Bumpkin!

How do you know when you live in the countryside? When you can take these two shots, one after the other, from exactly the same spot on your back porch! Not bad for a 'townie' from Eccles!

Happy Birthday, Dad ..

I always used to think I looked like my Mum, but putting these two shots together has made me realise I might have been wrong. Here's my Dad - aged about 45 - and a shot of me - er, just a likkle bit older - that was taken yesterday for a National Library Day event here in France. I've turned into my Dad. Good grief ..

I was looking for a shot of good ol' Joe as it's his birthday today, and I wanted to mark the moment. Happy Birthday Dad .. you'd have been 85 today, you old fart!

(Ps: I'm the one on the right!)

Oh, baby ..

It's been a long time since I wrote about portrait photography, so I'm delighted to be able to show you this photograph and say  .. my new studio is up and running!

Some friends popped in yesterday for a quick shoot  .. and a chance for me to get my bearings again after a gap of so long. I thought it was appropriate that my first photographs were of a new-born and I'm really happy with the way things went. Oh, baby .. it feels good!

A quick plug ..

A picture paints a 1000 words, and this one says it all. There can be no clearer sign that we're here to stay in France than this pile of old UK plugs, electrical timers and extensions leads, photographed just before I dumped them all at the tip. No need for any of these any more..

There's been no end of helpful information when it comes to places to visit in our new home country. People are very forthcoming with advice on what to see and where to go. But, do you know what? It can all wait until next year. Next year we'll head north, we'll drive south, we'll eat there, we'll go and see that cathedral but, for this year .. we're staying at home. Staying at home and enjoying our very first full summer in France. Staying at home and tending our garden. Staying at home and welcoming new guests to the gîte. Staying at home and enjoying parties with all our new friends, both French and English. Staying at home and taking photographs in my new studio. Oh, have I mentioned that already?
Oh well, there's nothing wrong with another quick plug.. 

Stand by, studio ..

I have a new studio! I'm finally up and running in France, ten months after I closed down in Culcheth. My new place is a tad makeshift, I grant you, but has everything I'll need to shoot portraits over here. In fact, it even has a 'stand-free' overhead main light, something I never managed in the old studio. I'm so pleased to be able to shoot with controlled light again, and delighted that I'm now able to offer studio tuition to any budding photographers who rent the gîte. Say fromage .. !
 

The longest day ..

The sun's gone down on the longest day of the year yesterday, and I couldn't resist shooting as the low back-light lit up our plants. It's fantastic to think we've now been in France for both the winter, and the summer solstice, and it won't be long until we're marking our first year here. There is, however, one other thing that really makes me feel that I've settled. I'm getting junk-mail. My own, personalised junk-mail .. in French. Oh mama, I've arrived ..

To Dad!

Today's the day we think of our Dads .. not that I ever stop .. and there's no finer way of remembering mine than with this shot - circa 1980 - of his beloved Bell's whiskey and lemonade, served up in the kitchen we used to share in Eccles. I can still see his ice in the glass.

God bless ya, Dad. Nine years gone and still missed like buggery!