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Wednesday, 1 July 2015
The Freedom of Photography is at Risk
Mood:
 d'oh
Topic: News
Sites like Dark Destiny Photography are now under threat from the EU. Please read below and consider offering your support, many thanks! On 9 July 2015, the European Parliament might destroy photography. The Freedom of taking photos in public places is under attack. Until now, in most countries in Europe you were safe to take and publish photographs that are taken from public ground – This is called Freedom of Panorama. When you were on vacation, you could take a photo from the London Eye and share it with your friends on Facebook*. If someone wanted to pay you for using this photo, that was okay as well. But this is about to change may destroy photography as we know it. Julia Reda, member of the European Parliament, tried to bring the Freedom of Panorama to all countries of the EU, as few countries like France and Italy don’t have such law yet. In the majority of countries such as the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Croatia, you’re safe to take, publish and sell photos of public buildings when taken from public grounds. However, the current draft turned the proposal upside down. Instead of bringing the Freedom of Panorama to the few countries that don’t know such law yet, it would take it away from all those who do. With this, Street-, Travel- and Architecture-Photography would be dead as we know it. It is impossible to find out the architect of every public building in order to ask for permission before you can publish and possibly sell the photo. I therefore call on the members of the European Parliament to - Not limit the Freedom of Panorama in any way
and instead to - Bring the Freedom of Panorama to all member states of the EU
so that the European Citizens can be assured to act within the law when taking and publishing photographs from public buildings anywhere in the European Union. This is necessary to embrace our European Culture and Art! *As Julia Reda, member of the European Parliament, points out, even the private upload of a photograph on Facebook would need the consent of the architect, as with the upload you grant Facebook a license to commercially use the photograph. Please help by signing the petition - https://www.change.org/p/european-parliament-save-the-freedom-of-photography-savefop-europarl-en
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:55 PM BST
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
New Update - Chingford Mount Cemetery
Mood:
 a-ok
Topic: Updates
Chingford Mount Cemetery, East London was established in 1884 by the same company who owned the now congested Abney Park Cemetery in north London. The site purchased was known as the Mount Caroline Estate, so-called after the wife of the land owner. In 1975 new owners made an application to build houses on the unused portion of the cemetery, inline with fierce opposition from locals the application was duly rejected. As a consequence the cemetery became neglected with both it's chapel and lodges becoming victim to vandals and eventually the lodges were gutted and the chapel burnt to the ground with the loss of nearly all it's records. Chingford Mount is perhaps best known as the last resting place for the East End Gangsters the Kray Twins. The Kray family plot contains the graves of Ronnie & Reggie, brother Charlie, parents Violet & Charlie and Reggies first wife Frances Kray. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/chingford-mount-cemetery.html Another update coming within the next couple of weeks. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 2:15 PM BST
Monday, 11 May 2015
New Update - Three Counties Asylum Cemetery
Mood:
a-ok
Topic: Updates
Originally known as The Stotfold Three Counties Asylum, building of the hospital commenced in 1856 on a 253-acre site between Letchworth, Arlesey and Stotfold. The new hospital was to replace the Bedford Lunatic Asylum in Ampthill Road in Bedford, which had been built in 1812. The Fairfield Hospital was designed by architect George Fowler Jones with the longest corridor in Britain, at half a mile long. The hospital opened on 8 March 1860 with the transfer of 6 male and 6 female patients from Bedford Lunatic Asylum, and catered for patients from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Huntingdonshire. The Asylum had its own chapel, farm, laundry, railway station and fire brigade. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/three-counties-asylum.html Another update in a couple of weeks. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 2:47 PM BST
Thursday, 23 April 2015
New Update - St Luke, Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Mood:
a-ok
Topic: Updates
What was once a Mortuary Chapel is now a Church. St Luke's in Hatfield was built in 1877 by the Marquis of Salisbury and was converted into a church in 1893. Today the burial ground is closed for new graves and the building is Grade 2 Listed. We visited on a cold and wet day in November 2014. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/church-of-st-luke-hatfield.html Next update in a couple of weeks. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 1:40 PM BST
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
The Purpose of Photographic Preservation
Mood:
 lucky
Topic: How it begun!
The Purpose of Photographic Preservation sometimes unfortunately becomes apparent. Recently several cemeteries and parks in west London were vandalised, it seems by one individual who, for reasons unknown decapitated multiple statues of Angels.
Fortunately in the case of the Margravine Cemetery the damage has been repaired, that still doesn't make the initial act justifiable, but at least the memorials survive into the future. http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/vandalised-fulham-cemetery-statues-returned-9084854 Not long after we photographed Woodgrange Park Cemetery in East London the newly restored war memorial was vandalised and the bronze cross stolen. At the time we, by chance, appeared to have the only photos of the memorial since it's restoration and was able to provide copies for a future DVD on the subject of war and East London. Unfortunately DDP cannot possibly photograph every cemetery and graveyard in the UK, we just haven't the resources, but along with other active photographers and websites I'm sure we can make an impact. In years to come all our photographic archives will be donated to the appropriate historical societies as our contribution to photographic preservation. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:49 PM BST
Monday, 13 April 2015
New Update - Leavesden Asylum Cemetery
Mood:
 bright
Topic: Updates
Leavesden Mental Hospital was founded in 1870 on the outskirts of Abbots Langley by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as the Metropolitan Asylum for Chronic Imbeciles. At the same time the St Pancras Union Workhouse established an Industrial School across the road. In 1920, the asylum was renamed the Leavesden Mental Hospital. The London County Council took control in 1930. In April, 1932, the former St Pancras Industrial School was taken over as an annexe for chronic cases. The hospital closed in 1997. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/leavesden-asylum-cemetery.html Our next update, in the next week or two, will be another churchyard photographed at the beginning of last Winter. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:25 PM BST
Sunday, 5 April 2015
On the road again!
Mood:
a-ok
Topic: Updates
Spring has sprung and it's time to hit the road again. The long winter months are behind us so shortly we will be traveling the East and Southern Counties of England visiting new places of interest. My brother in-law and I have already decided on several locations including a very notorious London Cemetery which we have never visited before. Due to the time it's taken to produce the new site we haven't managed any updates for a few months so we still have three outstanding updates from 2014. Time allowing these will be seeing the light of day in the coming weeks/months. Although we enjoy what we do it's still important to remember the purpose of Dark Destiny. Photographic preservation is our purpose, as our history is being swallowed up by urban sprawl the photos people take now may be all we have left in years to come. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 3:14 PM BST
Updated: Saturday, 11 April 2015 8:49 PM BST
Friday, 20 March 2015
New site launch
Mood:
bright
Topic: Updates
After several weeks of solid work the new site is ready to launch at midnight. Their's still much work to be done, mainly behind scenes, but we are ready as far as being a functional site is concerned. In the coming months we will add descriptions to each image but with 1800 photos thats gonna take some time. In the meantime if you come accross any faults or problems please let me know via the contact form. Roll on midnight! Best Wishes Neil 
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 3:09 PM BST
Sunday, 15 March 2015
New site coming soon!
Mood:
bright
Topic: Updates
We haven't updated for a while and that's because we decided to hold the new updates while we re-built the site using new software. This wasn't something we wanted to do, but it needed to be done to ensure our web presence into the future. Trying to recreate 10 years of work over again in a new site has been a time consuming task but we're 70% done and hope to launch the new site next Saturday 21st March. The new site has some improved aspects but also things which we don't want but are forced to go with. For example, downloading photos will no longer be possible without using other software for a screen grab. To compensate we will be willing to provide original copies of photos for anyone who requires them, either for personal or commercial reasons. However that will be time consuming on our part so we will be asking for a small donation to help cover our time plus to help restrict requests. After next weeks launch and some time to rest from site building we will look at ways of changing this aspect, though at the moment the only option open to us would be so labour intensive it would take years to rebuild the site :( However an advantage of the new site will be mobile compatibility, this will allow people to use the maps provided for each location via their mobile phones while on the move. Overall we hope the new site will be a positive step forward into the ever advancing world of web usability. Time to get back to work, see u soon. Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 2:11 PM BST
Sunday, 25 January 2015
New Update - Hatfield Road Cemetery, St Albans
Mood:
 happy
Topic: Updates
While of significant proportions and as the first in St Albans, Hatfield Road Cemetery seems fairly elusive in terms of historical information. It opened in 1884 and is still a working cemetery today.
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission there are '147 First World War burials in Hatfield Road Cemetery, 93 of them forming a war graves plot. Some of the 79 Second World War graves form a separate plot. The rest of the graves are scattered throughout the cemetery.' http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/hatfield-road-cemetery.html Now in our tenth year online we still have 3 updates from last year to process and publish. We are looking forward to the better weather as we have a few places in mind to visit, if you know of any other interesting cemeteries or graveyards worth us visiting then please let us know - darkdestiny@operamail.com Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 4:00 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 1:49 PM BST
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