My Photos

It's been awhile since I was last here, with doing my graphic design and photos in between, one day seems to roll into another, then another, then another and before you know it 3 months has slipped by before you even know it, it is almost Christmas again.

Putting that aside I have been out clicking with my trusted camera, and developing my love of photography. I was lucky enough to be asked twice, to do a model shoot for my daughter's uni, and the outcome was awesome, considering those that know me know I am not a people photographer BUT a landscape photographer, and the results speak for themselves.
These shots are all about the model and not the subject behind, trying to make the model look the best I can, making the models look and feel relaxed and like they were having a day of fun. Some were easier to photograph than others, but for me, it was taking me out of my comfort zone into something new and fun.

Beloved had become so excited, over the past few months he has been working on his beloved Ford, when he got it back  from the mechanic he had to take it out on the road, not just any road but the Great Ocean Road here in Victoria, I was like wow, no not wow about the car but for the opportunity to be able to get my camera out again and click away. Shhh, let's keep that as our secret, we won't tell hubby that I thought more about taking photos than his car.

It was a gorgeous day, the sun was shining the sky was the most beautiful blue and the breeze was fresh as we drove down the Great Ocean Road, people were everywhere, taking in such a beautiful day, walking hand in hand with loved ones or running after giggling children, but all I wanted to do was click away with my camera. The window wide open with my hair blowing in the breeze as I took in the most beautiful scenery you could ever see in Victoria. The rolling waves coming in over the rocks to greet the beautiful golden sand as a child ran in and out of the water. Surfers waited for that wave to come in so they could catch it and glide to the shore.

I waited a few minutes with my big lens (150-500mm) on the camera looking like a real cool professional photographer as everyone walked past me and had a look. Even though it is quite heavy I did manage to get a few good shots of the surfers.

We traveled all the way from Torquay to Apollo Bay, which is about a four hours drive, you don't seem to notice the distance when the view is so beautiful. We had traveled a further almost two hours prior to getting to our destination, but beloved wasn't too fussed as he was happy to be in his  newly renovated car. That aside I have been clicking away with my trusted camera and developing my love of taking photographs and managed to get some great shots, I love my 24-105mm lens and seem to now use that much more than any of my other lenses, which now just sit in my camera bag doing nothing. I have so many photos I've taken over time, but my most favorite ones are all taken somewhere along the Great Ocean Road of the beach. As I have said many times before the love of the beach in me grows more and more and so does the love of my camera, where I can capture something and make it stay the same for the rest of my life. 

 Anglesea Beach, such a beautiful place, a place where you can sit on the sand and just take in what is around you and create beautiful memories which will last a lifetime.

 

 You can travel along the long windy Great Ocean Road and see so many beautiful beaches, as we drove along it I took a deep breath and wished that the world would stop and I could stay here forever. 

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“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about 
finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has 
little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way 
you see them.” 

"Elliott Erwitt"

 

TRANQUILITY

Sitting here at my computer with my headphones on, listening to the beautiful sounds of the Australian bush whilst I work on my photos.

My mind drifts away, far away from the world around me, to a quiet place where I long to be, sitting by a flowing river watching the river flow over the rocks, the birds high up in the trees singing to themselves or calling that friend far away.

Sitting watching the tall gum trees sway in the wind as a lonely leave falls to the ground and lands on the dirt below.

This all brings me to my latest photos which I took at a place called Trentham, a beautiful country town nestled in the hills of Victoria. With its quiet tree-lined streets and only the sounds of the birds hiding high up in one of the trees., occasionally you would hear the sound of a dusty old car race past, but other than that it was quiet and very peaceful.

The extended family had joined us with dad to have lunch at the local pub, as I sat there and took in what was around me I could hear the crackle of the open fire which was in front of me. Lunch was lovely and a walk after to Trentham falls was even nicer. I had my 24-105mm lens on my camera, a really great lens which has now become my trusty best friend.

As I stood amongst all the other people sadly too many this day, and even though they had signs saying DO NOT PASS FENCE many were down on the rocks below, destroying the beautiful vegetation around them. Not one a professional photographer many just wanting to get a great shot with their iPhone to place on their Facebook and to have someone say wow what a nice waterfall, but I won't go into that, that was my last blog....

I could hear the sound of the rushing water which cascaded over the rocks into the stream below, and the birds high up in the trees, but the tranquility and peace are taken away by all the people trying to get at least one good shot of their friend and the waterfall. I waited for awhile till people started to leave and hoped more didn't come along, all I wanted to do was take a few photos of the beautiful waterfall. It was quite overcast and I had to take a few shots first to make sure the settings on the camera were just right, this lens I had on was just perfect for what i wanted to do and the results speak for themselves.

When you're at the falls on a quiet day, it is nice to just sit and listen to the sounds of the bush, as much as I love the beach I do love the quiet peacefulness of the bush where all you hear around you is nothing but the bush, no car sounds or loud music. Where you  can sit and become one with nature and go home feeling all refreshed again.

I suppose I am a bit of a loner and quite happy with my own company and to sit at a place like this by myself is like heaven, I don't mind so much beloved being there, he is usually quietly sleeping beside me, whilst I take photos or just taking in the peacefulness.

Those that know me well know I hate living in suburbia and I'd be quite happy in a little house by a running stream or somewhere by the beach, but that won't happen now until I win the lotto. I don't want a big palatial mansion that's not me, something small and pretty is all I want and where I can take lots of photos, but for now I am happy with what life has given me and as long as I can get out and take beautiful photos for people to see that really makes me smile.

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BLOGGING ...

I have been absent from here for a few months, and a lot has happened since I did my last blog back in April of this year.
I suppose the truth is I struggle putting my fingers to the keyboard, putting the right words together, my brain says one thing my fingers another...

It is four months since we lost our beloved Goldie, and she is never very far from our thoughts, but after much consideration, we have ourselves another dog, well a puppy to be exact. A cute little 8 weeks old Cavoodle when we picked her up. She is now 4 mths old and we have now had her for 8 weeks,  I am now chasing her around teaching her that our socks  are not to be chewed and not to run off with my favorite lipstick or tear up the bill I've just receive. Well, it is all part and parcel of having a puppy.

Instagram seems quite harmless, no long winded texts about this or that, just # and one word to describe your photo or to force some person to click on the elusive word, then to like your photo.  Just a place to put your photos for others to view, so this is where I have been besides on my Facebook page where people view your images but no one ever seems to comment not even one word.

Facebook is sometimes politicly incorrect, where people share countless inane things and hope you like it or for two people to shout at each other in disapproval of what was said. A place where people become addicted to the stupid things others say or do on their page.  A place where you can stalk other people pages when you utter not one word to them. Where you can sit in your living room chair not even having to leave the house.

Well yes, I have left the house to take in the cold of Winter, put on my coat and grabbed my camera and off we went once again on our adventures, taking photos to place on Facebook or Instagram, We do watch the likes, we do read the comments and we do feel a little disheartened  if a shot we thought was great only gets a few likes of which 1/2 are from your beloved.

The cold heart fact is if you didn't care what people thought of your photos you wouldn't post them for the world to see, you would leave them hidden on your hard drive and never think to show them to random strangers.

Like anything else, you like the pat on the back, the comment saying wow what an awesome shot, admit it, you like the accolades and endorsements others give you, isn't that why you post your photos?

I'm not one of those who has an iPhone, I don't choose to display my phone photos for the world to see, but many do for the same reason I display my camera photos, they want the recognition as well, just like me, though the quality of their photographs, we say are not good. They like just one person to say what a great photo, even if they have no clue what they are doing.
It is all about our self-esteem and making us feel good for just a fleeting moment.

Yes, I'm going to share my photos like any other, I'm going to hope for at least one comment or like to boost yes my self-esteem, to put a smile on my face for a fleeting moment and in the hope someone says yes that photo is good enough how do I purchase it.

I am not going to flood this blog with pictures of Taco although I'd like too.

Campbells Cover Werribee

Sunset at Altona Beach

 Castlemaine Botanical gardens

 Westgate Bridge and Tug Boat at Fisherman's Bend on Yarra River

 City over looking South Wharf Melbourne

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ME AND MY SHADOW

Life throws you some curve balls at times, things were going really good for us with the addition of a new kitchen for us after 27 years of living with something just awful. We were happy and we just couldn't contain our excitement, then bang all the excitement disappeared with a blink of an eye and our new kitchen suddenly meant nothing to us.

We had suddenly been put in the position that every pet owner dreads, that is the thought of having to put your beloved pet too sleep due to it not being well.

No more saying lets go outside no more calling dinner and her running to you with it's tail wagging so profusely you'd think it would fall off.

The happy bark as you walk in the front door when you have been out all day and it running in circles around your legs.

Those who have never owned a dog have never felt what it is like to be loved and loved every day of your life, they love you through good times and bad times, and always happy to come to you with a wagging tail.

Goldie so dearly loved it when my sisters dog Jag came to stay they were great mates, this was a first for her as she never liked any other dog that ever came for a visit.

I always try to keep this page for my photos so I will share with you some photos of our beloved furbaby who is now in heaven.

 Goldie loved getting up on our bed and would get n between beloved and I, any chance for her to be close to me she would try.
She was very sneaky one day the door bell rang and I went to open it, I left on the bench a hot dog in a roll, Goldie was sleeping on couch which I thought, When I returned 5 or so minute later the hot dog and roll were gone but Goldie was still sleeping on the couch. I look back on this and laugh.
I remember her getting out one day and the kids running backwards and forwards after her, running past our court about 20 times.
She loved to go out in the car and to sit on my knee with her nose out the window and her ears blowing in the breeze.

Over the last few weeks we could see her health declining, the pain in her back legs became too much for her to bear, she would cry trying to stand up and could no long climb the step to go outside and I couldn't pick her up as she cried in so much pain, she had lost her sight and her hearing was gone but she still showed us the same love she always did.

She was a very loyal dog and loved us all as we loved her.

Yesterday the 3 of April 2016 we saw the pain in her eyes as her eyes filled with tears we decided it was time to let her go, as I type this and my eyes swell with tears and my heart aches, we took her into the vets Lort Smith Animal Hospital here in Melbourne.

We couldn't get an appointment when I  rang but told them the situation and they were happy to see her as an emergency case.

We talked with the vet as to our options but we knew to prolong this was very cruel, She left us with our dear sweet Goldie to discus what we wanted to do. We decided to say our last goodbyes and to give her a hug a kiss and say goodbye, the vet took her away and then brought her back with a drip in her front leg she stood there as we all patted her and cried. She gave us one last wag of her tail and she slowly lied down and was gone. we said our good byes as they took her away to be cremated. they handed me an envelope where they place an image of her paws print I took her lead an collar and we sat in the office till we were ready to go home.

Thank you Lort Smith Animal Hospital for all your care and compassion you gave us on this very sad and hard day. I await now for the arrival of her ashes where we will place somewhere special.

May you REST IN PEACE you beautiful girl you will always for ever be part of our family and we will see you again one day. Sit by my mum for she will give you all the pats you need..

We love and miss you girl, you lived a long and very happy 17 years and 15 years with us.

RIP

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Busy, Busy, Busy...

I have been so busy since Christmas, I haven't had time to write my blog till now. It is now February where has the first month gone January seems to come and then before you know it, it has gone again, so can I say to all even though it is February, welcome to 2016.

So we have  past 6 weeks of the new year and so far I am loving it. A year of being in this moment and looking forward, with renovations going on with a new kitchen which is very exciting, choosing a new bench top , cupboards, tiles and floor. We are living in a mess but the end results will speak for themselves.

No new years resolutions this year .......just two words ....... LOVE + POSITIVENESS

So for my photographs they have sadly been put on hold, but once renovations are complete there will be no stopping me.

My last venture which was before Christmas, was to the high country of Victoria around the Strath Creek area. .Australia lives up to its reputation of being a sunburnt country of ruggard mountain ranges of drought.. For as far as the eye could see was the vast dry yellow land

 

 

We've have hot days with very little rain and some amazing sunsets, bringing even more hot days to follow.

 

 Beloved and I were able to take one day out for ourselves and I was happy to say we ventured to one of my favorite places Torquay, with it's crisp clean sand and beautiful clear water rolling in over the sand make for an awesome day with my camera. 

As I stood at the lookout point watching the surfers paddle out, waiting, waiting for that wave to catch, as the breeze pushed my hair over my face, and as I brushed it away a surfer took to his board and caught that wave before it rolled away and he came off his board. I managed to capture some awesome shots.

 

I always feel a sense of calmness being by the beach, watching children play or a lone surfer waiting for that special wave, or even just watching a dog run in and out of the water barking at the waves.

So as I have said before...those who know me well... know my love for the beach... 

I spent hours just watching the surfers, waiting for them to catch a great wave,  but sadly the waves were not so good this day 

 The end of a good day sitting on the beach eating fish and chips, yes there is nothing better than that, then heading home to face reality.

Now we are in the middle of  renovations, so exciting times ahead for us, now it is time I fill my cup up with the aroma of coffee.

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