Joy of Love Day 5: What You Love To Hate

The lesson today was about using your camera's selective focal points.  I mostly had to read the entire user's manual to understand what that meant, but I did learn a few things.  :)  And while my options are limited, they DO exist!  Here's my first trial run, just using a nutcracker (I didn't think Obi would be still enough for me while I experimented):

It's important to note that I didn't move my camera or zoom in at all, I was just playing around with the focal length options.  I had my ISO set to 80 for all of it, and the metering set to "spot."  There was a noticeable difference, to be sure, but I felt like nothing was focusing well, and I wanted to achieve that blurred-out background that so many great photographers have (if it was at all possible with my little point-and-shoot).  That's when I discovered that, because I was soooooo close when I took these photos, I should probably use my magic macro button.  :)  So I tried again:

It really did make a bit of difference!  I was REALLY liking the 1.5x option (because it didn't zoom in SOOOO much but it still gave me what I wanted), so then it was time to move on to the actual assignment for the day: what you love to hate about ________. 

In spite of her sweet temperament, Obi does a lot of things I don't really appreciate.  She jumps on people when they come in the door, and barks anytime the outside apartment building door opens.  She licks EVERYTHING like it was her own puppy, which makes everything smell like doggie breath.  She whines at the dinner table.  She thinks she's a lap dog and climbs up on us (which is actually really cute, that black lab part of her, but sometimes painful, too, with her greyhound elbows).  She talks back to me.  She gets SOOOO jealous of me and Paul (because she thinks he's HERS) that she literally comes between us, whether we are kissing at the door or snuggling on the couch.  She digs in the bathroom trash if the door doesn't quite shut.  But, MOST annoying of all, she tears through any toy, pillow, or doggie bed we get her in just moments--especially if that toy is filled with stuffing! 

I tried to get a good photo with the above settings of her actually pulling all the stuffing out, but she moved too quickly and, short of using the flash, she was just a blur.  I wish I had more control over the shutter speed and stuff on this camera!  I still managed to pull together a few decent shots, anyway:

Her destructiveness has earned her a nickname around here: "Destroyer of Worlds."  It makes finding good, durable, lasting dog toys a difficult, expensive task.  Sometimes I wish we had adopted a much smaller puppy...but then I wouldn't have sweet, adorable, crazy Obi, and in spite of all her flaws, she brings a lot of joy and playfulness into our home.  I honestly can't imagine our lives without her!

Check out the rest of today's Joy of Love entries HERE!  And there's still time to sign up!