Get Tsingtao Beer in San Francisco!

Walking down a street in San Francisco and this sign for Tsingtao Beer caught my eye.

This was taken in 2007, during an Automattic meetup, which later became known as a Grand Meetup. In 2007, the company was so small, it wasn’t so Grand, but it was Great!


Apertureƒ/4
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length10mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/100s

RIP Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley waiting to sign books at Borders in Chicago, surrounded by staff and security

I saw this morning that Kirstie Alley passed away last night at the age of 71. She was great in Cheers, but I barely remember Veronica’s Closet and I’m not familiar with her roles in other shows.

In 2005, my wife and I were in Chicago, and we happened to go into a Borders bookshop there. Kirstie Alley was signing copies of her book upstairs, and a pretty good crowd had gathered. I declined to buy the book but got a few photos of what happened, even though I think staff were unsure of why I was there.

This was 2005, 2 years before the iPhone, and the only other person recording the event was somebody with a big camcorder. No selfies with the celebrity, either!


Apertureƒ/5.6
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length300mm
ISO1600
Shutter speed1/100s

Michael O’Regan in Yellow

Michael O’Regan has been selling the Echo newspaper in this spot on Patrick Street, Cork since 1969. He was a familiar sight to generations of Cork people.

I haven’t seen him in a long time, and this photo was taken in 2006. The latest information I can find on him is a photo taken of him in January 2020 when he met the Lord Mayor of Cork, John Sheehan.


Apertureƒ/9
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length10mm
ISO200
Shutter speed1/160s

Across the Chetwynd Railway Viaduct

Most Cork people are familiar with the Chetwynd Railway Viaduct built over the Bandon Road near Bishopstown. Here it is from the top, in 2005.

An important and substantial landmark designed by Charles Nixon, Engineer, which makes a dramatic contribution to the surrounding area. It carried trains on its single line from Cork to West Cork until 1961. It stands 90ft above the road and has a 21ft span. The viaduct displays fine craftsmanship in the stone work seen in the piers and excellent design in the elegant steel arches.

buildingsofireland.ie

Apertureƒ/3.5
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length18mm
ISO1600
Shutter speed1/200s

Cork 2005

Older visitors will recognise this poster if they were around Cork in 2005 when the city was “European Capital of Culture”.

This poster was draped over the city library, and I was very lucky to capture a tour bus as it drove past on a fine June day, exactly 17 years ago today.


Apertureƒ/7.1
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length55mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/100s