Still Life...

Put the fish eye away for a while and got the trusty 50mm out for some still life shots (this week's 'homework' for the Divas and Dreams self study course) .  These are photos of some candles I got from a charity shop (I only really wanted the bead things around them).  I took them next to the window, with white card as a base and backdrop and a reflector to bounce the light from the window back onto them. 

Also linking to Project 52

Fun with the fish eye...

A couple of shots 'hot of the press'.  Mrs P helped me test out the fish eye filter this morning (think she misunderstood what it was).  There's a knack to using it - you have to get the main subject at the right angle and the quality of the image does drop off towards the edges, but you can get some fab effects with it.  Am really looking forward to trying it out on trees, tall buildings, people's faces etc etc etc.

Mrs P feeling extremely warped...

And with an infra red effect too...

Wordless Wednesday...

I have a new toy to play with!  It's actually an early birthday present from David and is a fisheye filter with detachable macro.  As soon as I got home from work I was out in the garden with it taking photos of, well, weeds and stuff.

This is pretty much SOoC - the light leak was an accident!

Note that sneaky bug trying to get into the picture.

This is not a weed - but I don't know what it is.
(I added a selective zoom to the petals in PicMonkey)

I'll be experimenting with the fisheye next to see what it can do.  Watch this space!

Cats on Tuesday...

Aha! Who do we have here lying in wait

for unsuspecting tourists
in Stratford upon Avon?

Yes it's Ginger...

Sitting outside a jeweller's... hmmm!

He posed very nicely 

(obviously used to the international attention his

status as the cat who

hangs around Shakespeare's Birthplace brings him...)

David tentatively tested the waters to see

whether Ginger would allow him to pet him...

The ears went back a bit,

but after an initial grab at David's hand Ginger decided

the strange man was harmless enough

and wasn't about to arrest him...

For more infamous kitties visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

Bank Holiday Weekend (out and about in the rain and hail!)

Spent yesterday walking around the Donington race track with David so he could take photos of classic cars.  It rained, it hailed, it was very cold, and when I asked a young chap in the cafe for a filter coffee he said 'what's a filter coffee?'.  I think he should seriously reconsider his career choice.  I did manage to get some photos, weather and strange customer service notwithstanding.

Me with the 'lost - not lost' mittens on

David does his paparazzi thing...

My new car :O)

I was determined to have a go

at one of those tree shots where you

pan the camera up and down whilst shooting.

Didn't have my tripod so it's a bit wobbly, 

but still quite like the effect!

Crystal...

Sometimes the early morning light is too beautiful to not go outside still in your dressing gown and try and capture it with the aid of a crystal!

Cats on Tuesday...

This week the cats were shocked to discover an interloper called Ralph in their garden!  (Pictures to follow).  Charlie was so vexed his fur went into knots and had to be trimmed with scissors - it almost put him off his dinner.

The only other noteworthy news is that preparations are underway for Posky and Charlie's joint visit to the vets this Friday... they are both to be starved from the night before so that they can have blood tests to check on their renal function.  David refuses to have anything to do with this little expedition so it's up to yours truly.  If I'm not back next week you'll know the pair of them have exacted some awful revenge...

Anyway... here are the four miscreants in monotone.

For more kitties visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.