Marianne may be off tiki touring but the challenge is still on.
For this month’s challenge I decided to focus on one simple pleasure, though I do have a list. This post it is all about the joy I get from photography. A simple pleasure that has reemerged in to my life after laying dusty in the ‘too busy’ cupboard for quite some time.
Through photography my senses are being reawakened. When I photograph a bee I smell the pollen as it settles on its wings. A gull’s song fills my ears as I try to capture it flying overhead. The waves cool and soften my skin as I wade in for a closer shot. Zooming in on a strawberry its crisp sweetness smothers my tongue. Stopping to capture a moment, I see worlds that previously I had passed by.
So in enjoying this one simple pleasure I have inadvertently opened a treasure chest that is seemingly self perpetuating no matter how much I take from it.
Yesterday I spent part of my afternoon indulging my senses and raiding the treasure chest again. I spent the time at a friend’s dance school end of year concert in town. Walking around among the girls and their mothers I was transported back at times to when The Daughter was young and ballet was a large part of her life.
These are some of the images from backstage on Sunday. I hope you get your own simple pleasure from seeing them.
So on to my TWO featured blogs this month.
- Michael Andrew [aka Michael the Maven] is…crikey [don’t know what crikey means ? Click on it and find out – there is even a video]…simply amazing. What a photographer. He has some wonderful stuff to just look at as well as lots of instructional material about photographic gear and techniques. He runs a yearly competition, and is at present showcasing the finalist nominees in the Macro category. I could watch his slideshow of nominees for hours.
- Jimland is James Thompson’s blog. James is an American living in Finland. He is also an author and his blog has so many fascinating bits that once there you need to wander around. You’ll be surprised what you find on your tour.
Now – if you haven’t before taken part in this monthly challenge, hop on the bunny below and visit with Marianne at East of Málaga, who just received the Bronze Award in the Expat Blog Competition for Spain.
The Daughter was a pleasure. So adorable. Those tutus are just too too! And photography? It’s the gift that keeps on giving. ;-). Nice work, Jo.
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Thanks Gemma. I had such fun !!!
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Beautiful natural photos, Jo. Such lovely young dancers. I’ll check out your recommendations. Thanks. 🙂
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I think you’ll find these guys pretty interesting – I sure do.
😉
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Simply lovely.
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Thanks Ruth. Those girls were so darn cute.
🙂
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Yep, love your dancing girls, and the blog links are fab – different from the usual!
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Thanks Gilly – but then – I am a little bit different from usual, wouldn’t you say ????
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My daughter is only fourteen, but things still take me back to when she was younger – dancing in a mirror, acting in a mirror 🙂
These are the simple pleasures.
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Aren’t they just ??? Kids so often remind me to stop…look…listen…be in THAT moment.
🙂
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Yep, and right now, she’s out for her friend’s fifteenth birthday.
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And in to mischief probably, as any 14 year old should be !!!!
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More than likely. I told her I had a dream that I slapped her leg for saying the F word. She said “I would never say that in front of you”
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Hahahahaha – don’t you love their honesty !!!
😉
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Yep. I already knew she swears, But if I tell her not to, she will anyway. So I say “I don’t want to hear you swearing or that other people have heard you swearing”
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Very thoughtful way to go about it. I wish more parents were like that instead of living in a bubble believing their kids do no wrong. Mine do ALL the time…but so did I. It’s the only way for them to grow up. Do wrong…survive it…learn from it…hopefully do right next time.
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Exactly right.
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Exactamundo !!!!
I love that word.
YES !!!!
It is a word…because I said it is a word.
😉
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😀
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Your photographs are brilliant – I just loved them.
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Awwwwwww…thank you so much !!!!!!!!
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🙂
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I love how you captured their expressions. Beautiful!
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Thank Amy !!! I just love photographing people…especially kids.
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I love the light you have caught and the expressions. Photography is such an eye opener, if you love it you look more closely at every thing around you looking for that elusive “perfect” shot. Now I am going to look at your 2 guys…
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Thanks PP. I love taking shots of people…they are so much fun. Kids especially. there was this one little girl…every time I pointed the camera at ther she posed and got this ‘smile’ on her face. I kept wondering what her Mum had said to her about getting her photo taken. I love catching people when they are just being people…it is always such a delight.
🙂
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With digital cameras, phones etc I think kids are used to having photos taken these days.
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True PP – still she was so funny though.
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Such a nice opportunity Jo to capture those little budding ballerinas – all looking the part too ! I should be very pleased to have caught these shots all very natural . Say NO to toobusycupboards 😉
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Exactly !!!!!!!!!
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Hi, I entered the CBBH Challenge as well, so I have come visiting. I agree that photography is such a pleasure, it stirs the creativity juices and the happy endorphins follow!
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Great that you entered…it is a lot of fun. Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment…I really aprreciate it.
😉
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You know, Jo, I think so many of us bloggers enjoy your Simple Pleasure. It’s surprising how you can see and feel things differently as you are trying to take the “best shot” in photography.
Your photos are delightful and you clearly savoured the memories they rekindled for you.
Thanks for sharing the links and I’m looking forward to HOPPING over to check them out.
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Thanks Marianne !!! I had forgotten how photography [not just family posed snaps] makes me feel for the longest time. It is such a joy when you get the one shot that makes you go ‘oh yeah’
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An adorable set of images Jo!
And Michael’s blog seems just the place to spend time in to unravel the mysteries of my new DSLR ::-)
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Thankd Madhu – I love his blog. There are treasures hidden all over the place.
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Photography is the art that immortalizes even the small moments, I am glad you picked it up again.
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Thanks Valentina…what a beautiful and thoughtful comment.
🙂
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These images are true testaments that you belong to a production photographer. Jo, these images are so alive. Excellent words about photography that is worth re-noting. 😉
And wee! to featuring other blogs. 😀
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Awwwwwwwww Rommel, you are such a sweetie. What a lovely comment for me to come on here and see. Thank you so much !!! You really made my morning.
🙂
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Jo, I totally get what you say in that quote:
http://thesophomoreslump2.com/2013/01/12/200/
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I love that you do !!! All my sense open up and are toched it seems these days – the camera is like a ciant magnifying glass for them…making the experience so much more sensitive. Last night for example. I went outside and there was a slug on my step. I grabbed the camera to take a few shots and saw more than just a slimey long body stretched out. The colours and patterns on its body were amazing. And man those things can skedaddle too.
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