Goodbye 2009 - Hello 2010!!!!

Happy New Year everyone. I hope it brings you everything you wish for.

I've been having a look through some of the photos I shot last year. In common with most photographers I like to get out and about with my camera and shoot some personal stuff when I'm off duty. In 2009 I managed to shoot over 3500 images just for the sheer  pleasure of it.  Here are some of my favourites, not necessarily because they are amazing images, mostly  just because they bring back nice memories.  Hope you enjoy them.

 Photographer's Favourites

This was taken on a weekend away in the peak District. Poor Bob, I nearly walked his legs off while we were here.

Love, love love this image. It's like it's raining sunshine.  The effect was created by using my lensbaby. That's 'my lensbaby' - not 'my lens, baby.'  What do you think?  It's not a lens you'll see me using at weddings as the results are completely unpredictable - and that's why I love it.

Fairies, dragons, princesses and knights at Hoghton Tower during the summer. These little princesses are our grand daughters.

I think this one was hiding from the dragons!

Aaah, spring time.  In the woods on my hands and knees, covered in mud,  and looking for bluebells.  Found some!!  Odd? Me? What do you mean?

This was taken in the grounds of Chatsworth House. Bob and me went to a friends 'posh do' in Sheffield and decided to make the weekend of it.  Good times.

During the summer I joined a walking group. The Wednesday night 2 hour walk was always a bit of a challenge. Not so much a walk as a slow ish jog.  Some of the views were spectacular.

This exotic sunset was taken from - our front drive!   I was thrilled when this image was used for the cover of a glossy magazine.

Norway

In May Bob and me went to Norway for a weeks holiday. One day he'll get to go somewhere warm, sunny and touristy (or  possibly not).   I can honestly say we have never been soaked through and freezing cold so many times in one week - and we loved every minute of it. Norway is magical, you can point your camera in any direction and get a decent picture  - ahem. What I mean is that with my vastly superior camera skills and expert eye I got some nice images. (Phew, think I got away with that!)

 I didn't think you'd want to see all 650 of my shortlist so here are a few of my absolute  favourites.   If you enjoy looking at other people's holiday snaps then there are loads more of the Norway images on Flickr

This little chap made me smile, not so scary as trolls go but very, very cute.

This cross was in the grounds of a very beautiful and old church in Olden.

Briksdal Glacier

Bob was convinced I was trying to kill him, he's not used to heavy duty walking, especially in the pouring rain. It was worth the trek, the glacier, and this is only a tiny bit of it was awe inspiring. To give you an idea of the scale - can you see the teeny tiny little twelve person dinghy to the left of the glacier, near the rock face?

We saw a lot of street art while we were there, some of it was really interesting - some of it I daren't show you!!!!

This is what a waterfront village looks like from the top of a very tall ship if you use a fish eye lens.

These last two images are of the fjord as we sailed into Olden.  Can you hear Grieg's, 'The death of Aase'  playing gently in the background? Seriously though, it was very moving, I'd go again in a heartbeat.

  Meet The family

In common with most mothers I wanted a family portrait of my rapidly expanding family.   I wanted something that reflected our personalities so there was no way we'd be sitting all neat and posed for more than a nanosecond.  This was my favourite out of them all.

"Hang on' I can hear you thinking, 'how did you manage to take the picture if you're in it?'

Good question.

I asked my very good friend Sheila if she'd do the honours.

Didn't she do well?

So there it is, my 2009 round up. Hope you enjoyed it.

Merry Christmas to one and all

Bob and me would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas

and

a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year

Now it's time to play in the snow!!!!! YIPPPEEE!!!!

 (sings) Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock...........

In search of Narnia

icy, originally uploaded by lesley v.

To celebrate the snow that has landed just in time for Christmas I thought I'd share this picture with you from last year.

Christmas Buddies

Ove the years Bob and me have amassed many a Christmas decoration. I usually pick something up from any holidays and I seem to be totally incapable of walking past a Christmas shop without going in to it, no matter what time of year it is. Of course I still have all the ones the kids made when they were little all of which bring back lovely memories.


Of all our I'd have to say that these little chaps are my absolute favourites, my Christmas buddies.  We saw them while we were on a weekend away in the Peak District a couple of years ago and I instantly fell in love with them.  I can't look at them without smiling - and that can only be a good thing, eh?

cheers

cheers, originally uploaded by lesley v.

The Christmas season is well and truly here. Yay!!!!

Over the last few weeks I've been steadily working my way through the small mountain of reprint orders and albums so that you'll have them in time for Christmas and now I'm off to put my feet up, eat a mince pie (or two) and wait for Father Christmas to arrive.

This image is one from last Christmas. Now the Christmas spirit is upon me I'll shooting some more festive images for you to enjoy very soon.


DEEEEECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLEEEEEEE...............

icy

Playtime in the studio today. Here is my version of the ice princess. What do you think?

She looks a bit frosty to me. Teeheehee.

Nik & Nicola

Nik and Nicola took delivery of their wedding album  this weekend.  Here are a few of my favourite pages. Enjoy.

Maisie

Little Maisie came to see me last week. 




Maisie definitely wins the prize for being the hungriest baby of the year, we had to stop every five minutes to feed her - obviously a girl after my own heart!  Keep me fed and I'm a happy bunny.

Is it just me or is everyone trimming up for Christmas really early this year?  Maybe everyone needs cheering up because of the recession. Whatever the reason is, I like it. 


Christmas is one of my favourite times of year and I love to see all the houses decorated, cheers up a drab winter no end!


The Christmas fever has obviously got me because I was out in the barn this morning resurrecting all the decorations and having a good old sort through them while I decided what colour this years tree was going to be. Not that I have a lot of decorations or anything (cough cough).  I've decided that this year it will be lime green and red.  Yummy.


Now I need to resist the urge to start trimming up - we have a lot of birthdays in our family in December and if we aren't careful they can get lost in the Christmas rush.  Well, I might just put a few little trinkets here and there. Ooh, I might just put up my Christmas elephants to get me in the mood. 


(sings) Deck the halls with boughs of holly........................




I'm in the mood for Christmas!!!!    Bring it on.

Little Angels

Now that her  Mum and Dad have seen the photos I can show you a few more from my photo shoot with baby Charlotte.  What a character!

You are funny, Dad.

Christmas is coming!!!

All I need now is a puddle.

I loved her little wellie boots, and as she spends most of her time in them it made sense to include them in the photos. It's nice to include things that signify  the character or lifestyle of the person in the photo. Loads better than the very formal photos my Mum had done of us as kids.

I remember me and my younger brother standing and squirming while this bossy old chap told us to keep still and smile nicely.  Have you ever tried to 'smile nicely' when someone's told you to? It looks like you're gurning! The pictures would have been much more in keeping with our personalities if we'd  been covered in mud, grazed knees and hair stuck up all over the place like we'd been dragged through a bush backwards.  Now I'm an adult, I still usually look like that, dagnabbit! Can't imagine why my Mum wouldn't have wanted pictures of us like it!!

Santa's little helper

Aaaaaaahhhh, it warms the cockles of your heart, doesn't it?  

This little cutie came for a photo shoot on Sunday. As well as doing the booked portrait shoot we decided to let her have a little play in the Christmas set that I'd put together for our family Christmas photos.  While she just played away with the toys and clothes I just kept on shooting and getting some lovely, natural shots Besides, there's no point in trying to pose a baby on a mission, and this baby was on a mission!  

I don't think she knows that her backside's for sitting on, she was all over the place having a lovely time as me, Bob and her Mum and Dad, just kept saying "aaaahhhh, isn't she sweet?"

This is my favourite pic of the day

Now that the wedding season is over for this year I'm spending most of my time on my computer getting all the albums and reprint orders out in time for Christmas.  I'll be posting  a few of the album pages for you to have a look at in the next few days.  In the meantime, here's advance warning of a couple of wedding fairs we're exhibiting at next year.

Early start for this year - 6th January at Haighton Manor in Preston.  

After that we are at the Dunkenhalgh in Clayton le Moors on the 7th March.

I'll post details of our other wedding fairs as we book them.

Whalley Abbey

As promised here is a pic from Mike and Vicky's Christmas wedding at Whalley Abbey a couple of years ago.  I'll post a few more for you when I dig them out of the crypt.

Ok, I know you have to take my word for it that it's at Whalley Abbey but it is- honest!  The sun was very low in the sky at this point and it was starting to get really, really cold but it was worth it. Look at that wonderful light.   More later.

Whalley Abbey

It must be my delusions of granduer but I really like Whalley Abbey, it's so atmospheric and has so much history, it really fascinates me.  It's also more than a bit photogenic.  Here are a couple of images from our walk there last week.

We shot  a Christmas wedding there a couple of years ago, I'll dig a couple of pics out of the archives for you to have a look at. It was a fabulous day, it was one of those gorgeous dry, crisp days that make you want to buy a dog and go for long, long walks.

Doesn't that cotoneaster look fantastic?  It was shining out like a beacon on an otherwise grey vista just calling out to be photographed. Of course I was happy to oblige!

Normal service has been resumed

Hi Folks!! We're back!!!


Thank you all for bearing with us while we kicked a few gremlins out of the machine.  The website and email is now back to normal and normal service has been resumed.


Look out for biiiiiiiig changes on the website over the next few weeks.


This week I've been working on Craig and Melissa's wedding album.  Here some of my favourite pages.

Lots of details pictures to bring back all of those memories in 40 years from now when you're sat hand in hand reminiscing.

Hhhmmmmm. Chocolate

Luckily Melissa's Mum had a bottle of sunshine to be used in case of emergencies. Now, don't laugh. It worked!!  The rain stopped and the sun came out within minutes!

These things are sent to try us

As mentioned in the previous post, we are having a major revamp of the website at the moment as well as changing the ISP.

Exciting!!

So exciting I thought I'd go and take a look.

WHAT????

We've disappeared - nothing there except a holding page saying we've expired.

Expired?

Us?

I assure you young man that we have not expired!

So please don't worry, we haven't expired at all and normal website service will be resumed as soon as I marmalise someone    er....... possible.

In the meantime, if you're trying to get hold of us then give us a ring on the usual number: 01254 761761

Keep smiling!!

Excuse us while we change

Big changes are afoot over the next few weeks. The website is looking a bit tired so we are getting a super duper new one.

There have been a couple of teeny changeover gremlins, one of which has affected the email account. You may have been having a bit of trouble sending email so apologies if you are one of those affected. I's being dealt with and should be back tomorrow, if not I'll have a fleet of carrier pigeons at the ready!

I can't wait for the revamp - it's going to be fab so please: excuse us while we change.

Paula and Alan are a couple who got married at Sparth House recently. It was a small and intimate affair and we were delighted to be involved in it. As normal, Warren and his staff did a great job.  Here are a few images from the day.

After the ceremony we went for a little walk round the gardens and then stopped for a minute on the patio to enjoy the lovely dappled sunlight and the warmth of the day, unseasonably warm for autumn. I love these tables and chairs.

Paula's flowers were mango cala lilies, in a very sophisticated arrangement.

Maddy's flowers were a fabulous mix of lilies and berries in delicious autumn colours, the whole thing flowed together beautifully.

Hahahaaaa!!  I don't know what was said by Paula  but it certainly got a reaction!  Here she is  with her gorgeous daughter, Maddy.   Paula,'s cheeky personality kept shining through on the day, every now and then she'd drop something outrageous into the conversation. Kept me amused for hours, what a funny, funny woman.

Here she is again  on her best behaviour this time.

It didn't last long. She and everyone else  was having the time of their lives and savouring every moment.    All that planning and then when it arrives it's over in a flash,  Thank goodness we have photographs to bring back all those wonderful memories.