"Oops" by Wolf Kettler Photographer. Click on the photograph to see it bigger.

When I prepared a blog post on the evening of Candlemas for publication the next morning, I found myself unable to break into my own blog. The technical services supremo (no less) at my web space provider (1) and I go back a few years. Long story. He is endlessly patient and we have developed a co-dependent relationship: His company depends on my custom and I depend on him when things go wrong. At least I like to think of our relationship as being a co-dependent one. If I am honest, I suspect that I depend on him more than he depends on me. Then again, there is probably such a thing as too much honesty. Don’t tell him.

“Looks like a packet loss at your ISP’s (2) network border”, he e-mailed back shortly after my cry for help. He likes to stretch my technical competency and yes, I did work out what a network border is. It is where my Internet traffic leaves my ISP’s computers to venture onto pastures new. In this case, it had entangled itself in virtual barbed wire, had its journey cancelled and vanished in some miserable, cold place in cyberspace. All because a rogue and perfectly demented computer had decided to play cold war and close the borders.

Then I found out that this is not what had happened. The problem was at my web space provider after all. Points for me because I was first to know about it. The way I understood it is that some piece of expensive equipment had decided to take a nap without telling anyone.

“All well. My blog is now faster than it has been in ages”, I informed my contact the next morning and had to correct myself within minutes because my ISP killed the Internet. Not exactly killed. They did manage to resuscitate it four hours later. They had done maintenance work to make everything faster, better, more beautiful and more stable and some piece of expensive equipment must have decided to take a nap without telling anyone (sic).

When I pointed out to my good friend the unlikelihood of two unconnected yet similar events occurring within such a short space of time, he replied “The chance of having more than one issue affect you in what can be considered a short period of time in the Internet business is almost 100%” and went on to muse about the miracle of large scale cascade failures not happening every three minutes.

With so many people and so many everyday chores relying on the Internet and taking its reliable availability for granted, the future looks bleak. Still, I do feel a lot better now knowing this and I think I have worked out what a large scale cascade failure is.

Technical Glossary
(1) Web space provider: Web space is a cosy room painted in a psychedelic colour scheme, where my website hangs out. Provider are the nice people, who run the joint, when they are not busy ironing their kilts.
The information that you send over the Internet is not one large chunk but little bits. Lots of them. Think of it as a coach party. A packet loss occurs when one of the party (the slow one) is still in the motorway services buying bars of chocolate and the coach leaves without him. When he realises that the coach is missing and the coach party realise that their fellow traveller is missing, they all panic and scream and scare the hell out of each other.
(2) ISP: Internet service provider – a bunch of people in Yorkshire called Compo, Cleggy and Foggy, who plug me into the Internet (most of the time).

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I love occasions that mark the course of a year and enable me to re-connect with nature. These waymarks in the cycle of a year give life a different and perhaps more relevant rhythm. The solstices and the equinoxes are tremendously attractive to me, as are other significant times, such as Hallowtide, May Day and – today – Candlemas. They all occur when one season is either at its peak or about to turn into the next. They are celebrations of what is and promises of what is to come.

The beautiful sounding Candlemas is a Christian festival that is celebrated on 2 February – its origins differ from its current meaning. Christianity has taken many nature-based events, renamed them, moved them slightly and given them a different denotation. The pre-Christian Feast of Lights is a pre-spring celebration, which fell on 1 February. Blazing torches were carried through the streets (1) and across the fields to purify them and to prepare for new life (2).

The Feast of Lights – how appropriate for a photographer. To me, this time of the year means that winter is over but he will not give up the reins to the maidens of spring without a fight. In the past, the weather on Candlemas Day was said to be a forecast for the year ahead:

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight.

If Candlemas Day be shower and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again.

In the US, our European Candlemas has become Groundhog Day, when the groundhog is said to emerge from his winter hibernation. If he sees his shadow on the ground (compare above, “fair and bright”), he will return to his burrow and winter will last six more weeks. If he does not see his shadow, then spring is about to arrive. (2)

In Austria and Southern Germany, Lichtmess (Candlemas) was in the past the day when farm labourers were paid – for a year; in arrears. Changes in employment for the year ahead were sealed with a handshake, also on Candlemas Day.

Finally, in pagan tradition, Imbolc is celebrated on 1 or 2 February and has similar meanings that refer to the impatiently awaited arrival of spring.

Looking out of the window as I am writing this on the morning of Candlemas Day, it looks as if winter were to stay with us for another six weeks.

Bibliography
(1) Hole, Christina (1976) A Dictionary of British Folk Customs, Hutchinson & Co Ltd
(2) Jones, Alison (1995) Dictionary of World Folklore, Larousse plc

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The reason why the title of this photograph (le matin – the morning) is in French is simple: I made this photograph in Paris. For the interpretation of the implications of this photograph, or should I say insinuations, I rely entirely on your imagination.

Whilst the title of the photograph attempts to lead the viewer towards one association, we must remember that we conduct a great deal of our lives in bed: Most likely we are created in this versatile location, we are born there, we rest and recover, we experience togetherness and loneliness, joy and despair, relaxation and pain, rest and restlessness, we die, we are remembered and we are forgotten – all in this small space.

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An icy cold and sunny January day provided the perfect setup for these casual portraits of little Jess. I felt a bit mean when I encouraged her to play with the ice in the water feature but she was fascinated by it and thought that it was a real treat. Mum was on hand to warm the girl’s hands afterwards.

The sunlight reflected in the camera lens would normally be a technical imperfection. I captured it deliberately, though, to make the piece of ice look like a magical, glistening gem.

If you would like to commission me to photograph your children, please contact me.

See also: Child and family portraits and the updated children and families portfolio.

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Already the days are getting markedly longer. Light is gaining the upper hand over darkness in planet earth’s dance with the seasons as I look at a photograph, which I made not three weeks ago standing on Roundway Hill.

The fading light of an early January day gives this photograph a certain delicacy as if you had to hold your breath for fear of disrupting the rhythm of nature. The gently sloping landscape in the foreground and the near absence of a horizon as a steadying force make the viewer’s gaze slightly uneasy.

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Some of my work is available to buy as prints and posters on redbubble, including this photograph.

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You do not have to go to Paris, where this photograph was taken, to get into the mood for romance. Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your love and affection for the one in your life.

A simple romantic gesture never goes amiss. Be creative and combine something simple yet stylish with a lavish splash – dinner by candle light, a single, red rose placed on your lover’s pillow and some luxurious chocolates and champagne to start off an unforgettable night of passion.

Why not extend your gesture with a gift voucher for a bespoke photo session? To help you be a romantic, I have created three Valentine’s Day packages at a very special price because luxury does not have to be expensive. As with the rose, the dinner and the chocolates, you do not need to be ostentatious. The thought and the quality are what counts.

A gift voucher for a bespoke photo session is not an ordinary Valentine’s Day present. It is reassuringly exclusive and deliciously luxurious – and yet, with prices starting from as little as £199, thoroughly affordable.

Valentine’s Book
Included are the photo session, a private, password-protected online preview and a Gallery Photobook. The book measures approx. 21×28 cm (8×11 in) and comes with 24 pages of your favourite photographs from the session. This exclusive book has a passion red cover, which is personalised with the name of your Valentine.
See my books
Valentine’s Special only £220 (regular price £245)

Valentine’s Art Prints
Included are the photo session, a private, password-protected preview gallery and your two favourite photographs printed on exhibition-quality baryta photographic paper, the finest of its kind available today, mounted in my beautiful Tribeca frame. The frames measure approx. 30×40 cm (12×16 in). The prints are signed on the front to identify them as original works of art. Optionally, prints can be signed on the back (list price +20%).
About my prints
Valentine’s Special only £285 (regular price £310)

Valentine’s Leporello
The Leporello is a concertina mount folder with a fine cloth cover and silky ribbon tie. It comes with eight prints (13×18 cm – 7×5 in) as standard. The Leporello is big on presentation for the smaller print and very exclusive – I am not aware of other photographers offering a similar product. So exclusive, in fact, that I have to import it directly from the manufacturer in Europe. It looks fab and is an ideal “love token”. And if you do not like red for the cover, there are many other colours that you can choose from.
See the Leporello
Valentine’s Special only £199 (regular price £218)

Your gift voucher is personalised with the name of your Valentine and your name. When you have completed the online checkout, I will be in touch promptly to find out about the names you want me to put on the voucher.

The Valentine’s Day offers are available for a short time only! Last order date is Wednesday, 8 February 2012.

The smallprint: Gift vouchers are valid for a named recipient for a period of 6 months from issue and guaranteed to be honoured within this period. If this is not enough time, you can extend the life of the voucher for a nominal charge. Pricing is for studio sessions. £5.50 will be added on check-out to cover the cost of Royal Mail Special Delivery to make sure that your gift voucher arrives in time. See also full Terms & Conditions.

If you have any questions or special requests, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or e-mail to discuss your requirements.

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A resting cat’s paws. Can there be anything cosier?

Model in this photograph was Domino, a prominent member of my feline quartet. Click on the photograph to see it bigger and click here or see below to enjoy more photographs involving cats.

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Elga is not the girl in the photograph at the top. Elga is an acronym for an integrated health information system that the Austrian government is planning to introduce.

Elga is an acronym for an integrated health information system planned by the Austrian government. Click on the picture to see it bigger.

The Austrian doctors’ professional organisation (similar to the BMA in Britain) is opposed to the plans. They argue that the vast amount of money would be better spent on actual healthcare. The costly – to the tune of 23 billion Euros, they say – failure of a similar system in Britain is mentioned in an advert that was running in all daily newspapers when I last visited.

The advert shows a naked, middle-aged woman. She is not glamorous, she is not retouched and she wears the signs of ageing proudly – a wrinkle here, a bit of saggy skin there. She makes us feel good about our own bodies, which are equally imperfect. The notion of perfection is of course redundant and only exists in the minds of the cosmetics producers and the fashion houses. The image visualises a common Austrian and German expression. Literally translated “something that costs your last shirt”, meaning that you could lose everything.

In the same week I came across a Viennese district magazine, very similar in purpose to the magazines that local councils in Britain send to every household in their areas. Page one of this particular issue featured a prize draw for an erotic wall calendar – see image above.

Can you imagine in Britain a naked, middle-aged woman prominently displayed in the Guardian or the Independent or the Times? Can you imagine an image of a young woman clad only in stockings and gloves in the Wiltshire, Oxford or Hackney Council magazine? Neither can I.

This photograph was not accepted as an advert in a local magazine because it was deemed not family friendly. Click on the photograph to see it bigger. Photograph by Wolf Kettler.

I once had an advert declined by the publishers of a local magazine because they felt that the photograph that I wanted to use was not family friendly. The photograph was of a fully clothed young woman. I am glad to say that I did get my way in the end but I never found out why this photograph was so offensive.

What is it, I wonder, that makes opinions in Britain so hostile towards the naked body? The British are not prudish per se. At least I think they are not, although I have to admit to finding it strange that nudity in this country is always seen as something devilish, funny or embarrassing, never normal.

Does nudity not play a natural part in everybody’s life? Are we living in a morally oppressive society that is obsessed with what is considered proper at any one time? Or perhaps the enjoyment of the naked human body is seen as something morally improper and therefore intolerable.

We are born naked and we were created by people, who were presumably naked at the time – both of them, in the same room and at the same time. How shocking!

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Last month I reported a problem, which prevented some visitors to my website from seeing the photography portfolios. The glitch was an Internet Explorer 9 issue, which has now been fixed. Everybody should again be able to access the portfolios.

If you are still experiencing problems, please reload the page (press F5 on your keyboard) and if this does not fix it, please get in touch.

Whilst I was working on this issue, I also updated some of the portfolios with new work. You can see my photography on my website and there is always plenty more to see on this blog.

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