SPRING THROUGH A MACRO LENS

Spring has sprung!

And I just love it; not only have the daffodils and bluebells started to pop up but the sun has begun to make (albeit) fleeting appearances and everything (and everyone) just seems refreshed and renewed. In my family, spring is a season full of birthdays (including my own!) and family get togethers. Because of that, I've been out and about with the family quite a bit recently and on my last trip, took my Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens with me. As it was the first time I had had the chance to use it outside since getting it, I thought I would attempt to get some macro shots of the spring flowers I came across and then share them with you in the hope that they might inspire you as they did me.

Unfortunately, the photographs are not quite as in focus as I was hoping. It was really windy though, and I did take these without using a tripod. So between the camera moving and the flowers themselves moving, I think the lenses did pretty well to capture anything other than a huge blurry mess. Despite this, I really like how these photographs (as is often the case with macro photography) make you see the subject matter in a completely different way and in some photographs even make the subject unrecognisable.

What inspires you most about spring or macro photography?

Let me know in the comments below!

♥

CHRISTMAS THROUGH A MACRO LENS

Merry Christmas!

I hope that you have all been enjoying this Christmas weekend. I can't believe how quickly it has all gone by; an entire month of preparation (maybe even longer!) and in a blink of an eye, it's all over. Thoughtfully wrapped presents are all opened, carefully chosen foods and wines all drunk and eaten and visiting family, who just embody the meaning of Christmas, are soon to, or have already, returned home. 

True to form, I had a heavy cold over Christmas (hence the photo of the Beechams!) which did dampen my festive spirits slightly (as well as my taste) but ultimately, I still had a really nice time. For me, the best part of Christmas is being with my whole family at our family home; eating a huge Christmas dinner, playing board games, watching festive films together, cat cuddles and enjoying the sheer prettiness of the decorations that adorn the house. 

I'm from an extremely generous family and so this year I was lucky enough to receive a 4-in-1 Olloclip lens  for my iPhone 6 from 'Santa'. I'm always taking photos with my phone and love taking macro photos on my bridge camera so this was just perfect for me. Although perhaps not one for the serious amateur or professional photographer, I've been really impressed with these lenses and so when I wasn't sneezing, I enjoyed snapping the various close up shots of my Christmas above.

How was your Christmas? 

Have you used an Olloclip lens?

Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to share and subscribe! 

♥

PATTERNS AT PETWORTH

How is it Sunday already! Hasn't this weekend just flown by?! In fact, this entire week seems to have gone by really quickly, although that may have something to do with this week being pretty fun and busy. One of the things I got up to last week, was popping to Petworth House and Park to have a mosey around the manor and a leisurely gander around the grounds in the sunshine. One of the main highlights for me, was seeing all of the patterns and textures that adorn the decor and furniture in the house. Although my illustrations and art are usually quite modern in style, I found the patterns, and colour combinations, really inspiring. Having been asked to help a friend design her wedding invitations for next year, I thought I would take some photos of them to keep for some vintage inspiration.

Another thing I really enjoyed was seeing all of the original J.M.W. Turner's that are part of Petworth's incredible art collection. It was interesting to see the difference between his earlier, more traditional works, and his later, more abstract, works. There was also a small exhibition dedicated to Mr Turner, a film about the life and art of J.M.W. Turner, who had something of a connection to the house, which shows not only some of the making of the film but also some interesting facts about the artist himself.

What do you think of these patterns? 

Have you got any 'vintage inspirations' to share?

Let me know in the comments below!

♥