I have the good fortune to live near some outstandingly beautiful walking trails and when the weather is nice its fantastic for taking some nature shots and, of course, loads of photos of the dogs in my life.
The light at this time of year is always fantastic and when we walk by the river the water reflects makeing everything look even more magical.
Following a hiatus, where I have been eating, socialising and taking lots of photos in some really lovely places I though I would resume blogging!
Below is a small selection of beach, dog, brickwork, river and cemetery shots. There are so many more… but I will save them and use them later.
I generally prefer photographing ‘things’ rather than people, I find they have a timeless beauty, that they are seen by many but seen differently each time. People can make themselves look different, they can consciously manipulate their appearance so everyone sees them in a certain way. That is unless they are laughing. I don’t mean a little laugh, I mean an uncontrollable belly laugh. These are my favourite type of photo, natural, honest and organic. It’s like you see them for the first time and the layers that people build up are stripped away, just for a second or two.
I always try to catch the essence of this, sometimes it works but more often than not it doesn’t (this normally results in a really horrible, badly timed photo). Unfortunately in most of the photos that, I feel, I have caught people at the perfect moment I am also in the photo (mainly doing the biggest belly laugh of everyone). It doesn’t have to be everyone in the photo, just one or two laughing uncontrollably, it just radiates joy!
I can honestly say I think my friends and family are at their most beautiful when they are laughing, it truly makes me happy to see.
I am lucky enough to be surrounded by wonderful things, wonderful people and to have enjoyed some wonderful experiences. But when it comes to things I love to photograph I have a definite top 5! My friends children feature quite highly, Isla Rose and Oliver James are both adorable and very enjoyable to photograph. They have a wonderful energy and it just shines from the photos. My family dog Millie and her best friend Henry (who belongs to my Father-in-law), they are so much fun and seem to always be in the right place for an awesome photo. The the countryside, near where I live it’s very rural and I never get tired of taking photos of trees and fields and leaves and finally wild flowers, there is just something enchanting about their ability to be beautiful and hardy at the same time.
Isla Rose
Isla is gorgeous, she takes brilliant photos and has the most amazing attitude. She is so laid back and totally not bothered by the camera, she really humours when I am snapping away! Her facial expressions are brilliant and if you take lots of photos you will catch her pulling some amazing faces. But my favourite expression is her totally knock out smile!
Oliver James
Oliver was the first little one born to our group of friends and he is growing into a wonderful, lively cheeky little chap. He has bundles of energy and I love getting action shots of him throwing himself around or of him really engrossed in what ever he is doing. He has the cutest little face and always looks like he is up to something adorable… But slightly mischievous.
Millie (and Henry)
These two are as thick as thieves, they always bicker and grumble but end up running round together and having a ball. They have been friends for many years and have matured into a very comfortable companionship. They don’t see each other all the time so it’s lovely to get some photos of them together. Millie is the little scrappy Jack Russell and Henry is the big, soppy Bull Dog. I adore going out on walks with them to take photos, it makes me so happy seeing them having so much fun.
Country Side
Ever changing and always interesting, rich colours and stunning textures. Even the most mundane of views are beautiful if you look closely enough.
Wild Flowers
Pretty, seemingly fragile, delicate and short lived. Wild flowers are all these things but they are much more, they are resilient to our cold springs, they grow every year disputed our hard, harsh winters and they spring back when we walk over them. I love all these things but what I love most of all is that they thrive in hidden, unexpected places bringing a bit of sunshine in the strangest of places.
So we live in an ordinary road, in an ordinary town in an ordinary house. We are both animal lovers but are typically dog people, although I did have a wonderful hamster called Elivis who sadly died a few years ago. My parents have a dog, my Father in Law has 5 dogs and my husbands family had a dog when he was growing up, so you see, very much dog people.
My road is very much a ‘cat road’. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, there are big fluffy white ones, little tabby ones and gnarley scruffy ones that look like they can look after themselves. Then there is a beautiful, slender all black cat with striking yellow eyes who is exceptionally friendly. We often leave our door open and this lovely creature has taken to popping in to see us. The cat has been over so often that I have started to take photos of it. I am not sure if that makes me crazy, that I have got photos of someone else’s cat, or not. Either way I have grown quite fond of it, I’m not sure if it is male or female, all I know is it really likes cuddles and strokes and snuggling up on the blanket on our sofa.
Normally the visits only last about an hour and then it heads back out and comes back to visit the next day.
I think after a handful of visits I can claim part ownership…. That’s not weird is it?….
I thought I would share some of my ‘crazy cat lady’ photos of my neighbours cat… Next step will be putting them in a frame….
I love a field, the wonderful open vista of the British countryside. I think they are beautiful what ever the weather, in the rain the light bounces off the puddles and when the weather is fair the light and colour is radiant.
So often we Just walk or drive by, but the texture and contrast, the light and colours are often really lovely.
I spent a brilliant day at the coast in Bournemouth with some friends. The weather was fresh but bright and although the sun was a little tricky to work with, the colours were amazing and the light was lovely. We walked on the pier and spent some time in the amusement arcade, finishing up having some drinks by the sea.
The colours and detail on the pier were beautiful and the contrast between the green blue of the sea and the orange brown of the metal walk way was striking. Also with the sun the way it was it bathed everything in a bright, yellowy hue giving everything a slightly idyllic, summer vibe.
What a lovely day.
Scotland is one of my most favourite places on Earth, my Dad was Scottish and something about the area sings to my soul. I have lots of family who live in Glasgow and I am close to them all, which I am sure helps fuel my love. When my father died last year he wanted to be scattered in Loch Long, but well before that it had been somewhere I feel like I’m home.
When we went to visit family my Dad would take me on a Loch tour and tell me about all the holidays he had with his Dad in the ‘hut’ on the banks of the Loch and tell me stories from when he was a boy. The scenery is rugged and beautiful, there are waterfalls that flow down the hillsides that surround water. Boulders are strewn across the landscape and everything grows lush greens, purples and yellows, it is windswept and tough but rich and earthy, absolutely stunning.
What Tor Saw 