Just added some pop to the photo to get the psychedelic colours. Sometimes you just mash some presets together and you come up with an interesting picture. No idea what these leaves are called, but it reminds me of a maple leaf, and something I’d like to grow in my own backyard.

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These days I really want to just pick up my camera and keep shooting. Heh, the GF1 is that fun to use, especially with the 50mm f1.2. You get these dreamy backgrounds with just a little focus on the subjects to highlight it yet not overemphasise it.

Also shot an entire birthday party with just the 20mm pancake slapped on. Reviewing the photos, I realised a few things. I am not as shy with asking friends to pose for photographs. There are also times I will just snap away, without feeling self conscious that I’m stealing a shot. The LCD screen on the back has given me new ways to frame photographs. Propping my hands forward while taking a step back allows me to view more possibilities, as opposed to being hidden behind the frame in the viewfinder. The 20mm forces me to change locations just so that I can get a better view, and this also brings out alternative views.

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So the GF1 is a success in what I wanted it for. An unobtrusive camera that I can use for casual social occasions and I have learned to compensate for its shortcomings. No high ISO? Just shoot the picture and convert it to B&W. The grain from the image naturally blends into the image. In any case, one can cheat with a f1.2 lens. No high speed focusing and not that great continuous shooting? Anticipate the shot of what you want to get and surprisingly you will end up with some decent candid shots. The not so great colours from the GF1 has also pushed me to spend a little more time post processing, as I was generally pleased with what came out from the D300 when imported to the computer. This process has also yielded surprising results.

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I really want to push boundaries this year, and while it’s been a bit slow, I’m slowly making progress.