Focus

I thought I'd have a little play around with my photo editing software this morning...

...taking a self portrait, I blurred the original file so the skin tones and details were much softer, then I took the eye, kept the detail and overlaid it onto the blurred background.

This gives a strange depth of field illusion, one that I really liked doing, and one that has opened up a whole new avenue and excitement for me!

My first photography competition.

Recently I sent off one of my photographs, the portrait view of Mount Caburn early in the morning with the mist in the valley, to a competition after Jo suggested I should.

I ONLY WENT AND WON!!

I won first prize, and my photo was put on the monthly E-Newsletter for a garden centre called 'Garden Pride'.



Although there were a lot of entries, I managed to win, and I received a £15.00 voucher to spend in their shops!

I will be sending off more photographs I think!

Free-ranging!

, moultingIt's been ok weather really... when you think how bad it could be. I mean, looking at friends blogs round the world, it could be worse.

On the sunny days, my ladies (and Rhydian) like nothing better than to take trips round their estate, and to peck at fineries scattered around as a snack to eat.



Being free-range suits them down to the ground, as it gives them a chance to mill around like teenagers in a park, scratching here, there and everywhere - looking for the tastiest morsel of food they can find - I usually scatter some corn down as an incentive for them to leave the warmth and safety of their coops.



I took a few photos recently, to show the moulting of some of the birds - some of which are over 6 years old aparrently!!



The eggs have all but stopped for us now, although I must admit, we've been getting one or two a day recently.

We had the famous fireworks here in Lewes in November, followed by a bad storm, followed by some idiot of a dog walker letting their dog bark at our ladies through the hedge, thus scaring them everyday!

I'm VERY tempted to put a sonic device over near the chickens to shut the dog up - but would probably get sued or attacked for doing so - you know what todays society is like!

Anyway, the ladies are all happy (if a little bare here and there) and living the high life in their stately home!