Day 12 - Portrait

Here is my offering for Portrait.

I guess usually this is done with humans but to be honest none of my family wanted to have their portrait taken!

I've learned a lot form this task, a lot about taking pictures of dogs anyway! It's certainty not as easy as it looks and getting them in focus is a right pain because they move so quickly! A few of the pictures I made the mistake of having the ISO way too high (default seems to be super high on auto ISO?!) to they're a bit noisy... but you live and learn and this is what this challenge is about; learning.

Nucky (the white one) was actually a bit easier to photograph, despite being camera shy, than Finlay (the black and tan one) because her expressive eyes came across better. Although I can tell what Finlay is thinking (usually "what food can I steal next?") I found it pretty difficult to get this in a photo. Sometimes I managed it but most of the time the fleeting glances weren't captured.

Again, this is a challenge I do want to revisit and try again, maybe even with willing humans next time! I want a lens that I can zoom in a bit more and get some nice candid shots... another day, another day! :)

Enjoy!

Day 10 - Lens Flare

Hello all!

I've finally decided to update the blog!! I've had these pictures taken and edited for about a week, but honestly i don't like lens flare pictures. So they're really uninspiring!

Next one is Landscape and then Portrait. I'm off for the next two days so hoping to catch up a bit and get some good pictures in, so please keep coming back!!

In other news, this is the first blog that I'm doing using my new (to me) netbook!! I decided to get a simple little netbook for when I go to Scotland on holiday (doing the North Coast 500 tour!!) then I can do a travel blog and put my pictures on from HARVe and my action camera (a GoPro copy called an SJCAM!). I fully intend to find the Loch Ness Monster while I'm there and want to blog about it as soon as I do!! :) I have to say, this little thing (called MiniEgg) might not be very powerful, but its cute!! I like it!!

Anyway, here are the photos. I know they're crap... but landscape will be better I promise!!

Day 9 - Bokeh (part 1)

Ok ok... I know what you're all thinking "you're SO far behind!!" this is true...


I've been reading about bokeh (apparently the art of the aesthetically pleasing blurry background) and looking at other pictures. Some of them I like, some of them I just can't see the point of??

Most of the examples I've seen seem to be cities or towns with lots of lights and them all blurred out... well I live in the countryside so that's really not going to happen! :)

There is, however, a way to do it with fairy lights and a stencil... I've made the lens hood and stencil but I'll be dammed if I can get a set of fairy lights easily (they're either in the loft with the Xmas stuff, or on my tent, which is in the bag... and I'm not untangling them!). I will try to get some fairly lights tomorrow and give the stencil one a go.

Today, though, we have pictures with blurry backgrounds! I like most of them! After reading online I figured that my pictures would be crap because the smallest aperture I have is 3.5 and all the tutorials said something like a f/1.6 was needed... but I gave it a go and quite like the results!

So what do you think? Is my bokeh beautiful or does it leave you feeling cold and unloved?!

Until tomorrow xx