I honestly don’t know where the last 2 months have went. When I was off work sick with my heart problems a couple of years ago the 4 months I was sitting at home for felt like an absolute age where as this time it really does feel as though I only finished up at DFID a couple of weeks ago.

Things never stop here. We ‘work’ until we’re exhausted and then all our spare time is taken up either being ill or being to tired to do anything other than go to bed at 8pm and struggle to sit through a TV show before collapsing into a restless sleep. When I was still working I went to work Monday until Friday and when I got home each night I’d cook dinner, watch the kids to give Vonnie a little break and then once they went to bed we’d have three or four hours to ourselves. Saturdays would be the family days to rest up and Sundays would be busy with everyone coming and going all day. At the end of every night we’d have those few hours though to unwind and relax. Not so any more.

I don’t know what the difference is but these days your lucky if we’re both awake past 9pm on any night of the week. On those occasions where we are actually capable of not falling asleep on out feet we’ve got 101 other things to get done. Currently I’m trying to put the finishing touches to design for the shops website. I’ve managed to bluff my way through javascript editing and after playing with designs for a few days I’m trying to convince myself I do actually know enough CSS to make it look the way I hope it should. For every thing we manage to check off on the to-do list another six appear at the end of it.

We tried to raid the Au Naturale stores yesterday for any and all shop fittings that we thought we’d need. The only thing we seen that wasn’t ruined wouldn’t fit where we needed it to anyway so other than crockery and a few bits and pieces it was a wasted journey on that front.

In other news I’m sitting here listening to the new Gorillaz album in an attempt to find something to say about it in a review. I’m really struggling. It’s not what I’ve came to expect from them and finding it hard to get into if I’m completely honest. As singles I think they’ll do well but as an album it’s lacking something that I can’t quite put my finger on. We’ll see how it does after a few more listens.

I’m so behind with everything these days. I’ve got my final 28 Day Project photos to edit and upload to Flickr. Don’t hold your breath by the way. They can only be described as photoblog photographs rather than good photographs. It served it’s purpose to get me taking photos every day though. Now I just need to keep that energy going forward and actually try and improve.

I’m a little late in day for this what with it being nearly the end of January. My excuse is that before the new year my camera died and the new one only turned up a few days before the bells rang. I didn’t have the time or the patience at that point to think about where I wanted to go with it this year never mind learn a new camera. So hear goes nothing.

Blatently nicked from Mostly Lisa

1. I will learn how to use my camera.

I never got my head around the 300D so I figure now that I’ve actually got a *new* camera rather than a very well used second hand I should actually learn how to use it. I should probably find the manual if I’m going to do that though…

2. I will not use the Auto setting on my camera.

It’s something I never used on the 300D. I don’t know why but I started with Aperture Priorty mode I never really moved it out of there. I never had the manual for the 300D so never worked out what most of the buttons did so I only ever tweaked the ISO, aperture and shutter speed. I know that’s the big three but that’s as far as I went. With the 500D it’s far easier to change the other settings and it scared me enough on occasion when I had to get a photo just right to throw it on to auto and hope for the best. I need to stop that.

3. I will not use on-camera flash

I hate how photos using the on-camera flash coome out. The only time I ever use it I’m either bouncing it of a bit of white card to get a little more light on the subject or when I forget my wife had used it on auto right before I pick it up.

I got my 50mm f1.8 so that I wouldn’t need to use the flash as much until such times as I can afford a decent flash unit. It’s working out quite well

4. I will not be hindered by the gear I do not have.

I’m fed up moaning that my tele is very soft at the extremes or that my kit lens is a plastic piece of crap. They all take great photos if used right. I could really do with a decent set of lamps for my light tent thingie though.

5. I will shoot in RAW

The processing speed of the 300D meant that it took an absolute age to take photos in RAW. If I was taking shots of the kids I’ll always fire a burst off and use whatever ones are in focus and look good. I felt with RAW I’d get maybe 3-4 photos in the same time I’d get 8-9 on jpeg format. The 500D is much faster though. I actually feel that it deals with them faster than the 300D dealt with jpegs. From now on when I’m taking photos that matter rather than whimsical family shots in the park I’ll start using Raw.

6. I will learn how to process my shots

I can use Lightroom and I can use Photoshop. I just don’t have the time to sit through 120 photos and working on each one individually. I need to learn ways of speeding up my work flow and actually doing more than messing with the contrast and saturation without devoting an entire afternoon to Photoshopping one photo.

7. I will share my photos with others on the web

Most of my photos end up as friends only on Flickr. I’m working on getting the balls to widen that net for the decent shots.

8. I will accept critiques of my work.

To be honest 7, 8 and 10 all roll into one for me. I joined the DPS forums a while ago but over time stopped visiting and being part of the community. Part of that community gives critiques of work if you want it. Although I’ve started going back there and sharing some of my shots I’m not asked for advice or thoughts on any of my work. That’s going to change.

9. I will set goals and be proactive about my photography career

I’m not looking at photography as a future job. It’s a hobby that will hopefully help me with my job but it won’t actually be my job. I have standards to keep to in the coming months and I need to get my finger out to attain them. It’s been a good while since I used my camera for anything more that photographing the kids so that is my first one. Getting the skills I already have back into shape and honing the skills that I will need the most over the coming months.

10. I will connect with other photographers

Going back to the previous answers. The DPS forums are a good start for me and I know of a few local photographers that are always up for helping out with technical questions. These will be the base from which I learn from and all that flowery nonsense. We’ll build from the once I’m more comfortable with my camera and skills.

So that’s that. It’s not a tough list but one that is going to mean a lot of work none the less. Time to get my finger out!

I went to pick up my camera earlier tonight only to find it had died.

Apparently it’s a common problem on the Canon 300D. The sub-mirror won’t retract when it’s taking a shot and so all I get is a photo that is black on two-thirds of it.

It can be fixed. I could fix it even. I’m get the feeling though that it’s going to cost an armand a leg to fix even though all it takes is a paperclip if I was brave enough to dig past the flash board and it’s capacitors.

Ho hum.