Attended a dragon boat event in the Royal Docks today - work had sponsored a local youth club to the tune of £2000 for a boat - so had to attend to get some publiciy shots..
This isn't by far the best photo I took, not of the day, or of planes taking off from the City Airport, but it was the best of the 3 that I took that caught boats and a plane in the same frame.. (sort of had the wrong setting at the time...)..
As for the youth club... bloody ungrateful useless waste of space layabouts... Why people spend good money on under-privaledged kids when all they do is piss about, moan, are late, get disqualified from their first race and don't even thank you for the day makes me think we should just not bother..!!!
Did the kids have any choice in the matter? or were they being used as free publicity for the company and they'd rather have been doing something else?
perfect timing! have never been dragon boating myself though I kayak quite often! kids struggle qwith commitment like society in general these days, despite people's best efforts to organise events like these! well done anyway Andy!
Love the mass of activity within the frame of your photo! Way-too-bad about the kids not making better of the gift that was given them...it does take the luster off the event...
@shanne Nah... we own. manage, fund their centre, own the homes their parents live in, asked them "would you like to go dragon boat racing" they said yep.. We then arranged their transprt to and from, bouugth them their food and refreshments but then again, they are your typical inner city deadbeat who wants it all on a plate without wanting to put the effort in to get.. Unfortunatly, society has created this problem.. Once they saw me with the camera all they wanted was assurance they would make the local rag (whilst making gun totting signs).. told them I wouldn't be using the images as they let down themsleves, their community, their sponsors and as they were the only Bangladeshi people there, thier families.. they bucked up and tried in the 2nd and 3rd races but still were an ungrateful bunch.
@shanne thanks :-).
These weren't teens tho... Maybe after 25+ years working in East London you would really see how ungrateful people can be for all people's efforts to lift communites out of poverty, educate, help, support, encourage... Unfortunaltely, people expect everything and moan to the n'th degree when it's not provided.. Believe me, deadbeat is a polite description in this case... These guys were smashing paddles into other people and their boats, trying to turn over other boats, intimidated other teams and did not listen to health and safety advice.
As someone who has worked in East London all my working life, I can confidently say, I know a deadbeat from a guy in the poverty-trap who is wanting to improve their life from a mile away..!
Fabulous shot. Love the activity of the area you captured. I love dragon boat races and too bad the kids did not respond as envisioned. It is a great experience (the boat race, not the attitudes!) Oh well, you got a great photo for the day!
@jpgiorgio I've done both and both are great fun... bloody knackering and certainly would work off any home-made burger :-)
These weren't teens tho... Maybe after 25+ years working in East London you would really see how ungrateful people can be for all people's efforts to lift communites out of poverty, educate, help, support, encourage... Unfortunaltely, people expect everything and moan to the n'th degree when it's not provided.. Believe me, deadbeat is a polite description in this case... These guys were smashing paddles into other people and their boats, trying to turn over other boats, intimidated other teams and did not listen to health and safety advice.
As someone who has worked in East London all my working life, I can confidently say, I know a deadbeat from a guy in the poverty-trap who is wanting to improve their life from a mile away..!
Good job with the plane.