Wednesday, November 27, 2013

be the inspiration you need in yourself ...

I am a runner ... i love being able to say that ... i am not the faster & i can't go the furthest but i am a runner. I love running, i love the feel of my muscles working, flying along the pavement, & i love how it clears my head. I find a sense of peace when i am out there & i do a lot of thinking. Not the bad kind of thinking just it's as if when running you can put all the pieces of the puzzle together with ease, push away the stuff that is irrelevant & find the answers to the mysteries of the world. Today's run was necessary except for the fact i had something to prove to myself, i have been gradually pushing my body a little more & seeing some great results & i love that. I had already gotten in back to back T25 before taking Jacob to nursery, & then my regular HIIT class but well its my birthday & i had something to prove to my "older" self. So i ran on tired legs & i can't lie the first mile kind of sucked but it felt good to be out there, a nice pace, not too cold ... & the rest!

So then i get thinking ... all kinds of things but i keep coming back to inspiration. As photographers the subject of inspiration comes up a lot. what inspires us? who inspires us? How do we find our way out of a rut? & the first thing that comes to mind is that i go out & shoot, a photo road trip or just 20 minutes at a favorite location. But today i moved away from photography & thought about all the incredible people in my life that inspire me. I wish i knew as a 23 year old that it wasn't the famous people who would be the ones who would have the biggest impact on my life. 

I feel bless in so many ways to have a wonderful husband, a beautiful son & a "job" that i love. But i also feel blessed by the friends who have come into my world & shown me so much. The come from every warp of life, though the majority are military or military spouses & the first thing i can say is they have this incredible strength, we're not talking physically but on another level. They are proof that you can be anything you want to be if you work hard enough at it. They inspire me to get up in the morning & put myself out there whether it's photographically or pushing myself at the gym. The people i love the most are spread across the world but they still inspire me with their own dreams, their own achievements & their drive. It doesn't matter if you are starting with nothing, it matters that you take the first step & having those people to help guide & show you the way makes a huge difference. & i have to say my running friends are often top of that list ... there is this no holds barred rule when out running, i can tell someone anything & i know they won't judge. Don't ask me why but it's better than therapy, it's the ultimate physical & mental release. 

But today i also realized something more important ... as much as you do need to surround yourself by inspirational people you need to inspire yourself. & i do ... i love at the person i am now, my body with all it's scars & well "curves" where i wish they wouldn't be & i am strong, i can run a half marathon, i can survive deployments & i can give birth. I could have said it out loud too as i pushed through that final quarter of a mile because i think we all need to. It's not about not needing to rely on others it's about finding the strength in yourself to move forward not alone but with being your own guide. 

I am sure many a person has said this & more cohesively but its something i wanted to share, something i wish my 23 year old self would have known that i am the inspiration i seek. 

& this is me ... all ... well sweaty after my run! 


Have a wonderful day everyone & look for inspiration in others & yourself. & don't forget to check out the sisterhood circle & their wonderful blogs, starting with that of Karrie

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

long exposures ...

I wish i could take workshops every week ... i love love love them! It's true ... i mean ...

1. i love learning 
2. i love being inspired 
3. any excuse to take photos

So in the depths of my August when i was feeling uninspired & stuck in the rut i signed myself up for a couple of very different workshops once of which was totally new to me. I have always admired landscape photographers & long exposures specifically but as hard as i try i can't get them right so this was my chance to learn ... & it was awesome. I spent a beautiful fall afternoon shooting on the Norfolk coast & understanding filters & getting the look I had been dreaming on (resulting in me buying said filters & waiting rather impatiently for everything to arrive so i can go practice what i have learnt). So here is something very new & a little different to keep you occupied. & don't forget to head on round the circle of Sisterhood Stories starting with something else very different on the blog of Karrie Drake. & have a wonderful wednesday! 






Wednesday, October 16, 2013

cambridge & calendars ...

So recently i have ended up in another funk ... life & the weather simple as that. & my beloved lensbaby work has taken the brunt of my dislike. I felt as if it was uncohesive, boring & well blaaaaaah (that would be the technical term). Now this i believe is a phase every artist goes through ... 24 hours of being mad at perfectly good work. So to get myself out of this little funk i got working on a calendar ... i have already designed 4 templates this year for calendars & thanks to my funk didn't like any. So not only was i making a calendar of my Cambridge lensbaby work I was making a new template. See how artist funks go? 

Well 2 days later ... not only did i love love my new template but wow did i love how cohesive & gorgeous my lensbaby work looked in the calendar. Yes we do have a tendency to swing between either end of the spectrum ... i believe it's known as the "artist temperament". Or maybe just a bad day. Anyways here is said calendar which can be purchased over at sweet dreams & honey ... in either a 7x5" loose leaf format or a 6x4" loose leaf format. 

& now that you've listened to me go on about well ummmm not much of any significance head on over to fellow sisterhood stories blogger Jessica & see what pretties she has to share online. & once you are done there you can just continue on you round the blog circle all the way back to my ramblings. Happy hump day! xx





Wednesday, October 2, 2013

apple picking & jacob ...

It's sisterhood stories day ... yes i know one post every 2 weeks isn't exactly you know blogging often but it's more often than it was so we will consider it a start ... anyways i had an idea for a blog post & i totally forgot what it was (you me ... i distract easily) so instead you just get to look at pictures of Jacob & his friend when we went apple picking at Sandringham a couple of weeks ago. Yes possible a few too many pictures but to be honest is there such thing as too much cute? & Don't forget to head on over to the beautiful blog of Jessica Barone & check out what thoughts she has to share with the world on this somewhat blah wednesday! Have a great week. xx












Wednesday, September 18, 2013

wanderlust ... & the sisterhood stories ...

I love the word "wanderlust" ... it has a sound & a feel that go together, it conjures up images of mountains & deserts & trains & planes & free spirits. It inspires me to get out & see something new & with it i dream of adventures & new discoveries & pretty pictures. As far as words go it's one of my favourites but until now i have never been able to turn it into art. & this week i got two pictures that show it for me. & you know what i'm not done with the word, i think you will be seeing it show up in my shop over & over because of it's beauty & because in November i will be California bound for 30 days, a place that for me symbolizes everything the word means to me. Long winding roads through the Sierra Nevadas, the beauty of the hills reflected in Lake Isabella & the desert landscape. *bliss*



Take a moment to head on over to the beautiful blog of Kerrie Drake & then wander around the circle & happy hump day everyone. xx

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

this is me blogging ... sisterhood stories

Hello ... surprise ... happy hump day ... yep i'm actually blogging ... please now take a minute ... sit down ... breath ... & see what i have to say. I have become a member of a blogging circle (i believe that's what it's called) ... the Sisterhood Stories ... hopefully this will get me back into the swing of things because you know i like to blog. 

So last thursday i set out on a little photographic road trip ... just me & the camera ... it was a screw the weather kind of day I just needed to get out shooting & escape this rut i had found myself in. & it was a wonderful adventure ... no munchkin (not that i don't love my adventures with the munchkin) ... & what turned out to be some beautiful weather. I headed out to the coast via a little random trip around the fens, 30 miles took me about 2 hours but it was all worth it, even the dreaded sand that naturally made it's way into everything. But more importantly for me at least i found myself inspired once again, so much beauty around me screaming to be photographed. There are certain things i need to do ... spend time alone, read books, run & take pretty pictures ... without the above i feel as if something is missing, the same way i feel as if something is missing when my son isn't around ... things that are all part of the person i am. & wow did it feel amazing!! 

So enough talk ... sit back ... relax ... take a load of your feet ... & check out some pretty pictures. & When you're done be sure to head on over to the beautiful blog of Karrie Drake & see what words of wisdom this has to offer & of course check out some beautiful photos. 













& a little bit of fun ... have a wonderful day everyone. xx

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

a little old skool ...

So one of my favourite things to do right now is to shoot film ... I love that i have the chance to experiment with my mountain of film cameras (i have getting up towards 100 of them), I love the anticipation of waiting for them to get developed. Right now it's a little hit & miss & since most of my cameras are vintage there are some "individualities" to them. But it's so much fun & i will improve! 

So in taking a break from Scotland here are the results of the 3 rolls i picked up today ... happy viewing. 

camera: Zenit ET
format: 35mm
film: Lomo color 100




camera: LC-A
format: 35mm
film: Kodak Portra 160 




camera: Diana
format: 120
film: Kodak Portra 100




Anyways i hope you enjoyed my experiements ... no editing was done to these images & one day i hope to be able to print myself. I am though added some to my etsy shop "ooh pretty shiny" for purchase. 

Have a great night.
xx