Wednesday 30 April 2014

Newly launched website!



After quite a few months, my new look website has been finalised and launched! I am thrilled to bits with it, we have spent hours getting the look right. I am pretty lucky to have someone who listens to my wants and able to put them into working order!

A massive thank you to RobSmith-it.com the site has evolved so much over the last few months, new ideas, new colour schemes, take this out, put that in, with not one template in sight - all has been developed using good and proper skill for detail and programming, all of which I can honestly say "you what now?"and a lot of it I really don't understand but luckily for me Rob does! I wanted uniqueness something that is different to the usual and not looking the same as so many seem to and that has been achieved, all I had to worry about was colours and verbage! For me that's nice and easy so I feel I had the better end of the deal really, but then it's not my skill set ;)

The gallery is just how I imagined it to be with clients able to select their photographs either as Greeting Cards, Prints or CDs! Each element of my photography has it's own page detailing prices etc...

I would like a badge saying "I am the proud owner of a RobSmith-it website :)" OK so it's my second one but websites do date so, and this is  about our businesses, so let's try new ideas and go with a look that is clean and professional, easy to view and use.

But enough of me waffling about it - take a look for yourselves! www.PamelaJayne Photography

I have also launched 2 new Facebook pages so that it all works together now you can find my "Making Memories" at Portrait and Wedding Services and "Promoting with" at Events and Marketing I still use my "Life through the Lens" page for all my other photography.

Exciting times!




PamelaJayne


Tuesday 29 April 2014

Life through the Lens - Easter & Kites at the beach!




Well we had a lovely Easter weekend - the weather was fab and because of that we decided to go to the 21st Festival de cerf-volant et du vent "Kite Festival" which is held for three days over Easter at  Chatelaillon-Plage. On arriving at the beach we did wonder how they were going to be flying kites or any kind of demonstration that needed wind come to that, as the sea was like a millpond! It was beautiful the shades of blue just hit the eyes and everything looked stunning!


From sand carving to an air display from l'arme d'air it was a fab day! 
Sand Art so clever!

Just about late morning - so very quiet everywhere!

upcycling? the new way for plastic bottles!

All those old bottle tops and cd's have a purpose!

By far my faves of the day...floating Poppies!

Lunch was with our friends in a restaurant that we enjoyed on our first visit 6 years ago. And it was very nice to be welcomed like old friends a huge thumbs up for le Patron who greeted us with a huge smile and 2 bottles of rosé (complimentary) as a bienvenue! He and the table of 13 bikers then sang the Rugby anthem of Toulouse, I wanted to respond with "Swing Low" but it didn't happen - so English ;)

I didn't get photos of my main but I couldn't resist a photo of dessert - Strawberry & Raspberry Tiramisu
Light and delicious!

So back to the festival one of the other reasons we came - to see the kites of course not to eat and drink all day long (ahem - note I said not ALL day long!)
Back to the beach and we noticed the very large kites had been given their chance to star - it is quite hard to get a measure of these kites from a photo but I tried!


Looking back to the Poppies!


We then found a very nice spot to sit and wait for the next display - that of the Champion of last year's stunt flying competition.





It really was magnificent, I haven't been to an air display since leaving the UK and it was very breathtaking in parts and heart stopping also! 

Our friends left after a coffee back at La Paradiso and we met up with our other friends who had been enjoying their first Kite flying experiences, sadly it was getting quite cold and cloudy by this point but no-one seemed overly worried - so they cracked on making the most of the wind and I did my favourite thing of taking photos of them total win-win situation! 

one for our garden!

My pick of "Bartonettes go to the Beach photos"  can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/PamelaJaynePhotographyMakingMemories here are a couple of my faves in the meantime...




Then the day came to an end - it was cold, it was very windy and we were losing light! So another coffee at - yes you guessed it La Paradiso was taken and we then parted ways - The Barton Family to enjoy another day on the beach for the third and final day of the festival, so off to their hotel and we went off home....

last photo of the Poppies!


Sunset over Niort on the way home!

Looking back!
So all in a lovely day was had, many photo opportunities were taken and we all had red noses from the wind and sun!

For further information of up and coming events at Châtel http://www.holidays-chatelaillon-plage.co.uk/Leisure/Festivities

The Easter Holidays still have a few days left - but the weather has made such a turn for the worse, grey skies full of rain and storms, extreme winds and all in not very pleasant.




Friday 18 April 2014

April excitement at PJP Towers



Well what a busy few days it's been, we are halfway through April, which is scary in itself as we are ever nearer to May - Birthday Month!

I have had much fun since the first of April deciding to record those happy moments on a daily basis - using camera, tablet or mobile I have so far captured 18 days of Happy for my #100happydays album, 100 Happy Days which can be seen here - of course sometimes I don't post on the actual day - that would be silly now wouldn't it? But I have been keeping on top of it, it goes to show how many happy moments can occur on a daily basis!

I have had a photo shoot this week as well, plus a call to take photos for a disabled gentleman for his photos for the Permis de Conduire, whilst there I was asked to take photos of himself and his wife, their first "official photoshoot" in Twenty years!

This followed the very hectic but enjoyable "Making Memories" photo shoot, 3 great grandchildren all under 5 to one very lovely Ann and her granddaughter Jenni.







And before I turn the PC off for the weekend I would like to introduce you to my new page! I have been working on it since February - this will work so well with the new website as well once it's launched!
PamelaJaynePhotoraphy Portraits & Wedding Services  is purely about  Making Memories sessions on the Weddings that I have had the chance to be part of.


And finally  - Happy Easter to you!

Have an enjoyable weekend whatever you do - we are hoping to head to the coast - photo opportunities abound!

PamelaJayne 

Friday 4 April 2014

April it's April?!?

When did that actually happen - well on the First I suppose but really? Who stole the time - again? We left March to beautiful weather, Saturday saw 5 of us pounding up and down the pool in Ruffec taking part in a Sponsored Swim (Nagerthon) we wanted to achieve 100 lengths in the hour, and we did! A nice way of fundraising for the Rotary Club to donate the money raised for a Garden for Disabled people in the town! We then completed a  bike ride of 15.5kms (that .5 is really important!) on Sunday which for us was a good ride as it was the first back out this year! And we found every hill imaginable in our area, as well as the D9 which who knew was so hilly?

I was commissioned to take photos of a very lovely Chambre d'hote La Belle Epoque in March, but have been waiting to share some of the photographs, we were there last year for a Vintage shoot so it was lovely to go back and take photos of the house now ready for the busy Season ahead! Good luck to Olly & Baz :)










The garden is coming along beautifully - I think all the rain in February helped - Spring has Sprung!



The thing is I am definitely one of those people that say "Oh Fritillaria they are my favourite flowers", I shouldn't say that as really I love all plants and flowers, but the three above are amongst my Top Ten or should that be twenty!

Of course the other thing about Spring is the blossoms from Apple, to Almond and now the Pear and Peach there is nothing quite like this time of year is there?
Peach Blossom on my sapling!


Pear reaching high!

I was quite surprised to see the Lilac coming out in bud but maybe that's about the right time - it just seems too early!



As the sun started to go down I played around with settings on the camera (as you do!) and took the blossoms with the sun behind - I was not expecting to see a little flying fly though!


We are lucky to have lanes to the back of us - as you may have seen previously, the farmers have been very busy readying the fields for planting - well they were a week ago (or so it seems) now we have an avenue of Colza (rape) which is so pretty - I know it's evil and nasty as it makes everyone cough and sneeze - me included, well until this year!! 
I have to share this as it's Scooby - totally oblivious to the fact there is a great big Hare not so very far away from him! Even when he did look up, there was no obvious sign he would give chase! Good Old Scoobs!



I am guessing the yellow flowers in the photograph below are some kind of wild Geranium, I rather like them and thinking they would look nice in my "wild garden"


Bumble Bee out in the evening enjoy the last of the sun and the colza!

And so's not to be left out - here is our Lily - growing rapidly and enjoying the joys the Spring Garden is bringing her! I am so hoping she doesn't find a Daddy Long Legs as I have heard bad things about them! Mind you I don't want her going for Bees, Wasps or anything else with a sting really! 



I thought I would partake in the "100 days of Happy" basically taking a photo every day of something that makes you Happy! That can be hard as somethings that make me happy - are going to be hard to photograph! 

My first 4 days go like this .......

Our youngest in her final concert of all the Music classes at Lycée made her sad but made me happy as she proved her talent once again!


Everyone loves surprises? this was mine in my plant tub!
Day 3 eldest sang in this church with the Fac de Musico (Poitiers) it was a beautiful setting and the music was pretty lovely as well!



Now Day 4 is a bit harder as I went Swimming and that makes me really happy so rather than subject you to a photo of me looking ridiculously happy (!) here are the essentials in my kit bag!
I now have to keep this up for another 96 days - wish me luck ;)


 
It rained and rained yesterday, not April showers but full on all day stuff! And it did give me a chance to play - under my Umbrella, ella, ella.....  Hope it cheers up next week though for the German exchange students, no-one likes going to the coast in the rain do they? Anyway I have just realised it's Happy Friday!






 Have a great weekend!

As always if you wish to join me over at my Facebook page and see my latest images please join me PamelaJayne Photography 
PamelaJayne