I never filled this in when I started on Blipfoto so thought I'd just give a little background.  I live in the Cotswolds with my darling husband Alistair and our dear little 16 year old lurcher called Holly dog.  We have lived here since 23rd December 1998 - Christmas was a bit chaoti Read more...

I never filled this in when I started on Blipfoto so thought I'd just give a little background.  I live in the Cotswolds with my darling husband Alistair and our dear little 16 year old lurcher called Holly dog.  We have lived here since 23rd December 1998 - Christmas was a bit chaotic that year.

I have always loved photography ever since winning a Blue Peter badge for a photo of my hamster in his cage, taken through the bars!  I was certain I'd win first prize and not doing so was one of life's first big disappointments!  However, having a Blue Peter badge today more than makes up for it.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2011, having a mastectomy, followed by powerful  chemotherapy and radiotherapy, we  came to the conclusion that life is short and not worth putting things off - hence my acquiring a "proper" camera, a Nikon 5300.  I am still getting to grips with all the wonderful things it can do and really love the results.  I can now take a photo of something and it more or less comes out as I'd envisaged it.

I have been Blipping since the summer (encouraged by Aliscotia) and haven't looked back since.  It's so good being part of such a lovely, encouraging, friendly community.  Long may it continue.

Before living quietly in the Cotswolds, I spent most of my working life in London and, from 1989 to 1995, spent six memorable years in the great city of Chicago.  So many wonderful photographic opportunities in the States ("Kodak moments" as they were called in those days of film!) and only wish I'd had a DSLR camera back then.  But it's never too late so on with the blipping!

Update 2020

Since our little Holly dog died in July 2016, we have been fostering dogs from the Dogs Trust, waiting for the right time to get another dog.  That time came this year, shortly after the Coronavirus lockdown, in the form of Ivy, a 3 month old whippet puppy who has kept us busy and amused in equal parts as well as providing a good source of blipping material!

stephieclark@9farmington.co.uk