'Orange' by Me

Orange, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Hooray! It's the weekend and it looks like it's going to be a hot and summery one. I imagine it will be the last weekend like this in a while so I really want to make the most of it. We have absoutely no plans yet so let's just see where the weekend takes us! I would lay money on ice cream being involved somewhere along the way!

I took this photograph this morning. My husband bought me some lovely colourful flowers yesterday that appeared to have "Photograph Me" written all over them. I seem to take a lot of flower pictures so I like the fact that I've taken this from an angle I've never tried before. My favourite bit is the colour though. It just looks so bright and vibrant because of the wonderful sunshine we had today.

Happy weekend everyone!

'Pink' by Me

Pink, a photo by PhotoPuddle on Flickr.

Did you have a good weekend? Mine was brilliant. The weather was fantastic and we had friends over for barbecues on both the Saturday and the Sunday. We also got very caught up in the excitement of the diving and 5000 metres on Saturday night. And on Sunday evening we watched the closing ceremony and said goodbye to the Olympics. Going to be weird not watching that all day now. Roll on the Paralympics!

This is another pretty flower photo I took. Summer is coming to an end now so won't be long before all the summer flowers are gone. I need to snap a few more while I still can.

'Orange Daisy' by Picture Zealot

Orange Daisy, a photo by Picture Zealot on Flickr.

For any of you feeling sleepy after a busy weekend here's a fantastic burst of colour to wake you up again. This photo really does pack a punch don't you think? I think macro pictures of flowers like this are great anyway but the colours in this one are just awesome. The orange is fantastic but what I really love is that thin ring of purple just before you get to middle. Wonderful picture I know I'll be returning to again and again.

'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!

'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.

'111/1000 - Lily and Gerbera' by Mark Carline

111/1000 - Lily and Gerbera, originally uploaded by Mark Carline.

I wasn't actually planning on posting anything tonight but I just saw this photo and it was just so pretty and pink and lovely I just had to share it with you. As I said it is very pretty and pink but it's also a magnificent macro shot - so clean and crisp and I love that.

I'll therefore for keep this short and sweet, say I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and leave you to enjoy this photo.

'~ Droplets ~' by Diиa ツ

~ Droplets ~, originally uploaded by Diиa ツ.

When I asked you what you wanted to see on this blog christinemosler said she loved macro photography. I love it too so I was very happy to oblige and find a gorgeous macro shot to post here. This one is fantastic. It's not so much the detail I love, because a lot of it is actually purposely burred, but the colour. The red and the green are just so bright and vibrant it really brings this photo to life. Although saying that the water droplets are captured rather beautifully too.

'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.

'honey child' by jamesgalpin

honey child, originally uploaded by jamesgalpin.

I don't there's really much I can say about this amazing image as it pretty much speaks for itself. The detail in it is just amazing. It almost feels like you are inside that flower yourself. And of course I love the colour. Yellow really is the happiest colour of all! Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you sit back and enjoy the photo.

'Dandelion' by Vermin Inc

Dandelion, originally uploaded by Vermin Inc.

How's this for a photo to start the weekend with? Isn't it just awesome? When I first saw it I thought it was a snowflake. The detail is amazing. I swear if you look close enough at the water droplets you can see reflections in them and if not reflections then you can definitely see how it's magnifying what's behind them. The colour is so striking too. I wonder if that blue is the sky. Whatever it is, it works really well. I really like taking macro photos and think they turn out pretty well. But then I see a photo like this and realise it's in a whole other league!

'Burst of yellow' by Me

Burst of yellow, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

I took this. I love taking macro shots of flowers. I just love all the detail they expose, for example if you look hard enough at this one you can see that the flower looks almost furry. It's also a great opportunity to capture some fantastic bright colours. Here, here and here are a few more macro flower shots I have taken. They've been featured on the blog already but it was before anyone was actually reading it so you may have missed them!

'Yellow Burst' by James Green (jag)

Yellow Burst, originally uploaded by James Green (jag).

Now the summer is in full swing so all the beautiful flowers are coming into bloom. It's getting rather annoying actually. I'll be enjoying a nice walk with my daughter in her pushchair when all I can see are gorgeous flowers in people's front gardens that I just so want to photograph. One of these days I will give in and knock on the front door and ask if they mind me taking pictures in their garden. Actually no, that day will never come! I'd never have the confidence to do something like that!

This photo is one that I wish I'd taken. I love really close up shots of flowers as it really makes them seem even more beautiful and interesting. What strikes me about this one is the focus of the petals. It's a really clear and sharp macro shot but the petals are just really soft and dreamy. And I just love that shade of yellow.

I'll post some of my own flower photos soon and don't worry, you don't need to watch out for a strange woman with a camera hanging around in your flowerbeds! I'll be good I promise!

'my tools' by 372.dpi

my tools, originally uploaded by 372.dpi.

I love notebooks and have never been able resist a pretty one, however far too many of them still lie empty. I've always kind saved them for "best" whatever that might be! I even have ones I bought as a teenager that are still waiting for "best". Sadly I don't have much use for notebooks any more (other than for writing my long 'to do' lists, but that's for another post). My hobbies are mainly computer based and of course you don't need to write much down when taking photos.

This photo of notebooks really caught my eye. I think because it's so close up. I think shots like this of everyday items can be so interesting as it makes you look at things in a completely different way. I also think the light and tone of this is fantastic. I hope these books get used for all sorts of interesting things.

'The flower behind the refraction' by Morphicx

The flower behind the refraction, originally uploaded by Morphicx.

I love close up shots of flowers and this one is just fantastic. It's a real burst of colour. I love the yellow and pink together. And what makes this extra special is the water droplets on it. Fantastic detail. I am so pleased that summer is almost here and all the summer flowers will soon be blooming. I'll hopefully be able to lots of lovely macro flower shots that I can share with you. Fingers crossed they'll be as great as this one.

'another match point' by bitzi☂

another match point, originally uploaded by bitzi☂.

I think this is an fantastic macro shot. It really demonstrates how amazing and powerful photography can be. This photographer has taken something really mundane that you wouldn't think twice about and turned it into something stunning. The colours are so bold and I love how it is so crisp and clear. It just goes to show that you may not have fancy props, interesting models or beautiful scenery but you can still take an awesome photo.

'Heart of the flower' by Me

Heart of the flower, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a lovely day spreading the love tomorrow. And remember it's not just for slushy romance. Let everyone you love know how special they are to you - your partner, your family and your friends.

I picked this photo of mine to share with you today as I think the centre of this flower looks like a heart. What do you reckon? And of course the passionate red colour is perfect for Valentine's Day.

Lots of love from me!

'Blue ribbon' by Me

Blue ribbon, originally uploaded by PhotoPuddle.

As promised here is one of the photos I took whilst having a little photography session with my craft stuff. This is a really pretty piece of blue ribbon but I think it also looks rather like an exotic blue rose. Hope you like it too.

'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!

'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!

'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.