photography

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Shadowed

In response to the weekly photo challenge – this weeks theme ‘shadowed’

A couple of photos for you here. First is a nice sensible one of my daughter shaded from the bright sun by the fall of her hair, and the second is a daft snap of me modelling the hat that I wore when we were lucky enough to be invited by the Queen to a garden party at Buckingham Palace a few years ago.  On the invitation it stated that headwear was compulsory for ladies, so I took the opportunity to get the biggest, pinkest hat I could find and it certainly kept the sun off my face!  To be honest, I was more excited about wearing the hat than going to the party I think.  Still we had a fab time and felt very posh indeed.

I might do something a bit more arty farty for you if and when there is any light – it’s really gloomy and grey this morning, hope it’s better where you are! 🙂DSC_0022

pond life 019

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New Horizons

In response to this weeks photo challenge ‘New’.

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This is a photo of my beautiful mum that I took a couple of days ago, over the Christmas break. Ok, she’s not exactly ‘New’, in fact, (I’m sure she won’t mind me telling you), she’s in her 90’s.  However, she is off on a new adventure.

She’s lived in the same town all of her life, and been in the same flat for about 40 years. She’s been happy and comfortable there, but now she has come round to the idea that it might be nice to have a bit more support and company, and we’re in the process of helping her find some sheltered accommodation.  Somewhere that she can still be fairly independent, and have her own front door, but where she can have a little bit more help when she needs it.  Also, somewhere a bit closer to family – she will still be a couple of hundred miles away from me, but nearer my sister and her family, so for the first time in her life, it’ll be a move away from her home town.   She’s both excited and a bit nervous – as you should be with all new adventures in my opinion! It’s a big leap of faith and we’ve all got our fingers crossed that it’s a good one.

Of course, she’s only willing to go if they have broadband so she can still use her ipad!

I’m very proud of her for facing change so stoically. I hope I never get too old for new challenges either!

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Keeping warm in Pingyao

Ok, I apologise, this is not technically a great picture, but I think it captures this week’s photo challenge theme ‘warmth‘ well enough to share it.  It was taken on our trip to China whilst we were staying in the ancient city of Pingyao.  We were there for Chinese New Year, which was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life – wonderfully chaotic!

It was bitterly cold, the coldest I have ever been, but the gorgeous old courtyards in our beautiful hotel each had their own charcoal brick fires (like the one pictured), and you can also see the doors to our rooms covered with blue duvets to keep the drafts out. The fire and the lanterns gave it all a magical glow.  It was still too bloomin’ cold to stand out there for long though!

CHINA Feb 2008 218

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Varanasi Ochre

Posted as part of the weekly photo challenge – this weeks theme ‘Yellow’

This photograph was taken during our trip to Northern India last year. It was about 4:30 in the morning on one of the ghats lining the banks of the Ganges.  We were waiting to board a little boat so that we could view the amazing sunrise from the river.  However, there was a very heavy mist which made everything soft and unfocused, it also had the effect of washing out all colour and making the small scene under the lights appear in this delicious yellow ochre glaze.

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Sun and sarongs

It’s so cold and drizzly here today that I’ve been dreaming of holidays past.

I have this first picture framed in my living room because it evokes the wonderful holiday we had in Tobago a few years back. The lady in the picture was a permanent resident of the beach where we stayed, and we got to know her a bit.  She said she had always wanted to come to England to experience a train ride, and see snow!  She obviously didn’t know of the horrors of travelling by British Rail, or how the whole country grinds to a halt when there is even the slightest hint of snow on the ground!

The second one was taken on deserted beach that was only reachable by boat.  We’d waded through the warm, still, and clear, azure sea to get to it, and just threw our sarongs over the branches to dry while we toasted ourselves on the sand and waited for our guides to cook freshly caught fish on a makeshift barbeque. It was completely idyllic, and just thinking about it warms me up!

Hope you are all keeping safe and warm.

Tobago Feb 06 018 Tobago Feb 06 124

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Archy

The Photo 101 challenge had me ploughing through lots of old holiday snaps that I haven’t looked at for a long time, and it struck me that there are a few bits of architecture that keep re-appearing. Subconsiously, I’m clearly fond of an Arch.  They come in all shapes, sizes and materials, and they are all equally striking. This is just a small selection picked from my travels.  Which is your favourite?

Bejing, China
Oxford, England
Oxford, England
Venice, Italy
Marrakesh, Morroco
China
Costa Rica
India
India
Paris, France
Badii Palace, India
Venice, Italy
Herculaneum, Italy
Marrakesh, Morroco
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Insanity

DSC_0282If ever I go completely insane
I’ll wring my hands and call your name
I’ll hide behind a wall of pain
and flit and flick and shout and scream
and flash dark eyes
toward the corner
where you hide.

If ever I go completely insane
You’ll not be able to say my name
without excruciating pain.
You’ll squirm and turn and howl and scream
And turn wet eyes
Toward the corner
While I laugh.

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A Triumphant Wrap Up

Final of the Photo 101 challenge – to wrap up… 

I failed. I failed at Triumph. I’ve managed to post a photo every other day of this challenge, but on Friday I was out having fun. Sorry.

Anyhoo.. as you know, Friday’s theme was ‘Triumph’, something I don’t seem to have experienced an awful lot of (unless you count getting out of bed every day, which is for me, something of a battle on these damp and dark mornings), so I didn’t have any pictures to dig up quickly that might have served the purpose.

I did go on a carousel on Saturday, my  horse won (of course), but not everyone noticed that since we were going round and round an’ all.  We were in Cardiff (I was visiting my amazing daughter and her lovely partner) and there was a Wales vs South Africa rugby match on, if we’d have hung around long enough and braved the crowds, I guess there might have been lots of rowdy, happy, Welsh people to photograph.  But we didn’t. So I failed at the last hurdle. hmmph.

Over the weekend it was suggested we do a ‘wrap up’ of our photo 101 experience, and I have to say that this almost fulfills the Triumph brief anyway.  I feel pretty pleased with myself that I’ve managed to keep up, and that, overall, I’ve been quite chuffed with the photo’s that I’ve posted. I’ve learnt tons of new stuff about my camera and it’s multitudinous, previously baffling, buttons and settings, and I’ve found lots of new techniques to twiddle and tweak my snaps post production. Overall, I’m feeling, well, quite triumphant.

Although I am actually really sad that the whole thing is over, and hope there are new challenges coming my way soon. I shall miss getting the email with the challenge and thinking ‘what the *****’!!’ every day, before I knuckle down and get my thinking cap on, get the camera out and find something, anything, that will do, or spend hours searching through long-forgotten holiday photos to find the one that I know I’ve got that’s just perfect, but can’t remember where the heck it’s filed.

I’ll also, very much, miss seeing everybody else’s wonderful interpretations, and getting their comments and feedback.  It’s been great!

Soooo… ’til the next time, here’s a mosiac (yes, I’ve learned to do mosaic’s too) of some of the photos from the daily challenges.

See you soon!

The London Eye
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Double Trouble

Part of the Photo 101 challenge – Today’s theme ‘Double’

Oh now come on, you didn’t really think I’d waste this opportunity to share a picture of my girls when they were small did you? Lots and lots of old photos to choose from, but this one always makes me smile! I think they were about two when this was taken. I don’t think their clothes stayed this clean and tidy for long!

I have had to clean it up quite a bit (there are piles of toys on the floor in the original!), so practicing my skills in that way instead today.

Seeing double_1