• Welcome
  • Work
  • Blog
  • Inspiration
  • An Island Childhood
  • About
  • Contact

FunkyRosebud Studio

Capturing the Sparkling Moments

  • Welcome
  • Work
  • Blog
  • Inspiration
  • An Island Childhood
  • About
  • Contact

Vive La France!

Last weekend we popped over to France. It was actually a 'booze cruise' in that the primary objective (excuse) for going was to buy wine and beer for our son's 21st birthday party next month. Although, as my husband pointed out, it would have been a lot cheaper to save the money we spent on the hotels and meals and buy the booze in our local Tesco. 

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we can get  to France via the tunnel. We left home at 7.15 and we were in the supermarket in Calais buying wine at 12.15  (French time + 1 hour)

Wine bought, we headed along the coast to Boulogne where we were spending our first night. As we headed off to walk along the beach the first thing that struck me was the amount of blue everywhere.

These balls were lining the road in front of our hotel down to the aquarium and the beach. Once on the beach I loved the colourful lines of sand yachts bearing testament to the exposure of the coast line!

After a very windy stroll along the prom, we headed into town to have a look at the shops,  passing the fish market which still had a few stalls open.

Reaching the town centre my eye was caught by this antique shop which proved to be a veritable treasure trove of photographic opportunities.  

I even ended up buying one of these gorgeous art deco soda syphons

The next morning we visited the Maison de Beuriere a 19th Century fisherman's house which has been furnished  in the period and came with a very helpful guide who recommended that we visited the fishermen's memorial on the cliffs above the town. We were unable to enter the chapel but were very moved by the memorial stones which describe the sailors as lost often giving the name of the boat and year rather than the date.

The museum guide had also told us that the fishermen in a neighbouring village were so poor they couldn't afford any kind of home so they built houses using boat hulls for roofs. There is apparently one of the original houses left, but we couldn't find it and had to settle for a picture of the ones they had built in the holiday park! 

After a quick lunch it was off to our next destination the Parc du Marquenterre in the Somme estuary. This is a bird sanctuary that we have visited on several occasions but only in the autumn so it was interesting to see what birds were there in the summer. As it turned out the highlights were probably the storks,

some of whom were nesting, and the avocets a beautiful bird I hadn't seen before.

Then off to our hotel in St Valerie sur Somme - I have been trying to book a room in this wonderful gothic pile for years but it's always been full  - this year success at last!

Great details and stunning views too! Although sadly our room overlooked the car park.

hotel.jpg

The next morning it was off to the market to buy some goodies to take home. 

If you haven't tried one of these little flat peaches you haven't (if you are a peach lover) lived! Sadly the only place I've seen them in the UK so far is Borough Market which is not very local to us. I also loved the green of the samphire and the attractively displayed waffles

After a traditional lunch in the market brasserie it was time to head back across the channel. But first there was just time to pay a flying visit to the medieval city.

Where we discovered this charming square, full of ancient houses and flowers. 

Au revoir till next time! 

tags: travel, france, birds, beach, fish, fishermen, antiques, markets, blue, somme
categories: information, Nature, Photography
Friday 06.21.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 5
 

A Weekend on the Wight - The Horse the Hero and the Manor

Sunday was a special day at National Trust property Mottistone Manor, it's the only day of the year that the house is open to the public. This year was even more special because, in the  morning, guided tours were being given by members of the Seely family who gifted Mottistone to the trust in 1963, going on to  lease it back from them, which is why normally only the gardens are open.​

The house was mentioned in the Doomsday Book and the older part of the building which in this picture looks to be made of lighter stone was build round a saxon long house. The house now is a charming example of a small tudor manor house that has been sensitively renovated by the architect John Seely. there is also magnificent tithe barn.

this extract from the Brook Village Website  gives some information about John Seely, who as "the second Lord Mottistone, was a talented architect who, together with his partner, Paul Paget, formed the firm of Seely and Paget in 1926.

One of their first commissions involved designing the opulent former Eltham Palace for Stephen and Virginia Courtauld and their pet ring-tailed lemur.

They restored many damaged church buildings after World War Two and restored parts of Windsor Castle in the 1960s. They also became surveyor to St Paul’s Cathedral, where the candles on the choir stalls are called ‘Mottistone candles'.

The Shack in the grounds of Mottistone Manor was used by the architects as a retreat and country office. Built in the 1930s, it is an example of Modern Movement design.

Local examples of John Seely’s work include Mottistone Manor, Little Brook and Shalfleet Church Hall. It is he who is to be thanked for gifting much of Mottistone to the National Trust and ensuring that the countryside, coast and downland did not become overdeveloped in the 1960s".

The shack in the garden is still there and is unique with its original fittings - unfortunately I was not able to get the right angle to take a successful photgraph of it though! Here are some flowers to make up!

mottisfont flowers.jpg

The real joy of the day was the guided tour of the house by the current Lord Mottistone's sister. No photography was allowed ( understandably as this is a home not a museum), however if you are interested in catching a glimpse of the interior  some pictures can be found here. Hearing the stories from a family member really made them come alive; especially when she spoke about her grandfather known as 'Galloper Jack' and his charger 'Warrior" who managed to get through the whole of the first  world war, pretty much the first to the last day, relatively unscathed. It is said that some of the adventures of Michael Murpurgo's War Horse we based on Warrior. For tales of Victorian 'Dering Do' Galloper Jack and Warrior can't be bettered. Galloper Jack's biography has been written by his grandson Brough Scott and more information can be found here .  You can also purchase the book of course.

Galloper Jack: The Remarkable Story of the Man Who Rode a Real War Horse
By Brough Scott

Tour of the house finished, we continued look round the garden enjoying the carefully tended borders.

before making our way up through the bluebell woods

to the Longstone. A megalithic site, the only one on the Island, roughly contemporary with Stonehenge.

We stopped to savour the views before taking a circular route back to the manor. We dropped in at the farm shop on the way home where we found this barn with particularly photogenic occupants.​

tags: isle of Wight, Mottistone, bluebells, manor house, tudor, saxon, longstone, galloper Jack, Warrior, Seeley family
categories: information, Photography
Wednesday 06.05.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 4
 

A Weekend on the Wight - A Busy Day

Last weekend was a holiday weekend in the UK and for once we were blessed with good weather. We had a fab weekend and I thought it would be nice to relive it by inviting you to join me. First up on Saturday morning we went into Freshwater to shop at the butcher, the baker, and the fishmonger. We do this every Saturday when we are down and each time I feel grateful that these fabulous local shops are still here! ​While we were there I noticed the Horse Chestnuts were in bloom  (very late shows you what a dreadful spring we've had!) and, probably for the first time, really looked at the individual blossoms.

Back home to drop off the shopping before heading for Cowes, we noticed a lot of yachts with brightly coloured spinnakers  in the distance;  so we went down to the cliff to see what was going on. A race was obviously in progress and though we checked the local paper we never did find out exactly which one we were watching. Both Hurst Castle in the distance (on the mainland side of the Solent) and the much nearer Fort Victoria make a dramatic backdrop for the boats.

​We visit Cowes quite frequently, I love the atmosphere, the shops and the general sense of a place dedicated to the sea. I have taken many pictures here over the years and today I decided to focus on things I hadn't noticed before. In the case of the first it's because its not always there, but today the beat lead us up the High Street. You don't often see a good old fashioned  'tea chest' skiffle group these days!

The second thing I noticed was this piece of machinery - I was planning to go into the yacht haven to look around for photographic inspiration but unusually it was locked up, so I had to make do with the quay by the ferry terminal where I don't usually linger.​However I did notice this

On the way back from Cowes we stopped off at Newtown which in one of my favourite places on the Island. I lived in a nearby village but my best friend lived here and I was a frequent visitor.  I always think of this house, which I have know since childhood, as the 'enchanted cottage' but in a good 'fairy godmother lives here' rather than a bad 'wicked witch lives here' sort of a way. ​ I have however never see it look as amazing as it did last weekend with an absolute riot of clematis and wisteria virtually covering the entrance porch and front door. I know I said a couple of weeks ago that I don't like pretty - well this is the exception that proves the rule!

The outbuildings are scarcely less attractive than the house with this carefully placed boat prow just waiting for would be photographers to come by.

Then on towards the quay, glimpsed in the distance across a sea of buttercups

Walking along the edge of the marsh before crossing the footbridge, enjoying the gold of the gorse in the distance

And finally arrival at the quay with boats marooned on the mud at low tide

Back to the car and home for a cuppa next, but it was such a lovely evening we couldn't resist a final walk to the cliff, where the sea pinks looked misty and the gorse glowed in the evening light

Stay tuned for the next episode where we meet a medieval manor, a hero  and a war horse.​

tags: isle of Wight, Freshwater, Cowes, Newtown, skiffle, boats, racing, yachts, flowers, cottagaes, sea, rust
categories: Photography, travel
Saturday 06.01.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 4
 

Time and Place

I am now drawing towards the end of Kat Sloma's 'Sense of Place' class. The theme for this week is time, inviting us to compare photographs we have taken over time in the same location. My first thought was to use photos taken in my garden, but after a review of my photos I  realised that one place I visit and photograph on a regular basis  is London's South Bank at Waterloo. 

I am going to start in the spring. These pictures were taken in April 2012 shortly after the announcement of a hose pipe ban due to the drought - hasn't really stopped raining since!

​

wat floods.jpg

Despite the floods the carousel and the stunt riders were going strong.

wat carosel.jpg

Moving on to early summer there's lots to capture - to begin with a whole crop of new installations appeared.

​

​

war installations.jpg

My installation of the year was these green colanders - I never did find out exactly what they were supposed to represent ​

wat colanders.jpg

Into high summer and a faux beach with brightly coloured sand appeared, housing a children's playground. There were wedding parties in fancy dress and this rather splendid motorcycle and sidecar decked out for the jubilee.

wat play.jpg

In to autumn now and I have to admit to having taken these photos the previous year. We had been in the National Theatre and come out to discover a pink landscape - I have really never seen anything like it. We walked along the embankment marvelling at the glowing pavements and the reflection of the sunset in the Festival Hall windows.​

wat sunset.jpg

Finally its winter, January 2013 to be precise; but still something of interest to photograph ​

wat winter.jpg

​Looking at these pictures its no wonder that I always make a point of taking my camera when I visit the South Bank at Waterloo. For those that don't know it it is a relatively small area in relation to the different sights, sounds and activities that take place there in an average year. I think I will have to repeat this post next year to see what differences I can capture.

On another note, don't forget there's still time to enter the postcard giveaway. Just pop over to my Facebook page here like it and leave a comment, you can view the postcards in the FunkyRosebud Studio Store here

tags: photography, South Bank, Waterloo, installations, royal festival hall, national theatre
categories: Photography
Wednesday 05.22.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 6
 

Grand Opening and Giveaway

I am very excited to announce the opening of the FunkyRosebud Studio Store which you can access via the links across the top of the page or by clicking here.​ 

I am starting small with some 'quote cards', but in time I will be offering prints and other items  - so watch this space!

To celebrate the opening of the store I am giving away the quote card pack of their choice to a lucky winner. All you have to do is  visit my Facebook Page , click like and leave a comment. I will pick the winner next Sunday, 26th May and post on the results on the  FB page inviting the winner to email  me their postal address. The cards will then go zinging on their way! 

NB if you have already liked my FB page just leave a comment and I will include you in the draw

funkyrosebud-store.gif
Friday 05.17.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 2
 

Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap

This will be the second time I have participated in Kat Sloma's swap and I would thoroughly recommend it. It's very simple; you send 5 cards to Kat who redistributes them to swappers around the world and you get five back, plus a bonus card from Kat herself. (I rather suspect that most of us include a bonus card for Kat too).

I chose to send 6 different cards and sent them off in rather a rush just before going on holiday - this means that I now don't know which ones I sent except for the two I have had news of  (this is much better than last year when I didn't find out if anyone had received my cards - and it is such fun when someone posts them on the Facebook page or emails to tell you of their safe receipt!​)

george window.jpg

The first of my cards appeared on Facebook right at the beginning of the swap - I was so excited. the picture is of a window of the George Hotel Yarmouth dressed for the Queen's Jubilee last summer. The George is a wonderful old building formerly the residence of the governor of the Isle of Wight. King Charles 1 spent the night there on his way to imprisonment in Carisbrook Castle and ultimately his death at the hands of Oliver Cromwell.

rodin.jpg

This is the second card I had news of and I was moved to receive this message from Will who lives near Boston

'I received your post card yesterday...Rodin's "The Thinker" with the Einstein quote. Very nice. Doubly so since it arrived the day after the Boston Marathon bombings'

Now to the cards I received. First to arrive was a fun Yoga card from Sassy, very apt as I have just started yoga classes. it was closely followed by a fun monocrome design from p'shaw designs which ​had this hand written quote on the back

​

“Creativity is thinking new things,
Innovation is doing new things.”
— Theodore Levitt

Next up was  a violin and bow on exhibition in the musical instrument museum in Arizona from Deanie Houghtaling, This card had a quote too, printed on the back this time.

​

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. you bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved”
— Ansel Adams

this was followed by this Colourful mixed media piece from Tina Wittmer, this time with a quote on the front

“I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster and leaves less room for lies.”
— Le Corbusier

Then we get to the 5th card, the one thats really got me thinking about why we participate in the swap. Obviously I can only speak for my own motivation. I do it because it's fun, it's a way of exchanging real as opposed to virtual art across continents,​ and it fosters connectivity and community. Other benefits might include additional traffic to my web site but they are extras. Overall I see the swap as an exchange of gifts between artists. When I received my 5th card I was surprised to see that the artist's website and email address was printed prominently  over the photograph on the front of the card, thereby diminishing my pleasure in the art. On the back of the card was a promotional statement, so I guess the artist uses these as business cards. Nothing wrong with that of course, but for me it didn't capture the spirit and generosity of the swap. Plus it really spoiled much of my enjoyment of  the picture, taking away from the concept of sharing gifts. For that reason I am not posting a picture of the card on my blog.

Finally I received Kats's lovely card - thank you so much for organising the swap agin Kat, I know you have also inspired a number of smaller swaps in some of the other artistic communities I am involved with.​

Kats card.jpg
tags: postcards, swap, Kat Sloma, art, photography
categories: Art, Photography
Friday 05.10.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 20
 

I Don't Like Pretty!

Well I do really, it's more that it doesn't inspire me, it doesn't make my soul sing. Perhaps to some extent it's a case of familiarity breeding contempt. I am lucky enough to live somewhere where there's lots of pretty, thatched cottages, quaint streets etc. I find I have very little interest in taking photos of them.


Last week I visited Hilliers gardens near Romsey. Sir Harold Hillier was one of those adventurous types who headed for foreign climes to collect new plants and bring them back to the UK. The gardens were looking splendid, absolutely at their spring best, very pretty in fact. The star attraction was the magnolia avenue in glorious full bloom, very pretty indeed, so pretty I took a photo, but I don't like it. The magnolias became a blur of pink and white prettiness and from a distance you can't see the individual blooms (this may just say something about my lack of skill as a photographer of course).

What drew my attention instead was the interaction between the magnolias and the sculptures in the garden, or the white of the magnolia and the intense blue of the sky, the colours, textures and contrasts that capture the essence of the blossom for me. This is what makes my soul sing.

​

After the gardens I went into Romsey to have a look round. Plenty of pretty to be seen here, houses gardens etc. My eye was drawn to the abbey. Difficult to take a good photo of the outside, couldn't get the perspective, but inside was lovely. So many little details, shafts of sunlight coming through the windows and landing on different objects or parts of the building, but you couldn't call it pretty, glorious is more the word that springs to mind.

tags: Hilliers, Romsey, magnolias, sculptures, gardens, daffodils, abbey
categories: Photography, Nature
Monday 05.06.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 2
 

Treasure Chests

“Take care of all your memories, for you cannot relive them”
— Bob Dylan

I'm really loving Xanthe Berkley's time capsule idea which I have now rechristened 'Treasure ​ Chest' because that  concept really resonates with me. The idea of digging up forgotten treasures from the past and bringing them back to life really excites me.

We have piles of albums from our pre digital days but virtually never look at them. Likewise the thousands of holiday snaps stored on the hard drive ​don't often see the light of day, (or should that be screen), either.

Treasure Chests seem so accessible though - you can store them on your hard drive or on UTube or Vimeo, unlock them, and for a couple of minutes the magic and memories flow out, then you can put them back in the chest until the next time.

I am still beavering a way at my Vietmanese Vignettes ​ - here is number two which features the world heritage site of Halong Bay and the fishing villages at Nha Trang

Vietnam Vignettes 2 Coastal Journeys from Barbara Evans on Vimeo.

tags: Treasure, memories, Xanthe Berkley, Vietnam, Halong Bay, Nha Trang, coast
Sunday 04.28.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
 

A Different Kind of Workshop

On Saturday I went on a photography course in London - it was different. the first difference was that it was focussing on using a particular piece of equipment , my new flash gun, the second was that we were working with a live model. This was something completely  new for me  and something I didn't feel entirely comfortable with,  having strong views about young people, body image and size 0. Our model Mina was, of course delightful, but I still found the process strange and challenging.

After some basic instruction about our flashguns we set our iso to 100 and began to experiment with different shutter speeds and aperture as well as modifying the strength of the flash. It was interesting to notice what effect all of these settings had on the depth of shadows around the model.

Next up was our introduction to 'ghosting'​ a technique where you combine the use of your flash gun with a slow shutter speed. In general I found directing the model odd and difficult and initially I was unsure about what to ask her to do during these shots.

Off to the great outdoors next  - or as good as it gets in this corner of north east London on the first sunny saturday in April. I was amazed at the number of people picnicking and ​barbecuing on a relatively small green space. We were there to practice using our flash guns for backfill however so limited  opportunities for sun worshiping!

mina outside.jpg

Finally as we were on our way back to the studio to finish up, one of the other participants was experimenting with ​releasing the shutter at the same time as zooming in on the subject - this was my attempt, it was really hard to get the timing right, but a look to play with maybe?

telewizz.jpg

​What next? practice, practice, practice!

tags: London, model, flashgun, workshop, technique
categories: Photography
Friday 04.26.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 2
 

Stop Press - Amazing Discovery!

Stop Press - amazing discovery! In order to take pictures you have to get your camera out of your bag!

I was in London yesterday. I had an appointment in the morning then planned to have lunch and go for a photo walk. But you know what, it was pouring with rain, not a hundred percent of the time, but kind of 15 minutes wet, 10 minutes dry - you know the kind of thing. 

After lunch it was dry so I wandered aimlessly around the shopping center near the Olympic Park looking for inspiration. (This is not where I had planned to go but had the merit of being mostly under cover). I have taken pictures here on several occasions and the shine had rather gone off. I really couldn’t see  anything worth getting my camera out of the bag for.

jamies rosemary.jpg

 Then I spotted some Rosemary bushes in pots outside Jamie’s Italian, not terribly exciting but the most interested thing I’d noticed. I got out the camera and took a few shots and leaving the camera round my neck wandered on. It was as if the sun had come out (it hadn’t)  suddenly I was aware of all sorts of interesting things to capture.

westfiled fashion.jpg

I was drawn to the window displays

westfield lovers.jpg

The lovers

westfield bikes.jpg

The bike racks

And, in particular, to this little boy chasing a red balloon

red baloon.jpg

I honestly don’t think I would have noticed any of this if my camera had still been in my bag. The act of taking it out seems to have been the catalyst for really opening my eyes to what was around me.

tags: London, Westfield, balloons, bikes, lovers, plants, shops, stratford city
categories: Photography
Saturday 04.13.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 5
 

A Sense of Place - Week ONe

I have just started Kat Sloma's course 'A Sense of Place'. In this first week Kat has posed the question 'Do you travel to photograph or  photograph as you travel?'

Thinking about this question I realise I photograph as I travel.  However I  try to take my camera with me most days as you never know what unexpected treasure you are going to find, even when you are  somewhere you know well.

 

Both these sets of pictures were taken during an impromptu lunch hour walk last summer.

I derive a lot of pleasure from coming upon things unexpectedly so would not always want to plan my travels around things I have identified that I really want to photograph. I also think taking photos of famous monuments is often very difficult, unless you are able to spend days in preparation. Thus my recent photos of Angkor Wat were not particularly successful whereas I was really pleased with a picture of the captain of our boat on Halong Bay that I couldn't have planned for in the same way.

 

 

Similarly my attempts to capture the Temple of Literature in Hanoi weren't crowned with success but I was very happy with the pictures I took of some of the young people I saw there.

When I came to look for photos to illustrate this point, I realised I had already deleted most of the more general views of the Temple of Literature!

It will be interesting to see whether, as I get more deeply involved with photography, my perspective changes on this!

tags: .Kat Sloma, Ankor Wat, Cambodia, Hanoi, Summer, Vietnam, Winchester, photographs
categories: Photography
Sunday 04.07.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 3
 

A Visit to the Village

As part of our recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia we were thrilled to be able to visit Honour Village, a childrens village founded by Sue Wiggans a retired school teacher from the Isle of Wight. More info about the village here

The first challenge was to get to the village from Siem Reap, where we were staying in order to visit the magnificent Angkor Wat temple complex. Sue had sent us detailed instructions which we proved to be incapable of conveying either to the hotel receptionist or the tuk tuk driver. The solution was to ring Sue who asked one of her Cambodian staff members to instruct the driver on our behalf. Then we were off,  bouncing along the hot and dusty road sometimes, but not always, missing the inevitable potholes! After about half an hour and a couple of wrong turnings we arrived, hot,  dusty and pleased to be there.
Our first impression of Honour Village was of happy smiling children - one that has stayed with us! 
After a Welcome from Sue we were taken on a tour of the village. There are over 50 resident children ranging in age from under fives to older teenagers. These are children who have lost their parents or whose families are unable to care for them at present. 
In addition to the resident children, more than 300 children come for lessons from the surrounding villages to supplement the education provided by the Cambodian state. It is normal in Cambodia for parents to pay for additional lessons for their children to ensure they pass their grades which with class sizes up to 60 can be a challenge for some. Many parents cannot, of course, afford this and the lessons available at Honour Village help to fill this gap.
Sue told us that they were hoping to get a government sponsored teacher to work at the village and that this would make a significant difference to the status of Honour Village. In the meantime as we walked round we saw several classes in action teaching  Khmer  and English. Some children were using the small library and others were playing in the garden. More classes would begin at 2 including Sue's kindergarten class.
There was also evidence of the challenge of keeping house for 50 plus, I was glad the washing wasn't my responsibility  - as it is there is a line for each of the houses and the housemothers are responsible for the task.
As we were leaving Sue and the Honour Village  manager began to look at the children's grade cards from the local school - the idea that education can provide a way out of poverty is a central tenet of the philosophy of Honour Village and the children are given all the help and encouragement possible both in terms of their work at the  local school and their lessons at Honour Village.
Honour village is doing great work helping children and families in Siem Riep if you would like to support them in this work you can make a donation here.
A lotus flower is the logo for Honour village together with the words
TRUTH - TRANSPARENCY - INTEGRITY
a visit to Honour Village allows you to see these values in action

 

tags: Cambodia, Honour village, Sue wiggans, charity, siem reap
categories: Photography, travel
Thursday 04.04.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
 

Holiday Snaps - Sharing the Fun?

Holiday photographs present an innate dilemma - what do do with them once you get home? In the past, before digital cameras, we used to send them off to be processed and end up with physical evidence of our holidays which we could put in a album or allow to gather dust on a shelf. Of course we can still print off our photos but I suspect most of us just don't bother.

Modern alternatives include make a book of memories using Blurb or similar, uploading the whole lot on to Flickr or a similar platform and sending our friends and family the link, or uploading to Facebook or another social networking site.

This year I have come up with another alternative - the time capsule. As I have mentioned before I am taking a course with the wonderful Xanthe Berkley which is inspiring me to do things a little differently and I plan to make a series of 2 minute films which capture the essence of different parts of the holiday. check out the first one here.

Vietnam Vignettes 1 City Life from Barbara Evans on Vimeo.

 So far this is proving very successful - when people have asked to see photo's I have sent them the link and a surprising number of them have actually watched it and commented favourably. I think a real plus is that you get get a sense of a place very quickly and can always watch again if you want to focus on a particular aspect.

 

tags: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Mihn scooters, Saigon, Vietnam, Xanthe Berkley, holidays, snaps
categories: Photography, travel
Thursday 03.28.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 1
 

Holiday Snaps?

We have just returned from a wonderful holiday to Vietnam and Cambodia, our first major holiday since I became really passionate about photography. This has presented me with a number of challenges, the first being why I am taking photographs? What is the purpose of it? The 1,800 or so pictures I’ve taken they can probably be broken down into the following categories:

Photographs of things I want to remember I’ve seen.

These come under the heading of traditional holiday snaps, not necessarily things that are intrinsically beautiful or fascinating, but things that appear ‘different’ or unusual that I want to record so that when I get home I know I haven’t imagined them.

The photos were taken at the tomb of Tu Duc at Hue where dressing up clothes are available for anyone who wants to play at  being emperor and concubines. We were lucky enough to arrive just as this group were ready to have their photo taken. 

Photographs of famous monuments / beauty spots.

Tricky this on several counts, when you're on a group tour, as we were, you don’t get to pick the time of day or light in which you see places. Plus I’m still saving up for a wide-angle lens. Plus you can almost always get a postcard that is better than anything you can take yourself unless you can inject another point of interest into the photo (other than yourself!) to make it a little different.

The top picture is one of the temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the bottom one is from our cruise on Halong Bay - both of these are UNESCO World Heritage sites

Flowers, colours, shapes that may or not speak directly of the place you have been visiting but have a universal appeal

I love these lotus flowers for their colour and shape as they unfurl - they also happen to be the national flower of Vietnam as well as India

 People, the life of the country. Photographs of people wearing local dress, national costumes, doing every day tasks or on special occasions 

Luckily for photographers most people in Vietnam seem happy for you to take their photo and will often smile and  wave to show their approval if, for example, they are passing on a motor scooter (more about traffic in a later post)

The first of these pictures was taken on the Meekong Delta. The other two of women tending rice paddys and a herb garden were taken on the drive to Halong Bay from Hanoi. 

‘I woz here’ photos

I’ve never taken very many of these and have always felt slightly baffled by the number of people who seem to feel that a photo of a monument isn’t valid unless they are in it as well, to prove they’ve actually been there. That said, I did take a few of this type of photo this time mainly with my iPhone  to pop on to Facebook.

These were taken outside Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum in Hanoi, at the Cu Chi tunnels in Siagon, demonstrating exactly how small a space the Viet Kong were living in during the war, and enjoying a fresh coconut drink whilst travelling on the Mekong Delta

tags: Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hue, Siagon, South East Asia, Vietnam, holidays, national costume
categories: Photography, travel
Friday 03.22.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 4
 

Seaside Art Retreat

Last weekend I was lucky enough to go to Felixstowe for a seaside Art Retreat which was organised  by one of the people I met at Call of the Wild Soul. Seven lovely ladies met up for a weekend of fun, art, conversation and relaxation thanks to our fabulous hostess Marie and her family. 
Of course this kind of event is not without its dangers, the main one being ‘supplies envy’ when looking at the goodies everyone else had brought with them, and which, for some of us, has led to a post weekend online shopping spree!
Rather than write more about the weekend I  will post the time capsule I made as part of the course I am doing with Xanthe Berkley. This is my first attempted at Videoing which I found a lot more fun than I expected to  and only wish I had taken more film especially on the prom and by the pier. I shall know next time!
Hope you will find time to have a look - enjoy!

Seaside Art Retreat - Take 2 from Barbara Evans on Vimeo.

 

 

 

tags: art, bebeach, felixstowe, photography beach, retreat, seaside
categories: Art, Photography
Thursday 02.07.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 3
 

Wild Soul Workshop

A couple of weeks ago I went to a Call of the Wild Soul two day Workshop in London with a focus on Soul Portraits. I had a great time. First of all it was good to meet up with some of the people from the retreat in September as well as getting to know some new faces. 
Erin who was leading the workshop started off by giving us a guided meditation and from there we dived soul first into our art. Amongst the selected material it was suggested we bring was a number of self-portraits. Fortunately I had some of these to hand as I am doing the Now You 52 Course which involves taking lots of selfies.
I made 3 picture of the two days. The first one comprised photographs juxtaposed on a background. I loved the idea of  altering the pictures with gesso or sandpaper, both were new techniques for me.
My second picture is my favourite, I used a combination of drawing, photo and collage paper - when I look at it I feel calm and rested.
Finally my third picture had a seaside theme. I was brought up on the coast and have a great affinity with the sea, it always seems like home. The theme of this picture was the connection of the soul with the body and with the universe in a way that lights up or lives. Again I used altered photographs and if you look closely at the lighthouse you will notice that it is a row of beach huts turned on its side. I also drew the figure by only looking at the model not the paper - turned out better than I expected!

 

tags: Errin Faith Allen, art, collage, journal, photography, soul portrait, workshop
categories: Art
Friday 01.25.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 3
 

Photography on the Hoof! or Making the Most of your Opportunities

On Tuesday I had to go to London for a meeting. The person I was meeting suggested we meet in the members area at the Royal Festival Hall  which was very convenient as it is only a five minute walk form the mainline station and doesn't involve getting on a tube. I debated about taking my camera as I knew I wouldn't have much time to take photographs, but in the end decided to take it anyway - this turned out to be a good decision. 

I was a little early for the meeting so took these photos on my way in to the RFH, I just loved how the colour of the pansies brightened up a grey January day!

I arrived on the 6th floor via the singing glass lift - which I wasn't expecting and rather freaked me out as it not only sang but went very fast.

This next picture was taken in the members area on the 6th floor of the RFH.  Obviously lots of people choose to have business or other meetings there, or just  go there and work with their laptops.

 The views are absolutely stunning both over the river and over Westminster - I took the first of these photos through the window on the 6th floor, and the second from the balcony  one floor down

 

 My final picture is of Hungerford Bridge, the rail bridge between Waterloo and Charing Cross stations - if you look carefully you can see the white roof of a train going across. I love the juxtaposition of the trees and the bridge struts in this picture, they seem to come together to form a forest 

taking these picture probably took about 15 minutes and in no time and all I was back on the train heading for home.

tags: London, South Bank, big ben, flowers, london eye, pansies, parliament, royal festival hall, westminster
categories: Photography
Thursday 01.17.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 5
 

Into 2013 with Resolution! - Art Journalling

Welcome to 2013. I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. Like many people I have been considering what changes to make in my life in 2013, playing with resolutions and picking a word to represent 2013 for me. Last year I spoke to a colleague at work about New Year resolutions and her response was ‘you don’t want resolutions you want goals!’ I immediately rebelled! Resolutions seem soft gentle things whereas goals seem hard nosed ‘must do’s’ that can add to life’s pressure  - so I will be sticking to resolutions!

One of my resolutions is to start keeping an art journal - I have flirted with the idea during 2012 but not really knowing where to start  I have signed up for two classed to give me a kick start, Jani Franck’s Creative Journaling and Effy Wild’s Book of Days.  I have also bought a book of daily readings called Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach and I am intending to use these as a source of inspiration for journalling. The 4th January chapter introduces six principles which will act as guides for the year’s journey. These are gratitude, simplicity, harmony, beauty and joy and I have incorporated these words together with my word of the year ‘embrace’ into my first journal entry. I am not intending to blog regularly about my art journal but to write occasional  posts featuring it as and when it strikes me that there may be something good to share.

Saturday 01.05.13
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 5
 

Time Capsule 12.12.2012

Hi there, I decided to join in Xanthe Berkeley's  12.12.2012 time capsule Facebook Group. This is my offering, though I have to say that 12th December was a pretty boring day except for one amazing thing.

Basically I got up drove to a meeting in Southampton (thought of taking a photo of the traffic jam heading into Southampton, but realised that taking photos with my phone, even while stationary, was probably a traffic offence so decided against). Couldn't really take any photos of the meeting which went on all morning so took a picture of the view from the Car Park. After the meeting I drove back home ( too difficult to park near my office in Winchester due to large numbers of shoppers visiting the Christmas market), and spent the afternoon working  before continuing to make gift cards, have supper, and go to bed.

The amazing thing about 12.12.2012 was the hoar frost - it was magnificent, the most impressive I have ever seen - it had spikes! The photos were taken around 8am in the morning, about 2 when I got back from Southampton and the last one around 5pm. they were all taken either in our garden or just outside our gate.

Hope you enjoy my time capsule!

12Dec12 from Barbara Evans on Vimeo.

 

tags: 12122012, Southampton, Winchester, countryside, garden, hoar frost, roses, time capsule, travel, work
categories: Photography
Saturday 12.15.12
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 1
 

Lightroom and Christmas Street Decorations

If you aren't interested in my adventures in Lightroom, page down to get to the Christmassy Pictures!

I have this week at last  begun to get to grips with Lightroom. I got it back in the summer prior to signing up to Kim Klassen's   Round Trip course - then the problems began. I had started to use it just for organising my photos and had imported my Photoshop Elements catalogue. Then I realised my hard disk was amongst completely full and that I need to find a solution quickly. Panic! delete a few photos and realise this isn't going to cut it. Next step was to buy an external hard drive and then panic again about transferring the photos without them becoming disconnected from the Photoshop and light room catalogues, or worse still losing the lot!

After extensive research we found out that you needed to transfer the files from inside the programme so I had to choose which to keep connected. In the end I choose Elements as I was more familiar with the programme and felt altogether more comfortable with it. So we spent a day transferring the photos in batches and to my great relief it all worked - I had space on my hard disk and at least I could still use elements!

Next to tackle Lightroom - in theory this wasn't too difficult; delete every thing in the catalogue and then re-import the photos from the Elements catalogue - it took several days before I managed to make myself bite the bullet in case it all went horribly wrong! Then success, I was able to start using lightroom and start on the Round Trip course which I had bought extended access to my this time!

The photos I am sharing today have layouts done with the Lightroom print module - my first attempt and very much a work in progress Enjoy!

These two are taken at the iconic Conran shop in Chelsea. I loved how they decorated their windows and the the pink delivery bike was awesome. 

The Chelsea Conran shop is in an old Art Decco building that used to be a Michelin garage and is absolutely stunning!

I love Christmas decorations and the pictures above were taken in St Christopher's Place just behind Oxford Street, I think  all the silver balls and reflections are just wonderful!

This final set of photos are window displays from shops in the streets just off Oxford St and Regent St.  I adore the rich lush colours and textures

tags: Chelsea, Christmas, Conran shop, London, Oxford St, West End, decorations, lights, shops
categories: Photography
Saturday 12.08.12
Posted by Barbara Evans
Comments: 4
 
Newer / Older
Blog - Barbara Evans

All rights reserved Barbara Evans FunkyRosebud Studio