Out And About

Im sure time flies quicker in the summer, getting out and around and the holidays popping up. You realise how much when you log in to see a host of unfinished posts - oooops!

But i HAVE been busy and in a good way with lots of things coming into fruition. I will post some news on this once i've updated some pictures!

Growing Old Together

Dragging out my black and white beach photo's to be reminded of slightly less grey times!

Let The Sun Shine

I'm wondering what other miracles might occur on the few remaining hours of this bank holiday. Might seem a little optimistic but I can't remember a recent bank holiday that has been so lovely.

Very happy to say I made the most of it with a lovely (if not slightly tasking) walk - I like to describe my look after as glowing! I also finally got round to meeting the guys at Feather Perfect falconry and there are some super exciting developments which I'll talk more about once definite details are confirmed.

It also gave me chance to test my new Sigma zoom lens which was cool - pictures to follow in later posts.

Anyway in light of the lovely weather here are some very yellow shots.

Playing Del Boy...Where To Sell Your Stuff!

There comes a time in every photographers life where you consider selling your wares and it with a variety of sites to choose from it can be a bit of a faff!

So here is a snapshot of some of the easier sites out there that wont leave you tearing your hair out.

The first thing i would advise is stay away from Ebay! It's nothing personal but it's never really worked for me. Unless you have a great supplier of canvas or prints it is going to be pretty costly to produce any work and if you are looking for a decent margin then the only option is to price high. That sort of pricing doesn't really work with Ebay especially when you are starting out as an unknown.

A way to make some return from your shots is to look at sites where you can sell for commercial use. You will need to submit your work for review and some of the waiting lists can take up to three months so don't be surprised if it takes a while. The return is good though with earnings being as much as £500. A good example of this is Shutterstock.

If you are looking for sites that focus on canvas art and the like there are some good free options out there.

Two that are super easy to set up are Red bubble and Photo box Gallery. The commission structures are really straightforward and you can leverage greater prices for products where you want to make more margin.

The key is to be patient, it will take time to build before you see any sales but hold on in there!

Turning Point

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts about my first picture on canvas. It was a great moment for me in my journey and marked something really special. When i first thought about photography being something to take seriously as opposed to just taking the old holiday snaps i wasn't particularly confident in my ability. I joined some photo communities with really mixed results. Naturally i asked for really honest feedback but at times couldn't help think there was a good element of photo snobbery being thrown in for good measure.

There was one site however that i would truly recommend to anyone looking to get inspiration and honest feedback as well as the occasional pat on the back. What was great is there was a vast mix of truly exceptional photographers, amateurs and everything in between. Fotoblur allows you to upload a restricted selection of photo's but it's great for just getting inspiration and just a little motivation when needed.

http://www.fotoblur.com

One piece of advise i would give is stick with it! It's so easy to start comparing yourself to other people who may have been doing it a lot longer and may have a completely different style or perspective. But all it takes is practise and time. Before you know it you'll find your niche!

Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside!

I feel lately that i've been a little black and white focused...it seems to bring out the key elements in some of my recent pictures. Indeed there are some pictures from the beach which are black and white but i tried to make sure there's a good splash of colour in there to lighten everything up!

Colour!!!

Happy Easter everyone! A time for reflection, new life and beginnings. At last the sun seems to be breaking through the snow and spring is fiiiinally starting to show some signs of life. I actually managed to sit outside for more than a minute today and bask in some sunshine! Below are some of the first spring signs :-).

Au Revoir Paris

This is my last Paris post and i can't tell you how much I've enjoyed them...here's to the next visit! The final glimpse of Paris is by night from various places. I often find night time so much more beautiful, particularly when illuminated.

Revisited

I find it really interesting how your opinions can change over time. Most applicably with my photographs. There are shots that i am instantly happy with and will happily upload straight away, some that need little tweeks and others which quite frankly i think don't cut the mustard.

After re-visiting some albums before i had the realisation that this of course can change with time. And so here are some pictures which have been recently revived.

Its nice that they have some colour as many of my recent bits have been in black and white.

Narnia...I Wish!

I won't say much on these but reflective of the weather...that is all!

Love & Loss In Montparnasse

I'm making the most of the very snowy weather by being diligent and trying to do all the little things i usually put off in the week including but not limited to updating the blog and making Danger Mouse badges....don't ask!

At the same time i'm also trying to curb my ambition to take Narnia themed pictures! Fur coat is one thing but i'm lacking a strategically placed wardrobe.

Back to Paris! This is my penultimate post on Paris and looks at my trip through Jardin Du Luxembourg finally reaching Montparnasse cemetery and tower. I was very impressed with my last leg of the journey, mainly because i got totally lost and used typical female navigation skills of head towards the big tower. I did however end up in the right place and reaped the benefits including new earrings. The gardens were lovely but the real aim was Montparnasse and i wasn't left disappointed. I don't generally hang around in graveyards but Europeans have a different view of opinions and boy does it show. I got some of my favourite pictures to date from here.

Optimism!

This is going to seem like a rather different post to normal - going off on a tangent some would say (me!?!?! Never!!). Nevertheless it is a little different and it's been spurned on by horoscopes, a simple gift and spam emails....a strange combination you may say but all aligning together perfectly!

I don't read Horoscopes religiously however when i did happen to read mine in February on a very boring afternoon i couldn't help but feel intrigued and excited about what it said was in store for me. I realised some time ago that the things i love doing are all centered around creativity. Singing, photography, cooking, writing all give me an outlet to express myself and to be truly happy i need a good measure of each of these to keep me going. The horoscope in question alluded to this exactly and that this year would very special and important in releasing these skills to their full potential. Exciting stuff!

A few weeks ago my sister in law was looking at some of my pictures from Paris, and happened to like some specific shots. As she continually feeds me with pizza and wine whenever I'm there i thought it was time to give her a gift. The decision led me to my first ever picture being printed on canvas. I was thrilled she loved it but i missed something really important about that process. That it was a huge cornerstone for me to see something i had captured...that one moment in time...made into something that other people could enjoy.

Finally i received an email yesterday from Happify! Initially it looked like some standard spam message but I'm glad i took the time to read it properly. I will blog about it separately as its deserving of a separate post...well that and I'm only on my second day! Happify looks at the science of happiness, that it is a choice we make and something that we should work at. It's been really really interesting so far and the challenges they give you really force you to think about gratitude and what it means to be happy.

How are these all related i hear you ask?! Well, I honestly believe that we all have a path laid out for us, not set in stone but a journey that we are all meant to take. My photography has been one of those journeys and whilst I'm no David Bailey i have to learnt to be confident in my ability but that aside it has bought me moments and memories that i will never lose...that are stored in pictures for years to come. The gift that i gave was the point at which other people could share in those moments.

It's sometimes hard to appreciate what we have, what we are able to do and the things that really matter in life. We all have our paths to take, some of them aren't easy and leave you feeling lost. But happiness is a choice, it is a behaviour and we can all improve at it, starting with simple things like a photo! Whilst it doesn't take away the difficult times it helps you focus on the small things for which we should be grateful but that we can miss so easily!

Nighty night!

When I said I'd realised that I had more than enough photos to upload I really under estimated how many and with spring on its way I'd better get updating sharpish! But Rome wasn't built in a day as they say and so its time for some shut eye! With my rock and roll lifestyle I'm snuggled in bed with a hot water bottle (it is flipping cold), editing some flower pictures hoping they will remind me of warmer times to come...ttfn!

Lunch en Paris

Wow it's been a long day so writing posts about Paris seems the best and most enjoyable way to end it...that being in the absence of a glass of wine!

Which brings me onto my Parisian lunch. Yes i do realise this isn't a food blog (although i did take pictures of some of my food just to prove it did exist!) but it leads me onto the next section of my journey quite well.

Making my way to Notre Dame i came to realise despite it being particularly grand it wasn't that interesting...sorry for all the fans. That and the queue was humongous! So aside from a quick wander i opted for Saint Chapelle instead.

From there i crossed the river to Jardin Du Luxembourg which if I'm being honest i wasn't planning on visiting. BUT in the true French way i took the Laissez Faire attitude and ditched the street map. The result being a tad lost and using the typical female navigation of....i need to head to THAT building over there! I'm glad i did get lost and if i wasn't on a total mission could have spent so much more time there! I'd say it's on the list for next time but my list is growing at an alarming rate so it may the time after next or even beyond!

Ile De La Cite

So onto the next stage of my Parisian adventure...i can tell you're excited...or maybe that's just me mentally planning my next visit.

The plan to stage my uploads is all well and good but looking through how many shots Ive taken makes me realise that Paris (said in the proper accent and all) will frequent the blog for some time to come! Let's hope i don't go back too soon otherwise i will be in trouble!

Anywho, back to the point! The weather being so nice one decided to perambulate by the Seine. Many of these shots are what I'd call standard ie everyone takes them. That's not to say they are any less lovely just i felt compelled to take them just to pay homage the basics that we all must cover.

Paris....enough said!

I was a very lucky lady and got to spend a few in Paris over my birthday... mainly due to hubby having a meeting which then turned into a 3 day break. Well what can I say...any excuse.

Having been to Paris twice before when much younger I wasn't expecting to be blown away after all been there got the t- shirt as they say! How wrong I was. I had the luxury of a day on my own due to said meeting and it was just THE best day. Far too much walking and not enough eating even if I do say so myself but with so many beautiful things to see and photograph i just couldn't help myself. Some severe feet soaking was required after - just to give you the grim details as well as the good.

Taking soooo many pictures i can't cram them into one post...it wouldn't do them or my poor feet any justice so ill be releasing them in stages plotting my Paris wander perfectly.

I left the metro at Concorde and walked through the gardens to the Louvre and managed to get some great shots especially as the weather was so lovely. I say lovely i mean dry and very sunny but flipping freezing! I didn't venture into the Louvre until the day after...and why would you want to when there are so many wonderful things outside. It's nothing personal Mona but when you're in A. Paris B.Its sunny and C. actually very quiet it's a no brainer!

Enough of my rambling...PHOTO's!

Preying Birds

It seems like ages since updating the blog so I was uber happy when I realised it was only a few weeks ago! Despite that I seem to have accumulated so many pictures to upload...not a bad thing by all accounts and it was helped by a lovely impromptu trip to Paris which was amazing. I'd forgotten what a truly beautiful place it is but more of that to come later.

My handsome buddy was perched, being rather well behaved at a falconry display at Attingham park. I've taken so many pictures there now with quite a few after the floods earlier this year.  I've put the link to that post below as well as the link to Attingham for anyone who fancies a walk in the shire of shrop. Note - do take wellies!

Anyway back to my pal, I think I had  to wrestle a few people out of the way to take this....fear not no oap's or children were hurt. I really don't need to sell him...he even popped round exorcist style to say hello!

Attingham Park: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/attingham-park/

A New Start: http://retrocolour.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/a-new-start.html

Town Life

These photos are a little experimental and are my first attempt at life reflections. Sometimes it's really easy to become used to one style of photography and I'm always trying to make sure I try something new - so here goes!