vendredi 27 mai 2005

Photography 101: Pancakes.

Yesterday morning, I lay in bed bored. I had already read the NYTimes and the LATimes, and parts of Le Monde, and there was nothing I wanted to watch on TV. I had also already read all the magazines by the side of my bed, and I'd have started on a new book if they weren't all in another room. You see, I have a very cozy setup in my room, and my bed is very comfy, and I try not to leave it unless I absolutely have to.

Inspired by an ad I saw last night for a new digital camera, I decided to look the specs up while my laptop rested on my stomach. (Sitting up would have been too hard. I would be a very good at languishing in bed.) However, my digital camera is less than a year old, so there's no way I can warrant a new one, especially not when I'm seriously contemplating buying myself this very pretty ring, because I really really really really want it. Really. I do.

Then I decided to look up exactly what my cute little digital camera can do, because I do like it even though I'm always looking for something smaller. (I am very annoyed that I got it one scant month before this newer one came out. Whine whine whine.)

After I read all about my camera (including reading many online forums, because I didn't feel like getting out of bed as I didn't have to be at work until noon), I decided that I wanted pancakes. Specifically, blackberry pancakes.

So I made pancakes for breakfast. From scratch, of course. And then I used my newfound camera knowledge to take pictures of them too. (Unfortunately, I do not have a food setting like some people do, hrmph.)


Look! The black and white setting! I am going to have lots of fun with this setting when taking pictures of people, or trying to capture different lighting effects. It just makes my pancakes look almost inedible. I am not going to say what I think they look like, I'm sure you can use your imagination.


I love sepia-toned pictures. It gives them an old West sort of feel.


Why is it that every time I do NOT use my flash my pictures are blurry? Can someone explain this strange phenomenon this to me?


And finally, here are what the pancakes looked like when I didn't futz with the camera settings.

Oh yeah, I said I wanted blackberry pancakes. But blackberries are really big and lumpy and do not make pretty pancakes. I know. I tried it, and then I ate it right away because 1) I was hungry and 2) it was unattractive. Additionally, I couldn't get the top off my bottle of maple syrup and was too lazy to run it under hot water. So instead, I put the blackberries into the pan after I was done making pancakes, added a bit of butter, and stirred them over heat until the blackberries had changed colour and let go of some of their juices. Then I mixed in a touch of sugar, stirred until dissolved, and poured over my pancakes.

If you're really lucky, and I'm really bored, I'll start taking pictures of my shoes (including the pink new pair I bought yesterday!), because I bet the strappy factor and high heels would cast some very lovely shadows.

(I do have a list of things I want to accomplish besides laying in bed and wasting time. However, nothing currently appeals to me.)