Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!

Hey Guys, 

Image found of google

I wanted to write this post because I am astounded at how quickly 2015 has gone, and also how amazing it has been with all my accomplishments. 

One of my biggest achievement by far this year was when I stopped seeing a counsellor. I was told I had anxiety and panic attacks late 2014 and I started to see a counsellor ever week, because of that I started to get better, and earlier this year I was able to get better and ultimately stop counselling and cope on my own. I still have my struggles with it but I wouldn't be me if i didn't. 

On the 20th of May, I passed my driving test, which was an amazing feeling. 

I went on the most amazing trip of my life time to New York (blog post about that linked) 

I turned 18 and Finally I got into my dream university! 

It hasn't all been Rainbows and Unicorns I have my fair share of heartbreaks and failed relationships, but you know what I wouldn't change anything because it has all made me who I am. 

I wouldn't be where I am right now without my friends and the relationships I have formed along the way, and that includes you, my readers, because without you I wouldn't have reached 1,000 views on my little space of the internet. It is truely incredible. 

2015 has been a great year, but I cannot wait to see what 2016 has in store for me, I am going to put my all into my university course I am going to be happy and have a new outlook on life and spend as much of my time as I can with the wonderful friends I have made at uni and my old friends too. 

Starting in the next week I am going to get out and start training because later this year I plan to run the Race For life again, trying to raise even more money! 

Thank you for reading and making my year so special! 

Love, 

B xxxx

Thank You for 1000 Views!!!

Hey Guys, 

Hope you are all well and are prepared/ excited for the christmas festivities to begin! 

It still feels rather surreal that I am writing this post, because i can't quite believe we have done it. 

We have reached 1,000 views on this blog. 

Image found on google

When I started this little space on the internet back in 2013 I never dreamed it would get this far. For me it started as a kind of diary thing where i would just share what i was getting up to and really I started it because I just thought it would be fun to do! I wasn't very regular with my uploads (Heck I'm still not!) but thats because life always has a habit of getting in the way (At least I'm getting out of the house though hey ;). 

Since starting my Lifes Little Update  back up with a semi-regular upload it has turned into a place where I can write about things I am passionate about, things that have been on my mind for a while and also still as a place where I can write about what I have been getting up to!

I guess all that is left to say is a huge thank you to everyone that has been reading my blog, the people who have supported me from the beginning. Thank you to those who have returned post after post to keep reading! And to those who have just stumbled upon my ramblings about life. Welcome. I hope you stay and continue to follow my journey through life. 

I am only 18, I have the rest of my life ahead of me, and I hope you will join me on my journey into the unknown. 

I will see all you lovely people on Sunday, with a regularly scheduled post, have an amazing christmas! 

Love, 

B x

P.s. If you have a blog, share it with me in the comments below, I would love to find out more about you :) 

Photography With Raiona Hope

Hey Guys,
How are you? I hope you are well :)

So, recently my lovely friend Raiona, commissioned me as a photographer to take some photos of her face for her blog. 

If you don't know who Raiona Hope is, then where have you been?  She is a very talented blogger and writer and one of my best friends, I have linked her blog many times :) (I have done so again).   I have other motives for linking her blog too, because this is a joint post. We are both writing posts about our day on location and including our favourite images from the shoot, so once you finish reading this one you should head over and have a look because I know she will not disappoint! 

We decided to meet up in cambridge because its half way between where we live and the easiest to get to. Just like anything Rai and I do, we ended up laughing! Thankfully she had an idea of the kinds of images she wanted and locations she wanted to use.  So my job was instantly made easier. 

Although I am a photography student the equipment I use is very limited! I only had my camera to hand which for the sake of easy I used in auto mode (I can already see all the photographers out there shaking their heads and giving me disapproving looks) However I am very much still a novice and getting to grips with my camera! 

Our objective was simple to have fun and capture Miss Raiona Thornton at her best, care free and herself. I think we managed to achieve this and without further ado, here are my favourite images from this shoot :)

My main piece of advice for anyone starting out in photography is to read your instruction booklet it will tell you how to get the best out of your camera, and also take any opportunity you can to get out and take pictures!  Oh and always use a tripod if you can :)

Comment Below:

What kind of camera do you use? I use a Nikon D7100 

and What kind of photography do you like? 

Thank you for reading :) 

Love,

Becca xx

http://www.raionahope.uk/photographs-by-rebecca-edwards/

What I Have Been Up to So Far...

Hey Guys, 

So I have a confession to make. I have been a very bad blogger. Its no secret that I am terrible at managing my time, I was doing so well this summer to get posts out for you guys to read, and since joining University that has gone down hill. Because of this I owe you an apology, I will try to plan ahead and write more posts in advance so that I have content to post each week!

Since September I have been working Long hours at work, being named "chief weekender" by my manager ( I think this is just because I have been there so long!) On November 21st 2015 I had been at WH Smiths for 2 years, that is a long time for any weekend staff because usually they leave after about a year and a half to go to university, I am very fortunate to be able to keep my job and go to university were I am.

 In University news I had my first deadline on the 13th of November, This was taking up the majority of my time, which is also why this blog had to take a kind of back seat. 

Doing a Degree in photography is different and so much more difficult than A Level, you have to put a lot of time and effort into it otherwise you just won't get the grades. You have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to "get the shot". 

More recently, one of my friends, Raiona (blog linked) asked me to take some pictures for her to use on said blog. If you haven't checked her out you should, she is an amazing, talented writer who shares thoughts, opinions, advice and even the odd recipe! Rai's blog is well worth the read and i can guarantee if you like the things I write about, you will LOVE her! (That might be my very biased opinion but you should judge for yourself), It was about time I shared her content with all you lovely people. I will share the images I took in another post when I have edited and shared them with her. 

You can follow my journey through my degree on my photography blog (linked)

I know this is a short post, but hey its only been a couple of months! 

Love, 

Becca xx
  

Is It Ok?

Hey Guys, 

So, this is going to be a serious post. 

For some reason, People, mainly men think its ok to show "affection" to strangers they don't know.
In the past it has happened to me where I have been honked at or whistled at or even had people say stuff to me that they probably wouldn't say to a man.
Personally I find it very demeaning, and intimidating, it makes me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, which is something that I have never experienced, and never want to experience again.
It makes me question "what makes them think it's ok?". Because doing that to a woman on the street who they don't know, is wrong.

I did research into this 'honking at women' debate and found an article from The Guardian newspaper that says "the men who ask you what the big deal is about street harassment, say they'd love it if it happened to them, or suggest you just "take it as a compliment". It's not a simple, one-moment experience. It's a horribly drawn-out affair. The process of scanning the street as you walk; the constant alert tension; the moment of revelation and the sinking feeling as you realise what is going to happen." gives an insight into how women some women feel when they are subjected to sexual harassment on the street over and over again.

From my research into sexual harassment on the street I found another blog called Literally Darling (linked), written by a woman who goes into lengthy detail accounting various instances of sexual harassment that happen to her and her friend and how it makes her feel but I will let you read for yourself. 

On a website called consented.ca that I stumbled upon in my searching around the internet I found this statement that I believe to be very true "The idea that women should be flattered by this behavior is offensive because it is not up to society to decide what an individual, let alone an entire gender, should find flattering. Sure, some women might find this flattering, but yelling at a woman across the street or from inside a car doesn’t allow space for her to accept or reject the attention. In other words, there is no consent."  proving that it just isn't right that such things like this happen. 

Real flattery is a behavior that is humanizing and requires actual communication with a person, not a random sexual comment thrown at a person by a stranger.

My message to the guys that do this, is please don't. You don't know what that woman has been through, you don't know her history, she could have had a really bad home life, or have low self esteem issues. Its a form of harassment and it is not ok.

So again I ask,
What makes you think it's ok?

Thank You for Reading!
Love,
Becca xx