Eeeek - the self portrait blues!

The final choice below:

Never realised quite how hard it is to take a self portrait, with no tripod, no camera skills and no dummy to focus on further away than arms length!!

Needless to say, the results were not promising -but never mind, I am resolved to learn to do better - not at self portraits, but at photography in general!

So, the final choice, and some of the options - was I right?

12 Days of Christmas Photography Course

I've signed up for a photo course with Cheryl Johnson called the 12 days of Christmas.

I am really looking forward to this and hope to get some new ideas for Christmas photos, as I've not got any really good ones. They always seem to be too busy or have too many colours, so this year fingers crossed, I will have something a bit more inspiring to remember the year by and to put in my scrapbooks.

But up first is a self portrait!! HEEEELLLPPPP! I take the photos, so I don't have to be in them. I mean, that's the whole point, so this is well outside my comfort zone. It also brings home the fact that I have absolutely no camera skills despite my lovely Nikon. I just point and shoot.

To my shame, I didn't even know how to work the self-timer, but now I do. So if I get nothing else out of this course (and I'm sure that isn't the case, having seen CJs photos, surely something will rub off on me!) at least I can take a photo using the timer. Thank you CJ, for getting me off my backside and finding out something new about my camera.

As for the self portrait - well, watch this space. It's not done yet!

I love Autumn

The coloured leaves, the clear skies (sometimes), harvest - we've had some wonderful quinces from the garden this year which have been turned into a fabulous ice cream sauce with vanilla and cinnamon. I love this time of year and especially Bonfire Night - now only days away.

I hope the fire brigade don't go on strike, although I sympathise with their cause, but I'm looking forward to going to the renowned Carshalton Fireworks display on Saturday which is traditional in our family.

We also always have sparklers and mulled wine - yum, should be fun.