Yes, I often stop down to 1 1/2 stopss too, depending on if I'm seeing a lot of light areas in the image. In fact, I don't have a whole lot of time and a big garden, so I have to be efficient. Not knowing what mood I'll be in re depth of field when I look at them later on, I'll take multiple pictures in multiple f stops and in each of those f stops, I'll usually take multiple bracketed exposures, if I explained that right. It's not unusual for me to take 200-300 pictures on a 30 minutes walk around the garden being really efficient! The problem I'm having now is that my lens is too slow and I'm getting lots of slightly blurred images. I need a faster lens, which is too expensive for the moment. Re the reds, if you use the magnetic lasso in photoshop you can isolate areas that you want to have a separate exposure. Also, there is now very exciting new technology by Nik software where you can just click on any area and change that area. I'll definitely be getting that at some point. In the meantime, if it's really a problem, I'll isolate the part of the image I need to change with the magnetic lasso or just manipulate the exposure with levels, but I don't like super saturated reds, so I'll underexpose the reds by a variety of settings to be sure that there is detail in the bloom later on. Working with the exposure should help with the color. If not, you can always manipulate the individual color tones.

zeebo, On re-reading, I think that I overdid the issue of getting back at your stepdad. The point that I meant to make, was that thermostats, etc. don't bite. It was stepdad that took a bite out of your psyche, years ago and the scars remain. It isn't thermostats that bite - it's stepdads (and others). Now - don't let a simple little thing like a mechanism, electronic device like a thermostat continue to get you all bent out of shape - the real biter is long gone. So - bury him, O.K.? Teach yourself, well, re-teach yourself, that thermostats aren't to be avoided/feared/whatever. I'm pleased that you have managed to get him, well, at least half-way buried, as far as a lasting influence in your life is concerned. As for concern with sticking our nose into the lives of others, being kind to your Mom by helping her, if it can be done easily and gently, to do some re-orienting of the way that she does things in her life might be helpful to her. In a psychic way, as well as the practical one of possibly helping her avoid a fall, for her life might well be happier if she can shake off the voice of the ghost of your stepfather - he may be long dead, but she hasn't got him well and truly buried, either, it seems to me. Or why wouldn't she run her life now like she did, in a more "reasonable" fashion, before he appeared on the scene? Help her become "modern" - it's the thing for women to be more independent, right? In conclusion, I hope that you can forgive me for sticking my nose into your life. I hope that you and yours have a great summer. ole joyful

Without knowing the type of light bulbs used in the OP's ceiling cans, CFLs can, and do, cause problems with IR remote controlled consumer electronics. Most IR remote controls operate by using IR LEDs that are driven by a 38-40kHz carrier frequency modulated by the digital codes for each function. CFLs contain a lot of IR and UV light in conjunction with their visible light. Their internal power supplies also operate around around 38-40kHz - so they produce IR energy that has a random modulated frequency that coincides with that of IR remote controls. They can either interfere with your remote control signal when used nearby or they can also sometimes randomly produce signals that your television or other device interprets as a command - such as "turn on." Consumer electronic mfgs have long been aware of the problem and have unilaterally tried to account for it as much as possible. CFL mfgs acknowledge it but are not as motivated to help in correcting it. When I worked for Sony in the 80's we even had a problem with audio receivers that would turn on from IR in sunlight when near a window - the fix was to double-up the IR optical filters on the IR sensor. If the OP's can lights are CFL, and maybe the switch was in an intermediate position that fell-back into the "on" position by itself, it could explain the situation. Or it could simply be as I have done, been really tired, gone to bed to only wake a few hours later and find I never turned anything off!

thanks for the suggestions. To Apple Pie, why wouldn't the corner be ideal? to the right off frame of the entire room picture is the doorway out to the patio. If we had the TV on the left wall and the sofa in front, that would cut the room in half and almost block access to the patio. Your earlier comment about pretending the right corner isn't there is an interesting way to envision it. i wouldn't want to bring the edge of the cabinets any further into the room. as you can probably tell from the whole room pic, the depth of the cabinets and shelving is the same on the left side and right. To katinparadise - that's a thought. But again, turning the sofa 90 degrees puts a crimp in the layout of the room, the tv on that side would still need to be angled out to accommodate viewing (so why not keep it in the corner where it is naturally angled?), and the cable outlet is in the right side in the corner.