One thing after another…

The good news

We had a good day with Babybel yesterday - dog walk in the morning, when we had fun looking at tracks in the snow, and a trip to Whitchurch Silk Mill in the afternoon where the ducks were very pleased to see us – or the bread we brought – and Babybel was fascinated by the water wheel, the working model of the water wheel, and the looms – another engineer in the family?

The bad news

This morning it was really hard to drag myself out of bed and off to college, so I was not best pleased when I got there to realise that:

1. I’d forgotten most of the stuff I was supposed to be taking in to photograph [how could I forget a large plastic box that I trip over every time I go to the door?].
2. the battery in my camera was going flat
3. Wensleydale had the car, because he was having his hair cut, so I couldn’t go home or summon assistance.

However, as I am very much a ‘point and shoot’ photographer, I thought I would pick up enough information to complete the task at home. [I have, of course, lost the manual for the camera.]

What I learned:

1. how to set the camera to black and white, as required – which I worked out for myself
2. how to set up and light the work
3. er – that’s it.

I will have a go at home – we have black curtains in the dining room and cream ones in my work room, for the required backgrounds, – so I won’t have to climb on the furniture to pin fabric to the picture rails, and we have a couple of suitable lights. I know that even if I had had all my stuff I would still have come home and tried again – but I am not very confident about succeeding.

We do have a book on digital photography – but when I looked at it, it is written for people who already know about photography, and is full of words I never knew existed.

So I tried to order the ‘Which‘ book on digital photography, on line but their shopping basket isn’t working.

What I need to know is the meaning of all the initials and numbers and things which appear when I press the function button – and why they matter. Anyone know any good websites – preferably written in English rather than techie, and which don’t advocate the use of wide angle lenses, filtered lights or other things not found in the average technophobic home?

I did get the details of the real 3D unit – and a quick tutorial – before I was able to get through to W, make my excuses and leave. It is, as I anticipated, on the same theme as the 2D piece – i.e. ‘Everyday’ [or possibly ‘Every Day’] and I have some ideas to do with ‘everyday treasures’ – those little things we keep in safe places which to anyone else would be junk. [Like baby teeth. Yes, I know, gross.]

I am not thinking of using real everyday treasures, but of constructing some – and a receptacle for them – a bit like Penny Burnfield’s wonderful ‘holotypes’, although not in glass jars. To be honest, part of my problem with the photography is that I am enthused by the new module and want to move on!