Rural France Photography

Highton Ridley featured photographer

2011-11-15T09:30:00.002+01:00

It's been a while since I updated this blog, but photographer Highton Ridley inspired me to get cracking by mentioning his well deserved bronze merit award in the 2011 International Loupe Awards photo competition. The image with the award is the July image in the 2012 calendar shown below. I've long been a fan of Highton's work which covers a broad range of styles from traditional fine art monochrome, to the use of HDR and other effects. Two of his works were featured earlier in this blog, but I thought it was about time he had his own special feature. All of these works shown below are available in his Zazzle store, but to know more about the man himself, you might like to visit his web site

Highton Ridley Fine Art Selection Calendar 2012 by HightonRidley

Some more of his lovely work, these are just a few of my favourites that I've chosen to show: A night time view of the historic Barbican area in Plymouth UK., full of rich colours and reflections, this image is also being featured on a magazine cover. This is the place from where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail, as well as Sir Francis Drake.

Plymouth Barbican View by Night - wrapped canvas by HightonRidley

Entitled "Last Surf of the Day", an early evening sunset with a golden sky shining through heavy clouds, and three surfers wading through the waves on a beach in Devon, England.

Last Surf Of The Day - gallery-style poster print by HightonRidley

Flowers. Everyone takes photos of them, but not many manage show their true beauty as in this photograph. As a fan of contrasts, I love the gentle gold and pink petals of this cosmos flower lit by the evening sun against a dark background.

Golden Cosmos - wrapped canvas by HightonRidley

A beautiful study in textures and tones, a rough rope knot on a smooth wooden post in monochrome.

Knot A Rope Knot poster by HightonRidley

A portrait of a Dhol Drummer, capturing the rich colours and textures, and at the same time, full of the atmosphere of a musician absorbed in the rythyms.

Dhol Drummer poster by HightonRidley

It's been hard to pick just a few favourites, and I'd certainly recommend exploring Highton's work further!

More birds in photography

2011-07-22T21:53:00.000+02:00

I've been struggling since my last post to take some wild bird photos. It's hard! the biggest handicap is time, and sadly I don't have a lot of it. You have to be patient, make a note of the birds habits and favourite perches. But more of that later.

As promised though a bit late, here are some more great bird photos - I think Steve's cormorant is one of my all-time favourites, and that robin singing his little heart out.
Steve, in the UK, writes:

Reed buntings are not a particularly rare bird in the UK, but they can be quite difficult to approach - although here I was very close; their fear no doubt overcome by the desire for food. During the breeding season reed buntings will often feign injury to lead an intruder away from their nest, typically staggering along dragging one wing before flying away when the threat has passed.
This young cormorant was photographed at Trentham gardens in Staffordshire; although the cormorant tends to be regarded as a coastal bird they are often seen well inland outside the breeding season. In recent years though inland colonies have become a common year round sight where suitable water bodies exist.

a pair of reed buntings feeding in the snow by sc0001

immature cormorant resting. print from £8.25 by sc0001

The UK's largest bird, the mute swan is a very powerful, yet extremely graceful bird. This image is probably the closest I've so far come to capturing that grace and elegance.
A postcard featuring a colour photograph of a robin in full song. Taken near Grasmere in the English Lake District, Cumbria, UK, Europe.

Mute swan head and neck portrait greeting card by sc0001

singing robin postcard (£1.10 single card) by sc0001

DigitalDreambuilder's store contains a real mixture of different designs and subjects, and photography from around the world, including these two birds. Who doesn't love a penguin! And, not the prettiest bird, but possibly one of the rarest:

The Waldrapp ibis, also known as the Northern Bald ibis, with black feathers, a long pink curved beak, red hued face and a bald forehead with a dash of feathers, is critically endangered. There are only about 250 of these birds in the wild, their natural habitats being the cliffs and coastlines of Morocco, Turkey and Syria.
They may be more familiar to you from ancient history as the bird was known in ancient Egypt as the crested ibis and appears on Egyptian hieroglyphs and tomb art.
This penguin is one of a family of Humboldt penguins whose natural habitat is South America. The penguin's plumage is black with flecks of white, the bird's chest white with a band of darker plumage. Patches of black surrounds the penguin's dark eyes and a patch of pink flesh at the base of the bird's beak. As penguins cannot fly their wings have evolved as flippers for swimming.

Waldrapp ibis Black Feathered Bird Mousepad by DigitalDreambuilder

Cute Black and White Humboldt Penguin Bag by DigitalDreambuilder

Birds on Zazzle

2011-02-23T13:22:00.000+01:00

There are some great photographers on Zazzle, and as a taster, I've asked a few people to contribute some birds. In a future post, I shall go into more detail as birds are some of my favourite animals - and some of the hardest to photograph! Many of these are available on other products too.

First up are some black swans (Cygnus atratus) which originated in Australia but are now fairly widespread, and a mallard duck doing some yoga exercises (or it could be just stretching a leg!)

Black swans by hildurbjorg

Yoga duck postage stamp by hildurbjorg

From Bebops: This poster features two migrating Canada Geese sitting on a log in a shallow pond. Their brown, black and white markings are reflected in the water. The water ripples create a fascinating vertical pattern of reflected tree trunks. I have digitally enhanced my original photograph to create a watercolor effect. The second poster features a pair of house finches perched on a branch. The male has red plumage on his head and breast. The female is tan and brown with stripes. They stand out beautifully against the luminous green background. These belong to the American rosefinch family.

Canada Geese by Bebops

Lovebirds by Bebops

The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a native of the American tropics, and Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) A north American woodpecker.

Parrot Mousepad by ValeriesGallery

King of the World Magnet by ValeriesGallery

Sparrows sitting on a white picket fence, and an American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

White Picket Fence 2 by animotaxis

Ibis by animotaxis

A delightful tie with a pattern of flying egrets and some cut out Canada geese swimming around a mug.

Flying Egret 1 Tie by mikes_photo_designs

Geese swim around your Mug by mikes_photo_designs

This postcard features an original photo of a vibrant Red-Bellied Woodpecker rests in the dappled shade of a Peach tree. The poster is of a beautiful Little Blue Heron, searching for his dinner in a pond, surrounded by water Iris foliage.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker Post Card by debinSC

Little Blue Heron Poster Print by debinSC

Seagulls never miss the opportunity for a free lunch, and here one is homing in on some food being held out for it.
The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and a long pointed red bill. The two subspecies, which differ slightly in size, breed in the warmer parts of Europe (north to Estonia), northwestern Africa, southwestern Asia (east to southern Kazakhstan), and southern Africa. This stork is a strong migrant, wintering in tropical sub-Saharan Africa as far as southern South Africa, and also on the Indian subcontinent.

Sea gull - ever dreamed of flying? by Cammily

White Stork Mousepad by aapshop

A Steller's Jay and some baby robins - I'm not sure which but I would imagine they are American Robins.

Steller's Jay Postcard by mlewallpapers

Robin Babies Print by mlewallpapers

From bkmuir, a peregrine falcon and a tern in flight.

Hoodie - Bird of prey by bkmuir

Keychain - Tern in flight by bkmuir

An interesting mandala pattern made from seagulls, and a colourful southeast Asian bird, the Nicobar pigeon, the only remaining member of it's genus Caloenas.

Sea Gull Bird Mandala by Digital_Mandalas

Nicobar Pigeon Bird Photo Print by RossiCards

The feral pigeon is often given bad press as a pest but has some pretty colours in it's plumage, and a Canada goose posing at the water's edge.

Pigeon by seashell2

Goose by seashell2

What bird blog would be without some cute ducklings - they must be amongst the prettiest of baby birds. The second photo is an injured owl recovering in a sanctuary.

Spring Duckies by RedneckHillbillies

Owl with Prey by RedneckHillbillies

Native to Texas, a photo showing a screech owl in it's grey phase, and a mousepad with photo of a Roseate Spoonbill which is a wading/shore bird also found in Texas.

Screech Owl keychain by VisualJourney

Roseate Spoonbill mousepad by VisualJourney

More draft horses

2010-09-14T20:31:00.006+02:00

Following on from my last draft horse post, this is another photograph taken at the cheval de trait, or heavy horse, show in Cressat, France. This was just one of those moments that you hope to capture - a foal with it's eyes closed, with a thoroughly fed-up expression, resting it's chin on the back of another foal as if to say "Can we go home now?". There were some horses and people in the background, so there was a lot of work in Photoshop to remove them.

A hard day at the show by ruralfrance

I also took a photo recently of my own Welsh section D mare, Vaynor Bay Lynn, as she was standing in the entrance to her barn, basking in the sunlight. She's about twenty three now, but wearing very well!

Welsh section D cob mare print by ruralfrance

Lastly, I made a collage of the draft horses for a poster, a binder, and the front of this calendar among other items. Bay Lynn appears as December's pin-up, as well as a close-up of our other section D, Trehewyd Sulwen.

Horses 2011 calendar by ruralfrance

For those not familiar with registered Welsh, there are four sections, A-D, A being the smallest ponies, and D a more chunky pony or horse, good for riding and in harness. They are built like a small draft horse and come from a very small bloodline in the Welsh mountains, which makes them very hardy.

These photos are available on a wide range of products, including mugs, mousepads and greetings cards. Every horse lover should have one!

More horses and ponies

2010-09-07T15:11:00.001+02:00

On the subject of horses and ponies, here are some photos from other Zazzlers. I love seeing other people's photos, and the different perspectives they come up with. All of these (including mine!) would make great gifts for horse lovers with Christmas not far away. Many images are available on different products, so be sure to check out each store by clicking on their names.

First, from Welshpixels in Wales UK, a portrait of a chestnut horse on a mug and a postcard of windswept Welsh pony on a cliff top in Wales. Welsh ponies are a hardy breed - we have two Welsh cobs, and when it's snowing, they would rather be outside than in their barn.

Horse Mug by Welshpixels

Welsh Pony by Welshpixels

From Blayzeink, a peaceful postcard of two horses grazing, with a white picket fence in the foreground, and from Naturesmiles, a sticker with a group of chestnut horses and a cute little skewbald foal.

Grazing Horses by BlayzeInk

BC- Horses group stickers by naturesmiles

Two lovely tranquil posters from Bebops, in autumn with colourful leaves and in winter with the light catching the bare trees, both with a horse in the foreground.

Autumn in the Horse's Orchard by Bebops

Horse in Winter by Bebops

From Galind in Poland, a different slant on horses - two posters showing a reenactment of the Polish cavalry. I love the action with the blurred moving horses' legs in the first one.

Charge! by galind

To the Front Poster by galind

Some more posters, from Hightonridley in the UK this time, a Dartmoor mare feeding her foal in the Devon moorlands, and a beautiful black and white print showing a close up of a Dartmoor pony with the wind blowing it's mane.

Pony Mare Feeding Foal poster prints / canvas by HightonRidley

Fine Art Pony Head and Mane poster print / canvas by HightonRidley

Tlcgraphix has these two atmospheric early morning photos, the first with the sunlight shining through a chestnut horse's mane and tail as it trots along a fence, and a portrait of a big grey horse against a misty background.

Sunkissed Jewel Poster Print by TLCGraphix

Who are you looking at? by TLCGraphix

Horses

2010-09-06T20:05:00.003+02:00

There just aren't enough hours in the day. No sooner had I come back from holiday, but there were various local agricultural shows to go to. So, not having sorted through all the holiday shots, now I have dozens of horses to sort through. One of my favourite animals as we have two of them (and no time to ride).
Digital cameras are great, but... Yes, you don't have the cost of film or the wait while sending them off to have them returned cut in the wrong places, or not fixed properly, or using dirty developer, or even someone else's film - yes all of those have happened to me! The downside is, that in one day I took 170 photos (of that about 10 are usable) - that's great, but they all have to be sorted and stored.
Anyway, we managed to combine a draft horse show with an agricultural show all in one day. I won't bore you with the tractors, but here are the horses:
These first two are Breton draft horses, a mare and a foal. They are nearly always chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. The breed originated in Brittany, but this show was in the centre of France. They are probably the most popular breed in France.

Breton draft horse mare print by ruralfrance

A Breton foal in France print by ruralfrance

The next two are Ardennes or Ardennais. They are generally roan in colour, or sometimes bay. The tail of the first one was plaited with yellow red and green braid, and had these flowers added - a nice touch! The second is a roan foal which was trotting to catch up with it's mother in the show ring.

Ardennes draft horse print by ruralfrance

An Ardennais draft horse foal print by ruralfrance

Lastly a Percheron, another French breed, colours ranging from light grey to black. I haven't got round to the Percheron foals yet.

Percheron draft horse print by ruralfrance

I have to admit that some of these are rather heavily photochopped. The trouble with shows is people - there always seems to be one in the background.

In the afternoon, there was a western riding competition at the other show, and I was rather pleased with this - having to shoot through barriers with a hand held zoom lens. This is apparently called calf cutting (no calves were cut in the taking of this photo), which means separating one calf from a group and trying to get it into a pen. Not many people managed it (two, I think). The rider is cropped out, to avoid the necessity for a model release, but I still think it captures the essence of the event.

Calf cutting in action by ruralfrance

I do remember someone saying once that photography is easier than art, but at least with art you don't have to worry about: focus, depth of field, shutter speed/movement, what's in the background (especially bright red beer tents!), or if the pose is right. If you draw or paint, you can have your subject in the pose you want, when and where you want. Hmmm, maybe I'll take up painting again :)

As a compromise, I've since made another print from that photo, and with various filters, made it look more like a watercolour sketch. I think it works better like this, but who knows - beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Calf cutting horse rider print by ruralfrance

Austria, Germany & Czech Republic

2010-08-27T21:51:00.004+02:00

Well, I've just come back from a super holiday touring Austria, Bavaria and the southern Czech Republic. The weather was terrible, but we managed a few sunny days, so time to post a few of my own photos. Even in the rain the mountains are beautiful, and I like the light just after the rain as the sun begins to appear. The first photo is just at that moment, when the cloud is lifting from the valley, and a ray of sunshine just catches the church spire. This is the Kaunertal valley (a tautology, as 'tal' is a valley), in the Tyrol, which runs southwards almost to the Italian border. It's a popular area for skiing, but then, so is most of Austria.

Kaunertal Austrian Tyrol by ruralfrance

Kaunertal before the sun, but with some lovely fluffy alpine cows.

alpine cows mousepad by ruralfrance

Several days later, and missing out Kitzbühl, which I haven't uploaded yet, we had the sunshine again. Up in the Salzburg area is equally stunning scenery - it's just a pity you can't print the sound of cow bells! This is Hochkönig, the highest peak in that area though the top of it is in the clouds.

Hochkönig titled poster by ruralfrance

Then we went on to Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic. This is a Unesco world heritage site and is probably the best known town next to Prague. I had been there once before but wanted to go back as I knew it was photogenic. Sadly the weather didn't agree, but we had a few sunny moments.

Cesky Krumlov old town postcard by ruralfrance

Leaving Český Krumlov, we passed through the Šumava National Park. The river Vltava which runs through Prague, has it's source in the Šumava, and here it is just beginning to form Lake Lipno, to the west of Český Krumlov.

Sumava national park by ruralfrance

After stopping at Linz overnight, we had an unplanned stop at Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany after the car broke down. Well worth a stop though. It's better known as a ski resort, but has a beautiful old town. More rain, but we managed to catch a few brief moments of evening sunshine.

Garmish Partenkirchen by ruralfrance

Garmisch-Partenkirchen at night postcard by ruralfrance

I've managed to make a calendar from the Český Krumlov photos, and another one will be on the way soon for Austria. Edit: 2012 version of this and other calendars available here.

Cesky Krumlov 2011 by ruralfrance

There, I bet that's the quickest trip you've ever had through anyone's holiday snaps!

National and State Park t-shirts

2010-08-05T18:08:00.005+02:00

Last but by no means least...
In spite of the name, this store is not just t-shirts but a whole range of gifts with superb photos. This is also just one of Teresa's stores, so well worth exploring through the links below. From Teresa:

I have been shooting all of my life - since I was about 10 - started with an old brownie. Over the last 10 years I have really pursued my passion for photography and have traveled alot to shoot. I love shooting landscapes esp. sunrise and sunsets. I started with a Nikon N40 and have worked my way up, I shoot with a Nikon D300 now. I had one class in college in the 80's but have learned the digital world by trial and error.

A few of my favorite shots. The first three were all shot with Nikons. When shooting sunsets/sunrises I bracket under exposing. The last shot was taken from the back of a motorcycle with a canon. I experimented alot with camera angles on this one as I couldn't really see through the viewfinder.

Key West Sunset by nationalpark_t_shirt	Ring Of Beara Ireland Canvas Print by nationalpark_t_shirt
Folly Beach, SC Sunrise by nationalpark_t_shirt	Riding 411 Ocoee by TLCGraphix

Quotation Corner

2010-08-04T17:56:00.004+02:00

These lovely photographs are examples from avisnoelledesigns new store Quotation Corner

I've been an amateur photographer for years now, self-taught...but I keep meaning to take some workshops...one day! I love capturing images from nature, seascapes, landscapes, flowers etc., but really I take pictures of just about anything that captures my eye...architecture, waterdrops on a leaf or flower, animals, whatever grabs my attention.
This is my new store, and I've been pairing images with quotes and it's hard to pick four faves, but here are four I like.

Butterfly and Flower by quotationcorner	Butterfly Blue-with quote by quotationcorner
Evening Shadows-Bible Quote by quotationcorner	A Sheltering Tree by quotationcorner

stdavid_2nd

2010-08-03T17:44:00.002+02:00

I'm an amateur photographer, and my store is my retirement project! At the moment I'm using a modest Kodak Z916, which nevertheless has a 10x zoom.

Here's four of my firm favourites

(1) Three flower vases (taken in France no less) which I've manipulated to resemble an impressionist painting. Looks stunning at A3 size:
(2) Stone faced. I zoomed in on a carved stone pediment on a church wall:
(3) Passion flower. Need I say more?
(4)These two doves sit together on the top of my pergola every morning and a watch them from my bedroom window. They seemed perfect for an anniversary card for heart shaped frame around them Again I zoomed in and I've cropped the photo too.

Three flower vases by stdavid_2nd	Stone faced by stdavid_2nd
Blue Passion Flower by stdavid_2nd	Anniversary doves by stdavid_2nd

Indolilly

2010-08-02T17:33:00.003+02:00

From Washington, USA, Shannon says:

Here are my four favorite photos I have taken. I use a Sony DSCS90 but am moving up to a Nikkon D3000 here pretty soon.

Black Feather Poster by indolilly	Green Flowers Magnet by indolilly
Belgian Shepherd Dog Greeting Card by indolilly	Pink Rose on Grill Mousepad by indolilly

Laly_sb

2010-08-01T17:26:00.004+02:00

Laura lives in Sibiu, Romania, and says:

Photography is just a hobby but I hope I will be able to purchase all the equipment I want very soon. For now, I use Nikon D5000 with a Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G lens. I have also used my friend's Nikon D60 for a year.

I love the "playing with water" poster - just the thing for a hot summer!

Autumn leaf mousepad by laly_sb	Meteora monastery postcard by laly_sb
Vintage flower poster by laly_sb	Playing with water poster by laly_sb

Daniele Luciani

2010-07-31T16:39:00.004+02:00

Daniele Luciani is an an Italian illustrator, cartoonist, photographer and multimedia designer working and living in Tuscany.

These pics have been taken with Canon Eos400D. I like to experiment, sometimes, with HDR.

Acropolis by Daniel_photo	Tellaro, Italy by Daniel_photo
Fosdinovo Castle, Italy by Daniel_photo

English Gardener

2010-07-30T16:29:00.003+02:00

English Gardener is an amateur photographer and gardener from just outside London, England. As the name suggests, their store is full of gorgeous floral photos with some landscapes and pondlife as well.

Clematis Bag by EnglishGardener	Pink Camellia with Raindrops Mug by EnglishGardener
Cherry Blossom Wedding Acceptance Card by EnglishGardener	Water Lilies Magnet by EnglishGardener

Country Corner

2010-07-29T15:53:00.002+02:00

This photographer has two stores, Country Corner and Redneck Hillbillies both full of country life themed items.

I'm an amateur hobby photographer from southern B.C. Canada. I live on just over two acres in an agricultural neighbourhood in the outskirts of a small city. I *LOVE* this lifestyle, so most of my photos are landscapes, animals and still lifes you'd find in such a setting.

I became moderately interested in photography with my first digital camera, and even more so two years ago when I upgraded to a Panasonic Lumix FZ-18 for our first real family vacation. I have taken thousands of photos since then and filled countless DVDs that I'll eventually have to sort through for the select few that make the cut! I chose zazzle as a way to earn money to support my hobby, and loved the straightforward and easy to use interface for both seller/designer and buyer.

It's difficult to choose a few to spotlight because only my favorite photos are uploaded to Zazzle so I'll choose a range of products instead.

BC Ground Squirrel by RedneckHillbillies	Australian Shepherd Dog Breeder Business Card by RedneckHillbillies
Sunset Story Bookmark by CountryCorner	Celebrate! 2 sided Invitation Template by CountryCorner

Jkcoder

2010-07-28T14:24:00.004+02:00

Jkcoder is a proseller on Zazzle with a large store containing everything from slogans & graphics to photography, on a wide range of products.

Long Haired Pet Cat by JKcoder	Pet Bird Watcha Doing by JKcoder
Red Hibiscus Flower by JKcoder	Marigold by JKcoder

Susan Adams

2010-07-27T14:00:00.002+02:00

Hi, I'm a semi-pro photographer from the Dallas area in Texas, USA. I've been shooting since 2001. Currently working with a Canon 1Ds Mark II. I also keep a Canon G9 on hand for macros and when I don't want to lug the 1Ds. I post on Smugmug and Zazzle. I reach more buyers here on Zazzle, but Smugmug is the best when I shoot a project for someone. Most of my work is outdoor, landscapes and animals.

Arch at Brimstone Hill Fortress by susanad813	Prarie Creek Falls by susanad813
North American River Otter Print by susanad813

Oregonphoto

2010-07-26T13:42:00.001+02:00

Greg Derksen is a photographer in Oregon. His store, Oregonphoto, contains photos of Oregon and Thailand. He joined Zazzle back in March, and also has another completely different store, salchipapas, mainly based around political designs and with an interesting range of skateboards.
He uses a point and shoot camera at the moment and is hoping to buy a dslr soon. The photos he has chosen are of Mt. Washington in Oregon, and three from Thailand.

Mt. Washington by oregonphoto	James Bond Island by oregonphoto
Buddha Head by oregonphoto	Stone Buddha by oregonphoto

DIGEPIX

2010-07-10T11:49:00.002+02:00

After a longer break this time (haymaking time!), the next featured photographer is DIGEPIX, a photographer with a sense of humour. He even has a photo of a unicorn in his store!

I created all my designs here on Zazzle from my own photographs. Zazzle was chosen because of all the product choices and no start up cost. My choice of camera at the moment, I would like to upgrade, is a Nikon D50. However the first 2 prints were taken with a Nikon 5700 point and shoot, The flower in third Nikon 5700 the women D50, and the squirrel skeleton was taken with a D50. Most of my photograghs are of Animals and Nature. I chose prints but most my designs are on t-shirts, mugs, and mousepads. The first is quite unusual to get a shot of a misquito sucking blood from the rim of a frog's eye. I used layering and a glass filter for the border and a magnifying glass effect to show better show the misquito. The second one was a runner up in a photo contest in my local paper. The third I used cloning to Layer the womens eyes, nose, lips, and tongue onto the Iris photo. The last one I just removed the squirrel skeleton from the background and added text.

In Your Eye! by DIGEPIX	Triple Play by DIGEPIX
Naughty Iris by DIGEPIX	Anorexic Squirrel by DIGEPIX

TheHopefulRomantic

2010-06-16T20:29:00.001+02:00

After a short break, the next featured photographer is TheHopefulRomantic, a talented photographer with a gothic style, resulting in some super moody images. She recently moved back to the States after living for some years in France

I now have a nikon so these pictures are ones I had taken while living in France years ago.
The first photo is a cathedral in France. I used a cheapie old pentax camera and used photofiltre to make changes on it. The second is a shot using the same old pentax of a cross in a cemetery in France. Third is a manipulated photo of a tombstone, using many programs such as gimp, photofiltre, photoscape....as I use more than 1 program usually when I am manipulating things. Fourth is a photo of a cemetery rose that I found broken off of a wreath in France, again using the old pentax camera.

dark church mousepad by TheHopefulRomantic	the dark cross postcard by TheHopefulRomantic
pretty purple tombstone custom keds mini slipons by TheHopefulRomantic	gothic rose by TheHopefulRomantic

Claire Shearer

2010-05-19T20:47:00.001+02:00

From Scotland, with unsurprisingly magnificent scenery and some stunning photos. I have to say that Claire is one of my favourite photographers. In her own words:

My store is Claire Shearer Photography, I got my Sony A300 SLR camera about 18 months ago and I absolutely love it. I love the extra creativity that an SLR enables. Slowly I've got more and more addicted to it and I always seem to be saving for my next piece of kit. I'm currently saving for a Sigma 10-20 wideangle lense as it woudl be ideal for landscape photography.

I'm from Scotland which is brilliant for landscape photography as the landscape can be dramatic up North. In May my boyfiend and I are off to the Isle of Skye for photography and walking! I've also been going to college one night a week for the last 20 weeks studying an advanced photography course. Once that course finishes I'm going to be studying Photoshop 1 night a week at art college after work!!

Scottish Seascape by claire_shearer	Pentland Hill View, Edinburgh by claire_shearer
The Falkirk Wheel Scotland - PRINT by claire_shearer	Elgol, Isle of Skye by claire_shearer

Sherry Ann

2010-05-19T20:36:00.002+02:00

Next up is Sherry Ann, who, though only beginning with photography, has some great shots. She says:

I am new to photography. I just recently found a love for it this past fall. My husband told me that I should try to sell my work and I have had many friends tell me that as well. So I searched the internet and a came across zazzle. I am hoping to one day be debt free and also make a little extra so that we can support more children through Children International.
Here are some links to some of my work.

Breath of Spring by Sherry92	Pretty Kitty by Sherry92
Concorde PointLighthouse by Sherry92	Cape Hatteras by Sherry92

JaciHarmsen

2010-05-04T17:31:00.000+02:00

The next featured photographer is from Colorado. I've only been there in the skiing season, but I've always imagined it must be beautiful there when spring comes.

I've been into photography since I was a teenager. I shot with a Minolta XG-1 back then. I made the switch to digital a couple of years ago with a Canon Rebel XTi. Most of my images are with my 55-250 IS, but some are from my 18-55 or 50 1.8. I mostly shoot animals & landscapes. I live in Colorado, so I have some beautiful scenery & a lot of wildlife to shoot. I sell some photos as microstock & found out about zazzle on one of their forums. I have a hard time picking my favorites. Ask me tomorrow and they may be different from today!
1. This Mt. Rushmore image is my most popular as stock & was my 1st two sales here also.
2. This amazing reflection was taken near my home.
3. Hallet's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.
4. I saw this beautiful mule deer while out hiking.

Mount Rushmore magnet by JaciHarmsen	Reflection mug by JaciHarmsen
Rocky Mountain mousepad by JaciHarmsen	Deer stamp by JaciHarmsen

Emily Hanson

2010-05-03T18:04:00.001+02:00

As well as her beautiful flower photos, this store is worth a visit for some stunning fractals.

I have a lot of photomanips in my store. I do much floral/nature photography in addition to my abstract art. I use Paint Shop Pro as well as Photoshop to do the manipulations. Once a week or so, I get some flowers from the grocery store to photograph and mess around with on the computer. For the average cost of around $5 (once in a while, I splurge and get the $8 bouquets), it is a fairly cheap hobby. (The fractal art I do is free, Apophysis is available for download at www.sourceforge.com. There are many scripts you can download for Apophysis online for free also.)

I live in Minnesota, so I have to wait a while for the natural flowers to spring up. But in the summer, I take my camera on walks.

Purple Daisy Greeting Card by emilymhanson	Gold Flower Card by emilymhanson
Romantic Card by emilymhanson	Spring is Here Greeting Card by emilymhanson

Shopaholicchick

2010-05-02T20:09:00.003+02:00

A well-known face on Zazzle, shopaholicchick has many stores featuring different themes, of which:

Chasing the Gnome is my photography store, with photographs taken on my many travels. There are photographs from across North America, as well as Europe & South Africa, some are already on the store others are waiting to be added. I have an addiction to photographing doors and windows and I love using naturally occurrences to frame my photographs, whether it is a window frame or a tree.
My shop name came to me just before I spent a semester abroad through my school, when preparing to go my professor and I were talking and somehow it was decided I would keep a blog of my travels. After thinking for a bit about what I wanted to name my blog I looked over at a shelf and saw a little ceramic gnome my mother had brought me from her first trip to Germany, at just about the same time a traveling gnome commercial came on TV....and thus Chasing the Gnome was born. When I let my professor know the blog url she began to laugh and told me about her first trip to Germany's Black Forrest region, she had been with a group of people and she wandered off a few yards into the woods when she came to a clearing. Sitting on a little rock or stump in the clearing was a little man smoking a pipe, and she stood there she heard what she thought was her name from behind, and she turned to see who was calling her there was no where there, of course when she turned back around her little gnome was gone...so of course after that story I knew the blog & photography store name was meant to be!

Lovers Roses by chasingthegnome	Hanging Rock by chasingthegnome
Beach Boulders by chasingthegnome	Pink & White Flowers by chasingthegnome

Gkrew Productions

2010-04-29T08:06:00.001+02:00

As well as the favourite photos he has chosen below, gkrew1's store has some lovely floral images. In his own words:

I am the owner of Gkrew Productions based in Columbia, Maryland. I am originally from Guyana, South America. I am an amateur photographer and for my pictures I use Olympus and Nikon Cameras. My subjects come from locations in the US and Bahamas and Jamaica. I like flowers and landscapes and people. I got started on Zazzle when I discovered it through searching and I immediately started with T-shirts and stamps. I then added other products. I have used PhotoShop and GIMP to edit my photos.

For Anyone Greeting Card - Blank Inside by gkrew1	Thanksgiving Greeting Card by gkrew1
Wet Grass by gkrew1	Negril, Jamaica by gkrew1

Rebecca Britain

2010-04-28T08:56:00.003+02:00

Today's featured photographer, Rebecca, lives in Clearwater, Florida, specializing in pet photography, but also shoots around her area at the parks, beaches, and backyard for fun.

I use a Nikon D90, but some of the images are also from my D50. I do use some Photoshop in my work, I love being able to manipulate my images, as I did in the Red Ford Antique Truck below (a little posterization).

I found Zazzle after switching from another POD, and love it here! I also am a turtle person, alot of my store is turtle, tortoise and Florida wildlife related stuff. My contact info is on the front page.

Vintage Ford Truck by RebeccaBrittain	Bass Player Poster by RebeccaBrittain
Sulcata Tortoise Print by RebeccaBrittain	Don't have a nice day! by RebeccaBrittain

tompurse

2010-04-21T20:04:00.001+02:00

Tom is a freelance photographer located in Washington between the Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges. His main interests in photography are landscapes and waterfalls, though he does occasionally go to Oregon to shoot the coast. His store is well worth a visit to see his beautiful landscapes, some in HDR.

Presently I shoot with a Pentax K200D. I only use two lenses for shooting, a 18-55 and a 75-300. My first camera was a Brownie Starflex, then I owned several Polaroids, a Pentax K1000 and a Chinon CP-7M. I switched to digital about 3 years ago. I very seldom do any editing to any of my photos. I spend a lot of time setting up and looking at my projected image before I take a shot. I am an avid hiker and spend as much of my summer months as possible hiking trails around Washington.

I've done studio portraits and boudoir photography but nature is where I like to spend my time. I will be returning to working with people in May with my first shoot with a professional model. Our planned shoot is a female gunslinger/shotgun wedding theme. Luckily the model I'll be working with will be 4 months pregnant next month, perfect for our shoot.

I was introduced to Zazzle by a friend who told me I should have my own line of greeting cards and postcards.

Walla - This was one of my first attempts using Photoshop. The image is made up of 4 different photos all taken on the same night.

Mount Rainier by tompurse	Bald Eagle poster by tompurse
The Walla Walla by tompurse	Mt. Shuksan by tompurse

mikes_photo_designs

2010-04-21T18:44:00.003+02:00

The next accomplished photographer featured here is Mike, based in Mountain View CA, who says about himself:

I'm a dedicated amateur photographer, and when a friend showed me her Zazzle store I jumped on the opportunity to showcase some of my photos and maybe bring in a few bucks.

Everything in my store was taken with my trusty Canon 40D. I use a cheap 18-55 mm lens for landscapes, and a massive 100-400 mm lens for birds.

I bought myself a nice P&S about 3 years ago, caught the photo bug, and now I'm hooked.

Most of the photos I use in my designs are of birds, landscapes, or objects. I have a few model shots, and I may get around to using some of them later.

I describe some of my techniques and photo interests in my blog:

The four items he has chosen as favourites are below. The geese swimming around a mug is a great idea and would make a lovely gift.

Geese swim around your Mug by mikes_photo_designs	Foggy Day 9 Print by mikes_photo_designs
Bridge House Postcard by mikes_photo_designs	Greek Vases Mousepad by mikes_photo_designs

deemac1

2010-04-17T17:56:00.001+02:00

Deemac1 lives in Indiana, and has a huge store at Zazzle that is well worth a visit. Her infrared photos are lovely, they look like frost covered landscapes, and in fact, she has some as Christmas cards.

I got hooked on photography in the late 90's when someone gave me an all manual camera (I mean ALL manual). I've progressed to digital fortunately because I can't see well enough for good manual focus. It's my hobby and my passion.

This is 2 photo's combined. The butterfly was taken in September of 2000 with my first digital camera an Olympus 2100. The cat was taken last week with my carry around Sony.

This sunset was taken in August of 2002, again with the Olympus (I loved that camera but only 2mp) and the crosses were sweatingly drawn by me.....even something that simple being difficult for the non artistic
I love infrared and had my old Panasonic FZ30 converted. I don't think I've ever sold any of my infrared products but I still put one up occasionally.
I have a friend with 4 dogs that she is awesome at getting to pose. This is one of my favorites of one of them. This is with my current Canon digital Rebel. I have the 2nd and 3rd models, the 1st I gave to my sister in law.

Cat curiosity by deemac1	Easter Risen by deemac1
Infrared Park Bench by deemac1	Poodle baby buggy by deemac1

Fallen_Angel_483

2010-04-16T20:45:00.003+02:00

From London in the UK this time, Fallen_Angel_483's store is called Natural Beauty - for reasons that will become obvious:

I am an amateur photographer using an Olympus SP570UZ camera. I have had the camera about 18 months and found zazzle by accident. I’m not an artist so most of my products are either photos I have taken or ones I have taken then manipulated. I love to snap plants and animals. I especially love using the super macro mode on my camera to get really detailed shots. Here are my 4 favourites:
Passionflower - No skill involved here at all, just a great camera and some luck.
Grass - I took a macro shot of a flowering piece of wild grass then used a filter on a graphics programme to artificially alter the color.
Young rat - I know people hate them but I spent months getting to know a group of wild rats so I could get some good photos and I think it was time well spent.
Collared dove - I liked the way the sunlight came out in this one.

Passion Flower Macro Print by Fallen_Angel_483	Wild Grass Explosion Greeting Card by Fallen_Angel_483
Young Wild Rat Print by Fallen_Angel_483	Collared Dove Postcard by Fallen_Angel_483

animotaxis

2010-04-16T20:26:00.002+02:00

From Ontario, Canada, Zazzler animotaxis also shoots stock photography.

I'm a retired free-lance photographer/graphic artist. Now that I'm retired I shoot for the micro-stock business, exclusively for http://www.canstockphoto.com/animotaxis

I use a nikon coolpix P5000 and found zazzle by following other artists to this site.

My wondering, wandering eye finds pleasure in light patterns, designs and contrast that I find in unexpected places. I don't choose my subjects, they choose me.

These are animotaxis' four favourites. I love the binder's 3d effect!

White Picket Fence 1 by animotaxis	Season's Change by animotaxis
Morning Sun 5 by animotaxis	Red by animotaxis

Imagia77

2010-04-14T18:31:00.001+02:00

Imagia77 (Dragonfly Designs) has been with Zazzle for over a year, and has plenty of variety in her store. In her own words:

I shoot with a Canon Rebel XT. I shoot whatever strikes my fancy, especially when I'm out with my kids. I shoot everything from flowers to sunsets to animals. I chose zazzle because I had shopped here before a LOOOOONG time ago and I liked the idea of being able to showcase my photography and possibly make a bit of spending money while doing it. I'm from Central Illinois and I started photography as a hobby a few years ago. I love art in it's many forms and I wanted to be able to better capture my children and the love just grew from there.

flower mug by imagia77	tiger poster by imagia77
baby feet magnet by imagia77	Pontiac, Illinois by imagia77

MaterialTattoos

2010-04-13T16:12:00.002+02:00

Dave is (like me) a relative newcomer to Zazzle. I particularly like the swirled kitchen tool on the business card, which looks like a bird! His store is called MaterialTattoos

I stumbled upon Zazzle in January, spent time looking things over, and realized that I could use my photography here (which is a good thing, as I am not an Artist with a pen or brush, but, with a camera.) I use an Olympus Fe46 12 MP camera that has many features that I have as yet to touch. Macro is super!

Most of the items in my shop are done with Photography, some have been manipulated in various ways. Obviously, I like animals (mostly cats & dogs), landscapes,and various textures, and still lifes.

Tabby Queen Apron by MaterialTattoos	Custom Cooking Designs by MaterialTattoos
Natalie Mug by MaterialTattoos	KnotWoodRed by MaterialTattoos

MleWallpapers

2010-04-12T19:22:00.000+02:00

Emily of mlewallpapers has a large collection of floral, nature and landscape photos for sale on products at Zazzle.

I love photography and have been doing it as a hobby for as long as I know. I have a Panasonic DMC-ZS3 Lumix camera - a medium to high end point and shoot. I know, it's not a DSLR but I like to be in the moment and have something I can fit in my pocket. The slogan on my website is "capturing beauty in pixels". My philosophy is that I try to capture what's out there in nature with minimal retouching. My photography ranges from exotic places like Saint Lucia, to America's National Parks like Yosemite to my back yard.

Here are a few of her favorite designs, a sample from four different categories:

Bright Red Rose Card by mlewallpapers	Yosemite Falls III Print by mlewallpapers
Sunset Through Palm Fronds Card by mlewallpapers	Butterfly on Jasmine Stamp by mlewallpapers

Elizdesigns, Wisconsin

2010-04-10T17:38:00.000+02:00

Elizdesigns is a ProSeller on Zazzle, and it's easy to see why. As well as being a skilled photographer, she is also a graphic designer.

I have had a camera in my hand since I was a teenager. I see art through the camera lens and sometimes like to enhance or manipulate the photo to create nice effects for cards, invitations, postage stamps and many other products. Originally from Virginia and now living in Wisconsin, I find varying amounts of subjects to photograph. I mainly love to photograph flowers and nature.

I can't even tell you my first camera ... a cheap point and shoot. Then I went to a Canon SLR with several nice lenses. Now I have two main cameras, one of which is a slick little Canon PowerShot SD1000 - 7.1 MP which can be carried in your pocket. My larger camera is older, but a Minolta Dimage Z1 which takes pretty good photos. I am waiting for some $$ to be able to purchase a DSLR. I really miss the SLR.

I chose Zazzle after watching the evening newscast and talked about 'work-at-home' jobs and Zazzle was one featured. I immediately checked it out and have been at home ever since. Being both a photographer and a graphic designer, this has been such a great fit.

Purple Striped Iris Mousepad by elizdesigns	You're Invited Orange Flower Card by elizdesigns
Wedding Save the Date Iris Postcard by elizdesigns	Save the Date Blue Iris 5x5 by elizdesigns

Bebop's Place

2010-04-09T16:51:00.002+02:00

Back to the USA, Bebop lives in rural upstate New York, her choice of images below shows you don't have to have a dslr to take good photos:

I have recently re-discovered my old love of photography. I used to use a Pentax K1000 SLR. This time around, though, I have gone digital and I use my trusty Canon PowerShot S3IS. I enjoy the post-processing in Photoshop Elements as much as the actual shooting, probably because I used to spend a lot of time in the darkroom.

"Farmer at Sunset" is one I took a while ago with the SLR. I scanned it and then applied a filter (I think it was the Poster Edges filter). The next three were all taken with the S3IS.
"Lilies, Irises and Grapes" was an arranged still life. I darkened the background in Photoshop.
I took the photo of a male cardinal in a snow storm through my back window.
Before the first hard frost, I cut an armload of dahlias from my flower garden and took their portrait using the S3IS.

There are some lovely posters in her store, as well as all sorts of other gift items.

Farmer at Sunset by Bebops	Lilies, irises and grapes by Bebops
Cardinal in the snow by Bebops	Profusion of Dahlias by Bebops

Horse Portrait

2010-04-08T20:56:00.004+02:00

Time out from promoting other photographers for a minute, I was pleased with the results from my latest. This is a portrait of my own Welsh Section D mare, Vaynor Bay Lynne. I was trying to do a cutout from the portrait, but with so many hairs in her mane and black in the grass background, it was difficult. The idea was to make the original black enough to make selection of the outline easy. I can't remember exactly what I did now, but I converted it to CMYK (so I could play with the black channel), adjusted levels, played with channels and posterization, replaced colours, filled in and deleted some bits by hand. Somewhere along the way I decided that the result was better than the original, or at least, more useful for t-shirts etc.
Before and after:

Welsh Section D poster or print by ruralfrance

Vaynor Bay Lynne print by ruralfrance

Vladimir Kiš

2010-04-07T09:32:00.003+02:00

Vladimir Kiš is a self-taught photographer. He graduated from Graphic Design High School in Belgrade, Serbia. He is also a cocktail master and is currently working on opening a bar and art hub. He worked professionally as a photographer for an international company, but he enjoys traveling and photographing scenes from life more. He owns a Nikon system for professional work, uses Canon for casual shoots, and works only with Macs. He co-owns VladimirVictoriaStudios with his wife, and has done commercial, fashion, and fine art photography projects. He dreams of collecting Leica cameras, traveling and taking photographs around the world, and is a passionate advocate of a sustainable redesign of our current culture.
Vladimir's store on Zazzle is called Antidote and as well as these photos, also contains some interesting "designs that promote eco-awareness and echo worldwide clamor for a sustainable lifestyle for all", as well as some fractal designs, among others.

Believing On a Blue Afternoon by vladimironline	Work by vladimironline
Forbidden Thoughts by vladimironline

The last image, 'Forbidden Thoughts', was a finalist and was featured in an exhibit hosted by VIPC (Venice, Italy).

PRPrints

2010-04-07T09:13:00.002+02:00

PR Prints offers unique and customizable gifts such as mugs, t-shirts, mousepads, magnets, shoes, and more. Photos are taken around the beautiful and rugged island of Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada.
PR Prints says:

I'm rarely found without my camera close by. I've always loved capturing the beauty around me, and I am lucky to live in a very scenic place - Newfoundland, Canada. My posted photographic products are from the past several years, and I have used a number of different cameras, but all were simple point-and-shoot versions.

I was actually looking for a place to buy custom bumper stickers for a gift when I discovered Zazzle, and I thought it would be a great place to sell some of my prints. Once I discovered all the other product options as well, I was hooked.

Mystical Cove Poster by PRPrints	Newfoundland Sunset Poster by PRPrints
Bird's Eye View of Cape St. Mary's by PRPrints	Iceberg Collage by PRPrints

The mug shows three shots of the same iceberg as a large chunk of it suddenly fell into the water.

Mainlymainephotos

2010-04-07T08:54:00.002+02:00

Another photographer from the other side of the pond, Fred Nolan's mainlymainephotos store is is full of scenery from Maine on postage stamps to t-shirts, and even skateboards. He says:

I've been doing photography off and on most of my life. I started with and old Brownie box camera made by Kodak in to 20s or 30s. I picked it up at a garage sale when I was a teenager. Moved up to various Polaroid cameras. Then bought a Minolta X7A 35mm SLR with 2 lenses through a mail order company. I used that for several years. My first digital was a Polaroid that photographed in 640x480 pixels. Then had a Panasonic FZ20 and am now a proud owner of an Olympus E500 DSLR. As my name implies most of my images are of Maine since I recently moved here. I have another shop with images from around the US. Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore and points in between.

Maine Sunrise by mainlymainephotos	What A View by mainlymainephotos
Maine Moose Yearling by mainlymainephotos	Bass Harbor Lighthouse by mainlymainephotos

ArtformTheHeart - Photographer and artist

2010-04-02T11:56:00.003+02:00

ArtformTheHeart says:

I am an amateur photographer from Scotland, though in the last few years I have also spent a lot of time in the USA. My camera is a simple P&S Samsung S1050 (I don't consider myself good enough yet to invest in a DSLR). I chose zazzle because it gives me the opportunity to showcase both my photography and artwork, and to potentially make a profit from it.

That Friday feeling

It was cold and raining outside and I was looking for indoor projects to photograph when I remembered about my little wooden mannequin.

Ghostly

This was another rainy day project. It's a composite of a cropped shot of Lennox Castle (now abandoned) and an angel gravestone from the Kirk O' Shots. It was just a bit of fun and to see if I could create a semi-realistic ghost photo.

That Friday feeling !!!! by ArtformTheHeart

ghostly
by ArtformTheHeart

I find inspiration everywhere and as a result my work is very varied; from semi-nude pencil drawings and paintings, to funny digital art and photographs, to landscapes, abstract and pop art.

Veroshi's shop

2010-04-02T11:12:00.001+02:00

In expanding this blog, I've asked other Zazzlers to pick 4 favourite photos from their online stores. Heidi (store name Veroshi) is an IT technician in Illinois, USA who decided to try Zazzle after a friend told her about it. She says she takes photos because she can't draw, which is probably my reason as well! Her store, though not very large yet, has some cute pictures of kittens and an interesting view of a bridge in New York

Is It A Ghost? Keychain by Veroshi	Cheetah card by Veroshi
Garden stamps by Veroshi	Two Giraffes Buttons by Veroshi

Featured photographer - Tennessee Backroads Photography

2010-03-31T04:01:00.004+02:00

This weeks photographer is from Tennessee on the other side of the pond. Tnbackroads love for the Great Smoky Mountains, wildlife and Tennessee Backroads inspired the products you will find in their gallery. You will find lots of "Smokie" products along with backroads wildflowers, exotic animals and all-occasion and inspirational greeting cards. Below is just a small sample of this beautiful work, I especially like the calendar format portfolio of selected views of this breathtaking scenery and wildlife, including some great shots of bears.

Buck in Velvet by tnbackroads	Cade's Cove by tnbackroads
Pink Lady's-Slipper by tnbackroads	Smoky Mountain Photo Portfolio by tnbackroads

Back to photography - The beauty of Wales

2010-03-20T12:04:00.003+01:00

Welshpixels is a very accomplished photographer in Wales. She has three Zazzle stores for flowers, wildlife and landscapes. All three stores are well worth a visit, with far more photographs than I can show here, which makes it very hard to choose which to show. Especially worth a look at are her stunning photos of the curious Puffins, and the beautiful Red Kite. These photos are available on a wide range of items, as well as prints - all perfect gifts for nature lovers.

Welsh Water Print by Landscapepixels	Anemone Card by Flowerpixels
Stretching Kingfisher Card by Welshpixels	Clean Swan by Welshpixels

Real Watercolours

2010-03-15T10:10:00.005+01:00

Having shown some of my digital watercolours, I thought I should show some real ones as well, so I'm featuring here one of my favourite watercolour artists on Zazzle. As you can see, she paints a wide variety of subjects - animals, flowers, landscapes, still life. As with everything on this blog, these images are copyrighted by the artist.

Michele Webber is a Watercolour artist in England, exhibiting in local shows and galleries. She teaches a variety of classes and courses, mainly in drawing and watercolour painting. She also has private students who go to her for one to one study.
As well as her products shown below, more of her work is showcased and available for sale as prints at www.michelewebber.com where you will also find some great tips on how to start watercolour painting yourself.

'ProudCockerel' (rooster) greetings card by michelewebber	Shells And Pebbles postcard by michelewebber
'Sunset over the Water Meadows' fine art print by michelewebber	'White Amarylis' fine art print by michelewebber

Digital watercolours

2010-03-14T15:41:00.004+01:00

Although I've painted in the past (I even got an 'A' level!), I've never had the time, and probably not the ability either, to paint with watercolours - I used to use gouache. The basic watercolour filter in Photoshop gives me the chance to get close to a painted look that I would have liked to achieve. It takes a bit of experimentation, and not all photos are suitable, but it does enable you to crop out an interesting part of a photo that would otherwise be too small to use and improve the composition at the same time. For example, the grebe birthday card is a crop from the photo that I copied and posted earlier. You still have to know about pixels though, otherwise it's very easy to end up with jagged lines. The rest of my "watercolour" range on cards, mousemats and prints can be seen here. Perhaps true watercolour artists would not agree (and I do envy them their talent), but I'm quite pleased with the effect!

Petunias birthday card by ruralfrance	Shabby French House mousemat by ruralfrance	Grebe chick birthday card by ruralfrance
Sunlit beer in France birthday card by ruralfrance	Mute swan with watercolour effect by ruralfrance	White wisteria notecard by ruralfrance

It's quite difficult to see the effect in the small images, so this is a crop from a section of the French house photo.

Copying transparencies update

2010-03-04T20:44:00.007+01:00

These are some of the transparencies I've copied in this way. It's great to be able to give them a new lease of life!

Great crested grebe postcard by ruralfrance	Pre '65 scrambler postcard by ruralfrance	Cayman crocodile poster by ruralfrance
Grand Union Canal England postcard by ruralfrance	Venice gondola horse ornament postcard by ruralfrance	Wild Iris print by ruralfrance

The irises print was a very grainy original, so I gave it a watercolour effect. I'm pleased with the results though, especially with the crocodile, which was the first print I ever sold, many years ago.

Copying transparencies without a duplicator

2010-03-02T21:23:00.002+01:00

Copying transparencies isn't that hard providing you have a good macro lens! The ready made slide duplicators generally aren't as good quality as a good lens (I had one once). Providing you have the macro lens, it's easy! First of all, you need to measure the distance from your lens to the slide, when the image covers the maximum area in focus - with my Tamron SP90, it's about 8 inches. Then you need a cardboard tube (to cut out the light) roughly that length but must be cut square at each end. Tape one end onto your lens casing (hopefully it should fit just inside the lens casing but without touching the glass - that helps to keep it straight). Find an old slide mount, line it up and tape it onto the other end, that makes it easy to line up each slide and tape them onto it.

With my SP90, I have no auto exposure, but in sunlight, f11 and bracket between 1/10 and 1/120 second depending on density - you don't have to worry about camera shake as your 'tube' is tightly taped rigid. Focus by aiming near the sun - you get a clear view of the grain to focus on, then aim at a white surface away from the sun to expose the shots. It sounds like a total cheap bodge, but it's far better quality than any slide duplicators I've used.
The advantage of bracketing is that you can combine under and over exposed images to compensate for over contrasty slides. Here is one I've just done!

Enduro rider birthday card by ruralfrance

The Creuse - where we are

2010-02-25T18:32:00.003+01:00

Creuse is one of the most central and rural departments in France, one of the three departments of the Limousin region of which the capital is Limoges. It's situated on the edge of the ancient volcanic region of the Massif Central, bordered on the west by the lower lying Haute Vienne department, and on the east by the generally higher altitude Auvergne region.

Extinct volcanos viewed from
Puy de Dôme, Auvergne

Limousin cows in the Creuse

Creuse landscape with horse

It's a very wooded (mainly deciduous), hilly area, with a large amount of granite rock, hot summers and cold winters - rather reminiscent of Wales except for the heat. It can get up to about 38°C in summer and down to –20C or less in winter, with quite a large amount of rainfall and small lakes around every corner (it's not called "vert et bleu" – green and blue, for nothing!). The Creuse is the first patch of high land you reach coming from the centre-west coast, and here, we're about the same height as the high points of the Peak District in England, at 600m.
Being very rocky, there is not much arable land, most is used for cattle or forestry. The Creuse river, among others, is used for generating hydroelectric power. This small stream was the producer of the first electricity in France, for the town of Bourganeuf.

Rocky stream notelet

More images from the Creuse

Goats, horses and chickens

2010-02-25T11:15:00.008+01:00

We moved to France from the UK with the idea of running a smallholding. While that didn't quite work out, we do have two goats, two Welsh section D cobs, and some chickens. The goats are the most useful piece of land-clearing equipment we have. We also make our own hay with an old tractor.

The goats have their photos on a number of items - binders, business cards, greeting cards, t-shirts, aprons, all suitable for goat dairy farmers or goat enthusiasts.
The full range of goat photo products can be found here

We were a bit worried at first when buying a horned goat to live with our polled one, but our fears were unfounded, as the polled goat broke into the horned goat's isolation pen, and they've been living happily ever after since. The breed is French Alpine, and it's the most common goat to be found in this area.

The ponies are two registered Welsh section D cobs which we brought with us from England. Unfortunately we don't have time to ride them anymore, but they are good producers of manure for the garden. They get plenty of exercise going backwards and forwards to their furthest paddock, and have an open stone barn to shelter from the summer heat. They're unshod, and as the ground here is very hard in summer and full of granite, their hooves hardly need trimming at all. More photos of Vaynor Bay Lynne and Trehewyd Sulwen

As for the chickens, we are now down to two hens and a cockerel, but plan to replace those that have died of old age in the spring. We're going to go for Light Sussex breed point-of-lays, as they have proved to be the hardiest, best egg producers, and best mothers out of the mixture of breeds we started with. They also seem to have the most character. Photos of Boris and Chookles Boris is a crossbred rooster, and a handsome chap. I'm not sure if he's one of Chookles offspring, but she hatched him. Chickens do like to share their eggs around!

I hope you'll come back to visit my blog as I update it, in the meantime, you can see my complete range of photos and products to date at my ruralfrance shop.
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