Weekly Challenge Catch Up

As promised here is my weekly photos for the last few weeks!

I'm following two lists - one with my Clickin Moms group and the other with our own private group on Facebook.  Some weeks I've had two photos, others I have just chosen one week to roll with - so enjoy :)

Week 12 - Autumn

I can honestly say Autumn is my favourite time of year.  I love the leaves turning red, I love the cooler mornings but generally nicer days, plus its the time hubby and I got married and had Ash so to me its just an awesome time of year.  After a long hot summer Autumn came late this year, and with this theme falling as early as it did I didn't think I could actually fulfill the request.  However, one afternoon driving along Waikoukou Valley Road I came across some lovely trees opposite Matua Vineyard, which surprisingly had the familiar red leaves to show the time of year.  I was stoked to be able to capture them!

Week 13 - Blue

This weeks theme was hard for me as I was short on time and luckily my mother in law came to rescue.  Snoopy our now nine year old cat has always acted like a kitten when it comes to wool so what better but to give him some blue wool to play with?

Week 14: Golden Hour

I LOVE shooting at golden hour.  Light at this time is just amazing, and one of my biggest struggles as a mum of two is actually taking advantage of this time.  Unfortunately mornings are usually spent cuddling in bed, and afternoons is mayhem between dinner, grizzling, feeding and staying under control.  This Sunday afternoon however was quite calm in our household, and Ash and Harry had a little play in the sandpit before dinner.  I love this photo as my two boys are starting to really interact and build a little friendship.  Its wonderful to watch it!

Week 15: Reflection

This week hubby and I attended a wedding in Melbourne - childless!  We have never left the boys for a long time before so it was a little daunting for us but enjoyable.  We decided seeing we could never do it while the kids are young to take a tour bus up Great Ocean Road and visited the 12 Apostles.  This coastline is awesome (although never as beautiful as NZ) so it was worth the investment.

(Please note hubby is wearing my sunglasses - he's not into diamantes...)

Week 16: Animals

Our furry friend Benson has been with us for nearly nine years and often the subject of my photos.  He seemed the perfect fit for this weeks theme (although is in a desperate need of a haircut!)

Week 17 - From a High Angle

This weeks theme was easy for me - I love capturing the kids from different angles.  This shot of Harry I adore - he has had Hand Foot and Mouth and been generally miserable with high temperatures.  In this particular shot he was super grumpy, and just couldn't understand why I was standing above him to get the shot.  I love the expression on his face - one of annoyance but still intrigued - this little guy just absorbs so much, its so nice to watch him learning about the world.

Playing Catch Up...

So life has caught up and I haven't been posting as regularly as I should have been!

Miss me?

We have been super busy.  Feb/March are always busy times of year for us as we have two A&P Shows that require our full attention in the weeks leading up to, and on the day.  Thrown into the mix was a national advertising campaign which I helped to get going, a trip to Taupo to participate in a North Island meeting, maintenance of a million dollar business, running the household and taking care of the two kids.  Its fair to say I have not slept much in the last month and we have been running on adrenalin until this week.

I have however been keeping up with the weekly photographs, and been having fun with the themes.

Week 9 - the theme was Glass.  I really struggled with this theme - a beautiful landscape with water like glass, keeping it simple with a photo of a glass half full, or taking a picture through a looking glass.  Instead I kept it even simpler - a photo of my favourite possession - my 50mm lens also known to many photogs as 'good glass'.  This lens helped me take to take the types of photos I've always wanted to take, and truth be told sits on my camera about 90% of the time.  So here it is: Glass

Week 10's theme was Motion.  This was one was really simple - some lovely light on a summer's afternoon, Dad's strong arms (and bravery) to throw Mr 2 up in the air and I got the shot I wanted...

And lastly Week 11.  This weeks theme was "Night Portrait".  This was very much a challenge for me - I've never done a night portrait before aside from kids sleeping.  We work late into the night most nights, so taking advantage of hubby when in true concentration was ideal.  While its not 'technically' correct, I actually love this shot.  Given where we are at at the moment with our business, and the stress we've been experiencing of late trying to keep things under control I feel his expression, the mood and slightly off black and white represents how we're feeling.

This is what I love about photography - the ability to be able to take a moment, and save it forever.

See you all next week!

2013 Week 6/52 - Texture

So a little while ago my friend Paige mentioned that in Kaukapakapa there was a Garden Centre that also had a walk which had sculptures scattered throughout.  This afternoon hubby left for a stag do leaving me with both kidlets and a free afternoon to find something to do.  A quick text and Paige met me there for a gander at the Kaipara Coast Sculpture Park.  This place is fantastic!  There are 60 sculptures in total, the paths are all nice and easy to walk around, pram friendly and there is an awesome little park for both little and big kids alike.  Paige has a 1 year old (Gemma who you would have seen a few times during my 366), and of course I had Ash and Harry.  Ash and Gemma loved the park and we nearly missed closing time as we were having so much fun!

I took a few photos while there, but this was the one subject that stuck out for this weeks theme - a cross made out of barbed wire.  There was no explanation as there was for the other sculptures so I'm not sure if the cross was actually representing a life or was there as art.  In hindsight I wish I had spent a bit more time trying to take the photograph and getting a better perspective but for now this will do.  I definitely intend to go back sometime in the near future so maybe I can re-look then :)

2013 5/52

This weeks theme was Low Light Photography.  Normally I love getting my tripod out and getting my shutter speeds nice and slow but this week I struggled, I think because I have done so much of it during my daily challenge it was hard to find inspiration to do it for this!  I did have one idea in mind but that idea would have meant leaving the house at about 4:30/5am and with a little person who relies solely on me for food and has had a nasty reaction to formula it was not going to happen.  So I turned to what I know best - taking photos of my kids.

I actually had the intention of getting a night photo of Harry - he's just moved into the cot so I thought it would be special.  But he chose last night to be extremely unsettled so I couldn't get the shot that I wanted.  His older brother also chose to perform last night and refused to go bed until about 9:30pm, and that was only after many a tantrum.  He eventually fell asleep lying sideways on the bed so after giving up on Harry it was only by pure chance that I popped in and found Ash like this.  The light source is the hallway light, the peace and calm all his...

Here is Week 5

2013 4/52

This weeks theme was Weather.  Recent times we have experienced amazing weather - days filled with blue skies and warm sun - so quite difficult to get an interesting shot of.  But those days all ended with amazing sunsets - mostly thanks to the fires in Australia which have been making our skies beautiful colours.

Muriwai as I have mentioned before is a place very dear to me.  It was the first place I saw my husband on our wedding day - not too far from where I took this photo in fact.  We had our wedding photos done before our ceremony, and with only the photographers and three closest friends witnessing Bryce and I shared a very special moment at Maori Bay overlooking Oaia Rock.  That day was terrible weather wise, a storm was brewing, the skies black but dry.  So it was in stark contrast this photo was taken, there was an Easterly so the waves were clean but calm and the weather beautifully sunny.

So here is Week 4 :)

2013 3/52

2013 2/52

Week 2: Silhouette 

2013 1/52

New Years Day: Cows don't stop for hangovers