Friday 23 April 2010

Just For The Fun Of It!

The Gate
Sometimes it's great just to wander with my camera and shoot purely for myself, with no customers or commercial value in mind. I had two such chances very recently:

Tangle

We were invited to a wedding at a country hotel last weekend and at the very tail-end of it, the next morning after everyone had left, hubby, William and myself went for a wander around the grounds. We stumbled upon a beautiful collection of lawns and walled gardens and right at the back was an 'urban decay' paradise! A wonderful array of old statues, hotel furnishings and various building materials, all piled high amongst the crumbling walls of an abandoned outhouse.


Shears & Sickles

Broken #2


Broken #1

Last Sunday evening hubby and I took our son over to our local airport/business park, where there is a fabulous flat area just right for a young chap to break his first bike in!


The Arches #1


Reach


Aviators Cafe


Silhouette


The Arches #2


Because all flights were cancelled and the offices and cafe were shut it was so peaceful and quiet. Just an occasional passer-by. It was also perfect weather - for biking and for photography!

Blocks #1


Blocks #2


It was my husband who suggested I bring the camera, thinking I would get a few shots of William on his bike, but I shot much more than that. In fact, I almost did an entire industrial landscape project right there and then!


After both sessions I felt elated - genuinely happy inside. It has proved to me once again that photography really is good therapy for me. Long may it continue!


Until next time,
Emma ♥


PS: The above are a selection from all the shots taken. I don't know if any of them will be put up for sale yet. I'll gauge everyone's reactions and decide then, but if you do specifically want a print of any of the above - or any of the rest from my Flickr gallery - please ask!

Friday 2 April 2010

Cloudy With a Chance of Rain

...No, not the weather report here in England - which is cloudy and windy with almost certainty of rain - but my latest Lomo print!


A couple of weeks ago I found myself with an hour or so to spare, so I went for a walk along the canal. I had my Diana Lomo camera with me, loaded with B&W film, so of course the walk turned into a scouting party for good shots! I took a few photos, but nothing really exciting, then just as I was about to climb the steps back up to the road, I saw this wonderful view!

One little problem with older 'toy' cameras is that unlike modern compacts and SLRs, the viewfinder on top doesn't look through the lens itself, so you have to remember to adjust your eyes accordingly and lift the camera a little higher to get the right frame. It's something which I've found quite easy to do but it has meant that I've really had to start concentrating on composition again. I would much rather get it right 'in camera' than have to spend too much time fixing any little mistakes in post-processing. Don't get me wrong, I love using my Photoshop Elements software and when it comes to digital I think the sky's the limit, but with my film work I like to keep it as true to the original shot as possible.

Cloudy With a Chance of Rain


So, I hope you like this latest offering? If you have any thoughts or feelings about the image, this blog or just photography in general, please feel free to leave a comment below!

Until next time!
Emma ♥