#silentsunday #socialpix #365
A-MAZE-ING! #countrykids #flashbackfriday
One of our favourite places to go that is local but good for a few hours of getting the kids outdoors is the National Trust property. It really is one of those places that we know inside out, its like a local park. But we love it. It has little hidden gems and is a perfect way of spending an ordinary weekend afternoon or a place to go with a group of friends and a large picnic for a special time.
I have to confess that we have only ever once ventured into the house. A lovely lady said that we could have a little handy hip shelf thing to pop our youngest on instead of using the buggy (there isn’t room). Which i did use, probably incorrectly as it was really uncomfortable and then we spent about 30 minutes running after lively toddlers and telling them not to touch anything. So i can’t really vouch for the house. Im sure its lovely. 😉
But we know the grounds really really well. Recently they have added a Maze. They have planted smallish trees and so at the moment the maze is actually quite handy as the kids run off and yet we can still see them and not spend hours trying to work out which corner they have gone round.
By the time the trees are going to be big enough for us to actually loose our kids in the maze, the kids will be old enough to not be bothered by it. I think its a fabulous addition to the grounds and the kids love it. Especially the bit where they get to the last bridge.
Our other favourite bit of Speke Hall is the fact that it basically backs on to the airport and we have, since my son was young, walked round the perimeter and watched a few planes land and take off. Lately they have added another walk which means that you can walk along side the works access to the runways and then sit on a disused part of the runway.
The new walk means that we can get down to the estuary, which was fun until we pretty much got stuck in a load of mud and had to make a swift about turn and get back to the track!
I love the new walk though. It feels a little unkempt and wild, which doesn’t really fit the house and the grounds that we know…but i think it really adds a new dimension to the place.
We still love it there and no doubt we will be back soon!
is that Bokeh season #mamarazzi
Before you think i have gone mad. Bokeh is a technical term. yes it is.
Bokeh :
In photography, bokeh (Originally /ˈboÊŠkÉ›/,[1] /ˈboÊŠkeɪ/ boh-kay — also sometimes heard as /ˈboÊŠkÉ™/ boh-kÉ™,[2] Japanese: [boke]) is the blur,[3][4] or the aesthetic quality of the blur,[5][6][7] in out-of-focus areas of an image.Â
Bokeh is a portrait photographers dream. Yes it is. Bokeh means that I can take a photograph of my gorgeous daughter on a park bench when there is a herd of people doing a welly walk in the background (yes there is) and all you will see is a blur of colour…
So thats what Bokeh is, that blurry buttery background that we all know and love. Now this season coming up… *whispers* the christmasy one is the PERFECT time for using a bit of bokeh. Those lovely christmas lights make great bokeh backdrops for your festive images.
Here is how you go about it.
SO..
essentially your basic bit of equipment is a FAST lens…what does that mean? Â You can find out here or here a bit about aperture…You need wide, open, (low numbers) FAST aperture settings.
You can make the little balls of light bigger by increasing the distance between your in focus subject and the out of focus lights in the background.
Helps to have your subject in the foreground and set your AF point on them. You can half depress the shutter and re-compose as well to get that extra dimension and composition to your shot.
KA-POW!
Christmas in a neat little JPG package.
All done.
Here are a fabulous selection from the wonder that is pinterest!
this is a partnered post
#silentsunday #365 #socialpix
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