January 31 ~ Ready for the Race

They're ready to go - just need someone to run with them!

I've never participated in an egg-and-spoon race, but they look to be a lot of fun. Personally, I very much doubt my egg would make it to the finish line in one piece; it would be more likely to resemble its distant cousin Humpty Dumpty by the end of the race!

January 30 ~ Pink Lemonade

I'm not a big fan of lemonade as a thirst quencher, but I do think it makes an excellent photographic subject! This is a twist on my first ever lemonade photo, taken back in July 2007 - Creative Juices was its title - and since then has become one of my all-time favourite photos. Here's a reminder of that shot, which has also become my blog header:

January 29 ~ Daffodil

When I see daffodils, I know that spring isn't too far away.

January 28 ~ In the Trumpet of the Daffodil

I just love the tiny world that you see when you look closely at flowers!

January 27 ~ Bleak Morning

It's been one of those weeks. Despite my best intentions, I've not picked up my camera since Tuesday evening. I get rather irritated with myself when this happens, as my goal is to take a photo per day throughout the year. Think my own batteries just needed recharging, both in the physical and the photographic sense.

I've been working hard this week and not sleeping particularly well at night, so I've been getting up at the last possible moment each morning and getting to bed between 8 and 9pm every evening. Although by nature I'm an early-to-bed-early-to-rise type of person, I'm not usually like this! Normally, I get to bed between 10 and 11pm nightly and am up and at 'em by about 6 or 6:30am without the aid of an alarm clock. Lately I've been needing the clock though!

Photographically, I've needed a shot of inspiration this week, and this morning gave me the opportunity I needed to get those batteries recharged. Although it was a bleak morning weather-wise, with a gale force wind blowing, it felt wonderful to be out taking photographs. It was the first time in over two weeks I'd done so, and I feel energized and refreshed. I can't wait for the next free morning I have!

January 22 ~ Defiant

Although the tulips are virtually done, this one defiantly shows its beauty until the very last. I think there's something so striking about tulips even as they wilt and die; the textures of the petals reminding me of crushed velvet. Many flowers retain none of their former beauty as they die, but tulips remain defiantly beautiful.

January 21 ~ Dejected

The tulips are almost done. I didn't get round to posting this yesterday as it was just such a horrid, grey and rainy day that I took the photo and never even looked at it until today. So, here it is. "Dejected" pretty much sums up yesterday's mood for me; all around our area there was snow falling... all EXCEPT Sunderland it seemed! Woke up this morning to pictures on the news of the inches of snow blanketing the North East of England all around, but none here for me.

January 20 ~ Happy Birthday Chris!

Wishing my lovely husband a very happy birthday.

The Clan has helped made sure there's lots of cake and presents! :)

January 19 ~ Wooden Rainbow

Haven't been feeling particularly creative or inspired today, in large part due to poor weather, but also due to a VERY late night out with friends last night! :D

January 18 ~ Out of the Dark

Yes, the tulips are still around. I loved how this one was leaning towards the light and my lens, peering at me out of the shadows. I also liked this one, for the way it was standing so tall, proud and elegant:

January 17 ~ Ready For My Close-Up

If it could speak, I feel almost certain that's what this tulip would have said. It was virtually crying out to be photographed.

January 16 ~ Just a Tulip

It may be just a tulip, but that doesn't matter to me. I love tulips; they're my favourite flower.

January 15 ~ Thinking of Spring

Title says it all today, really.

January 14 ~ Not Long Now!

Mini-Me can barely contain his excitement. Spring's coming (albeit not nearly fast enough!). He just loves tulips and let out a cheer when I brought some home today.

January 13 ~ Leaving the Wear

Departing the mouth of the River Wear at Roker, sailing for distant shores.

I'm so glad I went out to the beach with my camera this morning; it's the most inspired I've felt in quite some time, and I feel I've brought back some images worth being proud of. This one is my favourite, as I don't often see such large ships leaving the river and the light just seemed "right" today. I also like this one very much though:

January 12 ~ Jackpot Dreams

Winning doesn't change you, except ... for the fact that Mini-Me would choose to revel in a pile of jewels. Show off! Good thing he's not actually WON the lottery, or he'd be insufferable. :)

January 11 ~ Don't Laugh At My Hat!

"Arrrr, that will teach you to laugh at my hat, you spotted cur!" Pirate Duck was not at all pleased that Spotty Duck had a fit of giggles when she spotted his hat. Spotty Duck is not at all amused now - she doesn't like this new hat, and is very sorry for making Pirate Duck upset.

January 10 ~ "We're Bored!"

Ahhhhhh, it's that time of year again. Melodious Christmas carols have faded away for another year, only to be replaced with the sounds of "We're bored! There's nothing to DO!" No matter how much was received over the holidays, by early January it always seemed to be the same; boredom and sameness! The two youngest of the Wood Clan feel that way today. Despite oodles of things to amuse them, they cannot find anything to do. Kind of sums up the way I've been feeling about my photography for a little while; despite inspiration and ideas wherever you look, I just can't seem to FIND any. This seems to slowly be passing however, and I'm starting to think that my "eye" is returning and the creative juices are starting to flow again. I can probably count on one hand the number of photographs I've been truly happy with over the past two months. Onwards and upwards for the new year!

January 9 ~ Nursery Graffiti

One guess as to who's been playing with the wooden blocks! It's not like him to run off before his photo can be taken, though....

January 8 ~ Eat Your Heart Out, Bill Oddie!

Bill Oddie calls himself a birdwatcher? Mini-Me goes one better; the birds seek HIM out! I just wish I had gotten that near to some blue jays while we were in Ontario; I didn't manage a single shot of one (nor any cardinals).

January 7 ~ The Evolution of Flex

With apologies to Charles Darwin.

I couldn't resist this shot. Found a medium-sized member for the wooden family while in Canada, and the idea for this photo jumped to mind straight away.

January 6 ~ January Dawn

Our first morning back in the UK, and my first sunrise photograph of 2008. I had a tough time sleeping last night as my body clock kept thinking it was 5 hours earlier than it was. Don't you just love time zones?

January 5 ~ Leaving On A Jet Plane

Or, in the case of Mini-Me, a propeller plane :)

He seemed disappointed that he wasn't on the plane with us, but now I know he's found a plane of his own to fly and looks to have had a good old time.

January 4 ~ Not Our Plane

This is the view from the concourse near to our gate at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. While this is not our plane, it wasn't far away. It's the first time I ever took my camera out at the airport, and I must admit that I felt rather self-conscious about it. I kept thinking that people were giving me strange looks (whether real or imagined I don't know) and as a result I rushed this photo. I wanted a record of the day and a shot for this project, but was verging on paranoia; I was sure that some authority or other would come up to me and challenge me. You see, I don't quite understand the thinking on photography in public places in light of the terrorist attacks and threats of recent years. You can be stopped from taking photographs in a suburban shopping mall, yet whip out a DSLR in the middle of a crowded international airport and no authority figures bat an eyelid. Weird.

January 3 ~ Flowers

Yet another photo of my niece, little miss N. My mom and I set up a makeshift "studio" in the living room to make the most of some lovely natural light streaming in. Tacked up some bedsheets, made sure N was looking her best, and let her loose! While some might critique the technical aspects of the photo (I was shooting at f/1.8 on my 50mm lens to avoid the need for higher ISO or flash so the DOF is not all it should be, perhaps) all I am concerned about it how well this shows N's personality off. She's so inquisitive and always wants to explore. These weeks have been ones that I will treasure for the rest of my life, and the images reflect that to me :)

January 2 ~ Snack Time

January 1 ~ Cheeky

We're BACK!!! It's January 5th and I'm sitting here updating my blog with the first photos of 2008. I'm jetlagged and trying to stay awake until a "normal" bedtime to try and get used to the time zone change. We had an amazing time in Canada with the family and were very sad to leave, but now that we're home it feels GOOD. There is something to be said for sleeping in your own bed with your own pillows. COMFY!

This little fellow was pilfering the bird feeders at LaSalle Park on the shores of Lake Ontario. While we don't have red squirrels, we do have black ones! This was my 2nd day out with the D200. I just love this camera!