Beyond auto-focus

I'm not much for new year's resolutions...but I usually make a plan for the year - sometimes detailed (get the studio cleaned up and organized now), sometimes more vague (explore new avenues to showcase my art).  One of the items on this year's plan is to learn how to use my camera to take better pictures.  I was thinking I needed a new camera (and then those funds got diverted into a new computer when the old one was dying) but I think I just need to learn how to more fully utilize (as in "turn off Auto"!) the camera I have.

Stumbled upon the blog Faded Prairie...in additional to lovely images and inspirational ideas, Kristin has a weekly photography challenge.  This week's theme is "Once Loved"...the possibilities for interesting photos just in my house were overwhelming...I went to work...and submitted this photo as my entry.  The gray Pacific Northwest winter makes lighting a challenge...one of many reasons I'm looking forward to spring- better light!

If you want to participate yourself or just see the other fab entries, just click the icon for the link...