Blipfoto and Erddig

After much deliberation, I have signed up for Blipfoto. This is basically an on-line thing where you have to take a photo every day and create a photographic journal. I have resisted up until now because I am not able to get out every day to take photos, but then I tried to look at it from a different angle. I want to be able to take pictures of the ordinary and make them interesting, like Richard Hammerton (see photographers to inspire) is so good at. So I decided that this was probably the challenge I need to inspire me. This is my page: https://www.polaroidblipfoto.com/Maisiebeth and I do hope you will go have a look. This is one of the pictures I have posted.

Taken in Whittington, Shropshire. The tombstone graveyard!

Today I was able to get out for a couple of hours for my photos and decided to revisit Erddig and maybe go around the house this time.

The difficulty there is that due to the delicate nature of the furnishings the lights have to be kept very low. You are not allowed to use flash or a tripod so it was a real challenge to get some decent shots. 

My ISO never went below 1600 with my aperture as wide open as possible, and even then I had to lean on odd bits of pillar to keep the camera as still as possible!

This little selection was in the music room and I thought quite charming. I am not into all the pretty furnishings or paintings, I prefer the everyday bits and pieces that people used and enjoyed.

Erddig is one of the few places I have visited that show how the servants lived and worked. This fabulous vacuum was in the housekeepers room. Just add small boy to peddle!

This next one is my favourite photo from the day. It was taken in the Butler's rooms and is completely fabulous.

Because the room was so dark, I have had to do quite a bit of editing just to get out the details and you can see that it has gone quite grainy as a result, but to be perfectly honest, in this instance I don't think it is a problem.

I am just loving anything old and mechanical at the moment. I adore the whole steampunk rage that is going on. Show me anything with cogs, clocks or keys and I am hooked!

This is in the main kitchen and I can imagine Erddig's own Mrs Patmore sitting in that chair, overseeing preparations! Always found life below stairs more interesting than that above. Obviously know my place in life!

(A 2021 edit, this is my most plagiarised photo! Do a search on steampunk kitchens and this comes up and has been used dozens of times, but sadly there's not a lot I can do about it so I have chosen to be flattered rather than annoyed!)

Saw these beauties (and their horses) in the courtyard, for ferrying guests around the estate. Certainly a bygone era. Another old form of transport, but not quite as old follows:

Another fabulous trip today, I must admit I am really getting my money's worth out of my National Trust Membership.

On a completely different note I would like to share what I am thinking of doing next. Because for most of the last few years I have never done anything, I have never thought of having a Bucket List. I have now decided that it is about time I did. Not much on it yet, but throwing it open to you for suggestions. So here it is:

- Zip wire, worlds longest zipwire is in Snowdonia.
- White water rafting, plenty of that around here.
- Be a bit braver on roller coasters, aiming for the Rock n Rollercoaster at Disney next year.
- Photograph the movement of the stars, then sleep beneath them.
- Get a tattoo. Maybe only temporary and certainly small.

There is one more thing on it, but I can't tell you that one!
That's not much of a list so ideas welcomed. If you can't leave a comment here as I believe it doesn't always work, please e-mail me.

Lessons learned: Don't go anywhere family orientated at half term! There was so much shouting, shrieking, crying and complaining going on, and that was just the parents!

Diet Diary: If you go to a NT property you have to have a scone with jam and cream. Its the law!

Prize Winning Photographer, Llandudno and Bodnant Gardens

I have had the most brilliant few days. I have been on some fantastic trips but on Friday evening I was informed that my photo of Swans at Sunset at Ellesmere had won the Ellesmere Visual Arts Festival Photography Competition and would be displayed over the whole bank holiday weekend as part of the festival.

I was so surprised and completely thrilled. I am now a Prize Winning Photographer! I have only just stopped grinning to myself, starting to get some very strange looks.

Anyway, I have got a bit out of sequence. On Wednesday I decided to go somewhere new again. I planned to start in Llandudno (finding the Cadwaladers there to tick off my list) then head to Bodnant Gardens where I have never been.

Llandudno was actually very quiet and it was lovely being able to walk along the prom, although being blown along was probably more accurate as it was very windy. Still managed to get a couple of shots.

This is the bandstand on the front and it is completely charming. It is quite wide and not very high, so when I tried to get the whole thing in, it didn't quite work, but I am now looking at details and so capturing just part of it works for me.

I like photos of random people doing ordinary things, but still feel awkward taking pictures of strangers. I feel it can be seen as an intrusion, but if you ask if you can take the picture, then you lose the naturalness. I try to take them from a distance so I can pretend I'm photographing something else entirely. Anyone else have this problem?

What nearly did spoil the day is that they have closed the Cadwaladers! Apparently it has been a couple of years, so I am a bit behind the times! Completely gutted!

So on with the adventure, to Bodnant Gardens. You have got to go if you haven't already! It is the most beautiful place you can imagine. Going in May, all the azaleas and rhododendrons are out and the colours are quite breathtaking.

There is a whole new area opened this year and you can walk for miles. The sun had come out and it was a complete joy to walk amongst the gardens and woodlands. I won't pretend to know anything about plants. Its a standing joke in my family that you don't give me anything to grow because it will be dead in a fortnight and the same goes for my husband and pruning! I love the idea of a beautiful garden, but if I'm honest, don't have the knowledge or inclination to do anything about it. So I just wandered around thinking "that's pretty" rather than knowing if it was a hybrid strain of the Blue Balkan Bears Breeches (real plant). 

This last photo was taken in the Dell and is my favourite. Trying to think about leading lines and have focal points off centre. Strangely enough, I found it quite hard to take photos I was really pleased with as there is such a riot of colour and you are surrounded by flowers, shrubs and trees so it is difficult to pick out a proper focal point. Sometimes a photo just can't capture the impressiveness (is that a word?) of what you see.

This is the entrance way into the family crypt. It was called POEM when it was built and no one is completely sure why. One theory is that is stands for Place Of Eternal Memory, which is quite lovely. It's in the middle of woodland, surrounded by beautiful flowers and I can think of a lot worse places to end up!

A wonderful day is completed by stopping for Mango Sorbet at Cadwaladers in Betws-y-coed!

Lessons Learned: You don't have to be knowledgeable about things to be able to appreciate them.

Erddig

I have been lucky this week in that I have had the opportunity to go out exploring a few times. The weather hasn't been the kindest, but whats the worst that could happen? I get wet. So I'll dry, eventually. I've waded through 3ft of water, so I laugh in the face of rain!

Decided to visit Erddig, a wonderful National Trust property near Wrexham. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/erddig/

Its not just a Stately Home, it has beautiful gardens and many interesting workshops in the grounds.

There is a different attitude in this house. They treated their servants more as family apparently and had paintings done of them. It is one of the few homes where you can actually see how the staff lived. No pics this time, as I concentrated on the outside, which was probably the wrong way round with the rain and all!

One of the owners was a huge collector of vintage vehicles and they are all displayed. All in various states of repair, pushbikes, motor bikes, cars and coaches.

The above pic shows a couple of the cars in their garages, plus I think you might also be able to pick up just how much it was raining!

This is the grooms workroom and I just love the horse boots on the table. I was a little concerned with a lot of these photos that they wouldn't come out clearly. I forgot to take the tripod and so was using a high ISO with slower shutter speeds, but most seem to be ok which is great. Any graining from the ISO seems to add to the overall vintage effect which is also great. Just tweaked the clarity and adjusted the colours a bit and I am pleased with how it is looking.
I was very sceptical about Lightroom originally, but now I love it. Still not looked at Photoshop tho. One step at a time.

The rain eased off momentarily and I ventured into the garden where I saw the beautiful creature above. Apparently a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. I was perfectly positioned behind a hedge with the telephoto already on when he swooped down for a quick snack and was gone. Talk about right place right time!

On a completely separate note, I had a question posed to me earlier. "what would you attempt today if you knew you could not fail" Can't tell you my first thought, but my second was sky diving. Always liked the idea of the flying through the air part, but not keen on jumping out of a plane or landing several hundred feet below said plane. 

I have been pushing my boundaries and taking risks over the last few months, what with all the hiking, mountain climbing and pink hair and it is difficult to know what to do next. I am thinking possibly zip wires in Snowdonia, but not sure yet. I saw a T shirt on Facebook earlier which said "If I can't take my camera, I'm not going!" so that might limit my choices. Watch this space.

Lessons Learned: Don't ever let the weather stop you getting out. If its not acid rain, then it won't do you any harm, just keep the camera covered!

Quote for the day: Take risks, if you win you will be happy, if you lose you will be wise, either way, you will feel alive (unless the risk you take is skydiving. If you lose at that, you won't feel anything, ever)

Ellesmere Canal

Reunited and it feels so good (anyone under the age of 30 isn't going to get the musical reference, so ask your parents!). Bob is back. He has had to undergo minor surgery to have a lens removed and fix a broken focus panel apparently, but he is recuperating well and had his first outing today.

However, before I start on today's trip, I must tell you about my outing last week. I was still using my little black point and click so decided to go somewhere where I didn't need to take photos. I decided to revisit my favourite way to spend a day. Criccieth for a walk on the beach, 2 minute beach clean and cake at Cadwaladers, then on to Hells Mouth to watch the waves (and if there are surfers, that is a bonus). 

Got to Criccieth and had the obligatory cherry and rhubarb cake then walked along the beach. The tide was out so I was able to walk around the bit of headland jutting out. I actually paddled barefoot and the water was really quite warm. The sun was shining and it was so beautiful there. Got completely lost in my own thoughts. On heading back, I was a bit perturbed to find that the tide had come in and by the time I got to the headland, perturbed had turned to quite alarmed. The water was bum deep and there was no way around it, only through it! So through it I went, holding camera and shoes aloft, hoping that I wouldn't trip and end up completely submerged. Made it through to the other side but was completely drenched, as you would expect after walking through 3ft of water.

However, I was wearing my quick drying shower proof Mountain Warehouse trousers and by heavens, they are good. By the time I had got to the other end of the beach, I was completely dry. Couldn't believe it. So off to Hell's Mouth for a recuperative loiter in the sand dunes watching the abundance of surfers who were there!

Back to today. Its Monday so it must be singing lesson. So a good 45mins to occupy while Maisie sings her heart out!

It has been a dull and overcast evening with occasional showers, but I thought a walk along the canal would be fine. We are so lucky in Ellesmere. We have the beautiful Mere and woodland, plus a fabulous and busy canal with all sorts of interesting things happening around it.

I have done a bit of editing on these photos to add some definition and boost the colours and clarity. 

However, I think the subject matter works well with the more muted colours too.

Many of the canal boats were bright colours and I think I will have to revisit when the sun is out and the light will be better, but for tonight I have gone for "moody" rather than bright.

Only took the camera, no spare lenses or tripod, as with only a limited amount of time, I didn't want to spend it putting up, repositioning and taking down the tripod. Had the ISO at around 400 which gave me an acceptable shutter speed.

After my workshop last weekend, I am trying to look out for the detail in a scene and get in a bit closer. Don't think I am there yet, but possibly heading in the right direction.

I will always welcome comments on my posts or pictures, and I know sometimes it can be impossible to get a comment posted. If that is happening to you, please feel free to e-mail.

I have lived in this area for over 20 years and there are still places that I haven't been to. Today was the first time I had visited the marina and it is a very interesting place with all the canal boats moored, in varying degrees of repair

I've never been on a canal boat either, so maybe that's another thing to add to my bucket list. Not got a lot on there yet, so suggestions welcome.

Lessons Learned:  I really am not safe to be allowed to go out by myself and yet people still let me! 

I will always love the oceans and mountains for a day out, but I really must explore the area around my home a lot more, before they frack it, build on it and generally destroy the charm of Ellesmere.

Shrewsbury Revisited

After my workshop on Saturday, there was a problem with my camera so it has had to be sent away for repairs for anything up to 4 weeks!! So I am feeling completely bereft and don't quite know what to do with myself. Photography has been the key behind the brand new adventurous me and I really don't want to be without it for long.

So, time to resurrect my old point and shoot camera that I used before I got a "grown up" camera. It has the enormous aperture range of 4.2 to 7.3, won't shoot RAW and doesn't have a viewfinder, only a live view screen. However, I thought it would help me to focus on the composition, knowing that there was little I could do with the camera to change things.

Still it's better than nothing, so out I go again. The idea is to retrace the route Richard and I took on our workshop. However, easily distracted by something shiny, saw the following in a field on the way in.

Please forgive the quality of the pictures, as it really is a very basic camera.

So I get to where we met up and followed our route, except that I didn't because I got completely lost. I can only explain it by the fact that I was listening so intently to what I was being taught that I didn't pay any attention to where I was going. I may have mentioned it before, but navigationally challenged is in the title for a reason!

I ended up crossing a fabulous toll bridge that I hadn't seen before. This led up a hill into a lovely posh residential area with some very pretty houses.

It was actually really nice just to wander around not really knowing where I was but having every confidence that I couldn't be too far from town and if the worst came to the worst, I could always just retrace my steps.

Funnily enough, it was actually quite liberating knowing that I couldn't do anything to the camera. I put in on auto (yes I know, I'm sorry) and let it sort itself out. I then had to get myself lined up properly and visualise how the picture would look. I think we can get so wrapped up in shutter speeds, apertures, ISO and everything else you can do that it is easy to forget composition. Unfortunately my screen on the camera isn't very good, so many of the pictures were a bit pot luck, and quite a few won't make it past Lightroom!

Normally when I go out photographing I have my 10lb backpack with spare lenses, filters, tripods, cleaning equipment, remote and all the other bits and pieces you need. Today, I put the camera in my pocket!

Eventually found my way back to known territory and walked along the river.

I have noticed when looking at the photos that I haven't done an awful lot of "thing" photography which was what the course was about. I think that is a mindset that I still haven't got into yet. I am hoping when Bob (my youngest named the camera) returns, I can have another go as I really want to be able to do that. Most of the photos I took are the type of thing I typically take, but a couple are a bit different, so baby steps!

Lessons Learned: It was a valuable lesson to be out and about without my Canon and what did I learn from it? That I don't want to be out and about without my Canon!

Diet Diary: How can I think about dieting without my camera, can't you see I'm upset and cake is the only thing that helps with the pain.

Shrewsbury - experimenting

So I did it. The hair is now pink and when I get a better picture than the selfie I put on Facebook, I will show you. Now I feel different inside and look different outside. Its been good for me I think, as I have found that I have had to dig deep and bring out some self confidence to pull it off! I'm walking tall and I'm done apologizing for who I am!

OK, so deep philosophical stuff out the way, back to the important stuff, photography!

I am pleased with how my landscape photography is progressing. I feel that although I am not there yet, I am heading in the right direction and have a general idea of where I need to improve.

However, I am clueless when it comes to more detailed photography. Taking photographs of "things" and making it interesting. I arranged an afternoon workshop with a fabulous local photographer Richard Hammerton (see my photographers who inspire section for a gallery of his work).

We walked around Shrewsbury and Richard encouraged me to look at things in a different way. Whereas I tend to shoot the whole, straight on and stepped back, he suggested I look at things from a different angle and to focus on the texture and interest in the detail.

It certainly changed the emphasis of the walk, I found I was looking at things a lot more closely, and elements were registering that I would simply have walked past before.

He taught me that there are 3 basic elements to look at to make a photo work: light, subject and composition. If 2 are right chances are it's a good photo, if 3 are, it has the potential to be a great photo. 

Rather than just point and shoot, it made me think more about what is the focal point of the picture, where is the light coming from and what effect is that having on the subject and the background. How do I want my subject to sit in the frame and how important do I want the background elements to be.

Now I know that these aren't great photos, I have a long way to go before getting there, if I ever do, but I am enjoying the learning curve of trying something new. So thank you Richard, for an enjoyable and very informative workshop.

Lessons Learned: You can miss so much beauty and drama in this world by only looking at the "pretty" stuff. Take time to really look at what is around you.

I Love Pink Hair!!!

Diet diary Ok, so back on track now.
Camera bag 1: 6 1/4lb down, 3 3/4lb to go
Camera bag 2: not started yet

Moreton Corbet,

Its been a very hectic few days with work and being out and about as much as possible, so the blog has been a bit neglected, sorry. To be honest, my head and heart are still at the top of Snowdon and everything else seems to pale into insignificance.

I have been struggling to think how I can top climbing Snowdon, but then I remembered that I got into all this to be a better photographer, not mountain climber. Although I do love being out and about in this beautiful Country of ours, I don't want photography just to be a secondary something I do when I am there. So I need to refocus and find a better balance.

At the end of the previous blog, I promised more details about my trip to Moreton Corbet, the derelict Elizabethan Manor just outside Shrewsbury.

I found out about it on a website which details many great places to photograph around the country, a great site to browse. shot hot spots

It's not far from me and I do happen to remember that there is a fantastic farm shop en route that does the most amazing cakes. Battlefield 1403

Moreton Corbet is incredible. It just sits in the middle of the field, with a modern farm opposite. Parts of it look completely intact, while most of it is in ruins.

There are the remains of a castle beside it, but to me they are typical castle remains in that there is not much left, but the house is fascinating.

The above picture is me playing around with Panoramas. Not quite worked out how to get it all straight. It is all sort of leaning into the middle. Something to work on. It was made up of 4 shots and then merged in Lightroom. I am still amazed at what can be done relatively easily.

It is completely free entry and you can walk all around it, through it and, in the small cellar area, under it!

You can find out more about it at this English Heritage Website moreton-corbet-castle/ Its probably wrong of me, but I can't get too fascinated in the history of some of these old buildings. They were owned by "this family" and then "that family", people I have never heard of and am not interested in. To me, it is an object of beauty to admire and photograph and if that makes me shallow, so be it!

Lessons Learned: I am loving taking black and white pictures. Never something I have been that keen on, but the whole experience is a learning curve and you never know what is going to appeal until you play around. Another lesson for life in general I think!

When you do something amazing and so far out of your comfort zone, it changes you and you expect everyone else to see the change. Unfortunately, apart from your friends, no one else does. So I am going to mark the change by having pink streaks put in my hair, so whenever anyone asks "why on earth have you done that?", I will say "because I have climbed a mountain!"

Diet Diary. Please, lets not mention the diet today. Not going well. I can climb mountains but can't resist cake. Hopeless!