winter sun

I headed out half an hour before the sunset with camera in hand and purple gumboots on my feet. I wanted to capture the soft winter sunshine with wild oats basking in the last rays of light on a mild winter's evening on rural Eyre Peninsula

note. no sunflare added to these images. just texture. :O)

new season blossom

I was lucky enough to be on a farm last week and capture their first almond blossoms of the season

cafe la firth

I've used Sue's sketch over at Escape2Create to get me going on this one. I've handmade the eggs complete with shading and highlighting to give them 'roundness'.

The photo has been on my desk for a while and I think I was over it before I even started it.
But 'tis done and time to move on.

t

journaling says - standard breakfast fare. eggs and toast soldiers. 6th June 2009

little guy

I can reveal another MAN of the Month - Fancy Pants LO scrapped for Scrap Therapy. If you use the search button at the bottom of the Scrap Therapy screen and type in Fancy Pants, you will see more of product this way.

Fancy Pants - Papa - Adventurer.

Fancy Pants - Rough and Tough Little Guy glimmer cut.

That little tractor is a button that I cut the back off.

I judged a box of photos that came from a South Australian Camera Club during the week. I felt a little overwhelmed critiquing and scoring about 80 images, and it took me longer than I thought it would. I had such a feeling of relief that it was done when I posted the box back to that club. That's my 3 clubs done for this year. Phewww.

I've started taking bookings for Spring Photographic sessions. I even have bookings for October already!!

And at long last, the results of the My Region Photographic Competition will be announced on Tuesday July 26th,  Can't wait for that day to roll around and wouldn't you know it, I'm out ALL day lol

And go here and hover of the 'winner week 2'

:O)

And just to top off a busy week, I'm having 'The Promise' and 'Summer Storm' framed up at the moment to be hung in the 5 Loaves Bakery later next month. They are for sale, and I'm selling unmounted images as well. I've got myself organised to sell prints and canvases of my all my landscapes. Another forward step in my photography journey.

This coming week looks to super busy already and with a family shoot on the weekend as well.

Bring it on.

who said the camera never lies????

been playing around getting some images ready for Camera Club on Monday night. This month is set subject is creative.

This is a couple that the kids and I did today.

And I only really have one of him.  ;O) and one of her!!

sour sobs

Found this little busy worker the other day. (Got green knees in the process!!!)

:O)

she's 21 today

Love you Paige. We always will  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

new heidi

she's reinventing herself.

http://vimeo.com/channels/heidiswapp

2012 is going to be big with HS!!

big red rig

The sun shone this morning so I headed out to shoot a truck for a local business. This is a brand new, shiny new rig. And it will never be this clean again as it heads out on the road tomorrow. The chrome work was mirror like. I had to be careful of not getting my reflection in it while I was shooting the shots.

I've taken the liberty of cloning out the business phone number and smudging the number plate for the internet shots.

I'm glad we did the shoot this morning as it came over gloomy and grey this afternoon.

have a great week.
:O)
t

shutter bugs

Scrapped this one a little while ago for this month's MAN of the Month @ Scrap Therapy. Fancy Pants!!!

Products used are Fancy Pants Summer Soiree Paradise Transparency. Fancy Pants Simplicity Sequence and Form.  Heidi Swapp Edge Distresser. Dimensional Magic.

I've not scrapped at all this last week as we've had school holidays, and spending time with my kids is my priority. I've also had a few photo shoots that I've worked on when the kids go to bed, and that time is normally when I scrap.

I'm also getting a couple of images ready for display locally and one for a US gallery so I've been a bit pre-occupied with that.  ;-D

I've still not formally heard anything from the My Region Photography Comp. I've no idea who won what category and the other place getters. I'm rather disappointed by that, as I'm sure the other participants of the comp. We've all been left hanging and it's not a nice feeling. I've found a way to contact the organisers (and that contact was obscure to find) and I'm still waiting on a reply.  :O(

Had a photo shoot with a truck this morning for a client. Very new shiny chrome work. The truck heads out on the road tomorrow so it will never be this clean again!!!! Especially with all the marvellous rain we've had. Nice to have a real winter!!!

mucking around with macro

Had the camera out for a few projects today.

These are the result of mucking around with extension tubes

:O)

mum day - sean

MAN of the Month at Scrap Therapy is Fancy Pants. Lots of yummy eye candy!!  I've used Fancy Pants Little Sprouts - Sprout Paper as the background colour. And a strip of Webster's Pages - Bloomers.

horsemen from snowy river

Kathy and myself took our 5 children to Pt Lincoln to watch the Horsemen from Snowy River last Friday night. I was really keen to see the Horsemanship and the well being of the horses.

I was not disappointed. The horses looked particularly well cared for, well fed and energetic. They didn't seem bored by going around doing the same old routine.

The renowned Lipizzaner defence move of the high leap and kick. This was a wartime strategy when Spain's army road horses many years ago.

The trick riding I admired, especially the body strength and flexibility of the man and woman, but also the horse's ability to compensate for the constantly moving centre of gravity when the riders move around on top.

And also to read when to drop their head a bit so the leg that's being swung over near their ear doesn't connect.

The dogs playing footy with balloons was a memorable moment.

But I think the biggest impression on me, being a horse chick from way back, was the quietly spoken Horse Whisperer Sonny. His manner was understated, but every horse had an ear on him the whole time waiting for the next quietly spoken word for their next move.

This is absolute trust from the horse as in this position he is most vulnerable to attack. Horses's natural instinct is flight when in fear, so do lie down willingly and be so exposed, shows the amazing bond between the man and the horse.

Symmetry.

It was a wonderful show, and the kids are still talking about it. Well worth the ticket price!!

more images @ Tiff Firth Photography

kapinnie lake rainbow

I had a little jaunt out not far from home on Sunday night with the camera. tripod and bag in tow.

I had actually set up the tripod and camera in exactly the opposite direction to catch the sunset across a lake when a very light shower of rain came between the sun and me.

The diffused light was a beautiful golden orange colour and I wondered where was the rainbow. I always look behind me to see what's happening as well as where I have the camera set up.

My goodness, there it was and I had to make a choice in a hurry. Leave the camera where it was and capture the amazing light coming across the lake or pick up the tripod and run out into the lake (had my purple boots on!!) spin around 180 degrees and recompose to capture the rainbow with the nearly falling over fence post.

I ran into the lake!!! I missed the brightest part by only a few seconds but I am glad I caught what I did.

I've ended up deleting the rest of the shots from that night. I need to get out more to get my eye in again.

my region national photographic competition entry - unofficial result

This is unofficial as I've not had any formal correspondence from the organisers of the My Region Photography Comp but I can tell you for sure that 'The Promise' I asked you to vote for came 2nd in the Popular Voting Section.

Out of over 2200 entries I had hopes of coming in the Top 10 with a lot of luck, but to come second in this category is just plain humbling.

 And it is all thanks to those who took the trouble to vote. It was an effort as they needed to registrar themselves, answer the email to verify that they were not a computer program capable of mass voting, and then cast their vote.

So a very very heartfelt Thank You for the 240 people who voted for it and to those who left a comment as well. Even my 84 year old Grandfather got onto his computer to vote for it. Bless him.

The image that came first had a wonderful 287 votes. Third place had 190 votes.

And also a Thank You for all the uplifting comments on Facebook, in person and for spreading the word to their friends to consider voting for 'The Promise'.

The other section of the competition is judged by a panel of 4 judges for the different categories. This was finalized last Sunday night (July 3rd) and I had hoped to have heard one way or another by now. But nothing as yet.

As soon as I hear anything, I'll be sure to let you know.

Again, my genuine and heartfelt thanks

Tiff
xx

construction team

Completed this one last night @ Scrapworkz. And today's colour palette @ the Color Room is a perfect match for it.

Gotta love that.

finally.....

.... I think I am back on the track to wellness.

Hoo-bloody-ray.

I've had a chest infection that has hung on for the last 4 weeks and I found it exhausting. I've never been so lack lustre ever. I've had so many nights where I am in bed by 7pm. And if you know me well, that's so very hard to imagine. I'm normally a midnight oil burner, every night.

I was nearly over it and then succumbed to it again - 3 times. Antibiotics took their sweet time to shift it, but eventually they did.

Annie went to hospital for a short spell with it until her temp dropped and she had 2 rounds of it. As did Sean. Both of them had numerous days off school. Kym managed to only be slightly affected by it. He's been pretty good with it all, and when the kids have been up during the night due to coughing, unwellness or temps, he's been there for them. My shift was the day shift, which was a bit of a trick when I felt really crappy in myself.

I've found concentration difficult. I just couldn't focus on the effort of scrapping, or even feel motivated to find an hour free from the kids to go take a landscape photo. Boy I must have been low.

I've missed 5 fitness sessions, Camera Club, a scrap night, and a few other little things. Not a lot in the overall scheme of things, but it still bothers me.

I'm still working on the energy levels. A large day and I'm totally stuffed and I'll be in bed very early. I've read 6 books in the last 4 weeks as I've been inside so much.

Today was the first day of feeling a bit like my old self. And I hope it's here to stay.

perspective

I love this photo of my son. It's abstract, it's different and it just makes you wonder what's going on inside his head by the look in his eye.

Scrapped for Scrap Therapy's MAN (manufacturer) of the Month - Fancy Pants.

Product used Fancy Pants-My Family-Father. 

skwool time

I was asked by the Kindy to take their annual group shot which we scheduled for this morning. We were lucky with our timing as the sun was out during the shoot and the sky darkened off considerably as soon as we finished.

While I was near the school I slipped into Sean's class with the camera, and with prior consent from his teacher, I took a couple of photos of him at his desk and slipped out again. I did this a few years ago with Annie, and as it turns out it was with the same teacher.

:O)

cherished

Scrap Therapy's MAN of the Month for July is up and running.  And we are showcasing Fancy Pants.

Winners of June's challenges have been announced, including the Landscape Photography Comp.
New Challenges for July have been released including my Tutorial and Challenge on Portraiture.

Each challenge is either up for a $25 Voucher or a RAK so its very worth your while to at least go have a look, be inspired and start scrappin' it or shootin' it!!