26wk Photo Challenge - Self Portrait.

The third theme on the 26wk challenge list and it is the dreaded 'self portrait' - well it had to be in there somewhere didn't it?  It doesn't have to be a photo of your face unless you are perfectly happy with that - try and think of other ways of conveying your personality to others via a photograph.  Pay some attention to what ISO you use and see the effects different ISO's give.  Once again at the end of the fortnight upload three/four images, your first, last and best/favourite, show shooting details and explain why you chose the images.  Then critique others taking part in the challenge.  The challenge is open to anyone.  Have fun.

26wk Photo Challenge - Photograph the Light.

For the second theme of the 26wk challenge, the challenge was to photograph the light, explore what the light does. So here are my images four this week.  All were taken in a hotel room last weekend, I very quickly became fascinated by the patterns the light shade created once we turned the light on. The very first photo I took was taken through the window of the light's reflection. No real thought went into this as far as composition was concerned I was just curious how it would come out.  All the photos were taken with a 10-20mm lens (purely because I had just received it back from being repaired and I wanted to make sure it was working!)

AV mode, shutter speed 1/10, f3.5, ISO 100, auto WB

Second photo was of the actual light itself creating a pattern on the ceiling.

AV mode, shutter speed 1/40, f4.5, ISO 100, exp comp +1, tungsten WB.

Thrid photo (last photo) -  I focused in on the actual shafts of light that were spread out across the ceiling from the shade.

 AV mode, 1/20, f3.5, ISO 320, tungsten WB.
All three photos above are straight out of the camera (sooc), no changes of colours or anything.  I really liked the colours I got when the room was lit with very low natural light and tungsten light - so I could see no need to change them.

My best/fav (though I really like the second one I've posted as well - so alittle torn)

AV mode, ss 1/10, f3.5, ISO 100, auto WB.

Once again this one was taken through the window as in the first shot, but I composed it more so that I had the light sitting in amongst the clouds and you could see the land at the bottom (the natural light was fading rapidly by now).  I have cloned out a table lamp that was showing and cropped slightly.  It is not a highly manipulated image created by photoshop, which it would appear to be to some!  I didn't really get to explore this theme with natural light purely because I got distracting playing with artificial light!!

Please visit Yvonne  Eileen Joy Nathalie  Louise to see their take on the theme.

Sky watch Friday

Only two days late  but hey that is life :) This was the sky on my way to work this morning at 7.30am

Sorry about the pole but I was balancing on the foot plate of the door to the car so I could see over the hedge and it didn't look right if I cropped it out.  It actually turned out to be a beautiful day with blue sky, albeit rather chilly.  For more skies from around the world to Sky Watch Friday

A week to forget.

A week of ups and downs and sorting things out, with some christmas shopping thrown in for good measure. The news that Amanda will have to have her knee operated on in the new year - most likely the week of her birthday,  one deceased laptop, one deceased phone and the shambles of an evening that the school called their GCSE presentation evening brought our week to a close last night - one I'm not too sorry to put behind us.  So our new week started today afresh and so far on a better note - the way it will continue :)

So a photo for the sake of a photo taken at Pine Lodge ( a local garden) this tree is in the Winter Garden, I have no idea what it is but I just love the colour of the berries against the dark sky.

Sky watch Friday

Went to Porthleven on Friday and although very blowy it was a beautiful day with whispery clouds.

For more skies from around the world visit

26wk Photo Challenge - Photograph the Light.

Thank you everyone who took part in the 'Backyard challenge'.  For the next fortnight we are going to be looking at photographing the light, not lights themselves but what the light does, ie creates contrast, shadows, reflections, patterns, different shades of colours, even the rays of the sun if you are lucky enough to see any at the moment.

Here is one I took at the end of Sept of the early morning sun shining throught the trees, my main focus in the photo is the rays. 
At the end of the fortnight 27/11/11 upload your first, last and fav/best image for everyone else to critique.  Have fun and happy looking!

Photo Challenge - Backyard

Here are my three images for the first theme of the 26 Photo Challenge

First image, shooting details. AV mode, shutter speed 1/25, f5.6, ISO 100, focal length 90mm, exposure comp +1/3 to lighten slightly.   This was hand held which was not idea as the area was abit shaded hence the shutter speed was abit slow therefore not that sharp.  Why did I take this, it is the platform the oil tank sits on and bits that Mick finds/collects seem to be put there, just one of those odd little collection points that we seem to have!  Plus I love the stones he finds on his travels at work.

 AV mode, shutter speed 1/8, f7.1, ISO 100, focal length 41mm.  Once again hand held, looking upwards, once again a shaded area, slow shutter, exposure comp +2/3. This is the underneath the balcony, I like the pattern and texture of the wood, looking damp though.

AV mode, shutter speed 0.4, f25, ISO 100, focal length 55mm, exposure comp -2/3 to darken slightly. This was taken on a tripod due to very slow shutter speed to blur the movement of the water. My last and favourite, these leaves had got trapped in the wire across the pond and I thought they looked really attractive (blueberry leaves), the orange in the water is the fish.  I like the pattern of the wire and the reflection in the water.
Which do I think is my best, possibly the last, for sharpness and interest.  Over you to now to critique :)

Monthly view

Despite the pouring rain I did jump out of the car on the way to work to snap and I mean snap one of my monthly photos.  I didn't walk down the path to take the one of the river, else I would have looked like a drowned rat by the time I go to work!!  Not a very exciting shot but then everything is so wet at the mo. :) Though having just looked back at Oct's I think it is nicer.

Sept's views and Oct's views.

Skywatch Friday

Started off as a very wet morning, the rain has now stopped and this is it at the moment!

Doesn't really make you want to rush outside does it??  Still they do say it will brighten.

For more skies from around the world go to

Photo challenge Blinkie

OK folks Eileen asked if I was going to create a blinkie for the photo challenge.... well I have never done one of these before and not sure if I have done it right now but I have created a very basic one, which hopefully will surfice. So I think it is just a case of copying and pasting to your blog and then linking up when you post.  But I could be wrong and will not be offended if someone wishes to correct me

I've just tested the one on the side bar and it links to the new challenge post, hopefully it works for everyone else!   Hopefully the one above links to the same post.  Thank you Eileen for helping me learn something new today :)

Should these still be in flower?

I have always enjoyed gardening, I think it is partly the pleasure of watching something grow from a tiny seed into something beautiful, the wonderful colours of nature and the scent that the plants produce, never cease to amaze me.  I am what I call a slap happy gardener, I plant things because I like them, I don't think about positions they will like my garden I put them where I want them or where there is a space, nothing gets taken in during the winter they have to fend for themselves - in fact I'm a pretty bad gardener - but hey they all come back every year so they can't be that unhappy can they!!  Anyway whilst looking around the garden this week I noticed that all my fushcia's are in full bloom,  I can't help but think it is too late for them, I mean it is November after all, shouldn't they be dieing off now??  Here's pic to show you what I mean.  All gardening tips greatfully received. :)

I should dedicate this post to my friend Kathi who really isn't a flower person -  but tolerates my love of them ;)  she also kindly let me eat my pack lunch in her kitchen today whilst I was at work..... thank you, and her son, Ross makes a super cup of tea :)

How strange...

...it felt for Sunday to come and go and for me not to be posting a photo of the week and emailing Louise!!  I know I could of posted something else, but the truth is I ran out of time yesterday, it was Bernadette's last day before she went back to uni, so it was spent with her :).  We are into the second half of the first week of the 26wk challenge, Yvonne has been very quick off the mark (she always makes me feel very lazy!!) and her three are posted here.  Please view and crtiique her photos, remember a positive comment followed by a constructive comment, ie a different way of taking the photo or something that you feel could improve the photo, followed by a positive.

The following image is one I took down by the river in Tresillian in Sept.

I too have been outside today and taking some pics for the first challenge of the 26wk challenge, shall post them later this week.

How nice..

Yesterday morning whilst looking at my blog list and people's updates I came across this
http://in-my-playroom.blogspot.com/  it made me smile then, I was still smiling last night when I thought about it on the way home from work in the rain and I am still smiling now - hence I had to share it.  Thank you Eileen for making me smile so much.