I’ve moved blogs!

Hey all!

I know I know! Long time no positing right?!  I’m say sorry, am well I am, but I got kinda lost on here.  I lost what my purpose was, what I was actually blogging about.

It did however, let me discover what I REALLY want to do, and I’ve been focusing all my energy on that.  It’s time to start my own business and I am beyond excited!  I’d love all your support and be able to follow you back from my new blog (and portfolio – this one does both!) so please come say hi!  I’ve tonnes to update, and there’s a few posts I’m going to transfer over.

Be awesome to see you there!

www.RuthRidgewayPhotography.com

Home is where the heart is

Considering the wanderlust blood that pumps though my veins, home is feeling so good right now.  I’ve moved house more time than I care to remember, and more than any of my friends can catch up with.  You know you have to put some roots down when every time a friend visits the first question they ask is… “sorry, where do you live again now??”  So, I’ve been planting, laying those roots.  And I’m there, nearly.  Essentials in (and the rest ordered) and in the new year I can focus on those finishing nesting touches.

And 2013 will see the start of my kicking my photography right up the arse.  Yes, I said arse.  And it’s being well and truly kicked.  I’m not getting in the way of me achieving this ambition.  And yup, can hold me to that.

Boy in blue

Do you know what feels good?  Finally realising what you want to do in life.  When a camera’s in my hand, I’m in that happy place that no longer feels like work.  Here’s some of the latest of a little man in blue 🙂

My first baby photography shoot

Here’s just a few from my first baby photography session, completely different to my first kids shoot!  Each time I’m learning a little more and a little more…  I’m trying to get the editing balance just right, I see so many overly Photoshoped baby photo’s, and I really want mine to stay as true to the baby/child as possible, and just enhancing where needed.  YouTube has been fantastic for tutorials and after each session I seem to be getting just a little quicker, and picking up one or two new tricks to play around with.

So guys, this is baby Erin.  Feedback as always appreciated…

My first kids photography shoot

Ok, so my camera is like an extension to my right arm – so it’s about time I put that to some good use.  Step in one of my best friends two girl’s to give me a crash course in photographing children.  Oh, how much they have taught me without even knowing it.

It was great having the both of them, and seeing how 2 very different personalities interact with (or avoid!) the camera.  I was (quietly) nervous entering my first kids shoot, attempting to expect the unexpected with them, but I’ve walked away so excited to take more photo’s, get more experienced and enjoy more days like these!  We did an outdoors shoot and we honestly had such great fun.  They had me smiling and laughing most of the day, and I didn’t feel like I was working at all (isn’t that what we all want?)  I ditched the gym that morning, but after four hours running around and playing with them, all whilst trying to get some great photos, I got all the work out I needed that day!

Insta-Autumn

001: Butter London ‘Sprog‘ // 002: Cute storage // 003: ASOS studded clutch // 004: Topshop high tops // 005: Topshop ‘Sea Mist‘ // 006: It’s all about the huge neck wear // 007: Geometric luuurve // 008: I will sleep!! // 009: Butter London ‘Muggins‘ // 010: Just posin’ // 011: Lazy PJ day // 012: Mini splurge // 013: Last chance to get the toes out before winter sets in // 014: Bath Abbey // 015: Birthday chocolates, yum and yum // 016: Safari! // 017: Deer feeding 🙂 // 018: Plymouth, on a good day // 019: New favourite poem // 020: Mocha love // 021: Beefing up the hair // 022: Longleat House // 023: Whoops // 024: BF gave me his heart… // 025: I’m not sharing my wish with you, it won’t come true // 026: These little guys weren’t shy! // 027: Bath Abbey

Things I’ve learnt this last, umm, while..?

• Butter London nail varnishes, oh my, they’re AWESOME!  I tested them out, love the consistency, apply so easily and lasted 8 days, let me repeat EIGHT days before chipping!  I’m pretty lazy when it comes to changing my varnish, I just want to apply it and leave it to look awesome, no maintenance here please.  I’ll definitely be purchasing some more, Fiddlesticks from their new holiday collection is the next on my list.
• I never thought I’d own a pair of wedge high tops, but I now own two pairs!  This pair from Office are also super cool, super comfy.
• Plymouth really isn’t so bad, when the sun is shining.  I’m such a coastal girl.

The ingredients for an awesome birthday : Bath, UK

So, if you want a good birthday, have some good friends.  If you want an AWESOME birthday, have some gorgeous, loving, amazing friends (and possibly BF too!)  I can consider myself well and truly spoilt this birthday!

 

 

BF took me to Bath for a long midweek break.  It’s been on our list of places to visit since the beginning of forever, however for some reason we’ve only just managed it now.  We stayed at a lovely little pub come restaurant come b&b, and officially ate far too much of their food, and drank far too much of their wine!  But heck, you’re only 31 for 365 days right??

We did our fair share of street wonderings, however somewhat not my ‘normal’ amount of “stop, wait!  I NEED to get  photo of that!”  On the actual day of birth, we visited the Thermae Spa.  A heated rooftop pool in the middle of the city centre with great views, yes please!  Any excuse for a bikini in October!  Bath was pretty much as I’d expected, a quaint, traditionally english town brimming full of warm sand coloured stone buildings, donned with white facades.

On the final day before returning home (Instagram post I’m sure at some point to follow, one can’t whip around a dSLR and drive simultaneously) we visited Longleat Safari Park.  More on that later, however I did find this little poem decorating one of the walls, which I instantly fell in love with…

A great place to visit, great food, great wine, rooftop pools, deer feeding, new shoes and being spoilt by great company, (and still to return home to an awesome meal with friends!) who could ask for more on their birthday??

Birth-Daze

I feel in a bit of a daze of late.  It’s kinda swooped up on me, slapped me in the face whilst simultaneously throwing me in a choke hold.  I don’t know if it was hitting another birthday; albeit they’ve never affected me before, or something else.  31.  Thirty-funkin-one.  Geez, is this where I’m supposed to be in life at 31?  Really?  My baby ticking clock hasn’t hit me, but my life one has, and damn has it knocked me off my feet.

Last night whilst out to dinner with some awesome friends, I made a wish whilst blowing out the birthday candles, and it’s big, and it’s huge, and it’s daunting.  I’ve read enough psychology books to know if you’ve got a big fat goal you break it down into bite sized chunks, I get that.  But this, this just seems epic, like I could be chewing for a lifetime and still never get there.  It’s scary stuff.

*Types “life mentor” into Google and hits return*

Shake that derrière!

I’m going against all of my natural winter’s instincts of hibernation and sloth-like-existenceness, and pursuing ripped buffness shedding those extra few pounds.  I generally get those strange looks, that’s not abnormal, but my exercise regime works for me.  Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings, and a couple other gym classes/running/dance classes thrown in during the week for good measure.

It’s all about finding a routine that works for you.  I’ve found two gym classes I absolutely adore, Nuffield’s All Over Body Workout on a Saturday morning (10.30am, not too early, it is the weekend after all – but not too late you still have the whole rest of the day), and Body Balance on a Sunday evening.  Balance is great for clearing your head of the week’s stresses, (kinda!) ready to start all over again on Monday morning.  During the week?  I try and go every other day, but I’m not too precious.  I don’t dictate to myself what I have to do, if I fancy a spinning class, I’ll go spinning, if I want to get those lovely endorphins flowing and challenge the lungs, I’ll go running, if I want something a little calmer and re-stretch those muscles, I’ll go to another Body Balance class.

The point being, I don’t set myself into a routine I’m going to get bored of.  Whatever exercise I fancy on the day is what I’ll go and do.  Mix it up a little, as long as you’re regularly moving that body of yours, it’s better that spending every night sat on the sofa right?  And don’t get me wrong, I love LOVE my sofa day’s, but I don’t feel guilty ever for having them.  They’re my down time, not the norm.

Having said that, if someone wants to give my a shot of motivation for tonights class and wake up my sleepy head, I’d be eternally grateful 😉

Hello : October

Credit: here.

October, where did you come from?!  You’ve completely snuck up on me with no warning and taken me off guard.  The heating is now on, the layers are being wrapped around me tightly, when the work hours finish my mind instantly wonders to sofa slumbering and warming, comforting food.

But there’s not too much time for squidging up in warm cozy nooks, October is also the month of birthday celebrations.  This year I hope to enter a new age in a relaxed, loved, simple kind of way.  BF and I are meeting after a far too long a gap for copious amounts of cuddles and cocktails, and an explore of Bath and thermal pools when we can tare ourselves away.  A small intimate dinner date with close friends to seal the deal when I return, and that’ll be me, another year older, another year of finding myself.

At the age of (almost) 31 I’m approximately 3,724 miles away form where I thought I’d be, and it’s only in the last few days and months I’ve felt I know truly where I want to be.  That place is scary, it’s filled with uncertain challenges, but it also feels right and where I belong.  I’m scared to take the steps I know I need to walk, but I’m petrified to remain in my current life.  It’s had it’s time, but it’s now time to add itself into my memories for new days and journeys ahead.

You have no idea what you’re wishing me luck for, but I’ll take all the luck that’s kindly offered into my next chapter…