'New Baby' session.... The handsome Jack!

Documenting lifestyle and the everyday...

I had the honour of photographing 4 week old baby Jack and his new parents a couple of weeks ago...  He is such a gorgeous little fella.  Perfectly happy and content.  Mum and Dad are as doting as can be expected and their request from the shoot was for a photo of the three of them together that would be suitable to use as a Thank-You card for all the kind gifts they have received since Jack arrived.  I hope I did this for them and surpassed their expectations!

I have Rachel and Mike's permission to share some of their images with you.
Here's a small selection - Enjoy!

 

















Thanks for looking - x Fleur x

We love a good Zoo!

So we have a second family trip to Paignton very soon.  Beautiful part of our country and we adored it when we visited at Easter this year.  Fish and chips, arcades, pebble beaches, farms and....... a zoo.

 

As members at Chester Zoo we simply couldn't pass up a trip to Paignton Zoo.  I would have to say that after people, animals are the subject I love to photograph most.  And here are the animals that we don't have in Chester but adored in Paignton. (Actually, that's a lie - we do have some of these.....  But not all!)  I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

 

Many thanks for looking,

 

X Fleur X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ludlow: Castles, woodland and drinks......

Carl and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at the end of July and we decided to get away kid-free (thanks Mum and Mum-in-law) for a couple of nights.  After umming and arring over where and what to do we concluded that we needed R&R.  Ludlow was our place of choice.  I'd briefly visited the quaint market town earlier in the year and I knew we would be able to enjoy beautiful scenery slow walks and even slower pints at all the unique water holes scattered around the town centre.

 

The following images roughly document our trip.  Most of the images being out of what I think of as my comfort zone...  No offence to my hubby, but there's only so many photos I can take of him sitting on a riverside bench or in front of a castle.  So here's the best of Ludlow from mine and Mr Click's point of view (sometimes Carl's point of view too so he didn't feel left out...)

 

Check out who joined us for a walk in the woods...

Ludlow Castle....  Really beautiful.  We were lucky with the weather.  I want to say I was brave enough to climb up the tiny stone turrets to the top by that flag...............  So, erm... Yes, I did.  I honestly climbed those horrendously treacherous steps - *wink*



A room (empty relic) with a view.... Other than the very small amount of houses and obvious rugby field, this view must be rather like the original.  I imagine the trees would've been smaller to though.... 



Ok, so in Ludlow I stand out apparently... I was told it once by a wicker maker on my first visit earlier this year and then twice this visit.  It's my hair - I look unusual and 'not local' (which I LOVE!)  But then add the fact that I can be found running around castle grounds with Mr Click or lying down in some of the oddest angles while I compose a shot.  Yep, this is what I was doing to get this.  The people walking up the narrow steps next to me must've thought I was a nutter. Ha! 

Confession:  I stalked this kid.  I also think she knew I was too...  See that's what puts me off street photography - do I wear a t-shirt saying 'I'm a harmless, albeit bit mental photographer - no need to run'?  Anywho - this shot is as close as I came to my lifestyle comfort zone this weekend I think.  I love it - her dress was just perfect for this image!

Oooooooo - can you see her?  Couldn't miss a shot like this could I?  *wink*

I'm sure there are hundreds and hundreds of versions of this image....  But I was documenting our trip, so I couldn't resist.  It's a beautiful view isn't it? 

The unusual colour of this flower caught my eye - contrasted brilliantly with the pale wooden gate it lives behind...  This bloom was hiding among a plethora of floral arrangements lining the idyllic cottages down towards Ludford.  All very beautiful, but this stood out.  I wished I could've got a good shot of the cottages too, but there was just too many cars parked right up to the doorsteps - shame.

After a full day exploring we finally got down to sampling the local brews (not tea!).  I fell in love with a lot of them.  And al the little pubs were so small and cosy.  This was one of the largest pubs and probably could only fit about 20 people in it before it would start feeling on the cramped side.   I have to have a giggle when I look at this photo though.  Carl obviously took it, after some very specific and precise direction of what I wanted in the shot!  Good job Hubs.  Thank you!

So after a few drinks I did get the Dutch courage to take some shots of the people in the pub who sat around us.  Obviously not that brave really - I still made it seem in their eyes that I was some weirdo taking a photo of an almost empty pint glass!



My final pint.   I think I liked the cider best if I'm honest......  Now off for dinner - sausage and mash please!

Many thanks for looking ~ Fleur x

Our Dude!........... The unseen adventures.......

We visited friends last weekend.  Conversation swayed eventually to photography.... Easily done!  We discussed what photography styles we enjoy at the moment and where our interest is lying.  I am really enjoying 'people' at the moment - not portraiture, but people in the moment, just doing everyday things...  I confessed that I am too nervous to photograph strangers at the moment in a street photography style, so I settle with my kids.  Lilli and Poppi don't mind the camera.  Poppi especially will just get on with what she's doing and let me capture moments.  Maybe when she's listening to music or doing some crafts....  Miles is the opposite, he sees me with Mr Click around my neck and scarpers!  Head down, back to me, running for the hills!  So these images are rare....  Like gold dust - ha!  So here he is - our Dude in his previously unseen adventures.   Doing his thing......

 

Until I pluck up the courage to photograph strangers!

Miles - moody!  (a norm really.....)

Miles - A walk in the woods....

Miles - Running on the Paignton pebble beach....

Miles - Sandy beach fun in New Brighton

Miles - Farmyard fun...

 








Thanks for looking ~ Fleur

Raindrops on roses.... And other blooms.

So the rain was getting on my nerves this weekend.  We had a pretty free day on Saturday, so I'd thought - great.  Get out with Mr Click......  It poured and poured ALL morning, then suddenly - stopped.  Hurrah!  We headed to a local garden centre and all the raindrops looked so beautiful on the flowers, so I clicked away..........  Here's a few.

Thanks for looking, Fleur

A YEAR, full of Adventures!

So Mr Click has been my camera for a whole 12 months now.  And I've loved every second of our partnership.  I've played, experimented, learned, worked and surprised myself.. I've had tons of support and compliments from friends and family and I think I'm really starting to get 'there' with an area of photography I feel comfortable with... I'm not going to give that away right this second - I like to keep my options open ;) But finding human interest and fun, playful images within my photography has a real place in my heart!

 

This blog is a little month by month run down of images that I've really loved capturing over the last year and I'll tell you a little bit of where I was at that time too....  I hope you like them.

 

 

JULY 2013:  My hubby!  We took the kids strawberry picking on a sunny evening after school.  Mr Click had only been mine for a week, so this was a perfect opportunity for a 'photoshoot'... When I took this image I was still on 'auto' (this was in portrait mode) but still I was happy with what Mr Click had to offer in the quality of images we got...



AUGUST 2013:  The 'Pretty Priory'.  On a kid free afternoon I went down to Birkenhead Priory.  I'd spent the previous weekend on a photography course and had learned the important lesson of how Mr Click's shutter speeds work and the aperture meanings.  f stops and all that!  The light in the Priory was just right for this shot.  I won second place in a local competition with this AND went on to sell the entry print along with another larger A2 sized print!  Yay!!



SEPTEMBER 2013:  Chester Zoo has been included heavily within my photography 'lessons'.  I've been able to spend a lot of time there to get really fab shots of some of the animals.  This shot was taken on the first Zoo trip that Mr Click had a zoom lens!  It really was exciting being able to take such detailed shots of animals that usually would keep their distance.



OCTOBER 2013:  A walk with Miles in New Brighton.  The weather was starting to prove a problem at this time of year to take pictures outside.  So on this dry, crisp morning Miles and I grabbed Mr Click and set off.  My thoughts for the images I went for was to just get lovely, natural portraits of Miles - he's not a 'poser' - he will look away (run away!) if you even hint at him to say "Cheese!", so this suited me just fine...



NOVEMBER 2013:  Bonfire Night....  Eeeeeeek! My first night time shoot.  I didn't have a CLUE how any of the photographs I was taking were going to turn out.  I played around with shutter speeds, attempted slow ones, but with me *STILL* lacking a tripod I was finding it difficult to keep still - made even more tricky trying to console a 6 and 4 year old who are scared of the loud bangs - and they were SUPER LOUD!!  So, fast(ish) shutter speed came to the rescue.  Ta-da!



DECEMBER 2013:  Merry Christmas!  Lilli really should have some mistletoe shouldn't she?  Another wet month, so most of my photography was indoors with my family.  I remember feeling very comfortable with all my camera settings now.  Having had a good few months of practice since the course I attended I was naturally thinking about composition.



JANUARY 2014:  Stormy weather hit this month.  We had some fantastic sunsets and storm clouds over New Brighton at the beginning of the year.  This guy was walking his dog (who had run down onto the beach) and his silhouette looked so interesting as I sat on the side of the prom.  I had my zoom lens with me, so I managed to get this without 'getting in' this bloke's personal space.  I did feel a tad like a stalker though! Ha!



FEBRUARY 2014:  The beautiful Olivia.  My good friends had produced this gorgeous little girl in the summer of 2013.  Olivia was 6 months old when we decided to have a go at 'the baby' photoshoot.  A great age - personality beginning to show, character brimming and fully interested and aware of her surroundings.  Olivia was a joy to photograph and being a Mum to 3 little leagues of my own meant that taking her pictures felt really natural and familiar.



MARCH 2014:  Oooooo - selfie!! (well, not quite)  Hubby took this one of me and Miles on an *almost* spring time walk along the prom.  The hazy sunshine and calmness of the evening really comes through on this I think...



APRIL 2014:  Yay - Spring has sprung....  I'm surprised actually that this is the only floral image I'm including.  Flowers are what I've taken so many photographs of over the past year.  They're good.  They sit still, and tend not to pull any forced poses or turn away (well, unless there's a strong breeze).  I think I love this image so much because of the colours and that they really do encapsulate the time of year that I took this.



MAY 2014:  Poppi - my cheeky little model.  Poppi is very often my model.  She doesn't 'pose' as such. She doesn't mind me clicking away in her face, she'll just get on with what she is doing.  This photo, however, was my first 'freelensed' image.  Basically detaching the lens from the camera and turning and fiddling, and eventually taking the shot without the lens properly attached.  It creates a scrummy blur and I loved playing around with this technique.  Poppi was quite shocked that Mr Click was 'de-robed' - as you can see from her expression.

JUNE 2014:  At home - capturing the beautiful everydaynesses! (Yep, that's a word - I checked...) Ok, so now this is where I'm starting to get to the place I want my photography to go.  The natural moments that occur.  Not posed, not contrived, just pure and what it is...  I like getting down (or up) onto levels that make you feel included in the shot.  Like you're there watching, taking it in too....  I've had many a strange look from people over the position I might get myself into to 'take a photo'.  But that's the point isn't it? - I'm not seeing it as just 'taking a photo'....  :)

JULY 2014:  And so to the future....  Where will it take me?  Who knows, but if the past 12 months is anything to go by - I'm EXCITED!  I'm hoping you'll come along for the ride.   (Yes, another photo taken with me lying down on my belly getting funny looks - and that was just from my son, Miles!)

 

My Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Photography-Fleurs-Adventures-with-Mr-Click/674171139278253?ref_type=bookmark

 

My Portfolio Website is:  http://fleurlouisedavies.wix.com/mrclick

 

 

Thanks for looking ~ Fleur

 

 

 

 

 

Photography in Motion....

Capturing motion in images has proofed tricky for me....  It's a real play with panning while you shoot and getting the right shutter speed  for the movement too!  Here's a little collection of my favourite motion images.

 

Enjoy!

 

The first 2 images here just had a fast shutter speed to freeze the movement of the water.  The first shot here though I really like because of how I ball and water in focus and using a depth of field had the other photographer slightly out of focus. 

Lilli enjoying a nice, muddy winter walk

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Look how clear the passenger silhouettes are...  This was a proud moment!

The next set of images I LOVE!  I used a panning technique.  Basically setting a shutter speed that was quick enough to capture the moving object I chose to focus on, but slow enough that my movement of panning across while shooting would cause the blur of the backgrounds.... 

 


This biker was going pretty swiftly along the dock road in Liverpool....  But I got him!

I 'coloursplashed' this cyclists on New Brighton promenade.
I see this guy regularly actually when I go running - maybe I should flag him down to show him this......

Lilli (and her sibling too) give me plenty of opportunities to get panning swinging images....

Thanks for looking ~ Fleur