'Disco balls on the beach' by Me

Disco balls on the beach, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

I took this yesterday on Brighton beach. Isn't it just really cool? It looks like I've messed with the photo in some way but it was in fact two disco balls that where outside a bar on the sea front. When I saw them I knew I just had to photograph them. Trouble is it was just me and my two year old so I couldn't just wander off to take pictures. This was therefore taken with a really long zoom. I think it's still been captured well. I now want to go back again and take a picture from the other side as that would show a pixelated image of the pier which would also be very cool.

'Brighton brighton brighton' by trembly1

Brighton brighton brighton, a photo by trembly1 on Flickr.

It was sunny today so my little girl and I decided on a trip to Brighton. We had lunch, played on the beach, then did a spot of shopping. The highlight for me was probably having a look in a camera and photography shop which I've walked past so many times before but never actually gone in. It was fantastic and it's really made me think some more about getting an instant camera of some sort. It was nice to chat and get some advice from someone who obviously had a lot of knowledge on that type of camera.

If I did get a polaroid style camera then I could go down to Brighton and take photos like this. What I love about polaroids is the gritty realness you get. It also means you have to work to find beauty in every day things and look for places that are really interesting. I love this beach hut photo because it's so retro and "real". It's an interesting contrast to all the bright and pretty beach hut photos you see.

Right, better get researching. I've asked on here before but any more advice and opinions on the subject are most welcome.

'roller coaster' by Leahminium

roller coaster, a photo by Leahminium on Flickr.

I've got a real thing about funfair photos. I realised that when I saw how many ferris wheel photos I've posted on this blog! I should rename this blog 'It's all about the beach huts and big wheels'! Fairgrounds do make for such great photos though as there's always so many colours and interesting shapes. For example, I really like this photo because of the lovely bright colours and also because of the great shapes. My favourite bit though has to be in the small details. I love the guy in the second carriage with his arms in the air. He's waving them like he's being really brave but from the looks of this photo it seems to be the least scary bit of rollercoaster ever! It would be interesting to learn what the rest of the ride is like.

'Splash' by Me

Splash, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

I thought I'd share this photo with you tonight as it's such a contrast to the weather we've been having for the past couple of days. It's been so hot and sunny it hard to believe that only a few days ago this is what my daughter was doing with her time. Actually thinking about it it's not actually that different to what she's been doing today, except today it was a paddling pool and not - I quote - "The Biggest Puddle In The World"!

'way up high...:)' by Amiee Lynn

way up high...:), a photo by Amiee Lynn on Flickr.

Well the summer is finally here! The sunshine and hot weather arrived and we've had a lovely weekend which included spending time with good friends, wedding celebrations, jugs of Pimms, barbecue food and paddling pool fun!

I love this care free photo as the angle is really interesting. I'd love to have a go at recreating something like this but how would I go about it? Lie on the floor under the swing I guess but knowing my luck I'd end up being hit in the face. But however it was done it was worth it because this photo is rather beautiful.

'Untitled' by JuLieT_

Untitled, a photo by JuLieT_ on Flickr.

It's Friday again. Hope you've all got fantastic weekends planned. And if you don't have any plans then that's even better because you can just be spontaneous and see where the wind blows you.

I have chosen this image to start the weekend as these contrasting colours are just so striking. It's definitely a work of art. The photo is also so crisp and clear which I love.

Happy weekend everyone!

'holiday ghosts' by friendlydragon

holiday ghosts, a photo by friendlydrag0n on Flickr.

I love this beach hut photo because it's got beach huts in it obviously but that's not the only reason. I love the old postcard effect and it works so well here. I can really believe it was an old picture stuck on someone's wall somewhere. I also love the light. Even though there are all the vintage tones it still feels like a bright sunny day. One thing that does confuse me a bit though is that the photographer has labelled this as a sad and melancholic image where as I don't really see it that way. I think my perception of it is more of old but loved beach huts waiting for the summer so they can be enjoyed again after the long winter months. What do you think? Is this a happy or sad photo?

'Fête foraine' by anneso_cachemireetsoie

Fête foraine, a photo by anneso_cachemireetsoie on Flickr.

Today is the summer solstice. This means it's the longest day of the year and as of tomorrow the days are going to start getting shorter. I know it will take ages for the evenings to get dark again but there is bit of me that finds it rather depressing that the longest day happens so early in the summer. And especially this year because June has been so rubbish and there have been no opportunities for sitting outside in the evening and enjoying the light.

And talking of light, here is a photo that features wonderful sunlight. The sun has just been captured so beautifully. I also love the angle that the big wheel has been taken from as it makes it look so huge. I'm not sure where this is but I bet there is a fantastic view from the top.

'Up close' by Me

Up close, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

My little girl started pre-school this term and it’s been a really strange experience for me. It’s been so much easier than I thought it would be, after all neither of us cried, but it does feel so odd just leaving her there with people who are essentially strangers. As I’m a stay-at-home mum it means for the past two and a half years I’ve been with her pretty much all day every day and when we do get babysitters it’s always friends or family we know and trust. Also she’s going to be making friends with children I don’t know which is a new thing. She’s got lots of friends her age but that’s because I am friends with their parents too. That said I think I am going to get used to the little bit of alone time this gives me and I think the school is great and the staff seem lovely and very responsible (always a good thing).

And the photo? Well it's got nothing to do with my daughter or pre-school. It's just a photo by me which I liked and wanted to share with you. I hope you like it too.

'Untitled' by satoko yugari

Untitled, a photo by satoko yugari on Flickr.

My favourite thing about this picture is the colour as I think yellow and blue makes such a bright and striking combination! I also think the palm tree in the top right hand corner really works well. But this is really one of those photos where I shouldn't need to explain why I love it. I am posting it though because I've just checked the weather forecast for next week and it's not looking good. In fact it ranges from "Light Rain" to "Thundery Showers". Oh well, I guess I'll just have to look at this lots and pretend I am sitting on one of those sun loungers.

'Father and daughter stroll' by Me

Father and daughter stroll, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

It's Father's Day tomorrow so I am dedicating this evening's post to my husband as he's an absolutely fantastic daddy to our little girl. He was so wonderful to me through my pregnancy which had me feeling so ill, he was my rock during my labour and the birth which wasn't exactly easy and he continues to be just the best father I could imagine. There's nothing he wouldn't do for our girl. She's a very lucky little lady.

I am featuring this photo as I can't believe I've never put it on here before. I've always loved it, in fact I have it in a frame in our living room. It was taken when our daughter was about 11 months old and had only been walking for about six weeks. This has become the first of lots of photos I've taken of him and her walking together. I think it's always so incredibly cute seeing dads and their little girls hanging out together like this. I also thought it looked really good in the sepia, even though it was a lovely sunny day.

Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there. Hope you have a lovely day.

'Kabe' by irwan+-+

Kabel, a photo by irwan+-+(vixtorirwan.net) on Flickr.

Happy weekend everyone. I had been hoping that the weather would perk up a bit considering it's June and everything but it looks like the miserable rain is set to hang around for a whole longer. I'm just grateful that so far I've not been caught in any huge downpour even though there have been lots.

I like this photo a lot. It's a really simple photo really but it had me staring at it for ages. It looks to me like those birds are either spelling something out or they have organised themselves as sheet music in some way. I don't think that's the case though, it's just some birds hanging out and enjoying their day. This is however a brilliantly observed photo which is beautiful in it's simplicity.

'The view from above' by christineellen

The view from above, a photo by christineellen on Flickr.

I love the angle that this was taken from, it's a really interesting shot of a swimming pool. I am also fascinated by the woman in the pool. It looks like she's standing still. Is she posing for this photo? My favourite thing is probably the purple sun loungers just because I do like purple, it's a really striking colour.

This also makes me want to go on holiday somewhere hot. I'm getting rather bored of all the rain here now. Come back sunshine, we miss you!!

'Converse rocks' by Me

Converse rocks, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

The trouble with little children is that they keep growing! The reason this is a problem is that I will get my daughter something nice to wear and then without warning she'll go and grow out of it. Take for example her little pink converse trainers that my friend picked up for me when she was in America recently. She's not had them long but her feet suddenly decided they wanted to grown pretty much overnight. This means that this week has been mainly spent searching for nice new shoes! Luckily my little girl seems to be as in love with shoes and shoe shopping as I am so it's not been too much of a stressful mission.

Here's a photo I took of her little pink converse shoes and my purple ones (which look huge next to hers). I really wanted to get a photo like this as they just look so pretty together.

'I've been on a merry-go-round !!!' by Vincent Montibus

I've been on a merry-go-round !!!, a photo by Vincent Montibus on Flickr.

Don't you think this photo is really cool? I really like the bright summer colours but what I love most is the angle it was taken from - a real action shot. I have seen quite a few photos of a merry-go-round like this and I think they make a great subject for a photo but this is the first one I've seen where it's actually take from the seat of the ride. Excellent work. Makes me want to go to a funfair! The most daring I've been on recently is the tea cup ride with my two year old.

'JellyBabies' by Jacknalfiesmum

JellyBabies, a photo by jacknalfiesmum-life getting in the way of the cam on Flickr.

Once again I've been abscent from the online world for a few days but that's because I'm been busy having an awesome weekend. It was a rather busy one which included dinner and dancing with the girls, a kid's birthday party, chilling indoors out of the rain and meeting the fabulous Derren Brown (which was definitely the highlight of the weekend).

I am now snuggled up in bed eating jelly babies and so here is a fantastic jelly baby photo. I just love all the bright colours. I've often tried taking pictures of objects using bright paper but not patterned paper so may have to give this a ago myself. I'd use the jelly babies but I'm not sure there'll be any left by tomorrow!

'Summer walks' by Me

Summer walks, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

I took this photo last July when we'd been out for lunch at a pub in Peacehaven, on the Sussex coast. After we'd eaten we went for a summer stroll along the cliff. It was really lovely and I got some great photos! What makes this shot so special for me is that you can see my husband and our daughter walking along in the distance.

This picture gets me all excited about the summer and all the little things I want to do now the warmer weather is here (not that it's been particularly warm this week). I am looking forward to more trips to the seaside, to pub lunches outside, to eating far too much barbecue food, to picnics in the park, to paddling pool days in the garden, to spontaneous drives to explore new places, to sitting outside in the garden of an evening and not coming in until long after the sun has set. Of course we have big plans with friends and family and trips here and there but these are the little things that really make summer so lovely. What little things do you look forward to in the summer?

'Book Stalls, NFT/South Bank, London' by andie butt

Book Stalls, NFT/South Bank, London, a photo by andie butt on Flickr.

I read an interesting blog post yesterday about how libraries appear to be on the decline and sadly today I appear to have experienced it for myself. My local library is fantastic and my daughter loves visiting and borrowing books. We were going to a different town in the same county today so I thought I would take her there instead to return her books and get new ones. It’s a lovely new library and looks like it has a lot to offer but the children’s section was so disappointing. There was hardly anything to choose from. We did manage to get a small selection to borrow so went off to get them checked out. Sadly there is no personal service at the library it’s all done at a self service issue desk. I know that times are changing and this is how things are done now but it made me sad. It felt more like taking money out of a cash machine than borrowing a library book. And it meant that my daughter didn’t get to do her usual job of handing over her card and the books and having a little chat with the librarian. And of course the books don’t get stamped when you do it this way. You get a receipt and have to have the write the return date in yourself. Nothing too taxing but all a bit silly really when there were staff actually wandering around looking bored. Anyway, I apologise for my little moan there. My blog just seemed like a good place to get this off my chest!

It also means a good excuse for a booky photo! I love this one because I love the book stalls you see along the South Bank in London. Wouldn't it be great just to spend the afternoon flicking through all these books. I bet there are some real gems in there if you look hard enough. When I look at this I can really get a whiff of that second-hand book smell. But what I love the most about this is the light - it's just beautiful.

'7 down, four letters.......' by harold.lloyd

7 down, four letters: back-end, rear, posterior; rhymes with 'cut'; often featured in harold.lloyd's bee photos, a photo by harold.lloyd on Flickr.

Isn't this photo simply beautiful? I wonder how much time it took to get such a perfect shot. I often find myself pointing my camera right up close to bees doing their work but I've never be able to achieve anything as stunning as this. As well as all the perfect details I really love the soft colours. You know what, as I look at this I really feel like there should be some classical music playing in the background. It's just that sort of photo.

'Puddle Jumper' by joeltelling

Puddle Jumper, a photo by joeltelling on Flickr.

It was another rainy day today. My daughter didn't mind though as she tends to get all excited when she sees puddles - I blame Peppa Pig! Anyway, puddles outside mean a great excuse to show you a photo that made me smile today! I love this because you can tell this little girl has so much detemination to get a good splash. It's such a high jump and such a little puddle but the photographer has really captured the force of the jump. I also love it because it's exactly how my little girl acts in puddles. Actually she loves jumping even when there aren't puddles around. I see a fantastic olympic long jumping future ahead of her!

'The Needles' by Me

The Needles, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

It's been such lovely weather recently so it was a bit of a shock when it was grey and rainy today. Didn't matter though really because we made use of our time indoors and got lots of jobs done around the house which we'd been putting off due to being out and about in the sunshine! Last week, for example, we went off on a day trip to the Isle of Wight. It was a really hot and sunny day and I definitely think I'd like to go back as it's a great place for a family holiday.

I took this at The Needles. I really like the boat in the background but I had to wait ages for the boat in front of the Needles to pass. In fact if you look carefully you can still see the boat's wake in the water.

Now fingers crossed the nice weather comes back again soon.

'Tomatoes' by ~ Maria ~

Tomatoes, a photo by ~ Maria ~ on Flickr.

When I saw this I knew it would be perfect to post whilst we are having such gorgeous weather here. I love all the summery colours, they are just so fresh and crisp and juicy. I really fancy a tomato now which is amazing really as I don't even like them normally.

Happy weekend everyone, hope your weekend has so far been as colourful and vibrant as this photo is.