Monday, October 4, 2010

FALL IS IN THE AIR

At our house nothing says Fall like the aroma of German Apple Cake baking in the oven. This recipe comes from the King Arthur Cookbook. It is a layered cake beginning with batter, apples that have been tossed in sugar and spices, and batter once again. It is moist cake and oh sooooooooo delicious. I enjoy it plain with a glass of fresh cider and my husband tops his off with whipped cream and a cold glass of milk. When it comes to spices for fall baking, I believe it is a good idea to invest in quality. My mother introduced me to these spice grinders. I happened to purchase different brands as that is what the grocery store had in stock, but both seem of equal quality.


Yesterday while out in the yard, I decided to "play" with my camera. Now as far as camera's go my Canon G10 is on the lower end of the price scale, but was the perfect camera for me to learn with. So I take hundreds of photos and if I'm really lucky one might be "blog-able". Many of you take the most incredible photos I have ever seen, I do aspire to be as good as you and yes you know who you are! So here are a few photos that I took around the yard yesterday...no photoshop, as If I could even figure photoshop out....I can hardly decipher my camera's manual.






So, my kind and friendly readers I am open to any and all suggestions, especially If you own a G-10. My mantra is "even an old dog can learn a new trick"!

16 comments:

Farm Girl said...

Your photos are what drew me here well, Gladys did. :) But it was your lovely, lovely pictures of your chickens. Oh, and I know I say it again and again, but your lighthouse picture in the snow. I want to be like you!! I love that picture of those red berries, I try and try to get a picture like that of our crab-apples. My camera is my son's old cannon point and shoot. I am so glad you said you don't use photoshop. That means your pics are real. My kids are all photo shop pros. It just doesn't work for me either. It is like your spices in your picture, I want them to be real.
I want to learn though, and It is like playing music, the same goes for photography, it isn't the camera, but the beauty that is in the soul. :)
You are my favorite photographer.
Sorry this is so long.

Kim said...

I think your photos are always lovely. It's not the equipment that makes a good photo - it's the eye behind the lens. :)

Verde Farm said...

Oh that cake sounds wonderful. Wish I had a piece now...with milk :)
Your pictures are terrific. I really think they are great.
Hey, meant to tell you...you were mentioned in my last post on fall at the farm. Your crows have been driving me crazy!
Amy

Anonymous said...

Love the mums in the basket! Nice shot. As you can tell from my blog, I'm not the best photographer although sometimes I get lucky!

The best tip I have is to imagine a grid, and put the focal point of the photo at the intersection of one of the grids, or, as in the case of the mums, along the uppermost grid line. Have fun!

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From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

Taking pictures has always been a lot of fun but I didn't think seriously about it until I started following blogs. Like you,I would like to put the very best of my pictures on my blog. Sometimes that is hard for me to do. Your pictures are beautiful and fun to look at.

Rowan said...

Try downloading photofiltre, it's easy to use. I don't mess with my photos at all apart from using the rotate 'free' option (often I'm standing on a slope even though I don't realise it at the time!) and then I use the crop bit. DH uses lots of the other options too but that's too complicated for me - like you I have trouble just using the camera's instruction manual!
I have to say that I've always thought your photos are really good:)

moosecraft said...

I think you're doing GREAT! I love the picture of the caramel mum! I just might try that apple cake recipe later today too! LOL!

Gail said...

Stunning fall pictures! I am not ready.

I can smell that cake...beautiful, too.

Patty Patterson said...

I'm a photographer. I don't have a G10, but I have a Canon 1D Mark III, a Canon 5D Mark II, a 40D and a 30D. So.... I understand Canon's. (they all operate pretty much the same)

Anyway - for outdoor pictures when you have plenty of light set your ISO to 100 or 200 and shoot in AV mode. (letting your camera choose the shutter speed) If you want to blur the background - set your aperture to the lowest number possible. (opens to a larger hole) This will give you a nice depth of field with a blurred background - if you have an f/2.8 lens. With an f/3.5 or f/4 lens it still does "OK", just not quite as nice.

If you want your background in focus, also increase the number of your aperture. If your shutter slows to less than 1/125 increase your ISO.

If you have any specific questions, e-mail me. But - I teach photography and really, your pictures are pretty nice.

Pondside said...

Lovely photos - and I will just sit back and watch for the comments you get from knowledgeable bloggers. I'm still using a Cannon 1200IS and will probably never graduate to a 'big girl' camera!

Jenny said...

I honestly thing you're being too modest Julie. You have a great eye me thinks. I'm trying to decide which one I like best and after alot of thought, the first and last, but they're all lovely! That is what is so great about digital, you can just go out and experiment and you're not wasting film and can see the results immediately! Have fun! (-:

DayPhoto said...

I think your photos are lovely! You are doing it right, by what I know.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

acorn hollow said...

I also think your pictures are lovely.
Cathy

Rural Rambler said...

Julie I know NADA about a G-10 but I can take care of that German Apple Cake for you after I pour some whipping cream on it and serve it up to CH!

Julie your pictures are wonderful. I love the shots you get of the girls and your flower photos. Just look at your header, you got the eye!

Anonymous said...

I think your pictures are great. Especially the ones of big girls and little girls and of big boy Winslow Homer and sweet Emma.

Denise said...

Is the recipie in the anniversary edition of the cookbook that is sold on the website?