“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”
― Jim Bishop
“Autumn is the time of picturesque tranquility.”
― Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann
A WALK THROUGH HISTORY
“The painter constructs, the photographer discloses.” ― Susan Sontag, On Photography
As many of you know Mark and I try to visit National Trust properties as often as we can. We are members which saves us a considerable amount of money. This week we revisited Lacock Abbey and the Fox Talbot museum in Wiltshire. It has a very interesting history, not only is it 800 years old in places but also was the home of Henry Fox Talbot. It was founded as a medieval nunnery in 1232. For movie and TV buffs it was used as the setting for the first 2 Harry Potter films, and the village was used as a setting for Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth one) and Cranford. To me it is the almost perfect place to visit (all is missing is water), it has wonderful medieval architecture a botanic garden and a very interesting history.
But this visit was really to learn more about Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877). He was a mathematician, botanist and chemist. he is known for inventing photography, his process of creating a negative in the camera and from that making multiple positive prints was the dominant process throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His work was based on earlier experiments by others.
Talbot inherited Lacock when he was 5 months old but didn’t live there until he was 27. His disappointing attempts at drawing whilst on his honeymoon led him to think how science might help people with no artistic talent to make images.
If you would like to read more about this amazing man you will some more information HERE
I wonder what he would think of today’s instant photography and the ease of processing !
Photo taken using Hipstamatic.
As summer begins to fade there was a last show of beautiful flowers in the kitchen garden.
I created a scrapbook page. Supplies by Anna Aspnes and Agnes Biro.
I love this quote from Talbot
Textures used in the scrapbook page are kk waterfront1 and quiet.
TEXTURE TUESDAY – ON GETTING LOST
This week I discovered a wonderful new website called ‘ Brainpickings’ and this particular post HERE. The owner of the site Maria Popova writes wonderfully, and this particular post deals with the work of Rebecca Solnit and her book A Field Guide to Getting Lost. How reaching out into the unknown , the uncertainty is so important to living creatively. The fumbling, struggling with our creativity is what makes us grow.
Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark. That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go.
I think we all struggle with uncertainty , when we try to jump sometimes it doesn’t work and we might fall, but how wonderful it is when we step off into the unknown and find something new, something so exciting it makes us catch our breath. Whether it is a new technique a new idea for a piece of writing, poem or composition.
kk_canvasmagic
Popova says ‘ for Solnit, as for Rilke, that uncertainty is not an obstacle to living but a wellspring of life — of creative life, most of all. Bridging the essence of art with the notion that not-knowing is what drives science, she sees in the act of embracing the unknown a gateway to self-transcendence’.
This is what I am seeking, to maybe get outside my comfort zone. I don’t know what it will be but I’m not going to give up trying.
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Music today :
Michael McGoldrick – The Dub Reel (Morning Rory) Imagined Village – Hard Times of Old England (The Imagined Village) Bob Dylan – Thunder on the Mountain (Modern Times) Rod Stewart – Mandolin Wind (Every Picture Tells a Story ) Ry Cooder – Jesse James ( The UFO has Landed)
FRIDAY FINDS – A SUCCESSFUL STILL LIFE
A selection of my photography this week
After taking many, many shots I finally was happy with this edit. Adjusted in Lightroom using Kim’s lovely new LR preset ‘bare. ‘ Some light texturing in PS and one of my photographs from printed.com
I’ve always liked photographs of bottles with flowers in them and I created this using my painted wine box on a coffee table to give height.
Copying a still life in THIS magazine
I played around with type and created my own brush….
And finally two layouts, the first one showing my beautiful blue vase that my good blogging friend Helen gave me. She hosts a linky called weekend walk check it out HERE
Supplies by Anna Aspnes and Katie Pertiet
And continuing with my Be Still work….
Supplies by Anna Aspnes
Have a great weekend……
#apphappy – love PicTapGo
Popping in today to link up with Barb for her app happy Wednesday. I used this yesterday in my Texture Tuesday post, but I so love the effect I created in PicTapGo it reminds me of a 60’s type album sleeve by someone like the ‘Lovin Spoonful’
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn’t it a pity?
Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city
I added some text I had created in Photoshop then imported into Letter Glow….
Are you joining in ?
MINDFULNESS – TEXTURE TUESDAY
As part of my continuing search for the heart in photography I am trying to be more thoughtful in my process, though it is a balancing act between getting it just right and over thinking. I still want to keep the spontaneity but rein it in a bit. Playing with my new purpose built backdrop (which I have now painted the other side a very subtle white with a hint of green). I used it as a base with an old coffee sack as the backdrop. I had to do a lot of tweaking as the colour of the sack really overwhelmed the image. In LR I used 2 of Kim’s presets ‘dark mood’ and ‘within’ then in PS I added kk_chase and kk_pinit11.
Onto the next edit, I decided that the texture of the sack was almost too textured, so using a painted wine box as a backdrop I did this…. In LR I added my own dramatic workflow then tweaked to soften it in PS using kk_chase again.
Much better.
Finally a dramatic version which I love using Kim’s new preset ‘within’ and kk_chase and kk_pinit 11.
Have a glorious Tuesday
TEXTURE TUESDAY – DREAM
The summer is racing by and I have to take as many outdoor/flower shots as possible.
I couldn’t resist though this seed pod, still hanging on in there in a flower pot..
Texture sonnetmagic
Happy Tuesday…
TEXTURE TUESDAY – OH TO BE IN ENGLAND
Last week on the spur of the moment ( and a good weather forecast ) we packed up and headed down to Cornwall, about a 3 hour car journey. With our trusty National Trust membership cards we decided to visit as many properties we could squeeze in. This is what the National Trust has to say about the property of Trelissick….
Tranquil varied garden in fabulous position, with a superb collection of tender and exotic plants
“On its own peninsula with ever-changing views of the estuary of the River Fal, Trelissick has one of the most amazing natural settings in the country. There are more than 12 hectares (30 acres) of elevated garden to explore, with twisting paths that lead you through significant collections of hydrangeas, rhododendrons, camellias, ginger lilies and year-round exciting woodland plants. As well as the garden, the 121-hectare (300-acre) estate, with its countryside, woodlands and coast, makes for breathtaking walks.As well as the garden and countryside Trelissick has its own renowned art gallery with a wide range of work from local Cornish artists. Why not drop into Crofters café which offers a delicious range of light refreshments, hot luncheons and afternoon cream teas using seasonal and local produce. Trelissick also has a gift shop, second-hand bookshop and six of the best National Trust holiday cottages located around the Trelissick estate”
A beautiful setting with the best view over the River Fal imagine having morning coffee here !
Lovely shady secret places
Because of the mild temperatures many species thrive…
Imagine working in the secondhand bookshop in this beautiful cottage…..
Here is the first scrapbook page of the trip.
Joining with Kim for Texture Tuesday texture used in all images kk_waterfront1
A QUICK TEXTURE TUESDAY
Here I am in Cornwall with little to no WiFi so a quick post. The weather here is unbelievable we could be in Greece ! So lots of photos to process.
The same photo and the same texture kk_need love it…
These beautiful flowers were blooming in the gardens of St Michael’s Mount in Marazion, blog post to follow.
Hope the sun is shining where you are……
APP HAPPY
Love Hipstamatic so much, I used Dream Canvas and Salvador a great effect. My little bottles make great props and I think the aged vintage look works really well…
This image is taken on my iPhone then through Mextures then Distressed FX and finally I added a little bit of text I imported into Letterglow.
Thanks to Barb for hosting this linkup now go and check out all the goodness from my fellow app addicts !!!
