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 :)

First post

Are all first posts titled just that? First post??
My photographic journey began a little while ago, well quite a while ago.  I bought my own SLR Minolta right before digital cameras took off.  I was hopeless at it.  I'd dreamed I guess of being a bit like my dad, he always took great photos and he knew all about the camera, he took cool images and did fantastic things with light, with shutter speed and the filters he had!...he even helped me choose that first SLR.  


Problem was, I was no good at it. I wear glasses and thought that was my problem.  I'd wait a day or two until the film was processed and was always bitterly disappointed.  Some of the photos were taken a month prior; I had no hope at all really, I couldn't even remember much about the photos, let alone what settings I'd used.  I just couldn't ever work out what was wrong nor how to fix it.


I decided I was no good, and the camera didn't see the light of day for years!  I waited a while and bought a digital camera, just to catch the memories, catch the moment only.  I loved it, loved that I could see a really bad photo and delete it without costing a fortune.  I loved that I could try some things and if they were bad or embarrassingly composed...delete.  


A couple of years ago my dad upgraded his digital and offered his old Canon DSLR 350d to me to 'borrow'.  I still have it, the lenses that came with it...the filter was upgraded when I had a minor accident with it during my borrowing period.  I've since expanded my kit, I still have the 350d as my sole body though, and my love and knowledge of photography.  I've still got sooo much to learn, I'm still at a basic level I'd say but loving this hobby and loving everything I've learnt so far.  And not just about cameras and photography, I've learnt a lot about people as well.  My favourite things to capture are people in their environment being natural, macro (when I can loan my dad's lens :) ) shots, and nature.  Well, I'm still learning, so really I do like to try anything new.


I'll be learning along the way, posting images and things I've stumbled across and sharing my journey with you.
Using natural light in a superb way and a rockin' set of catchlights in a crisp portrait are two things I aspire to....and I just hope to catch them in that perfect, that dream, that awesome moment that makes you feel it when you see it.

First post

Are all first posts titled just that? First post??
My photographic journey began a little while ago, well quite a while ago.  I bought my own SLR Minolta right before digital cameras took off.  I was hopeless at it.  I'd dreamed I guess of being a bit like my dad, he always took great photos and he knew all about the camera, he took cool images and did fantastic things with light, with shutter speed and the filters he had!...he even helped me choose that first SLR.  


Problem was, I was no good at it. I wear glasses and thought that was my problem.  I'd wait a day or two until the film was processed and was always bitterly disappointed.  Some of the photos were taken a month prior; I had no hope at all really, I couldn't even remember much about the photos, let alone what settings I'd used.  I just couldn't ever work out what was wrong nor how to fix it.


I decided I was no good, and the camera didn't see the light of day for years!  I waited a while and bought a digital camera, just to catch the memories, catch the moment only.  I loved it, loved that I could see a really bad photo and delete it without costing a fortune.  I loved that I could try some things and if they were bad or embarrassingly composed...delete.  


A couple of years ago my dad upgraded his digital and offered his old Canon DSLR 350d to me to 'borrow'.  I still have it, the lenses that came with it...the filter was upgraded when I had a minor accident with it during my borrowing period.  I've since expanded my kit, I still have the 350d as my sole body though, and my love and knowledge of photography.  I've still got sooo much to learn, I'm still at a basic level I'd say but loving this hobby and loving everything I've learnt so far.  And not just about cameras and photography, I've learnt a lot about people as well.  My favourite things to capture are people in their environment being natural, macro (when I can loan my dad's lens :) ) shots, and nature.  Well, I'm still learning, so really I do like to try anything new.


I'll be learning along the way, posting images and things I've stumbled across and sharing my journey with you.
Using natural light in a superb way and a rockin' set of catchlights in a crisp portrait are two things I aspire to....and I just hope to catch them in that perfect, that dream, that awesome moment that makes you feel it when you see it.