2016 Week 15 –

The children are being very enterprising and selling sweets and bubble gum, in aid of themselves, but with a proportion of the takings going towards a charity for endangered species.

Surprisingly they did get some customers!

And before it got too late I bundled them off in our van to go to a little interior design shop near to us as I needed to look at some carpet samples that I knew would be there. BIG MISTAKE. Taking 4 young and bored kids into a teeny tiny shop with samples and items on display. Stressful. And then after we were bundled out, figuratively speaking, it was a BIG MISTAKE to ask the kids to pose for a quick portrait. I am ashamed to say I lost my temper with them as they once again just would not play ball and line up nicely for me. This picture was just before it descended into chaos. I muttered under my breath all the way home about inconsiderate children and then afterwards felt bad that I had got angry over just one photograph. I will have to learn better how to manage them for a group shot. How to manage kids with what is known as “photographer’s child syndrome”.

I thought I would start with one child at a time, but even that had limited success!!

SO instead I appreciated the landscape around me.

Having a least felt happy with some landscape shots, I took some of the children on a walk to find some bluebells.

the woods are so stunning this time of year (actually all year round they are special)

But we didn’t bank on finding such a great natural climbing frame.

Even bunny had a go at climbing.

And so another family group shot attempt. It’s bound to go well with only 3 out of 4 children right?…

….ummmm…….

….maybe not. What starts in jest, always end in tears!!

Throughout this week, and actually for a long time now, I have not been happy with my focus and I am now starting to think that it may not all be down to camera skills and that actually maybe my lens is out! So I tried out a calibration system with a willing model, who by the end was not so willing!

The conclusion? A lens in need of realignment.