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1. GCleare favourited berelaxed's entry for 10 May ~ 10 May
2. jkj10 favourited GCleare's entry for 1 May ~ 3 May
3. GCleare favourited jkj10's entry for 1 May ~ 1 May
4. GCleare posted an entry for 1 May ~ 1 May
5. dbifulco subscribed to GCleare's journal ~ 28 April
6. GCleare favourited Katherineellis's entry for 24 April ~ 28 April
7. GCleare favourited Bob20's entry for 22 April ~ 28 April
8. GCleare favourited dbifulco's entry for 26 April ~ 28 April
9. GCleare posted an entry for 28 April ~ 28 April
10. GCleare favourited BethanneElion's entry for 9 April ~ 9 April

I am a writer, photographer and graphic designer. Most of my days are spent babysitting my granddaughter, working on the computer, writing novels (I am on my third) and snapping pictures.

I live on an historic farm in Masschusetts with miscellaneous family, dogs, cats, chickens, black bears, blue herons, bobcats, rushing streams and wide, windy skies.

We have a big organic garden and I like to start the plants from seed under grow lights. Every fall, I put up dozens of jars of tomato sauce. The closer I get to the land, the happier I feel. Watching the seasons change is fascinating, and I make a calendar every year from the best images I've captured.

My first camera was an ancient Kodak 35 mm that my Dad gave me when I was 15. We travelled around Europe that summer and I learned about F stops and shutter speeds, using a handheld light meter and my intuition to figure out the proper settings. Amazingly, everything came out great and this led to a lifelong addiction to photography. I earned extra money in college by doing portraits of the other girls and joined the photography club to use their darkroom. When my first son was born, I set up a little darkroom in our only bathroom so I could print my black and white photos of him. The only problem was nobody could use the facilities while I was in there...including me, since the enlarger sat on the toilet seat!

The digital revolution was welcomed by me with open arms...no more chemicals required, and immediate gratification was now possible. I can edit my images when necessary and experiment with effects. It is amazing fun, and only too easy to get swept away for hours and hours.

I found Blipfoto via my friend Bethanne, who is my sister mermaid from childhood days spent swimming at Lake Sebago in Maine. Many thanks to her for the introduction to this warm, generous community of talented individuals! Peeking into your lives every day is incredibly entertaining, and I've learned a lot more about photography from reading your journals.

Thanks!

You can see more of my photography and writing (including sample chapters from my novels) at my website:

www.gailcleare.com