Three cameras

I promised some friends I’d post about my new camera and since I’m no good with the technical talk (which can all be found online anyway) I thought I’d offer a few comparisons of my own. 

My old handbag camera is a Sony HX9V

My new handbag camera is a Sony HX60

My big camera is a Canon SX50 HS

Though I like to take photos, my motivation is to capture the moment rather than to create a masterpiece.  I almost always use the automatic setting because I grew up with a point and shoot compact camera and never bothered with stop numbers and so on.  I seem to be able to get pleasing results without the hassle, so I focus on other aspects and keep it simple.  All the photographs here were taken on the auto setting then.

To begin with, the flowers on the windowsill, for colour and detail.  Same order of cameras: old one, new one, big one.  I think the old camera is outdone by the two newer models and prefer the detail and depth of colour captured by the new Sony (middle image).

Poor light levels on the sitting room bookshelf, the big Canon’s extra bright results are evident.  There’s not much to choose between the other two. (Same order: old, new, big)

Teetering on the garden room step to take pictures of the dreary day outside, I found how tricky it is to take identical shots!  Sorry about that.  I think the different levels of brightness are apparent here too.

But here’s the surprise.  I thought I could see some rather lovely lichen on that tree branch.

That one, there – captured at full zoom with my old Sony HX9V.

Seen a little closer with my big Canon SX50HS, 50x optical zoom.

But actually, most surprising of all, seen to best advantage with my new, Sony HX60 30x optical zoom.

How strange is that?  I appear to be able to zoom in more closely (more accurately?) in sharper focus with the 30x optical zoom than the 50x.  Hmmm.

As you’ll imagine, my handbag camera gets thrown into the bag, churns around in my pocket and gets almost daily use.  I don’t “treasure” my electronic bits and pieces as much as perhaps I should – I use them and expect them to withstand reasonable care without the need for protective cases and kid gloves.  Maybe that’s the reason why some bits drop off!  In the case of my old Sony (actually, about three years old) it’s the rubber thumb grip.  Not something which is mission critical, but what’s annoying is that without it, my thumb slips slightly in the direction of that movie button and more than once, I’ve found myself shooting an unintentional show reel.

Not only that, but over the years, the scene selection button on the top has worn a little looser than it was originally, and it has a tendency to slip around.  Occasionally, I’ve questioned the cause of a sub-optimal photograph, only to find later that it was taken on a completely random setting.  Both this and the thumb grip issue are mere minor irritations but are gradually becoming more frequent.

I was pleased then, to see the newer model had a redesigned arrangement of controls which would reduce the likelihood of inadvertent switching of settings.  There’s a new manual override too, which might mean I change the habits of a lifetime?  The on/off button is relocated to that area too, which is something to get used to but otherwise, the settings and general interface remain much the same.

The new camera is slightly bigger all round and slightly heavier too, but nevertheless, it’s likely to be my camera of choice for almost all occasions, the more so since the zoom appears to be as good if not better than the larger, more cumbersome Canon.  I’m delighted with my choice and look forward to giving it a good workout on our adventure next month.

I might even share some of the results

Scary Tuesday

I admit to being easily scared and I too would have jumped had I stumbled across my furry collar like that!  One way I deal with scary thoughts is to put them into a category of “things not to think about right now” but of course, eventually, they do have to be dealt with.

A procedure was needed.  Simple, routine, day surgery which needed a general anaesthetic in Gloucester Royal.  Thankfully, those who have been in charge of my care so far had acted promptly and done their best to make sure I didn’t have to keep that little worry in my mind for too long and the NHS system worked wonderfully in my favour. Because what’s simple and routine for some, is very scary and rather worrying for others.  I include myself in that group, having inherited the worry gene from my Mum quite some time ago.

So yesterday, my view of the world was a little different from normal. 

This isn’t something I’d normally be blogging about.  As well as the “no need to worry about this right now” category in my mind, there’s also a “something to keep private” category as well.  But I felt I had to share what I think was exemplary service from everyone involved, because all too often we hear of anything but, especially where the NHS is concerned.

I worked out, it was more than 40 years since I’d had a general anaesthetic (I know, strange when I’m only 34, isn’t it?! )   I freely admitted to feeling scared at the prospect and though I could manage it all to some extent, as those around me were wheeled off for their treatment, eventually, of course, my turn came closer and I couldn’t deny it any longer.

Fortunately, each member of staff I came across from the moment I arrived was a true pro.  Every one of them introduced themselves beforehand, explained what their role was and reassured me of their best.  Not rocket science, I know, but nevertheless, not something to take for granted.  Ahmed the charming anaesthetist assured me that he was going to be by my side throughout and Jose, the delightful young surgeon promised me she’d come back afterwards and give me her honest opinion.  I was confident that I was in capable hands!  No worries there, then. Well…not quite so many, anyway.

Of course, I’d expect the medical staff to be thoroughly professional and have the highest standards. What I found most reassuring was that everyone was like that.  Nurses, admin staff, cleaners – every single one of them did their best to make sure I was ok and comfortable.  I really couldn’t have asked for more.  What’s more, I wasn’t privileged in any way.  The treatment I had was the same for everyone, regardless.  First class healthcare available to all whenever it’s needed.  Not exactly free, because (i hope!) we all pay our taxes, but free to all intents and purposes and one of the huge benefits of being born when and where I was.  Once again, I found myself counting my blessings.

Bravo Gloucester Royal, then.  Thank you, NHS.  I won’t say it was fun but it wasn’t anything like as bad as I feared. 

Not that I want to make a habit of it, you understand.

Sometimes, it’s hard to be a hero

But I can’t imagine why my Hero squealed when he came into the studio and caught sight of my fur collar there by my desk.

I’d worn it when we went out, first thing Saturday morning, but as the temperature rose, I took it off and put it in my bag.

Nothing to be scared of.

Days like these

February.  When sometimes the sun is bright and the sky so blue it’s hard to imagine it’s still wintry out there.  Until I jump in my car to go to work and feel thankful for heated seats!

Maybe this was really, really the very last time there in the Warehouse?  Ever since Christmas, I’ve thought that but yet again on Friday morning, I found myself parking in the old place and going up with the tin box of a lift (the flooring gave up the ghost months ago and was removed, but no replacement was fitted!)  Our meeting was a really productive one, fuelled by flat whites from the coffee shop across the way and great team work with colleagues.  Can you imagine the popcorn wasn’t opened at all?

Saturday morning, we decided to hit the Mall and get the last bits and pieces to finish Edward’s room off.  Oh, and it seemed a good time to buy a replacement camera too   My current “handbag camera” still works just fine, but a couple of small bits have fallen off it (probably because it spends most of its time rolling around in the bottom of my handbag?)  One missing piece is the thumb grip and without it, my thumb often strays to the video button – very irritating.  With this year’s adventure on the horizon, I thought it a good time to get used to the new model and have been taking photographs here and there since I took it out of the box.

It has wifi and transferring photos from camera to tablet and PC is very easy indeed.  So of course, I had to practice with this picture of the other really exciting shopping we did.

I tried a close up of the rug we chose.  It’s thick and very chunky and looks really good in situ, thankfully.  Isn’t it hard to choose these things?

Whilst I fiddled about, my hero fitted the poles and we unpacked the newly made curtains to hang on them.  Suddenly, what had been a small boy’s bedroom became a cool, contemporary space in which to read and relax.

 

Of course, it’ll always be our boy’s room, though, won’t it?

Oh, and arriving home from shopping,we found a note from the postman to say he’d left a parcel by the back door.  There, on the step, was a brown paper parcel tied up with string and sealing wax.  Whatever could it be?  The answer was a cute bear addition to the family, sent by sweet friends who had found him in the Grand Hotel and thought he needed a new home.

He was a good and patient model too.

Little books and sock puppets

My work takes me to a variety of places and this was my second visit to Wrexham in a couple of months.  On this occasion, I was teaching another workshop for Voluntary Arts, specifically for the organisation BAWSO, doing what I can to encourage and enable some of the women taking part in one of their projects to get together and organise creative groups to sit and share their skills with one another.

Of course, not everyone had a good command of English and at times, it wasn’t easy to discuss the benefits of getting together around a table to learn something new.  Can you imagine how to communicate the concept of learning styles with limited English language skills?  I found myself thinking fast on my feet at times, wondering how on earth I was going to manage the day when I was struggling to get any response at all from the women who sat there in front of me.  I had failed to consider the impact of communication difficulties: that someone who doesn’t feel confident to speak is unlikely to participate much at all.  I needed to find some common ground.

“Do you cook?”

Nods all round.  Phew!

From that slow start and with the support of a colleague, gradually a kind of conversation began.  Where would I start if I wanted to make a new dish?  A cook book!  What if it didn’t taste good?  Where could I go for help?  Ask a friend!  How could I learn to do it better?  She could show me! 

Of course, you recognised that as a discussion of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles, didn’t you?!  Well…of sorts, but all agreed, the best way to learn any skill was by having someone show us how, by having a go ourselves and maybe by making mistakes.  And everyone agreed, we learned a lot of these skills from our mothers.

Time to practise what we preached then and get on with it.  My colleague taught half of the women to make a sock puppet with felt hair and googly eyes.  In no time at all, the atmosphere lightened and people began to chat, to smile and laugh and slowly we won their trust.

Meanwhile, I taught the other half of the group how to make a small book.  You know, the one I did ages ago for the WI and uploaded here.  After a bit of lunch, each group showed the other how to make what they just learned.

Whilst they did, the extraordinarily well behaved children made their own entertainment!

Though it was a really tiring day, the results were terrific and I think everyone had a great time.  They left with at least two ideas for things they could teach to their friends and had some fun at the same time.

As they gathered their things together at the end of the afternoon, one or two of them came and said thank you.  It was clear they were proud of what they’d made and the women who waved goodbye as they left, smiling and relaxed confirmed what many of us know already.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned as well.