Karine Ardault

365 Photo Prompts - 3 January 2010 - Prompt #3: Corner

Today’s prompt is:

Corner

For this new year, I thought there would not be a better prompt that this once. This is the commencement of a new year: new beginnings, new possibilities. Let’s start fresh with something new!

To participate, please leave a comment on this post with a link to your photo, blog posts, etc.

You can also participate by adding your photo to the photo pool of the flickr group I have created: 365 Photo Prompts flickr group with the following tags: 365Prompt” AND “corner”.

I have been to the United States on numerous occasions and I am lucky to have visited different regions on this beautiful country. Today’s prompt reminds me of the Four Corners Monument. I could have chosen a particular corner in my house that a like, the corners of some of my paintings that I cherish (I enjoy distressing corners – don’t ask!), the corner of my bathtub where I stock some of my favorite bath and hair products, the corner of a street.

Where is your corner?

Desktop January calendar

Dear reader I have decided to offer you a free January 2010 calendar to put on your computer desktop.

Download calendar-January2010-1280x768.jpg (547.9K)

Download calendar-January2010-1024x768.jpg (353.6K)

Here are the pretty simple terms of use:

• All downloads are the sole property of Karine Ardault.
• the January calendar downloads from this site is for personal use only and no commercial applications are allowed unless otherwise authorized by Karine Ardault.
• Downloads are not to be redistributed by any mean.
• Downloads are not for resale in any format, in whole or in part.
• Downloads are not to be altered.
• Use of this image on personal websites and blogs are allowed as long as the author (that is Karine Ardault is acknowledged with the following link: http://karineardault.typepad.com is permitted. No download can be used to be part of a good or service generating income.
• All downloads are as is and without warranties.
• All downloads are not to be used with salacious, malicious, libelous and pornographic content.
• In no event shall Karine Ardault be liable for any damages or loss related to use, or inability to download.

365 Photo Prompts - 2 January 2010 Prompt #2: Street

Today’s prompt is:

Street

For this new year, I thought there would not be a better prompt that this once. This is the commencement of a new year: new beginnings, new possibilities. Let’s start fresh with something new!

To participate, please leave a comment on this post with a link to your photo, blog posts, etc.

You can also participate by adding your photo to the group I have created on flickr (365 Photo Prompts flickr group with the following tags: "365Prompt” AND “street”.

Today, I posting two different photos for this prompt. I have been lucky to travel to different places. Streets are not the same everywhere. they can be narrow streets, large avenues, elegant ways or a dirt track.

The first photo shows a street where I grew up, in the city of Paris, in the île Saint-Louis more exactly. The second photo shows a street in Stonetown. Stonetown is on the world heritage list of the UNESCO. It is an historical town. the walls are very textured and of interest for any photographer. The wires hanging everywhere are more of a hazard. I would not touch any of them.

How is your street?

 

My 2010 Little word: “Create”

Many people are inspired by Ali Edwards’ little word. This year she picked the word ‘story’. Last year I chose the word ‘Go’. Even in the craziness of this year, I have thought a lot about this little word.

Create:

• more balance into life and work
• more health
• more business plan
• more writing
• more photographs
• more surprises
• more focus
• more happy life
• more knowledge
• more ideas….

and create more quality time with that guy :-)

Hmmm. maybe my little word should have been ’more’? :-)

Today has been a lot about searching, thinking, planning and dreaming…

This is today’s photo to go with the prompt of the day, ‘new’

Between Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar

Happy New Year! I wish you all the best for 2010!

Before Ben and I went to Lake Natron, we spent a few days in Zanzibar (in Stonetown as we are not beach persons). Before Ben joined me in Zanzibar, I had an appointment in Dar. I pampered myself with the Kempinski Hotel. That gave me the occasion to fly over the Ocean and take some aerial photos.

 

 

 

I particularly like the patterns formed by the water and the wind on the continent’s shore.

 

365 Photo Prompts – 1 January 2010 Prompt #1: New

the first prompt is:

NEW

For this new year, I thought there would not be a better prompt that this once. This is the commencement of a new year: new beginnings, new possibilities. Let’s start fresh with something new!

To participate, please leave a comment on this post with a link to your photo, blog posts, etc.

You can also participate by adding your photo to the group I have created on flickr (365 Photo Prompts flickr group) with the following tags: "365Prompt” AND “new”.

Once a year I go back home to Paris, France. This is my vacation time that I use to do my yearly shopping and buy new clothes, new toiletries, new everything. I arrive in Paris with empty suitcases and I go back home with suitcases full of novelties. Those shopping bags express for me the idea of new!

What is new for you?

Announcing 365 Prompts - 2010

A couple of days ago I was announcing 365 Prompts project for 2010. Here are some details about it and how it will work. I am almost done with choosing the 365 prompts.

Everyday, I will put a photo prompt on my blog illustrated by a photo. Each prompt can be interpreted in various ways.

To participate, please leave a comment on the corresponding daily post with a link to your photo, blog posts, etc.

I have also created a flickr group where you can add your photos. To add photo to this Flickr group, joint flickr (it’s free). When adding a photo to the Flickr group, do not forget to tag it as follows: “365Prompt” AND “the prompt word of the day for which you are submitting it”.

See you tomorrow for the 1st prompt!

2009 in Photos

One photo per month. This is my 2009 year in Review!

back to Arusha

At some point we had to go back home. We left with this bee-eater greeting us goodbye at the exit of Engaresero. I have mentioned that in Engaresero and around the cattle was scarce and that we saw many dead cows near villages. Below is a young wildebeest that died on the lake. The drought has been very severe this year in Tanzania. I hope the rain we are having are doing some good and are not damaging the soils when too much rain falls.

On our way back we were somewhat relieved to see cattle herds. Most cows were far from being fat but this bull looked quite fine.

 However the road was still very dusty because of the lack of rains.

 Market day in a village on the road from Lake Natron: a lot of avtivity and colors. 

Rivers

I did not know that several rivers were going towards Lake Natron. We walked along a couple of them.

Below, some women saw us from far away going on our walk on the lake. They walked a few kilometers so our paths could cross with the hope to sell us some craft. They were quite disappointed we did not buy anything. They crossed back the river and went back to their village.

Below are some landscapes of the rivers.

 

 

 

More on Lake Natron

I really love this photo of Raphael, our guide, walking and looking towards the lake. The light was amazing that day (that will also explain the redish color of my skin in a post to follow!)

Some more flamingos

and now taking off…

That was my last post on Lake Natron. The next one will be about the waterfalls at Engaresero. 

it feels good

I am in a blogging mood these days. It feels very good. I was so unhappy not having time or the energy to blog. Though I would like to write more. write better. I remember how I enjoyed writing: plays and short stories when I was a teenager. I guess the long years spent in university took away this envy to write as we had so many compulsory writing assignments. Teaching politicis and methods in France are quite bad at university. I am not so sure I learned a lot there. Even on the methodology point of view. I think it is quite a waste. Many professors or lecturers in France do not have any practical experience of what they are teaching. They think that by knowing theory, they know the truth of things and they only are ready to hear their truth. I am very happy I moved quiclky from that ignorant crowd to be confronted to reality. Maybe one day I will teach again. Though I have doubt it will be in my home country.

I hope I can get back my appetite for words. I think it is slowly coming back to me and I will try to put more and more words on this blog as good stories are always nice with a good photo!

One of my goals for 2010 (I will speak more about my goals over the week-end) is to post at least five times a week (on top of the daily photo assignments posts). Yesterday, I have been working on my list of assignments for the 2010 daily photo assignments. I have found more than one third of the assignments/prompts so far. I know that I may not always be in a position where I can take a photo a day though I will always try to post one photo to illustrate the prompt.... I will greate a flickr pool for the photos and the prompts...

weather is a bit strange lately: it's hot and at the same time it is raining. Last time there were no clouds but it was raining! that brings an amazing light however. It is unfortunate I am spending so much time in the office: I cannot just jump out of the building with my camera and take photos. It is very difficult to be passionate about two jobs that are so different and so demanding. today it is hot but I see some menacing clouds coming our way.

I have been very unhappy with my internet connection lately. I have passed by the office of my ISP (conveniently located close to my own office) to express my dissatisfaction with the service provided. Let's hope the connection can get back to what it can be sometimes: totally suitable. Though today is even worse than yesterday.

Let's hope the internet connection gets better... (a post with photos to come!)

Lake Natron… and some end of the year thoughts.

Here is again a post about lake Natron. Soon, I will have photos about our stay in Zanzibar. I also have many Polaroid shots to show…

We spotted a non covered Lengai when driving so we stopped to take some shots. I took out the view camera and made a few shots of the volcano with it.

Below: the photo was taken while getting closer to the volcano. The lava from last eruption created lava rivers.

Below are close-up of the slopes of the volcano.  

Above are blocks that appear to have detached from the volcano and which fell down.

Below is a peaceful volcano… for now.

I have been working a lot (read thinking) about living a simpler life lately. Office work is occupying a lot of my time which means that my personal time is precious. I am trying to to save time. I read many blogs through Google reader for example. Lately I have been canceling some subscriptions especially of those blogs who only let the few first lines be available in the reader. I really loved some of them however I value my time. Right now I am very grumpy because the internet connection is very slow. It slows me. I have offline things to do but not being able downloading a simple page or e-mail is putting me in a very bad mood and slowing down my projects.The home connection can be very good so why not always? Tomorrow is time to go to the Internet provider’s office and show dissatisfaction!

Lately i have been reading a lot about photography, its technique, and the business side of it. I find this very interesting. I am working a lot on the website. It is supposed to be nice however, I cannot always enjoy it because of my slow connection.

I am also thinking about my 2010 word…

6 Good reads

I have been reading a lot lately. i received several orders I made on Amazon… I am a book person. I dream of a house full of books, on different subjects, with or without illustrations. Here are some of the books (and a magazine) that received recently. I intended to make direct links to amazon but my post was crashing each time so there is no link for items 2 to 5!

1. Uppercase

The first one is not a book per se but a magazine. It is a great magazine. Issue  # 2 never made it to my mailbox. I finally got issue # 3 and I read it entirely. I cannot wait for the next issue.

 

2. David Duchemin: Vision Mongers

 

3. David Duchemin: Within the Frame

 

4. Chris Orwig: Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs

 

5. James Natchwey: Inferno

He is one of my favorite photographer.

 

 6. Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts: An A-to-Z Guide with Detailed Instructions and Endless Inspiration

 

365 Photo Assignments for 2010

I am still working on my 2010 goals. I tend to prefer the term "goal" than "resolution". I am using the last few days of the year to develop those goals and assign deadlines. But here is an announcement for a daily photo assignment

I have never been good at following 365 daily photo project. I have tried a couple of times but have stopped, usually quite quickly. However I am one who likes to learn and to work on assignments (I guess I have been to school for too long) so I decided to assign myself 365 photo assignments for the coming year. I see this challenge as a way to boost my creativity. Consequently from 1^st January 2010, there will be a photo assignment posted daily on the blog.

It would be great if you could join me. For each of the assignments, please leave a comment on the daily post so I can also view your photos.

Come back to check for the first assignment on Friday 1^st January 2010.

Lake Natron, flamingos and lava

Some more photos of lake Natron and Lengai. The area was amazing. i got to play with all the cameras i has with me: D300, Wista 4x5, Polaroid 600SE, Mamiya C220… For the Mamiya, we’ll wait as I used mostly reversible film that cannot be processed here…

This young flamingo is training at taking off. 

Above is a human print in the lava. When the volcano was active a year – a year and a half ago, some lava arrived near the Lake and formed a layer. 

As you can see the lava layer is not washed away. It is cracked but remain in place with the water going under.

Volcano Lengai on a clear day.

Some more flamingos and some more cracked lava above the lake’s surface. It was like walking on the Paris paved streets on a rainy day!

Lake Natron continued

Last time I started to post photos about our stay at Lake Natron. One morning we went for a walk with a guide on the lake (well the dried part) to get closer to the flamingos. The weather was great and the landscapes very nice.

Towards the lake run several clear water rivers. The wide range of colors is very nice.

The reflection of the sky and the flamingos in the lake is amazing.

This is our guide, Raphaël, and Ben.

Above is a shot of the surface with very low water. The water tens to have this brown color.

Some flamingos (they are lesser flamingos) catching some food.

Above is one of the rivers going into the lake. The reflection of the sky in the water was amazing. And some more flamingos.