In photos: A frog in Koh Lanta, Thailand

So it's been nearly two months since my brother bravely handed over his camera to me and I decided to commit a bit of time and effort into understanding and loving photography better.

I am happy to report the love is strong and the understanding is growing, though it hasn't been as easy as I would like. This is partly because I knew surprisingly little about the basics of photography so I've had to start from scratch; the point & shoot digital cameras I'm used to have spoilt me with ease so I've never explored beyond auto settings. The other reason I have found learning more hard is because I'm a little intimidated. There are some amazing photographers out there, particularly in the blogging world, a world I enjoy spending too much time in. Predictably perhaps, many travel bloggers are particularly excellent photographers, so much so that I have asked myself more than once "How can I compete?" or "What more can I offer?" but these are completely inappropriate questions to ask and not ones I or anyone should even think about seriously answering. I know firsthand that blogging is not a competition, it's a community . I made that bold because it's something I believe in passionately. Rather than being intimidated or put off by the engaging, high quality images created by other travel bloggers I respect, I should be inspired and encouraged and for the most part I am precisely that and it's a wonderful feeling.

Two weeks ago I put myself on an Auto ban and apart from the occasional slip up due to time pressure or simply not being able to get the light right on manual setting, I've been doing very well. I have of course been helped by awesome light conditions, amazing scenery to capture and even the occasional model to pose for me.

Here is one of my better models. Mr Frog was enjoying an afternoon nap by our pool the other day and I spent nearly half an hour photographing him in exactly the same position, his sarcastic slits of eyes questioning my strange behaviour as I pointed and poked my camera in every which direction to experiment with light, depth of field and composition. I think you'll agree he was the perfect model and I hope you'll also agree that I'm improving my photography skills a little bit, however, as always tips and tricks are always welcome.