Scavenger Hunt - Food, Purple, In Disguise, Shapes & Photographer's Choice

My son's been sick this week, started last weekend with a nasty cough and he's been home from school all week. We're all a bit sleep deprived and my husband I are both fighting it off at the moment, the cold that is not each other! So I was glad this weeks Scavenger Hunt over at Ashley's Ramblings and Photos seemed easier this week, at least I could get it all done from home, or I probably wouldn't have posted one this week.

1. Food

 The mum in me struggles to call this food! I had something else in mind but didn't have the time or energy to do it. But on Friday my son was feeling better, but he was still too sick for school, so I suggested we bake some cookies and have a tea party with his stuffed toys. 

My son "helped" to make some biscuits. No biscuits made it onto the tray from his pastry. But he had fun cutting them out with his shapes and then eating them. By the time the cookies were ready he had a stomach ache. Oh well, I promised we'd do it again for his animals.

2. Purple

Florabella Chardonnay texture applied

A single Agapanthus flower, taken with my 50mm and extension tube. I know it's not very autumnal, but we're heading towards summer here in Australia.

3. In Disguise

We didn't do Halloween on Monday because he was too sick but he got dressed up in his Captain Feathersword costume yesterday. For those that don't know he's a character in The Wiggles show, funnily my son doesn't like The Wiggles but he loves this costume, probably because of the feathers, I've mentioned before that he loves to collect feathers. I took this photo in front of the bathroom mirror. I called him in to show him this shot and he couldn't believe there was two of him!

4. Shapes

Florabella Heirloom texture applied

Cookie cutter shapes! I love this heart shaped cutter that my mum gave me. It's for Swedish ginger snaps (thin crisp gingerbread). My mum is a master at these and she gave me one of her cutters. I love how rustic it is, not shiny like mine. I'll have to post about these later in the month as we make them at Christmas.
I love this rolling pin too, it's new but we had ones just like it when we were kids. I still have one that my son uses for play-doh.

5. Photographer's Choice

Florabella Manhattan texture applied

I can't go past a macro. A dandelion seed head.

By the way if anyone has noticed I haven't posted my 365 this week, I've taken a photo everyday I just haven't finished editing them.So they'll be up soon.

Can't wait to see everyone's interpretations this week.

Scavenger Hunt - Macro, Found Texture, Home, Cover & The Tree

1. Macro

 Raindrops on Sacred Bamboo leaf.

2. Found Texture

 We spotted this turtle at one of the lakes at the Botanical gardens on Sunday. I love the textures on him. His head looks smooth, his neck rough and his shell slimy and then the ripples in the water.

 Ripples in wet sand.
And from last week:

Seed pods on a lichen covered rock, and fragrant star anise, both taken with my 50mm and extension tube.

Linking up with Kat's Exploring with a Camera

3. Home

I've always struggled with where my physical home is, where I really belong. I've lived in four countries throughout my life, which on the surface sounds quite exotic but in reality it has caused us some worry and heart ache.
But to me home is where the heart is, where the hugs are, wherever I'm with my loved ones.
My son hugging his globe. 

Linking up with Mortal Muses

4. Cover

This pretty little weed has sprung up all over the place and covered areas of lawn, I think it's Yellow Trefoil a type of Clover.

5. The tree

This tree is on an outcrop into a lake at the Botanical Gardens, it's a great place to sit in the shade and have a picnic, watching the ducks swim by.

I Clicked it up a Notch - October

I had a really hard time picking a favourite this month because I liked photos for different reasons, some because I loved the moment I captured with my son, some the composition or lighting or some because they represented what I learned this month.
So I went with the latter. I've been trying to work on my food photography this month. I bought Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin, although I haven't had much time to sit down and read it.
I've been scouring shops for fun props and studying this book and my cookbooks to get a feel for what I like and how to achieve the right look.
Last Friday I made Orange and Almond cakes with Orange syrup. It was for the prompt orange in Ashley Sisk's Scavenger Hunt. So I wanted orange to feature heavily in the photo.
First I went for quite a formal setting with a pretty teacup but I didn't like the feel, I wanted it a bit more rustic. I tried a few combinations, but as I was cleaning up with five minutes till I had to leave to pick my son up from school I poured the syrup into a jar and my idea clicked into place, I rearranged my props, shot a couple of shots and this was my favourite.
And gosh they were yummy!

Journey Around the Sun - Days 109 Through 115

Well my 365 overlaps a bit with my Scavenger Hunt this past week, but there are a few new ones. This is actually Monday to Sunday of last week.
I think a combination of finally getting through the mountain of photos from our holiday and spending quite a bit time getting myself organised this week meant I didn't spend much time being creative.
I finally uploaded photos to my Flickr account, go here if you want to check it out. I'm still organising it, and trying to keep to the 200 photo limit for the free account, I'll see how I go! :-)
I realised that I'm so glad I had a system in place since starting my 365 because trying to find my Month in Macro photos had me pulling my hair out with frustration.
I also added a few Gadgets to my blog; recent popular posts and my Flickr stream, unfortunately it doesn't seem to load properly every time but F5 usually brings it up.

Day One Hundred and Nine

I thought these little flowers were so cute although very spiky. Taken with my 50mm and extension tube. 

Day One Hundred and Ten

Day One Hundred and Eleven

Pretty Hippeastrum flowers in my mum's garden, taken with my 50mm and extension tube.

Some little seeds nestled in a hollow in a lichen covered rock, taken with my 50mm and extension tube.

Day One Hundred and Twelve

Star Anise, I love their colour and texture, taken with 50mm and extension tube.

Day One Hundred and Thirteen

These were so yummy!! Donna Hay's Orange and Almond cakes with Orange Syrup!! 
Her's were prettier, I used whole almonds and ground them myself rather than almond meal, so they ended up a bit bumpy. I've never made them before and couldn't believe you actually boil the whole oranges and then puree the whole lot.

Day One Hundred and Fourteen

We had a fun morning playing around! My son with his huge magnifying glass and under the sheets pretending to be reading a book by torch light. 

In the afternoon we took a drive out to the peninsula and chased the seagulls and went for a walk.
This seagull actually came up to me as I was taking photos with my 50mm and extension tube, so I had to quickly remove the tube to take a shot. 

I played around trying to get wave bokeh, there's not much waves at this beach but it was quite windy so there was a fair amount of spray.

A little colourful mollusc had found a home in a hole. Taken with my 50mm and extension tube.

I liked this little seat out on this small concrete jetty. It was too high and just two planks of wood, so not a comfortable spot to sit, but sweet nonetheless.

Day One Hundred and Fifteen

Picnic lunch at the Botanical Gardens. We had the lake to ourselves and as we were eating we spotted the turtles in the water so I ran down with my camera.  They were pretty shy.

I really liked these little flowers popping up along the edging, taken with my 50mm and extension tube.

We had to run a gauntlet of sprinklers, a lot of fun for my son. Growing up in a time of drought and water restrictions he's hardly ever seen a sprinkler and certainly not played under one. Such a shame as it was a highlight of our summers as kids to run back and forth over the backyard sprinkler.

I liked these leaves but it was so windy so they were hard to capture.

Scavenger Hunt - Words, Under, Orange, Fly & Bright Side

Another Sunday and another challenging Scavenger Hunt!

1. Words

Well, kinda self explanatory isn't it!

2. Under

I love the idea of capturing traditional childhood moments in photos. I've thought about doing a photo of my son reading a book by torch light under the sheets, so when this prompt came up this is what came to mind.
His top is actually from my cousin's Swedish organic clothing range DUNS.  Isn't it adorable, she sells her clothing in boutiques worldwide and has even had her clothes featured on children in the IKEA catalogue.

3. Orange

It's spring here in Australia. but even in autumn we don't have fall colours where we live. Unfortunately, because I love them!
So I made Donna Hay's Orange and Almond cakes with orange syrup! They were absolutely positively scrumptious!!

4. Fly

 I can't believe this seagull didn't fly away! This was taken with my 50mm. The seagull actually came over to me when I was taking photos with my extension tube and I quickly had to remove it to take some shots. I had to straighten the horizon a tiny bit so it was cropped a little.
For good measure here are some flying from the same afternoon, this time with a telephoto lens.

5. Always look on the Bright Side

Looking on the bright side for me is remembering that my family are all happy and healthy!
But I had an idea of taking a photo of my son looking at me through a magnifying glass. 
This was surprisingly hard to do, trying to get his face or eye visible and things mostly in focus and no harsh reflections, I'll definitely try again some time.

I can't wait to see everyone's interpretations.

By the way I've gotten a few comments about word verification, can anyone tell me how I turn it off, it used to be in the settings,  posts and comments, but it's not there anymore??