Isle of Wight

After a hectic Christmas at work and a hectic time in life, it was time for me and my other half to get away for some breathing space. Luckily for us, we’ve got a few relatives who live on the Isle of Wight, a mere four and half hour drive away, as well as a quick trip on the old Red Funnel boats – a treat in itself of sorts. So, with bags packed, tea poured and petrol in the tank, we made our way down to what essentially is a second home.

The isle itself is at its core, a very British holiday. Pretty much every year since I was born my family have ventured down there to build sandcastles, collect shells, hunt for dinosaurs and see who would risk a swim in The Solent first.

Armed with a camera that has been sat on a shelf in the front room for far too long, I aimed to document the I. O. W during winter. Manual mode on a camera is the devil but I’ve promised myself, much to the dismay of my other half, to learn how to shoot fully manual and take absolute creative control. So, if someone can help me with the exposure triangle, that would be great!

 

Vert & Vase Floral Blog

Sat at my desk with my usual end-of-work hot water bottle strapped to my stomach and one under both feet, it feels like the perfect evening to unleash Vert & Vase floral blog upon the world.

I would love to be able to say that flowers have been the forefront of all my fondest memories; that I chased through fields of flowers as a young girl, picking bunches of flowers from brimming gardens. Going the whole nine yards pressing flowers and gently placing them in pristine scrap books for keep sakes….

When in actual fact my parents garden resembled a Cormac McCarthy dystopian nightmare, one in which the thistles and dandelions out grew any of the flora. My dad, a greenskeeper, liked to keep his garden manageable by just letting nature run its course.

Although I did enjoy picking rose petals at Primary School, in an attempt to make perfume in Panda Pop bottles, my appreciation of flowers came later for me in life. Oh I did manage to grow a sunflower once, I think there might have been a cash price and a Blue Peter badge involved for the tallest one, I sadly did not win.

With this blog I just want to talk about all things floral.