reunited
Today my other half arrives in the country, ready for the holidays. I can't wait to spend some time together again!
to the falls
A memory from a wonderful group holiday earlier this year, on the hunt for Welsh waterfalls. These people are some of the best.
wintertime
frosty mornings ... hot water bottles ... pink skies ... christmas lights ... warm, spiced drinks ... anticipation ...
the big disco
Back at the start of summer (I did have to double check it was summer as it looks cold in these photos!) the world's biggest disco ball arrived in Leeds so a group of us went to check it out. The Big Disco was lots of fun..stalls, street food, a carnival and, of course, dancing. There's always something different going on in Leeds..one of the many reasons I love living here!
happy thanksgiving
Red rock, LV. This is for my other half. Thank you for sticking by me and making me smile, even across the miles.
just like that
Well after all my good intentions to pay this blog a little more regular attention, life suddenly got super busy and the last few weeks have flown by! It turned freezing cold, it even snowed briefly, then it got mild again. November is half way through and everyone is preparing for the Christmas season. Before we know it that shall be upon us to. So here's to at least attempting to slow down, focus on the moment you're in and appreciate each day with all it brings.
retreating
Taking some time out from your daily routine is such a wonderful thing to do. I just spent twenty four hours in the country with some dear friends and have come back feeling refreshed and refocused on God. To have a full day to listen to him and read his word was such a blessing to me. Whatever your focus, having time to rest and relax away from the demands of life is truly good for the soul.
Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
that friday feeling
It's half term and I'm feeling thankful for a whole week off to relax and spend time with some great people.
hello autumn
It's definitely feeling colder now. Autumn is in full swing. I am thoroughly enjoying watching the leaves change colour, cosying up under blankets and drinking lots of tea. I didn't expect to be around for this season but a delay in moving abroad means I get to see another English Autumn and so I intend to make the most of it!
restarting
It has been a few months now since I last posted. After a wonderfully busy summer I have been thinking about this little blog of mine and starting it up again. The more I've thought about it, the more I have realised how much I love posting on here. I really enjoy taking photographs and the challenges that come with shooting film. I still don't get my camera out as much as I wish I did, but I do love sharing the moments I capture. I hope that the more I share, the more motivated I will be to pick up my camera regularly. I don't know how many of you are out there reading this, but whoever you are consider this a renewed commitment to my blog and enjoying finding beauty in the world around me. Thank you for following along!
> mount charleston, lv <
time for summer
Today is the official start of my summer holidays. The next six weeks are packed full of many fun trips and I shall be taking my trusty pentax along for the ride. I can't wait for time to rest, explore and spend with the people I love.
a cow's life
I met these guys on a retreat to the country earlier this year and couldn't get enough!
las vegas botanical gardens (ii) .. desert colours
I love the variety of shapes and colours that grow even in desert conditions. The red and yellow flowers reminded me of a similar plant from my childhood in Tanzania. I'm very thankful to my other half for sticking out the extreme heat with me to explore these fun gardens.
las vegas botanical gardens (i) .. cactus, cactuses, cacti
I love a good cactus. Last summer I got to explore the botanical gardens in Vegas which, naturally, are full of exciting desert plants. How amazing are the cactus skeletons? I had never come across them before. It was great to see all the different types of plants. Now I just need to get out there on a road trip and see them in the desert. Joshua Tree and Monument Valley..you're top of the list!
camera dreams
When making my commitment to shooting only film last year, I motivated myself with the promise of a new camera. I had long coveted a pentax k1000 but decided I needed to be using film more regularly if I was going to get yet another camera! So after the best part of a year without my digital slr I received a pentax for my birthday. At first I was so unsure about using it. The k1000 is fully manual and I had put off getting my head around all the seemingly daunting specifics of aperture, shutter speed, f-stops, fractions, exposure in my photography thus far, mainly because shooting in automatic is so simple. This camera meant taking my loyalty to analogue photography up a level. After lots of research it turns out the best way to learn is to practice. I threw myself in the deep end and shot two rolls before getting any prints (granted this did take me several months). Going to pick the prints up from being developed I had no idea whether the photos would resemble anything like the images I had intended. Amazingly, I was thrilled with the results. It felt like some kind of magic, looking at the way the light had been captured by the camera. Super cheesy but there you have it. And so, after a nervous start, I am head over heels for my lovely pentax. Here are a few of the first photos I took..with the promise of many more to come.
mr blue sky
Where did summer go? We had the shortest stretch of sunshine, just enough to get us excited, and now it's back to grey skies and rain. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place to enjoy rain but I just don't think it is in June. Here's to sunny days, picnics in the park and adventures in new places..hoping they come soon!
hidden treasure
I recently got a bunch of rolls developed which I'm super excited to share with you over the coming months. But first, let me tell you about the best surprise film has given me yet. I found an old roll of film in my Holga which has been stuck in a box for as long as I can remember. I couldn't think at all what I had last taken pictures of and wasn't sure if the roll would still be in good enough condition to be processed. The pictures below may seem unimpressive but it turns out (I didn't even realise until my sister pointed it out to me) that they are from the day I got engaged. My lovely husband planned a surprise picnic but due to typical English weather relocated indoors and managed to set it up without me noticing. After lunch he popped the question. As I'm typing this I have just realised it is almost 4 years to the day since we got engaged...12th June 2012. It was so lovely to discover these photos and despite spectacularly cutting my ring out of the frame, they capture wonderful memories. And that is what taking photos is all about really.
sunny days
Spring is truly here and this week has treated us to a beautiful few days of warm weather and glorious sunshine. Good for the soul indeed. It may be set to turn cold again but I have a weekend full of family time ahead so I'm very much looking forward to the next few days, whatever the weather.
let's get away
On Sunday I am going to beautiful Wales for a week on a much anticipated holiday with a wonderful group of people. Last year involved a murder mystery party, lots of beach time, a 90s rave night, great food and (most importantly) plenty of quality time with friends. Let's see what fun times this week holds..
happy easter
He is not here; he is risen, just as he said.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:6,20
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:6,20
easter egg hunt
One of our family traditions on Easter Sunday is for mum to hide plastic eggs around the garden filled with treats which the rest of us then run around frantically trying to find with the secret goal of not being the last to get your two allocated eggs. Very much looking forward to seeing my family over the weekend for some Easter fun!
spring has sprung
Happy Spring to you lovely reader! I have been waiting for this season with so much excitement and anticipation of being surrounded by blossom again. Hoping for blue skies and beautiful buds to brighten your day.
holga fun
These photos are from quite a few years ago on a family holiday in France. I used my plastic-fantastic Holga to have a go at a photo with multiple exposures (first photo below). This basically means taking several photos on top of each other as you wind the film on manually. My brothers and sisters were jumping off the rocks into the water so I tried to capture all of their jumps in one frame. The result is rather ghostly, especially as it is black and white, but if you look closely you can make out several people ready to jump and in the water. I haven't used my Holga for a good while but looking back at these makes me want to dust it off again and have another go. You never quite know how photos like this will turn out, but that's the fun of film, right?
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