Spring and Stuff

An absolutely gorgeous weekend has made me fully realise that the start of spring really is here and the year has nearly gone full circle.  Amazing how time flies isn't it?


I remember thinking at about the same time last year that I didn't think I'd get to this point in 2011 without some things happening along the way.  I didn't know how I'd get here if they did or didn't.  And now, here I am, with things that have happened that I'd perhaps rather not have and things that didn't eventuate that I wished with all my heart that they would.


But you carry on don't you? Other people have much worse things happening to them or their loved ones and they cope and get by and live and well, carry on.  So how can you not?  Sometimes its good to be reminded of those special people, who never think they're special at all.  They are just living life the best way they know how, not doing anything different, not being heroic and certainly not being special.  


It's not like this year was filled with a nothingness either.  It has been a great year, filled with so much more than I could even begin to go into.  People have let me into their lives, just so I can practice what I love, I have been places, met people and I've done some things I didn't want to do or thought I couldn't, but guess what? I could.  You always can, you just can't give up on the trying.  And me, well, I hate to give up.  I'll complain, I'll kick and I'll scream but I find it very hard to just....give up.


And so, I'm awaiting summer (and my man who is out) with high expectations and desire for great things.    Some of the great things I desire are purely material and I'm hoping to get a new camera bag I've been eyeing off.  Not sure yet whether to get one from Epiphanie or Jo Totes, so many good bags, but it will have to last me for a while.   


I've gotten all philosophical today, I think I enjoy blogging and haven't done it for a while. Not many photos this weekend.  Too filled with outside, being a couple and removing all the old files from my old pc to my Mac and loading some great new actions from Paint the Moon.  I thought about them for a while, there is a great deal going on for the Picture Perfect Mega Set, and went for it today.  The photo below is processed using some of the effects from the action set.  


Have a great week :) 

3 Top Tips I've Heard Recently

Let me just say before I start that these came from ALL over the place on the web and in books, they're NOT my tips. I've read them and think they're super. Unfortunately I can't remember where I read them all

1. Take photographs of things you enjoy
2. Try and take a photo every day. You'll learn to see something in everything. It also helps you work out what you like, how your camera works and know your lenses better (this is one I really need to work on)
3. Use natural light as much as possible, it is your friend. Clouds and wind can also be your friends.

And that's my super quick photo for today, shot on my phone and brightened on instagram. a busy day ahead and not sure I'll get another chance.
Have a good weekend

Desperate and Dateless

Well, haven't had a lot of time lately to take pics...I'm ever so desperate to do so, but I'm swamped at work with very little chance of getting home or out before dark.

Its set to rain here all weekend, I don't have any plans in the near future where I could take some gorgeous pics.  I'm going to have to knuckle down and take a photo a day. Everyone says it helps, everyone! Who is everyone? Well, those helpful tipsters out there, thats who! I love reading hints and tips, but they make me feel so inadequate sometimes.  If only I could take a decent picture of something. Next year I'm going to take a photograph a day, and do the 365 challenge.  By the time winter hits I'll have a habit started, surely? 

Anyway, wish me luck, maybe I'll entice 'he who won't be photographed' into doing some sitting for me :)

What I did today...

Such an English school project thing isn't it? Well, although its kinda winter still and we should be a teensy bit rugged up, the weather didn't seem to know that today.  It was sunny, a bit windy and we got out in the sun, washing car, planting herbs and doing some general yard clean up.  
I then moved inside as it got later, did some inside 'chores' or jobs and then progressed to photograph everything in my wake! Look out when I'm in the mood.  I've popped a couple into a free action I bought from MCP Actions, not pretty but hadn't the chance to use it before.  I haven't done it justice...as I made a boo boo, I also added one of My Four Hens Photography's thin white border actions around the outside.  


I love everyone who creates these actions! Free and paid....remember, if anyone stumbles across this blog and uses any of the free actions, you can donate to most of the providers! It helps them keep going and continue to provide those of us with tools that we can't create.


Well, the weekend continues, I'm heading in for the night...a big day tomorrow!  Football and the last home game of the season.  Should be a great day!

Tired...

I've been unwell over the past few days and apart from the times I was too unwell to care what anyone was thinking, there have been many times that I realised how much I missed my social media.

I crave it.  I love to share what I'm doing, I love to share or be a part of what other people are doing.  All this doesn't of course take the place of human interaction for me.  It does help in moments when you just aren't feeling yourself or can't be in the public arena.

Much of the time I was unwell, the sun was shining and they were great days to be out taking photos.  I of course wouldn't have been doing that anyway (they were work days!), but you seem to dream more about it when you're ill...it gives you a sense that you 'could' be doing this and you 'could' be doing that if you were just a little better! :) The reality is, if you were better, you'd be at work!
The dreaming of photographs led me to remember my first real shoot with new subjects, a new location and basically children I don't know very well.  I had so much fun that day, sun was shining and they reminded me how to loosen up and quite frankly, how to just enjoy being.  It was great practise and there was the promise of more days like this to come.  The photographs I've posted below are among two of my favourites.  They remind me of the day, and although its technically still winter (as shown by the boots), summer is not too far away :)

Sunny days...

Sunny days are always hard to take when you're indoors working, with only a lunch break to venture out.  But the promise of the weekend and the possibilities are endless.  So many things you could be doing, so many people you could be seeing!  I love the anticipation of a weekend.
Last weekend I had a moment to myself, the sun was shining so I toddled out to the backyard and took some pictures of the very few flowers I have in the yard.  Not a great lot to choose from, but it felt nice being out in the sun...I didn't want the day to end :)

I didn't even mind that some of the 'flora' were weeds, brightening up spots in the yard and pointing out all the onion weed.  Wednesday tomorrow and the promise of another weekend is looming.   It doesn't feel like its been a long winter this year, but I'm already excited at the prospect of more sun, more outdoors and fresh air.

I processed the image above using some new actions I purchased today from My Four Hens Photography, and resizing for the web with The CoffeeShop Blog again.  I LOVE those rounded corners :) 

I hope to post more images with my posts...I realised I had forgotten earlier and some of the ones I'd like to post I need permission for.  Something I will now need to start thinking about.  

I love bees and lavender 

Sunset near my home in summer

I have used actions on each of these images.  I have Photoshop Elements 9 on my new iMac.  I've used actions here from Rita at The Coffeeshop Blog to get the lovely rounded corners and to sharpen the first image :)  So many free actions, you can also donate or buy them in packs which is what I've done with some of them.  I'll add badges/buttons of sites as I get the hang of blogging :)