I don’t know where all these years have gone, but they have been wondrous. 233 posts, at least 2000 photographs… Happy Blogoversary to me! 🙂
2014
The beginning was shocking. I got the WAMP and wrote a bunch of articles related to the family photography since this blog was meant to be a portfolio. I launched the blog in February, but to my horror, it got a close attention from various adult websites, and I had to delete all my articles and children photographs.
My Blogger Friends, I would quit right there if it wasn’t for your support.
I started from scratch in March.
Please, click on the photos and it will open the pages.
I wrote about myself, shared my memories and adventures. I also wrote about my friends. That year I started my annual Saltee Islands series.
I went to many street festivals, like the Durrow Scarecrow festival.
I also started Pat Gibbons and his Foxes series.
It was a great year, I blogged twice a week.
2015
I started getting more feedback. It was wonderful. People asked questions, commissioned photographs. That year I wrote about Clonmel photographer William Despard Hemphill, and what a rewarding surprise it was to get this email:
Just a quick Thank you for your excellent blog on Clonmel and William Hemphill. I am his great great grandson and my dad has all his books and helped produce the book about his pics. His mum lived in Oakville, Dr Hemphill’s house in Clonmel and I went there once before it was demolished and the supermarket car park built. When I left school (1976) I cycled round the area taking pictures also based on Dr Hemphills…
…Thanks again for the blog. I’ll be showing it to my dad (93 on Tuesday) and he will be thrilled. Born in Carick-On-Suir he has incredible recall of the area, and your pics will bring them back again.
R… E…
That year I also wrote about my travels, and as always, about birds and animals.
I didn’t forget to visit Pat and his foxes.
I did some street photography. This is Cian Finn.
He sings about life, and I wholeheartedly agree with him.
I also started Waterford Walls series that summer. In October I went to Donegal to attend Elena Shumilova’s first international workshop, and the trip resulted in four blog posts.
2016
That year I started Anne Valley series and wrote three blog posts. Since then I regularly visit the trail.
I started Clonegam series.
I wrote about myself, and shared my opinions 🙂
I met two journeymen, and after a month, got a feedback from a fellow blogger on their further travels in Ireland.
2017
I started Comeragh and Knockmealdown, Greenway, Mount Congreve and Curraghmore House series.
The blog posts about Pat and his foxes were the most popular. Many websites around the world translated the story into different languages, and some of them actually asked permission. There were also some who removed my logo 🙂 It doesn’t matter to me, because the sole purpose of my blog was to spread a word. I was so delighted when my friend told me that Bored Panda website used my pictures along with the story from the Irish Examiner :). Anyway, I am happy that Pat and his foxes are getting so much attention.
I continued with the street festivals-related posts: Waterford Walls, Harvest Festival, St Patrick’s Parade, Spraoi.
2018
I didn’t blog much last year.
I started, and will continue Follow The Vikings series, and Kerry series.
Puffins and foxes surely took all the limelight, as always 🙂 Amazing Poet Rummager Rose Perez wrote a charming haiku inspired by the tiny puffin
Wings
I have wings to fly
They never are really used
‘Til I see your smile
Another lovely feedback was received last year in response to my post The Last Butler of Curraghmore.
I don’t know how long I will blog, but I think that all my efforts throughout these five years were worth it 🙂
Thank you so much for all the inspiration and support! ♥
With love
Congratulations and thanks, dear Inese. I saw the posts linked to the photos and I was happy to see that they were mostly known to me, so more than history it was the memory of a shared road : ) I will add a calendar widget to my blog.
With the warmest regards from Peru. ^_^
Thank you so much, Francis! Shared road, so true. Thank you for your support over the years. You might want to add an Archives widget too, so that I could find your old posts 🙂
After reading you I went to add it. I started to wrote as a way to have a diary and suddenly it shaped a blog. If the changes help to be more useful I am happy for your suggestion, dear Inese n_n I try to care the blog, Flickr said that they were to delete photos from free accounts surpassing a limit of 1000 (it was my case) so I came to replace all the Flickr photos with downsized versions, so they would not appear empty. They were a lot of posts! Wishing you a wonderful day when you see this message : )
Francis, I know that Flickr gives more exposure than the blog, but it seems so soulless to me. I tried it but with no interest whatsoever. I am not looking for competition, for impressing anybody. I resize all my pictures for this blog too because I care about those with slow internet connection, and because I don’t think that the big size serves for anything else but desire to impress 🙂 When someone is interested in particular picture, I email the file. You might try another blog, a different one? I know they give you two domain names when you start.
Wishing you a Happy Easter! 🙂
I used Flickr only as a storage system to reduce the stress in the limit of free storage on WordPress,otherwise I would not have it. The blogging still is not in my future sadly, I have to confess that even the last year everything was taken by the banks to pay the loans and I was having weeks without food or water.
Oh, happy Easter to you and your family, Inese. It took me by surprise, I have native beliefs so I am always lost in the dates of Christian festivities.
Thank you, Francis. Have a nice weekend regardless of beliefs 🙂
Work is all encompassing. I shall visit when I can. May the sun warm you always. Happiness can be elusive at times, I hear, but she’s often peering in from the outside. You’ll need to open your curtains more often. 🌸
Ah, your talent knows no bound, darling Inese! You capture the spirit of those you photograph…. even a tree poses beautifully for you. Thank you for including me in your five year celebration!❤️
My dear friend, your poem made me so happy when I needed some happiness. I hope all is well. Haven’t heard from you a while ❤
Well done Inese.. a bit late from me, just catching up, but congratulations on 5 great years of blogging – always brilliant photos and interesting writing – look forward to the next 5!
Best wishes
Julian
Thank you so much, friends!
Congratulations with the five years of blogging. That’s quite an achievement.
Thank you Otto! 🙂
Congratulations, Inese! It’s been a wonderful journey and I remember many of those wonderful posts. To many more years to come!
Thank you for your support and kind wishes, Olga! It means a lot to me xx
Sorry, that I am late. Happy anniversary. Five years is a great accomplishment.
Thank you so much! I am happy that the blog lasted that long. All thanks to the blogger community 🙂
I really enjoyed this summary of your five years of blogging, Inese, and am happy to say that much of what you summarized I remembered from my frequent visits here. Considering you had that rough beginning, it’s great that you persevered, reached out, and shared so many fascinating stories, attractive venues, and gorgeous photos. I know if I ever get the chance to visit Ireland, I will seek out the Saltee Islands, and that is because of your engaging posts. My warmest thanks for all you have shared over the years. Congratulations!
Thank you for your kind words and your support over the years, Jet. It means so much to me. What a joy it would be to read your Saltee blog post. I so look forward to this. Thank you again for being a wonderful blogger friend! ❤
All the best for your blog Anniversary.
Thank you so much for your presece in this world.
Shera 👏👏👏
Congratulations on 5 years blogging – wow!
Sorry to hear about your first experience, how awful but so glad you decided to carry on and share your great stories and beautiful photos. I love the double-exposure (?old terminology) of inside the female’s head looking through the cave – it’s gorgeous! 🙂
Many congrats !
Thank you!
Congratulations, Inese, for your Blog-anniversary! Five years of sharing amazing photos and beautiful stories that go with the photos. Wow! That’s really something!
Wishing you lots of inspiration for future photos and blog posts and thank you for the beauty that you bring into the blogosphere and into the world.
Have a beautiful and blessed day!
Thank you Mihaela! Your words mean a lot. I admire your art, and love the videos even that I know I would never create anything that beautiful 🙂 Thank you again for your support! Have a great day you too ❤
Thank you so much, Inese. I admire your art and I surely know I could not tell a story, in an amazing way, through a photo, like you do. Thank you so much for your appreciation! Have a beautiful day!
Have a beautiful day you too ❤
Congratulations!
Photos, Love and Life 💕
Happy Blogniversary!
Sid
Sid, thank you so much! ❤
Congratulations Inese! You have a wonderful blog and I love reading about the places you visit, the animals you encounter, and the brilliant photos you take! xx
Gill – thank you so much for your support over the years! I look forward to reading about your new adventures 🙂 xx
Love your blog Inese. Keep on blogging we need you and your beautiful pictures and stories.
Michele – thank you so much for your kind words xx
Heartfelt congratulations Inese, that’s quite an achievement in the blogosphere. You are immensely popular and so inspiring to us all. I know you have your resentments, but I do hope to see lots more of wonderful work in the future. ❤️
Thank you so much for your kind support! The spirit of blogger camaraderie keeps me going ❤
Congrats 🎉🎊🎈🍾 excellent selection of photos, my friend. Love and best wishes 😘
Thank you dear friend. Your support helped me to keep going 🙂 ❤
That means a lot. I hope to refresh my feed sometime this year!. In the meantime, I am always delighted to catch up with your awesome posts, my friend. Keep it up. Happy Valentine’s Day 😘♥️
Thank you love! Hope you enjoyed the day ❤
Well done on lasting 5 years! I suspect most who try their hand at blogging don’t last 5 months. I’m looking forward to the next 5 years (assuming I stick around that long 😉 )
Thank you Dave! Hope we all stick around 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Congratulations on completing 5 years of blogging!! Isn’t it wonderful to go back and read one’s own thoughts from many, many moons ago?!
Thank you! Yes, it is indeed. It keeps me going when I want to quit 🙂
My dear friend Inese ❤
Many congratulations and many thanks for sharing your beautiful work & experiences with us. Although I'm often very concerned about privacy when it comes to online presence, I too have learned through "Wordpress" that – if used properly & with respect – blogs can be a wonderful tool to connect with amazing people from all over the world. And, a platform to share our work and to learn from each other…
I am so happy that our paths can cross through photography, and sincerely look forward to seeing more of your amazing photography and stories 🙂
Best wishes always,
Takami
Thank you, dear Friend! ❤ You are such an inspiration! Your birds are exactly
my idea of bird photography – to show a character and a story.
You have a good reason to be concerned about security. I have spent hours blocking and removing human trafficking blogs which have 'followed'me, and the blogs with adult content who 'liked' my children photography posts. It is why there are so little portraits in my blog – I either removed these posts, or made them Private. I don't know what to do with the posts 'reblogged' by the human traffickers.. I have no control over them. It is all very sad, and I still consider leaving WordPress some day. They have no moral standards, only money matters.
Blogs like yours are a breath of fresh air 🙂 Thank you again for your kindness, and best wishes for the future to you! ❤
Thank you for your reply, my friend.
Yes, I completely understand the concerns about security. Like you, when I first began blogging, I initially put some children and street-portrait photos on line. But was horrified when it these attracted some terrible sites. As you say, it was a shocking experience and I too, even now, consider if I should leave WordPress. (As you say, about the lack of moral standards, and how there really is no control even if others “steal” images, etc)
So, I feel the same as you in many ways 🙂 ❤
I am so sorry to hear that, Takami. And isn’t it a shame? WordPress keep these ‘blogs’ because they pay the lousy annual fee! Then one day WordPress puts you on Discover so that even more fake and illegal blogs can tie to your page by following it! I am deleting all these so-called followers every day. And you are the first person who too sees it as a problem ❤
I am sorry you had to go through such experiences too 😦 😦 I am relieved to know that I am not alone. I believe there are also others who do recognize this problem. Unfortunately, it seems “money talks” and it’s frustrating for all creative people…
Money talks – you said it all…
You have been busy. With talent and quality.
Many, many happy returns of the day.
Thank you so much, Friend!
Congratulations! It’s hard to keep blogging for such a long time and I think you’re doing such a wonderful job. I am a fan of your photography. I also enjoy your posts on our planet and it’s inhabitants (not always human). 🙂 Very few bloggers want to talk about preserving it. So thank you! And here’s to the next 5 (and more) years of blogging! xoxoxo
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Cheryl! You guys have been my travel buddies for years 🙂 I am trailing behind you two all over the world 🙂 Thank you for your support! xxxx
Awww! That’s the sweetest thing anyone has said to us! Sending you big hugs!
❤
Congratulations on five years! Your posts are always high quality! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for your support! xx
so many wonderfully
beautiful & memorable
illustrated adventures!
wishing you joy
continuing down
the path
of creative expression, Inese 🙂
Thank you so much or your support, David!
You’ve done some wonderful, wonderful things. I can’t tell you the amount of times your photography has taken my breath away. You just did it again here. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you so much! Five years is quite a long stretch of time. You have written how many books since I started blogging? 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Goodness. I. have my six back out there and Destiny, my new one will be out soon. Just throwing the paint on her and Divers and scraping it back off right now xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Best of luck! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Congratulations on five amazing years of blogging … I see I’ve missed a lot – this post gives a fantastic flavour of the wonders you’ve encountered and shared here on the blogosphere. Best of luck for the future and hopefully you will have time to return to WP now and then.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Annika! ❤
Happy Blogoversary and may there be many more to come! You light of my life with amazing beauty! xoxo
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jason! xx
Congratulations, and more to give.
Thank you so much for your support!