As I continue to post my photos from last year, I’m now up to November 16, 2009, which is the day I start filming the videos for my “Best Ever Christmas Baking Class.” There are 4 lessons, and all of the baking can be made in advance and popped in the freezer for a stress-free holiday season.
Lesson #1: Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf.
I hadn’t brought any Christmas decorations with me to France, and since I am filming these lessons beginning in mid-November, it was too early to find any ornaments for sale in the local stores. (I know in North America, you can buy Christmas decorations starting at Hallowe’en, but not in Paris.)
I did find a few plastic balls in the back of one shop, but they were 4€ for each single ball! Needless to say, I only bought one ball. It’s red. You’ll see it reappear in a few lessons …
Lesson #2: Easy Bar Shortbreads.
I thought I’d show you the process I go through to get a good photo. I am using a digital SLR camera (Canon 20D), so I can change the shutter speed manually. I have a regular lens, nothing special.
So with white cookies, I knew I needed some extra colour in the pictures. I’m in the living room here, where there’s more light in the afternoons.
Without a flash (good light, too blurry):
With a flash (crummy lighting, but not blurry):
Yes, I could have dragged out my tripod and this point and taken this picture again without the flash, but I am too lazy.
And anyway, the stocking overwhelmed the cookies.
So I put the cookies on the dining table which is in the living room, right against the window where there’s lots of light.
My first try, too much light (shutter open too long):
this next one is too dark, shutter not open long enough…
(I also realize that I can see myself in the red ball, reflected with the camera, but am hoping that no one else will really notice…)
This last one is the best picture so far, but it has a bit too much of the table in the image:
So I open this last image in Photoshop, and I crop out the extra table, making the cookies and ball the centre of the picture. Here’s the final version:
The next two Christmas baking lessons are coming soon 
~ All best, Shelley
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