Monday 30 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Challenge Eight: Understand Depth of Field

 

What is 'depth of field'? As Elsie and Emma say in the book, it 'refers to the amount of your photo that is in focus.' Deep depth is if all of the photo is in focus, shallow is if the subject is in focus and the background blurry.

As I've decided to use my trusty iPhone camera for most of the challenges, I can't use a manual depth of field control but there's an easy fix to manipulate depth of field which I'll be doing with my subject Beau!

In the first photo I photographed Beau directly against the wall to create a deep depth of field...


In the second, Beau patiently (with the help of a treat) moved forward away from the wall to create a shallow depth of field with the wall blurry in the background...


Maybe I should have used a human model for my first venture into testing depth of field but I couldn't resist his little face! I definitely like the effect of the shallow depth of field better with the black and white background blurred into the back making Beau's eyes really stand out.

I'm very much looking forward to challenge nine where I'll be making homemade filters!

Jane x

Sunday 29 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Photo Challenge Seven: Take Macro Photos

For this challenge I decided to extend it past one day and challenge myself to take a macro picture everyday for a week. I thought about a number of different daily activities but decided on photographing something everyday on my walk with my labrador Beau as, after getting this far in the challenge, I know that photographing outside is always better on an iPhone.

To be honest, I'd heard about macro photos but never quite knew what they were, the A Beautiful Mess girls said in the book...

'Macro photos are extremely close-up photos of features or objects.'


A few key tips in the book were to pick a sharp point of focus with the rest of the image being blurry, choose a subject with lots of colours or textures and it's ok if you can't tell what the picture is!

Seven Days of Daily Walks in Macro...








 Jane x

View previous posts...
Introduction to the A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book 
Challenge One: Photograph Your Pet
Challenge Two: Capture Unique Personal Details
Challenge Three: Get the Best Cell Phone (or Point and Shoot Camera) Photos
Challenge Four: Know How to Use Overcast Light vs. Direct Sun
Challenge Five: Find Flattering Window Light
Challenge Six: Take a Shadow Portrait

Thursday 26 September 2013

Hattie’s Wines founder Becca Reeves talks to us about life, wine, her advice for budding entrepreneurs and who Hattie really is…

Becca Reeves, is an experienced wine buyer, who got tired of the stuffy way wine is talked about and sold, and after a leap of faith and good dose of self-belief, her wine business Hattie’s Wines was born. We had the pleasure of meeting and working with the team at Hattie’s Wines earlier this year while they were working very hard to launch the business and have quickly established its place in the online wine-buying arena. 


Katie & Jane


Founder Becca has created a fun, interactive and engaging way of sharing and selling her carefully selected wines by tapping into the secondary thoughts that occur when looking for a good wine such as food pairings and occasions, and our favourite feature on the site... the Hattie's Shuffle of course!


We wanted to share the inspiration behind Becca’s venture into business, the driving force behind her brand, her advice for budding entrepreneurs, and of course, a few of her favourite things...


What was the a-ha moment that inspired you to create your own business? 
I’ve been very fortunate in my career to work at some great companies and do jobs that I have loved. But in more recent years, I found that there was something missing, I was looking for a new challenge but I couldn’t seem to work out what it was! I’d always toyed with the idea of having my own business but I had never had the confidence to believe I could actually do it, always finding reasons not to do it. Finally I ran out of reasons and it was my partner (who started his own business 10 years ago) who helped convince me to have the self-belief to go for it and it’s been the best decision I ever made! 


Why did you choose the name ‘Hattie’s Wines’ ?
I wanted the business to have a personal feel to it and have a real name, but I didn’t want to use my name. Hattie’s Wines was not created to promote me, it started as I felt there was a real need for something different, fun and engaging in the world of wine. There’s also a bit of fun to be had with it in terms of hats, and possibly even some kind of “mad Hattie’s” events in the future!


What was the ethos behind the branding and 'Hattie'?
Hattie is not just the name of the company, she is the persona behind it. On the website it says:


“Hattie is the woman we all want to be; she's the best part of ourselves plus the best bits of all our friends and people we know……. I like to think that wine should make women feel a bit like Hattie – knowledgeable, sophisticated and in control but having fun at the same time.”


Too much of what exists in the wine world is very technical, stuffy and serious so I wanted to put a bit of real life enjoyment back in! Hopefully the branding and the look & feel of the website reflect this.



Katie & Jane

What has been your biggest challenge to date? And how did you overcome it?
There have been lots of very specific difficulties such as massive technical problems delaying the launch of the website, but the biggest single challenge for me was, and still is, how to go about actually doing all the parts that are involved in running a business. Cashflow and financial planning (er?), social media (I had sent about 7 tweets before I started Hattie’s), writing website copy and emails to customers, planning events…… the list goes on! 


I had an idea and a vision of what I wanted it to become but I not a clue on how to get there! It’s amazing what you learn on the way, and the most invaluable and awe-inspiring thing for me continues to be the number of people who want to help and get involved. Friends, former colleagues and new contacts have skills that I don’t and are so generous with their time and advice. If you surround yourself with positive people and you’re prepared to ask for help, you won’t go far wrong. That, and ignoring the negative doom-mongers!


Have there been any moments when you just wanted to pack it all in?
Yes, frequently! Especially as it’s only me making the decisions. There are days when I just want to hide in a cave by the beach with no phone, WIFI or laptop. But, all that being said, and even in the darkest moments, I would still rather be doing Hattie’s than anything else. It has become a part of me in a way that no other job ever was. Don’t get me wrong, getting up in the morning isn’t any easier (I somehow thought that when I had my own business, I would bound out of bed everyday!) but at the end of each day, when you collapse exhausted into bed, you feel like you have achieved so much more.  


If you weren't spreading the vino love with Hattie’s, what would you be doing?
This is difficult, I haven’t thought about it! Work-wise, I guess I’d be buying wine for someone else (which is no bad gig). I couldn't imagine a life outside of wine! If I wasn't working and money was no object, I’d take my friends on a pilgrimage of all the great wine regions of the world, and I would learn to cook on the way! 


What keeps you striving forward in business?
On the good days, the belief that what you’re doing is going to be brilliantly successful. On the bad days, the fear of failure! 



Katie & Jane

A few of your favourites…

Way to relax? 
Glass of great wine, obviously! Ideally with a book, in the sunshine.
Aid to well-being? 

Er, wine, of course. Aside from that, rooibos tea and as much sleep as possible!
Fitness activity? 

Swimming, again, ideally outside in a warm climate!
Wine? 

Too impossible to choose! There are so many brilliant wines. All I can say is that I don’t drink wines I don’t like or that I don’t think are very good. It’s a cliché, but life really is too short.
Food? 

Mushrooms!! I could have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Song? 

Let’s Hear It For The Boy by Deniece Williams, from Footloose!
Hero? 

Nelson Mandela
Quote?
I have loads of quotes I love, most of them wine related. But I think my favourite is one more akin to my other hobby: 


A Beautiful Mess

And finally... what piece of advice would you give to entrepreneurs to inspire them to give their dreams a go?
  • I might be showing my age a little here, but I’d say take the Doctor Pepper view of life – "what’s the worst that could happen?!" If the worst isn't something disastrous like losing your home, i.e. if you have the financial ability to do it, then just go for it! 
  • There will always be a million reasons not to try, but write down or talk about the reasons to do it instead, and don’t listen to the gremlins in your head that say you’re not good enough, or don’t have the right experience or contacts. 
  • Having enough self-belief was and is still one of my biggest challenges. Get your friends and family on board from the start so they can support you. If there are any regrets, it’s always better to regret what you have done and not what you didn't do.
Becca Reeves

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love to enjoy a glass of wine (especially with my mum & sister!) but I also get very agitated if I'm not trying new things too, life is for living after all! However, as much as I want to venture into trying a bottle of something new, I find the prospect quite overwhelming as I stand in the supermarket aisle, and almost always go for a trusty old favourite. Not anymore. 


A really great feature of the site is that all of the wines in the Hatties range have been independently reviewed by three different writers, all of them wine lovers, consumers and great writers who want to share their love of the Hatties Wines, including creator of the Knackered Mothers' Wine Club, and new wine expert on The Alan Titchmarsh Show Helen McGinn

However we don't always have the time to invest in researching the little, but lovely things in life, so Hattie's Wines have cleverly made it easier than ever to find a new potential favourite by doing the Hattie's Shuffle which presents you a selection of wines you may like after using a few simple filters to input your likes and dislikes.

Do the shuffle for yourself and find out all about Hattie’s Wines here. Stay in touch with the team on FacebookTwitter and Pinterest too as they inspire you each day with new wine favourites, delicious recipes and fun hat-wearing competitions! 

Katie x

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Moleskine - The Legendary Notebook

I thought Moleskine was one of those classic brands that has been around for centuries so I was surprised to discover that notebooks were only brought back to life in 1997 by a small publisher based in Milan. It's the timeless story behind the legendary Moleskine notebook that goes back hundreds of years...

icon
There once was a nameless simple black rectangular notebook with rounded corners, an elastic page-holder and an internal expandable pocket that was used by artists and thinkers including Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway. This notebook was created by a small French bookbinder in Paris and became a trusted travel companion of the greats. It was English novelist and travel writer Bruce Chatwin who named his favourite notebook 'moleskine' and despite all the popularity, in the 1980s, the small family-owned company went out of business and these notebooks were no more.

Sixteen years ago the notebooks were brought back to life and the company fittingly called the brand 'Moleskine'. Today, the name is synonymous with travel, imagination and memories in the real and digital world with their notebooks, diaries and journals, bags, writing instruments and reading accessories, making the brand loved by millions the world over - including me!

icon
icon

Although I love the fun, colourful stationery lines of Australian stationers, Kikki.K when I am looking for a more classic, substantial notebook, it's off to Moleskine I go. I don't hide the fact that the brand is one of my 'best things in life' - see our blog post on the subject here. Not only can you get simple, gorgeously bound lined, plain and squared notebooks, journals and diaries of all different sizes, I adore the ranges of limited edition collections, creativity, themed and travel notebooks.

Moleskine’s unique 'Themed' range features an extensive number of journals from dessert journals to baby journals, film journals to style journals. That brings me onto one of my favourite products which I featured as my 'top pick' for August - the Moleskine Wellness Journal. Read all about it on our 'Products We Love' page.

icon
icon

Next on my list of stationery to lust after (yes I am that sad!) is from Moleskine's 'Limited Edition' collection; an Evernote Smart Notebook. The notebook uses Evernote's Page Camera to capture the pages of the notebook! It then allows you to organise notes through Smart Stickers and Smart Tagging as the icons become searchable - great for those (like me) who love to be organised!

Moleskine's website is stationery heaven and I urge you to have a look. Not only at the vast array of quality products but they engage really well with online consumers. I particularly like the way they promote the Moleskine app by posting tweets from users on the website.

Now... I must stop looking before I get too carried away!

Jane x


Monday 23 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Photo Challenge Six: Take a Shadow Portrait


Shadow portraits are a fun, unique variation on usual photos, especially if you don't fancy your face in the shot! The A Beautiful Mess girls give you a few simple rules in the book... take shadow pictures in the early morning or late afternoon, remember that shapes are very important as you can't capture details and try to capture the environment around you too.

I took the rules into consideration when taking this photo of myself and Mark with my iPhone camera. Of course, being in Autumnal England, we had a window of about five minutes to take the picture before the sun went in again!


 Although we did a number of poses, trying to create different shapes, I liked this simple one the most. I took it in late afternoon on the freshly mowed grass because the vivid green looked nice against our dark shadows.

Jane x

View previous posts...

Saturday 21 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Challenge Five: Find Flattering Window Light

As a (very!) amateur photographer, I wouldn't normally position my photos to directly focus around a window so I found this part of the book interesting and, although it was a little hard, the subject was explained excellently by Elsie and Emma.


One of my oldest friends Lucy, has got a gorgeous window in her country kitchen so after our morning exercise session I got her to pose in front of the window for me. The book says to look for natural light when photographing indoors and get the subject to face the window or stand adjacent to it. We played around but found standing adjacent was better without the morning sun blinding poor Lucy!


I found positioning this shot pretty tough. In order to follow the rule as stated in the book 'the more light on the subject the better', Lucy's whole face would have had to be facing the window and it wouldn't have given a natural shot. I'm looking forward to more practice with this challenge! Although the light isn't on Lucy's beautiful face and eyes, it catches her golden locks which I really like and also makes her skin look illuminated with lovely colouring.

Thanks for modelling Lucy!

I'll be taking a shadow portrait for challenge six!


Jane x

View previous posts...

Friday 20 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Photo Challenge Four: Know How to Use Overcast Light vs. Direct Sun

I was looking forward to this challenge as, to be honest, I have never really considered the light when taking photos that much before. I normally just snap away which is why I'm finding the book so valuable!


The book gives some great examples of pairs of photos taken at the same time in direct sunlight and the other in shade and the difference is amazing and I found the same when comparing my pictures.

The weather was perfect so I asked Katie nicely if she'd model for me testing both direct sunlight and shade. In the bright sun the colours of Katie's clothes completely changed making them become distorted with light bouncing off them. The picture in the shade turned out so much better and the lack of blinding sun made it much more comfortable for Katie! I like the way her hair caught the wind whilst I was making Katie laugh giving a lovely, natural smile.


 Tomorrow's challenge is 'Find Flattering Window Light'...

Jane x

View previous posts...

Jamaica Me Crazy - A Travel Review

I've just returned from Jamaica and what better way to remember my time out there than write a blog post to go into our ever-mounting travel section! With its chilled-out vibe, happy people and clear blue waters, Jamaica is textbook Caribbean.

Grand Palladium Resort and Spa Jamaica

Having been lucky enough to go to Australia in March we wanted a 'bomb-out' summer holiday where we literally lay on a sun bed and relaxed – Jamaica is certainly the perfect place to do that! We decided to book with Thomson Holidays for ease and chose the Grand Palladium Resort and Spa in a lesser-known part of the island, Lucea. Lucea is a small unspoilt town on the island's northwest coast away from the usual tourist spots of Negril and Montego Bay.

After the nine hour flight (with Thomson long-haul not feeling that much different to short-haul!), we were luckily upgraded to an ocean view room as we had two special occasions to celebrate during our two-week stay. The ocean view made all the difference with a private balcony and views stretching out over the Caribbean Sea. Lucea was quite a way from the island's main attractions, for example climbing the Dunn's River Waterfalls was on our list of things to do but we didn't fancy the six-hour round-trip! We wanted a quiet holiday though and Lucea met our needs as well as having lots of facilities in the resort such as a spa, watersports, tennis and four pools to keep us entertained.

Swimming pool Jamaica

One really memorable thing was just how friendly and happy the Jamaican people in our resort were. We would walk to breakfast with the sounds of the gardeners singing their very own reggae tunes and people would stop to say hello or offer us a freshly fallen coconut. The most common phrase was 'no problem mon' and it did seem like everyone was on beach time... maybe it was the 'special tobacco' we could smell occasionally or the rum punch which was on tap - we'll never know!

We were slightly concerned about the weather when booking our holiday for the end of August into September but we actually looked forward to the daily 2pm rain showers giving us the chance to play a game of tennis or relax in the indoor spa and have a much-needed break from the sun. The sun was so powerful, it definitely seemed hotter there than in any other country I've visited so P20 and lots of it was needed for my skin. I saw many people burn despite them loading up on sunscreen. Another product which helped my tan to develop was Cowshed's Spearmint Exfoliating Sea Salt Scrub - I used it twice a week so stop peeling and to nourish and protect my skin. Gorgeous!

Jamaica was just how I'd pictured it... luscious green plants everywhere dotted with the most colourful flowers I've ever seen alongside a backdrop of the ocean as clear as a swimming pool. You appreciate the daily rain as it clearly keeps the island vibrant and full of life.

Weather in Lucea, Jamaica

I've not travelled all-inclusive before because, as I've said in previous posts, I really enjoy getting to know a country and the culture of the place. Let's just say my first all-inclusive experience (the food and organised entertainment in particular!) was memorable, it's not for me but I'm happy I got to travel to the stunning island of Jamaica all the same!

Highlights
  • A daily non-alcoholic ice blended Piña Colada drink by the pool to kickstart my day!
  • Gaining total relaxation with days slowly drifting into nights and the inability to work out what day it was!

Lucea, Jamaica

 Must-dos
  • Devour a plate of Jerk Chicken on the beach with a side of Scotch Bonnet spicy sauce... or if you're a veggie like me try the traditional dish of Gumbo
  • Visit Montego Bay - I could see the twinkling lights of this vibrant place from the balcony and really wish I'd spent some time there

Peace mon, Jane x

Thursday 19 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Photo Challenge Three: Get the Best Cell Phone (or Point and Shoot Camera) Photos


For Challenge Three, I took into account the key tips from the book when taking this photo of my fiancé Mark's wellies whilst on a walk with our dog Beau...
  • Capture as much light as you can
  • Get close
  • Experiment with apps


I don't carry my camera during 'routine' activities such as walking Beau (maybe I'll start!) so this challenge prompted me to use my iPhone to record lovely moments. Following the tips I picked a time when the sun was shining onto Mark's wellies, got up nice and close (in the stream!) and used Instagram to edit the photo afterwards as mentioned in the book.

So far I'm enjoying the challenges... tomorrow's is 'Know How to Use Overcast Light vs. Direct Sun' and I need to ask someone nicely if they'll model for me (Katie?!)

Jane x

View previous posts...

Twitter Lists and How to Use Them

I was compelled to write a post about Twitter, one of my favourite social networks, and its feature 'lists' after talking to many tweeters and discovering they don't utilise this simple feature at all! The 140-character micro-blogging site updated their list feature back in May so it's interesting to see that people still aren't fully using them.


Twitter Logo

What are Twitter Lists?

According to Twitter 'a list is a curated group of Twitter users.' Lists enable you to categorise your followers into lists that you create so you can easily see tweets from specific groups, meaning less scrolling through thousands of tweets on your feed!

For example, if you jump onto Twitter in the morning and want to catch up on the news rather than reading what your friends are having for breakfast, simply flick to your 'news' list! Organising friends from topical tweeters is a basic (but useful!) way to use Twitter lists.

You can also follow other people's Twitter lists which is great for building relationships online and it makes it easier to search tweets around topics you love on the platform.

How to Use Lists

Lists are easy to create... all you need to do is go onto your profile and click 'Lists' on the left-hand side to view, manage and create new lists. For a run-through from Twitter see their official instructions here.


Twitter profiles

There are two types of list; public and private. Just remember that if you make a list public (meaning other people can follow that list too), the users you add receives a notification that they have been placed on your list. This may make people view your profile and follow you back so, again, it's great for networking.

I Love a Good List!

I use lists as it makes my time spent on Twitter much more simple, quick and organised (and I love being organised!). I have around 15 lists organised into different subject areas I'm passionate about (social media, wellbeing, running and celebrities are my most frequented lists!). My lists mean whatever mood I'm in, I don't need to scroll through my newsfeed to find some great information whether it be for relaxing, inspiring me or finding some news for work.

TwitterCounter is a site which tracks the statistics of Twitter users and lists and has an interesting '100 most popular Twitter lists' feature which is refreshed daily so it's a good idea to take a look at that when you're starting out using lists.

Initially, get involved in lists by following a few and then creating your own. Twitter can be overwhelming at times - if you follow more than 100 people, your newsfeed can easily reach thousands of tweets a day! With all that information, it does become difficult to read the tweets that really matter to you... with Twitter's most under-used feature, it's simple!

If you'd like to get added to one of my lists (and why wouldn't you!?), follow me @janiexx


Jane x 

Wednesday 18 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Photo Challenge Two: Capture Unique Personal Details

I'm working through my challenges as they appear in the book and 'Capture Unique Personal Details' is under the 'Capture Your Favourite People' section so although I would have photographed me 'scrapbooking', I decided to think about what the people around me enjoy.

A Beautiful Mess Photo Book

The book says that personal details are the things that remind you the most of each person which got me thinking about my dad's first love... cycling! But, I couldn't forget about his love of reading and writing which he has passed onto me too.

I love cycling

Although this picture is a little 'staged' as my dad's cycling stuff and books are scattered around the place, all the items in the picture mean a lot to him... cards from friends, the Tour de France, the very first book he wrote on education and two bike statues that I spotted and bought for him.

I need to think about lighting a little more as the light reflection is not quite right but I can do that in tomorrow's challenge - Get the Best Cell Phone Photos!

View my introduction to the A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book and Challenge One: Photograph Your Pet here

Jane x

Tuesday 17 September 2013

A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book & Challenge One

I admire the bloggers Elsie and Emma who are behind the blog, A Beautiful Mess and Katie surprised me with their new Photo Idea Book for my birthday hot off the press from the States (it's not available in the UK yet) and I love it!

A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book

Within the 200 plus pages are 95 inspiring ideas for photographing your friends, your world and yourself. They recommend you pick your favourite challenges from the book and get on with them so that's what I'm doing! I have decided not to use Instagram to edit my photos although I usually do (see my profile here) unless recommended to do so within the book. On our blog, over the coming weeks, I'll post the results... I am no David Bailey but I'm looking forward to improving as I go along (hopefully!).

A Beautiful Mess Photo Challenge One: Photograph Your Pet

Photo Ideas

My first challenge 'photograph your pet' is one I knew I'd enjoy despite it being hard to find a time when my Golden Labrador Beau is calm! I waited until the evening although the book does say natural light is best, it wasn't possible for me. I tried to capture the true personality of Beau as the book recommends so when I saw him sneak onto my bed for a little sleep, which he naughtily does a lot, I grabbed my iPhone 5 for some photos! A key tip from the book is to take lots of photos and that was very useful. Here's my final photo for challenge one...

Dog sleeping

I love the white light in the room and also the colour of the throw with his colouring. I adore his nose and paws so tried to focus on capturing them.


Tomorrow's challenge is 'Capture Unique Personal Details'

Friday 13 September 2013

Cachette: An Online 'Hiding Place' Filled With Memory Makers!

Cachette iconis an online store offering beautiful and unusual products designed to their simplest perfection. The products are a mix of timeless, modern and vintage finds for design lovers in search of simple, but meaningful pieces. 

Cachette

Cachette iconis the creation of Stephen and Delphine an Anglo-French couple who left London for the appeal of the beautiful twisting streets of Le Cannet in France and established Cachette iconin 2012.


icon

From home interiors, kitchen accessories and handmade gifts to fine gourmet food and a small children's range, Cachette iconis a brand that is passionate about shining the spotlight on young designers and unknown artisans, much like the inspiration behind another favourite brands Not on the High Street. Online, you’ll find a gorgeous selection of items that have resonated with Stephen and Delphine in some way, in the hope that you will love this happy mix of simple, but functional products as much as they do. icon  
Cushion
Regularly featured in some of our favourite glossy magazines including Living Etc, House & Garden and Country Homes & Interiors, Cachette was awarded as one of the Top 20 Online Interior Shops by the Sunday Times and more recently featured at number three in Elle Decoration’s list of The 21 Best Online Shops.

Wallpaper


Cachette iconmeans 'hiding place' and the duo’s mission is to sell things of simple beauty that have an everyday use within the home, a wealth of hidden gems just waiting to be found. You can see the appearance of this in their intentionally simple, but stunning photography which exudes calmness and stillness with pops of colour here and there.


Wooden Spoons

One of the best parts of the site is the food section (of course!) which presents a range of carefully selected food items including champagne vinegar iconfrom Reims in Champagne,  olive oil iconmade with Taggiasca Olives and sea salt flakes from Sicily icon- a perfect place to find a special gift for someone who loves food. icon  
Champagne Vinegar
I love the unusual products that Cachette offers, and when browsing through the site I kept stumbling across items that seem to transport the imagination to a memory you would very much like to have! This is exactly why I chose this gorgeous heart-warming log torch to create an instant cosy outdoor fire during the chilly September evenings. You can find more of our top picks here. icon

Log Torch

Discover your favourite Cachette items on their website here and join them over on Facebook too.

Click on any of the images above to see the products in more detail, plus you can Get 15% off everything in Cachette Food with code UTDHG until 16/9/13

Enjoy!

Katie x