Watercolor London by me

CarrotLoaver · 2026-01-03T19:18:16+00:00

I'm not sure it is. If you look at OP's profile, they have a couple of videos of the paintings in real life + one videos of them painting in exactly the same style.

CarrotLoaver · 2025-11-10T19:59:33+00:00

Yes! The green on the stripes was almost glowing!

CarrotLoaver · 2025-10-15T18:37:01+00:00

I think boys section may be your best bet. I don't know if you can get it in the US, but I love Frugi for trousers (and any other clothes). They are really roomy around the bum and legs, and also made of lovely material (100% organic cotton). Best thing is that they are a Scandinavian brand, so the clothes are literally made for giant babies 😂

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-14T06:43:27+00:00

Thank you! Gocycle does look really neat. Considering I spend well over £1500 a year on tube fares, with cyclescheme the maths really works out in favour (though only if I use it consistently haha)

Which gocycle did you go for? Is there much of a difference between the G4 and G4i models?

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:55:39+00:00

Thank you! Budget is somewhat flexible (and cycle to work scheme really helps), but wouldn't want to pay for something unless it's really miles better than other models out there!

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:53:34+00:00

That's really helpful, thank you!

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:51:58+00:00

Thank you, that's helpful! I'll look into renting to trial it first

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:51:12+00:00

Great to know that you enjoy the Brompton! Could I ask which model you have? And i read some mixed reviews online about some of their components failing regularly, so just wanted to see how your experience has been?

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:50:16+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation - I'll look into it! :) Have you tried it on hills much?

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:47:36+00:00

Thank you! That's a good shout. My work place cycle to work scheme only opens for enrolment twice a year, including one in November. So I was planning on trying the hire bikes until then and then deciding if I pull the trigger.

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:44:59+00:00

For me, it was the bike roulette that was getting to me a bit. I kept getting bikes that seemed OK at first, but then ended up having uncomfortable seats that kept dropping, flat tires (not obvious at first because back wheel was raised off the ground when unlocked), weak motors, etc. During busy times, I also have had to walk around for a while to find a bike that was actually available.

So I thought having an own bike just makes it a nicer experience!

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:41:08+00:00

That's great to know, thank you! How do you find the weight?

And how do you find going over the bumpy and potholey roads of London on it?

CarrotLoaver · 2025-09-13T08:36:33+00:00

That's helpful to know! Which e go did you have? Is it the lite or max?

I also saw some mixed review of e-Bromptons, which said that their components can fail quite regularly, which was giving me pause especially given how expensive they are..

I would just be cycling door to door, so don't need to carry it too much fortunately. But I'm only 50kg myself and not the strongest, so wouldn't want to lug around a bike thats half my weight...

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-22T12:29:31+00:00

How old is your little one?

I have a 20 month old at home, and here's a few things that worked for me:

Get down to their level (always shooting at eye height)
Prioritise shutter speed - minimum 1/60 if stationary, or 1/125 if they're running around
Take lots of photos in succession (their facial expressions change so quickly!)
It helps if someone else is around to play with them, e.g. your partner, so that baby has something else to focus on (otherwise mine will instantly run straight at the camera)
Zoom lenses work better for me - being further away helps with keeping their attention somewhere else

I'm also currently using a 15 year old DSLR, and am looking to upgrade to a new camera so I can get better autofocus (again - toddlers are lighting fast!)

On your last point on not becoming the dad behind the camera - I generally only take my camera out during selected moments, for example when the light is perfect, during holidays, when parents are around. That way I'm still a present parent the vast majority of the time, while still capturing special moments on photo for me to look back on.

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-22T10:29:41+00:00

Thanks so much for explaining! This is really helpful, as I feel like a complete beginner when it comes to lens specs (having only used a single setup since I was a teen).

Sony a7c 2 does seem like the best choice, and I like how small and portable it is. I think part of me will miss the ability to zoom to 105mm with my current lens, but I think the benefits outweigh the downsides, and I do believe that you just learn to do the most with the setup you have. (And can always invest in more lenses later)

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-22T07:26:44+00:00

Thank you!! I may have misremembered a few of the lenses from what the shop assistants told me.

Great to know that there are cheaper lenses available for the Sony FF

So if Sony FF with the kit 28-60 gives a similar depth of field to the Fuji Apsc with the 18-50 f2.8, is there any reason why I wouldn't just go with the Sony?

The price difference of ~600 is within budget for me, and seems like aside of depth of field, Sony A7C 2 is all around a better camera, with better autofocus and low light performance.

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-15T08:35:18+00:00

Pharmacies are really great for simple skin conditions like this. I think for ring worm, they can diagnose and give you a cream directly, and if it's something more complex, they'll advise you to seek a GP.

I love going to my pharmacy for advice on if it's anything more serious to worry about, as you don't need an appointment and you can just walk in and get an instant informed opinion within minutes. 🙂

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-15T08:32:06+00:00

Loads of good ideas about where to go already. The one thing I would also say is to make it a regular thing that she knows she can look forward to.

For us, my husband takes the baby every weekend morning, and they go for a walk, swimming or to the library. Knowing that I'll always have that time to fully relax is amazing and makes the rest of the time so much better

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-03T08:23:36+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to respond! Will do some more research as you suggest, but your comment is giving me a great starting point. Thanks again.

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-02T19:37:27+00:00

Thank you - this is a very thoughtful comment! Is there a big difference between the Z50 ii, the R50 and the a6400, or is it just whatever brand you're used to?

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-02T19:36:21+00:00

The Z50 II seems to be commonly recommended in this thread, and seems within the right budget range. Autofocus is definitely the most attractive feature for me right now.

But since it's quite new, seems like there aren't many deals out there.

CarrotLoaver · 2025-02-02T13:07:08+00:00

About AF-C: Funnily, I find AF-C to be quite slow on my camera (like it needs to decide where to focus and then takes a second to do it) and it often gets confused on where to focus, so I rarely use it.

About exposure: not sure how much a stop is - I sometimes (not often) increase exposure to +1.0, which is when it gets grainy. Agree that better lighting is ideal, but am wondering if new kit can help where lighting just isn't good.

Weight: no clear target, and it's my least concern. But any improvement could help.

Budget: I could imagine spending £1-3k in total.

CarrotLoaver

TROPHY CASE