"Ruth" continues to hit the Winter Seas

Well, spent yesterday evening with Amelie and Mathieu in their lovely house in Kinsale. We had a fabulous meal, smoked salmon, crab, prawns, two desserts. I could so get used to this... Mathieu is kindly helping me get more comfortable with my camera, as well as Photoshop. And this is on top of our sailing lessons, with rope knots for additional homework....!

The three of us went out sailing today,(we were minus John who was much missed). Mathieu and Amelie raised the boom yesterday so we thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of being able to properly see each other for the first time! Clear blue skies, good wind, seas calm enough. All went well until,..... as we reached the harbour mouth ...suddenly... the waves swelled and we heard a loud crack. Took a while to figure what it was - a broken stay. So we headed back, after a break for coffee and Far Breton. It was decided that the sails need to be brought to Des McWilliams to have batons put in, and the stitching checked. Back in the harbour, we took all the stays off and Mathieu has the fun job of seeing what sort of a price Union Chandlery can give us to replace all four at the same time, as they are all quite badly twisted...and it's an unexpected expense...

The photography is going well, took loads more great shots during the week. May not have a studio to work from just yet, but so what? Lots of great advice and support from other professional photographers - won't name them without their permission.

Off now to study Photoshop. Might even get some rope knots homework in before I hit the sack!

By the way, comments and feedback greatly appreciated.I'm also now on Facebook, if you type in Martha Clarke Marlogue the right Martha will come up.

Check out photo of "Stavros" at the bottom of my blog - ahem! - this great photo is supposed to be beside today's entry...ah well...getting there... this time last year I turned up for my digital photography class and spent an hour in a web design class before realising my mistake. Now I'm a photographer!
Ciao a tutti Martha x

Snowstorm - what snowstorm?

Well, I think we're all glad to see the end of last year - what a year! Though I have to say it was an amazing one for me.
I've been using this supposedly appalling weather to get out and about and take some great shots of East Cork in the beautiful January light - when I figure out how, I'll be posting some on this blog. I've also been busy working out how to do all the things I should well by now know how to do - such as upload photos from camera to laptop, edit same photos on laptop, file and sort photos and delete the dud ones. This self-learning has become quite addictive, and I'm loving it.
I never used to jump out of bed to peel garlic for my food business the way I now jump out of bed to take photos!
And I have a local premises to work and exhibit from, will keep you posted.
And my first exhibition is in the lovely new "Waves" Cafe, Wine Bar and Gallery in Ballycotton. It's on in February, for the whole month, so do come along and see my photos for yourself.
That's all for now. I'm off to figure out how to upload photos here.
We're hoping to go sailing this weekend - temperatures, snow, ice, thunder and lightning notwithstanding..!
Till next time.....X