about photos* (but without photos**)

Determined to take some photos in proper daylight of a pair of abandoned armchairs and a rattan chair I spotted last night while walking my doggie, I made the supreme effort to wake up half an hour earlier than usual to go out with my camera.

Naturally, doggie trotted along with me on my morning jaunt.

Barely two minutes after setting off, I came across a tripod standing on its three legs next to a garbage bin. Score! I'd been thinking of getting one for the little vanity project known as the Fashion Diary.

It looked a little dusty but seemed sturdy enough, so I toted it along -- leash in right hand, tripod in left hand, camera slung around neck.

First stop: Newly vacated unit one street away. Two moldy armchairs were locked in what can only be described as a Kama Sutra position on the pavement. Click click click.

Next stop: A perfectly good rattan chair sitting next to two garbage bins. Light seemed to bright and white, but I was still fiddling with aperture and what not, so just practised. Click click click.

As I was just snapping the lens cap back on, my doggie tugged me violently around. I turned and there was his brother Slanty -- yes, real-life brother, who lives a couple of streets away and is named Slanty for the diagonal scar on his forehead -- and the family maid.

My doggie lunged a few times futilely at his brother, not in a friendly way, more like a "I must attack this doggie that looks exactly like me except for the cool scar" way. Undeterred, I mimicked a camera snapping action to the maid, as I didn't have a pix of Slanty.

Just as I was in an unstable half squat, my doggie decided to do his mad lunge again. This time, I fell forward, head first onto the road. Luckily, I broke my fall with my hands. Even more fortunately -- now you see where my priorities lie -- my neck prevented the camera from plummeting to the ground.

Even though both my palms were now scraped raw and bleeding, and I was still sitting in an undignified heap on the roadside, I just had to smack doggie's rump. He was still straining against his leash at Slanty, who was a good 2m away, watching the whole spectacle like an innocent bystander.

After an eternity, I finally managed to get up -- not easy when you are trying to control a mad dog, prevent a camera from strangling you, and cannot use your palms to push on the ground. I waved weakly to the maid, who probably would have a good tale to tell her ma'am later.

But all was not lost. As I hobbled home, all the while muttering "bad doggie, bad doggie", I noticed that my next door neighbour's flowers were in bloom. There was even a little bee buzzing around. Click click click.

My morning photography field trip wasn't a complete waste after all. In fact, it was rather fruitful: the tripod is now wiped clean and in perfect condition, ready for self-timer photo shoots.

Maybe tomorrow, I should try again to shoot a pix of Slanty. Who knows what else I may pick up along the way?

* Almost forgot to include this very exciting news. My twin and I are going on a photography course together, starting next week. Got field trips and mini exhibition at the end of the eight-week course. Squeal!

** Lazy to put up photos. Blogger will only allow me to upload one at a time and it's too trying.