recently...

Oh my days, it has been a long time since I last posted here. The ease of posting on Instagram has probably contributed to this tardiness as well as a tendency to take more photographs on my phone which I then think aren't good enough to post on here. In an effort to rectify that will share more of my phone photographs rather than none at all!

January has been a month of change for us as we have begun to move into our House part of the church conversion we have been working on. I am putting together a post on our website about it to be published very soon. Starting to use this space which we have been painstakingly creating for the past 13 years is the most incredible thing. There is so much I could say about it all but what has struck me most is the light!

The kitchen has one of the few clear windows in the church and I just adore being by it, looking out watching the weather. Earlier this week I spent almost the whole day in the kitchen making marmalade. With the sun streaming through the window warming my back as I 'finely sliced' the peel, listening to the radio, I was so content! The window has enhanced my life enormously (the Hut which has been our temporary house while we made the real one, was in effect a building within a building and therefore had no outside windows).

 

 

I have however been getting out and about in all weathers recently as I have taken up running. This has been wonderful for exploring all the nearby country lanes and has probably contributed to the increase in landscape photographs being taken with my phone camera. The early morning runs are the best as you get to see this...

I have really taken to these mini adventures and challenges that running has given me, and that I'm up and out to get to see the sun rise on a frosty January morning is a real bonus.

Thank you for sticking with me! I shall endeavour not to leave it so long xx

photographing garden flowers

 

It is fast approaching one of my favourite times in the garden when it looks so fresh and green and poised for great things to come. Every new flower that opens is such a welcome sight. At the moment it is the turn of the geraniums and aquilegias.

Getting the camera out and spending a blissful half an hour in the garden photographing these was so uplifting. Spending a little time looking closely and appreciating the garden (while trying hard to ignore all the weeds!) even on a misty damp morning was inspiring.

I shall be creating photograph greetings cards from some of these images.
I have recently set up an online shop selling greetings cards of other garden flower (and stained glass!) images over on our Christ Church Welshpool website here if you'd like to take a look.

vintage wedding photograph

 

At a local auction yesterday was an old wedding photograph, possibly taken around 100 years ago. As I wandered around looking at all the lots this is the one that made me stop and pause. The bride really stood out, the light falling on her dress, the flowers in her hair, the calm expression on her face, her beautiful simple bouquet.

I wonder what their story was, how their photograph came to be on a trestle table in the town hall, and who bought it...

garden flowers with a new lens

 

 

 

 

I have taken the plunge and bought a new camera lens (a Tamron 17-50mm if you are into lenses!). Upon its arrival I went into the garden to put it through its paces. It was rather nice to play with, and I got a little carried away with the aperture settings! What do you think?

365

 

I have been taking part in the 365 challenge over on Blipfoto where you create a journal of one photograph for each day. It has been an enlightening process, with some days more difficult that others, but I guess that is where the challenge lies. I've enjoyed the daily creative exercise of taking a photograph every day and it has helped me to see clearly what inspires me in my daily world.Without doubt the process has improved my photography a little.

An unexpected highlight of joining Blipfoto is 'meeting' other blippers and following their own personal photographic journeys. That in itself has been an inspiration.

Today marks the completion of 365 consecutive photographs, and I'm so pleased to have reached this landmark. You can see my journal here