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| This pillar is just outside my front door. Enzo jumps up there sometimes to admire the view down the gravel driveway. This morning it was lovely to watch him as the wind was blowing his fabulous winter coat. He was not up there for long though as he quickly realised it was a bit precarious. I did however manage to grab my camera and shoot these few before he leaped down. |
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| I love watching tulips. Everyday the stems twist and turn, slowly the blooms open, then the petals bend and become translucent until eventually, one by one, they gently drop off. This vase has been in my bedroom for about 8 days and seeing the way the late afternoon sun shines through just makes me happy... |
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| Just after Thanksgiving I bought 17 terracotta pots. I painted them and planted three bulbs in each. It was such a joy to watch them grow, ever so slowly, only about half an inch a day. Then about ten days ago, just before Christmas they suddenly took off and bloomed. The timing was perfect! I gave them away to family and friends who have all left messages saying how divine the smell is or how the little white flowers make their day. I did keep a few for myself and the smell is just lovely. And, like the tulips, the way the sun makes them glow is just beautiful. Sadly, they are starting to fall over, so whenever one topples over, I cut the stem and put it in a vase with the previous lot. It is probably only a matter of days before they all die, but it has been a wonderful six weeks watching something so beautiful come from a tiny flaky bulb. And the best part is that I can recycle both the pots and the bulbs next year... |
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| I last photographed John, Clare and Jackie in August 2007. John and Clare have hardly changed, but Jackie has changed dramatically, from an adorable little girl into a striking young lady. This time Sue decided a photograph of the whole family was in order - including their two frisky pups. Thank you all for a lovely shoot... |
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| The sun is shining and I am smiling. It is a new year and a new chance to grow and to learn. I remember a few years ago Evian water ran a campaign saying that every day is a new day to be healthy. I am not sure what the exact wording was, but I recall being so inspired by that notion. Rather than feeling guilty about the vast quantity of chocolate I had consumed, that tomorrow was another day and another chance to do something new, something different to make my life better. And although I would usually consume more chocolate, I would also go to ballet, or for a walk on the beach and also have a grapefruit and lots of water. So this year, I am sure I will continue to enjoy lots of chocolate, but I also plan to live each day as a new opportunity to make everything better. To always take time for myself, to sleep more, to read more and to learn more. I went to my first photography conference in November and it was wonderful. To spend time with other photographers; learning, sharing and being inspired by the amazing people there was probably the most valuable thing I have done for my photography in a long time. I am truly excited about 2011 and have so many hopes and plans to make this year even better than the last... And I am looking forward to inspiring myself and my clients to create some really amazing images... |
