Ian & Sarah, a Snowy Shoot Around Hebden Bridge

It was a cold and frosty morning, and snowy, and blowy!  Thankfully Ian and Sarah were not put off by the freezing temperatures, ice cold winds whistling down the paths, and the snow flurries blasting us every few seconds!  When they booked a pre-wedding shoot with me, I'm sure this wasn't the weather they had in mind.  We set off on our expedition along the canal path and had a little wander.  When the wind became a little bitter we ducked into a shop for a browse and a couple of shots.  Thanks to the Heart Gallery & Lucy & The Caterpillar Boutique for letting us shelter!  The shoot ended in Organic House for a well earned brew.

 Bring on the lovely spring weather for Ian & Sarah's wedding in May!

Things In The Everyday

I walk round with a head full of photo ideas for my portraits, weddings and engagement sessions, always getting excited about new shots to try out.  Sometimes I'll write them down in a little notepad I carry around, or if I'm feeling brave enough, I'll try and sketch them.  I also like to think about personal projects I can get stuck into.  In 2011, I challenged myself to a 365 project.  I posted them up on my personal Facebook page and it had a lot of positive reaction.  I still get friends asking me if I'm going to do it again - I might do, in some form or another.  

One thing I realised when I was doing this project, is how I like to take pictures of an element within a scene, rather than a big view or landscape.  That's not to say I don't like that sort of thing - I've just bought a book about Ansel Adams' landscape work and it's stunning.  I guess my eyes just see beauty in the smaller stuff.  Over the next few months I'm going to take a series of photos of everyday things, hopefully showing off their beauty!

I've been sorting out a lot of photos the last couple of weeks, and realised I had quite a few pictures of clothes pegs.  It might sound barmy, but I like these little fellas! 

How they all bunch up and let the light shine through...

or gang up on a couple further down the line...

or have a little rave

or just patiently wait until the clouds clear

 always hopeful!!

My name's Sarah & I like pegs!  There, I've said it......

Canopy & Stars Artist Of The Month!

The lovely folk at Canopy & Stars have made me their Artist Of The Month for March -   to say I'm a little bit chuffed about this would be an understatement!  I love what they do, we all need a bit of glamping in our lives!

For all you camping purists, I don't want you to get the wrong impression about me.  I have done my fair share of guy ropes, tent pegs, and cooking on a trangia in the pouring rain.  But now, I guess I'm just after a little bit more luxury whilst still enjoying the great outdoors - win win!  Last September, we stayed at Scales Plantation, a Canopy & Stars property near Keswick.  Home for a couple of days was a shepherd's hut in the middle of a silver birch wood.  A great escape for some r & r and a big kid adventure!  You can read my blog post and see more photos here.

Canopy & Stars are part of Sawday's and they offer places to stay from yurts, to Gypsy caravans to treehouses in the UK and further afield.  They do weddings too!  Maybe you've been thinking about your own mini festival on your special day - how fab would that be?!  I'm looking forward to my next stay, it's just which one to choose!  Bob over to Canopy & Stars website to find some little gems.  

You can see the Artist Of The Month feature here.  I'm not sure why I shared the abseiling story - I thought it was well and truly blocked from my memory...

Happy Mother's Day

So 2013 is well and truly bedded in.  Valentine's Day came and went in a flurry, closely followed by crazy Shrove Tuesday pancake concoctions, then there was St David's Day, and I'm sure a few more I've missed.  This weekend I'll head up to Grassington to spend some time with the folks.  I've been summoned to come and see the new kitchen by Mum, but I know it's really because she wants us all together on Sunday.  A walk, a roast, and some quality time with Mrs M - sounds good to me.  She's already treated herself to some l'occitane hand cream in case me and my sis 'forget' to buy her a present.  I like this approach, she treats herself and of course gets a treat from us too!

In the spirit of the day, I thought I'd share a few photos from the last year or so.  Little moments & bonds captured.

 I thought I'd save the last photo for me and my Mum.  We're not sure where it was taken, but judging by the funny hat and white tights, I think we can assume it's in this country!  As I didn't walk until I was 2, this was a usual pose for me....

Whatever you are doing over the weekend, and whoever you are spending it with, I hope you have a good one. x