So, I have a wee problem with this one..

I’m not quite ready to get my ‘big camera’ out. Mainly, because it doesn’t have a charged battery and I’m too disorganised to remember to dig it out from the cupboard and charge it! But I’m also snowed under with work and I know that if I’m going to start relearning how to use my camera this week it’s going to mean I have to set aside some time specifically to do that.

Charging the camera is still on the ‘to do’ list (today, I promise), so I’ve been exploring the manual setting on my phone. I only realised it was there recently.

Here are a few of my attempts…

This spider lives in a bell hanging from a tree in our garden. As we sat out playing cards the other evening we spotted him right in the middle of his web. It took quite a few attempts to get him in focus and not the lights. It’s not quite in focus but as near as I could manage! I like the composition and colours.

We have a whirly windmill thing in our garden. Earlier this week, it was blowing a hoolie and so the whirly, windmill thing was whirling like billy-o. I thought I’d have a play and see what happened. I love the effects but there is too much distracting stuff around to make a well-composed photo imho.

Another evening in the garden. Don’t you just love summer? Another play. Try as I might I couldn’t get the lizard’s face in focus… Just too close to the lights.

These black wallflowers in the garden are stunning especially when the bright yellow pollen falls on the petal. But for this one, I was focusing on the pink stamens. (Or are they anthers? I failed biology!) The problem with trying to focus with a phone is that it’s really difficult to hold steady once you think you have it in focus and not move the phone as you press the button. So the pink bits (stamens, anthers…) are not quite in focus but close.

I collected heaps of these shells from the beach in Mahia last week. I spent the morning chipping away at the crusty bits to reveal the nacre underneath. For this photo I wanted to make the nacre sort of glow. I chose the bracken as a backdrop because it makes a good contrast both of colour and texture.

This one ended up being my ‘official’ submission to the Facebook album on the Dogwood Photography page.