a rose at Regent Park

I love this dress. I love these photos. I love Regent Park in London. A few weeks ago, I took my camera, my camera manual, and myself over to the park to take some outfit photos and learn a bit more about Frank (my Nikon). He and I have been together for two years, this Christmas, and I still feel so ignorant about him. The more I learn the better my photos will be and that's a goal of mine. I enjoyed taking these photos and I really like how they turned out. I only like taking "outfit photos" when there is an emphasis on photo. I want to take good pictures not just showcase clothing.


What I really want is to work on portraits. I think when I get home I will start pestering my friends to let me use them as models. The only person I feel super comfortable photographing though is Boyfriend. I need to build confidence if I plan to go anywhere with photography (which I do). Oh, new layout! You probably noticed. I really wanted to have a simple layout where the focus was on the photographs not miscellany. Also, I have an 'about me' section now! Longtime readers probably know all of that but I thought it would be nice for new people!


One more thing, does the post title remind anyone else of the short story A Rose for Emily? I really loved that story.

vondelpark

On our last day in Amsterdam, Ellie and I took the tram to Vondelpark and spent a few hours there.* Like the other European parks I've explored (i.e. Hyde Park and Holland Park in London) Vondelpark is a fantastic mix of open green space and wooded areas. There are a number of little ponds and lakes where ducks and swans were playing. It is a beautiful park and on Sunday it was filled with people biking, picnicking, and frolicking.

A magic gazebo on its own island :D.


Ellie and I tried to picnic by the water but the grass was too wet and within minutes had soaked through my furry bear of a coat. We moved ourselves to a bench and enjoyed a pepper chedder, a mild chedder, brie & jam, half a loaf of bread, and apples. We had purchased the cheese and bread earlier that day and we had so much that it ended up serving as both lunch and dinner. My favorite combination (introduced to me by Ellie) was brie spread on the fluffy, white bread with jam on top. Yummy!


After our picnic and when we were tired of meandering aimlessly through the pretty park we stopped at this statue to bask in the sun (like iguanas). It was a sunny day but cool enough that we kept our coats on most of the time. I think the natives considered it a warm day; everyone but us were dressed in short sleeves or light jackets.

On my next trip to Amsterdam I want to explore the park further. Apparently there is an arboretum and many more acres than we made it to.

*Why am I posting about my Amsterdam adventure starting with the end? Because it was my favorite day there and I'm getting sick and prefer to reflect on the best part!