More practise shots

More playing with the studio lights in preparation for up coming jobs. Keep overdoing the exposure, but I quite like these high key shots. Someone please tell me if it is too much. I really won't be offended, and need to know what works and what doesn't!!!

Studio lights

Ages since I blogged as usual!!!
I've bought myself some studio lights, as I have a few jobs lined up. Really annoyed, as the slave light worked when I first set it up, but got them out today and could not get it to work. Have emailed the supplier, but not hopeful of a positive response (bought from a well known auction site). Tumble dryer packed up too today, so not happy.
Anyway, here are a few shots I managed with the one working light and a softbox.

School girl.

Took these photos of erin in her new uniform when it arrived a few weeks ago. Can't believe how grown up she looks in it. Hard to beleive that in a few short weeks she will be at school, where does the time go?! Think I need a bit of practice at doing a tie though, it is a while since I have done one.

Just had to post the picture of Cerys too, as i rarely get a nice one of her, but I think she looks so beautiful here. Can't believe how much hair she has at 16 months old. I took the picture at my sister's house, when I was checking out the camera I had just bought my nephew for his birthday. I got him a re-conditioned Nikon Coolpix, for a first camera I think it will be really good for him.

Photo shoot

This blog seems to be turning into a photography blog and nothing else at the moment.

I am really enjoying my photography at the moment, my family think i am becoming a bit obessed!!!

These photos were taken at the weekend, for cheryl's workshop. I really wanted to do some grungy, moody teenage shots, so borrowed my eldest nephew. He was a brilliant model, and I was able to get just the shots i was after, thankyou Daniel!!!

On the home front, things are changing dramatically. i have resigned from my job, bit sad, as despite all the change and upheaval of the last few months, it is a job i still really enjoy. But with erin starting school soon, and various other things, the logistics were just becoming too difficult. I am going to be doing 2 nights a week respite for a family I know fairly well, with a chronically ill baby. It is agency work, so not very secure, but should suit me better.

The extension is now finished, just need to find time to decorate it all, I am ding a bit in the evenings, but it is hard when there is a baby in the house.

a few pics.

Here are a few shots from my course on Monday that I am quite pleased with.

My Girls

It feels like a while since I have blogged.

We have been to France, and had a lovely, much needed family break. A few ups and downs while there, mostly weather induced. Disappointing photo opportunities, again weather induced, but on the whole a fab time, and the girls had a ball I think.

Have been very active in the photo taking stakes since getting back, taking shots for this weeks module. I have produced yet another favourite shot of Erin, what is it about the girl, she is just so photogenic, and I don't know why. She is my daughter, so I am biased, of course I am, but she seems to have 'it', every shot is so easy. And then there is Cerys. Funny, quirky, smiley Cerys, who is such a little treasure, but can I get a good shot of her? Not on your life ,she is either frowning or sulking, or closing her eyes, or just being...well Cerys, I just want that one good shot, as she is the sunniest of my two, but in the first year of her life, it has just not happened. I'll just have to keep getting that camera out.

And it is late, or rather early in the morning, and I have work tomorrow, but cannot sleep, as I saw Eva today, and she has been told Elena will not survive, and I cannot stop thinking about it. Our children should not go before us.

Sillouette

This is the photo that earned a top 5 slot on Cheryl's workshop. Thanks th Cheryl for organising this, it has really made me think more about creative photography.

So chuffed!!!

I am feeling really happy today. I found out this morning that a photo I submitted, as part of an online photography workshop, has been picked as one of the top 5 images of the week. There are 226 people on this course, so to get picked out of so many means so much to me. i have been putting a lot of time into my photography recently, and i really feel as though it is paying off now. I shall post the picture on here once I get home from work.
I'm busy putting a portfolio together for my evening class that I am doing, and this online workshop is helping me to get some more creative shots for that. I have got 2 pictures that i shall take to class tonight to get some feedback from my tutors.
I just wish i had started taking my photography further when i was much younger, as there would have been more of a chance to make a career out of it. I think it will always just be a hobby now.
Talking of careers, i don't know how much longer I shall stick my current job. there have been a lot of changes to the team recently, and things are not good. I need to seriously look at my options.

Counting my blessings

I have been sitting here this evening counting my blessings. I have spent some of the day and most of the evening with a very dear friend, whose not quite one year old little girl is suffering from an extremely rare form of skin leaukaemia. So rare that the doctors treating it do not know what to do next, as she is not responding to any chemo. my friend is understandably devastated, and is facing the very real prospect of losing her little girl.
I came home, and kissed my sleeping baby girl, hugged my bigger one and told her I loved her, and thanked my lucky stars that they are well and thriving.

A rare LO

I do so little scrapping at the moment, life seems to be so busy. So I was really pleased to get this one done. It alreadt seems a lifetime ago since Cerys finished wearing her helmet. In a small way I miss it, she looked so cute in it, and whenever we were out, total stangers would strike up a conversation with us.

Yey, we have windows, and a roof!!

Can't belive how quickly the builders are getting on with things, the roof is finished, and the windows are in. Ok, so one window is cracked and one is too small, but it is still progress. The floor man is coming tomorrow, and hopefully the scaffolding will be down by the weekend.

Have put some pics on, and also a few of the girls from the weekend, and the flower one, just because I like it.

Finally got around to posting a pic of the building work up to a week ago. I shall take some more tomorrow, as the roof joists are now on. It looks really small and insignificant in the photos, but hopefully it should give us much more space than we currently have. The long term plan is to extend out the full length of the house, so we can have a bigger kitchen too, but it was just too expensive to do it all in one go.

Have just realised we should have moved Cerys out of her room already, we are doing it tomorrow, but could be in for a bad night. She has just woken up screaming, and I went into her to realise all she has over her head is tarpaulin and it is very windy, flapping around and making a hell of a racket. Not very bright are we?

One today!!

Well, my baby turned one today, can't believe it, where has this last year gone?? Spent her birthday at Alton Towers hotel, in the theme park all day yesterday, and the waterworld for the morning today, before travelling back and making an impromptu visit to friends. unfortunately, Cerys did not take well to the waterpark, she was terrified the whole time, it was just too hot and noisy for her. Erin had a ball though, she was so excited the last few days, as she had been looking forward to the 'magic hotel'. Had a lovely day in the main park yesterday, we were with friends, whose boy is just a bit younger than erin, so they enjoyed running around together, even cerys got to go on a few rides!! Philip and I went on 'Air', the rollercoaster where you are suspended face down, and hurtled round at some ridiculous speed, it was amazing!!!

Cerys was pleased to get home, she is not too good at the whole travelling thing, she cryed until we got to churchdown, then started giggling, so i'm sure she realised we were nearly home. We had time to open a few pressies before she went to bed. Still can't get over the fact that she is a year old, it has gone so quickly, I've loved every single minute of her, she is such an angel.

The pictures are a few I took of her this evening, playing with one of her presents (thanks kathy!!), and her enjoying her first icecream at Alton towers yesterday. We have been leaving her hat of in the day for a few days now, as we have decided to finish treatment at her next review on Tuesday. We've been thinking about it for a while, and her Osteopath said on Monday that he feels the helmet is now restricting her growth, which is what we had been wondering too. I can't wait to finish, but in a strange way will miss the helmet, as it has become part of her. After all, she has worn it for half of her life.

Spring is here.

Can't believe how lovely the weather has been the last few days. The girls and I have spent loads of time in the garden, Erin playing football, Cerys discovering the delights of the swing, and me running between the 2 trying to push a swing while playing football. It's been a really nice couple of days. erin's temper seems to have calmed so much over the last few weeks, let's just hope it lasts.

The builders are getting on well. We have bricks up to damp-proof level, and a floor. They are not back now til Friday, but will be here Saturday too. Thet reckon they will be up to roof height in a few days. I've put a picture on, which was taken today. And yes the room really does look that small!!! It'll be fine though, as the reason for the extension was to be able to create a big room upstairs, and once Cerys's room is knocked through it should be huge.

Took a few pics of the girls in the garden today. Really pleased with the one of Erin, it is the best I have managed of her for a long time, as recently she always puts on an idiotic grin whenever she spots the camera aimed at her.

Building has started!!

Well, the builders arrived at 0800 today, caused chaos, by plonking a huge skip on the road, and asking our neighbour to move their car. But the foundations are down, and the room looks like it will be tiny!!!! I know it is deceptive, I remember when we went to see our old house in Bicester we thought there would never be any room for any furniture, but the lounge was huge when it was finished, so we shall see. I will try and take regular pictures and post them on here.

Building work go-ahead.

well, as the title says we got the go-ahead from the planners to build our extension, so the builders start on Thursday. I'm so excited to finally get this underway, as the house feels very small now there are 2 children on the rampage (well, ok Cerys can only drag herself around with the pace of a slug, but you know what I mean). Not looking forward to the noise and dust (and the bigger mortgage, gulp), but it will be so worth it. erin is very excited at the prospect of having a bigger bedroom, and sharing it with cerys, although i am a bit concerned that Erin will disturb Cerys during the night if they share, as Erin has always been a bad sleeper. I guess we can only try it and see. For some reason erin now hates being in a room on her own, so we are hoping if they share, she may sleep better.

Actually got a LO done tonight. it is not the most inspired LO ever, but at least I have done some scrapping. Don't know where my inspiration has gone recently.

Cerys's scan pictures

Here are the scan pictures that Rachel (Cerys's Orthotist) did at Cardiff yesterday. They really do show how much her head has changed, even if that change has been rahter slower than we had originally hoped. The only thing to bear in mind is that these pictures are of Cerys's 'good' side, the right side is still a lot flatter, and due to the plagiocephaly is 7mm shorter front to back than the left side. Also the scan does not show that Cerys's head is rather wide at the back, although this is hugely improved, as the head length has been acheived.

Had another trip to cardiff yesterday to review cerys's head measurements. Very slow progress again, only 1mm growth in 5 weeks!! But Rachel was happy to scan her when i asked, and the scan showed she is down to 90% brachycephaly, whereas the hand measurements had her at 92%. So we are not far off the target of 88% or below. In view of that we have decided to continue with the helmet for at least another 6 weeks, it seems silly to have got this far only to give up so close to the end. Rachel has shaved lots off the helmet in various places to try and alleviate the depressed cheekbone, which is our main concern at the moment. I will scan her pictures in later, which show her orignal head shape, and the one she has now.

Had a play with a few of the Docks shots last night, and came up with these. I converted them to mono, then added a few curves adjustment layers to get a more dramatic effect, before dodging and burning to get more contrast. Think I am slowly starting to get a portfolio together, and I have a few shots that my tutor thinks i should be able to put into the exhibition at the end of term.

Gloucester docks

Here are a few of the photos I took during last Monday's class. As usual I am dissappointed by most of them, don't think i have much of an eye for composition.

Very excited by the prospect of a friend and I possibly doing a weekend course at the Reading school of photography, it is supposed to be fab. Just need to talk DH into letting me shell out the money, I have spent rather a lot on camera related stuff recently!!!

Thought I would quickly post a few pictures of Erin in the snow a few days ago. It is the first time she has really seen any snow, and she was soooo excited. The pictures are terrible quality, it was only just light, and i was rushing before work, so they were taken with a slow shutter speed, hand held, never a good combination. Still, at least i got some snowy pics.

Had a really good birthday weekend, lots of drinking and socialising.

Scrapping again.

Yey, I did my first LO for months today. I've so lacking in inspiration recently. Not helped by lack of sleep caused by 1st 0ne then two sick DD's. Had a pretty awful day today, DD1 has been completely evil, a week of very little sleep catching up with her. On days like today I really wonder why I had kids. I love her to bits, but boy is she hard work sometimes.

DH finally gone mad.

Well I had a phonecall this evening from Dh to say that he had just got into the train station (commuting to work this week) to find his car had been stolen. Lots of swear words and panicking from me, only to have a phone call 1/2 an hour later to say that while he was on the phone to the police, he suddenly remembered that he had missed the train this morning, so decided to drive to Swindon to get the next one, so his car was parked there. How do you forget something like that??

Anyway here are some of the photos from my course last night, not the most interesting subjects, but fun learning some new techniques.