‘Home Grown’ diary project – update 4… Veggie McVeg Patch…

Next hurdle… and would they survive…?

It’s all well and good to happily watch your planted seeds appear as seedlings… first success – but now I have to thin them! A delicate looking task for the salad leaves and the beetroot… and I read the packets carefully, plus dived into the main reference book I’ve got to hand – The Vegetable & Herb Expert, by Dr D.G. Hessayon. I’ve decided to leave the carrots for now, as they need to get a little bigger. For those who are remotely interested, this main bed measures just about 13ft by 4ft, with permanent Rosemary and Bay shrubs at the far end. The lettuce tray is 4ft square.

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The protected veggie patch.

Armed with all sorts of tools… (including tweezers!), I set about thinning. I had to remove the cloche frame from the lettuce tray for this and hadn’t got the heart to throw away lots of seedlings, so created two new rows. While it took sometime, was very satisfying.

You will notice I’ve also put the tray of courgette and dwarf bean plants in with the lettuce for the time being, so they get used to being outside, but are protected from the elements. I think they need a bit more growth before going out properly and I don’t want any late frosts getting them.

Underneath the cloche, survival of the fittest!

Having completed the salad leaves, set about the same task with the beetroot. With both these, I’m not sure if I’ve thinned enough, so may have to remove a few more in time. The good news is, the seedlings recovered from the operation and have continued to grow :). In future, (assuming this continues next year) I’m going to try and devise a way of spreading the seeds out more, when first sowing to hopefully help the thinning process.

Didn’t have the heart to throw away the thinnings, so created another row!

Quick close up of the courgette and dwarf bean plants, they continue to do ok outside with the salad leaf babies for now…. but….

The triffids continue to like their new home in with the lettuce… for now.

I did have one fatality… I must have just weakened the stem when putting the splint wire round… my bad 🙁

The first fatality.

Apart from moving them forward so they get a bit more sunlight, the raspberry and blueberry plants continue to do well and show growth. The pile of bricks to the right hand side is another task to move and make more room and you can see the piles of pots at the back that have been washed, sized and will be re-used as necessary :).

raspberry, blueberry, plants, pots, growing, fruit

The raspberry and blueberry plants continue to grow well.

Next blog… while I’m using everything available to hand, have invested in something new … 🙂

‘Home Grown’ diary project – update 3… Veggie McVeg Patch…

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Things are progressing well…. so far…

I have a few more images to share with you, but firstly, there was the naming of the veg patch… with salad leaves, carrots, beetroot, courgettes and dwarf beans seeds all sown… and a little spare time on my hands in the sunshine, was suddenly inspired to create a nameplate.

It had to be named!

The salad leaves all started to appear and grow reasonably quickly and happy under their mini greenhouse cloche.

Salad leaves seedlings starting to appear.

The Beetroot appeared reasonably quickly and then the carrots started to show exactly as the packet said.

Beetroot seedlings came through quite quickly.

Carrot seedlings made an appearance exactly as the packet said!

The courgette and dwarf beans also came through nicely (courgettes at the back and dwarf beans at the front), although I did have three seeds that made a ‘no show’. There were also a couple of ‘breach’ births and with some careful surgery, managed to save them and they continued to grow.

They were started off indoors in the corner of a room, so they wouldn’t get knocked, where the light wasn’t the best for photographs. I had strong sunlight coming through on the left and a dark corner on the right, but rather than carting the tray outside and risk damaging the baby plants, did my best where they were. You will also notice, I had to create little splints for the courgette plants as they shot up quickly and then proceeded to fall over – a delicate procedure, but it seemed to work.

Courgette and dwarf beans coming through.

… and continue to grow they did… had I planted triffids?? The dwarf beans proved a little stronger and no splints were needed.

courgette, dwarf beans, seedlings, plants

I felt like I was growing triffids!

Somewhere in my brain I decided to expand the vegetable growing and find room outside to try tomatoes. Not able to purchase little plants, I spent a whole £1 on two packets of seeds… who doesn’t love a home grown tomato. Again these have been started off in small individual pots in a tray indoors.

I decided to add to the vegetable list.

Quick update on the raspberry and blueberry plants – they continue to grow nicely in their outdoor pots. I might mention here, that with so many raspberry plants available, a couple of them were planted out in the general garden amongst other flowers and shrubs. If they flower and fruit, I’m giving these up to the birds and whatever wildlife fancies a nibble… on the understanding they leave the other potted plants alone!

Next blog diary will be covering the thinning of the seedlings!

‘Home Grown’ diary project… update 2 – Veggie McVeg Patch…

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You may have read the first diary post last week, which basically showed the pre and post preparation of the main veg patch area and my challenges to get it protected from the local garden wildlife… including birds, squirrels, pheasants and cats!

My vegetables of choice to learn with and try growing from seed, started out as lettuce, carrots, beetroot, courgettes and dwarf beans. Plus, I had purchased two raspberry plants and two blueberry plants last year. One of the blueberry plants unfortunately died, but the other is doing well. We were also lucky enough to be given several more raspberry plants that were surplus from our neighbour.

I took the time to mark out the main veg patch into labelled rows. The first two for carrots, the next two, for carrots again… to sow in a months time. The next row for beetroot and again another for beetroot in a months time and the rest well spaced out for the dwarf beans. That was the whole main bed accounted for. As you can see from the following two images, the first lots of carrots and beetroot have been planted (yay).

Labelled rows of seeds that have been planted.

Labelled rows of seeds that have been planted.

The lettuce have their very own mini greenhouse, as you will have seen in the opening diary blog. The first two rows of salad leaves have also been planted and again, have marked out subsequent rows for ‘spaced out’ planting.

The courgette plants (assuming the seeds come up ok), will be planted in fairly large individual pots. I’ve started the courgettes and dwarf beans in smaller pots and these will be stored for a week or two indoors. I photographed this tray outside simply to get an even light on it… and you can see the courgette seeds have already started to show (result!).

Starter pots for Courgettes and Dwarf beans.

At the moment, I’m making use of everything I already have to hand… i.e. old pots, old cloche, handy tray, label stakes, wire.

raspberries, blueberries, courgettes, containers, fruit, vegetables,

Raspberries and blueberries.

The above area is a particularly sunny spot in the garden to organise and store the fruit containers. I have three blueberry plants and what appears to be numerous raspberry plants spread across six containers. To date… all the plants are alive and sprouting. How the heck I’m going to get these protected when they fruit is a challenge yet to be covered… watch this space.

Join me for progress in diary update 3 next week 🙂

‘Home Grown’ diary project… Veggie McVeg Patch…

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This really is a first for me and I suspect several other people too, in these weeks of staying at home.

I’ve grown potatoes for a couple of years, because they seemed reasonably easy and not too time consuming. But this year is something different and I felt inspired to blog my diary of failures and successes as I find my way with growing fruit and veg. Also decided to not get too adventurous, so more chance of some success!

As a professional photographer, I also thought it would be an interesting exercise to record the diary completely on my phone and not using my pro camera… so here goes.

First off, this is what the veg patch looked like before I started… I was trying to capture our resident squirrel and is the only shot I have of a ‘pre-prepared’ veg bed:

Before we started…

So I dug the bed over, removed all the weeds, added some extra soil and compost and levelled it all out. However, here came the first challenge… how to keep off not only the birds, but one of our cats!

The first efforts of criss crossing string really didn’t work (sorry I don’t have an image)… ever seen a cat negotiating such a puzzle, it was like watching Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible!

So next effort nailed it! A roll of wire mesh cut into strips and made into a series of hoops to cover the bed in sections:

Keeping the cat off!

As I had another large wooden tray and an old cloche, decided to add a separate mini green house that would be for lettuce and salads leaves only:

A little lettuce house…

In the hope you will follow my journey (and learning curve) I’ll finish this diary entry here, but would add that the preparation all happened last month and lots more progress has been made since then. Not only will there be a selection of vegetables, there is also some fruit plants… and… the naming of the veg patch!

All that will come in the next diary blog… so do join me on this journey and I will include comments of the photography as we go along.

Quick tips to consider when taking part in online meetings…

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As we are all plunged into a situation never experienced before and not wishing to go on about what we can’t do, I’m trying (like many of us) to focus on what we can do.

I’ve listed a few quick tips for you to consider when engaging in online meetings, so you can be seen and heard clearly, communicate effectively, be professional, but also be yourself:

As with any meeting, make sure you are ready beforehand – This might mean making sure you have any relevant notes and/or writing materials to hand. Know who is going to initiate contact with who and that you have the right software on your device/computer. Make sure your video and audio are switched on and working and is at a reasonable audio sound level.

Face the best source of available light in your room – to avoid your face being in almost darkness, make sure you are well lit, even if its just natural light in front of you and avoid bright daylight streaming through a window behind you. This should help reduce the camera on your device from constantly trying to adjust the exposure as you move around in front of it.

Consider what distractions there may be and try to minimise – many of us will be holding our conversations from a home office and its your choice if you wish to roll up to your meeting in your PJ’s… but, its a good idea to close doors and windows to minimise people and pets walking in, outside traffic noise or roadworks and perhaps remove that stand of washing that’s behind your chair!

Have the camera on your computer at eye level – if your camera level is too low, others will have a lovely view straight up your nose, it’s a very unflattering angle for you and is not the level we communicate with people when we are face to face. A simple pile of books, or a small box might just be sufficient to raise your device. Have your monitor as close to vertical as possible.

Try to hold eye contact with the camera lens in your device – its more tempting to watch the other persons face on the monitor, but, that means you are unlikely to be holding eye contact. Maintaining good eye contact shows the other person you are giving them your full attention.

Allow for a small time delay when responding to speak online – always speak clearly and try not to talk over someone, or jump into the conversation too quickly. Allow an extra moment before responding to speak, that way you minimise having to ask the other person to repeat what they said.

Happy and productive meetings everyone – please get in touch should you need further advise.

https://archive.pennymorgan.co.uk/contact

communicating, online, meetings, Online Meetings
Image copyright – Penny Morgan Photography

Animate Your Image

When children are a bit quiet… what’s really going on?

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As a child and in the middle of a brood of five, we had to learn to entertain ourselves much of the time. We were lucky to live in a rambling old farmhouse that my father renovated and had our own ‘playroom’, where nothing had to be tidy… as long as there was a pathway through the middle to get to some of it!

It’s often assumed that when children are a bit too quiet, someone is up to no good! But from a child’s point of view, it’s probably quite different. Reliving elements of a much younger person, I can recall things that brought me much amusement … just because you could. Out walking, you had to jump into puddles… on the beach, digging holes in the sand trying to reach Australia. Collecting things and keeping secrets. Spending hours in the playroom making stables for my toy horses out of shoe boxes (we were allowed scissors in those days). Re-painting my bike frame with ‘tiger stripes’ (???). Creating cardboard guitars, so we (my brothers and sisters) could be a pretend band… and numerous board games.

All this mischief happened and I’m sure along the way we were told off for few things that went ‘too far’… someone got a bit rough and someone ended up crying.

But I also remember it being a very creative time, lost in my own world of doing something, or, playing with my siblings and always enjoyed Christmas with them.

Relate that to a business world

I’ve been rather quiet lately, with no time to post as much on social media or get newsletters and blogs out. I could say ‘I’ve just been busy’, which is true, however as well as much photography, this has included several other projects, both on a personal and business front, and new work to arrange for 2020…

My ‘photography mischief’ has included, weddings, families, horses, personal branding, headshots, modelling knitwear, food (a new one!) and Christmas parties.

In addition to photography, I’ve stepped up my involvement with the FSB, hosting their Connect networking meeting in Bury and also becoming an Area Lead for Norfolk and Suffolk, taking me out and about across both counties.

So I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support this year and wish you and yours a very happy Christmas and festive break. May your 2020 will be as creative and fruitful as I’m ‘quietly’ planning mine to be.

photography, Christmas, 2019, children, creative,

When children are quiet… what’s really going on?

Do testimonials work… do you read them or skip over??

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When you’ve completed a successful shoot and your client is really pleased… should you always remember to ask for a review or testimonial? This is usually the bit I forget!! … although some clients spontaneously provide one anyway 🙂

I’m told google likes them, and sources like ‘Trust Pilot’ wouldn’t exist if people didn’t look for them – LInkedIn and Facebook have a business page ‘review’ feature, so I guess the answer is that you should. It feels like ‘self praise’ and blowing your own trumpet, but nowadays it’s much more about showing you are a credible and trustworthy business and who better to authenticate your services than happy customers.

So, do you read reviews and testimonials? Well, yes if I’m purchasing items from a source that I don’t know personally, they are very helpful. Or, researching the best item to buy on say, camera equipment. Does this apply to services too, especially those that are hugely personal, such as photography? In addition to ‘reviews’ and ‘testimonials’ we should add ‘recommendations’, as these are frequently asked for on places like Facebook. I ask this, because most of my work comes via face to face networking and getting to know people, who in turn use and recommend my services.

Perhaps reviews, in addition to a solid portfolio, are mainly part of a credible and true presence online, including all the various social media platforms … will you read any further 🙂 ??

” I can not begin to express the delight I felt when I saw our photos however the outstanding service started months before we got them!
For my 50th I wanted a picture of my family so hubby duly got a voucher from Penny and then handed over to me! Oh my what a pain pinning 4 sets of families and diaries to one Saturday. Penny was supportive and patient, no pressure just gentle reassurance that we would get there. So we got a date and we all turned up at the most beautiful house and gardens… chaos ensued with sorting two 3 year olds, two under 12 months and one teenager who needed to be serious.
Penny had taken the time to ask questions before hand so she knew all the likes and dislikes and all the names, plus Terry supported Penny and entertained the children and took additional pictures.

Thank you thank you thank you 😊

If you are looking for someone who cares about the service they give and the shots they take then please use Penny – you will not be disappointed

Venitia Billings “

All ready for delivery..

All ready for delivery…

#portrait #suffolk #family #together Family gathering

Quick tips – how to be in front of the camera:

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If you are one of those people who feel mighty uncomfortable in front of a lens and you’ve not had the opportunity to work with a professional, I wanted to share a few ‘rules of thumb’ and tips to help, that you can take away and actively put into practice.

First of all, I firmly believe that the responsibility lies with the photographer to capture a good shot of someone – not that of the people being photographed. Everyone without exception can take a good photograph, no arguments – and if you are working with a professional, they should have the knowledge to guide you all the way through it.

There are exceptions to the rules and as a professional photographer, I work with the individual and capture what is right for them, as we are all different.

However in a ‘non’ professional situation, you have more control that you may imagine, because it’s unlikely there will be any guidance of where and how to be, whether you are seated, standing, on your own, or in a group. It’s also very doubtful you will be given an indication when the image is about to be taken.

1 – When standing full on, or square to the camera, this is your widest angle and gives little opportunity to show your personality. If you stand sideways onto the camera, it’s going to look quite awkward turning your head so far to look at the camera and also shows all your outlines. 45 degrees towards the camera is your best angle and streamlines everything.

2 – Stand comfortably, either equal weight on each leg, or, place your weight on your back leg and allow your other leg to casually point forward. Hands can either be gently clasped in front of you, or behind.

3 – Angles to the camera are good – we’ve already mentioned in Tip1, but SMALL tilts of the head also help. The camera is at a more flattering angle if a little above you and less flattering if below you.

4 – All the above also applies to being seated in front of the camera.

5 – If you find yourself in a group, say at a party, wedding or family gathering, apply the above tips, focus on the fun of the event, allow a smile to come to your face and resist the urge to chatter. Watch the camera and wait until they have taken the image and put the camera away.

People can be amazingly kind in their testimonials…

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Christmas 2018 seems long gone now, however wanted to share a pleasant surprise last month, from the contact who booked my services to cover their Christmas Parties. Along with two other very good photographers over 13 evenings, we captured several hundred people all enjoying the festive time at both The Apex and The Athenaeum in Bury St Edmunds. To receive the attached testimonial was brilliant!

I’ll let the following link do the talking!

Penny Morgan Photography Testimonial

The Athenaeum Christmas Parties, 2018, Bury St Edmunds

A little reflection can help in moving forward…

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I may have written about this before (and hope it’s not too far into January to mention again), but it never fails to amaze me how varied a year can be and how much has been achieved. Not just for me, but for others too. It’s been a year of achievements, losses and above all, a journey and hope you can look back at an incredible 2018 with everything it brought you.

On the photography front – wildlife, Portugal, equestrian, music festivals, workshops, Christmas parties – family, lifestyle, commercial and headshot shoots… have all been in the mix, so a thoroughly creative time, with many plans for 2019.

I used to think that looking back in reflection was not the best thing to do and we get to December and say “where has the year gone”. But I’ve changed that thinking and try and live for the here and now at whatever point of the year we are in … savour it, deal with it, enjoy it … and always knowing life never stands still – and here we are beginning the second week of 2019!

So all those moments that have been created, happened and shared, all help in moving into the new year, however you choose to see it and hopefully with a positive expectation of whats to come.

Penny Morgan Photography 2018 reflection.