London Daily Photo: Dark Days

London Daily Photo: Dark Days
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Brazilian Wine Tasting at Guanabara

Just a quick word of thanks (with photos!) to TrustedPlaces community manager, Niamh, for inviting me along to a recent Brazilian wine tasting at Guanabara on Parker Street. My fave wine from the evening was the Miolo Lote 43 2004. I also enjoyed the tasty lil coxinha I grabbed for two quid on my way out! Yummy.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

London Daily Photo: St John St

London Daily Photo: St John St
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

London Daily Photo: Historic Trail

London Daily Photo: Historic Trail
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

London Daily Photo: Harvest

London Daily Photo: Harvest
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

2008 Thanksgiving in London (sort of) (Qype does London)

2008 Thanksgiving in London (sort of)
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
November 27th 2008



Expat American living in London: that’s me. Usually, I’ve made some sort of effort to do something Thanksgiving-y every year I’ve been here … stuff like going out to a nice restaurant (went to Portal last year – no turkey but it was a great meal) for dinner with family and friends or (when it was open) partaking in a sumptuous mound of down home Americana goodness a la (the sadly now defunct) Bubba’s at Spitalfields Market. But this year ...

Read the complete 2008 Thanksgiving in London post at Qype does London.

London Daily Photo: Mates

London Daily Photo: Mates
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

London Daily Photo: For Dear Life

London Daily Photo: For Dear Life
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

What’s for Lunch? Hamburger Union (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Hamburger Union
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 25, 2008



A sandwich board advertising “Union Burger, Chips and Coke £5” pulled us into the Hamburger Union near Angel Tube Station thinking something along the lines of “I’m hungry and I have £5.”

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Hamburger Union review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Skinner Street

London Daily Photo: Skinner Street
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Hope for a Chugger-Free London!

I really don't like the litany of street canvassers clogging up London's already crowded pavements. And, I know from a (very) brief stint as a "chugger" in my early twenties that, despite the fact that most of the folks out on the streets have big hearts and good intentions, there's a lot of bullshit involved. Anyway, here's a reassuring report from the BBC about a new Intelligent Giving study confirming that chuggers are indeed an "inefficient way of giving and they give charities a bad name and they harass people and put them out - and we think that's behaviour that charities shouldn't be indulging in."

Call for street canvasser boycott
Charity street fundraisers should be avoided by people looking to make donations, a watchdog has warned.
BBC News
Page last updated at 20:35 GMT, Monday, 24 November 2008

We reached a pretty solid conclusion: never give to street fundraisers," the report concluded.
"Instead, find out which charity you really like, and give via its website."

Read the complete article at the BBC News website.

London Daily Photo: Red

London Daily Photo: Red
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Street Photography & Camera Handling Workshop: Day Two

Yesterday was the second and final day of the Shoot Experience Street Photography & Camera Handling workshop I've been taking. Most of the day was spent "in the field" (bopping about Hoxton Square and Shoreditch High Street) applying what we were taught last Saturday. Awesomeness (and a great way to try our out new found skills while the instructor's still there for reminders and encouragement)!



I really enjoyed both full day sessions of the workshop and truly feel that I'm a better photographer than before and that I gratefully have a few more street photography tricks up my sleeve because I attended the workshop. Ultimately, getting better street shots from now on will require less button pressing and considerably less head scratching.



If Shoot Experience were to develop a follow up course, I most certainly would be keen to enroll. I can't rec this workshop highly enough. If you're hankering to improve your photography street smarts and become more aware of your SLR's full potential, have a look at the Shoot Experience events page for more workshops and other fun photo things to do.

London Daily Photo: Evening Sky

London Daily Photo: Evening Sky
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Good Food, Good Friends, Good Oil

Last night I had the honour of dining with Henry Braham and Glynis Murray, their gracious (and top chef!) son Ben, a few of the friendly folks from Splendid Communications and a gaggle of London's food blogging usual suspects:

eat like a girl - Epicurienne - Fake Plastic Noodles - Food Stories - Hollow Legs


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Good times (and Good Oil)! It was awesome hanging out with everybody and a delight to feel so welcome in Henry and Glynis's home. See below for my Londonist write-up.

---

London Filmmakers’ Oily Hemp Seed Goodness
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 21, 2008



It’s always inspiring to hear about Londoners making a go of a dream, especially when the dream is based upon a healthy, sustainable idea. Take West Londoners Henry Braham and Glynis Murray for example. Not content to rest on their laurels and relish in their successes in the film industry, Braham and Murray have connected to their farming backgrounds to produce Good Oil, a “high-quality and healthy UK product” made of hemp seed. According to the cinematographer and film producer partners, the reintroduction of hemp seed (one of the oldest crops to be grown in the UK) to British soil was just the inspiration they needed.

Read the complete London Filmmakers’ Oily Hemp Seed Goodness post at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: November Night

London Daily Photo: November Night
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Review: Garry Fabian Miller at James Hyman Gallery (Londonist)

Review: Garry Fabian Miller at James Hyman Gallery
Chris Osburn
Londonist
November 20, 2008



Now open and running until the 24th of January at James Hyman Gallery (5 Saville Row, W1S 3PD) is a comprehensive retrospective of works by camera-less photographer Garry Fabian Miller. Fabian Miller is famous for the long process of exposing light directly onto photographic paper through organic material and substances such as plants, lead, engine oil and water to yield unique images for which there are no negatives.

Read the complete Garry Fabian Miller at James Hyman Gallery review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Treeline Skyline

London Daily Photo: Treeline Skyline
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Yet Another Brilliant London Bloggers Meetup

Yep, last night's Blogladi Bloglada meet-up at Corney & Barrow in the City was yet another good time with plenty of friendly faces (both familiar and new). I especially enjoyed checking out Ms Melanie Season's speechifying about being a blogger. But, why say anymore when the esteemed guest speaker's already summed it all up so well on her own Fake Plastic Noodles blog?

London Daily Photo: Displacement

London Daily Photo: Displacement
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Hat and Tun Pub Opens in Clerkenwell (Londonist)

Hat and Tun Pub Opens in Clerkenwell
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 19, 2008



As if Clerkenwell needed another fantastic pub! Londonist wandered over to last night’s grand opening of Hatton Wall’s Hat and Tun.

Read the complete Hat and Tun Pub Opens in Clerkenwell post at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Grimthorpe

London Daily Photo: Grimthorpe
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

What’s for Lunch? Byron (Londonist)

What’s for Lunch? Byron
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 18, 2008



Of course, with Byron’s “fully traceable grass fed” Aberdeen Angus beef “sourced exclusively from select farms in Morayshire, Scotland,” aged for a minimum of 21 days for “maximum flavour and juiciness,” and “ground daily from select cuts of rump, chuck and brisket,” we don’t mind giving their burgers a few rightful props. However, we are left to ponder just how many f**kin’ cows named Angus have they got hangin’ around up there in Aberdeen (and how do you know when you’re biting into the real deal)?

Read the complete What’s for Lunch? Byron review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: On Patrol

London Daily Photo: On Patrol
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Galler Luxury Belgian Chocolate at Harrods (Londonist)

Galler Luxury Belgian Chocolate at Harrods
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 17, 2008



Like it or not (ready or not), Christmas is on its way. Hell, it’s already paraded its way through Harrods. And like it or not, there’s a good chance you’ll be parading your way down to Harrods for some festival season elbow jabbing , gift shopping before too long as well. Consider checking out the Galler’s corner of the Harrods Food Halls (or pop over to their newly launched UK website).

Read the complete Galler Chocolate at Harrods review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Crisp Morning

London Daily Photo: Crisp Morning
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Fat Duck's Heston Blumenthal: How to Cook Creatively with Sherry

I had a brilliant time at the Heston Blumenthal sherry and food pairing back in September. This six minute cooking video is an excellent reminder of the yummy lessons learned that night:

London Daily Photo: Autumn in Earnest

London Daily Photo: Autumn in Earnest
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Street Photography & Camera Handling Workshop: Day One

Wow! Just back from day one of the two-day Shoot Experience Street Photography & Camera Handling workshop (day two is next Saturday) that I previously mentioned on this blog and all I can say is that it was a brilliant way to spend my Saturday. I am so much more energized and excited about photography than I have been in a long time. And, the really cool thing is that I feel that I'm way more knowledgable (and confident!) than I was this morning before the workshop commenced. Small class size, engaging and practical instructor and lots of fun. I am so looking forward to next Saturday's class ... and to applying the lessons to my upcoming photo gigs!

London Daily Photo: Foliage

London Daily Photo: Foliage
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

(P)review: BBC Good Food Show

(P)review: BBC Good Food Show
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 14, 2008



Anyway, if you like large conventions and don’t feel that you’re up on current food and cooking trends, the Good Food Show might be just the thing. Otherwise, if you really want to indulge in a foodie weekend, you’re better off simply heading over to Borough Market or your local farmers market.

Read the complet BBC Good Food Show post at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Pub Detail

London Daily Photo: Pub Detail
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Takeout Stakeout: Santoré (Londonist)

Takeout Stakeout: Santoré
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 11, 2008



With wintery weather starting to really crimp our style and the festive season frenzies rolling out regardless of our being prepared, a pizza and a bottle of wine at home sounds like a brilliant idea (especially when the Santoré peeps to add a little fresh buffalo mozzarella ontop). We’ve been ordering pizza from Santoré for ages and have yet to be disappointed.

Read the complete Takeout Stakeout: Santoré review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Angels Charge Over Thee

London Daily Photo: Angels Charge Over Thee
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Rum Do with Elements 8 Super Premium Rum (Qype does London)

Rum Do with Elements 8 Super Premium Rum
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
November 11th 2008



You know life is good when you find yourself with a free pass to hit some of Notting Hill’s most swank-o-rific cocktail bars with a bunch of folks you probably would’ve been hanging out with anyway. Or at least, that’s the rum-happy epiphany I had a few hours (and cocktails!) into last night’s Rum Do with Elements 8.

Read the complete Rum Do with Elements 8 at Qype does London.
See recipes from last night's visit to Montgomery Place at my Tiki Chris blog.

London Daily Photo: Rememberance Day

London Daily Photo: Rememberance Day
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

What's for Lunch? Camino (Londonist)

What's for Lunch? Camino
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 11, 2008



Tucked away in a quiet modern courtyard just off anything but quiet Pentonville Road, Camino (like its portions) is huge. It’s an agreeable space too (as long as the kitsch-y if-you-were-in-the-perfect-tapas-bar-in-Spanish-heaven-it’d-look-like-this theme works for ya). We’ll gladly visit Camino again.

Read the complete What's for Lunch? Camino review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: At Smithfield Market

London Daily Photo: At Smithfield Market
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Street Photography & Camera Handling Workshop

With respect to my photography, I’m starting to feel as if I’m in a rut. This is a big bummer. I’ve got a few important gigs coming up as well as an exhibition in ’09. And more than that, I just want to feel more confident about shooting and to trust my intuition much more. So I signed up for a Street Photography & Camera Handling workshop with Shoot Experience. I had a lot of fun participating in their Shoot Shoreditch photographic treasure hunt and thought they ran a tight – and incredibly well organized – ship (they seemed to know a thing or two about photography too!). So, when I found out about their upcoming Kingsland Road workshop and how it would “boost your skill set giving you the creative freedom to successfully capture the city streets,” I figured it was worth a shot (pun intended). I’ll be sure to post a review recapping how the workshop went.

The Shoot Experience Street Photography & Camera Handling workshop happens this Saturday and next (the 15th and 22nd) at 32 Kingsland Road. Geared toward photographers who “know your aperture from your shutter speed” but want to work more instinctively, effectively and creatively, the course is taught by Toby Smith (“judge, photographer and technical manager of all things Shoot Experience”) who manages a photography studio in East London and has taught practical photography everywhere "from East Africa to the East Midlands." Group size is limited to six people (very cool).

I reckon this upcoming workshop is all booked up (but please don’t take my word on that!). However, have a look at the Shoot Experience events page for more workshops and other fun photo things to do.

London Daily Photo: View

London Daily Photo: View
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Saturday Thwarted (Qype does London)

Saturday Thwarted
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
November 8th 2008



Now back to wearing what I essentially had on this morning when I rolled out of bed, I’m digging into my DVD collection and setting up camp for the rest of this afternoon and this evening ... I’m pretty sure there’s a pizza delivery in the cards for me tonight ...

Read the complete Saturday Thwarted post at Qype does London.

London Daily Photo: My Friends on Old Street

London Daily Photo: My Friends on Old Street
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Book UK Airport Hotels with Airport-Hotels.co.uk

Every so often, I find myself with an upcoming flight taking off at the crack of dawn. When I’ve been able to spend the night before the flight at accommodations near the airport, it’s made those trips so much more relaxing than if I would have had to drag myself to the airport in the wee early morn feeling like a zombie.

Have you got a similar travel situation coming up? Consider booking a room at an airport hotel and cut down on any early morning stresses trying to make your airport.

A useful resource for booking your room near the airport is Airport-Hotels.co.uk, which lists every hotel available near every major airport in the UK. Whether situated within the airport perimeter (on-airport) and just a short walk to the airport terminal or off-airport and requiring a short transfer to the terminals, you’ll find the right hotel on Airport-Hotels.co.uk.

Airport-Hotels.co.uk compares relevant hotel prices from five leading hotel providers, including Holiday Extras, Superbreak, APH and FHR, helping to ensure you pay the lowest price for you room. With Airport-Hotels.co.uk, you can also choose to include dinner or breakfast, additional car parking or – of course – simply book a room. In addition to those features, Airport-hotels can be used to reserve hotel parking for up to fifteen days.

You also might want to keep Airport-Hotels.co.uk in mind to bypass any potential late night hassles associated with an upcoming flight arriving just in time for you to want to hit the sack. I’ve been in this situation a few times before too. And, when I’ve been able to simply make it to a room quick and move on the next morning after a decent night’s sleep, I’ve gotten more out of my trip. Of course, should you have an upcoming business meeting near a UK airport, Airport-Hotels.co.uk is an obvious choice for booking as well.

Review: “A Decade of Divine” Photography Exhibition (Londonist)

Review: “A Decade of Divine” Photography Exhibition
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 7, 2008



The free exhibition is now open to the public (but sadly closes on the 9th) and well worth a look-see. We think it's neat to see how chocolate is farmed and were inspired on our visit to the gallery by the images on display.

Read the complete “A Decade of Divine” Photography Exhibition review at Londonist.

Your Favourite Cartoon Characters in a Hilariously Bloody Mess! (Qype does London)

Your Favourite Cartoon Characters in a Hilariously Bloody Mess!
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
November 7th 2008



A de-eared Mickey Mouse sitting in a pool of his own blood? Tom (the cat) slicing up his nemesis Jerry like a salami?

Read the complete Hilariously Bloody Mess! post at Qype does London.

Tasty Thai Food and Flavoursome Cocktails at Benja (Londonist)

Tasty Thai Food and Flavoursome Cocktails at Benja
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 7, 2008



Londonist recently got an invite to check out Thai restaurant Benja’s updated menu under new executive chef, Chef McDang. According to the folks at Benja, the updates hint at “what is promised early next year when McDang will create a brand new a la carte menu for Benja.” If that’s the case, then we hope they’ll invite us back to try his a la carte creations.

Read the complete Benja review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Years of Service

London Daily Photo: Years of Service
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Magma Books on Clerkenwell Road (Qype does London)

Magma Books on Clerkenwell Road
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
November 6th 2008

As I said in my Qype review of this design-centric book and fun stuff shop, “I will go slightly out of my way for a few moments of eye candy browsing at the Clerkenwell Road location of Magma Books.” Yes indeed-y! In fact, it’s come to the point where I can’t even walk by the shop without poking my head inside for a quick look-see. I just love perusing the magazine stand (best selection in London?) and art books …

Read the complete Magma Books on Clerkenwell Road post at Qype does London.

London Daily Photo: Most Thrilling Chilled

London Daily Photo: Most Thrilling Chilled
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Super-Mega-Wow Post-Election Day (Qype does London)

Super-Mega-Wow Post-Election Day
Chris Osburn

Qype does London
November 5th 2008



Okay, without delving too deeply into the political, let’s just say I’m in an especially fantastic mood (if a little groggy) this morning (erm, I mean afternoon).

Read the complete Post-Election Day post at Qype does London.

London Daily Photo: Work Essentials

London Daily Photo: Work Essentials
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Super-Mega-What-the-Hell’s-Gonna-Happen?!?! Election Day (Qype does London)

Super-Mega-What-the-Hell’s-Gonna-Happen?!?! Election Day
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
November 4th 2008



Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock in East Bumblefuck, Egypt with your head waaay up your ass for the past year, you must certainly be aware that today’s the day Americans go to the polls to elect their next president.

Read the complete Election Day post at Qype does London.

London Daily Photo: 4 Nov 1927

London Daily Photo: 4 Nov 1927
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

What's for Lunch? Icco (Londonist)

What's for Lunch? Icco
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 4, 2008



Good, cheap, hot, fresh pizza ... We really appreciate knowing that for £3.50 we can swing into Icco for a simply, filling margerita.

Read the complete What's for Lunch? Icco review at Londonist.

London Daily Photo: Rivington News

London Daily Photo: Rivington News
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Preview: Cocoa Co-operation in Divine Chocolate Photography Exhibition (Londonist)

Preview: Cocoa Co-operation in Divine Chocolate Photography Exhibition
Chris Osburn, Food & Drink Editor
Londonist
November 3, 2008











To celebrate their tenth year anniversary in the Fairtrade chocolate business, Divine Chocolate (co-owned by Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of 45,000 cocoa farmers in Ghana) is to host an exhibition of photographs which give insight into the lives of the Kuapa Kokoo farmers and follows Divine’s journey from “a great idea – that could never happen” to creating its “equitable trading relationship with smallholder farmers in Africa.”

Read the complete Divine Chocolate Photography Exhibition at Londonist.