25.11.16

Review: British Airways i360

November 25, 2016

I recently had the opportunity to visit the British Airways i360 – a new and unique tourist attraction in the city of Brighton and Hove. Designed and conceived by David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects, the same team behind The London Eye; the i360 features a 4-metres in diameter wide tower and a round doughnut-shaped glass viewing pod which slowly ascends to a height of 450ft (138m) and back down again so visitors can enjoy 360-degree views of Brighton, the South Downs and beyond.

Accommodating up to 199 guests, each flight lasts for approximately 25-minutes which is just about enough time to enjoy a drink from the Nyetimber SkyBar… yes, there is a bar onboard.

You can read my introductory post about the British Airways i360 here; but today I wanted to solely focus on my experience as a customer.

Like all attractions, the i360 allows for customers to book online in advance (or by phone) and avoid the queues at the box-office. On the day, tickets cost £15 for adults and £7.50 for children. However, if you purchase your ticket at least three-days in advance online; you’ll save an additional 10%. Local residents (like me) are able to pay a £1 to join an annual-membership scheme; which entitles the holder to half-price tickets (excluding peak times), but it’s well worth it.

Arrival

Once you’ve bought your tickets from the box-office or have shown up with an e-ticket; you can head straight to the ticket-holders queue. Depending on the time of day you visit, there may be a queue; just think of it like queuing up to check-in at the airport. It’s worth noting that Priority Tickets are available for £25; which allows you to skip the queue to pass through security and receive a guidebook (worth £6.99). It’s really hit and miss on whether forking out the extra £10 for the service is worth it – seeing as all it does is fast-track you through security and does not include priority boarding onto the attraction itself. You’d be pretty annoyed if you booked for priority and turned up to find there is hardly anyone in the main queue waiting to go through security.

Security

Being a new and iconic visitor attraction, security at the British Airways i360 is very strict. It’s basically the same as passing through the airport and consists of a bag check and a wand being waved around you. Here’s the text from the i360’s website:

Articles which could cause injury, damage or annoyance such as a weapon, firework, a smoke bomb, a glass bottle, a flammable liquid (including cigarette lighters), an air horn, or an explosive device;

Articles which may be used to cause damage such as cutting implements, marker pens, or paint amongst other things;

Banners or flags; or

An item which may be deemed to aid climbing up the tower or any other structure.

Some people may think the prohibition of cigarette lighters is a little over-the-top; but I actually don’t mind it. When you pass through security, you might see loads of plastic boxes where visitors surrender their lighters before entering the attraction. I’d be intrigued to know just how many people forget to pick-up their lighters and other belongings after their “flight”.

Once you’ve found your way through security, you’ll be greeted by photographers who will try to get you to smile for a few fun green-screen photos. You are able to view these after your flight and purchase these if you wish. The actual photographs themselves are very good and I love the different backgrounds available. It’s not cheap, but I thought they were fun and a lovely souvenir.

Waiting to board

After the photograph, you’ll emerge onto an expansive “Boarding Deck” which is complete with BA i360-branded deckchairs, and a few circle-shaped benches. Depending on when you visit you may spend anything from 20-45 minutes in this area, which is all outdoors with no cover… just be prepared as the good old British weather can be very unpredictable. Fortunately I visited on a relative sunny day with light winds, so relaxing on a deck chair watching the pod travel up and down before me was pretty impressive.

Once the pod doors had closed on the flight before mine; I was able to enter a cordoned-off area where guests whom are on the next flight are invited to wait. The time seemed to pass fairly quickly and I spent most of it taking a few snaps of the skeleton of the iconic West Pier out at sea, and of the mirrored-bottom of the pod. Once the pod had glided back down to the ground and disembarked passengers below, it eventually made its way back up to the Boarding Deck and it was finally my time to board.

Once the gates open, everyone seems to rush to get onboard and find a good spot. The majority of people are courteous, but there are a few who do unfortunately spoil the experience for others.

First Impressions

From far away, the glass-pod looks very small and you think to yourself that there is no-way 199-guests can be accommodated at any one time. But as you get closer, you realise it’s actually quite big. Think of it like a tardis. Inside, there is plenty of space for everyone; with a lot of space, bench-style seating around the middle, and the SkyBar. More on that soon.

I received a very cheery hello from one of the crew-members at the door who looked very smart in their BA uniforms. It’s worth noting that the staff at the i360 do not actually work for British Airways; but the airline are sponsoring the attraction for the first five-years. It’s a mirror of The London Eye as the premium airline sponsored the attraction when it first opened too.

The Experience

Once everyone was onboard, the doors promptly closed and after a welcome announcement it was lift-off! Everyone “Ooohed and Aaahed” as the pod started to begin it’s ascent. Travelling at 0.4 metres per second is by no means fast, but the journey was ever so smooth. At about the halfway mark, the view really does come into it’s own. Admittedly there is not much to see to the South (other than the Rampion Wind Farm which is currently under construction), but to the West you can spot the Isle of Wight on a very clear day, and Beachy Head to the East. Views to the North provide a birds-eye view of just how much the city of Brighton and Hove has transformed over the decades. Nestled amongst the high-rise buildings you might be able to spot the elaborate architecture of The Royal Pavilion and parts of The Lanes; which is home to a variety of quirky and independent shops.

The SkyBar serves a limited selection of beverages, all of which are produced locally… something which I thought was great. Beverages include Nyetimber Sparkling Wine at £10 a glass, Brighton Gin and Tonic at £8.50, a 330ml can of Harvey’s Best Sussex Bitter at £4.50, and Wobblegate Apple Juice, and South Downs Still or Sparkling Water at £2.50 a bottle. The prices may seem steep, but you have to remember you are a captive audience in a unique venue. It’s worth noting that the SkyBar closes as the pod begins it’s descent as drinks cannot be taken off the pod at the end of the journey.

There is no commentary during the experience, apart from a hello and goodbye announcement. Guests are encouraged to download the BA i360 app on their smartphone (there is free wifi). The app includes information on many of the landmarks you are able to see, along with a fun game for kids too. Alternatively, you can purchase a souvenir guidebook for £6.99.

After about eight minutes at the top on my daytime flight, we made our descent and eventually disembarked on the lower lever into a gift-shop. There’s a surprise. The array of merchandise for sale wasn’t actually too bad – and it was nice to see that local artists have been given the opportunity to showcase their crafts too.

Overall

The British Airways i360 is a great experience which I really did enjoy. Being a new attraction, there were a few teething issues along the way and some things which I feel could be improved; but I am sure with time everything will be perfect. At £15.00 per adult, it isn’t cheap – but in my mind, it’s an attraction which you should experience at least once.

Curious How a 310-Square-Foot Tiny House Can Sleep 8 People?

November 24, 2016

Although it would probably be a little difficult to find a spot to park one in New York City, I never get tired of looking at tiny houses.

And while a lot of the designs out there are quite similar, every once in a while I see something that's a little out of the ordinary.

This tiny house has not one but two sleeping lofts, accessed by actual (albeit scary) staircases, and—my favorite part—a generously sized porch for enjoying the outdoors.

(Image credit: Mint Tiny House Company)

When you enter the house from the porch, the paired staircases, to the loft spaces on either side, make quite the statement. Both of the loft spaces look pretty generous (although probably not tall enough to stand up in).

(Image credit: Mint Tiny House Company)

The doors to the porch (accessed via the dining/living area) can be propped open, joining this little house with the outdoors, and though the house is certainly tiny, the kitchen is rather sizeable for a house on wheels, don't you think?

(Image credit: Mint Tiny House Company)

On the other side of the kitchen there's a bathroom with a laundry area, and on the other side of the bathroom (though a sliding door), there's a mysterious auxiliary room (the one directly above with the stepped shelves) that could, I suppose, be used as a bedroom. So, if you're keeping track, between the two lofts, the pull-out couch, and the bedroom, this little house could potentially sleep eight people, which is pretty impressive for a 310 square foot house. You could have a real party here, and invite all your friends to crash—good thing there's a full-sized fridge.

(Image credit: Mint Tiny House Company)

This little house is a custom design by the Mint Tiny House Company. You can see more of it here, and more of the company's work on their website.

via Tiny House Town

Artist Uses Wood Scraps to Visualize a Dynamic Explosion of Color and Shapes

November 23, 2016

Breaking with purpose—this is how New Zealand artist Louise McRae describes her creative act. Selecting found wood, cutting it, and painting it before it's molded into dynamic assemblages, McRae's work demonstrates an explosive spirit. By fitting together the broken down wood into art that is perfectly imperfect, McRae makes sense of chaos—or rather harnesses it to her advantage. "I have always broken things by accident, now I was breaking with purpose, it felt good, my response to the world of 'perfection,' a world that has been beyond my ability to master," McRae explains.

The natural material is often painted, but the artist does vary her technique by occasionally charring or silver foiling the wood. The color and texture only serve to enhance the forms McCrae creates within each assemblage. Undulating waves embrace large and small squares or sharp, straight lines shoot out from a forceful radius—each piece creating a unique sensorial reading by the spectator. McCrae, whose work is available via Seed Gallery and 33 Gallery, relates her work—including her choice of recycled materials—back to the Cubist movement. "Using recycled materials harks back to the practices of the Cubists, with their characteristic distortions and attempts to represent time, space, and motion within an artwork; the resulting works swell with movement and color."

Louise McRae: Website | Facebook | Instagram

via [Colossal]

All images via Seed Gallery.

Seriously beautiful science cocktails will have you rethinking your alcohol choices

November 22, 2016

Science up some cocktails for us would you?
Image: VISCOSITY INSTAGRAM

Innovating on the internet in the age of ‘grammable food and drink is a dastardly challenge but one drinking hole has taken science and our love for alcohol and with it, obliterated all other measly cocktail competition.

Brisbane bar Viscosity is entering its ninth year as a family-run business, and its fourth as an experimental cocktail bar. While some would try to spin you a story of heartfelt family efforts, coming together and making it work, this tale has an extra ingredient: science.

The bar's calling card is its weird and beautiful cocktails and shooters, which look like they've been beamed up from a Star Trek set.

A happy Halloween marriage of science and alcohol? Yes please.

Image: viscosity

Pairing a background in mixology and a dash of knowledge around chemical reactions, bar owner Kinsey Johnson warned that these beverages are definitely not for amateurs to attempt.

He told Mashable: "There is special training needed to present these photogenic drinks consistently. Mixology is challenging and rewarding and it's the curiosity of the unknown that keeps me motivated."

THE HADRON COLLIDER

Johnson says his favourite part of the job can be split into two categories. "My favourite part would definitely be the moment of discovery of a new animated shooter and the look of excitement on the customer's face."

HAUNTED SHOOTER

There have been a few monumental accidents along the way, but Johnson brushed them off, saying that such accidents were a conduit for discovery. "There is a abundance of problems when experimenting, but it's the best way of discovering new ideas, best example would be the fusion shooter," he said.

THE NUCLEAR FUSION SHOOTER

Not all of the drinks on offer at Viscosity are shooters or cocktails. For anyone baffled or perturbed by excess science in your drink, you could always settle down for a glass of champagne with a Zen garden in it.

ZEN GARDEN

Their 2016 Halloween specials were spooky AF, and a touch hilarious with an homage to the Titanic in there too.

Here's hoping that Christmas and the holiday season will bring some tantalizing, weird and delicious festive refreshments.

When asked to pick a hero amongst the liquid science smorgasbord, Johnson told Mashable that his hands down favourite — to make and drink — is called the shark bite.

Because nothing beats "playing with liquid nitrogen and drinking the coldest cocktail possible." ■

Two please!

Image: VISCOSITY

“A Girl Can’t Read That Sort Of Thing Without Her Lipstick”; The Relationship Between Mental Health And Fashion

November 21, 2016

The relationship between mental health and fashion is far more complicated than I feel it is often given credit for. One wouldn’t be hard-pressed to find evidence that the fashion industry is problematic and you could easily argue that it is guilty of promoting unhealthy images of rock-hard abs and hardly-there waistlines. What I wish to discuss is the other side of the coin, the way in which my mental health and fashion intertwine, in particular the way in which fashion helps me manage my mental health and how I have always found it as empowering.

Before that can be discussed, I need to clarify that for simplicity’s sake I am separating fashion from the fashion industry, in the sense that I am writing about what I personally choose to wear, not the system of greater fashion powers that dictate what fashion is in trend.

I am diagnosed with both anxiety and depression, with my anxiety triggers being predominantly socially based. Due to this I find social environments to be terribly turbulent, almost comparable to a battlefield in which sharpened blades are replaced with sharp outfits. My social anxiety often fills my head with thoughts of why the new person won’t like me, that their first impression of me will probably be a bad one, and that I must resign myself to this fate. As with much anxiety, I believe the problem to stem from a basic lack of control and a sense of unrest installed by this. Again, as with much of my anxiety, I cope by attempting to reclaim what control I can in the situation. I can’t easily control the fact my personality may be un-ideal, or that I have the wit of a manatee, and I certainly can’t control the thought process of other people, I can however take control and even ownership of the superficial elements of my personal presentation, namely how I dress. It may not sound like much, and when I try to describe this to people I am often dismissed as shallow, but I do believe it to be a one of the most effective techniques I have for managing my mental health.

To take a story from my own narrative, I spent a recent weekend attending a networking event, a conference and a training day. Networking is a personal source of terror for me. It’s an intense combination of meeting new people, learning names, trying to sound interesting (and if, like me, you’re not that interesting- keeping up with the endless lies you will probably tell about yourself to seem more interesting), and worst of all you are standing up for most it. Much like Holly Golightly who can’t face bad news “without her lipstick” I don’t think I could have navigated this social landscape without a series of snazzy outfits. I am most anxious about first impressions, that immediate phase of meeting someone in which they decide whether you’re worthy of respect or whether you’re simply a bumbling fool in a suit. I dress so that someone’s first impression of me is more likely to be about the way I dress, while some people may see this as demeaning to myself, it takes away the pressure. I feel much more at ease with someone if they’re first impression is- at least- not negative, and as a result I’m more likely to be a better version of myself. Dressing well, and subscribing to the performance of confidence has cause and effect and helps my self-confidence overcome my anxiety.

Saying this, it’s not at all about looking good (if it was I would have no authority on the matter), it’s very much about feeling good (a matter I have slightly more authority on). Anxiety and depression feel as if they run through your whole body, almost acting as an independent nervous system, capable of affecting your brain, heart and your very spirit. It makes it difficult to see you as someone people would want to spend their time with, and it makes many situations feel overwhelming. At times it honestly feels as if every atom of your existence is telling you that you’re not good enough. In these moments I have to grab anything I can to feel good about, for me that often takes the form of what I’m wearing. Mindfulness often involves focusing on one small sensation in an attempt to not become overwhelmed; this can be extrapolated away from the interior and onto the exterior. Life with anxiety can be a challenge, but it’s made significantly easier if you are able to focus on one thing you’re happy about. I don’t mean to suggest that by picking up the latest issue of Vogue, and dressing like the cover you’ll suddenly become a socialite to rival the Kardashians, instead I suggest people dress in a way that makes them happy. Clothes provide people with not only an opportunity to be expressive. Depression may tell me that I am an awful person, but it’s a lot harder to feel bad about that when I’m wearing a mustard snood that feels like a hug, or a suit that makes me feel like James Bond (at least James Bond if you cross him with Attitude magazine). There is a definite nature to clothes, and the extremely subjective and personal nature of clothing almost circles it around to being objective. I know definitively what makes me happy to wear and I know what makes me feel good to wear, neither of those that can’t be argued against, and that can’t be taken away by someone else or even by my own mental health.

My interest in fashion certainly stemmed from my own insecurity and my own baggage, but it developed into being more than merely a coping mechanism, and became something I hold deeply dear to me. At the end of the day I may be unhappy with the way my mind works at times, but I can be happy with how I look.

Follow Steven Williams on Twitter: www.twitter.com/betterusername

10+ Stunning Animal Portraits By Ukrainian Photographer Sergey Polyushko

November 20, 2016

Sergey Polyushko is a Ukrainian photographer whose portfolio includes everything from architecture and fashion to commercial and street photography. His beautiful and intimate animal portraits are perhaps his most eye-catching works however. Take a look at the images below to see what we mean.

From domestic dogs and cats, to wildlife such as ducks, squirrels, and even an exotic caracal, Polyushko's pictures are as playful as they are captivating. Whether he's snapping squirrels in the snow while they're out foraging for nuts, ducks basking on golden sun-tinted waters, or curious cows looking for their own personal close-ups, the photographer, who has over 40k followers on Instagram, has mastered the art of bringing out the very best in each and every subject he chooses. Here's a list of some of our favorites. Don't forget to vote for yours!

#10

Sergey Polyushko Report

10 Best Cities For Street Photography…In The World!

November 20, 2016

Listen Up Photographers! 10 Awesome Global Cities For Street Photography, Right Here.

Ever day dreamed of capturing that front cover shot of next year’s Lonely Planet guide to beautiful New York City…..?

“I wish, I wish, I wish”, you say to yourself. Anyway, you know the feeling, on the plane, beverage in hand and you’re flicking through your top photography magazine bought at the departure lounge, your tablet articles or laptop to get some last-minute ideas for where’s first on your hit list!

Of course, I am talking about hitting the streets armed with nothing but you and your camera gear!

Let the excitement and anticipation commence…

Emotional Photography

Capturing the essence of everyday life, the humor, the sadness, the mundane and the ridiculous are just some of the elements that making street photography such an engaging pastime.

Today we are going to look at ten of the best cities for shooting “street” (in no order, you gotta start somewhere, though).

1. Paris

It is inevitable that any list of cities for street photography is going to have Paris amongst the list (and certainly near the top). It is arguably the home of street photography and the canvas for some of the greats including Cartier-Bresson.

The streets are lined with photographic opportunities from chic fashionistas to elegant waiters. It’s architecture and culture combine to make it one of the best places in the word to shoot street images.

There is, however, a caveat. French privacy laws are some of the most stringent in the world, if you are shooting street photography for commercial purposes or even to share online, you may run into some difficulties.

Paris is arguably the birthplace of street photography. By Matt Jiggins

2. Rio de Janeiro

Our next on the list of greats. Rio – a beautifully bustling city you can actually supplant street for the beach. It is a city where beach culture rules and photographic opportunities lie around every corner.

Be it the colorful beach vendors selling their wares, the body-beautifuls working out or the handball or football players playing, Rio has fantastic street photography.

Of course, the city is not without its crime issues, so being streetwise and using discrete cameras is the order of the day. Some great street images can be captured in the Rio favelas but make sure you go on a professional, well organized tour to them.

They are not places to wander alone with expensive gear – common sense will ensure you’re keeping on the right side of things. This is not to put you off, but just to say be observant of your surroundings, after all, there are beautiful opportunities everywhere in this city!

Rio is a city of extremes. By Brian Godfrey

Further Learning

Some street photographs just look better in Black and White. And we have the perfect article on this.

However, learning to create those Black and White images in post production takes some patience and practice – here’s a guide by Kent DuFault on Better Black and White, without having to spend money on presets and plugins!

3. New York City

The city that never sleeps is full of iconic street images. It is a city of contrast, extreme wealth and extreme poverty, often in the same location.

Contrasting the rampant commercialism with poverty is one idea for the streets of this amazing city but it is also a city where you can capture humorous street images, some of it’s residents bordering on extreme eccentricity.

It’s a favorite amongst photographers for good reason…Culture. NYC oozes culture and it has welcomed all walks of life for many many decades, creating a vibrant city, rich in diversity which is understandably a real magnet for any tourist (and photographers too).

4. Mumbai (aka Bombay)

India in general is a street photographers delight but Mumbai is the jewel in the crown.

It’s frenetic crowded streets are full of street images with amazing colors. For some great shots head off to Dhobi Ghat the famous outdoor laundry. A local will take you in where you can photograph the laundrymen cleaning huge piles of clothes.

It’s actually part of Mumbai’s sprawling slums, which to westerners appear overcrowded and dirty, but don’t judge a book by its cover. Mumbai’s “slums” are home to many IT and technology professionals – where choosing to live here as opposed to inner city apartments is a way of life, retaining their culture and identity.

Dharavi slum was founded in 1882 during the British colonial era – home to an estimated 700k – 1 million people.

The street around Dhobi Ghat are also full of life, Chai Wallehs dispensing sweet hot tea, women carrying impossibly large loads on their heads and of course the sheer color of their saris make Mumbai a great destination.

Mumbai is a city full of color. By Antony Grossy

5. Marrakech

Marrakech is perhaps one of the best places in Morocco for street photography. Its streets are full of photographic opportunities from side street shoe repairers to horse drawn buggies.

You will no doubt come across snake charmers who will want paying and mint tea sellers who might not, assuming you buy some tea from them. Spice vendors make great street subjects with their vibrant and perfectly stacked spices towering impossibly above their stalls.

You cannot resist photographing the busy markets – again, I’d ensure you have a light camera – perhaps consider a prime lens, keep it simple and discreet…you’ll capture the best images that way and really get a feel for the local culture!

6. Hong Kong

The narrow streets of Hong Kong are full of contrasts.

The towering icons of modern commerce cast shadows over old traditional Chinese vendors. Expensively attired business people walk alongside locals in a mix of ideals and cultures.

There are small markets everywhere selling everything from knock off watches to live chickens. Men rush through the street with trollies laden with goods as this is the quickest way to deliver in the crowded traffic jammed streets.

The sheer numbers of people rushing everywhere will mean you need to work fast to capture shots. Alternatively, find a spot (if you can) and set up for some longer exposure street photography – capture the rush, the hustle, the busyness in your images.

7. Ho Chi Minh City

Formerly known as Saigon this incredible place has lost none of its charm over the years. The moped is the key mode of transport and you can spend days just shooting the incredible loads these little two wheelers can take.

Don’t be surprised to see a family of four and a piano on the back of a 50cc Honda – this city is full of “innovative” locals. Beyond that, the street vendors with their iconic Vietnamese hats and the beautiful elegant women with their simple white dresses also make for some wonderful shots.

This city is fast-paced and bustling, mind how you cross the roads because those traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and sidewalks are just for decoration, they don’t serve much purpose – so be alert, eyes open and you’ll have a wonderful experience!

Get some shots of street food, it’s quite fascinating (and truly delicious).

Moped and a bed in Saigon. By Justin Jensen

8. London

A city where ancient and modern collide and home to perhaps more cultures and diversity than any place on earth is full of photographic potential.

One aspect to look at when shooting street photography in London is the sheer variety of tourists, each with their own unique look and mannerisms.

Beyond the center, head out to the multi cultural sights of the East End where generations of immigrants from across the globe have all stamped their unique culture on the region.

It’s culture-rich and a place you can get some alternative street photography shotsfrom the iconic tourist hotspots of the affluent West End.

9. Lisbon

The Iberian Peninsular is full of great cities for street photographers. Madrid and Barcelona are the two obvious ones but I am going to suggest Lisbon, Portugal’s pretty and diverse capital.

In many ways Lisbon is like Paris, smart well-dressed people with elegant architecturebut the people have a unique look to them, very different from the Spanish.

It is a very religious country and you will find great candids can be had near churches and other religious establishments. This is a real favorite of mine for the far western regions of Europe!

Lisbon rivals Paris for street photography. By João Lavinha

10. Rome

Last but not least (obviously), we have Rome.

The Italian zest for life is a driving factor in street photography in Rome. The facial expressions and mannerisms of the Italians when they are having a heated debate are a delight for the candid street photographer.

Old Italian men sitting drinking their morning espresso and women wearing the most elegant fashion whilst out shopping are other things to look for in this ancient and endearing city.

Summary

So there you have ten suggestions for great cities for street photography. I enjoyed putting this together because it brings back memories of places I’ve been and conversations with people I’ve met.

Street Photography is a wonderful area to give a try and we’ve got heaps of resources here at Lightstalking to get you started if you’re eager! It can really enhance your set of images whilst on vacation too.

If you know a city that is a playground for street photography, let us know in the comments below. This list is compact, so let’s branch out with further ideas from you traveling group of street photographers!

info@unitedphotopress.net

The year of your birth could decide whether you live or die in the next big flu pandemic

November 18, 2016

Women from the Department of War took 15-minute walks to breathe in fresh air to ward
off the influenza virus during World War.

'Your first infection sets you up for either success or failure in a huge way'.

The year of your birth could determine whether you live or die in a major flu pandemic, such as the 1918 outbreak that killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide, according to new research.

Virulent new strains of the disease have periodically jumped from animals to humans over the centuries with devastating results, raising concern about new outbreaks in pigs and chickens, for example. The last week has seen reports of bird flu in Germany, Austria, Hungary and several other countries, prompting the authorities to set up 'protection zones' and slaughter infected birds.

But extreme forms of virus gradually evolve to become less deadly because strains that do not kill their host spread more easily. The human flu around today can be a serious disease but it is essentially a relatively mild echo of the past.

Now a new study, published in the journal Science, has found the flu people are first exposed to as a child plays a major role in setting up the human immune system to defend against one of just two main types.

One of the researchers, Professor Michael Worobey, head of Arizona University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, said: “In a way it’s a good-news, bad-news story.

“It’s good news in the sense that we can now see the factor that really explains a big part of the story: your first infection sets you up for either success or failure in a huge way, even against ‘novel’ flu strains.

“The bad news is the very same imprinting that provides such great protection may be difficult to alter with vaccines.

“A good universal vaccine should provide protection where you lack it most, but the epidemiological data suggest we may be locked into strong protection against just half of the family tree of flu strains.”

After the first infection, the immune system makes antibodies designed to target a lollipop-shaped protein that sticks out of the flu virus.

There are 18 different types of lollipop, but the researchers said there were just two main ‘flavours’.

“In this analogy, let's say you were first exposed to a human ‘orange lollipop’ flu as a kid,” Professor Worobey said.

“If later in life you encounter another subtype of flu virus, one from a bird and one that your immune system has never seen before but whose proteins also are of a similar ‘orange’ flavour, your chances of dying are quite low because of cross-protection.

“But, if you were first infected with a virus from the ‘blue lollipop’ group as kid, that won’t protect you against this novel, ‘orange’ strain.”

Inside Elton John's spectacular private photography collection

November 17, 2016

"Migrant Mother" (1936) by Dorothea Lange
The Sir Elton John Photography Collection

"Hi, this is Elton," begins the audio guide.

Sir Elton Hercules John is chatty and almost inescapable company on the tour of "The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection" at the Tate Modern in London, a selection of over 175 photographs from his extensive collection.

In line with his star status, the musician is being lionized by the art world with this show, the first ever loan exhibition at Switch House, the striking new extension to Tate Modern designed by Herzog & de Meuron.

It's clear from the photographs on display, that John is -- in the words of someone else's song -- "a man of wealth and taste," and he's evidently thrilled about it.

AN AESTHETIC ADDICTION

Elton John, who was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, doesn't take photographs himself and claims that he "absolutely hates" having his own picture taken.

He has made certain exceptions though -- he's sat for the late, great American photographers Richard Avedon and Irving Penn, happily surrendering as they moved his precious hands and fingers and chin for studio portraits.

But while no fan of being the camera's subject, John clearly has an eye and collects photographs obsessively, with a particular passion for modernist photography from the first half of the 20th century.

John started collecting early, a decade before Tate Modern first showed serious interest in photography. Astonishingly, he's amassed over 8,000 photographs in the last 25 years, at one point purchasing at least four or five photographs a week.

"I became avaricious about it, like a kid in a candy store," he says on the audio guide.

I ask the director of The Sir Elton John Photography Collection, Newell Harbin, whether the singer is perhaps addicted, and she hesitates momentarily.

"He's a passionate collector," she finally says and laughs, before noting that he is slowing down.

The rate of acquisition is now "about one and half photographs a week," and their wish list has shrunk -- only about a dozen or so key early 20th century photos still to add -- although the quest for flawless vintage prints remains.

John describes photography as " the love of my life, in art terms. I love surrounding myself with them."That's why, he says, he works so hard: so he can collect.

SHARED OBSESSION

"The Radical Eye," mostly black and white vintage silver gelatin prints from the 1920s to the 1950s, invites us to share his obsession. The exhibition is intensely focused on that time when photography came of age and its practitioners began to seriously experiment with cameras and in the dark room.

Tate Modern doesn't provide anywhere to sit. You have to stand directly and closely in front of each photograph and immerse yourself. There are no big photographs and some are so small you have to stand just inches away.

John has six homes but it's a huge penthouse apartment in Atlanta, Georgia -- some 1650 square meters (18,000 square feet) -- where, among the leopard skin print chairs, the crucifixes, the starfish, all available wall space seems to have been given over to photographs, as many as six at a time, hanging from floor to ceiling.

He shows us around on film, in black Adidas tracksuit, tinted glasses and a single chunky sparkling earring.

You notice the frames, almost as much as the photographs. Never solemn gallery black, they have to be flamboyant -- gold, white gold and silver. John has been using the same Atlanta framer, Nyotte, since he came out of rehab in 1990 and started collecting.

A grid of nine pictures from the wall of John's Atlanta study has been faithfully transferred to the opening room in the exhibition: images of a boy on a bicycle, a man's white stiff collar, some eggs, electric power lines and several portraits of the American photographer Edward Weston.

Within this grid is a seminal purchase barely the size of a couple of thumbprints: a silver gelatin print of an underwater swimmer from the original 1917 contact sheet by the Hungarian master Andre Kertesz. You need a magnifying glass to appreciate its quality.

John had already been given a large late 1970s print of it by a friend, but leaped at the chance to buy the pristine original. Under the mount are the marks left by Kertesz's pen where he cropped the image

He regards it as "one of the most influential photos of the 20th century -- iconic, homoerotic," with Kertesz's brother swimming "like a fish, like a salmon being caught out of stream."

The image on the catalog cover is "Glass Tears" by Man Ray (like John, someone who gave himself a new name) from 1932. The photographer made the image using a fashion mannequin and glass beads at the time of his breakup with his lover, the American photographer Lee Miller.

John acquired this vintage print at auction in 1993 for the then world record price for a photograph of $185,000.

"I thought I had gone stark raving mad but I had to have it," he writes in the catalog.

"Glass Tears" has probably risen in value at least seven fold since 1993. Another vintage print of it (there are four or five variants) sold for $1.3 million in 2001.

The show has 25 Man Rays in all, including a succession of studies of fellow artists in Paris -- Picasso with a full head of hair in 1922, Henri Matisse in 1923, the balding surrealist Yves Tanguy in 1935.

John refers to the Tanguy photograph as "the Phil Collins." Tanguy looks uncannily like him, just as the 1932 self-portrait by Austrian photographer Herbert Bayer "looks like Jeff Koons."

"Oh my God, my arms have fallen off. I have a piece in my hand. Very Dali-esque," muses John.

He can be teasingly provocative. In the catalog interview, he declares "there is not a portrait in paint that could compare to a photographic portrait".

A LASTING LEGACY

John collects and is moved by photojournalism, old and new. He has photographs in this exhibition from the Great Depression in America by Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. One is of a young girl, a pugnacious, world-weary little face in grubby dungarees from 1936. Lange has written on the back "The Damage is Already Done."

Among his collection are 2000 photos from 9/11, "the most horrible subject matter, but the most moving photography. We get them out every year. Beautiful photographs, but they're too raw to show."

At the end of the audio guide, John takes a moment to reflect.

"We live in turbulent times, probably the most turbulent of my life," he says. "With photos, you get a sense of what's happening and outrage."