MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013 VIEWERS! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

0
COM
Labels: , , · Posted by at

Falling snow effect courtesy of Google+



******************************



Original photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T3i -  f/8, 1/80sec, ISO-800, 50mm lens

CHRISTMAS CANON - Trans-Siberian Orchestra (HD) (MY VIDEOS)

2
COM
Labels: , , , · Posted by at
My video creation of one of my all time favourite Christmas songs - Christmas Canon from the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

Enjoy!
















TRYING OUT MY NEW - CANON EOS REBEL T3i CAMERA

0
COM
Labels: , · Posted by at
So lately I've been busy learning how to use my latest camera - the Canon EOS REBEL T3i. It seems everyone and their mother owns one, hence there are many reviews on this camera so I won't go into detail other than to give my personal use experience.

This camera was an early Christmas gift from my husband. As my experience in photography develops, so does the camera. I couldn't wait to get home and open it up.

It was a kit containing the following items:
 1. The Camera (of course)
 2. Battery Pack (with protective cover)
 3. Battery Charger
 4. Wide Strap
 5. Interface cable
 6. Stereo AV Cable
 7. EOS DIGITAL Solution Disk
 8. Software Instruction Manual
 9. Camera Instruction Manual (which I am now using religiously instead of my usual way of learning anything - push buttons first, figure it out later!)
10. And of course their standard zoom lens, the EF-S 15-55mm zoom lens. This standard zoom lens is designed with Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer technology which allows sharp hand-held shots at shutter speeds up to four stops slower than otherwise possible. For now, it's good enough!

Some of the accessories contained in the kit

Whenever I need to practice using my camera(s), my loverbird, Houdini, (other than my backyard squirrels), is my most favourite subject to photograph. He never seems to mind and is always ready and willing.  I tried to dig up old photos of him using my previous camera - an old Olympus camera, which is still a great camera by the way, to compare photos with this new Canon Rebel camera.

When I first started using the camera, I kept it on the 'A+' setting - where everything is done automatically and which is the suggested setting for beginners. I could see an immediate difference in picture quality, both colour and sharpness, but it wasn't until I started using the 'macro' setting that I could really see the difference.




Then I just went crazy!
By the end of this photo shoot, this camera made me look like I knew what the hell I was doing... you know, like an expert!  For that reason alone, I LOVED it!


Read more »

The NUTCRACKER, Dance of the Mirlitons

0
COM
Labels: , , · Posted by at
It's that time of year and although it is not a Christmas song, it was played around that time period.  One of many pieces from  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's score from the opera ballad, The Nutcracker, here is my take on Dance of the Mirlitons.












FOOD PORN: 'SWEET, CHOCOLATE CHIP-OVERLOAD' CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

0
COM
Labels: , · Posted by at
Ok. So Today, make that yesterday, I was busy in the kitchen whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies - something I do often since I'm always trying to find the perfect recipe for one or at the very least, trying to perfect the one I always use.  I'm not talking 'healthy' chocolate chip cookie recipes, (I'll experiment and work on that later).  I'm talking about the good old home-made chocolate chip cookies that mom used to make.

Although, I've made them so many times in different ways, I don't really think you can make a 'bad' batch of chocolate chip cookies.  I've added ground oatmeal to them - which gives them a nice, nutty texture and flavour, but my guys didn't fancy them as much. I've omitted the milk chocolate chips and only used semi-sweet - they said they were not chocolately and sweet enough.  I've used less baking soda but they don't like them too flat.  I've added nuts to them - whether it be almonds, macadamias or pecans - but they are not nut freaks, at least not when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.

So, in the end, what they really wanted was some THICK and CHEWY, SWEET AND SOFT ON THE INSIDE-CRISPY-ON-THE-OUTSIDE, CHOCOLATEY, NUT-LESS, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! Whoa!  Talk about PICKY!! It was hard trying to pull off that tall of an order... but I think I did.

No more of those popular, flat, dried-up-looking cookies, (see the end of this post), that I usually buy for them when I don't have time to bake.

After seeing all these pictures, you'll either be sick and tired of seeing another chocolate chip cookie photo, be craving some right now... or they will just simply satisfy that chocolate chip cookie urge you've been having lately! Food porn - here we go!!

There were a few things that helped to make the middle of these chocolate chip cookies softer on the inside; the melting of the butter and the elimination of an egg white. They were also a bit thicker than most chocolate chip cookies because I used more baking soda - 1/2 tsp more, than is required. They were LOADED, and I mean LOADED with chocolate chips.  There was more chocolate chip than cookie!  All this can be altered to suit your liking.  I only made it the way these guys wanted it. The recipe is at the end.

By the way, if you have a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe or know of any tips or tricks - then please share it ;)



With these chocolate chip cookies, you were guaranteed at least 3-4... probably more, chocolate chips with EVERY bite, lol...  but that was the idea!



Read more »
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)