A Photo a Day #336

Winter Sunset

It's cold here in the UK, but the clear skies are beautiful in the evening.

A Photo a Day #335

Stained

A pretty rusted latch

A Photo a Day #334

Getaway

A Photo a Day #333

Holidays are Coming

Too soon? I'm ready for some festive cheer. This was taken last Christmas of my parents' Christmas tree.

A Photo a Day #332

Day Job

This photo was taken early in the morning before a day at work. As I've recently mentioned, work/life balance is a hard thing in our profession; it's very busy at this time of year and having time to go places to take interesting photos is a challenge. I found some scope for photography before my working day started last week and might find myself bringing along my camera next week too. 

This photo says a lot despite its simplicity. There're also some darker undertones here- something that wasn't intentional, but I think makes this a good shot. Teaching is a rewarding profession, but it is also draining, lonely and depressing at times. Maintaining balance and perspective is important in any job, I guess.

A Photo a Day #331

Limbs

Taken on a crisp morning before work

A Photo a Day #330

Littered

Taken early in the morning before the light was at its best, this is part of a project within a project where I have taken shots of urban environments against 'flat' backgrounds to put a focus on shapes and blocks of colour. The background is a little grainy which is a shame. I needed to balance settings out a bit better, so I may re-take this another day.

A Photo a Day #329

Working Late

A Photo a Day #328

Selfie

I took this in my dark bedroom. In pure selfie style, I took about one hundred variants of this photo. I was aiming to get some nice colour bokeh from the flash- which kind of worked- alongside the polaroid-style framing that the wardrobe has created for me. I could have composed this better by being central, however this is reflective of the lack of balance we all feel at times; and this is really a diary project. November has probably been the hardest month yet for finding time for this hobby, what with workload, illness and decreased daylight hours. I need vitamin D.

A Photo a Day #327

Dreamy

A beautiful afternoon November sky- yes the photo is red filtered to bring out the colour in the clouds.

A Photo a Day #326

Guardian

Maisie is looking after me as I am unwell. She's been sleeping at my feet, cuddling me. I couldn't ask for a sweeter little girl. Since she's turned two years old, she's become a lot more cuddly and affectionate; she's started sitting on laps if encouraged and will happily sleep close to me, letting me pet her. Cats are so good for your sense of wellbeing.

A Photo a Day #325

Cat-Shaped

Black cats are the epitome of feline beauty- the silhouette is emphasised and the sophistication of the cat's physique is highlighted. This photo doesn't really achieve quite what I wanted it to, but nevertheless it shows off my cat's lovely big ears and fluffy fur!

   

A Photo a Day #324

Incensed

'Tis the season for candles...

A Photo a Day #323

Dinner in Bed

A Photo a Day #322

Where's my head at?

I told you they'd be some dodgy ones at the moment. I'm having significant laptop issues and a photography drought. But I won't be beaten. Thank you Mac Photo Booth (I think).

A Photo a Day #321

A Hole in the Ground

Taken on Bournemouth beach in late October

A Photo a Day #320

Stupid Computer

My laptop has died after months of senility. I'm cross because I've spent money on a new battery- too little, too late. I'm using an old Mac and not enjoying it. This was taken on Photo Booth! I'm going to have to be resourceful over the next week or so, so expect some self-indulgent and probably crappy photos!

A Photo a Day #319

Falling

A Photo a Day #318 Flashback Sunday

'Trend-Setter'

Me, circa 1997. My parents let me self-express through my appearance and I never even caught them laughing at me (to my face anyway) which was good of them. Here I am wearing an Adidas crop top and sporting a green stick-on jewel as a bindi! Never one to shy away from creativity, this was a look I thought I'd don one day aged around 13. Note also the Geri Halliwell-inspired sun-in blonde sections in my hair framing a red-toned DIY job. The eyebrows are also quite the focal point of this look; like most 90s teens, I quickly set to work in obliterating them. But for all of my fashion faux-pas- look at my young skin! If any teenagers ever read this- try to love yourself a bit more. You may have your flaws, but you will look back at aspects of yourself in years to come and wish you had been more grateful for what you had. I try to think this way now and urge people to do the same. We are all getting older, and what we have in the present is worth enjoying because we may not have it in the future. 

You can see in the original below there were some signs of dust and scratches which I removed. I also sharpened and tinted the photo to give it a more appealing (yet still dated) look.

What fashions did you sport as a teenager?

A Photo a Day #317

Mauve

The sky was a lovely shade of pinky-purple this afternoon.

A Photo a Day #316

Delicate

The delicate weaving of a spider's web

A Photo a Day #315

Autumn Leaves II

Check out this shot that I took just over three weeks ago. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm all for using this project as a way to document the small things in life, the little changes that the seasons bring. My choice of footwear and socks combo here isn't particularly aesthetically pleasing, but there is a reason why I'm not on Instagram!

A Photo a Day #314

Fading Fast

A fascination with leaves has become somewhat of a motif on this 'Photo a Day' challenge over the last few months- partly because, at times, I don't have much scope for photography in a busy working week. Nevertheless, this has acted as a vehicle for tracking the change in seasons and documenting the colours and textures of this beautiful part of nature. 

A Photo a Day #313

My Scary Friend

My friend was trying out one of those charcoal face masks and I captured her trying to terrorise me with it on. The result of the slower shutter speed here is fabulously frightening!

A Photo a Day #312

Night Vapour

Taken on November 5th, a night to remember apparently. It's easy to see how people think they're capturing ghosts on camera. Spooky stuff.

A Photo a Day #311

The Void

Yesterday I took this self portrait. I liked the light and shadow.

A Photo a Day #310: Flashback Sunday

Joan

This was taken (I think) by my dad. This is his mother and my Nanna, Joan. She was a major influence in my life.

I didn't improve much on the original as it was already a great photo, but I did tint it and brighten a few areas.

My Picks from the Lush Christmas Range 2017

If you love Lush like me, the launch of the Christmas range always gets your attention. Whilst browsing their website near the start of September, imagine my excitement to see their Crimbo products ripe for picking before being released in stores. The start of a new school term is always a tiring and stressful time, so I treated myself to some items that peaked my interest.                                                                                                                                     One of the scents a lot of us love year after year is of course, Snow Fairy. I was thrilled to see a Snow Fairy jelly bomb and soap (more on those later) as well as the shower gel in bottled and 'non-bottled' form- the 'Naked' shower gels and body lotions are a new addition to Lush's range, much like a bottle-shaped solid that transforms into gel or lotion.                                                                                                                                                                                               As well as the excitement of Snow Fairy, there are some fun, quirky new bath bombs and bubble bars this year as well as some of the old favourites such as the Luxury Lush Pud, Golden Wonder and Candy Mountain. 

Here are my picks after perusing the collection:

A Photo a Day #309

Sitting

My legs

A Photo a Day #308

Magic Carpet

There's no window in this room, but the light from the back door still found it.

A Photo a Day #307

Life on Earth

By the time this is posted it'll probably be a gloomy November day. It'll be a Thursday- a workday, therefore very little daylight seen. It was great to spend the last Friday in October on Bournemouth beach with a loved one in the glorious sunlight. I'm so glad to be tracking these moments on this platform; it was always my main intention.

A Photo a Day #306

Free Love Freeway

Beautiful rainbow bokeh captured through the 'pop colours' photo effect on my trusty Sony A5000. Amped up to eleven in the edit! Pretty, ay?