Incognito Tea Drinking
The art of drinking tea is clearly acquired, rather than innate. Because I can assure you that neither of the mothers of these two petals drink tea in quite this fashion.
Blue Skies
It seems incongruous that it’s hot and sunny today. One third of the city is under water, people’s belongings are floating in the streets, but it’s hot and sunny. Thank God for small mercies.
Timber boat restoration
This is a boat restoration in progress.
When the project is complete, the boat will have a glorious polished timber finish to both the interior and exterior.
I can’t say why this chain box (possibly not its real name..) took my fancy: I just like it.
Mail Man
Hello bloggy friends!
Can you guess where I’ve been this weekend?
(hint: not the mall 
)
I’ve lots of things to show you, but for today, I’ll leave you this knight in shining armour.
Learning curves
This is Sarah. She’s a gymnast, and a model, and brave enough to be photographed by 30 or so people at once, during a recent photography workshop. I have a new respect for models – they seriously work hard!
The workshop was held by Michael Hills, proprietor of EM photography and a very delightful gentleman. He donated his time and considerable talent to teach us about portraiture; providing models, as well as a hair and makeup artist.
The prospect of attending the day, knowing that there would be quite a few people to whom photography is a business venture more than a hobby, and that of those who have it as a hobby, I would possibly be the most novice, was daunting to say the least. But… I learned a lot.
One of several exercises we tried was to photograph the second model, Teya, anticipating the apex of her jump, and so have her face in focus for the split second when she is suspended in the air.
One result of attending the workshop has been that I have since been shooting mostly using aperture priority. This has led to a degree of freedom in portraiture, for sure, that I have not previously enjoyed. I confess, though, that I am still grappling with my camera settings – as you will see if I can bring myself to post about my rose dilemma debacle disaster.
Learning is good. I just wish it could be fast and painless 
Patience
It’s the Irish Chicklette. She was building sandcastles on the beach, but the endeavour was hampered considerably by Miss Baby, who would go poking her fingers into them as fast as they were built.
The Farmer’s Magic
What makes an honest farming man such a hit with the girls?
Why, he holds a fresh, velvety gosling, of course! Irresistable!
Photographers Share the Love (or not.)
I love ANZAC day. Our family always attends the dawn service and the parade. This year I thought I would try my hand at recording some of my favourite images as opposed to my usual habit of crying like a goose when the old diggers go past.
The parade is normally well supported, so we decided to get there early so I could choose a vantage point to shoot from. The confirmation that I had chosen the best spot came in the form of a rude little fat photojournalist. (I’m only just holding back from also calling him greasy, sneaky and underhanded, not to mention ungentlemanly.) He set up immediately in front of me, close enough that I could, had I had my wits about me, were I not such a nice lady, have smacked him in the head as he deserved. After forty minutes of standing in the sun with four children (you need to have four children, and one of them a toddler who’s been awake pre-dawn, to understand how that ups the ante) I was a little indignant at his audacity.
My husband decided to champion me by graciously pointing out that we had been waiting a long time there, and could we not share the spot? Apparently not. It seems if you get paid to take photographs, you can be as rude as you like. He replied that he wasn’t going to be there long. (Hello! Nor was anyone else – the best of the parade passes by in the first five minutes!)
During the finale of the service that followed the parade, a similar incident occured. The pipers were piping, I had just found a place to stand, lined up a shot, and click! I had a blurred image of the back of the girl who climbed on the chair in front of me to get the same shot. The pipers were finished, and I walked away wondering what sort of people take up photography for a living? Retired pirates?
Learning about photography is fun: recording things that mean something to me or will inspire, inform or amuse others is a wonderful occupation. While I would fain improve my skills and learn how to best capture the moment, the ruthless greed I saw yesterday was just plain scary!
New Toys!
What could be better than being presented with a dark chocolate Lindt bunny by the sweetest man alive? I have to tell you.
The man who lights up my life and brings me joy, despite a work schedule that would make a lesser man blanch, yesterday put all on hold; navigated through an hour and a half of nasty traffic; and presented me with……..(drum roll)
Sigma 10-20 mm F4-5.6
..a new wide angle lens! Hooray!
If that would not be cause enough for excitement in a girl as prone to it as I am, he also bought me sets of filters which right along with my new lens, I am completely lacking in knowledge about. But I am so going to have fun learning!
The icing on the cake? No, it wasn’t the little screw on ring things that came to hold the business together – it’s difficult to get excited about that kind of hardware, though I’m sure it’s important. But the presenter of all these good treats has a burning desire to drive south and see the trees change colour; just perfect for a girl with a bundle of new toys to experiment with!
What a lovely husband I have!
