. There’s a Gourmet Picnic Hamper with bottle of wine priced at £45.95 and a Classic Strawberries & Cream Hamper (perfect for the summer sports season) with a bottle of prosecco for £29.95. Both come in traditional wicker hampers bursting with delicious treats, a colourful blanket and all the utensils and other bits you need for a fun outdoor feast.

Let’s focus a sec on that Gourmet hamper. With it you get an antipasto board with a selection of cured meats, a Neal’s Yard cheese board, a Brindisa chorizo Scotch egg, any choice of salad and a bottle of wine (Long Beach Chenin Blanc or Grenache Merlot Fleur de Vigne).

Sounds yum doesn’t it? Want one for free? Here’s what to do. Simply leave a comment at the end of this post explaining where your favourite place in London to have a picnic is and why. On Friday 29 June at noon I’ll pick one winner at random.

Classic Strawberries & cream hamper

To be eligible to win you’ll need to be 18 years of age or older and able to prove it. The winner can choose between the Gourmet Picnic Hamper or the Classic Strawberries & Cream.  A £20 deposit is required for the Gourmet Picnic Hamper and £10 for the Classic Strawberries & Cream Hamper.  The deposit will be refunded once the basket and blanket are returned.

You can pick up your Britnic hamper at any of the Drake & Morgan locations around town:

the refinery
110 Southwark Street, SE1 0TF
0845 468 0186

the parlour
40 Canada Square
The Park Pavilion, E14 5FW
0845 468 0100

The Anthologist
58 Gresham Street, EC2V 7BB
0845 468 0101

The Folly
41 Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0BT
0845 468 0102

the drift
Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY
0845 468 0103
­

So, where’s your favourite Britnic spot in London? Good luck!

COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED/CONTACTED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR MORE FUN AND FREEBIES TO COME! 

Posted in Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, London, Pubs, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Comfy Stay at Cambridge’s Hotel Felix (OneTravel)

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…  the Felix invites guests to have a sort of best of old England experience without forcing them to give up on the contemporary creature comforts. I certainly had a “best of both worlds” experience during my visit.

Comfy Stay at Cambridge’s Hotel Felix
OneTravel, 25 June 2012

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London Daily Photo: River Spy

LDP 2012.06.25 - River Spy

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Wine of the Month: 2006 Domaine Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses

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This month’s WOTM features another fantastic bottle picked up last month in Burgundy. As made deliciously clear during my trip, what makes Bourgogne wine so damn fine is the terroir. And Domaine Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre’s range of Grand Cru Les Preuses appellation Chablis offers a case study into why this region is famous for its Chardonnays. Grown on an exposed southwest slope with soil of marl and especially chalky limestone, Les Preuses vines are able to develop their roots a little more than usual and thus soak up some extra yum for a more pronounced expression of the land, the climate … the terroir.

So how does such a pronounced expression taste? Mineral and citrus notes meld with hints of almond and honey for a balanced and complex slurp that certainly wowed my palate. It’s a tad earthy too – with some characteristic mushroom-iness about it. The full bodied texture’s kinda oily (I mean this as a compliment if my terminology puts you off). This beaut is a no brainer choice of white to tag along with seafood – I reckon oysters would be a particularly tasty match.

I’m happy to report it teamed up nicely with some late spring risotto too. The neighbours were kind enough to have Kemey and me over to theirs for a delicious home cooked dinner (risotto was the main). We reciprocated with my bottle of 06. Everyone was pleased, and the convo flowed all friendly like deep into the night.

After a few years maturing, the 2006 is definitely ready to drink now (but should only get better over the next ten years). Wine-searcher.com puts it at an average price of £45. I’d say that’s value for money. Find out more about Domaine Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre at nathalieetgillesfevre.com.

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London Daily Photo: Fam

LDP 2012.06.24 - Fam

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London Daily Photo: Dads

LDP 2012.06.23 - Dads

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Chase and Country Tails Terrace at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor (CheapOair)

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Now open to the public but only for a limited time, the Chase and Country Tails Terrace at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor is a fun al fresco setting for a summer drink.

Chase and Country Tails Terrace at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor
CheapOair, 22 July 2012

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London Daily Photo: OOO

LDP 2012.06.22 - OOO

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The Gaddafi Archives: Libya Before the Arab Spring

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The Gaddafi Archives: Libya Before the Arab Spring opened tonight at the Slade Research Centre (Woburn Square, WC1H 0AB) and will run until 29 June. The show is part of the London Festival of Photography and is in association with Human Rights Watch and Frame Company.

The archive features over 1,000 images from the days just before the coup that saw the Libyan dictator take power to the last days of his often epically solipsistic reign.

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Save Time and Money with the Belfast Visitor Pass (CheapOair)

Belfast City Hall

Heading to Belfast and hoping to hit the ground running without it making too much of an impact on your wallet?

Save Time and Money with the Belfast Visitor Pass
CheapOair, 21 June 2012

Photo/Iker Merodio 

Posted in CheapOair, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

London Daily Photo: Art Books

LDP 2012.06.21 - Art Books

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Bread and Butter Pop Up Gallery Opens on Upper Street

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Listen up all you Upper Street shopping hipsters! Bread and Butter is a new pop up gallery, antiques showroom and cafe. It will be at its current location (Studio 1, 133 Upper Street, N1 1QP) just off the street down a courtyard next to Antonio’s Ristorante until November and will host a range of exhibitions, screenings and talks with a focus on South American culture. There’s also talk of a corresponding magazine to be published later in the year.

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I had a lot of fun at tonight’s opening of Bread and Butter. Folks looking to vintage stuff (clothes, cameras, vinyl, books, a pinball machine and lots, lots more) should definitely pay the shop a visit. Look for ’em Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6pm.

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More info here:
http://www.breadandbutterarts.co.uk/

And more pics from the opening here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tikichris/sets/72157630213875388/

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London’s Lea Valley Walk (OneTravel)

LDP 2012.06.26 - Lea River Idyll

From some of London’s best graffiti to bobbing canal boats moored alongside the path, from impressive views of the modern London skyline to an amazing range of waterfowl, the Lea Bridge to Three Mills walk is one of London’s most varied wanders.

London’s Lea Valley Walk
OneTravel, 20 June 2012

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London Daily Photo: Healthy One

LDP 2012.06.20 - Healthy One

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Very Budget Friendly Tune Hotel Opens Near Paddington Station

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Tune Hotels has launched its third London site near Paddington Underground and Rail Station. Tune’s other hotels are at Liverpool Street and Westminster (with plans to open a dozen or so more over the next five years or so, including one at King’s Cross this July).

The budget hotel group’s new Paddington location features 137 double, twin and wheelchair accessible en-suite bedrooms as well as a small in-lobby cafe. Backpackers, business travellers who pay their own expenses and any other frugal bargain hunters planning a trip to London should welcome this new centrally located bare bones accommodation option.

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Tune takes pride in offering guests “5-star beds at 1-star prices”. Double rooms at the new Paddington Tune start from £19 per night for a room without windows and £25 for one with windows. At Tune, you only pay for what you intend to use. Packed your own towel? Then you don’t need to pay £1.50 for a towel rental with complimentary toiletries. Other add-ons include in-room television viewing access (£3 for 24 hours, £7 for 72 hours and £10 for unlimited viewing), a safe, hairdryer and universal adaptor. Wifi (available for an hour, a full day or unlimited) costs from £1.50 to £10. A similar pay structure is in place for housekeeping and luggage storage. All rooms come with free air con.

If after reading the above paragraphs, the concept behind this popular budget hotel chain hasn’t completely put you off, a stay at this or any of the other London Tunes is well worth consideration. For on-the-go folks simply looking for somewhere safe to crash, the hotel offers a great base at a great price. Just a few minutes by foot from either Edgware Road or Paddington stations, the Zone 1 hotel is in a very walkable part of town. Hyde Park and Regent’s Park are nearby along with Oxford Street, Marylebone and tons of places to eat and drink. There’s an ATM and an 24 hour Tesco Express across the street.

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The hotel officially opens to the public on June 25th, but I got in there last night as press for a soft launch overnighter. They may have a few minor kinks to work out over the next week, but overall I was really impressed with my stay. The double bed in my room was especially comfy. The shower had excellent water pressure; it hit the temperature I wanted quickly and stayed hot throughout my entire wash. It’s worth keeping in mind that this hotel is brand spanking new. So, at least for the time being it’s clean and everything seems to be working properly. The hotel’s very central Praed Street address meant a bit of street noise at night. But, I’ve stayed in much “nicer” hotels with considerably higher room rates than Tune and suffered far worse from noises (from outside and within the hotel) when I was trying to sleep.

Tune Hotel Paddington is located at 41-47 Praed Street, W2 1NR. Beyond London, the hotel group has locations in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Find out more at tunehotels.com.

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London Daily Photo: Godzillas

LDP 2012.06.19 - Godzillas

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San Sebastian Tapas Tour (Urban Travel Blog)

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House music into the morning amd more giant gin and tonics. Buenos dias hangover! Ugh.

San Sebastian Tapas Tour
Urban Travel Blog, 18 June 2012

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Zagat’s Pick of 30 Under 30 Londoners (OneTravel)

DSC_2347 - Some of Zagat London's 30 Under 30

Zagat has announced its first ever London 30 Under 30 list. Compiled by Zagat’s editorial team, the list spotlights up-and-coming chefs, managers, sommeliers and mixologists in the London area, all under the age of 30.

Zagat’s Pick of 30 Under 30 Londoners
OneTravel, 18 June 2012

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