A is for Angles

Here are few shots I have taken playing with different angles.

My model wasnt very cooperative. Too busy eating but I like how this image makes me want a piece of watermelon. LOL.

This one is taken from underneath the flower and the flower has backlighting.

This one I played with a wide angle fish eye lens and took the image from above. I wanted  a fun distorted image! My focus is a bit out on this one.

APPLES - a photography challenge

Who would like to join me in a photography challenge?

On Sunday I went to Trina's scraobooking fund raiser for Christchurch. Such a gorgeous event - yummy food, gorgeous tables, fab raffle prizes and an awesome day.
Trina's Blog

Trina asked me if I would do a session on photography as part of it and I did a brief session on photography tips based on the word APPLES. If you have one or more of these elemetns in your photo then you are likely to have a fabulous photo.

ANGLES

Try to avoid subject square on and in the middle of the frame. Try

-   Eye level

-   Above

-   Below

-   Behind

   - Subject or photo on as angle

PEOPLE

Don’t say ‘cheese’ or that’s what you will get!

Puffer Fish technique.

Get in close.

Make it personal.

Have fun,

Always be ready.

Consider your background.

Do something different.

Try different angles.

Capture natural reactions.

PATTERNS

Patterns are everywhere. Look for them. Used effectively you will create a dynamic photo that attracts the eye to the main subject. Look for

-   Irregular

-   Regular

-   Multiple

-   Breaking the pattern

Can be main subject or element of the photo.

LIGHT

Quantity of light is important but quality of light is what matters most. Soft light is best. Modify light by

-   Diffuse it

-   Move into the shade

-   Reflect it

-   Move it

  - Fill-flash it

EMOTION

Tell a story with your photo. Photos that show and evoke emotions are very powerful.

Use your heart and not just your head to take the photo. Use

-   Light

-   Colour

-   Composition

   - Focus

SIMPLICITY

K.I.S.S

Simple ideas are stronger!

Simplicity in

-   Technique

-   Equipment

-   Vision

-   Composition

Be bold in your simplicity.

My challenge (to those who attended and anyone else who would like to join in) is to take a photo for each of the words. I would love to see what you come up with so please link your photos in the comments here. For those who work best with deadlines how about Monday 28th March. I'll be posting mine over the week.

Just Desserts!

Growing up we almost always had dessert or pudding to finish off our evening meal. My favourites were apple crumble (from the apple trees outside), Joan Hughes pudding (a steamed golden syrup pudding with sultanas) and rice or macaroni milk pudding. On special occasions, like Guy Fawkes night and we would have people around for a bonfire Mum would make a caramel meringue pudding. She made it in a roasting dish and it had a shortcake base, a caramel middle and a meringe top - pure heaven. And when we were older Coffee Tortini which is like a coffee flavoured ice cream with roasted slivered almonds.

Dessert in our house is normally dairyfood or icecream in a cone for the boys. I love icecream but try not to eat too much of it but my self control doesnt always win. LOL. I love other desserts too but if I make them, fear that it will be me eating the most of it. However the other night I decided to make a treat and made a self saucing chocolate pudding. It was devoured by everyone. The only complaint I had was that it over flowed my dish and made a mess of my oven which then required cleaning.

Anyway I thought I would write the recipe here, more for my sake for when I forget where I found it. It is a Annabel White recipe from her Best Recipes book.

Lai's self saucing chocolate pudding

50g buuter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup sugar

Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablesppoon cocoa
1 1/2 cups hot water

Heat the butter, milk and vanilla until the butter melts. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix with the sugar.
Pour the warm milk mixture on to the flour mixture and mix until smooth.
Place in a 20cm x 20cm greased baking dish.

Sauce
Mix brown sugar with the cocoa and sprinke on top. Pour on the hot water, do not stir.
Bake at 180 oC for approx 35 minutes.
Serve with custard (or icecream!)

Really yummy and easy to make. It got four ticks out of four which is a rarity in this house!

The hardest thing about starting a blog?

Thinking up a name! It's been a while but I have done it and here I am. A space for me to share some photography, scrapbooking and other creativity.

I will start with some recentish photos. For these I had to get up at 4.15am. Seriously! I am not a morning person (although 4.15am is not morning - its the middle of the blimmen night) but I must admit it is good for the soul seeing the sun rise.