Share Six Blog Circle – December 2019 | Light

The December Share Six theme is {light}.

To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.”
― Roy T. Bennett

The interpretation opportunities with this theme are truly endless so, my wonderful photographer friends, you have no excuse not to share your images with us this month. If you have never shared an image before, this is your chance. Post your {Light} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_light. A new theme will be posted on 6th January 2020.

Here are a few of my recent captures that were inspired by the light more so than the situation or moment. The first is an early morning dog walk on the frosty heath.

Just an ordinary moment with a favourite book and a hot chocolate, but the light hitting his face compelled me to pick up my camera:

She often looks at me like this. She is wondering why I’m lying on the floor but not next to her; she knows it isn’t possible to cuddle from a distance. This is “puzzled in a perfect spot of light”:

“I am the light”:

Our house with Christmas lights at sunset. It doesn’t look nearly so pretty without the movement, but I do love the Christmas lights:

Sparklers:

Thanks for joining us again this month. Up next 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

Share Six Contributor

Share Six Blog Circle – November 2019 | Portraits

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The Share Six theme this month is {Portraits}.

I’ve talked a lot this year about how I am uninspired and how I have not been driven to pick up my camera since our international relocation. As I sit down to write this, it is exactly one year to the day since we left the US, and my goodness, my sentimentality is through the roof! Reflecting on the images I have taken in preparation for this blog in this past week alone, I see that I do have a reason and a purpose to pick up my camera.

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My boys have changed so much in the last year and I wonder now if, when I look back through my 2019 images, I will have visibly missed a chunk of their growing up. I grateful for this theme and the push to capture them more. I vow to continue to do more again.

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Inspired by my self-portraits from a few months ago (see those here), I bribed the boys with Halloween sweets. I would say it was worth it.

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I snapped this last one as we were heading out the door on Bonfire Night. He does make me laugh!

Remember, remember the fifth of november, for gunpowder, treason and plot

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Thank you for joining me for another month at Share Six. I hope you will take this theme, run with it and share your favourites with us. Post your {Portrait} images on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_portraits. A new theme will be posted on 6th December.

Up next 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

Share Six Contributor

30 Minutes in the Life – October 2019 | In My Courtyard

Some of you may know that we moved into our new-to-us home earlier this year. It needs an extension, a loft conversion, a garage conversion, and a complete overhaul in almost all other respects. You could say there weren’t many selling points, other than the potential, but there is one little corner of the house that had me mentally moved in before I’d even seen the rest of it. Admittedly you still have to use your imagination a little though! Picture a string of bulb lights zigzagging across the top, lots more lush green plants, moroccan tiles and after dinner drinks on a warm summer’s evening.

This is my special little courtyard, and this month I started work on the “lots of lush green plants” part of the project (please excuse the muddy mess I made potting up the plants)!

If you know me at all you know I don’t have much success when it comes to keep plants alive. I choose them primarily for their photogenic qualities, not their tolerance for living in a small pot, so that probably doesn’t bode well for their long-term future. But hey, I’m doing to do my best, because when I get 30 minutes alone time with one of these pots, I am happy.

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Thank you for joining me again this month, especially if you made it all the way down here!  Up next in the blog circle is the incredible Caroline Liabot Photography. Please click here to visit Caroline’s blog. Want some more amazing inspiration? Keep following the circle to see what other photographers from around the world have shared this month – and don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages!

Until next time,

~Ceri

 

 

Share Six Blog Circle – October 2019 | Pink

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a worldwide annual campaign taking place in October, involving thousands of organisations, to highlight the importance of breast awareness, education and research. If you’d like more info, check out Wear it Pink. And in honour of this cause, Share Six is turning our feed {pink} too!

I haven’t had my own garden for 5 years, and I’ll be honest, I am not the most green-fingered person you’re likely to meet. …I’m not green-fingered at all actually, but I do love flowers even if I’m no good at tending to them! I have enjoyed obtaining a few of my favourite plants over the past few months, and I have such grand plans for our courtyard once our house renovations are complete! There are going to be so many pots, it’s going to be lush and green, and have a string of lights zigzagging across the top and a table and chairs for breakfast alfresco and pre-dinner cocktails (….this is reminding me I must take proper before photos)!

These upcoming house renovations have meant that I’ve tried to the plant buying to a minimum. But with a gorgeous garden centre less than 3 minutes drive from our house, it was inevitable that some of my favourites would make an appearance sooner rather than later. It won’t surprise you to know that my favourites are also particularly photogenic: a hydrangea, a camilia, and a dahlia. And so today, ladies and gentlemen, the rhubarb and custard dahlia makes her debut appearance:

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Next on the garden centre shopping list is a peony, and after that a magnolia for the front garden. I definitely have a type when it come to plants: big beautiful flowers!

Thank you for joining me for another month at Share Six. Post your {Pink} image on our Facebook page SHARE SIX or to our Instagram gallery by using #sharesix_pink. A new theme will be posted on 6th November.

Up next is my friend and talented photographer, Katherine Cobert. Click here to see her images and be sure to leave her some love!

Until next time,

Ceri xx

Share Six Contributor

30 Minutes in the Life – September 2019 | Marwell Zoo

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So that’s another month that’s been and gone on the struggle bus! The year is fast coming to an end, and with less than 100 days to go, I already can’t wait for Christmas!

This month I’ve been busy throwing myself into a new venture, but I’m finally feeling myself reaching for my camera when the mood strikes or when the light is right. I’m not where I was with it a year ago, but as the anniversary of our sudden relocation approaches, I’m starting to feel a parting of the storm clouds (*knocks on wood*).

Way back at the beginning of this month, before the boys were back at school, we took a trip to Marwell Zoo. I remember going there with the Brownies when I must’ve been about their age, and both would’ve had school trips there but for the small matter of living in the wrong country at the time. So all that to say, it seemed like a fitting finale to our summer holiday. Turned out to be a bit of a nightmare getting in (their payment systems weren’t working and then they didn’t have change for cash purchases) but I wasn’t going to give up after driving all the way there and we made it in eventually! After all the kerfuffle I didn’t get lots of fun photos to start with, but once we calmed down (and fed the hangry 7-year old) we had a lovely time!

I love these trips because I’m not alone in trying to get the perfect shot or the best view; absolutely everyone is trying to do the same thing too. Whether they have a camera or a phone or a ipad, the vast majority of visitors wants to photograph the animals as well, and I love watching how others approach that (and then typically I try to do something completely different). But how hard is it to get a good shot?! The enclosures make it hard. The animals make it hard. Oh but boy do I love the challenge!

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Any guesses which was my favourite encounter of the day? Hint: the next in line and the kid above was less than impressed, but I mean seriously, how could you not love that face?!

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Lions say:

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Or do they ROOOAAARRRR? (Adding this one because I love it despite its rather obvious flaw. Don’t judge me!)

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Thank you for joining me again this month.  Up next in the blog circle is the incredible Ivana Aleric. Please click here to visit Ivana’s blog. Want some more amazing inspiration? Keep following the circle to see what other photographers from around the world have shared this month – and don’t forget to leave a little love on their pages!

Until next time,

~Ceri