In 2019 I treated myself to a new high end MacBook Pro 16. 32Gb of RAM and 1TB of storage. I actually like the Touch Bar and don’t know why people hated it. Its genuinely useful.
As Adobe keeps updating, tethering and batch processing is getting slower and slower. With the new release of the M4 MacBook Pro I have decided to take the leap. I’ll be getting the 14 inch model to save money, I have an external monitor so a 14 inch screen will work.
This will be my first Mac silicon laptop so I am hoping for a big increase in performance. So what did I pick, it’s the 14 inch model like I said, and I went for the Pro model of the CPU with 48 Gb of RAM, and again a 1 TB disk, which is ample for working away as I have my Lightroom catalogue and working files on an external disk plus a NAS.
My desktop is currently a now 10 year old Mac Pro and this months Lightroom update is not compatible so that will be moved to music server and ripping duties, So this new laptop will be my main machine. I’ll try and keep it very photography focused and not put any crap on it as I still have my 16 inch laptop for every day light use.
The Suffolk coast has for a long time been a bit of a mystery. Small traditional inland towns and villages, relatively unchanged over the last fifty years, coastal towns like Aldeburgh and Southwold, often cut off in bad weather and in the past more accessible by sea than by land.
Today we find modern industrial ports like Lowestoft, the growing city of Norwich in the county to the North and sea side resorts like Great Yarmouth but these modern islands of metropolis are few and far between.
If you kept to the few main road that cross Norfolk and Suffolk, leading to these modern towns you would think the county was like any other. But you do not have to go far when you come across the old towns and villages seemly untouched by the passing of time. Traditional shops, cafes for tourists and the odd electrical car parking point and mobile phone tower give a hint of some modernity.
If your taking the scenic route to the Suffolk coast from Norfolk you will come across many small towns like Bungay.
A town you would not likely visit unless you knew of the remains of the castle. Though the lovely old churches are worth a visit. Wondering through the old graveyards in the late high contrast autumn sun, while not conducive to good photography is good for ones own well-being.
The old Norman castle was on the losing side of a number of battles but restored after Henry II confiscated the castle when the loyalty of the previous owner was called into question.
It featured in the fictional novel by Elizabeth Bonhôte, published in 1797, set during the first Barron’s war.
When one explores Suffolk, you are continually surprised by the number of traditional Italian restaurants, cafe’s and ice cream parlours.
There is a long history of Italians making homes in area, and good food and coffee is never far away.
Some of the old shops look like they could have been here for years, the modernity given away by ‘wifi here’ signs or the odd neon sign.
So whether it’s the food, the history, or to wonder the antique shops and find out the little fabric and quilting shops. There is something for all, unless you are after the busyness and noise of most places now.
Suffolk, the place of modern port cities, and tranquil towns and villages.
