'Snowy tree' by Me

Snowy tree, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

So it finally snowed in my part of the country. It wasn't a lot of snow but more is apparently on it's way. The best thing about it though was just how super excited my little girl was about it! I decided when we went out today that I wasn't going to go home until I had something on my camera that I could post on my blog tonight. Here is the result. What do you think? I always think that trees make an interesting subject for a photo. On this tree I like how it there was just a thin layer of snow on every branch. I wish there had been bright blue skies today but it was actually rather a grey day so I made this black and white for extra impact. I am sure there will be a lot more snow this winter so I'll make sure I try to get some more snowy pictures over the next few months.

'A Balanced Brickfast' by powerpig

A Balanced Brickfast, originally uploaded by powerpig.

I really like this photo. I like it because it's quirky and creative. My favourite thing about it is definitely the colours though. So bright and happy. I think this would actually make a rather nice poster. Not sure where I would put it but I think it would look great nonetheless.

It also reminds me of breakfast time. I do rather like a refreshing bowl of cereal in the morning. I remember for years I never even bothered with breakfast at home. It's only now I'm at home with my daughter that we share this meal together. And by share I mean we have a bowl of cereal each but he helps herself to mine while I'm eating then makes a start on her own. So that means she gets one and a half breakfasts and I just get half. Oh well, I guess that's a good dieting tip!

Anyway, enough of my waffle (mmm, waffles.....). Now just enjoy this photo. Hope it makes you smile!

'Air France over Maho Beach 2' by Arian Durst

Air France over Maho Beach 2, originally uploaded by Arian Durst.

I thought I'd post something a little different tonight so this one is especially for Unknown Mami. She said she liked seeing pictures of gerber daisies, bridges and oddities and I was intruiged by what photos I could find that could be called an oddity. I don't know if this counts but I think it's pretty amazing. It's not a fake photo, this is a real place in the Caribbean. It was taken on Maho Beach which is on the island of Sint Maarten. Directly next to the beach is the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport which is so short the planes really have to get down low to touch down as soon as possible. I think having a plane fly so low over head head would freak me out a little but apparently it's a really popular spot of plane spotters. I hope you all find this as weird and fascinating as I do!

'Remotiflora' by floridapfe

Remotiflora, originally uploaded by floridapfe.

I've not posted a flower photo for a while so here is an amazing one! The detail in this is simply awesome and it almost looks like it's in 3D. The little flowers really look like they leaping out of the photo.

I'd also like to wish any Americans who are stopping by today a happy Thanksgiving. We don't have Thanksgiving here but I think it sounds like a wonderful opportunity to really think about all the good things we have in our lives and what we can be really thankful for.

'My daughter the photographer' by Me (well it's my camera but it was actually taken by my little girl)

My daughter the photographer, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

This morning while my daughter and I were still in our PJs I decided I wanted to photograph the shoes I wore out on Friday night simply because I love them. Yes, I know it's Wednesday and I should have put them away by now. But anyway, I didn't get a lot of photographs taken as my two-year-old decided she rather be wearing them herself. She loves shoes - I've trained her well.

She also really wanted a go with my nice camera which I don't usually let her touch but today I decide to let her. It's quite a heavy camera for her obviously but she managed a couple of shots of me and some of her feet when she was sitting on my lap. When looking through the photos later this one really caught my eye. I think it's lovely. I haven't edited in any way either. This is exactly how it came out of the camera.

A toddler's eye view of her feet whilst sitting on mummy's lap learning about photography. It couldn't be more perfect!

'le vieillard' by vanil.noir

le vieillard, originally uploaded by vanil.noir.

When I saw this photo I just thought, 'Wow'! It is just so beautiful and so peaceful and calm. You can almost hear the silence - if that makes any sense to you. There really is something so magical about freshly fallen snow and this really captures that.

I also thought I'd better post this now before the snow does really show it's face and everyone gets all cross because it's not quite as magical as we all hoped! Although, my baby is now a toddler who says she loves snow so I think there are going to be a few magical moments there this winter.

'sequoia' by f/stopboy

sequoia, originally uploaded by f/stopboy.

When Emma at A matter of choice told me she'd like to see some dog related photos because she was missing her old dogs I thought I'd see what I could find! Having never had a pet myself I've never really had much interest in animal photography so I thought this would be a great excuse to have a look at some different types of photos myself.

I found I really liked this one. What struck me most about this were the gorgeous colours. I love the shades of brown and the blue of the blanket contrasts so well. I'm sure the photograper didn't have long to capture this image but it really does look like the dog was posing for a proper portrait. I hope Emma likes my choice!

'Wakehurst Place' by Me

Wakehurst Place, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

You said you wanted to see more of my photos so here is one by me! This was taken at Wakehurst Place in West Sussex this summer. I do like it that we are National Trust members. We have quite a few National Trust gardens and properties near us so it's really good to be able to jump in the car and have somewhere pretty to spend the afternoon. The entrance fees are usually quite expensive so we may not have bothered otherwise and missed out on some lovely places. Also because we've not paid to get in we don't feel bad if we only stay an hour and leave. But the most important thing of course is that there are loads of fantastic photo opportunities! I am really pleased with how this one turned out. It's often quite hard to get a photo of this house without hoards of people hanging around the front spoiling the picture.

'Disco Christmas Ball' by myruby

Disco Christmas Ball, originally uploaded by myruby.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. I went to my first Christmas party of the year last night and had a rather excellent time. I had my camera with me and took lots of photos but of course they were all of my friends and I having a bit of a giggle on the dancefloor! Therefore here is a rather Christmassy photo to get you in the festive mood. For me this kind of image really does sum up Christmas. The tree, the colours and the lights are all so festive. My favourite bit of this photo is the way the photographer has captured the beams of light coming off the fairy lights. They look like little stars. And of course I like the mini disco ball as it reminds me of Christmas parties!

'Hay Bales' by Monster.

Hay Bales, originally uploaded by Monster..

Thank you for all your lovely responses to yesterday's post. I wasn't fishing for compliments but it was so wonderful to hear you say nice things about my own photography. I will make an effort to post more of my own pictures in future. After all if you can't show off your own work on your blog where can you?

And if was great to get some inspiration from you about what photos you'd like to see. Therefore, I have posted this picture tonight especially for Crystal Jigsaw who said she loved countryside views. Hay bales are something I've always wanted to photograph. The trouble is when I do get a good view of some it's when we are driving by in the car and there's never a good place to stop for a photo.

This photo is great. I think it's really interesting how the field is in two parts - the three bales in detail in the foreground and then an assortment of different bales in the background. I also love all the shades of orange and brown. It shows that a photo like this doesn't need blue skies and fluffy clouds to be great.

'Pink' by Me

Pink, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I have had this blog for getting on for a year now and must admit I really do love writing it and searching for beautiful photos. I thought however, I'd throw it open to you, my gorgeous readers, and ask what you'd like to see here. Tell me what you love and I will try and find the most stunning photos I can. Is there a particular place you love, a food, an animal, a flower? What photos would make you smile?

Oh and the above photo is one of mine. I think it looks rather surreal in a way. I never get bored of taking macro flower photos.

'Au centre de l'univers 2' by adfo1

Au centre de l'univers 2, originally uploaded by adfo1.

I am showing you this photo tonight as it’s just a perfect photographic study of an insect. The detail is amazing. I especially like how it almost seems to have a human face which is concentrating hard on what it’s doing. The light is beautiful too. It’s very clever how the photographer has captured the subject right in the middle of the sun. Fantastic work.

'bookmarks.' by indierocket

bookmarks., originally uploaded by indierocket.

I like this photo for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a great photo. I think if I'd seen this box of bookmarks I'd have wanted to take a picture of them too. There are so many colours in this shot but it is still so subtle. It makes me really want to see all the different pictures used on the bookmarks as they look like great photos too!

And secondly, I used to collect bookmarks when I was a child so it makes me feel like trying to find where the hell I put them all. I used to mainly collect the leather ones you buy at touristy places. I had loads of them! I kind of wish I still collected them now as I see them everywhere we visit and always wistfully think that would be good for my collection.

It's quite strange that I now don't actually use posh bookmarks at all. My books usually have train tickets, scraps of paper or free bookmarks from book shops sticking out of them.

Do you have anything you've collected for years? Is it more exciting than bookmarks?

'Birthday Cake Sliced' by Sweetapolita

Birthday Cake Sliced, originally uploaded by Sweetapolita.

Isn't this just so pretty? I wish things I baked looked this lovely. When I cook it's just a bit of a mess really. The cake is even sliced perfectly. I obviously love the photo too. The composition, the bokeh, the colours - it all works so perfectly and is a great way to show of such an edible delight. I bet it tastes quite nice too.

Anyway, happy weekend to you all. I hope you all have a weekend as beautiful as this cake.

'My marvelous minolta.' by Sarah{Jane}

My marvelous minolta., originally uploaded by Sarah{Jane}.

When I saw this gorgeous photo I was instantly inspired. It makes me want to go outside and take wintery photos. The light in this makes me think it was a cold but beautiful day. But I mainly was inspired by the combination of gloves and camera. You see I bought a pair of fingerless gloves a few weeks ago simply because they were cute and cheap! However, I didn't really know when I'd wear them. I always get cold fingers why would I want them exposed? Then this photo made me realise that fingerless gloves are for taking photos in. Why, oh why, didn't I realise this sooner? I'd always been taking my gloves off or trying to fiddle around with the camera with my fingers all covered up. Right, I just need to go and find the gloves now! I wonder where I put them.

'Home baking' by Me

Home baking, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Little one wanted to do cooking today so that's just what we did. It only really involved adding an egg to some cake mix but she loved it. And the cakes turned out to be rather tasty too.

And from a photography point of view it was good too. It was so lovely and sunny today I just really wanted to take some photos but couldn't decide what of. These cakes made a perfect mini photoshoot. Oh and I let my daughter have one before I started taking the photos. I don't think I would have got away with just photographing them and not actually letting her eat one!

'True colors are beautiful like a rainbow' by neloqua

True colors are beautiful like a rainbow, originally uploaded by neloqua.

I don't really have a lot to say tonight. I just thought it was about time I posted a brightly coloured photo. I like this one as it's simple but so summery and bright. It has really captured that summer holiday round the swimming pool feeling. I only wish it was warm enough to fancy diving in!

'Hot chocolate break' by Me

Hot chocolate break, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

This one is for everyone who got caught in the rain today. Although I guess there are people reading this on the other side of the world who are enjoying warm spring weather right now. If any of you still fancy a hot chocolate you are most welcome to join me too.

I took this photo last year in Costa Coffee. I know people probably look at me strangely when I am taking pictures of my food and drink but hey it's worth it to get the shot I'm after. I can't imagine I took much time taking this photo anyway. I imagine I wanted to get stuck right in to the chocolatey goodness. In fact, I bet I only took a picture of the bottom of the glass because I had already lapped up the cream on top!

Anyway, a big chocolately "cheers" to you all!

'Winter Wonderland' by Jurassic-O

Winter Wonderland, originally uploaded by Jurassic-O.

Well it really felt like someone flicked the switch and turned winter on this morning. Brrr, it's got rather chilly. A proper winter coat is definitely coming out of the wardrobe tomorrow. Maybe a hat. Definitely gloves! We seem to have had a few false starts with the cold weather so far this autumn but I guess that's what this season is all about. This time thought, I think, the cold weather is here to stay.

I'm going to try to embrace it this year. That means wrapping up in lots of warm jumpers and drinking lots of hot chocolate! It also means photographing as many wintery things as I can. Winter in England can just be damp and grey but it can also be beautiful. Hopefully I'll be able to catch some of the beautiful moments.

Here is my inspiration. When I saw this I thought it was taken in a fairytale village in Scandinavia. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was Liverpool in the UK. It's truly beautiful. Not that I'm saying Liverpool isn't pretty, I've never actually been, I just don't picture it like this. This really is a gorgeous winter wonderland.

'A Boom Boom Boom' by asmundur

A Boom Boom Boom, originally uploaded by asmundur.

It's Guy Fawkes Night here in the UK tonight. I must admit I rather love fireworks because I'm such a big kid. The minute I hear them banging outside I'm at the window to see if I can see them! I've even been know to stand at my front door and watch a display someone else is having. We never have them ourselves - far too dangerous and expensive. Much better to go to a display. I remember as a child my dad used to buy a box for us to have in the back garden. We'd only have the very small ones that didn't bang but just went "pffffttt" though and perhaps a packet of sparklers. But now I think the bigger the better and I love going to organised displays.

I think this firework photos is fabulous. There is so much colour and energy. And it really is so crisp and sharp. I love how there are two different types of firework captured here. The coloured ones are great because they look almost like lasers in the sky. And although completely different in reality the other ones look so soft and fluffy!

So if you will be watching fireworks this weekend I hope you have a fantastic and safe time. Right, I'm off to the window....

'starfish wedding' by Anita Waters

starfish wedding, originally uploaded by Anita Waters.

This is such a cute and creative photo. It would make a fantastic wedding card or an invitation for a beach wedding. I wish I knew the thought process behind this. I wonder what it's like to suddenly think "I know what would look good on a starfish!". Anyway, I don't really have much else to say about this picture. I think it just need to speak for itself. Enjoy!

'Tower Bridge' by Me

Tower Bridge, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Yesterday I wrote about how I would love a trip to Paris purely for photographic reasons. However, I was reminded by TheMadHouse that London is a fantastic place for photos and luckily it's a place I am able to visit quite often. In fact we went there for a day trip just this weekend. We did a lot of walking (the London Underground's fault for closing so much of the line), saw lots of touristy things and also went to The Natural History Museum which my daughter loved! Although I did start to feel rather uneducated when she pointed at so many things asking "What's that Mummy?". I didn't have a bloody clue most of the time!

Anyway, enough chatter, here is one of the photos I took. I really wanted to get a shot of Tower Bridge which was a little bit different and I think this has come out quite well. We were really lucky with the weather as we were walking over the bridge so the sky was lovely and blue. It rained later but that didn't matter it just made for some moody sky shots when we got to the museum.

'Tour Eiffel' by PumpkinRose

Tour Eiffel, originally uploaded by PumpkinRose.

I'm sure you'll agree that this photo really does look like a vintage postcard. The processing on this has been done so well. I think photos of Paris often do work best with a vintage feel to them. I have mentioned on here before that I'd love to visit Paris again. I'd really love a purely photographic weekend away! Although saying that I could probably find time to squeeze in a spot of shopping and some nice meals too.

If you could have a weekend away anywhere, with the sole purpose of taking photos, where would you go?

'This reminds me of halloween!!' by Isadora Campos.

This reminds me of halloween!!, originally uploaded by Isadora Campos..

This sight apparently reminds the photographer of Halloween and when I look at it, I feel like I should be reminded of something too. I don't know know what though. I just think it has a kind of excitment to it, like something is about to happen. I don't know why I get that feeling though. I can, however, tell you that I love the composition, I love the colour of the sky and I love that bird formation. Pretty amazing photo in general really!