A Wedding

On a happier note than of late, today, our local hairdresser got hitched at the bush chapel on the beach!

For weeks, this wedding has been the talk of the town and the locals have been abuzz with anticipation.

Finally, the big day arrived!  There were about 80 guests and about 20 uninvited, but welcome, locals in attendance.

I wasn't invited to the wedding, but last week I asked 'Little Miss Fabulous' if I could take my camera to the chapel and try to get some good wedding shots during and after the ceremony.

She was very agreeable to my suggestion, so today, I packed all my gear in the trike basket and headed off to the other end of town, with Aussie H to accompany me!

The same Celebrant who married Adoring Husband and I, was setting up at the chapel.  She looked at me, pointed and said "The Lions Park!" (which is where we were married).  I thought that was very nice that she recognised me, considering that she is booked to do weddings every weekend for a year in advance.

She said "What a great wedding!  So relaxed and happy and fun.  I'll never forget it."

I have to agree.  Our wedding was the best wedding I've ever attended!

Anyway, here are a couple of shots from today's wedding.  There were two other official photographers and another with a video camera, so my space was very limited.

I had to cut shots tight to avoid photographing the other photographers.  Mostly, I had to hover in the background and try to squeeze a shot in, here and there, or try from strange angles to keep out of the way.

A smile from the bride through her tears of joy.

Number one bridesmaid.

Number two bridesmaid.

The wedding party with the tall trees in the background.

I did quite enjoy it, and I think I would like to do a wedding and have photographic control over the event.  It would be nice to put people in the right position and the challenge of making a nervous bride smile, would be pretty cool.

Her boys walked her down the aisle.

How nervous does she look?

The groom seemed so relaxed and happy.

I knew he would get a smile out of her!

The happy couple through the crowd.

This practise has shown me what to look out for, what NOT to do next time, different angles to look for and background stuff to avoid.

Signing the register.

The theme was black and white.

The flowers and her head piece were to die for.

Very overcast and very windy, made it difficult with some shots.

It was a lovely wedding.  The bride was very emotional from the minute she arrived in the car, so it was difficult to get smiling photos between the tears.

It's all over ... time to celebrate!

The obedient wedding party.

A mostly happy group shot.

Anyway that's a few of my shots.  Hopefully, I will have a couple of shots that the other photographers don't have and can share them with the bride and groom when they return from their honeymoon.

Tomorrow we head off to Rockhampton for a much sadder occasion.

Nite all.

Final photo5

Today was the last day for the submission of the final brief in the Canon photo5 competition.

The theme for the brief was 'ribbon' (panning), which meant there had to be movement in the photo.  Either movement of the ribbon, or another subject in the photo, or of the background in the photo.  The ribbon didn't have to be main subject but it had to be part of the photo.

Here is my submission ...

I pinned 5 ribbons to the cane ceiling fan and set it to high.  Then I took the photo on a slow shutter speed.

This has been an interesting and fun experience, although not too successful, especially since I missed the cut off time for the third brief, which was themed 'sequins'.

Next year I will be better prepared.  I will read the instructions properly AND I will remember that daylight savings makes a difference to us in Queensland!

Ah well.  You live and learn.

Today was Adoring Husband's birthday.  He turned 54 years young.  We had a pleasant evening at the Bowls Club and stayed for dinner with a few friends afterwards.  A nice quiet affair and quite a few free birthday beers.

Happy Birthday my darling :o)

Nite all.

Discombobulated.

First of all, let me get the photos out of the way.

A Fig Bird.  Already eaten my mulberries and now starting on the peaches!

Who can blame him for wanting these delicious looking peaches?

Orange Lilies just blooming in the front garden.

Hand of Man - a sculpture in the Bunya Mountains.

A Wallaby trying to escape the papparazzi!

Wallaby and Joey in the pouch.

I'm feeling a little discombobulated tonight.

My brother, Gryphonn, lost his partner, Phoenix, to a brain tumour today.  She was diagnosed just two months ago.  Surgery removed some of the large tumour, but they couldn't get to all of it and the prognosis was not good.

In two short months, the tumour grew bigger than it's pre-op size and today at 11.15am Phoenix lost her battle.  She was surrounded by family and friends who loved her.

I'm feeling a bit like the protective older sister without a job to do right now.  So many thoughts entering my head and leaving just as quickly ... I recognise the same thought processes that I experienced when my mother passed away six years ago, only to a lesser degree.

As I said to Vegan Chickie tonight, I know that time heals most wounds, but sometimes, time moves so bloody slowly and the healing takes so damned long.  I want to fix my brother now.  I want to take his pain away.  I want to bring new happiness into his life immediately.

But I know that he has to go through his own grieving process, however long or how painful it may be.  It's just the way it is.

So in the meantime, I must stand aside and let him be comforted by the people he needs most, around him, and attempt to be his safety net, should he need one in the near future.

For now ... to my brother ... I love you.  I am here.  In the coming months, our home is your home, should you need it.  If necessary, just arrive and my arms will be open to welcome you and protect you  for however long you need them.

I know that my discombobulation will pass, much sooner than my brother's hurting heart.

Nite all.

The Next Challenge

Our photography group has been set the next challenge for October.

The theme is 'Splash'.

I haven't even thought about it yet, except to perhaps fill our birdbath with water and wait for a bird to go for a bath.

I have an old photo of a Willy Wagtail splashing about in the birdbath from about three years ago, that I just love!  But the photo has to be taken after the challenge was set, so I can't use that photo.

I'll work on 'splash' over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Adoring Husband and I spent a good hour trying to create an acceptable photo of 'powder' for the Canon photo5 competition today.

The final result was not as I'd hoped, but at least I was able to submit it JUST in time!

I missed the cut-off point for the last brief, which was 'sequins' because I thought it closed at midnight, when in actual fact, it closed at midday AEDST, which is 11am here in Queensland!  Ugh!

For powder, we combined the two different coloured powders that were sent to us and heaped it like a little mountain, then dropped a cherry tomato into the middle of it and captured the powder spraying everywhere.

I tried, unsuccessfully, to set a mousetrap off with powder on it, but after about 8 attempts, I had to give up on that idea because we were running out of time and I couldn't get the composition right.

I admit, that I was panicking with the time constraints!  The mousetrap idea had so much potential .. if only I had started working on it earlier ... like DAYS earlier, instead of leaving it to the last hour before submissions closed!

Now there is only one more brief left.  'Ribbon' using the panning method of photography.  I have two days to get this one right, but half of tomorrow is already out, because Adoring Husband and I have previous commitments.

We might get to spend the afternoon on it.

Still trying to come up with some ideas for my 'Art Deco' exhibition next year.  Instead of getting bogged down in specific Art Deco ideas, I need to open my imagination to the era from 1900 - 1930.

After speaking to my partner in this little enterprise, The Artist, she has given me lots of ideas and we will be spending a day in Maryborough, checking out the exhibit space and looking at some ideas and locations in that area to photograph.

I am nervous, but excited, about all of this, which is new to me.  It's going to be a real challenge and a bit of an adventure, but, my partner's health permitting, it's going to be a hell of a ride!

There is always a new challenge, and the next one for me is 'Ribbon'.  I have two days on that and then there will be four days left of the 'Splash' challenge.  Gotta get that mind of mine working!

Nite all.

Short and not so sweet.

Tonight I am posting a few more photos with a few less words.

Tonight I'm thinking about my brother and the hurt in his heart, as he watches his 'rock' lose her battle with illness.

So this post is short and not so sweet.

Nite all.

Weekend Getaway

If you ever want a different kind of holiday or weekend away, try this ...

http://www.bunyamountains.com/

We had a fabulous weekend and plan on returning in the future to feel the serenity of Bunya Mountains and the surrounding rain forests again.

Adoring Husband and I met our new friends from the photography website, 'flickr'.

They are a combination of people who have completed Andrew Goodall's Photography Workshop on the Sunshine Coast over the past couple of years, and who now share their photos on the flickr site for critiquing.

People travelled from as far north as Rockhampton and as far south as Brisbane/Toowoomba for this weekend.

We all pitched in with food, and of course, ended up with so much more than we needed.  The food, however, was all delicious, especially the desserts!!  Pavlovas, cheesecakes, caramel tarts and chocolate chip cookies, all home cooked, plus a delicious fruit salad.

Everybody was happy and friendly and helpful, sharing their knowledge of photography and their particular brand of cameras.

We spent hours and hours walking the tracks through the rain forest and capturing shots of all the birdlife, insects, flowers, beautiful trees and ferns, waterfalls and running streams, wildlife and each other!

A scavenger hunt was organised, so we had a list of 20 things to photograph over the weekend.  Some were easy to find and some a little more difficult.

Here are a few of my photos from the weekend ..

Blue Fairy Wren

Female Bower Bird

Tree Ferns

Orange Blossom Orchid

Running Stream

... and a few more

Another rain forest stream

Kookaburra about to take off

A male Satin Bower Bird

Yellow Robin

I will share some more during the week.

I have to say thank you to the wonderful Vegan Chickie, Bare-chested Chef and Chicklet for taking care of the Psychotic Dogs and Lovely Laying Chooks while we were away.  Without you, we couldn't have enjoyed our special weekend and we really do appreciate you taking yourself away from your 'island of calm' for us :o)

We have sore legs and calf muscles from walking and climbing, and sore cheeks from smiling so much, so we might take a day or two to recover from our weekend getaway, but it was sooooo worth it and we'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Nite all

We're Off Tomorrow

For anybody who cares ... I may not be able to update or post anything over the weekend.  Apparently, mobile coverage is unpredictable where we are going, depending on the weather and other factors, so if you don't see or hear from me for a couple of days, don't panic.

A few more photos from the horse shoot ...

We had a blackout for a few hours today, so we are way behind with our preparations for the weekend.

I need to get some sleep so that I can be up bright and early to finish getting ready.

I am very excited about our weekend and I can't wait to meet everybody!!

Nite all.

Coffee and Horses

The lovely young lady who makes my coffee at the bakery every morning, lives on a farm about twenty minutes out of town.

She owns horses, one of which, gave birth to a foal about three weeks ago.

She invited me to the farm to take photos of the foal, because she intends putting it up for sale soon.

It's a great farm, with lots of old rusted machinery lying around the place, car and tractor bodies, a large dam teeming with birdlife and, of course, animals.

This is not a photo of the foal, but it is a lovely moment captured between her and another of her horses.

She has offered her farm for Adoring Husband and I to use for our photography, which I thought was extremely generous of her.

So, one morning soon, bright and early, I think we will make our way down there with our cameras and see what gems we can come up with.

Meanwhile, I have just over 24 hours to complete my 'to-do' list.  It ain't gunna happen!

So much to do, so little time, but tomorrow, as always, I will get my morning coffee from the girl with the horses.

Nite all.

'Stuff'

Got some 'stuff' done and checked two more things off my 'to do' list today :o)

Adoring Husband went off to golf this morning.  He sometimes plays on a Tuesday for some extra practise.  His handicap has improved by ten strokes over the past few weeks and he is really enjoying his golf.

While I was at morning tea with Kaz and Lady Lynn this morning, I received a phone call from Adoring Husband advising me that he was on his way home early.

Somebody had tee'd off and when Adoring Husband realised that the ball was heading straight towards his head, he took a dive and landed awkwardly on his shoulder.

When he felt pins and needles in his arm, he realised that he couldn't continue playing for fear of risking further injury, and had to come home.

This is a fairly straight forward tale.

I'm looking forward to bringing it up with his golfing buddy, Claudius Maximus, who I'm certain, will have a much more hilarious take on this experience!

Just so you know ... Adoring Husband cooked dinner tonight, so he is certainly not incapacitated.  He is feeling a little tender where he landed, but appears to be in one piece.

If 'stuff' is going to happen .. it's going to happen to Adoring Husband, but he always survives intact.

I spent an hour or more trying to capture the perfect foam photo today.  I am trying to decide between three ... although I may spend a little time tomorrow trying for something different, because I'm still not completely happy with the results.

Isn't it nice that I have the freedom to spend so much time concerning myself with 'stuff' so petty and frivolous?!  How lucky I am!

I had a lovely family lunch today.  Chicklet and I had a little fun with some water, while Vegan Chickie sat by giggling at us.  Precious 'stuff'.  Precious moments.

There are kittens being born in Blackwater tonight.  While I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a cat fan, it's exciting 'stuff' for Squirt and the girls.  At last report, there were 5 and I received a photo of them on my phone, as they suckled on an exhausted mother cat.

I'm thinking of the 'stuff' going on for my brother, the Convenient Greenie and his partner, Soul Mate, whose lives are not going along so smoothly at the moment.

I hope that they are either travelling safely, or have arrived safely at their destination and are feeling the love for a while.

I love you.  Take care of each other.

So, there is plenty of 'stuff' happening in the family, some good, some not so good and some heart-breaking.

That's life.

Nite all.

Time Flies

It's already Tuesday tomorrow!

I only did one thing on my 'to do' list today.  I don't think my 'to do' list is going to be completed this week.  I have extra things to put on it and less time with which to do them.

I was lucky enough to run into Kaz and Lucy's Man this morning.  They were taking their first morning walk since returning home, so we had a quick catch-up and I'll meet Kaz for morning tea tomorrow.

I spent a couple of hours pedalling around town with my camera and got a couple of good shots.

Irises growing outside the shopping centre.

Wattlebird feeding from kangaroo paw in our front garden.

Then I played with the macro lens by taking shots around the garden.

I have no idea what this is, but it was on the lemon tree.

Giant mozzie on the fig tree.

If you look hard enough, you'll find some interesting creepy crawlies in the garden.

After that I tried, again unsuccessfully, to get my 'foam' photo for the Canon photo5 competition.  I will spend a couple of hours on it again tomorrow, but I only have until 13th to submit it, so I'd best get a wriggle on!

Once again, my day has been filled with all things 'photography'.

Adoring Husband cooked me a delicious dinner tonight as well, so really, it's been a day filled with all the things that I love.  Photography and food!

Tomorrow will be an added bonus with family lunch!

After that, it will be time to panic trying to get everything done before our weekend away.

Time flies faster than you expect when you have a 'to do' list that's not getting done :o)

Nite all.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back Kaz and Lucy's man!  I'm looking forward to seeing you during the week!

My 'to do' list for this week is ...

1. Make two white necklaces, one white bracelet and one pair of white earrings.
2. Complete module two of the Photography Degree.
3. Meet with 'The Artist' to get further information regarding the exhibit in September.
4. Using the new info I got today, practise using the macro lens and see if it makes a difference.
5. Have lunch with the family.
6. Have morning tea with Kaz.
7. Buy some hiking/walking boots for the weekend at Bunya Mountains.
8. Pack for the weekend at Bunya Mountains.

I'm sure there should be more on the list!  I'll remember the rest later.

This morning as I rode to get my coffee, I was stopped by someone to make comment about my photo.  I said 'what photo?' and they replied 'the one in the Chronicle yesterday'.

My whale photo had been published in Saturday's edition and I didn't even know about it.

The information page for the competition stated that the winning photos were published in Monday's or Tuesday's edition each week!

Then I parked my trike and was stopped by another 'acquaintance' who had seen it and congratulated me.  The sales person who gave me my coffee also commented.

As I reached the Seat of Knowledge, the boys announced 'here comes the star'!

There was a message on our answering machine from Mrs Piccolo, that she'd left yesterday, congratulating me.

It seems everybody knew about it except me!

So I asked the local shop if they had any of Saturday's newspapers left and luckily, they did, so I bought two copies.  I have no idea why I bought two copies, but I just got so excited, I got a bit carried away!

My photo took a whole half of page two!  The headline read "Roz snaps whale courting ritual".

It was pretty impressive ... even if I do say so myself!

This afternoon, I spent a couple of hours at Woman of Many Talent's place with her and Mrs Bucket.

It's been a long time.  The three of us were once very close and spent a lot of time together, but life seems to have got in the way for the last 18 months or so, and our time together has suffered.

I think I have to re-establish some kind of routine of catching up with my friends again, because I have become a bit of a recluse this year and I am struggling to find the motivation to socialise.

I'll start by having morning tea with the girls on Tuesday morning to welcome Kaz back into the country ... and work on it from there!

Nite all.