Birthday Octave...

I have always hated having my photo taken.

In the whole of my life, I think that I've had only two photos that I actually liked: one was taken at a birthday party (I was in serious pain and hadn't been eating properly, and so I actually had a decent figure, and cheekbones!) and the other was taken (when I wasn't looking) for a college prospectus: I was demonstrating how to dissect a rat diaphragm so it could be used for neuropharmacological experiments... sadly, as the student I was helping was a mature student, it looked as if he was teaching me... and, anyway, the photo never got used, presumably because of sensitivities about animal experiments.

Eventually I twigged to the idea that, by taking the photographs, I didn't actually have to appear in any of them. I never quite got to the point of developing my own photos, which was a shame, but then I discovered the joys of blogging... and mobile phones started to come with camera functions.

I have enjoyed taking photos more and more over the past couple of years, particularly pictures of Mass celebrated according to the usus antiquior. Fr. Tim's blog is way ahead of mine in content and readership, but I had the supreme advantage of being able to take photos: priests are rarely in a position to do that! And I have had great fun getting the "key" moments: the genuflections, the elevations, and the occasional blessing.

I've put up so many photos on my blog that Google Images provides a large proportion of my visitors... and when I show up for Mass on a special occasion, people assume that I will be taking photos...

However, lately I have been frustrated in my attempts to take pictures. The mobile phone camera, amazing though it is, has difficulties in low light. I click the button, but the camera takes ages to focus: the photo taken is therefore not the one I want, and it is often slightly blurred because people have moved.

So, I decided that a proper camera might be a good idea. But there are so many cameras out there that it's difficult to know what to look for.

That difficulty was solved when I used Fr. Tim's small camera to take some photos. It was pocket-sized, as opposed to the big beast he uses for newspaper-quality shots, and appeared to be relatively blonde-proof. I looked up the specifications on the internet, and used that as a guide. I also took Fr. Tim's advice in looking for a camera with a proper viewfinder, as the digital screens are hopeless in sunshine.

The trip to Lourdes highlighted my dissatisfaction with the phone camera. I resolved to get myself a proper digital camera as soon as possible... and I thought it would make a good birthday present.

Sunday was my birthday, but I had to wait for payday before I could splash out. I am now waiting for the camera to arrive: Amazon have started doing evening deliveries inside the M25 area on selected items...

I shall be celebrating my birthday for a few days more, I think...