January 1st, POTD! Beginners mistake, or how to turn your cat into a smurf!

Let's start by saying Happy New Year to all of you!!

For this very first POTD in 2009, I have to admit I am cheating. Already???? Yes :-O I took these pictures yesterday, and although some turned out nice enough, I made a huge mistake, which in my eyes in a beginners mistake. I won't say this will never happen to me again, never say never, but I hope I'll think about this mistake next time I go picture hunting!

We were taking a walk in our quite new neighbourhood (new to us), it was beautiful weather, almost spring like, and I had only one thing in mind: taking photos! So there I went, and the result was quite a surprise.I took the photos in manual, some were not well exposed at all, others were quite ok in exposure but... I forgot that I had put the White Balance on Thungsten the night before! So basically that's how you turn a white cat into a smurf, meet ScoobyDoo:

That was actually not the picture I selected for the POTD, that one is below. Also taken with the wrong WB (it took me a while to actually notice my mistake!), taken on our walk on a little path nearby our house. Even though the colors are not correct, I quite like the photo :

Thanks to a very helpful Pea for explaining how to make a frame ;-)

I received the book I ordered: Understanding Exposure byt Bryan Peterson and Wow, it is a great book, I recommand it everyone who is, come me, a beginner!!!

I am so looking forward to spring, with lots and lots of photo opportunities! :-) I'm starting to get obsessed!!! Well, I'll see you all tomorrow for a new POTD, have a good day all! OH, and PS, the picture in the post below was also with wrong WB :-O

31/12: POTD -1! Resolutions!

My first picture is up! It is a picture of a new day that arises, the last one of the year. 2008 is almost behind us, we’re going into 2009 and guess what, I still haven’t met any extra terrestrials :-O The “new” millennium definitely doesn’t live up to the expectations!

Looking back at the year 2008, even though some great things happened such as moving to this beautiful area in the South West of France, 2008 has been the worst year of my life with loosing my sweet mother in May. I’m glad to go into a new year, even though that won’t change a thing!
It’s time for some resolutions, of course. OK, there is still the goal of loosing the few kilos I have too much, I still blame it on my son although he’s 4 now and I really should start blaming it on myself ;-) But this year I only set “creative” goals, skill developing goals! Here we go!

Photography – I just bought myself a Nikon D60 DSLR (Reflex) camera and my first goal would definitely be to learn to get the best use out of it, using manual (or at least semi-manual) mode! In order to achieve this, I read a lot (I love reading) but I do realise that practice will be the best way to get there. I therefore plan on doing the POTD challenge on Two Peas Photography (cf. post before), which will “force” me to practice every day! At the same time, I hope to learn how to use Photoshop Elements to get the most of my pictures!

Scrapbooking – Last years goal was to make 104 layouts in the year (2 a week!) but I didn’t make it, I came to a (sad) total of 63!!! But, having moved houses and having had all my scrapbook things in a box for 3 months, I am not surprised about that! For 2009, I set my goal on a little less, because I hope to spend time on Photography too ;-) Up till yesterday I thought I’d set my goal on 1,5 layouts a week average, for a total of 78, but this morning I revised my goal and I’ll put my scrapbook thicker on 52 layouts because I also plan on making quite some mini-albums (Richard gave me the bind it all for Christmas!!!). I plan on doing a challenge a week (which means a layout a week) on some of my favourite challenge blogs!

Scrapbook related – ATC holder! I bought myself an ATC holder earlier this year, it is still in the box. I plan on filling the holder with ATCs (surprise) that show my children in 2009. I basically plan on taking one picture a day of them (at least), either the two together or only one of them, and on the ATCs I want to document their year. I’m not setting the goal of making one ATC a day, I’ll probably do loads of them every once in a while ;-) but I really am gonna try to keep up with this!

Well, that would be about it. I do have to clean my house once in a while, and I do have a job to go to!!! Having said that, I do realise that these goals might be a little optimistic, because it does involve daily photography and daily blogging :-O but I’ll try!! See you next year!!

PS I love comments ;-)

New blog!

New camera means new blog! I just got myself a brand new Reflex camera and now all I need to do is master the beast :-) Not easy to start, but I'll get there, I read about everything Photography related on Internet and plan on joining the POTD Peas (Photo of the Day) on twopeas Photography. I'll use this message to say THANK you to all the peas for the valuable advice they give to beginners (and pros)!!!

I don't have any pictures to show yet ;-) , this is just an introduction!!!