Look Up Look down on Christmas Day

Hard to believe this is the last of my weekly look up and look down pair

with the angel on the top of my parents’ tree and the stockings waiting to be opened

A year ago when I was thinking about a weekly photo pair I thought that looking up and down would be interesting and a useful exercise in being more aware of all angles.  I do notice myself looking up and down more often and thinking about different angles for photos.

I was delighted when my initial post was met with enthusiasm and comments that others would join in and I’ve had great pleasure from the up and down posts I’ve seen from the other regulars and the occasional players.  Thank you one and all.

For next year I’ve decided to go for zoom in and zoom out and welcome others who want to play along too, either weekly or when the mood takes them.

I think with will be fun when the difference is a matter on moving the camera nearer / further away; or using zoom to full extent; or creating a zoom on the computer.  I’ve also been thinking about situations when I’d start with the zoom and then show context for contrast and other situations when I’d start with the big picture and then choose something to focus on.

I’ll be posting my first Zoom in Zoom out on Wednesday the 1st, and hope that some of you join in too

Look up Look down during a nice break

For my penultimate pair I’ve captured a lovely break in the middle of visits to the dressing-up, cake decoration and craft supply shops.

and rather surprised that it took me until week 51 to think of including a selfie in the up shot!  I have included hands, feet, shadows and reflections but never a real selfie. 

This cafe has great coffee and a nice busy buzz with people working on laptops and having work meetings, as well as reading and chatting.  I enjoy the stripped back architectural feel with bare concrete and bricks and re-used school tables and chairs  (for those of you with family in Edinburgh its the Brew Lab, near the uni)

and in other news – I posed earlier this year about applying to be a volunteer for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year and I just received my invitation to join the commonwealth association team which provides support and assistance to the team oraganisations – that’s all I know for now.  Orientation training is in March

Look where next?

Every Wednesday this year I’ve posted a pair of photos looking up and looking down.  I’ve enjoyed the weekly focus which has made me think differently about what I photograph.

I’ve enjoyed immensely seeing blogfriends join is with this accidental meme.

Only 2 more Wednesdays this year and Rinda asked if I had ideas for next year. 

Well yes I do.  I wanted to continue with a pair and an easy to remember, flexible approach.  I have 2 ideas

the 1st is to have a zoomed in shot and then to stand in the same place and remove the zoom to show the bigger picture

and provide some context to the image.  I think this would be easy and provide some interesting context

My 2nd idea is to take a photo and then turn right around and take a photo of what was behind you – again easy to do and it provides some interesting context

interesting how the colour changes just from turning around.

 

and in this case showing the less picturesque riverbank  which I rarely capture

The 2 ideas share an interest in providing context, so perhaps they would work together as alternate methods in one meme.

what do your think?  as ideas to use?  as pairs of photos to see weekly?

and I need a catchy name – any suggestions?  look around?  photo in place?  capture the context? 

Look Up Look Down at festive decor

I’m slowly decorating my house, taking a few bits out of the boxes each day and finding them a home.  Decorating in early December still feels a bit strange as always followed the 12 days of Christmas tradition when we were growing up which meant we decorated on the 24th and took it all down on the 6th. 

Looking up at some of the eclectic mix I’ve places on top of my display unit

and looking down at my reminder of Christmas in New Zealand – plastic pohutukawa – a native tree that is covered in fabulous red flowers in December

Look Up Look Down at the Winter Fayre

Edinburgh city puts on a good spread for the festive season with markets, food stalls and entertainment in several of the parks in the middle of town. 

This week I’m looking up at a new ride – which I won’t be going on – which rises people up high then twirls them around

and looking down at the Santa train, which is much more my speed !

Would you enjoy being twirled around up in the sky?

Look up Look down back home

An overnight flight home combined with losing 5 hours due to time zones leads to a fuzzy day.  I did have a short nap but then kept busy with tasks that do not involve a lot of acute brainpower – including a walk by the river and my weekly looking up and down

I was drawn to the happy yellow shades in both. 

Look up Look down at artistic beasties

On my wanders around Ottawa at the weekend I came across some great art – official and not

including this amazing sculpture of a spider (which I had seen when it was outside the Tate in London several years ago) and a some intriguing pavement art

Look Up Look Down in Ottawa

Due to jetlag and a 5 hour time difference between Ottawa and Edinburgh, I was out for a post-breakfast walk around town at a time I’m usually still in bed.

my hotel is right in the centre of town so my walk took be past 2 key landmarks – parliament and the canal

Look Up Look Down on Bonfire Night

Looking out across the city from my parent’s 5th floor flat we could see plenty of fireworks and 5 bonfires along the beach.  Hard to photograph but I think these give a feeling of the spectacle

Look up Look down in Leith

Since the release of the movie using Proclaimers songs, in particularly sunshine on Leith, I’ve been thinking I should visit Leith (a district of Edinburgh) for some photos.  However not much sunshine around at the moment so my up and down show the lovely mix of old and new architecture and the beauty of the river – but no sunshine

Look up Look down when the rain stops

After hours and hours of rain the black clouds cleared and sunshine was even seen

so I put on my lovely red wellies and headed off for a walk and the compulsory boots by puddle picture – and was surprised to see my reflection in the puddle too.

Have you had the opportunity to splash in puddles recently?

Look up Look down by the sea

On Monday I took advantage of some sunshine for a walk by the sea.  It was breezy but having lived for 5 years in the very windy Wellington (NZ) that doesn’t bother me.  What did surprise me was the noise.  Looking down onto the sand I saw lots of oyster catchers busily scurryign around for food and warning off any other birds that came near. 

overhead the gulls were screaming in their unique way.  Add the chattering of big groups of starlings, ten honking of geese and the squawks of crows and the noise was getting pretty loud.

Then in the background I could hear school rugby as I walked past the playing fields and the echo of race commentary coming from the race course on the other side of town. 

A lovely walk but not the peaceful idyll I had imagined when I set out. 

Look Up Look Down at the rules

A spot of recording the everyday for my pair this week (rather than lovely images).  On my regular walk by the river I pass a number of official notices spelling out things that are not to be done while out walking

- not that I’m tempted to do do either as I don’t have a dog and don’t go fishing. 

Look Up Look Down at the firestation

It was Doors Open Day at the weekend and another invitation to nosey around buildings we don’t usually visit.

We chose

* the food depot of a charity which collects food from supermarkets that would other wise go to landfill and then distribute them to soup kitchens and hostels – very interesting to see what they do, what they are given and how efficiently they are organised

* a printmaking workshop where locals can print lithographs and screen prints – lots of creative energy

* neighbouring flats with different attic conversions – always interested in how people remodel their living space

* newly opened centre for carbon innovation – mostly they were describing the building remodelling rather than their eco work

and the firefighter museum with fire engines from the 1840s through to 1980s – lots of gleaming brass, shiny red, ladders and noisy bells being rung.  And some hats to try – I, of course, was drawn to the firechief hat

and had plenty of choice for up and down photos

Look Up Look Down at dinner

Food is always a focus for me when I travel as I love to sample local flavours and there were plenty of opportunities when I was in Bangkok last week.  I’ll have a post all about the food walking tour I did on Sunday but for now a taster looking up at the fabulous name of the restaurant and down at a delicious bowl of Tom Yum

Scavenger Hunt 2013 Finale

Rinda’s Scavenger Hunt has become a very welcome staple of my summer – both finding items and watching as blogfriends hunt too.

This year, for the first time, I found all items plus both of the substitute items.  My last was the plane because I flew on the 16th so knew that this would squeeze into the timeframe.  This year there were not any items that I was wracking my brain to find and I did find the three which needed a vigilant eye – funny notice, cloud and something out of place.

I’ve recorded them all on two project life (digital) pages

Thanks to Rinda for another fun challenge and now off to see how everyone else has done – one thing I really enjoy is seeing the wide range of photos for the same item.

Look up look down on the move

My 1st post created entirely using my tablet. (which is why you may have seen this post pop up on 
Monday)

Some typical sights at an airport looking up at the departures board

and down at luggage being loaded

and yes I also captured a plane for summer scavenger hunt - although that is not the reason 
I am embarking on a 17 hour journey  (much as 
I love the hunt and want to get all items that would be taking the hunt to extremes)

Look up Look down while tidying the garden

I’ve been busy digging up weeds and grass that has strayed off the lawn and pruning off dead flowers. I have aches in muscles I didn't even know I had!!

unusually the same item appears in both images – my gardening gloves

Look Up Look Down at seasonal change

signs of the changing season all around

– getting dark earlier

- children in school uniform walking past my window

- fallen leaves over the grass

- start of the big reality TV contests that peak near Christmas

- changing plumage on black headed gulls and some other birds

clusters of seeds on trees

and

picking apples from the tree in my garden – planted 3 years ago when I moved

Look Up Look down at the train station

I’ve always loved the structures of the old British railway stations with their grids of painted metal and glass across vast areas.  So when a train pulled up at the opposite platform while I was waiting for my late train I knew I had a good pair for my up and down this week

I enjoy that this week I have a strong structural pair as well as capturing a moment of my week.  The train eventually arrived 20 minutes late but at the third stop they announced the train was stopping here and we all had to crowd onto another train and then change again to reach our eventual destination (on time !).