Autumn Decorations

I decided that I'd better get some pics of the fall decorations before it turns to winter and I put up the Christmas stuff. I love the way my house feels warm and inviting with all these pumpkins, gourds, and leaves. This house is definitely at its best in autumn.

On the coffee table there is a bronze/gold glass bowl that sparkles in the light. You can't see it very well, but it is pretty. It's so useful because you can fill it with whatever you have around as the mood strikes you. Same with the wooden boat on the dining room table. I don't believe in buying things that only serve one purpose; these can both be used year round. The bowl is from Crate & Barrel and the boat is available at Pottery Barn.

Sometimes I go on photography jags, like this morning. Digital cameras are great because I can take tons of photos without feeling guilty. Today I took 75. You could never do that with film. Also the image stabilization feature takes the wobble out of most pictures. I keep trying to get lower and closer, or else getting up on a ladder to get higher. My rule is that I have to "play it as it lays." I can move a distraction out of the background or turn up the lights, but mostly I have to keep it real. I try not to use a flash. I do goof around with all the weird settings, trying to figure out what works. The three pumpkins were taken on "vivid red" setting to enhance their orangeness.

After taking a round of photos, I like to view them on the television. It's easy to do if you have the right cable to go from the camera to the tv. You don't need a newer tv; we did it on my mom's tv through her VCR (yes, she still has a VCR). When you see them big like that, it's simple to delete the really blurry useless ones right then and there. Then it's quicker to download them onto my computer and clear off the chip in the camera for the next round. I'd rather do it that way than have bad photos taking up space on my hard drive.