Sunday, 31st October 2010 - Photo #304

We have been for a walk round Calke Abbey today and I went mad taking photos of the trees and the leaves, love this time of year. Carl decided it was a good idea to talk about scary movies all the way round so if the girls don't sleep tonight he will be up with them not me! I've tried different compositions with this wall as it should lead you into the photo so your eyes take in the whole of the picture. Hopefully this does, right no more talk of Blair Witches or ghosts!

Saturday, 30th October 2010 - Photo #303

Bit of a strange one tonight, I thought it would be a quick lesson in shutter speeds but then I got hooked on using Elements 9's guided effects to make an Out of Bounds picture. Firstly, I took a long exposure of the flashing rubber teddy that the girls won in the arcades at Matlock, my house is full of this sort of rubbish. I wanted to try and get both colours hence the longer shutter speed, it eventually worked and I got a picture with both the red and blue lights lit. Then I got above myself and found an effect on Elements and wouldn't rest until I had done it. I've watched a video tutorial and tried about 5 times, here is the result, not bad but I'll keep trying.

Friday, 29th October 2010 - Photo #302

The new love of my life was delivered today by my lovely postman! It's Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and I love it. Couldn't resist giving Kirsten's picture a bit of a treatment, I think it makes her look like an extra from one of Carl's beloved Zombie films. (She has been to Youth Club's Halloween Party tonight and has just been bitten by a vampire - Robert Pattinson has alot to answer for!). Elements 9 is so easy to use, I know a little bit (thanks to Barry) about Photoshop but have always steered clear of the Elements packages but I am a convert already, it is so easy - look out for lots more enhancing.

Thursday, 28th October 2010 - Photo #301

Amy and her friends came round for a photoshoot today and I am really pleased with the results. They've had a quick look and, hopefully, they like the pictures too. I've darkened this one of Amy, turned it black and white and then warmed it up! I like the effect, must remember how I did it!.

Wednesday, 27th October 2010 - Photo #300

The eyes have it!

I've been using my beloved 50mm lens today and although I sometimes struggle having to remember to move myself rather than zooming the lens back or forth. I love this one of Zac staring intently at his plastic bouncy ball that I am holding in my other hand. I've cropped really tight to make his eyes more prominent.

Can't believe I have reached 300 photos.

Tuesday, 26th October 2010 - Photo #299

Well no prizes for guessing what today is?! Been out for a meal with my Mum and Dad, without the camera as Carl assured me his new trusty phone would take a good picture. It has done, no red eye and lovely and clear but I have had to email them to myself to get them off the damn thing. Arrgggh. Frustrated is not the word -humph, technology eh? Hope it turns out not too bad.

No it's awful, will change tomorrow.

Happy birthday Mum XXX

Monday, 25th October 2010 - Photo #298

Here is Jasper, he has had his first photoshoot today and loved it! He was really excited and keeping still was a challenge but we got there in the end, I love his cheeky expression on this one. I've cloned out the biscuit that we used to keep him still for a few seconds!!

Sunday, 24th October 2010 - Photo #297

At my brother and sister in law's this afternoon I took this picture of a tree in their garden, I loved how the sun was lighting up the side and how the leaves are changing colour. It is taken through the glass as it was freezing outside! On the way home there was an amazing moon just starting to come up but, as usual, I couldn't take a picture of it as I was driving and the camera was in the boot - doh!

Saturday, 23rd October 2010 - Photo #296

Been to Elvaston Castle today and I was struck by the tree being framed by the stone arches of the courtyard. The leaves are turning beautiful colours so there's loads of photos to take, just have to remember the wellies!

Friday, 22nd October 2010 - Photo #295

I'm quite proud of being from Ilkeston and will always love the fair that comes to town every October. I think it is the oldest charter fair in the country and has been going for 757 years (bet it was cheaper then). There has always been a real buzz of excitement in the air and the rides just get bigger and more daring. I remember going in my dinner hour whilst at school and I still love it just as much. We went with my Mum and Dad and the girls loved the rides they went on. I would have liked to take my big camera and tripod but it's just so busy that I don't think it would of been a good idea. So took this collage of photos on my compact.

Thursday, 21st October 2010 - Photo #294

I absolutely love Buddhas (think you've probably guessed that by now though), here is one that is in the back room and is one of a set of three plaques of faces. The reason I took this is to practice getting the ISO setting right, ISO allows photos to be taken in dark places without the glare of flash and avoid too long shutter speeds. Having a long shutter speed obviously means that the camera can shake and the picture be blurred so turning the ISO up higher is a really useful trick when you want to avoid flash.

This is taken with 500 ISO and although I still wobbled very slightly, this one is quite sharp. Another little part of photography know-how learned, loads more to go! Oh well, keep practising Carol.

Wednesday, 20th October 2010 - Photo #293

The girls have had a great night tonight, they have been to an event called 'Vision' which has been held at Elvaston Castle by the Girl Guiding Association to mark their centenary. They made hats (massive, brown paper bag creations!), danced and wrote down what changes they would like to see in 10 years time. Kirsten wants a greener planet and Hope wants to live in a world that is crime free. They had to think about how we can achieve their own 'vision', Kirsten is going to try and use less electricity!

I've colour popped the badge and added a colourful boarder as the brown paper bag hat isn't the most fetching of colours.

Tuesday, 19th October 2010 - Photo #292

The moon kept disappearing behind lovely clouds tonight at about 7.15pm, so I ran out with the camera and snapped away. I should have taken more time I think but I was in a rush, definitely needed the tripod as the longer shutter speed needed to be kept steady. I've upped the saturation as I like the colour of the clouds, now I've got a bit more time on my hands the clouds have disappeared and although the moon is bright it's just like a picture I've already taken. Never mind, when I get more time on a cloudy night I will try again.

Monday, 18th October 2010 - Photo #291

Here are my new lights that are made to look like candles but they are rechargeable - clever eh? I'm not a massive candle fan as I don't like to see them half burnt down so these are ideal for me. Carl found them on a website he looks at all the time, they were on offer, I wonder if they have camera equipment too......................??????

Turned the flash off and held the camera really steady to capture the lovely orange light.

Sunday, 17th October 2010 - Photo #290

"Kirsten's Puppet Show"

Kirsten made up a puppet show today for my Mum, Dad and Grandma who came for tea. It was really funny as she pretended the puppets were my Mum and Dad, complete with Dad moaning about Britney Spears and Mum having to stop for a cup of tea less than 30 minutes after they set off on a long car journey!

I used my flash to try and catch her facial expressions.

Here is a joke from Kirsten "what do you get hanging from Banana Trees?............................................"
"arm ache"!!!!!!

Saturday, 16th October 2010 - Photo 289

Guess where we have been this afternoon? Derby beat Preston 3-0 and it was a really good game (sorry you missed it Blair and thanks for the loan of your tickets). Here is Rammie at half time doing a penalty shoot out with some kids. He is rubbish and usually they all score (bless him). I'm not a big football fan but love the atmosphere and because they won everyone was singing. Robbie Savage is my favourite and it was his 600th match, he even scored the penalty. Brilliant.

Didn't take my big camera as they stopped me going in with it last time so this is taken on the compact and is quite cropped as I wasn't that near.

Friday, 15th October 2010 - Photo #288

I took this on the way back from dropping Hope at her friends in Melbourne as she was having a sleepover and they were going around the fair. Unfortunately, it has taken me til this morning to actually transfer the photo from my phone (technology eh?) I like how the fence top mirrors the spire of the chapel. This is the same place I wanted to photograph ages ago but when I pressed the button I realised that I had left my SD card at home! I'm doomed.

Made it black and white because the sky was so grey that the colour was really dull and about an hour later it absolutely threw it down (not good weather for the fair - sorry girls).

Thursday, 14th October 2010 - Photo #287

I had to take the girls to University with me last night as a book I had borrowed from the library was due back. As we were pulling into the car park, Hope said "There's Amy's clock", I didn't know what she meant and she told me that on her first day at senior school she had met a girl called Amy who had designed a clock and it had been made for a big building. It is actually on the Multi Faith Centre at the Kedleston Road site and only has half a clock face. I have looked on the Internet and on the University's web site there is a page all about it. Here it is www.derby.ac.uk/news/university-clocks-up-another-towering-success2

I took this with my phone camera and used night setting to avoid the flash firing (made it yellow to jazz it up a bit). Ok it's no competition winner but it has a connection and I will always call it Amy's clock from now on.

Wednesday, 13th October 2010 - Photo #286

"Room for one more?"

Used my beloved tripod again tonight to get these Starlings on the TV aerial. Although I though using the tripod would make the picture pin sharp I think the weight of the birds on the aerial is making it shake ever so slightly. Oh well, I'll keep trying.

Tuesday, 12th October 2010 - Photo #285

After last night's talk at Camera Club I have fallen back in love with my tripod! Took it to Mum and Dad's tonight and the light was just going but their garden is still looking lovely so I decided to quickly get a picture before night fell completely. I upped the ISO, put my camera on a tripod with a longer shutter speed and hey presto!

Because of the longer speed I needed the tripod to get a nice sharp picture, this has made my mind up that I will try and always take my tripod where ever I go.

Monday, 11th October 2010 - Photo #284

I was drawn to take this picture by the colours of the red leaves and the yellow berries, once I got closer I noticed the orange ladybird on the leaf too. Beautiful autumnal colours that I couldn't resist. Cropped just to get rid of the green foliage and added a matching border.

Sunday, 10th October 2010 = Photo #283

I've been playing around with shutter speeds tonight - can you tell?! Used Hope's 'Cookie Monster' clock that she made at school this week and used the laptop cushion as a tripod. I think the shutter speed for this picture is 4 seconds I found any longer burnt out the background, although my aim was to show more of the second hand. Why is time always against me?

Saturday, 9th October 2010 - Photo #282

Meet Lexi, she is our friends' boxer puppy and is about 19 weeks old. She is gorgeous and took a real shine to Zac. He got a bit fed up of her trying to kiss him though! I used my studio lights to get some nice pictures of her for her portfolio as Jeff and Collette (her owners) intend to breed her. So some day I might be going over to theirs to take pictures of new born puppies - fingers crossed.

Friday, 8th October 2010 - Photo #281

Guess who's been in the wars? Kirsten walked into a toilet door as someone was opening it today at school and this is the result. Will she get a black eye, that is the question??!!

I liked using the mirror and played about with focusing on either the reflection or Kirsten herself.

Thursday, 7th October 2010 - Photo #280

My late 'Little' Grandma's favourite plant was a Christmas Rose, I bought one from Ikea the other night and it's a corker. There are loads of buds on it and a couple have flowered. I put it outside to get some nice light on it and took a close up of the flower and stamen. I like the texture of the petals.

Wednesday, 6th October 2010 - Photo #279

On our way back from our second home (Costco) I noticed the street lights and the signs were really bright as it was just getting dark. I love night photos but one rule is you need a tripod for the longer exposure to avoid camera shake. Obviously, didn't have mine with me, as we were shopping but thought oh well, I'll give it a go. Set the shutter speed and upped the ISO and this one is quite clear. I tried to take some in the car of the traffic's light trails but they are all a bit wobbly (it must be Carl's driving). Something to practise I think.

Tuesday, 5th October 2010 - Photo #278

Thought I would try something a bit different tonight, I took a picture of my 'eat' sign in the kitchen (where else?) and then cropped in really tight to try and get something more modern looking. I brightened the colour slightly to make it 'punchy' and let the focus drop off after the 'e'. It reminds me of Pac Man just about to eat the 'at' - I think I need to get out more!