creative Archives - Ceri Herd

May 6, 2021May 6, 2021

Share Six Blog Circle – May 2021 | Light Inspired

Ceri-Herd-Fleet-Photographer-tulip-taken-with-lensbaby-velvet-85-colour-omni

The theme for May’s Share Six Blog Circle is {Light Inspired}. As photographers, we are always searching for inspiration, ways to create something new or beat our way out of a rut. Ultimately that inspiration often from the light that surrounds our subject.

The past few weeks I’ve been (massively) inspired by a new lens – the Lensbaby Velvet 85 – and a new set of Lensbaby Omni Filters – the colour expansion pack. The colour crystal omni wands create and manipulate light in a creative, extraordinary and incredibly inspiring way, so for me these images are the epitome of {Light Inspired}.

Ceri-Herd-Fleet-Photographer-succulent-taken-with-lensbaby-velvet-85-colour-omni

Ceri-Herd-Fleet-Photographer-hosta-taken-with-lensbaby-velvet-85-colour-omni

Thanks for joining us again this month. Don’t forget, post your {light inspired} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_lightinspired. A new theme will be posted on 6th June.

Up next in our blog circle is my lovely friend and extremely talented photographer, Janet Douglas. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time, stay safe,

Ceri xx

May 6, 2020May 5, 2020

Share Six Blog Circle – May 2020 | Simplicity

Ceri-Herd-Photography-Tulip-Lensbaby-Omni

This month’s Share Six theme is {simplicity}.

As I sit down to prepare this blog, we are hearing reports that the UK is now the worst hit country in Europe, in terms of deaths due to COVID-19. We’ve been at home now for over 6 weeks, only leaving the house for dog walks and to get essential supplies. Although it seemed daunting at first, we are in fact living a simpler life and I definitely have a newfound appreciation for the simple things.

I planted tulips in my garden last October. It being our first year in this house, I had no idea what other flowers were going to appear this Spring, but tulips are my absolute favourite and I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to have some as soon as possible. When I planted them, little did I know how much energy I would invest in watching them grow, diligently waiting for the right time to study them with my camera.

It’s amazing to me that I can find such joy from one flower. I have spent the last 18 months feeling uninspired, looking further and further afield to create something that I felt worthy of sharing. But now I see it. In the right light, with the right tools, there is magic in this little corner of my garden. It was right in front of me, just waiting for me to be ready to see it.

Take a step back from the rat race. Appreciate what you have.

Thanks for joining us again this month. Don’t forget, post your {simplicity} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_simplicity. A new theme will be posted on 6th June.

Up next in our blog circle is my lovely friend and extremely talented photographer, Lynne Grant. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time, stay safe,

Ceri xx

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

Share Six Blog Circle – April 2020 | Imperfection

Ceri Herd Photography Imperfection Pelican at Birdworld

I am so excited for this month’s {imperfection} theme! In March I was lucky enough to have one of my images on display at the Click Away conference in the Imperfection category. This one image alone has caused me a lot of reflection these past few weeks. I submitted “Preening” on somewhat of a whim, it was an afterthought and a wild card, but I love it because of its imperfections, not in spite of them: in composition, the limb chops, and even the pelican is showing off the imperfections in his feathers.

All that said, inspiration came to me in a completely different form these past few days. We’re living in an imperfect world right now, and as society unravels and then builds back up again, we will start to see and appreciate more and more of the layers and complexity of our society.

Thanks for joining us again this month. Don’t forget, post your {imperfection} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_imperfection. A new theme will be posted on 6th May.

Up next in our blog circle is my lovely friend and extremely talented photographer, Janet Douglas. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time, stay safe,

Ceri xx

February 6, 2020March 4, 2020

Share Six Blog Circle – February 2020 | Out of Focus

Ceri-Herd-Photography-Fleet-ICM-Abstract

This month the Share Six theme is {Out of Focus} – quite possibly my favourite of all the things! There was certainly no need for me to take images specifically for this blog; I have a ton images to choose from from this past month alone! I eventually settled on some intentional camera movement images that I took from the car. We were on the way back from watching a rugby match one Saturday in January and the sun was just setting. The light recently has been so grey that the glimpse of sun was more than enough encouragement for me to get my camera out.

Thanks for joining us again this month. Post your {out of focus} images, deliberately out of focus or accidentally out of focus, on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_oof. A new theme will be posted on 6th March.

Up next in our blog circle is my lovely friend and extremely talented photographer, Jan Douglas. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time,

Ceri xx

January 6, 2020January 6, 2020

Share Six Blog Circle – January 2020 | Macro

It’s 2020! Thanks for joining me as we kick off another journey around the sun.

This month Share Six is focusing on all things {macro}!

It’s no great secret that I’ve been struggling creatively these past few months (ummmm, all of 2019…), but I’m hopeful that my most favourite Christmas gift, as well as forcing myself into a new 366 project, is going to turn the tide and refocus my energy.

That Christmas gift was a set of Lensbaby Omni Filters. If you haven’t come across these before, they are a set of prisms/wands that, with the use of magnetic arms, enable you to play with light and reflections right in front of your lens. As with any Lensbaby (or indeed any new equipment…yes, I’m talking to you, new Wacom tablet, that I’m attempting to use for the first time today too, humph), there is a learning curve. With these filters learning comes with experimentation, both in terms of using the different wand attachments, but also using different lighting. It turns out different lighting scenarios change what you thought you already knew about them!

These images were taken on Boxing Day (that’s December 26th to those who don’t know). Which means, yes, it took over 24 hours for me to get the chance to play. What madness?! These were my very first attempts with the Omni filters, so ixnay on the judgement, ok, thanks 🙂

I’m adding in an extra one here, whilst not strictly macro, it shows how the omni prism creates beautiful reflections:

Thanks for joining us again this month. If you have any questions about how I created specific effects or Lensbaby Omni in general, fire away! Add you comments or questions below. And don’t forget, post your {macro} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_macro. A new theme will be posted on 6th February.

Up next in our blog circle is my lovely friend and extremely talented photographer, Lynne Grant. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time,

Ceri xx