In a world of so many great photographers and writers, I am venturing into some unknown territories, leaving comfort zones, finally very willing to practice the art of seeing. By maintaining the practice of posting daily photos, I hope to continue learning about the possibilities that I trust are out there for the taking.
What a fantastic day I had doing just what I wanted to do. I spent a large portion of the day reading, and practicing what I was reading, in Scott Kelby’s The Adobe Photoshop CS4 book for digital photographers. This is the first time I shot raw photos and worked them in Adobe Camera Raw. Actually, that isn’t true. I just learned that using Adobe Lightroom 2.4 in the Develop mode is a Camera Raw program.
I practiced on the photo below.
hmmmm. Our 3rd photo class assignment is “Curves”. I wonder if this photo qualifies? Ninety percent of the photo should be curves so I doubt it.
Everyone in our class is here in town now. There are 12 of us students and our teacher, Carol Leigh. It’s a good group.
At 2pm we met in Carol’s room, discussed what we’d be shooting for the end product – a book representing Half Moon Bay. Thought I’d post some photos I showed today in Carol’s room. 
Tomorrow Ray and I drive to LA. Saturday morning we leave for Turks and Caicos. I just remembered I have to call the lady who is staying at our home.
I’ve been trying to remember how to post photos to my blog from my cell phone camera. I don’t think I can. But I am able to post cell phone photos to my Flickr photo account which is accessible from this blog. To see the photos I’ll be posting using my camera phone to Flickr.com, click the link for Flickr.com at the top right of this blog over the small photos. Right now, since I’m home, I’ll post this photo here.
I learned some new things I can do with the photos I take with my cell phone. The photo of Ray’s clothes to be packed and the scribbles on the photo of these clothes tells the tale.
Why didn’t I lose those the 10 pounds I’d intended to lose before this trip……. where I’ll be in a bathing suite probably 70% of the time? Probably for the same reason I couldn’t stop myself from going into the See’s store today to buy lollipops for the trip. It’s an old idea, needing Sees lollipops on vacation while you’re reading. If you’ve been to See’s you know they always give you a free piece of chocolate of the day. I did NOT decline their generous offer. I also yogi’d my way into one of my favorite pieces for free too.
Off to read the travel books on Turks and Caicos.
What I learned over the last few days:
- Never mess with upgrading anything on your computer the night before you are headed out of town.
- That spending the night at friends’ houses is really fun.
- Treating myself and Ray to a nice hotel room makes me feel good.
- Getting dressed and going out at night is much more fun than what my head says earlier in the day.
- Taking good photos doesn’t happen unless I take my time and pay attention.
- Taking good photos won’t happen unless I learn more about the works of a camera.
- Keeping a blog is fun.
- I won’t be able to backpack unless I start training my body soon.
- Hanging at borders, on my computer, free to play, explore, induldge in whatever I want, is heaven.
- I was right to be excited about being with all the people I got to spend time with on this 4 day trip into LA.
- Life is realllllly good!