Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

I’ve been waiting for a reason to post to show you the inside of Exeter Guildhall. In May there was an exhibition about the 1942 blitz and I popped in for the first time in thirty years. It is believed to have been built around the late 12th century, with a new front in the 16th and the interior was restored in the 19th century. In my photo you can see the windows reflected in the chandelier and some of the exhibition stands.

There will be hundreds of different interpretations of inside over at the Daily Post.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/weekly-photo-challenge-inside/

 

Photography, art or techno skills?

I used to do a lot of photo editing when I first discovered Photoshop but eventually tired of it. I learnt to colour pop, but then everywhere you looked you would see colour popped photos – boring. The current craze for instagram does little for me, it doesn’t seem to require any particular skill or eye for a good quality photo.

Then last year I did a photography course and everyone was furiously editing everything, trying every trick the software offered. It put me off even more and I concentrated on improving my camera skills. That didn’t work, my photography became worse as I struggled to get to grips with manual camera settings.

I’m gradually recovering and on a photo day I can usually get a few shots I’m happy with, probably around 5%! I have three lenses to play with and have often thought that if I just had this lens or that lens then I might get the results I want. But that’s nonsense of course, it’s all in the eye, and sometimes choosing a good way to use software to create an interesting image.

Here I have played with a photo in a few different ways, a couple of which I believe work well and some less so. Do you have an opinion to offer? Do you like some more than others? or maybe you don’t like any of them? Let me know what you think or perhaps post a few versions of a image that you have worked with. As always click for a larger view.

Travel Theme: Art 2

I was browsing around at other people’s entries for Ailsa’s travel theme and was  inspired by http://adinparadise.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/travel-theme-art/ who shows photos of her sister’s beautiful art work. It reminded me of a visit to Sirigu in Northern Ghana, close to the border with Burkina Faso. SWOPA, Sirigu Women’s Organisation of Pottery and Art has been around for about fifteen years. It has brought women out of poverty while promoting their cultural identity in a traditional society.  They are known for the way they decorate the outside of their homes and the art they produce is stunning, as well as the pottery they make. Here are the things we bought there.

This hangs on the dining room wall.

Bird one

Bird two

The entrance to the workshops

Round rooms, you can even stay here! That would be wonderful, these huts looked so cute. I would love to return and spend longer than a day visit.

 

 

Travel Theme: Art

This Photo was taken in the Louvre a few years ago. Please forgive the naughtiness, it just had to be done and I’m sure it has been many times before! To find out more about the painting go here http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/gabrielle-destrees-and-one-her-sisters and to join in with Ailsa’s travel theme challenge pop across to http://wheresmybackpack.com/2012/06/29/travel-theme-art/ meanwhile smile!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Create

This is my friends work table just a few minutes ago. She is the most creative person  I know, one minute she will be decorating boxes like here and the next, chopping up some old Levis to make a journal, in between there may  be beads or desk pets. She works so hard it tires me out to watch her, often starting as soon as she gets up and staying at it for twelve hours. Next she collapses in an exhausted heap every bone aching, never learning to pace herself. The results are stunning.

What do you think?

Sunday Post : Design

My question is, at what point does it become my design and not the original artists? Maybe never? What do you think?

The original photo, from a frieze on a wall in a museum in Ankara

Not very exciting but I changed it into this to make a card for a friend, better maybe?

and then for today’s theme, I really began to play 🙂

My favourite – today at least!

This post is part of Jakesprinters Sunday Post photo challenge …you can join in too … check it out at http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/sunday-post-design/