On Patrol

The Captain wasn't quite sure what was happening. He had heard stories from his men, that there was some strange purple coloured plant that was trying to take over the ground in his area of command.

He hadn't seen any. But hadn't dismissed it, as he trusted his fellow meerkats and the fact that they always told the truth.

So he decided to have a look himself. He got up and had a look around. Yes, it was true, the purple weed had surrounded him. There was no escape.

 Fortunately the assistant at my local B&Q store, picked him up and put hime back on the shelf with his mates.

Sofa, So Good

Walking up towards the Lace Market today, I saw something that was really unusual; a gigantic purple settee. It must be unique, as I've never seen one before, even on the television.

I've not heard about the 'Summer Sofa' promotion at all, despite keeping my ear to the ground and eyes open for events happening in the city centre.

I don't know whether the sofa will be staying there, or being moved across the city. I do hope that they put it undercover, as it won't be very nice to sit on if it is soaking wet.

Flower Power

I quite like this delicate little plant with its very pale purple flowers, that I came across in the grounds of the castle.

I think it is a member of the geranium family. But I'm no Percy Thrower, so not entirely sure that I am right.

I Heart Beeston

This is Stephanie, one of the organisers of the Beeston Bay attraction, that and the other events that have taken place over the last few years.

She works for an organisation called Beeston BID, who's main aim is to promote Beeston as a tourist and shopping destination.

I personally enjoy living in Beeston and getting involved in things that take place; usually with my camera in my hand.

Purple

I seem to be taking a lot of flower photos recently. I'm not too sure why. Possibly because there's not too many events going on at the moment, being still early in the year.

It was lovely and sunny today, and so I went for a walk around Hockley and the Lace Market. These crocuses were enjoying the warmth in the grounds of St Mary's Church.

Spring is definitely on it's way.

Life At 60mm

I've had another go at shooting some flowers with my new 60mm macro lens.

Not got there yet, but getting better. At least the middle of this crocus that I saw in Beeston's churchyard is in focus. Just need to work on the rest of the flower, so it all is.

Spring Is On Its Way

The amount of rain that we have been experiencing lately has reduced over the last few days. It was quite warm and sunny yesterday when I took a photo of this crocus in our local churchyard.

Today of course it is cold, overcast and very windy. So I have stayed in all day. Although tonight we are off to see our friend Dave perform in a gig at a local pub. So there will be a photo or two tomorrow.

But for now, please enjoy my photo and think that it's less than a month to go before the clocks go on an hour and the lighter nights, and hopefully warmer days are with us once again.

Natasha

This is Natasha, one of the models that I shot today at a local studio.

She has a very nice smile don't you think. She actually works as a dental nurse during the day and likes to be in front of the camera in her spare time.

Two Is The Magic Number

The subject of pairs seem to feature in my photos today. I witnessed a wedding at lunchtime, as the new bride and groom were posing for photographs on the steps of the Council House.

As it was a sunny afternoon I decided to cycle through Highfields. I stopped off a couple of times, once to take a photo of these two plants. And of course, what park isn't complete without a couple of loving swans?

Meals On Wheels

I thought about calling this photo "Give Us Our Daily Bread" as this camper van was being used to promote a new make of bread.

The promotions people were toasting it, and people could try it with jam, or marmalade etc. As there was such a queue for the freebie, I didn't bother. So I took this photo instead.

A Splash Of Colour

We had a trip to our local branch of B&Q yesterday afternoon to buy some new flooring for the hallway.

Whilst we were looking around, I thought that I would take some photos of some of the colourful plants that were on sale, as they all looked very photogenic.

Unfortunately I didn't make a note of the plant names. But I'm sure the gardeners amongst you will be able to tell what they are.

I also spotted some wildlife, whilst I was there. These ducks looked very friendly. But as they are made of pot, I don't think they will float somehow.

This bee was enjoying flying from plant to plant, gathering precious nectar for the hive. Its a sad fact that the British bee appears to be on the decline, due to the loss of habitat, use of chemicals and possibly the weather. So it was good to see the plants on sale that bees are attracted to.

And finally this hummingbird garden ornament looked fun, and a gorgeous blue colouring. Was I tempted to buy one for the garden? No, as the springs joining the wings are likely to rust and then they will drop off.

It's a Woolly Lion, Not A Woolly Mammoth

An A Level textile student at a local college called Nikki Charlesworth 'yarn bombed' the famous Left Lion in the Old Market Square, as part of their coursework.

The crochet style of knitting is a form of street graffiti, something that she came across after seeing a female Polish artist called Olek, who once covered the famous Wall Street Charging Bull sculpture in New York, in pink and purple wool.

I'm sure you'd all like to wish Nikki well in her studies. I'm sure she'll do well with producing such an unusual piece of work. And I'm sure that Leo is happy about his new clothes, as it was quite cold and wet when I took the photo.

All Fingers And Toes

On Wednesday Gail and I went to do a boudoir shoot at Michael Lau's studio with the lovely and exotically named SINderella Rockafella.

We were meant to be there for 5.30, but it took us two hours to get there, even though the city centre is only some five miles away.  All the roads were gridlocked. It couldn't have been all down to the snow that had been falling since the afternoon.  There must have been some accidents or breakdowns in several places, as the traffic just wasn't going anywhere.

Eventually we got there and got sorted out. On these sorts of shoots, I usually take my Nikon D3s, but for a change, I thought I would see what sort of photos I could produce using just my Olympus OMD.

I think Michael is a little envious of my camera, as he said that he would like one himself, but wouldn't be able to justify the expense.

Anyway, here's one of the results, with just a little tweaking in Lightroom. SINderella was great to work with and very adaptable, even though she has been modelling for less than a year. She clearly has a successful career ahead of her and presently has over 10,000 likes on her Facebook page.

Friday Flutter

Well it's a bit of a restful photo today, after so much action over the last week or so.

I saw this butterfly hopping from one flower to another, so I managed to get this shot while it had landed and stayed still enough to press the shutter button.

The Best Thing About Summer Is....

Kathy has come up with this week's Headbanger Challenge theme about the best of summer.

Now when I was a child, I always looked forward to the summer holidays. Six weeks with no school, so I could go and play in the local park, or ride my scooter around the streets of west London.

Nowadays I'm stuck in the office while the sun is shining, which fortunately it has done today. It's nice to cycle in the sunshine, without a coat and not be worried about getting wet. Although I do carry all my rain gear, just in case a black cloud appears to spoil things.

As it was a nice early evening, I cycled through Highfields on my way home. There were still a few people walking around, or rowing about on the lake. I saw an ice cream van, and thought that's the best thing about summer; hearing the chimes of an ice cream van and running out into the street to buy one. Always a cornet with a chocolate flake in it. Somehow ice cream from a van always tastes nicer than coming out of a tub. I'm not sure why, maybe because it's piped out, so there's a bit more air in it. So the best thing about my summer is eating ice cream.

Sadly I didn't stop for one, and continued cycling through the park, looking for something else to photograph. I took some pictures of various flowers that I could find, and thought these plants looked very colourful by the side of the lake, and being dappled by the evening sun too.

Do pop over to see how the rest of the team have interpreted the theme, and do enjoy this summer themed music.

Champagne Reception

I've undertaken my first every wedding as the official photographer. Gail's brother was getting married, and as a wedding gift she suggested that we took the photos for them both.

I was a bit worried whether I would be able to do it, as I'm more used to taking photos of strangers on the street, than formal family occasions. Especially a wedding; one of the most important days in a woman's life, so I didn't want to muck it up.

Fortunately it was a lovely sunny day again and I don't think the photos turned out too bad. I took loads, so should be able to sort out some good ones. Ones that will look alright in an album. It was at a local registry office, so unfortunately it wasn't in a classically romantic location like a castle or a park. But I think I made the best of what was available.

At the reception I took some photos of the guests, the cake and the like. The small things that sometimes get forgotten; like this table display for example.