Exploration

My favourite thing

This is the theme for this weeks #thingaweek.It's hard for me to think of an object which is a favourite thing so this is depicting an activity that is a favourite thing. I love being curled up in bed in the mornings. I could have tried to get a tripod and do a self-portrait, but my husband heroically suggested I could snap him instead. Of course he is my favourite thing in the world too:)

This photo has had some post-processing in Picasa. I converted to black and white using a red filter, and then hit I'm feeling lucky which heightened the contrast. I liked it so I left it! And again this is using my cheapy Cosina 50mm lens.

Frost damage

When we moved into our house a few years ago this glazed ceramic white elephant planter was in the back garden. This winter frost wreaked havoc and this is all that is left. I have been intending to take some photos but yesterday got round to it as I thought that what remained upstanding resembled a 'p' and could be entered into this weeks, #thingaweek challenge. These were taken with the Cosina 50mm lens.

The shot that I submitted is the last one above with some in camera post-processing.... increased contrast and vignetting. I'm still not sure if that is allowed within the #thingaweek rules. Never having actually processed an image in a darkroom I'm not sure what one can manage this way!

My First Prime

Cosina Cosinon-S 50mm 1:2 (£9-50 on ebay)

It is fun to play with. Off to take more photos!

Randoms

Includes 'need a haircut'

Studying

Old gate

On my way into work this morning I noticed this old gate. I decided to come back past in the evening, The post was actually more interesting- with ivy and barbed wire ensnared around it. I took the camera off full-auto and tried some different exposures...uh oh, I still hadn't changed from ISO 1600.  Some of the shots were also  deliberately over exposed and I liked how they looked so played around with some of the others as well.

Perhaps sometime soon I will get up 20 minutes earlier to take some photographs in the morning light.

Cardiff

I went into town to get an iPad for my husband's birthday.... no luck there... but we have one on reserve now. If it arrives on Thursday they won't tell us until Friday as the Apple shop will be heaving with people looking at the iPhone4. I was a little underwhelmed by the inability of the iPad to be able to save PDFs found online without paying 59p to download an app, But I guess when it arrives I will fall in love with it. In store they didn't know of any photo-editing software either.

On my way back out I called in to the Cardiff Cardiff Centre. I was hoping to pick up a converter for m42 to k mount, as I bought this lens. They didn't have any and the owner told me that it was 'very inefficient' to use these lens anyway. Since the converter will cost more than the lens he may be right. They had some used k-mount prime lens in stock but they seemed expensive. I tried one on and then forgot I had changed focus to manual when I took the photos of the construction work above. Very silly me. 

I called into Jacobs and they had sold out of the converter (£20.99) too. Someone had bought one last Saturday. Very friendly and helpful staff though. 

Taking my camera to work.

I took the first photo in Bargoed yesterday when around lunchtime. I wanted to get a photo of the underside of the bypass but wasn't really in the right position. It was on the other side of the fence so I decided to shoot the fence instead. I had read Ken Rockwell's thoughts on using a wide-angle lens so tried getting up close to the fence. 

 On the way home by Nantgarw  I spotted the beautiful view ahead in the evening light. At different times of the year this always looks lovely but this was the first time I had this camera with me. I pulled in and went over to the central reservation. Of course that isn't the way I see it but I couldn't stand in the middle of the road! Instead I went a little bit further up the hill on my side and then cropped the image. The sky looked pretty as well.

I tried pulling in further down the road but it didn't quite work. Still, when I drove up the lane further to turn the car, I noticed the beautiful light coming through the trees. These snaps don't really do it justice, of course.

All I shoot is pretty...

Originally  here. These roses in the garden are pretty, but I like that they are not too pretty. Nothing in our garden is too pretty. I have downloaded a trial copy of Lightroom3 but haven't managed to do anything very exciting yet. Any processing here has been done by Picasa.

ISO 1600 in broad day light

Picked up the camera, walked outside and started snapping, Had not noticed that set to ISO 1600.

I thought the colours looked a little wacky and realised what was wrong. Next ones are more normal.