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Visit to the local park
We’ve had some warmer weather recently so I decided to go to one of the local parks for a walk and see if nature is showing any sign of waking up. There were some signs and as well as managing to take some good photographs I got some much welcomed fresh air too.
My favourite picture of the day is this one
I love how the water of the lake reflecting overhanging branches and the bright blue sky seems to appear like a waterpainting with soft brushstrokes. The mandrake in comparison is in sharpe focus, creating an almost surreal image.
I plan to come back soon and capture more of changing nature as the days get longer, brighter and warmer.
London Photowalk with Trey Ratcliff
I’ve been a fan of Trey Ratcliff‘s work for a few years now, and for those of you not familiar with him, Trey is one of one the leading photographers in HDR photography and has a portfolio on his Stuck in Customs blog which contains some amazing images from around the world. His photographs are definitely an inspiration to me and I’m sure to many people out there.
When I heard that Trey was back in London and planning a photowalk (on Valentines Day) I was really excited and couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day. So, yesterday me and about a hundred other photographers converged outside the National Gallery to meet him and follow him around London, hoping to pick up tips from Trey and each other.
It was a typical British, February day, with grey clouds and low temperatures, with the ever present threat of rain, but everyone was in a great mood so it didn’t dampen any spirits.
The route was planned to take us from South Bank to Westminster and Parliament, around Whitehall then back across the Thames to the London Eye.
The theme and competition for the photowalk was to take an interesting picture of fellow photographers!
As we snaked around London (attracting quite a lot of attention and causing many people to stop and ask what was going on), Trey stopped at various points to show and explain his set ups, frames and what he was looking to convey with each image. One of the nicest things about the walk was just how friendly and warm Trey was, welcoming anyone to come and talk to him and ask him any questions.
Below are some of the photos I managed to take throughout the walk and although I doubt I’ll be winning any prizes, it was really great to meet Trey and I had a really fun experience. I can only hope to improve over time and capture great images like Trey one day.
Here are some fellow photographers
And these are some of my favourite photos from the walk, from late afternoon to early evening, giving us a change in how much natural light was available, and with the cloudy weather we had some amazing skies as a backdrop as the night drew in.
I look forward to seeing Trey’s post of the walk and of the fellow photographers, aka ‘Team Awesome’ (Trey’s name for the group not mine)
Early signs
We’re still in the middle of Winter here in England, but I’ve been out in the garden to see whether any plants have survived the cold season. Surprisingly, there were a few flowers still blooming, and there were also early signs of Spring and regrowth. I look forward to keeping an eye on developments over the coming months.
A light in the dark
We’re in the first week of the New Year and there’s already been some excitement in my house, well kind of; we had a blackout. The downside was there wasn’t a lot to do while we waited for the power to come back on, but the upside was being able to make the most of the situation and taking some photos of the pretty candles that we lit. Good thing my camera was charged.
My sister’s wedding
So, I’ve guided you through all the preperations and pre-wedding parties and events that have been leading up to the ‘Big day’, and I can now finally share some of the pictures. The weather was nice and bright and although the wedding was indoors it really helped put everyone in a good mood. The room we hired was set up by the venue and it looked really good. The stage was ready for the bride and groom, tables set for the guests and what I especially loved were large rose balls of vibrant red on the head table
There were other nice touches that we added too (aside from the fruit and sweet tables). My sister picked out her favour boxes which whilst took us ages to put together and then fill with tasty treats, I thought looked elegant and really pretty. There were also welcome drinks for our guests to help themselves to while they socialised
But the thing that really stole the show (apart from the bride of course) was the beatiful wedding cake made my talented sister. She made the cake and the edible lace to go onto it and also made some matching cupcakes to help set the cake off. My sister’s friend made the swirly cupcakes to add to the cake table to help fill it out
My nieces and nephews looked really cute; tuxes for the boys and white flouncy bridesmaids dresses for the girls. (I don’t have great pictures of the girls as they didn’t stand still long enough). The rest of us were smartly dressed too; suits for the men and pastel coloured outfits for the ladies
In South Asian culture the bride traditionally wears red on her wedding day and in keeping with this tradition my sister spent weeks designing her outfit. She decided to make her oufit in a deeper shade of red but to make it look more modern and show some of her personality she added stripes of bright colours at the hem of her skirt and around the edges of her scarf.
On the day, dressed up in her beautiful outfit and made up by the professional makeup artist and hair stylist, my sister looked stunning. I can’t show you pictures of my sister’s face but here’s how her outfit looked with gorgeous accessories
And with her groom, they made for a handsome couple
All the preperations leading up to the wedding were really stressful, but it was worth it, as on the day everything went well and the bride and groom looked happy and seemed to enjoy the day, with everyone else looking like they were having fun too.
I wish them both well amd may they be really happy together and enjoy the adventure that lies ahead of them.
If you’d like to see the really good, professional photographes of the wedding then you can see them on my sister’s blog
For my other posts on my sister’s wedding see the links below:
Bridal shower – Vintage
Bridal shower – 1920s
Henna party
Fruit tables
Icy leaf
It’s started to get colder in London, with thin ice forming on anything left outside in the early mornings. This Autumnal leaf has had a dousing too, and I think it looks pretty with the white icy outlines
My sister’s hennaed hands
I’ve been trying to post more frequently but things have been super busy over the last few months with Eid, weddings and birthdays, (not to mention dodgy internet connections which hasn’t helped either!), but hopefully it seems a bit calmer now which means that I can get up to speed with my posts.
I wanted to share more pictures from my younger sister’s wedding that took place a couple of months ago. In Pakistan and other South Asian countries it is tradition for the bride-to-be to decorate her hands and feet with henna/mehndi a couple of nights before the wedding. The design my sister chose was intricate and very delicate and with the steady, skilled hands of the mehndi artist it came out beautifully
These patterns soon became much more complex and full, with henna being applied on both sides of my sisters’ hands and parts of her arms. You can click on the pictures below to view larger images, and close ups, (maybe if you look close enough you’ll find the name of the groom which he is supposed to look for on the night of the wedding).
I didn’t get a chance to have any henna applied to my hands, but a number of the guests did, including my baby niece who had a butterfly pattern applied (and which lasted about 10 minutes before it got smudged).
I think the finished result of my sister’s hennaed hands was beautiful, reminding me of lace gloves with intricate, delicate patterns. My sister kept the henna on until the following morning before washing it off to make sure the dye was as dark as possible, which you will be able to see soon in photos that I am hoping to post of the wedding
Focus on the edge
I fancied posting a pic of something bright and colourful today, especially as we are having cloudy, grey days in London at the moment. I really like this photo of a tulip and how the vivid purple petals are in sharp focus, up close to the lens, with a softer focus on the bright green leaves in the background, adding a splash of color. The white space makes the green and purple stand out in contrast making for a simple yet striking image.
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