Lucky Snapping Challenge

Over on Lucky Snapping Anne has challenged us to talk about "No Limits" and photograph

             NO LIMITS

So that's what we are going to talk about this week and you don't need to have climbed the Himalayas to take part.

No Limits is only about you, about what you achieved compared to what you thought you could achieve.
If you are scared to death of cats and you managed to touch one, then it's part of No Limits, the same way somebody else would wrestle with a lion.
If you went back to school at 40 to learn a new profession or get a better degree or even simply for fun, then it's part of No Limits.
If you managed to feed many people on a very low salary, then  it's part of No Limits.
Anything you have done and you didn't think you could do, or anything you do without counting, tell us about it because you are a proud member of the No Limits club.
If  you want to talk about somebody else, family member or personality you admire, please do so.
No Limits also applies to a trait of your character or an ability you have . . ., to the dedication to some people in helping others . . . 

Can I say there is no limits in what it covers, lol ?

 

This week, it's all about us and about the people who inspire us. You are somebody special, just tell us about it.

As of photo challenge, if you have some time, let's play with the word Limits. Take some pictures of open spaces or at the opposite of enclosed places.

I really like the idea of this challenge as I love to challenge myself and being narrow minded at times I can't understand why others don't feel the need to set themselves challenges as well, Mick is like that!

So I thought I would tell you about the thing I did last week that took me right out of my comfort zone and at the same made some others step out of their comfort zone.  At camera club last week Dave and myself were holding a lighting workshop, the first half involved Dave standing up the front and giving a short presentation re lighting and the importance of it and the effects that can be achieved. I sit in the audience as I don't have the confidence to get up the front and do what he does.  Then the second half we had a number of work stations set up so the members could have a play with different lighting set ups.  On the stage we had the studio lights set up and I had borrowed a body form and modelling head from the college for us to use, as Amanda is normally our live model but obviously not here.  A number of our members commented that they would love to take portraits but don't because they feel totally out of their comfort zone, just like I feel when having my photo taken!!  I do not regard myself as photogenic and it is very rare I like a photograph of myself.  So I made a deal with everyone - if I sat and posed for them they could take my photo - that way we would all be feeling the same and hopefully by the end of the evening, we would both be feeling better about the whole activity!! Admittedly as I heard the words coming out of my mouth my head was saying "WHAT????" 
An hour later I am still sat there with various members pointing their camera's at me (why any one wants to be a model I will never understand, I was seeing flashes for the rest of the week!!!  We all had a laugh and everyone enjoyed it.  I was happy that I did it as I don't think I will worry anymore if someone goes to take my photo, the next hurdle is to actually start to like what I see when I look at them lol.  Guess there is no time like the present and no doubt some of you will ask to see the results, so here are a couple taken
I am only showing the first one to demonstrate what the software package "portrait professional" does, perfect smooth skin, sparkly white eyes, black lashes and a bit of a tan....... that is DEFINITELY NOT ME!!!

this is more like me, pale with red shiny cheeks and average white eyes (similar to most people actually)

Linking up with Lucky Snapping

Photo walk

Some of us from Camera club went over to Lanhydrock this morning with the hope of photographing the autumn colours.... hmm apparently autumn hasn't arrived here yet!!

Thankfully one of the ladies brought her 3yr old Springer with her, naturally I couldn't resist taking her photo, she was on the go the whole time, I can see why they are called Springer's.  This one is called Gwen but I think she should have been named Tigger!!  A quick shot of her, unfortunately I didn't have the right lens with me.  So I shall be joining her one morning down the beach for a photo shoot soon :).

 

Have finished Amanda's room as well, so feeling chuffed with that. 
Off to camera club this evening.

 

College was good last night (Viv I am doing a photography course, see this post) we were looking at landscapes photographers as well as talking about our project.  Now I am not a huge landscape photographer, love the landscape but prefer to be in it rather than photographing it, if you understand my meaning.  So I couldn't believe my luck when Colin decided to look at the work of Robert Adams and had his book 'Summer Night Walking' - which I adore but not prepared to pay £102 for!!  Anyway, using this book as inspiration for some night-time photos  was one of my ideas for a project so that made my mind up.  So my homework for this week is to photograph a local retail park (thankfully we have one in Truro!!) and print some images out for next week.  Feeling rather excited about it. In case you are wondering what a retail park has to do with landscape, Robert
Adams was classed as one of the new topographic photographers when he first started out.   They photographed their environment, what they actually saw, what we see, what is not necessarily pretty but real. Everyday life. Things that you wouldn't normally think of photographing. Not everyone's cup of tea.  Not mind really but the night time element has it for me.

 

So today I popped over to Karen at And so, I sew another very crafty person with a lovely blog.

 

Once again loosely linking with Lucky Snapping - irresistible dog!!  So many links in this post, sorry. :)

A good day

A lovely morning spent with my friends from Button Moon drinking hot choccy and putting the world to rights.  Came home and found I had the courage to tackle Amanda's bedroom.  She has been gone three weeks and it has taken me all this time to be brave enough to go in there!!!!  It has been an adventure into the unknown, but I have had to call it a day as I am at college tonight and I know I shan't have enough time to finish it properly so that can wait until tomorrow afternoon. Still it is already looking more respectable - not difficult!! Plus I am slightly loosing the will to live in there!

 

So college tonight and decision time on project... have I made up my mind - no not at all, maybe I should put the list up on here and let you all decide which one I should do lol. Hopeless at making decisions.

 

Thank you for all the feedback on the previous post re the b&w or colour image. Really appreciate it.

 

My photo for today is one from the Tour of Britain cycle race on Dartmoor. 
This pony could not resist having a go at the motorbikes parked there, he had already tried to pull Mick's bike jacket off our bike twice whilst we had a cuppa before making our way to the finishing line. (Linking this with Lucky Snapping - loosely lol ) I can't resist taking this sort of photo :) said it was a loose link!!

 

 

 

Visited Narcoleptic in a cupboard today, she has some amazing quilting projects on the go.  I admire quilting but have never really got into it. Though I have books on it and love looking at the diffrernt designs and love to see the finished quilt. If you pop over there scroll down til you see the post about her tote bag it is gorgeous.

Nicknames (Lucky Snapping)

Over on Lucky Snapping Anne asked us about nicknames.  Well I have never been a big one for nicknames or shortening names. Unfortunately the nicknames I was given at school weren't nice and I didn't like and didn't do a huge amount for my self confidence or anything else actually.  When we moved to Market Deeping and my brother and I started at the local secondary school we were both very quickly given names.  Ian was nicknamed "Spit" after some character I think, not because he spat, he wouldn't dream of doing that, thankgoodness (a pet hate of mine - in fact a lot of people I think) he was Ok with his nickname and it was given out of friendship and stuck for years.  My nickname was "skinny bone Nolan" and it stayed with me until I left college and all those I had to endure through my education behind me.  As you can guess from the name I was a stick insect when younger.  Funny to think that when I would go back home to visit mum and bump into some of my 'old peers' a lot didn't even realise what my actual name was!!!  Hmm says a lot.  My brother Ian, use to call me book worm - always reading, my grandmother nicknamed me 'grease spot' ??  not sure why but I know it would not have been unpleasant :)  At college my room mate tried to call me 'Kez' I never knew why and thank fully it didn't stick.

 

Mick doesn't have a nickname, in Cornwall he is known as Mike, in London he is known as Mick and his mum and dad often called him Michael.  When naming the girls I have been quite adamant that their names will not be shortened. Within the family they are Bernadette and Amanda.  Whilst at secondary school, their friends did shorten them to Berni and Manda.  I hate Berni and when a certain boyfriend would ring here and say "can I speak to Berni please" I would apologise and say "sorry no one of that name lives here!" ( we didn't care for him - he is history now :) )  Amanda became 'Manda' which to me is pure laziness in pronouncing the 'A'!!!  Boy I am sounding like a real grumpy old bag on this subject lol

 

As for us nicknaming the girls - well Amanda was and still gets called 'snuggly' or 'snugs' (mainly by me) because she would climb up on your lap and snuggle into you, (love it )  Bernadette - well Mick calls her 'snazzlyburger'  she can be quite feisty to say the least lol.

 

Sorry I haven't taken any photos this week.  Bernadette came home on Tues for a few days, so Wed I treated us all to a mini spa, a swim, suana and a facial, it was lovely :) then we had a meal out with m & fil so they could see the girls before the new term starts.  B and I had a lovely afternoon yesterday watching a movie and knitting.  She is having a go at a blanket for the fish and chip babies - it could be interesting, (she hasn't knitted anything before - so I could be finishing it lol).  A has been with the bf for the last two days, saying a long farewell (for all of two weeks!!) she is back today, to packing and more family time :)

So loads of photo ops but none taken :( how dreadful is that!! 

So here is one from May taken at Enys Gardens near Falmouth.

Guess it could count as 'E' .
Have a good weekend everyone. x

Feeling Vulnerable

Over on Lucky Snapping Anne has set the following challenge


vulnerable

Before you start hating me for good ( you wouldn't do that, would you ?), don't worry, I am not asking you to tell your sad stories, although you certainly can if you feel like. As always, we are going to concentrate on the positive side of things :

What do you do when you feel vulnerable, what do you eat, what do you say, how do you dress, whom do you talk to, what do you avoid doing, what do you do much more ?

Do you dress in bright colors, do you go clubbing, do you hibernate, do you go for long walks, do you cuddle your Teddy in your PJs all day, do you read a book, do you raid your local supermarket for chocolate, do you look at yourself in a mirror and do faces ?

We all have our own small things we do to try and feel better and I would like we share them with each other, as we never have too many ways of trying to feel better, do we ?

This week, we open a massive savings account ( at least one that won't go bust, LOL)  and we all deposit our little secret remedies. At the end of the week, we all will feel richer and more prepared to fight grey days, would they come. 

This week might be more about writing and journaling than photos, but you keep on amazing me with the originality you bring into this challenge, so let's get surprised . . .

I have to confess I am finding this one difficult, as I don't feel vulnerable very often - well not that I am aware of anyway.  If I go by Anne's prompts in the second paragraph - don't think I eat anything particular, speech wise I probably become defensive, I don't change the way I dress, I don't talk to anyone - I bottle things up inside.  In fact I don't do any of those things. 

So I have spent all week thinking about this and writing and rewriting this post, I now think for me I withdraw from everything that I can when feeling vulnerable, friends, environment whatever, I will shut myself away - not literally but avoid anyone and anything - I go quiet and seek comfort in the security of my home and myself.

Thanks Anne for a very challenging challenge.

Last Week

Sorry I have not been around much these last couple of weeks, life has been pretty hectic to say the least. Struggling to even remember what happened last week and why I didn't get on here!! How sad is that!!  I do know that I finally gave in a invested in a new computer which has taken awhile to set up and I am still finding my way around this windows 8 programme, sure I will take to it eventually!!

 

So here is my monthly view (March's view)

I haven't taken the view from my window yet, that is the next job on my list of things to do today.

 

So over on Lucky Snapping this week we have been challenge to talk about what we do when we feel vulnerable!!!  Hmm this is going to take some thinking as I can't immediately think of the answer to that one, not sure if that is because I don't feel vulnerable often or I am just not aware of it, if that makes sense.

I can't show you the POTD's that I have missed out for the week before last as they are on the old computer at the moment and I haven't transferred them over yet - oops.  I am hoping someone will tell me a quick and easy way to do this as appose to bit by bit which is sooooo time consuming but so far no one has :(