It rained for most of the day today, which I didn't mind since I was stuck in processing more photos. I did go for a drive in the early evening though after dropping some photos off at a client's house, when the weather had brightened up a bit. As you can see from the photo, brightening up didn't mean it stopped raining.
We went back to Mabie Forest on the Monday since we didn't get the chance to explore during the previous visit. It seems a popular place with lots of families and groups of kids running around, so we took the quietest path to escape them. Luckily, we managed to take the path which led to the Ghost Stane which I'd seen on the internet and wanted to photograph. I was wondering how to best go about it when Sandra suggested I try dragging the zoom to create this zoom effect. I added some rear flash to sharpen the trees and Stane and hopefully make it seem more ghostly.
We stayed the night in Sheffield in the worst B&B I've ever seen. Apart from being a building site, the whole place smelled of smoke and was covered in grime and the basin in our room drained into a bucket. At least the owner was friendly. When we arrived, he was digging up the drive with some mates, one of whom was sat in the kitchen sweating profusely and seemingly on the verge of death. I seriously thought Sandra would be forced to resesutate him at any moment.
We went to Sheffield at the weekend to sort out somewhere to live next month. A quest which thankfully proved fruitful, as we don't have much time between now and then. After wandering around houses we enjoyed the rest of the sunny day in the town centre. This is a statue just outside the Winter Gardens which you can just make out through the big window.
Oops, it's been a few days since I last updated my blog. I took this photo on the way home from Mabie Forest last week. Sandra and I went out for a walk in the evening, but as soon as we got there, we had to leave again as Sandra had given herself food poisoning. I didn't have a photo for the day so as the sun went down for a nice sunset we stopped the car so I could get a landscape... right next to the biggest swarm of midges I've ever seen! There may look a lot in this photo but it's only a fraction of how any were there. Somehow I managed to escape without being bitten at all despite standing in the middle to take photos. One did get inside the car to bite Sandra though.
I nipped out to tesco earlier in the day and took my camera with me, as I pretty much do wherever I go. I took a detour along the back lanes on the way back in the hope of spotting something to photograph. I only stopped once and took 3 pictures of some cows before the whole herd decided I was some dangerous predator and fled over the hill. I didn't expect to have a photo of the day but just checked the shots before going out to take one and discovered this fellow peering over the wall at me. Animals that stare always amuse me.
Once again I was trying out my telecheapo combination, this time on some Goldfinches. I guess I should use a tripod really for these really telephoto shots but it's just so much hassle. I guess I should try at some point though, just to see how much improvement it would be. Once again, Charlie decided to help my photography by sitting under the birdfeeder and scaring off the birds. Thanks Charlie.
This morning, I found another creature in our bedroom obviously dying to be part of my 365. At least that's what I took all the mandible waving for. Charlie was beginning to take an interest after a couple of minutes so I put spidey outside for his own safety.
I went outside to try and photograph the large moon which was apparently near the horizon but unfortunately couldn't see it from our house. I just took this of the street lights instead because I liked the effect. Probably not the best photo I've ever taken but at least it's nice and orange. :)
After yesterday's effort to not post a cat shot, I ended up posting one today instead. I couldn't help it, Charlie just made me laugh with this one. He always follows us wherever we go, so when I went outside to take a photo of the storm front over our house as Sandra suggested before leaving for work, Charlie came too. I thought the shot I went out to take was a little boring so started taking a close up of a flower, when Charlie started pushing his head against the camera and swishing his tail in front of the lens. Since he seemed so keen to help, I ended up taking a few shots of him instead.
I was processing wedding photos all day today and hadn't really spared a thought for my photo of the day. By the time I remembered I had to take one, the light was already fading and I couldn't think of a decent subject. I'd reached the point where I was taking photos of the cats when the sun came back out for the last few minutes of the day and transformed the sky from a dull grey to something a little more dramatic. Since I couldn't find my 18-105mm kit lens due to Sandra borrowing it the other day, I instead picked up the fisheye and took this in the field out the back.
While i was in the attic the other day, taking the picture of the book (Day 56), I found this model car from The Green Hornet. It seemed like a good idea to bring it down for a day when I hadn't thought of anything to take a photo of. This is that day.
Because of my need for slightly different lenses to make it easier for me during weddings, I've been trying to sell my 24mm prime. It's a shame because it's a fantastic lens and I'd like to keep it. After taking some example shots (of which this is one) to show people today, I want to keep it even more.
I went to Lockerbie this morning to meet a nurse who Sandra works with to discuss her wedding in August. Unfortunately she'd been on a late shift last night and overslept until my phone call woke her up, which meant I had some time to wander around Lockerbie and take a couple of pictures. This is the town hall which coincidentally is where the reception for the wedding will take place. I didn't actually realise that at the time of taking.
We were going to go for a walk once Sandra came home from work, which I was going to use as an opportunity to get my photo of the day. She didn't get home 'til late however, so instead she came up with the idea for this shot as we'd just been eating cherries.
This photo was a bit rushed as I hadn't gotten around to taking my photo of the day before the light started fading. I quickly nipped outside before it completely vanished and took this one. I converted it to black and white and added a high contrast blue filter in photoshop to make it a little more interesting. 
The second wedding of the weekend was up in Livingston. This girl was strikingly beautiful and had a fantastic dress so I really should have taken more photos of her to put on my website, but there's no time at a wedding to concentrate on one person, other than the bride and groom. I like this profile shot anyway.
Well it's been a bit of a hectic weekend with another two weddings which is the reason for these four posts all at once. The first wedding was just down the road from me at a hotel I never knew existed. Not the most attractive building as it was undergoing renovation, but it did have this nice azalea outside which went well with the little girl's dress in this photo.
