'Red bubbles' by Me

Red bubbles, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I get so engrossed in looking for fantastic photos from other people I keep forgetting that this blog is meant to be about my photos as well. Anyway, here is one of mine which I like because it looks far more impressive than it really is. It's just a red coloured wine glass filled with fizzy water. I turned on the macro setting then just pointed my camera in the glass and hey-presto a really cool shot! I love these wine glasses so I am really pleased I found a great way to photograph one!

'Vintage Blue' by fullofbliss

Vintage Blue, originally uploaded by fullofbliss.

I love that every day objects can be so beautiful and become the subject of stunning photographs.

Cotton reels for example. I love them, especially vintage ones. They remind me of my childhood as my grandmother had loads of these vintage cotton reels. I so wish I had kept them now. She also had, among other treasures, a tin of buttons and a bag of zips! Simple stuff really but lovely. I want to be like that too! I already have a ribbon box and a tin of buttons but somehow they just don't seem as beautiful. Hmmm, that gives me an idea though. I really need to spend some time letting my camera get to know my crafty bits and bobs! I'll let you know how I get on.

Anyway, the photo I have chosen today is one I wish I could have taken myself. Fantastic collection of vintage cotton reels in such beautiful colours that match the pretty tin. The photo is really well cropped and it makes me think that the photographer has loads more pretty things like that in the cupboard.

If you like this, here is my Flickr gallery of gorgeous cotton reel photos.

'Tiny Fireworks' by v1ctory_1s_m1ine

Tiny Fireworks, originally uploaded by v1ctory_1s_m1ne.

In one of my first posts I said how great flowers were to photograph and how I was going to feature loads in this blog. So I thought before you flicked through my previous posts and realised there were hardly any flower shots I should add one quickly.

This one is a fabulous macro. The detail is awesome you can even see the tiniest bit of pollen in the centre. I really love the softness of the petals - it's almost like they are painted in watercolours. And it goes without saying I love the colour.

Phew, I think that made up for the lack of flower posting. More flower pictures to follow soon!

'My new favourite butterfly' by gardinergirl

My new favourite butterfly!, originally uploaded by gardinergirl.

Damn it! I got side tracked again! Tonight I was looking for a flowery photo to post but instead saw this magnificent photo which I just had to share.

I just love the colours! I love the how the green of the butterfly is exactly the same as the green of the leaves. I love how the butterfly almost looks like it's posing for the photo saying "Hey look at me!".

I created a Flickr gallery of beautiful butterflies which you can view here. Trouble is it's full so can't add this one. I am now considering starting a new gallery just so I can add this picture.

'Summer time!' by muha...

Summer time!, originally uploaded by muha....

It's cold and it's miserable. Why is it still winter? I need something to warm me up. Yep, this ought to do the trick! Ahhh, wouldn't it be great to be there right now with a cold drink in your hand and not a care in the world.

(You don't need me to explain any further why I love this gorgeous photo do you?)

Sigh..... Anyway, back to reality.

'Beach huts in the snow' by Jim.....

Beach huts in the snow, originally uploaded by Jim......

Have I mentioned yet how much I love beach huts? Well I do, I think they are just fantastic and I want one (in Hove if possible)! But failing that I am just going to make sure I look at lots of pretty pictures of them and when possible take many pictures of them. Unfortunately I've not taken too many myself but I envisage a summer travelling round Britain's beach hutted beaches snapping away!

I am sure I'll feature lots of other people's beach hut photos on here but here's a seasonal one to kick off with. It just goes to show that even in winter you can take awesome beach hut photos. I love the colours in the one and I think the snow actually makes them look even prettier.

'Cream tea' by Me

Cream tea, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

The thing about having a photographer's mind is that you are constantly looking at everything and sizing it up as a potential photo. Viewfinder eyes if you will. Now I am most definitely just an amateur but I still can't help seeing photographs in everything, even the most mundane stuff.

Anyway, this photo is an example of one of those time when I said "stop everything - no one eats a thing until I take a photo of this!" I am really pleased with the composition. And it looks really tasty. Only thing that disappoints me is that I left my handbag on the table so you can see it reflected in the teapot. Luckily it doesn't stand out too much so I don't think it spoils the picture.

And for anyone interested, this was taken at the cafe in Nymans in West Sussex.

'Self help' by Ouissi

"Self help" 010/365 * 10 01 2010, originally uploaded by Ouissi.

Yesterday I promised I'd show you a photo of books. Books actually make a fascinating subject so I will definitely be featuring them a lot more but here is my pick for today.

I chose it because I felt it was in keeping of the style of yesterday's photo, ie, the gorgeous soft tones. I also just love the texture that was used in this image. It really suits the photo. I'll also admit that when I first saw this photo I was so fascinated by the books that I didn't notice the person sitting in the background. The pose of the person makes it look like they are debating whether they need to read one of these books.

A lot of thought obviously went into this. And all the work definitely paid off.

'flower girl' by alice b. gardens

flower girl, originally uploaded by alice b. gardens.

I am posting this picture today because I love books and I think this photo would make a fantastic cover for a novel. I don't know what the novel would be about but I'll leave that up to you to decide.

The shape of the photo of course makes it a great choice for a book cover but it's also the soft colours and the interesting subject. Is the girl in the picture happy or sad? What story does she have to tell? Wow, I really want to read the book now even though it doesn't actually exsist. Now that's a powerful photo! Either that or I am just a crazy lady making up books with no stories! I'm going to say it's the excellent photography.

Hmmm, perhaps I'll post a photo of some actual books tomorrow!

'Bag to the Future' by samirdiwan

Bag to the Future, originally uploaded by samirdiwan.

I still don't think I've added enough colour to this blog so here's one to keep the colour moving. Unsurprisingly the thing I most love about this is the colour! The bright purple is just fantastic. The composition is great too. It is just an image of an ordinary moving walkway in an airport but because of the colour and the angle it's really been taken to another level. It looks like something from the future. Perhaps in the year 3010 all airports will look like this.

'daisy duckies' by Sofia Katariina

daisy duckies, originally uploaded by Sofia Katariina.

I was having real trouble deciding on a photo to feature today as I have just too many favourites. But then I saw this one that had been posted on Flickr today and it made me really smile. I love the colours, the composition, the duckies, everything!

I hope it makes you smile too!

'Corks' by Me

Corks, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Another one of my own photos tonight I think. Am posting this one because I would have loved it if someone else had taken it so am chuffed it's mine! I just like the simplicity of it and I think the sepia makes it even crisper even though the original colour is not far off this.

I would like to make a disclaimer though. This is not just an average week of drinking! I have collected corks for years. No idea why, I just liked them and it seemed a shame to throw them away. Now wine bottles are mainly screwed top I am really pleased I have all these corks for no other reason than I was able to take this photo. Perhaps I'll think of something else to do with them soon.

'It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.' by simple effulgence

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air., originally uploaded by simple effulgence.

Since starting this blog I have realised that I really do like a really diverse range of photography. But that is surely a good thing. There is so much for me to look at and appreciate and that means that this blog is going to be full to the brim of gorgeous pictures. Just hope I remember to keep taking my own photos!

I haven't yet posted a photo which demonstrates my love of things soft and girly. I think this one fits the bill. I love pastels and the combination of balls of wool and a pretty collander is just really girly! (I know men can knit and cook but that's not the point!!!!)

I shall make sure I post lots more pretty pictures like this when I am not getting side-tracked by bright colours, dramatic photos and anything else that catches my eye.

'Church in the snow' by Me

Church in the snow, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Well the snow is finally melting. I'm a little bit sad because snow is so pretty but mainly I'm relieved. The UK isn't very good at dealing with snow so I am pleased things can get back to normal now.

I'm a bit disappointed I didn't manage to take many nice snowy pictures but I did manage a few I'm pleased with. I like this one of the church. I tried it in black and white and sepia but I think the sepia works best. I'm pleased that I have the tree in the foreground because I think it makes the photo more than just a picture of a church. It's almost a candid shot of chuch taken by someone hiding in the branches! Well in my opinion anyway!

If you'd like to see more snowy pictures taken by people who aren't me please visit my 'Let it snow' Flickr gallery here.

'Vintage Basket' by Vintage_and_Flowers

Vintage Basket, originally uploaded by Vintage_and_Flowers.

I love that a picture really can be worth a thousand words. I don't know the photographer but from this photo I have a whole image in my head of what I imagine to be a beautiful home. I love that the basket has apples in it. In my head they are fresh apples that have been picked from the orchard outside. They'll be baked in a pie to be eaten that evening whilst sitting around the fire. This photo has lovely subtle colours and the composition is great. I don't know the real story behind it but I shall pretend that the image I have in my head is real.

'Carnaval Umbrellas' by Jahina

Carnaval Umbrellas, originally uploaded by Jahina.

There are so many pretty pictures! It's getting really hard to decide what one to feature every day. However, today I wanted one that highlighted my love of colour and I think this one does just that.

I love bold, bright colours and simplicity in a photo. This one has the lot. It really is just a photo of some umbrellas but they are so bright and vibrant. They just make you smile even though an umbrella is generally used on a dull and rainy day. I think if everyone was made to have umbrellas like this - rather than black which seems to be the most common colour - then rainy days would be a lot more cheery!

'Steam Locomotives At Keighley Station' by SJM92

Steam Locomotives At Keighley Station, originally uploaded by SJM92.

I was going to do a blog post today about how much I love bright colours and bold images. But then I stumbled across this photo and thought I'd showcase this instead. I think it's gorgeous. I love the sepia and don't think it would have worked nearly as well in colour or even black and white. I think what really makes it special is the amount of smoke. Most of the time when taking a photo like this you would wait for the smoke to clear to get a nice shot of the train but to me this image is about more than just the train. It's a whole drama in a photo.

'Sky, Water, Sand' by Martin-K

Sky, Water, Sand, originally uploaded by Martin-K.

I have never visited Hawaii but I've always fancied going there. This photo sums up how beautiful I imagine it is. I would love the be there right now away from the cold weather. In fact it doesn't have to be Hawaii it could be anywhere hot with sun, sea and sand..... Sigh....

What makes this photo so much more than just a holiday snapshot is the composition and the colour. The shades of blue are just stunning. I think the way the horizon is in the middle of the shot is great and I love the shape of the sea crawling up the beach.

Right, I'm off to look at holiday websites!

'winter swans 2' by fozzie75

winter swans 2, originally uploaded by fozzie75.

If I was to name this photo it would be 'purity'. What amazing pure white snow and beautiful white swans. I love the fact that a photo can be all white but still be so interesting. The swans definitely look like they are posing! I say all white but obviously there are the two orange beaks that stand out in the snow. Fantastic work. I wish I had taken it!

'Sunflower' by Me

IMG_8665F, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

It's still snowy here but I'm still not totally pleased with the few snow pictures I have taken. Therefore I have decided to post a very bright and summery photo as a perfect contrast to what's outside at the moment.

I had so much fun taking this picture. I'll admit I went out and bought a bunch of sunflowers just so I could take pictures of them. Just holding one up against the blue sky gives such a fantastic effect.

I love the colour combination of yellow and blue. They just work so well together, especially when they are bright shades. I have collated a Flickr gallery of yellow and blue photos which you can have a look at here.

'Snow walking on Brunswick Avenue (Toronto)' by ardenstreet

Snow walking on Brunswick Avenue (Toronto), originally uploaded by ardenstreet.

A totally different winter photo to the one below but I still love it. I love the colour and the composition but most of all I love what it represents. The snow here has been really deep. People are staying home from work and not even bothering to dig their car out of the drive. Watching from my window I see a huge community of people that you never usually see during the day walking, sliding and sledging by. Many, like in this photo, who decide the the road is a more sensible place to walk as there are hardly any cars about.

'it snowed today' by Esben Bøg

it snowed today, originally uploaded by Esben Bøg.

This photo is beautiful. I feel cold just looking at it though even though it's not obvious ice and snow. I love the colour and the prefectly captured droplet of water.

There has been so much snow here this week and I am rather frustrated as I haven't been able to take any good snow pictures. I hoped I would have been able to get a few but only a couple I have deemed good enough to even post on my Flickr photostream. I don't think the snow is going anywhere fast though so there is still time to capture an image that I am proud of.

'Perfect purple' by Me

IMG_9067F, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Let's kick things off with one of my photos (after all it is my blog!).

I love this one. It is just a point and shoot macro shot. I took it on a particularly dull day in the walled garden at Chartwell in Kent. No editing of any kind. I was just so amazed how beautiful and dreamy it looks.

I really enjoy macro photography and I love taking pictures of flowers so you will be seeing a lot more of them from me (and from others) in this blog. And I also love purple so this really has to be one of my all time favourites!

By the way, I may love taking pictures of flowers but I know absolutely nothing about them. Please be warned that I won't be naming any of them unless it really is something as simple as a daffodil or a sunflower.

It really is all about the photos

Welcome to my blog! Let me just start by explaining what I hope to actually post in it.

I have always been interested in photography but it wasn't until I signed up to Flickr that I started to get really engrossed in the world of photos! I am by no means an expert but I like to have fun with photography and I am never without my camera.

I also adore looking through other people's photos and am equally interested in the work of professionals and complete amateurs.

In this blog I want to showcase some of my own work which I am particularly proud of and also write about some of the photos I have come across which I believe to be stunning.

Anyway.... enjoy!