Composing the world through a lens

So the time has come, you've seen the view, person, building, skyline whatever it is you want to take a picture of. you lift your camera to your eye, frame the picture and click. There you have it, or have you. You get home, hook up the camera to your PC, the image comes on screen and..... Disappointment. What went wrong, it looked fine through the naked eye, it looked fine through the view finder. So what went wrong. 

This is a question that all photographers have asked them selves at one point or another. What does go wrong. 

I wish I could tell you but I'm still trying to work it out. 

Is it the lens, the light, the camera or am I just rubbish at photography. I refuse to accept the last option so it must be one of the first three. After all I do get compliments from time to time on my photography. I've even patted myself on the back on occasion and while these moments are getting more frequent with practice I am still confronted by the above question over and over again. It looks good to me and yet my camera just doesn't get it. 

Of course at the start it didn't help that I photographed anything and everything instead of concentrating on a particular subject. Now, I am happy to say, I think I have found just what it is that truly interests me. Portraits. I find this to be far more rewarding than anything else. I still like shooting buildings and landscapes, sun sets and close ups (who doesn't) but its in the field of taking someone's portrait that I am truly getting satisfaction. Capturing the beauty of someone's smile, especially a child, is really rewarding. you can really feel the moment. 

But even with this there are times when I think I've got it and yet when the picture is on screen it just isn't the same. A lot can be done in Photoshop of course and a good lens does help. But, I am at the point of realisation that it actually is the fourth point and not the first three that is important. Practice makes perfect as they say and there is really no substitute for it. No matter how good you think you are, no matter how good the equipment is, confidence and equipment will only get you so far. Raw, naked skill is the essence of photography and this is achieved by one thing. Practice and focus on one given field. I need more weddings, christenings and just days out with people who don't mind me sticking my lens in their face from time to time. Luckily I have some friends like this but how do I get people to let me invade their weddings and other events when I'm not an established photographer. I guess I just have to volunteer my services for free and hope I get some takers. Not too many and not too soon I may hasten to add. Patience and time are of the essence, better to walk before I run and run slowly before I charge. Once I am capable of charging then maybe I can start charging, if you know what I mean.

This my good friends is my next challenge.

To finish off, a picture I shot while on holiday in Majorca of my wonderful wife.

Till next time....

The Voice has spoken

Down In The Park (Then the Pub)

So we thought we would make the most of last weekends warm weather by taking a drive out to a park with Kara. As always my trustee camera was in the bag. The park we chose to go to is down near Earlsfield, Garratt Park. It has a nice playing area for the kids and a good amount of greenery.

After the park we drove down to Abby Mills at Colliers Wood and had a drink in the William Morris by the river Wandle.

Till next time....

The voice has spoken

Nature By The City

The other week I had to look after my daughter for a week as the nursery was closed. We did many things through the week but the highlight was a trip to Mudshoot by Canary Wharf. She had a chance to feed some horses and see other animals such as pigs, sheep and chickens. While there she also tried out sitting on a WWII anti aircraft gun. Of course my trusted camera was by my side so check out the pics below.
As always comments are more than welcome, even bad ones :o)

If you ever get the chance I would recommend visiting as it is a great little place for children and only a short walk (or DLR ride) from a river boat stop so you could take a trip back into London up the Thames. We did and Kara loved it.

Till next time.....

The Voice has spoken.

Fun in the Sun at Wimbledon Park

Sunday we wanted to take Kara some place new and my lovely wife though of a paddling pool. So with the help of the all knowing Oracle that is Google we headed out to Wimbledon Park to see what it was like. To our great joy we found that the park was great and the paddling pool wasn't just any ordinary pool. With water jets galore it was a real treat for Kara, running over the water jets, hiding under domes of water all the children there were clearly loving being there. If you can get to it then I suggest you give it a try, your kids will never want to go any where else.

As you can see it is more than just a paddling pool. Kara loved every minute of being there and we are definitely going to go back.

Till next time....

The Voice has spoken

An Un-Expected Journey

Seven years ago my life changed forever, I met my wife. Now many of you are probably thinking, 'Yeh, big deal. My life changed when I met my partner also.' Well your right, that does change your life. But you see, until I met Otilia I never, and I mean never, wanted children. I had no interest in having any, never did and thought I never would. I was always the favourite uncle to many kids (that's because I refuse to grow up, even now) but the idea of having my own just never entered my mind. Until I met Otilia.

Once we were married and had settled into married life we decided that we were ready to have a child. We were lucky enough to get pregnant pretty quick and after the usual period we found our selves in hospital with the baby well and truly on its way. Unfortunately the labour was hard and after what seemed like a week Otilia was taken in for a cesarean section. It was a nerve racking and intense time, sitting next to her as the doctor cut her open but once they had lifted out this little thing with a thick head of dark hair my heart just melted and a tear ran from my eye. I walked over to where they were cleaning the baby up and when they handed this beautiful tiny girl to me I just couldn't believe that she was mine.

Her name had been decided upon long before she was born, Kara. Named after the cousin of Kal-el (superman), you see I always said if we had a boy I wanted to call it Kal-el as it would have come from super genes, however the baby turned out to be a girl and this threw me a little bit. But then I looked up what Supergirls Kryptonian name was and it turned put to be Kara. A name that we both liked a great deal. But from the moment she was born I've called her Boogie.

Over the last few years she has grown from one of the most beautiful babies ever to a beautiful, cheeky, blond haired Boogie. She claimed my heart the moment she was born and she still holds it now (along with her mother) She changed my life completely and I will be forever the better person for it. I never wanted it, never expected it, never planed it but fatherhood is the greatest thing I have ever achieved in my life. Ive always been a survivor, Ive always managed to get past any challenge life has put in my way. From a broken heart, the breakup of my first marriage, ill health and the loss of my Mother to that horrible thing known as cancer. I have always made it through. But the idea that something should happen to Boogie.... The idea alone is like a nightmare. I don't know if I could make it past that, I don't know if I could survive or indeed want to. As, I'm sure, any decent parent would feel. But, even though she puts the fear of god into me every time she hurts her self, I wouldn't have it any other way.

She's my Boogie and I will never judge her, criticise her or be disappointed in her. No matter what she achieves in life or where the journey takes her she will always be my little girl and I will always be there for her.

Next week she turns 3. Where has the time gone? Its going to be great, this will be the first birthday that she really knows whats going on, what the presents are for and why every one has come to see her. She will have a party, she will see her friends and me and Otilia will spoil her like crazy. We will spend too  much money, I will probably eat too much food but you know what. I don't care, it will all be worth it just to see her smile.

All the feelings i have felt, all the love that consumes me every time she calls out daddy, all the smiles and laughter that fills my heart I owe to one person. My dear, lovely and beautiful wife Otilia. Without whom I would never have taken this journey into parenthood. The 2 ladies in my life, Otilia and Kara (Boogie). I love them both, more than then will ever truly realise, more than I will ever be able to truly show.

My family, whom I shall cherish, provide for and protect forever.

Till next time....

The Voice has spoken.

Pancake Day With Boogie

What better day to celebrate Pancake Day than to make them with my little girl Kara, AKA Boogie.
Believe it or not this is the first time in my 42 years that I have made pancakes, don't ask me why it took me so long it just has.
When I picked Boogie up from nursery she immediately told me that she had made a pancake at snack time and when I asked her if she wanted to help Daddy cook some she immediately jumped at the chance.
She sat on the worktop as I mixed the basics together and as she watched she told em that she had her own utensils and wanted me to get them. A few seconds later I was back from her play kitchen with her tiny utensils. Real metal ones purchased from IKEA. And so she began to help me mix. Pretty soon we were ready to start.
One pancake down and all was looking good until. Boog looked at the pancake and said that it need some sauce and proceeded to poor some of the mix onto the cooked pancake. I couldn't help but laugh and just threw the pancake back back in the pan to cook the freshly added mix.

With a small pile of pancakes ready we sat down to eat them with some nutty chocolate spread.
They were sweet, they were yummy, it was filling and it was fun.

Hope you had a fun and filling pancake day as well.

Till next time......

The Voice has spoken.

Something I Love

Looking through all the pictures on our Mac I was surprised to find myself drawn to this picture when looking for a picture of something I love. I passed over countless pictures of Kara and loads of pictures of Otilia all of which I love as much as I love them but this one jumped out at me as soon as I saw it. Its a picture of me and my wires family. Her parents - Mircea and Aurelia, her sister - Simina, Otilia and me. Its one of the very few pictures I have of all of us together. It was taken the year before Kara was born so no little Boogie but it shows all my new family whom I love dearly and am proud to be a member of.

So may I present to you The Pasolescu's (and me)

I am sharing this picture of something i love with Love all Blogs and Albelli.