Ironic

Is it just me or do you also wonder whether the irony was intentional in these photos? Let me know what you think.

School photos?

Still looking at photos of buildings for my college project – here’s a few more from a local school new building.

David and Suzanne

 The Eden Project has to be one of the premier wedding venues in Cornwall! David and Suzanne were married in the Mediterranean Biome safe from the vagaries of the British weather and with beautiful backdrops at every turn. After champagne and canapés, guests took the ‘land train’ to The Gallery function room for the reception.

The venue, food and service were all outstanding. Suzanne wore a beautiful Vivienne Westwood dress and Christian Louboutin shoes whilst David wore shoes and suit by Paul Smith. Afterwards the bridal party returned to Boscundle Manor. 

It was a great day ‘guys’ – I trust you have a great life together.

Eden Project

I’m photographing a wedding at the ‘Eden Project’ this weekend (very exciting) so I popped over to check out the venue, particularly how taking a camera into the Rainforest Biome would affect it. The answer is it fogs the lens so I’ve arranged to hide a camera in the Biome to allow time for it to warm through and de-mist.

I’ve been to Eden many times and it is such a great venue. This time I wasn’t with anyone so I could wander around for a while taking photos of the things that I wanted. They’re maybe not the things you would have photographed, but that’s the thing about photography. Take a look and see what you think and come back to the blog in a week or so to see the photos of the wedding.

Finally, I should say a big thank you to the staff at Eden – they couldn’t have been more helpful and pleasant.

Grant and Kate

Falmouth Beach Hotel was the venue for Grant and Kate’s wedding. After days if not weeks of rain (it poured the week before) they had a glorious sunny day, which meant we could get over to the beach for some photos, swim, surf, sunbathe and eat ice cream  –  well, maybe I’ve exaggerated slightly!

It was a great day. Everything went brilliantly; Grant and Kate smiled so much their faces must have hurt the next day. The three little bridesmaids were so cute I was tempted to bring them home – I resisted!

Vycci

Wedding photos to follow, but here’s one of Vycci’s tat.

Looking Up

For my next college project I have to exhibit a number of photos and produce a book on any subject that I choose.

As a change from photographing people I have decided to photograph buildings. Most town centres look the same with the major retail outlets branding each shop front. However, there are some great examples of architecture in most towns so for this project I have focused on the sights to be seen when you look up.

For the exhibition I will be putting buildings of a similar shape alongside each other, whilst the book will function as something of a mystery tour. Here are just a few early photos taken in Truro. 

Monchavin 2010

It’s hard work, but someone has to do it! I have just got back from skiing for two weeks with Richmond Holidays. Richmond are a Christian holiday company and I joined them as their ‘ministry leader.’ It was a great time – the guests and staff were brilliant and the skiing was fabulous. Just don’t ask about the balloons!

The Telemark world championships were held whilst we were there so I got to meet some of the British team and wish them the best of luck. I’ve no idea if it helped them to success as I was to keen to ski myself to hang around and watch for more than a few minutes.

Blessing

Oooh er, no photo!!!   I’m reading a blessing at my son’s wedding at Easter and couldn’t really find what I wanted so I decided to write my own –  and then decided to share it online. Here it is:-

The Blessing of Love 

Love is an amazing thing. 

Is it a force of nature, something spiritual

A human right, a gift?

It’s certainly more than a simple emotion,

A fluttering of hearts.

Love is a power that changes people,

A new way of living, a new way of seeing.

Love is gentle, kind, patient, forbearing,

Uplifting, encouraging.

Love is forgiving –

putting up with those annoying little habits,

like squeezing the tooth past from the wrong end.

Love isn’t self serving, self seeking or point scoring.

Love doesn’t keep a tally of wrong doing.

Love builds, binds, believes.

But love also needs nurturing, feeding, encouraging.

Love needs to be expressed in word and deed.

Love mustn’t be ignored or taken for granted.

It needs time and space to grow and mature

For then it is everlasting and sustaining.

**** and ****, may your love sustain you, hold you

And keep you.

Thro’ all that life brings you,

The good, the bad, the ugly – and the beautiful.

Istanbul

 

It’s hard, but someone has to do it! A couple of days working in Istanbul followed by a couple of days sightseeing – and taking photos of course. 

What a fantastic city. It is the only city in the world that sits on two different continents. A city with more history than you can shake a stick at. A city that has strategic historical Christian and Islamic monuments. Islam is the dominant religion, as can be seen from the dress and customs, yet it does have religious freedom enshrined in law; and a remnant of the indigenous Armenian church. 

Being outside the Euro zone it is relatively cheap to visit with lunch being available from around £5.00 and tea from 60p. We stayed with friends so I have no idea what accommodation costs would be. We enjoyed the sights, sounds and warmth of the people so much we are already planning to go back. Maybe next time we’ll explore the historic Christian sights of Ephesus and the 7 Churches of Revelation.