366 Project for 2012

I've been meaning to write a blog post for a while now but I am so busy with a very active crawling, moving baby that finding the time to do everything can be difficult.

As we turn over into a new year I have decided to do a photo a day project to try and make me pick up the camera more and try out different styles of photography and some new subjects. I started on New Years Day and have been posting my shots on my Flickr photo stream but I realised I could also put them up on my blog to encourage me to come in here more often.

So I am posting my first two photos as a catch up and will post each shot each day as I upload it to Flickr. There will be 366 shots in total as this is a leap year.

001 / 366 -The Only Popper the Didn't get Popped

002 / 366 - New Year De-Clutter

I already have a couple of ideas for today's shot so we shall see if they work when I try to shoot them later. The big question is if I can keep coming up with plenty of ideas to last the whole year......wish me luck I might need it!

Don't forget you can also follow my photography through Flickr and also via my Facebook Fan Page

Thanks for reading - all comments welcome and appreciated.

Every year towards the end of October the travelling fair comes to town to coincide with the local firework display. It stays for around two weeks and for the past couple of years I have tried to go and take some pictures but haven't made it for one reason or another with the camera. This year I was determined to make sure I made it there and get some photographs.

I headed down on a Thursday night knowing it would be slightly less crowded but busy enough that the rides would operate quite regularly. Armed with my camera, tripod, shutter release and wearing a warm jumper off I went! It seemed to be a little bit smaller than in previous years but there were still quite a few decent rides to get pictures of. Setting up my camera on the tripod I attached my remote trigger and I knew this would help reduce any camera shake which is important when doing long exposure shots. I wanted these to come out as well as possible as I knew I may not get another chance to try again.

Some of the rides were better for producing light trails than others and as is always the case with this kind of photography you never quite know what the end result will be which I think is one of the reasons I like it so much. I was very happy with the shots I got while I was there......

The fair isn't just about rides though there are all the other little things that make up all the fun of the fair - hot dogs, hamburgers and candy floss and hook a duck to name just a few. I tried to make sure I got a good mixture of pictures not just of all the fast, loud, whirling rides...

So they are my pictures from the fair, I really liked being able to try something different with the camera, hope you enjoyed looking at them all.

Once again I have been considering starting a 365 project as I think it will encourage me to pick up the camera every day and get me taking more general pictures again. Hmmmmmmmm maybe I might start one tomorrow?

All comments welcomed and feel free to share my blog with anyone else you may know who is interested in photography and might enjoy it.

Thanks for reading!

Summer is here and it's wedding season!

Summer is here and once again with it has come a number of weddings. After last years record breaking seven weddings which we had been invited to as guests this year seemed slightly quieter with just three summer weddings booked in our diaries.

The first was the wedding of Cheung and Kim, held in Elstree it was just over an hour and a half drive for us which wasn't too bad. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great as the heavens had opened depositing quite a lot of rain and so there was no chance of outdoor photos however the couple worked their way around it by having some shots indoors.

Kym looked stunning in her white dress with diamante detailing to the bodice and Cheung looked very dapper in his suit. After the ceremony they served some Chinese style finger foods and then the newlyweds cut the cake, a gorgeous white chocolate sponge cake with sugar flowers, which tasted delicious.
We then moved on to a local Chinese restaurant for a meal - I don't think anyone could say they didn't have enough to eat as there was plenty of choice in the ten course menu. - our bellies were certainly full after that!

Here are a few of my favourite photographs from the day....

 

Thank you to Cheung and Kym for inviting us to share your special day.

The next wedding was just a week later, Rob & Lisa's day was held at a lovely venue in the countryside. They had planned to hold the ceremony outside but once again the weather had other ideas as just as the guests were arriving it started spitting. Within just a few minutes the heavens had opened and there was very heavy rain so plan B was put into action and the ceremony was moved inside to what looked like a converted barn.

Lisa looked beautiful in her wedding dress which she designed herself and had made by dressmaker Wendy Benstead Costume and Clothing, based in London (www.wendybenstead.com). It was exactly the kind of dress I would imagine Lisa to wear - very floaty and quite Grecian in its design.

Lisa was beaming as she walked down the aisle and Rob looked proud as punch when he greeted his bride. Unfortunately the rain had turned torrential outside and was creating a lot of noise but the couple made sure they spoke a little louder when taking their vows so all the guests could hear them. After some welcome drinks we enjoyed a lovely three course meal which was delicious and then came the speeches. I think Rob, an Arsenal fan was impressed with Lisa's present to him, a personalised letter from Arsene Wenger the clubs manager.

Luckily the rain stopped later on in the day and it brightened up which meant we could all mingle outside and the couple could have some outdoor shots after all. They even had a rainbow appear which was quite apt as Lisa loves rainbows and anything multicoloured - it couldn't have been more perfect.

These are a few of my favourite photographs from the day....

 

Thank you to the new Mr & Mrs Boucher for inviting us - we had a fantastic time.

The final wedding was that of Simon & Jenny, held in Stratford-Upon-Avon the weather was much kinder and the sun even poked it's head out. The wedding ceremony was held in a beautiful church followed by a wedding breakfast and evening reception in a nearby hotel.

Jenny looked radiant as she made her entrance. Her smile said it all as she walked down the aisle and there was a lovely moment when her father lifted her veil as she got to the altar to meet her husband to be.

The ceremony was lovely with a selection of hymns and a brilliant reading of a Pam Ayres poem. There was also a beautiful rendition of "Your Song" by Elton John performed by the brides brother on guitar and a young lady singing the lyrics. After the register had been signed the couple made their exit to greet all the guests outside the church.

After the service the bride and groom and family stayed at the church for photographs and the rest of the guests made their way across the road to the hotel where we were met with a welcome drink of Bucks Fizz. The newlyweds joined us for more photos and the throwing of the confetti.

The day was quite a relaxed affair with a delicious barbecue and then dancing in the evening to the disco - everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and it was obvious the new Mr & Mrs Bunyard were having a great day from the constant smiles on their faces.

A few photographs I took on the day....

 

Thank you Mr & Mrs Bunyard for inviting us to share your day.

As you can see it has been a busy summer so far. I'm working on a number of things at the moment including a brand new website which is work in progress but should look great when it is all set up. There is also a possibility I may be upgrading my camera and accessories - lots of exciting stuff going on which I hope to share with you all soon.

Anyway that's enough for me - thank you for reading, as always comments are appreciated and if you don't already follow my blog then I always welcome new followers.