One of my closest friends has been going through some very hard times in her personal life. She is being so brave and proactive about getting on with her new life and she invited us to join her for a day at the races. I’m not really a fan of going to the races but I wanted to support her and spend the day with good friends so I went along. Plus, she promised me some good photo opportunities since we had tickets to the Members’ Stand :). So today, we went along to Doomben Racetrack and we had a great day. The happy, smiling girl in the gallery is my friend and to be able to capture this shot of her fills me with happiness. x
The horses were beautiful but I have to confess that I had more fun photographing the people. We had a table of very “happy” boys at the table next to us and they cheerfully provided the waving photo, which is one of my favourites. I know some of these images aren’t very sharp, I need a little more practice with movement!
The colours of race day are certainly bright and cheerful but I wanted to treat these images to a monochrome effect. I feel like it gives the day an old-world charm, a touch of nostalgia.
I’m very glad to have been part of Photo101 November 2014 – what an amazing experience. I’m new to blogging and I’m grateful this experience popped up so soon after I started. I’ve met amazing and talented people and I will keep in touch with many of them, hopefully we will all interact with each other again very soon.
x desleyjane
musingsofafrequentflyingscientist.com 
Looks like it was a great day at the races 🙂 Good shots!
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Thank you! A long day but good fun 😄
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All wonderful, framed very nicely! My favorites are the first one and the one with the three fellows leaning on the fence. I LOVE the black and white, but am curious to see them in color. Thanks for posting these!
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Thank you. It was a very colourful day, very blue ske and colourful riding uniforms. I could add a couple in 😊
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Or make a separate post with a gallery of the color versions. I really like the all black and white one that you did. It feels very unified in its presentation.
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That’s true! A colour post could be my offering for Sunday 😉
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Felicitaciones a tu amiga.
Saludos.
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😄
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This is a wonderful post. Like your “Triumph” one, thoughtful and touching.
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Thank you Mara. It’s been an emotional time for my friend – great to be able to think about something else for the day.
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These are so beautiful that I cannot choose just one. I love the boys and the priceless smile of your friend. My best wishes to her.
The monochrome conveys the charm and elegance of the race. But am looking forward to seeing the colorful version. Cheers!
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Thank you Lucile 😄 The ones of the boys and the old-timers make me smile. Thank you for your best wishes!
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Most welcome. Oh yes, they’re wonderful. They seem very cheerful and contributed to a great photo! X
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It was funny because they were all dressed in varying shades of blue. We wondered if they coordinated their outfits before they came out – lol! X
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That detail info makes the photo even more amusing! I bet they did! Lol. Xx
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