Friday, July 16, 2010

GRADUATION!!!!!!!

On Wednesday, my friends and I got to dress and parade around Preston, feeling all important and special. We were officially graduates! It's strange to have finished this journey, the three years went by soo fast. But along the way I made some really good friends, and it was awesome to be able to share this day with them (especially you, Alma). Gary, as the official photographer for the day took some brilliant shots, and I'm going to share some of them here (though these are just the untouched, strait out of camera shots - he's so much better than me, it drives me mad). 

So, as is usual for our crew we decided the best thing to do was register, collect our gowns and head to the pub! Gaz caught some cool candid shots:

Here we all are deep in conversation, though knowing us lot it was about the beer we were drinking. 


This is Rebecca, the newest member of our group, but truly I cannot imagine life without her now. She is an amazing person, solid, reliable, loyal and so frikkin funny! She made being stuck in Montana bearable and has been a great champion for me, fighting my corner even against me! lol. 


                                                

Then there's Richard, my buddy from the very beginning. I've shared so many trials and tribulations with him. He's sat next to me on the bus when I've been mad and ranting, he's laughed with me, and been a shoulder to cry on. He is quite simply my friend.



Then there's Claire, she's the clown of the group, the one who's always upbeat, who never lets the world get her down. Claire's a fighter, she's loud and unapologetic about who she is and I think this shot is so her (well done Gary)


And of course the group wouldn't be complete without Alma (she managed to avoid Gary's candid shots, but posed beautifully later). She wasn't with us this year and we missed her very much. Alma is the innocent one in the group, Rich and I often delighted in shocking her with our crudeness. She's a passionate person, who loves her friends very much, and I'm privileged to have her as a friend.

 

And of course, Gary got me too, though I spotted the camera,



I really enjoyed my time at university with these people and sharing the ceremony with them made it perfect.



Guys, wherever life takes us now, we'll always have UCLan! Love you!!! 





Sunday, July 11, 2010

Photography Misadventure

When I was a little girl I really wanted to do ballet. My parents, perhaps wisely, didn't encourage this desire. I watched the ballerinas on T.V with envy, they were pretty, but most of all they were graceful. This is something I have never been, I have all the grace of a bull! I often walk into things, trip over my own feet and drop things. As a consequence, I am cautious, I don't climb trees, fences, sometimes I even avoid stairs!! However, when I have a camera in my hands that changes. Sometimes in the pursuit of that perfect angle I forget how clumsy I am.

Yesterday was one of those occasions. Gaz and I went out for drive, headed down to North Wales with the cameras in the car. As we drove down the road we both spotted it, the perfect subject for the day. We were on the coast and the path that we followed was beside a small estuary. The tide was out and the river bed/sea bed was pretty much exposed. I looked down the bank, looked at the subject and realised that the perfect shot was five feet down from where I was. Yes, that sand-bank looked a little damp, and possibly slippy, but the shot would be perfect. I slowly stepped down, I got three feet, four feet, and as I tested my footing for that final step, I thought, that's it I've made it!! No. As I took that final step, my foot slipped and I fell flat on my behind, and slid down the bank. It was an action slip, with me desperately holding my camera in the air so it didn't get damaged.

As I finally slid to a stop, I wiped my now muddy hand on my filthy jeans, took my shot and then yelled for Gaz to come and help me get out!

So, do you think the slide was worth it?


I actually took two shots, I couldn't help myself! That ship and those clouds, I mean look at it!!


Now, I would NEVER normally share this shot, but really I think you need to see for yourself before you can understand how messy I got getting those shots.


I can't wait to get the rest of the shots of that ship uploaded to Lightroom. Personally, I think the fall was well worth it.
;)