Chicago city magic

Having fun with my photos from Chicago,
the last stop on my recent US adventure. 
They aren't my normal style. What do you think?

The top two are of Anish Kapoor's amazing sculpture 'Cloud Gate' in Millennium Park. The third is of a smaller sculpture in the same park ('Sacred Rock', part of a special exhibition by contemporary Chinese artists), and the last picture was taken at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

If you like any of them, I'd be interested to know which and why...

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More posts from my recent US adventures:

New York part 1

New York part 2

Cape Cod

Portsmouth, NH

Squam Lake

Self-portrait bravery

Joining in Cathy's self-portrait challenge for Blogtoberfest. Not a huge fan of having my photo taken (especially by me) but this one is quite fun - took it in Cape Cod a couple of weeks back, having caught the sun out on a long bike ride

How do you feel about taking your own photo?  Do you get self-conscious?  Do you see it as a way of getting a photo you actually like? 

For more self-portrait bravery from Blogtoberfesters see here

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PS advance notice that THE GREAT BIG STITCHED POSTCARD SWAP IS BACK! It will launch on Tuesday 19 October, bigger and better with more sparkly bits – watch this space…

Open Your Eyes - photography workshop with Susannah Conway

So to the second of my three workshops at Squam - a photography class with Susannah Conway of Unraveling fame.

I love the soulful polaroid shots that appear one after another on her blog, and was interested in absorbing some of the magic.  After learning a few rules, and then being encouraged to go out and break them all (my favourite bit), I snapped away.

In the woods...

And by the lake...

Have you broken any rules recently?

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More on my Squam experience here:
Reflections of Squam - I dreamed a dream
Bloom True - painting workshop with Flora Bowley

Paradoxes

I love to travel yet I love to nest (especially right now!)

I love to be surrounded by people yet I love to be alone

I love extremes and excitement, yet I love calm

I love to dive in, yet I love to sit back and watch

I love crooked old houses, yet I love zen minimalism

I love adventure, yet I love the comfort of what I know

I think we need to appreciate our own paradoxes to be true to all parts of our selves

What about you?

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This month I am joining in Susannah Conway’s August Break, sharing daily photos of my life this August. Why not check out who else is joining in, or have a go yourself?

Unpacking

How come the things which make us happiest often stress us most along the way?  

I am exhausted from the move,

from all the unpacking,

from the decorating, 

from trying to make it all perfect

from day one.   

But today,

we just stopped,

dropped the boxes,

and shut the door. 

We left the paintings unhung,

the books unshelved,

the shoes un-put-away. 

And flopped.  

Given the small inconvenience of not having a sofa until September,

that actually meant we flopped onto the floor.  

Still, the icecream tasted just as good sat leaning against the wall.

And as we sat laughing,

surveying our new home,

the aches started to fade,
the excitement returned 

and we remembered what it was all about.

I think we're going to like it here

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I am rather late to the party for Susannah Conway's August Break (a new daily photo challenge which started on August 1), but better late than never! 

This month I am going to aim for more photos, less words, so keep a look out for a peek into my August (including some shots of our new house, once we have unpacked a little more!)

The power of photography

"When we look with our eyes, from our hearts, through the lens, it's a completely different photo and something really powerful can happen" Jen Lemen

Check out this awesome video of Jen's story on her journey from happy snapper to $50,000 world photography prize winner...



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And if you are in the mood for wishing, please help me make a dream come true here!

Playing with images

Capturing a fleeting moment in a way which one day will take you right back to that place, the smells, the sounds, the feeling. There is magic in photography. I love taking photos and I think something in me helps me take some sweet shots with the occasional flukey great one, but I don't really know why I like the ones I like, and I know there is so much more to learn. So I have just taken a class with photographer extraordinaire Susannah Conway (as part of the Wish Studio virtual art retreat), learning more about composition, light, and all sorts of other things I never really think much about. I photographed my cup of tea, and then played around with some editing tools. Which one do you like best? And which one do you like least? I'd love to know which and why.

Original photo:

Altered versions 1-12:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

I quite like the original photo, but think altered version number 12 is my favourite.  I love the difference in texture either side of the diagonal line, and the pattern in the bottom right corner would make fantastic wrapping paper!

Photography actually runs through my family (right back four generations) so maybe this is just awakening something that has always been there... more on that another day.

This moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual from Soulemama. In her words "a single photo - no words - capturing a moment. A simple, special, extraordinary moment." 

What special moment have you captured this week?