Another shot from the Lourve. Honestly, there is so much there I could spend a year exploring and still find something new and beautiful.

I really love some of these Timken shots so here's another.

I think this shot speaks for itself. Poignant, Nik said to me.

On a lighter note, it's Luce's birthday today. Happy Birthday Luce! I am looking forward to eating a lot on your birthday tea at the weekend. I hope you got lots of nice things and have had a wonderful day?

Hang on! That means Malc's birthday is around the corner, which means Rach's birthday is around ... a cascade of birthdays! Wow, makes me glad I have a small family my side. I am not sure I could cope with remembering lots of birthdays all year around. (Yes, yes.. because I am stoopid!).

Another shot from the Louvre here. This time it's a snap of Venus de Milo.

The guys, who I grew up with in Peterborough, came to Leicester to play (and are still passed out this morning!). Last night consisted of a trip to the Mint; the same restaurant we went to for our Christmas bash. Awesome food but a bit pricey.

Rik and Luce also came to dinner and Rik took this rather good shot of Luce before we all went out. I have processed it a bit, making it mono and burning and dodging areas but otherwise it's still the original shot and crop.

Last night was a bit more subdued as we really went to town on Friday night and I think most of us are still sporting pretty fantastic hang-overs. Oh yeah! I was really sick yesterday morning, (I just can't take booze anymore).

Here is a rather abstract shot of me from last night.

I have added another Paris photo here as well.

My throat hurts and Nik says it sounds like I am getting whatever she has had since Paris. Bugger!

Here are a couple more shots - one from the Louvre and one from Timken.

What can I say? Really beautiful, interesting country. I hated the flight over, and it was only a hour long, as I am a big girl now after the bumpy crossing I had last year back from Tenerife. But once that was done with I really enjoyed my trip with Noo to gay Par-ee. This was no meanfeat as I packed, at the last minute, my big, black boots thinking they would support my feet better. Instead they squashed my little toes in, something along the lines of Chinese foot binding. Consequently, while I managed to walk for miles a day, I was in some discoumfort.

That said, who could care with all of Paris central to explore? Granted, It was a little bit of a cultture shock, as you might have expected, with me living in the country but once we got over the crowds there was no stopping us exploring from Monmatre to the Saint Sulpice. Rive Gauch et Rive Droite (I will post more photos later but for tonight I think I have put up enough).

Our hotel room was small but clean. The food in the morning was basic but fulfilling (Croissant and Coffee, don't you know?). It wasn't your average relaxation holiday but it was a real adventure. I think Noo and I will endulge a few more times on some of these weekend breaks. Maybe we will try Scotland, Ireland or maybe fly (gulp!) to other European destinations? Italy would be excellent!

I have posted a few times tonight as, with my friends coming up from darn south, I may not post for a few days. Unless they all pass out and I can sneak a quick session on the lappy.

Photographed here is a mummy in the Louvre, which gave me the willies a bit, (so I have tried to bring this out in the shot).

This facemask is one of many from the Louvre. I honestly think you could spend weeks in that place and still not see everything.

Another Timken shot here. I love the dingy colour of this room beneath the furnace.

Here is the last resting place of Napoleon, Les Invalides which consists of a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement containing museums and monuments, all relating to France's military history, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose. It is also the burial site for some of France's war heroes.

Nik's dad took us around the Timken plant that he works at. Timken is finally shutting down so it was the last opportunity to shoot the mill in action. I have to say I am glad I made it. The furnace, heat and metal all made for some excellent shots. And thanks to the trust D200 / 18-200mm Nikon lens, I managed to get some sharp images in practically total darkness!

Here is the first of a few. I like this shot of the heated steel tube, all covered in the water and heat. It literally looked like some industrial birth emerging from the orifice, bathed in light. Oh and the temperature inside the plant is something else. I will never complain about the studio heating again (and will all know that's a lie, don't we?)

Other news - the guys are coming to stay the weekend so that will be excellent.

Ian has revamped his Photography site and it is looking sweet. He also has a new photo posted on PBase of his two daughters which is just beautiful . Nice one pal!

Oui!

Here are a few snaps from the short break Nik and I had in Paris. It was amazing despite the fact that I took boots I hadn't walked in for ages thinking they would support my feet better only to get blisters as they were so tight fitting. Oops!

We went all over the central Parisian sites including the Louvre here and here, (there are loads more photos to come). We walked the small arcades near our hotel taking the Metro to further destinations like the Arc de Triomph.

I will post more photos later and go into the trip a bit more but, for the moment, I am shattered and need sleep if I am going to be of any use tomorrow at work.

Oh, and I managed to delete one roll of photos. Fortunately it was only of things and places located near our hotel and nothing too major. On the downside there were some pretty sweet shots lost. Not much I can do about it now.

Another baby photo here - this one is the son of Alison & Gareth who used to work with me.

Also congratulations to Rich Welsford on the birth of his son Baxter. Nice one bruver!

Here is another baby from Barrow.

While I was hunting around in my old archive I found some more shots of my beautiful Nik. This one was a complete nightmare to process but I was loath to give in to it. I mean the noise on it was unreal. Still it doesn't look too bad now.

Oh and my f^&king hardrive has decided to have a mare. Because I use it between the PC and the MAC it sometimes has a spaz-out. And guess what? (Hope you are listening James?) while connected to the PC it has gone and screwed something up in the file allocation tables so I will have to reformat it. Great! Trouble is I am so full of stuff I don't have anywhere to temporarily house my files. I guess I will have to do it at work - before work - tomorrow. Grrr!

A big problem filling the vacuum of portrait slots I have is that I have no-one to shoot. There are only so many self portraits you can do and I am not that pretty (That's why I get BEHIND the camera). So I have had to delve into my old stock.

I did a shoot just after the Christmas of 2005, not long after I got my D70. It was photographing the young babies of parents in one of the local village halls. As usual, there was an abundance of mediocre shots, but some really captured the wonderful expressions of the babies. Rather than waste them in my archive I have decided to raid a few to fill out my portraits, until I can shoot some other subjects, (my friends from all over the UK come up here in a few weeks so there is an opportunity).

Also the shoot made me ill. The heat of the hall, keeping all the babies warm, helped germinate a viscous cold in me that took two weeks or so to shift. So I figure I really earnt these photos.

*"These are my Magic Shoes. Momma said they would take me anywhere."
(*Forest Gump)

Nik and I are going away to Paris as our Valentine to one another. It's nice not to have to run about getting presents but wait, getting more excited over our trip. Ah, to be in Paris and in Louvre. Heh!

Nothing. Works. Legs. Hurt. So much. Why god? WHY!?

Actually, I am not that bad considering. I did have a great time last night at footie and badminton running around like an idiot. Scored one. Fluffed another (clear, open goal - I need shooting for that one). I think we won the footie but, as usual, I didn't win a game against Craig. The b^&£*@*&! Don't worry, I'll 'ave ya!

I keep getting the bloody date wrong at the moment. Am I too young to get dementia?

Actually I must be pretty demented. I am playing football tonight with Craig then going on to badminton after that? Who do I think I am kidding!? I'm not twenty anymore. I'm old, dammit!

Nikki and I went walking after we have done all the weekend chores (shopping etc..) and I took a few shots, nothing of which turned out particularly any good. We get home and Noo tells me that she doesn't think I have taken many portraits (she is correct), which infuriated me so much I got the camera back out and took shots of her in the kitchen. That'll learn you! (I really like the builders bum shot the best!)

Nik is, for a change correct (just kidding) but I don't have many subjects to take photos of. I must just start shooting strangers, I guess?

After falling about all over the place running I stopped and shot a children's slide which is here. Nice and colourful!

I have eaten far too much crap over the last few days and as a result feel the urge to go running. I am going to take my camera as well, (God I wish I had a D80 instead of the 'cannon' D200), as the sun is shining and I may see something worth shooting.

I hate buttons that lead nowhere. I mean, with the best of intentions I made a 'how to?' button when I first made this site. It was to lead to an area where I could post solutions to problems that have cropped up from time to time for me that I managed to solve or for post peoples solutions that I found useful enough to pass on further.

Anyway, I have at least laid the pages out now to be filled at a later date with as many helpful points as I can think of. Aren't I nice?

Of course it may stay very empty also, I guess we will see...

Well, the snow is falling but not settling so no chance of any decent snowy landscapes but I can manage a wintery, blizzard photo from out of the bedroom.

The young student we had come play with us at work in the summer emailed Mulberry Square from the States , where she had to return with her family before Christmas. Kellie, who came out with me on a photo shoot because of her interest in photography, has only gone and won 'Young Fashion Photographer of the Year' at the clothes show!

Here is the email she sent us;
Hello! It's Kellie here, the girl who did the work experience with you all back in July. I know this is a funny way to get in contact with you but I didn't have e-mail addresses, and I can't call because I'm back in the US now.

I thought I should notify you that I've recently won a photography competition! In December I became the Young Fashion Photographer of the Year when Nikon and the Clotheshow Live put on the first of what will be an annual competition for ages 16 to 25.
About 300 people entered from all across England, and then it was narrowed down to 12 finalists and one winner! I won 2000 pounds and 1000 pounds worth of Nikon photography equipment (a D80 and two lenses), as well as a week placement with a fashion photographer in London.

I wanted to say thankyou so much for how much you helped me over the week I worked with you all. You were so brilliant and I had a great time. It was a very inspiring week and I use techniques I learnt there at Mulberry Square all the time in my photography!

Here in America I'm in a photojournalism class at school and although life is difficult sometimes, I'm adjusting (slowly). I've really decided I'd like to go to university and work towards a major in Photography with a minor in Graphic Design.
I'll be graduating High School early because I'm ahead of a lot of the students my age here and so in about a year I'll hopefully be back in England for six months working somewhere to earn a bit of money.

There is a magazine that came out at the beginning of this month over there that has a two-page spread of my photography and talks about the competition. If you wanted to have a look its called Digital Photographer Magazine and I'm on pages 68-69.

Matt and Ian -- I look at your websites all the time and enjoy seeing all your new photographs.
James -- I love the Mulberry Square website it looks great!

Thankyou all so much again. I've left my e-mail address so if you have a spare moment, please don't hesitate to e-mail me to say you got this.

Kellie Hill

Wow! That is fantastic! Kellie is an absolutly lovely girl and I am so pleased she has won this. She has a wonderful eye and captures some beautiful shots, (see here).

Kellie, if you read this, it was a pleasure to know you, even though it wasn't for long. I am glad you didn't buy a Nikon SLR! You'll have a lot of fun with that D80. I wish you all the best for the future and hope you and your family stay happy and healthy.

I will keep checking your postings out and can't wait to see what else you get up to.

Speaking of which, here is what I got up to the other night - as promised, another shot of the rusting van. Apologies though, I really burnt out the sky! Ah well.

While walking around with Nik in Mountsorrel we came across a rusty van which I took a couple of rushed shots of. I will, however, need to go back to get more out of it. You can't rush these things you know?. Here, in the meantime, is a close up of the rusty exterior.

I have updated the gallery as well. The images resize now for better viewing but you have to turn the thumbnails off to view the descriptions. So unless I can find another way the descriptions will be a bit hidden. However, the resizing of the interface and the other extras, like skipping forward simply by clicking on the photo, means it is probably worth it.

Here is another 'frozen' photo, (which I should have chosen, in hindsight, for the monthly photo theme... brrr!).

Something my boss Craig said to me has stuck in my mind and come to light today. He said, when we were discussing something or other, that I was more in-touch with emotion than him. I have just noticed that my site is covered in bloody valentine hearts, my mums logo is gentle and flowing in design, I am blubbing at soundtracks and I suggest (above) that in the cold days ahead we all just cuddle. And feel Love!? You know?

Jesus, Donny Tourette, Christ.. what the f&*k is happening to me? I can't quite get a handle on this. I am gona have to go and pick a fight or something to reclaim my masculinity.

I feel neutered!

PS - I am only kidding but I rarely go off on one these days and I think it's healthy once in a while. Don't you agree?

While we are going off in Bizarro world check Minty's site for the story on the stolen towels. Man-oh-man, unbelievable. Is this really all they have to write about?

Here is another shot in the frost of my footfalls left on the lawn.

I am making a business site for mum which I have started here.

-6° degrees last night! Not much more to add to that really, although I did get out early and take some photos in the garden. Here is a leaf that came out quite nicely. Still-lifes like these can make wicked shots and while this isn't the most complex photo ever the grainy paving looks kinda kool.

I am listening to Hans Zimmer's Black Hawk Down and certain tracks remind me of certain bits of the film, like the start where Ridley Scott gives you a rundown of the political climate in Mogadishu at that time. I must admit to sitting here, almost blubbing and thinking how can I help people who have to live in the war torn corners of the globe. But I suppose I can take solace in the fact that just like a git I will soon forget about it all and be concerned with putting up curtains or something...

God, sometimes I really feel f&*ing useless...

** OH MY GOD!! How gay is Matt?! (It's Nik by the way - we girls can blog too you know!) Matt is actually 'sitting, almost blubbing' cos I'm gonna kick his ass for not doing the vacuuming! He should be WAY more concerned about the war that will break out in our house if its not done in the next half hour! :) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

I suppose I should point out now that Nik is a heartless b&*ch who's worldly concerns go as far as which f&*&ing bedding matches the curtains! Actually this isn't true but I do tend to be more emotional than Nik and she loves to remind me of this at any opportunity. Love you too hun xxxx

With mum starting a new business venture, and me helping her with her web and print needs, any photography I can manage to take will be a big, Brucey-bonus. So I have decided not to have a set theme this month. Also Ian is busy as, well, being a dad. Yeah, for this month I think the theme is a complete absence of a theme.

I have added a bit of Java script which either James or Ian at work found for displaying photos. It fades the background of the website and scales the photo above the page. Rather neat as the flash browser I use in the gallery doesn't scale the shots so you have to pop them up in their own page to view them entirely. Also this is java script so you don't need flash for it to work either. The program is a free download from here. Rather clever really!

Ian has taken amazing photos of his new daughter which you can see here. It's nice to have him back at work for a bit. Right? Gas buddy!

I still am deciding what to shoot this month. I was thinking about very candid shots of people in the street. Anyway, I will make up my mind by this weekend.

Nik and I are off to Paris on a weekend break later this month. I'm really looking forward to it and the chance to shoot photos in France, not to mention that being away with Noo for a romantic interlude is going to be amazing.

I am still playing with the Wacom tablet, hence the borders above.

We haven't chosen a theme for the month yet so I am going think about it and choose one over the weekend. I feel like shooting landscapes so I may go with that.