Inspiration

I hope everyone is having a good week so far, it's not long until the weekend. I don't know what the weather has been like near you, but up here in Moray the Autumn sun has been simply amazing. A pain to drive in, but divine for photography. The shot of the rainbow was taken on my way to work this morning, leaning out of my Landrover window. I was pulled over, don't worry. It's days like today when I'm glad I grabbed my camera. I am dying to go walking in the woods this weekend to get some snaps of the fallen leaves, I just cannot get over the varied colours. I have been picking up colourful leaves to press and use on cards, capturing the jewel like colours.

Sometimes a photo can look disappointing at first glance, as the one above did. However I always try to see a positive, and I really like how the violent purple stands out in this photo of heather. Below are some more stunning sunsets, I cannot get enough of them.

Back painting again

I have finally been and replaced my paint box. To fill you in, while moving house I lost a box, the box full of my acrylic paints. I was devastated when I realised. One year on and it was time to reverse the situation. You may wonder why it took me so long? Two reasons, I really wanted to give my pastels a fair chance, and I know myself too well, shopping for paint would be expensive!! And so, I set off with credit card in hand and I have not looked back.

It was expensive, but, I am very happy and I do have some fairs coming up soon to get some reaation. Here are my first offerings, I've been experimenting with more abstract ideas.

Beach Swirl No1

Beach Swirl No2

Golden escape

All these painting will be for sale in mt Filksy shop very soon, and available to look at on my stall at the following events :-

Strathpeffer Pavillion - 6th and 7th November

Victorian Fair, Brodie Castle - 27th and 28th November

Bishops Palace, Eden Court, Inverness - 4th and 5th December

Dark room dreams

I have recently started an evening course in film photography at Moray College. So far I have taken a 24 exposure film and developed it. My first photo was an oops moment, I was in digital mode and just snapped away without any settings adjusted, so we will see how successful that was, or wasn't! Our theme for the course is reflections and shadows, but unfortunately the weather in sunny Scotland hasn't been so sunny of late. So I was forced inside for my photos, I decided to concentrate on kitchen items and a very shiny pair of comedy sunglasses. Tomorrow is printing night, and I am so excited to see how successful I have been, or if it has been a disaster! I will scan in some photos when I get home.

For the course we also have to research photography masters and one of my favourites so far has been the works of Shomei Tomatsu. He is one of the only Japanese photographers to have documented the aftermath of the nuclear attack on the city of Nagasaki in 1945. His photographs are horrifying and eye opening in the same breath. Here are some examples of his work.