They are holding their first Wedding Fair, at which I will be displaying a portfolio of work and launching a range of wedding ‘packages’ to choose from, which will hopefully suit most needs and budgets.

Looking forward to meeting some Bride & Groom’s to be!

Hope everyones build up to Christmas has been fun and not too stressful. This final image is the chinese lantern we sent up, containing messages to people who are very special to us.

Happy Christmas everyone, I hope you and yours all share some love and happiness over the festive break.

Staying on a theme of Christmas ‘mood’, am sharing shots from a day I was out dodging snow showers and catching long shadow around the village. Had to show the two snowmen I came across – one reminded me of R2D2 and the other, of that dodgy Birds Eye bear!

Not lots of explanation to these, except that I wanted to capture a content christmas mood and as the animals in our house are a big part of the family, as with many of you I’m sure, hope I achieved just that.

As it’s the shortest day of the year, I wanted to share a sunrise, taken not far from my home, at a point it breaks the horizon in mid winter, behind this tree. From now on, it will gradually move back to the left and break earlier… roll on longer days!

Not having a good site line for sunsets where I live, so have to make a point of going out to find them (reference 9th Decembers blog!). The second image was actually taken a few years ago from the very northern end of Australia… which is taking things slightly to the extreme as I’m sure I can find (and will) great sunsets closer to home!

While on holiday, I got up early to try and catch the Heron fishing on the river. I’d already chosen my spot to sit hidden on the bank… and I waited… and I waited… but no luck that morning. The only shot I did get was as he flew overhead, so at least I did see him… fleetingly!

In fairness, I don’t really have a long enough lens at the moment for wildlife shots, but I still can’t resist trying! So I turned my attention to the river and really like the two shots, that follow. The first was playing with a very shallow depth of field. The next one, I had turned my attention to reflections in the water and just loved how the photo turned out. A real ‘water painting’ type image of a tree reflection – happy days!

After a delivery of wood today, (there’s a pattern following in some of these advent posts!) reminded me of some shots I took where I kept spotting faces. This often happens to me where a completely random face or figure turns up in some  form of nature.

My partner, could also see other things in the abstract shapes created by the wood, so I’m interested in what other people can see?

During the first Best of Bury coffee morning in 2012 (10th Jan), I will will set up a small studio area in the Attic at Benson Blakes, St John’s Street, Bury St Edmunds, to do head and shoulder shots:

The first one to book a slot for this session today (Monday 19^th December), will be absolutely FREE,

thereafter, bookings will be at a SPECIAL OFFER price of £24 including VAT for singles and £30 including VAT for 2 people together – (normally £42 and £48). As normal, you will get to receive 3 from a choice of 6 or 7, which will be emailed to you.

Great for avatars, social networking profiles, newsletters, mailouts or websites – anywhere you promote yourself and your company image.

You do not have to be a member of the Best of Bury to join these fortnightly networking coffee mornings. Come along and meet some great businesses… absolutely free!

Having just baked a cake today, reminded me of some shots I took while sharing time with family and friends. One of them had made the most beautiful chocolate cake… so with fresh pots of tea and coffee to accompany, the cake was devoured. But the most important thing was the great time being shared with people you are close to and so relevant with Christmas round the corner.

I would like to wish that for all of you this time next week… whatever your tiple on the day!

Mans best friend… Bert and Barney, out on the common – two much loved English Springers, once part of our family and happily remembered for the great characters they were.