# 272: Anthuriam

How's this for an unusual bloom? I received this plant today as a thankyou for photographing school children for a calendar which will raise funds for the school.

# 271: Coming to a city near you this weekend!

In its 4th year, Scott Kelby's Annual World Wide Photo Walk takes place this weekend. In Derby it's happening Saturday afternoon, and there are still places available if you want to sign up. World wide, there are 1,113 walks taking place and 26,326 photographers taking part, all ages and abilities - find a walk near you by visiting Scott Kelby's WWPW website here. This t-shirt will be worn by our walk leader, Barry.

# 270: The last dandelion clock

Autumn is in full swing, we are having a late 'heat wave', and the dandelions are on borrowed time.

# 269: Autumn Fruit

From yellow flowers to red berries, autumn interest in the garden. This is a variety of hypericum, also known as St John's Wort.

# 268: Snake

Attaching 'reins' to Snake...trot on? ...slither on more like ;0)

iPhone pic.

# 267: Mr & Mrs W

I love it when a plan comes together! 

We had checked out this spot, I left the marker just in case, and the plan came good. The newlyweds stood on the woodland path while I clambered into the bracken patch to get the shots. Five minutes well spent :0)

# 266: If you go down to the woods today...

In advance of Saturday's wedding, I drove the route from where bride would prepare, to the church, and on to the reception venue, stopping at a spot along the scenic route through Cannock Chase to leave this marker. Enough room for my car and the wedding car to pull over for a brief photo opp amongst the trees and bracken. There was more than one likely spot, so just to be sure I prepared a marker for the rendezvous. See here for pre-wedding shot.

# 265 Green lamp

This was a gift from a special friend. It perfectly suits our period home, though has not yet found its final position, while we have been renovating and decoratng it has moved around a lot.

# 264: Nobody home

I needed to shoot an image for a competition today. The theme is Urban Decay. This is one I rejected from 3 possible entries. I'll let you know how I get on...

# 263: Blue sunset

Oliver sometimes lets me know if there's a sunset worth photographing because he's in the loftroom on his xbox right below a velux window.

# 262: Delicate

Tiny flowers on Jodie's tomato plant.

# 261: Ladybirds on bramble leaf

I did a little light gardening today. Autumn has kicked in swiftly and it didn't really feel like summer had a fair crack of the whip, so I wonder what winter has in store this year? Sometimes I wish I could hibernate, but then I'd miss so many photo opps ;0) There were three ladybirds huddled under a bramble leaf, by the time I'd fetched camera and put macro lens on, one had crawled off. These two didn't move until later, when I came to clear up the prunings they had found another spot.

# 260: First group lesson

Last week Abby suggested Jodie try a group lesson, so today she was one of four girls in an hour long lesson instead of half an hour's one to one. Twice as long in the saddle - she loved it! I doubt Fiona would thank me for this particular shot of her, perhaps I won't mention it ;0)

# 259: All curled up

Biscuit takes advantage of how the fluffy throw fell when Jodie jumped up to finish getting ready for school this morning. Clever cosy cat. Grabshot on iphone - had I moved for the proper camera she would have moved I guarantee it!

# 258: A good drying day

After several days of unpleasantly high winds the calm and stillness was very welcome. The sun shone, fluffy clouds eased across the sky, and the laundry sparkled.

# 257: The pull back shot

Here's a 'behind the scenes' shot of a shoot at the school Jodie left before the summer holiday. Last week I photographed the teaching and admin staff and set up in the main school hall. This time I was photographing the school's governors but the hall was in use for After School Club, so I set up in a classroom - this was Jodie's classroom in Y1!

The white backdrop is held on a stand and is lit by a light with a 'flag' to minimise spill. The main light to the right has a 135cm octagonal softbox with a double diffuser. The subject sits on the stool and smiles sweetly ;0) There is also a reflector out of shot to the left for a little fill in the shadows. Quick and easy to set up. But well over two grand for the kit, and that's just the kit for this set up - there's more ;0)

# 256: Time travel?

I've often wondered what it would be like to travel in time, its a subject I like to read about in fiction, and I am interested in particular periods of history. We live in a 1930s home with period features, some of which we have kept. We like a house with character and this one has it in spades. The picture rail is original to the house, the coving is reproduction - copied from the next room behind me and over my shoulder - the fireplace is an original cast, but not original to the house. Its probably Edwardian, early 20th century, too old for the house, but its far more attractive than the 1930s tiled fireplace that we decided to remove not long after we moved in. I designed the mantlepiece to match and we chose Art Nouveau reproduction tiles, again too old for the house, but we can get away with it. The barley twist fender is original 1920s-30s but in need of restoration. We are not purists, we keep what we like and adapt what we don't, but try to be sympathetic with decor and colour schemes. We finally finished decorating the lounge and dining room - the Sanderson Oak Leaf wallpaper went up today :0) The carpet fitters are due very soon, after which the children will be instructed to hover!) There will be curtains in this oak leaf pattern hopefully before Christmas - it'll be cosy with a real fire and lights on the tree... 17 years after we first moved here!

# 255: Windfall

We've had some high winds recently, the remnants of a hurricane from across the ocean, so more fruit than usual has been falling off our apple trees and the pear tree.

# 254: Slightly rippled with a flat underside

Part of the challenge with shooting daily is often to make ordinary things seem more interesting. I don't always achieve this, but hey, nobody's perfect. Making patterns in the paste on the wallpaper then shooting at a low angle with a shallow depth of field, followed by cropping and editing in Ps with Silver Efex Pro 2 takes away part of the boredom factor associated with DIY ;0)

# 253: Late Bloomer

An insect is just coming in to land on this late blooomer, as most of the garden has gone past its best.

# 252: Bursting forth

A perfect conker will soon emerge. I love the colour, so rich, and the sheen as the light catches it. These are falling early too. More shots in a day or two perhaps.

# 251: Autumnal

The acorns are dropping early, as are the leaves. Autumn is my favourite season.

# 250: Gerbera seeds

I sometimes buy flowers with a view to photographing them: I often leave them in the vase when most folk would toss them on the compost heap - sometimes if they're past their best, they are even more interesting, photographically speaking.

# 249: "Smile 'n' wave boys, smile 'n' wave"

Happy to be going back to school - starting at the Juniors, so a little nervous on day one. The title refers to the penguins in the animated movie Madagascar, we love Pixar and Dreamworks animations, we quote from them a lot! When she came out at home time she said she'd had a good day and was looking forward to tomorrow :0))) Me too!

# 248: Studying form?

Jodie studies yet another horse book! Even with the many horse books she already has, she still keeps finding breeds we haven't heard of before!