Caught On Camera

I love taking photos! My camera has been a real friend to me, especially when I was first on my own a few years ago. I used to take myself out for daily walks in my beautiful new surroundings but was very aware that I was walking on my own, with no-one to share it with or chat to along the way - and I didn't enjoy that very much. So, I started taking my camera out with me and what a difference it made! Instead of being acutely aware of being on my own, I began to pay more attention to the photo opportunities around me and how best to capture them! My walks very quickly became much more enjoyable! And my photos got better too! One of my photos recently won a competition to go into a local calendar.

So, I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite pics from recent outings.

The bluebell woods near me are beautiful and some of the best pictures I took on those early walks were of the bluebells. You'll find a few more in my Summer Days! post. I have some of them printed and framed on my walls and have given a few as gifts to friends and family who have admired them. Giving even more joy!

I love taking photos of flowers

Isn't that exquisite?! 

And I took these last weekend on a visit to Tatton Park. 

Love the green prickliness of this Sweet Chestnut!

And the Japanese Garden is just beautiful! 

Would you believe I forgot my camera that day! And so all of these pics were taken with my humble little mobile phone!! Pretty good though, eh??

And of course I love wildlife and birds so was very happy to come across these deer when walking the outer grounds of Tatton Park last weekend.




















And here are some of my very favourite pictures, taken on a June weekend trip to the east Yorkshire coast, walking from Flamborough to Bempton Cliffs, which are just heaving with nesting birds at that time of the year.




I absolutely love puffins and really couldn't believe it when I got these shots with my camera on full zoom! I have had prints of these framed and they are on the walls of my coastal-themed bathroom. I get lots of admiring comments - especially when people realise I took them!

Finally, I will leave you for now with these pics, taken that same weekend, of a pair of gannets with a baby chick - only one of the many thousands that gather there every year.

See the little fella, there in between them?

Ahhh, so cute!







So, bearing in mind that I do not have a very expensive camera and all of the pictures taken last weekend were taken on my mobile phone, what might you take snaps of when you're out and about? Maybe taking a few pictures of your own garden, a local park or place of interest, a local event, or even of the town where you live might start you off with a new interest to keep you happily entertained. Why not try it?