Enjoy

One can enjoy so many things in the life!

Of course, enjoy each other, when you have someone, is wonderful.

A warm look, a slight caress can also go a long way.

But one can enjoy so many things alone!

A quiet afternoon, with a good book. A child's smile or a bird singing in the tree near your window. A good lunch, some beautiful clouds. A good swim too, as I did yesterday.

One can have joys in life at any age too.

Fog? Use it!

There is a lot less fog in London as it was before, but even the fog may be used.

The sun is wonderful, but the covert days too. Rain or fog, snow or shine, each time has its own appeal and possibilities, if we learn how to use it. As in our life's too.

The photography of weather, by Dr Dapper's class in the Afterclass group showed me how to use all kind of weather, and how to show the weather too,and influenced me a lot. This one is about the Mist and fog thread from that 5th class opened by Bitterroot and the stunning pictures I have seen there.

A morning mist in Paris, covered the city and I could not see anything from Butte Montmartre as usual, but the stairs in mist offered me a rare photography that I would not have taken did not see the great pictures from that class before.

Yesterday in France

It was a sunny day, and I was, again, alone in my garden.

No! not alone: with a book.

With a book "only" at the beginning, later I took my camera. I could not take in the wonderful smell of blowing lilacs but tried and succeeded from time to time to show in image or video the gentle wind blowing on the grass I let express to grow big and on the lilacs branches too.

Great afternoon, and a very quiet one on this side of the chanel for me.

Today, in London

Today, my son and his family are visiting different schools and quarters of London. they have already seen the Lycée Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington, this morning they went to Fulham "we liked it" without finding actually the school, and they were last calling me from the train going to Hanwell, were there is another French school.

I had to lookup the number and street of the different schools on the Web, somehow they forgot to take it with them, and of course, the schools are closed today. But they were also all last week "spring holiday", just as in France.

I went to swim at 8 then took some more images of the iris across the street from me, the light was milder, the images got better.

I felt today being with one foot in London, with one foot near Paris.

Celebration

Today I celebrate the creation of the group afterclass, three years ago, the 26 May.

After two years and 24 month, a different theme each times, we come a long way! As many and even more teachers, and we are now around 2300 members in the group from all over the world.

For 24 month now, I not only administred the group, with more and more help every time I needed from others, also named administrators or moderators, but also was one of the students, trying out the different suggestions month after month.

My photography (but also my life) became richer at the same time.

Yesterday: important

Sometimes, the life seems drab, nothing comes out as I would have liked, as I imagined it.

I swam every day last week 500 meters and was very proud of it. When I told my son, later to my fellow Weight Watchers, they only answered in a lukewarm tone: Ah?

But then, I went stopped near a square and found some orange poppies! Not red, as usual. The sun was shining on them, and I could not stop taking more and more photos of them.

From there, I went directly to the pool to swim my daily 500 meters. So what? It is perhaps not important for others, but it is important for me!

The British Council

The British Council, in Paris is not far from the Eiffel Tower, but very near the National Assembly, Congress and at only three minutes of the metro station Invalides.

We went there yesterday: my grand children take this week a class there, their first steps in English. Already, they are learning a small play they'll perform at the end of the stage, of course, in English.


At two o'clock, on the street nearby the Council, coming out probably from a lunch, many military with their wife's. They looked so great, I could not resist to take this picture of them. I was not near, but here is one that looks nearer: I just cropped it.

I do not see such elegant looking people around noon in my suburb town during or after noon time.

From the same corner, looking in the opposite direction, I could not resist to the Eiffel tower either. In real it looked nearer then in this photo, as I can zoom only three times nearer with my small camera.

My grand children are going to London Saturday until Wednesday afternoon. That will be their first time, as for their mother too. I hope their first impression will be as good as was mine, I was about my daughter of law age then. It was spring and London was beautiful!

The first impressions are so important!

Swimming poole's garden

Very proud of myself: yesterday for the third consecutive day, I went to swim, and as I have lost the first 30 pounds, I could do 500 meters in less then half an hour.

It does not come to the 1 mile I arrived when I was around 50, but that happened almost a quarter of century ago, and at that time, with the help of Weight Watchers I have arrived at 54 kilos. Now, I am around 80, so I have far away to go.

No, I'll never arrive there now, 15 less pounds and I'll be happy now.

In school holidays the pool is open more hours and there are also less swimmers, so it is a joy to go, plus with 30 pounds less, it is more easy to go up the stairs of the pool.

Two self portraits showing how happy I am to have had the force to begin swimming again, and how well I feel after it. Even when the wind blows on my newly dried hair. Funny!

It is good to feel happy about one self, and we can do it with challenges depending only of ourself.

A little move

I make so much for a little move, but they are other women, moving so much far away!

I published this images also in my french blog, but I feel that I shoud show them also here. Not only the World is huge, and different, not only the distances big, but there are even other seasons, from one place to the other.

While my lilas are slowly opening in this spring comming slowly near Paris, but also near London, not far away, in Quebec, Canada, the snow is yet all present.

Etolane blog from 2003 she is showing us her daughter and speaks as usually open about her life.

April Snowman, par Etolane.

A courageous woman I follow now for more then three years Etolane, through a difficult child bearing, birth of Lily-le-Soleil, and a near death experience. She is recuperating now and trying to find herself as mother and as individual too, near his beloved husband, having crossed the Ocean for her.

In the far aways islands of Polinésie, Bora-Bora, it is already summer, Annie as you can see below. She left Douadenais near Amiens where I have met her the first time, to follow her husband taking a veterinary cabinet there, at the other side of the globe.
Annie full of courage, of ideas, teaching at her home town Communications, now is begining a new life far away from her familly and country, whom she is visiting now for only two weeks.

En Autralie, the fall arrived as you can see.

From ground level, par Seeing It Through My Eyes.

Anaya, from LifeJournal pseudo ZebraArtiste, speaks about her fight with cancer, whom she conquered, and the difficult night with her grand son, whom she rises now, alone.

Not only I understand better the diversity of the world, but they give me courage.

How many more courageous women, and men also, did I met through Internet! Because of Internet. Weather I have met them personally, like Annie, or just hoping to meet them a day, I have the impression of knowing them, better then people around me, even.

They also tell me: a move from Paris to London? That is not such a big deal!

Orininal and after the darkroom

I do believe in working in the digital darkrooom and making from an image as much as possible, showing what WE have seen it it.

Here is an exemple.


Original photography, as taken in Paris, near a fleet market.
I was interested in his face and body language as soon as have seen him and have taken this one before asking even. Then, he told me "yes" and posed. I did not like the images resulting farther.

He came with me and let me take other images of him on the fleat market - until he got bored.

Home, I looked and played with the images taken that day (a lot in the fleat market) and suddenly zooming in, I see this. Cropped it cleaned the background, and uploaded it.

This one goes farther in his soul: it gives more what I have seen in him.

On my image site: flickr

I have so far about 22 000 images there, and have had more then 300 000 visiting them.

Flickr keeps track not only on the total visits but the visits to each one separatly, at the comments and how many people choose them as "favorite" to be able to come back to it fast or often. Beyond that there is something called "interestingness" that somehow combines all that and more.

Here, between those considered my most 100 interesting ones, are the 12 firsts between them, and in the middle, THE most.


1. La maison rose de la Butte Montmartre, 2. An interesting face, 3. Galambok szeretkeznek, 4. Morning baguettes, 5. Real and reflected, 6. Place Mairie 18e Paris, 7. A cup of café, 8. My first crocus opens for a few minutes, 9. Stairs of Butte Montmartre, 10. La belle tzigane, Transylvania road, 11. Strange things can be seen in Luxembourg garden, 12. Butte Montmartre dans le brume, 13. Ensemble près de la Seine

The last one, only taken last tuesday, jumped rapidly to the 13 position between all my 22 000 images!

Perhaps, here, I could speak a little about each of them, one by one.

1. The maison rose from Montmartre is a miracoulous photography for me: I do not understand really its interest, but already more then 10 000 people had seen it. It is the house painted 100 years ago by one of Utrillo's impressionist painting, in the neighbourhood I lived 23 years. I took some new pictures of the same house: no one looked at them. Perhaps, who knows, this is really better?

2. The man is a crop of a whole image taken from farther. I met him near a car, which was not his, not far from the market I was heading. He agread that I take an image of him, and then "posed" but the image was taken a few seconds before, he did not have time yet to change his real expression.

3. The kissing pigeons is also a crop, plus enhanched in digital darkroom, where I also softened the background. Taken at a place very near my heart: on the bridge on Petit Samos, in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, looking, after 40 years the first time toward the house and flat I lived as child. The pigeons were also on the bridge not far from me. Kissing and kissing. Too occupied to observe me taking, from afar, an image of them.

4. The baguettes were taken and posted for the group "A day in your life", I choose to take it in the bakery of my street's corner, because nothing interesting seemed to happen that day in my life. It became, and, as you see, remained an instant success. Nostalgie? They are good, alas, they last not long time: good only until they are crusty and fresh, for a few hours.

5. The reflected shops are on the bord of Canal Saint Martin in Paris, it was taken an afternoon, at the occasion of one of my first photostrolls with another photographer and blogger Giulia who did live that time in Paris.

6. 7. This is "just" a cup of coffee in my favorite restaurant meeting place Nord Sud, near the mairie 18e, and the other cup of coffee was an experiment, outside a coffee, near Gare Saint Lazar, to point exposure.

8. Why one image is succesfull on the flickr more then others? the people seing them, the groups I show, the image itself, the comentary I add to it? Those opened just for a few minutes, when the afternoon sun arriving in my garden fall on them, and closed then (I did post also the closed ones).

9. I did sharpen this image of the stairs of Butte Montmartre, near Place Abesse: it was one of my firsts photographes taken, if I do remember well in fall 2004, at the occasion of my "documentary class" I was taking then.

10. This beautifull gypsy woman, met on a road of a small village in Transyvania, was the occasion of lots of heated discussions. Strangely, those contributed to its success. I had taken many images of her, and a young photographer then with me had taken images of me while speaking and photographing her. We did understand each other well. Not only speaking in hungarian, but also smiling at each other.

11. At Luxemburg gardens near the Senate, the Senators looking out of the window probably could see her. It was a nice photostroll with a flickr photographer who arrived in Paris from Boston, if I remember. We first went to the market then strolled the Luxemburg gardens.

12. Early in the morning on the top of Butte Montartre: I went there to buy some gifts for Romania where I was heading the day after. There are many pictures of those stairs, not many in the fog. But here the fog works well for me. I like a lot this picture.

13. The last picture is an example of instant success. I do like this one and have let it stand for three days on top of my other pictures plus posted it in different groups. Taken only a few days ago, fast it did jump to this place between all my pictures, dispacing two women, one in a poster and another near it, wich I do like also.

Which one do YOU prefer?

I did nothing yesterday

When I write "I did nothing" for a few days, in fact, immediately I think, really, nothing?

Nor "really".

I did not take new photos, that's all. I did not go "out" a lot. "Only" to the Weight Watchers group meeting, only to buy some foods too.

Only.

But I did spend a lot of time with my photos taken Tuesday, I did spend time on my photo site, Flicker and its groups, I did spend time reading and commenting others blogs and writing mine's.
I read also, and arranged some of my books, too.

Not totally nothing, even if it was nothing specially notable. Probably, that is what I meant by nothing. But building up social network, through the web, takes time, as in real life too, so they add up finally one after the other. The small comments and visits, finally add up, to more then nothing. All together.

Or, sometimes, someone reads what you have written and, suddenly, it becomes important. Then you realise, the days were not spend for nothing.

Ah the beautifull barge!

Ah the beautifull barge!
Originally uploaded by Julie70

She is telling me, towards the end, in french, "péniche" instead of barge, and the very short video perhaps seems long: the barge passes slowly on the Seine.

We were waiting for ducks, who did came later, and she found also sea shells! At the same time you may hear our voices in the background.

I thought, perhaps it gives more the impression, what we did really see. And the water was so beautifull in the sunshine! But mostly my grand daughter presence rendered it even more magic.

A photographe in bud

She is not yet 9 and already her english accent is better then mine.

She also takes macro flower pictures with a lot of care, holding here the open tulip so it does not move.

I had a great day with her yesterday, the 15th, from 8 in the morning to late afternoon, when I let her at her modern dance class. Soon, she will become a Londoner: a lot faster then me, and more easy too.

There are many buttons and possibilities on her small and not expensive camera she begun to use lately more and more. And after our stroll near Seine, we framed some images we have taken, modified others.

Here she taking the image, and the photo taken.

What a great day and photostroll we had together!

It was a big high branch

last summer, and for the first time in six years it gave also flowers, great beautiful ones! every fall it turned all the colors, so I named it my Fall Branch.

In august, it was cut, good or bad intention, but no one told me until I found the leaves drying: as it was attached to a bigger tree, it did not fall down all.

My heart hurt, but the dead was done. I felt a bit better but not really a lot, when we discovered it was my grand son: he wanted to make more beautiful the cat's grave with it...

I made pictures of it, looked, nothing came out... until now: a small brench emerged from almost the base of it. In a few years, it will sure grow hight and beautifull - even if I'll not be able to see it.

Life goes on.

We had good time!

This image should be on the movie (short fragment) but flickr'll give it us later.

It sais: long long time after the poets are no more, their songs runs still on the streets...

We were 15 as I expected, but less than I hoped, but it was a nice time together.
(and I did not put on my hat finally to say my story, but was all in black, which is good for the spectacle) And I did tell my story without paper. So I forgot two important sentences from the two page text, but I could "play it" better.

From face or profil?

It looks so different, from face or profil, and as I learned a few years ago, we do have also two different profils. Plus, looking up or down has a great impact too.

I am preparing my numero about my Nose, and what I do not remember, that is the title of the seven minute piece I'll read this afternoon to my fellow bloggers and photographers.

In preparing it, I am more aware how difficult is, at least to me, to learn it better, so I have to rely less on reading, and also of a good delivery.

I took some short videos and was not very happy about them but they did help giving me some indications, mostly what not to do, as for example, lick my dry mouth between sentences.

In french, but short of 45 seconds, here is the begining of the speach, about a period that happened 30 years ago, written after 15 years.

Debut "Le nez"
envoyé par julie70

It is not bad to make fun of oneself!

Later, I'll try to say a short story in english too.

This is my favorite flower

from my garden just now: I adore its color, let's better say "colors".

From yellow (certains are only yellow) to deep brown, so many nuances, so warm also!

I think, I got this shot right.

From farther, I took also one, but one cannt see what I SEE on them when looking at them!

One more day: the meeting of blogers, photographers and the Orgues de Barbarie is arriving. I have to learn my text.

It snows in London, it snows also in Paris!

We are far from each other, but not so far!

When is snows in Paris, it does so in London too! When the spring tulips are hidden by snow there, they are also here! Thanks TomekDomekto have given me the permission to publish these wonderfull images of snow on tulips in London!

Early in the morning, he took that image and until afternoon all snow have melted. Like here. Finally there is not so much difference between us!

There is only a two hours trip with the train now, but it remains perhaps a huge cultural difference. I'll learn about it!

Snow Tulips, par TomekDomek.

I am afraid of it, at the same time fascinated too.

Hoping for more contacts that I had here the last seven years.

The same passion made us look around and take the image, show it to others. We are not so differrent, finally.

But perhaps, the problem with contact here, the last seven years, was due a lot to me.

Here, the tulips of my neighborgh, noon, the same day.

I went to her the same day I took the snow photos myself, and she told me:

- Come to see me when you want!

Why did I not go to see them? Almost never for the last 7 years I have been here?

OK, at first I was too absorbed by recent loss of dreams, by my divorce. But later?

I hope to have learned something: do not wait so long until a contact around me is established, do not wait for them to come towards me always: go also towards them.

Vidéo! Bord de Seine

Vidéo! Bord de Seine
Originally uploaded by Julie70

This, if it works, comes directly from flickr! not only it works, but it respects the format I gave to flickr for my images and the placement for this blog!

Great première for me! a vidéo, my first on flickr site!

The web moves and flickr moves with it, I am really happy that is happening and that I discoverd how to upload it through a flickr anonce, a group, a vidéo and then a blog... the important is finally I got it!

I did put it also on dailymotion for the moment, but, one can do more easy things with it on flickr, even if for the moment people do not go there to look for videos.

When passionate photographers meet

We were only three yesterday, and most of the time we spoke about the festival we prepare for saturday, of our children too. But before leaving, Peire put on his big hat to show it to me, and of course I took imediatly a picture of him.

No, please look again at Gelzy!

Looking at his compagnion of 30 and more years, he did have a special smile I wanted to catch. Then she put on her red winter hat. Finally I took out my black hat from my car: I do have also one!

Click, clic. Three people, three cameras, lots of photos one of the other. And a great understanding between us.

Here only three images, two taken with my camera by Peire, and the last one by me of him. I did not take one of them two together, but it was such a pleasure to see them happy after so many years of living together!

Perduring love exists, even if not for me, and not only in romance books!

Pub Village Michel 100 rue Ordener Paris

There are nice places, like the english pubs, in Paris too!

I discovered a new one last week and went back yesterday to make reservations for saturday.

We'll listen to music and sing and speak together, the afternoon.

Rosy is welcoming at the bar.

She did not loose her smile, even when I forgot to pay for my expresso last week. Yes, finally I did remember and went back to pay for it. She makes a real good french expresso. Of course, she does serve also a glass of wine and does speak as much as her free time permits to the clients. She does not have much free time, they have to be quit tired toward the end of the day!

Snow in spring

In Paris the spring came early this year and last week it was even warm. The tulips in our gardened opened, one after the other, the cherry tree was in full bloom too.

Looking out of the window I have seen the sun shining, this morning, but going out I had a huge surprise: it did snow this night!

The open tulips bend their back under the snow, but they will straighten up again. What a lesson of life and also, a good subject to photographer.

For a writer, for a photographer, a creator, anything happening around is welcome, going to Paris this morning, after I have taken a few images of my snowed garden and flowers, I was happy and determined: whatever will arrive, I'll have what to write about. What to show you, about what to speak.

Paris 18e market

I went yesterday back to my old quarter in Paris 18e, where I used not only to live but also work and live.

The market is not very far from the 18e arrondissement's town hall and it has colourful sellers and lots of nice people around.

A small restaurant, I discovered, will permit us to hold a blog and photo meeting, next Saturday, but not early as even at three they did still serve food. It smelled and looked delicious.

That was also the place where I took one of my firsts candid photography and also asked later a lady sitting with her dogs outside to take her photo. At more then 70 she had a wonderful red beret and looked to young, holding her court, meeting her friends at the café around four every day or at least very often.

That was my first candid photo, I caught her tasting and tasting - until the seller also caught her and asked her how much she wanted to buy.

So many times I return with joy at the same places: I made this morning the count: Already more then 500 portraits taken on and around Butte Montmartre and behind it.

One can see them in the set called Montmartrois, not only those living there, but also those working and visiting of course are included.

Old, but not giving up

She is painting, drawing on Montmartre.

Another, I met yesterday is making in the market different objects from wood. The third is shopping for his familly.

We are not giving up!

Each of us does something, either to live better or to rest alive.

Alas, I met also old people who looks as if they did already give up, and even some very young ones.

Just look at them in the metro of Paris. How different with the man I met yesterday, working in the market. And so many others of us, living our lifes as full as possible.

Ok, we have a certain age, but we do not feel old inside!

Arriving

I am as far from London as they were from me, Wednesday in the forest. But they did approach, jogging.

I do not run, I walk slowly. But some day, I'll arrive too.

For the moment, I am trying to find a place in Paris to meet with other bloggers and photographs and readers. Yes, the anonymous too!

We'll meet the 12 April and listen to 'Orgue de Barbarie' and Gelzy. I did listen to the Orgue when they just bought it, it was not even painted yet. Now it is in Paris for the first time and Peire will play it for us.

Orgue de Barbarie 1
envoyé par julie70

A year later, in their house, outside a small village, they made me a whole hour of concert, playing the Orgue de Barbarie and singing. It was wonderful!

So, let's find birds

It is not so easy to find birds as is flowers. In my garden I have different flowers and there are also many in parks, but even if I hear sometimes early morning birds singing near my window, I never see them.

So, where to find birds?

In Paris there is a special market, near the Seine, selling birds. In cages. Brrr. I could go to the zoo garden of Vincennes, again closed birds. No.

I begun to study Internet: where to find birds in Paris or around.

Finally came up with park Sausset in Seine Saint Denis, near Aulnois-de-Bois, not far from Charles de Gaulle Airport, only 30 minutes with my car. Not difficult to find it, to park my car.

And now?

Finally I asked a couple arriving where is the pond and they did explain me. Birds? There were lots of them: I heard them!

I could even see some from very far, but when I came nearer, they either flew away, or run away, or swim away.

As I took not only my small camera but also the Samsung that has a seven times zoom, I could do some ducks and took also a bird. Mostly, I did enjoy the fresh air and the walk. It was closed sky day, but without rain.

I took 26 pictures, that you can see here (for the moment 20 but the other arrive soon.

The birds more difficult species then the flowers of last month!

But until the end of month perhaps, I'll still learn something, and if not, I would have moved more then before. At any age, moving is good for you, but walking after 70 even more.

Japon, Australie, France, UK

From Japan, Tanakawho has brought her sensibility about flowers to our AfterClass group at flickr. At midnight Paris time, Richard from Australia has begun his class about birds. Steve is preparing his class for Mai about emotions, from London.

We are so far from each other and each of us with its specific culture.

In France I follow my cherry tree opening day by day its flowers, while Richard in Australia does photographer the autumn leaves going more red day by day, and Edith from Montana sends pictures of snow covered mountains. Summer time south, the balls rolls on a beach of Sicily.

There will be two years, at the end of this month, that I created afterclass: I learned so much while conducting it from behind! Following the lives of the different teachers but also all those having contributed with a picture or more from their own surroundings.

Yes, our culture are different. We learn about flowers from Tanakawho from Japan, about birds Richard from Australia will teach us this month, and, yes, Steve from UK will speak about showing emotions through pictures next month.

I feel in the middle of the world, so united with all!

It could be a life, even after 74! Not the same as when I was 24, I agree, but rich and eventful. I am again optimistic about what will come.