Sunday, July 27, 2008

Out and About.

Thanks to those who’ve sent a little note wondering where I’ve gone this week..I obviously cannot sneak off too far and not be noticed! We’re away on a mini-break and although I did take the laptop, internet access is not so reliable. I’ll be home in a week so will have plenty to share then!

For those who’ve paid for Eye Candy workshops in the last few days, I’ve not been able to send out receipts – please rest assured I’ll send them out as soon as I have my trusty Mac back. Thankyou again to every person who has signed up – I’m thrilled to have such a great response and really am looking forward to getting started!

Thought I’d pop in this sweet photo of Monique and Ollie. Makes me smile.

S x

Posted in Eye Candy, General by Sheye at 4:09 AM 12 comments »
Monday, July 21, 2008

Soar.

Ava loved being in her angel wings. She wore them with her best dresses, she wore them with nothing. They made an appearance on most days until they became tired and tatty and Mason did what Mason does and broke them. I remember the tears that followed and me dutifully going to buy her another pair.

I was telling Tegan a story today over email..how one night I could hear Ava in the room next door thudding around and getting very cranky over something. It continued for a while so I went in and saw her standing in the middle of the coffee table, frown firmly plastered. I asked “Ava, what’s wrong?” to which she replied, frustrated, “Mum, I just can’t do it”. So, asking what “it” was, she then replied “I just can’t fly”.

I once posted here some images of her jumping on the lounge and told how when I said “Ava, stop jumping”, she replied with “I’m not jumping Mummy, I’m flying”. My post ended with the words “Soar, sweet child, soar”. As we released balloons the day of her funeral and stood watching them fade away, I spoke the same words.

These images were taken 14 days before she left. I wandered past and saw her standing on a chair, just staring out the window. She wasnt’ saying anything, there was really nothing to look at from there, but she appeared so thoughtful, and beauty full, in her wings and tiara. I actually went and got the camera and Crayton to come and see her – there was such serenity in her at that moment. I could only get a couple before she saw me and the moment was gone. I’m so glad I captured it.


I miss my girl today. I miss her every single day but yesterday has passed and all I can think is today, I miss her more. And it will be the same tomorrow. It just is.

S xx

Posted in Ava by Sheye at 1:25 AM 55 comments »
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Just As Cute {In Silhouette}.


Recently Fran shared how Poppy had just “found her shadow” which made me laugh as it was the same week that Ivy, too, had found hers. The girls are only weeks apart so it’s cute to see them behave so much alike. That’s me off to the side in the 2nd last one :)

Posted in Family by Sheye at 8:04 AM 26 comments »
Monday, July 14, 2008

Peek Through My Window {Part 3} & more.

Picking up where I left off with q&a’s.. My head is spinning with phototalk today so I’m running with anything that does not involve a camera :)

Ok I want to know who does your brows these days?

Hilarious! Really, my eyebrow obsessed days are overrrr. I used to pay obscene amounts for “brow work” ;p but these days I hope for slow traffic lights to give me a minute to get the tweezers out! Well not quite but something like that. Thanks for making me think they’re worthy though :)

Was the children’s book for Ava (mentioned last year) ever written/pubished?

It was written and illustrated beautifully but Tiffany and I are still in the process of fine tuning. It’s a big thing to organise decent publishing that doesn’t cost the Earth..I really want it to be available to anyone, anywhere – no easy feat :) Still, I’m so committed to seeing it in print – the test run version is gorgeous! I am so grateful to Barb Uil and Tiffany Ard for turning an idea into something beautiful, I really can’t wait to share it.

Do you picture Ava as an almost 5 year old or will she always be 3 and a half in your mind?

A hard question. I see her as 3.5. I can’t really imagine her any other way. As Ivy gets past the age Ava was I guess I will see what Ava might have been like. I don’t like to ponder how she might have looked or what she might be doing now, there is so much to miss already I’d rather not add new things to the list. To see other children at the age she should be makes my heart hurt.

What laundry detergent do you buy?

Don’t mind Kate, she’s a little bit odd. But just in case anyone else needs to know – OMO.

How did you get your start in photography?

Okay, I included this photography one because I wanted to add a bit to the previous answer I gave to a similar question.

Around the time I bought my first DSLR, I was in McDonalds one day and Ava began babbling to a man sitting near us. After a few minutes he introduced himself as a photographer.. Long story short, he asked me to assist at a wedding a few weeks later and sick with nerves, I did. Somehow, I shot the whole thing on manual, I didn’t even know AV was an option..plus I ran out of memory too soon but I did it and I learnt a lot from that one day. It really was a chance meeting that inspired me so much. Thanks Dean :)

Can I buy Ivy from you?

Sure, I’m currently running a Buy One Get One Free promo..you’ll also get my oldest child, Luca. He’s 9 and, just like Ivy, is suffering Gastric Flu this week. That won’t be a problem will it?

Do you ever travel to the United States?

If you do come to the States, would you consider doing photo shoots while you are here?

Reasonably often actually…I’ll be over quite soon but not shooting this time unfortunately.. I will definately try to work it in for the trip after though – remember my husband doesn’t let a day go by without mentioning a move to the States! This won’t be our last trip :)

Other things for today:

Eye Candy..

I’ve had a few questions from people who aren’t sure whether they should do Explore or Evolve. Basically, if you do not know how to use your camera on manual, or you want to develop your creativity beyond happy snaps, start with Explore. It’s a workshop designed to help get started with the basics of taking good images and enhancing in Photoshop..

If you’re quite confident with what you’re doing in regards to your camera and Photoshop but still feel you have room to improve or want to develop your creativity, along with those going into business, Evolve is ideal.

Obviously, I’ve not done this before but I’m working hard to make sure both courses are good value with lots of information and insight – I expect the forum will be a great place for people to ask anything I might not have covered. I hope this helps anyone who’s not sure which workshop to do.

And finally, a couple of images of Whitney who Kate and I thoroughly enjoyed shooting on Saturday.

Can’t resist a quirky leg shot.



Sheye xx

 

Posted in General by Sheye at 10:14 PM 16 comments »
Monday, July 14, 2008

Eye Candy Workshops are go!

So what started as a question and answer post has taken on a life of it’s own..my inbox is overflowing with enthusiasm and support! Thankyou so much for all of the interest shown, I hadn’t really considered running a workshop any time soon but now that I am, I’m hugely excited and really enjoying putting it all together. I’ve happily chosen Eye Candy as a name that suits me and my love for all things candy coloured!

Over the past few days, I’ve discovered that there is a wide range of skills amongst you and it would not be practical to run one workshop for everyone so, two it is!

The first, Explore, will be designed for the beginner who doesn’t necessarily need to own a DSLR camera. As long as you’re inspired to learn, this workshop will help you gain a better undertanding of digital photography and what makes a great image. It will also be a good introduction to image enhancement in Photoshop. This workshop will run from around the end of August for four weeks and be self paced.

The second workshop, Evolve, will be aimed at the serious ameteur or semi-professional who wants to build upon their knowledge to develop more creative, professional images and enhance their Photoshop skills. It will also include lots of tips and information for those considering starting up or growing their own photography business. This workshop will begin around mid October for six weeks and also be self paced.

Both will include an interactive forum.

I’ve had a good think about how to proceed and have realised that to do this properly and give it the time and attention it deserves, I will need to close my photo session calender for the duration of the workshops. In order to do this, I’ve had to put what I believe is a reasonable charge in place – I hope this is still appealing to potential participants.

If you’re wanting to participate, please click on the Explore and Evolve links above and register.
I am really looking forward to getting to know people better in a fun and inspiring environment.. thanks again for the opportunity to do this :)

Sheye xx
Posted in Eye Candy by Sheye at 1:03 AM 19 comments »