Coming through the mists...

Well, when I signed up for the 'get-pushed' challenge nobody explained what torment I might go through...!
My challenge from Mike Gifford was a selfie in smoke in keeping with the 5+2 challenge this week. "Great, the neanderthal is strong in me" I thought as I went out and lit a bonfire. The vision of a cloaked, mysterious Aragorn coming into view in LOTR sprang to mind.... what I got with 30mph gusts and a 10-second timer was more like revenge of the living dead sitting in a hoodie on a garden bench avoiding the danger as the plastic tray caught fire and started disintegrating and blowing 'round my ankles....
So I came inside, pinched one of Cathy's stinky gadgets and knelt awkwardly, close to the window trying to keep still as I juggled long exposures/short exposures/light/dark/focus, looking at the camera and not the reflection and counting to ten.... ! Not what I had in mind but here you go... now I'm going to rest my legs, recover from the fumes and focus on my southern comfort & lemonade..!
Thank you so much for your views and comments on my Cambridge shot yesterday... made me wonder whether it might not be a good place for a 365 meet-up when the weather's nicer... well, have a good weekend whatever you get up to :)

[Phil]

@mikegifford Well not the elegant smoke plume I had in mind, but I think the long exposure put paid to that... I enjoyed doing the challenge, thank you - definitely a push and definitely out of my comfort zone... and I think it shows how brilliantly the five-plus-two smoke shots are! Something I'll try again, when I've recovered from the fumes!
Have a great weekend :)

[Tony]

Crazy capture !! You do subject yourself to many bizarre challenges. Looks very spooky.

[Harry J Benson]

nicely done, it reminds of a scene in one of the Harry Potter films

[Padlock]

Great effort. Sounds as if it took some time. Re Cambridge,good idea I wouldn't mind it.

[Michelle]

Great shot! That definitely wasn't an easy shot!

[Mac]

Hahahahaaaa. Love your description. It's very much how I imagine life. Oh maybe Aragorn will come ... no what's that? Plastic tray on fire, banged my leg, stepped in mud. aaaaaagh! PS) I would love to attend a meet-up in Cambridge and revisit my teen-aged haunts.

[Mike Gifford]

@filsie65 Its great to get out the comfort zone once in awhile! This is great and now you have something to try again! I prefer incense because you can control it better and pick the fragrance. Here is a training video (actually 2 from Gavin Hoey) - http://youtu.be/J2d281_HoEQ

I'm following you now so I'll see if you get to this again ;-) Have a great new year!

[Peter de Graaff]

Freaky

[John]

Arggghhhhhh :D

[Kitti Nelson]

Very creepy-cool - love the blue tones - you are such a courageous soul!

[Hazel A]

Ohhhh! Spooky!!!!

[Stephomy]

And now for a new Get Pushed challenge: Make a portrait of someone working. You can use the words 'working' and 'someone' as broad as you'd like.

[Tineke]

Happy new year to you, somewhat late but the internet was not good the past few days.

[Five plus Two]

hahahha great effort Phil!

[Claire]

Very nicely done

[Phil]

@mikegifford Thank you Mike - you won't believe how I've been checking out smoke ever since...!! The kids will forgive me about dinner eventually.... (that last bit was a joke) (I hope) :)

[Diana]

Nicely done! The blue tone gives a 'ghostly apparation' sense to it!

[Lisa Pouncy]

Not particularly what I'd call a smoke shot but interesting effect nonetheless xx

[Phil]

@psychographer Shhhhh nobody else seems to have noticed it's not a proper smoke shot....!! The long-exposure (to pick out the detail in the dark) also picked up the lingering smoke and spoiled the spiral which you can only just about see ... after setting fire to the garden and breathing in fumes and drinking more than one southern comfort I was only pleased that it made my reflection very blurry and the wrinkles harder to see !! Thanks for calling by though :)