Sandstone, how I Love Thee...

I love sandstone;
the graduation of colour,
the rough yet gentle texture,
even the edges are smooth.

What a contrast,
hard stone, soft leaf,
yet the leaf looks hardest,
sharp edges and wiry structure.


Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/500s
f/5.6
55.0mm
ISO 400

Jones Bay Wharf

Specs: Canon EOS 400D 1/500s f/5.0 25.0mm ISO 100

My Gorgeous Girl

“It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.”

- Anonymous.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/250s
f/5.6
50.0mm
ISO 800

Find the Sunshine

R and I loved how this open seed pod looked like the sun, she said the central part was soft and cushion-like.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/250s
f/3.2
50.0mm
ISO 800

Shared Secrets

R wanted me to take some photos with Djr; here are the best of them...
Specs: Canon EOS 400D 1/250s f/4.0 75.0mm ISO 800

 Specs: Canon EOS 400D 1/250s f/4.0 75.0mm ISO 800

Specs: Canon EOS 400D 1/250s f/4.0 75.0mm ISO 800

 Specs: Canon EOS 400D 1/250s f/4.0 75.0mm ISO 800

Specs: Canon EOS 400D 1/250s f/4.0 75.0mm ISO 800

By this time Djr had just about had enough of my camera for the day so I didn't get a re-take of the following two; I wish they weren't so burnt out (silly, I should've realised as I moved to the back of where R was sitting) they show the cheeky side of Djr so perfectly.

Shhh - it's a Secret...

For a while, a couple of months ago, R's best friend would came over R would say to me "can we go to our secret cubby house thing down at the river?" Off they'd go and they'd be down there for hours sometimes (always with a phone for safety.)

This afternoon R said "oh, I can show you our secret thing. It's not really a cubby house." Then as she showed Djr and I this secret place she said "It's not even really that secret, people fish here sometimes."

Now I'm sharing the secret with you. I never really had a "secret place" as a child so I used to climb trees a lot (in particular a large mango tree in our Far North Queensland backyard) to escape the world.

Did you have a secret place? I'd love to hear about it...

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/250s
f/4.0
75.0mm
ISO 800

Tea Time

I suppose these are the owners of this parcel of land; R and I thought it amusing that along with the ride on mower they brought a plastic table and picnic in the back of their van.

I love the multi-layered look to the framing of the trees in this photo.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/2500s
f/5.0
300.00mm
ISO 800

Balancing Act

Check out that tail! What a fabulous tool for balancing. Moments later I walked closer to him to show the children how these water dragons jump back down to the ground.

Specs:

Canon EOS 400D

1/250s

f/5.0

155.00mm

ISO 1600

I think this one is the male, red chest and belly.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/250s
f/5.6
300.0 mm
ISO 1600

Bottles for Dogs?

R wondered if the two drink bottles might be for the dogs or the people?

Minutes earlier the smaller dog was being carried by it's Mummy.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/4000s
f/5.6
300.0mm
ISO 1600

Teenage Dream...

I have fond memories of swinging from this rope swing as a teen.

'Twas a tough day for photography today; R, Djr and I walked around the River Walk this afternoon. Between 2pm and 6:30pm it rained three times (enough that we had to take shelter under picnic gazebos or leafy trees) at all other times the sky cleared and clouded over innumerable times. C'est la vie - excuse the grainy (high ISO,) dark, multi-light photos for today. (Excluding this photo, which honestly, I don't know what I did playing with it in the editor but I like the resulting colours...)


Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/4000s
f/5.6
240.0mm
ISO 100

Mark My Place

Here's a little insight into me and some of my favourite things...

I love to read. This is the book I'm currently reading Kate Morton's, The Distant Hours. Okay, I've only read the first paragraph so far but I just know I'm going to love this book, Morton's previous books The Shifting Fog and The Forgotten Garden were fantastic. I usually guess the end of drama/thriller type books but Kate kept me guessing right until the end, just when I thought I had the plot sorted another twist was thrown in my path. This book has extra value because Rhiannan got it for me for Christmas. The bookmark was also a gift, from my lovely niece; I love practical and beautiful gifts, they remind me of the gift giver every time I use them.

I love my camera kit (the lens pictured is not necessarily my favourite but a representation of the whole.) I'm only a beginner we all know that but I love learning and I love trying new things with my camera, like this still life shot. I've enrolled in a photography course, you might see a great improvement in my shots in the near future. I surely hope so!


Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/30s
f/5.0
50mm
ISO 100

Once Upon a Ring

5 years and 2 months ago...

I didn't take any photos today I'm far too cranky to do anything other than stew in my crankiness.

Our wedding photos were taken by my cousin; this is one of my favourites. I don't wear my ring very often, (finger jewelery irritates my skin) and David's was lost a few months ago. Right in this moment I'm wondering at the value of them anyway, such is the foulness of my mood.

No specs available.

Little Grub

Look at that grubby face! Damn, if only I knew how to use photoshop!

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/125s
5.0f/
50.0mm
ISO 100

The Apprentice

What would Grandad know about fixing bikes? Surely I can fix these pedals, this is where they go...

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/400s
5.0f/
50.0mm
ISO 100

Front Yard Workshop

Dad came over this morning to fix all our bikes, again, I really should learn how to do this stuff.

David's bike needed one tube repair and re-inflated.

Liam's bike needed two new tyres and a new tube.

My bike, as you know, needed the pedal reattached.

We also have a retro style scooter which I picked up for free thinking it was worth at least looking at properly to see what needed to be done to make it workable. The scooter needs both wheels re-spoked and new tyres.

By the end of the front yard bike workshop however, the picture was slightly different.

Liam's bike was fully repaired, until a couple of hours later the rear tyre "popped". I haven't a clue what that means but Rhiannan was riding it and the tyre made a loud pop noise and instantly deflated. One bike back in the shed 'til the next front yard workshop session.

David's bike is fully repaired, and back in the shed protected from the pending rain.

My bike needs two new pedals and cranks; all screw together parts were threaded. Still hopefully cheaper to repair than a new bike, since I got this bike was free.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/125s
5.0f/
50mm
ISO 100

Pretty Blue Ribbon

I have to assume this pretty blue ribbon came from a Christmas gift, Christmas having been just past and all.

I love the "M branding" on this kitten's forehead; her name just MUST be Moppet.

Kittens; so cute when they're playing and sleeping, so NOT cute when you have to clean out the litter tray. ;)

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/60s
2.8f/
50.0mm
ISO 400

New Beginnings

Oh hi, 'tis me! Looking a little like a drowned rat... This photo was actually taken today, albeit with the camera on my phone (impersonating a drowned rat + real camera = not a great combination.)

This afternoon, even though my legs are still aching from all the steps on our walk yesterday, I decided to stop making excuses and get out on my bike.

What a wonderful feeling, the wind against your skin, the freedom of being alone, being able to go wherever you please. I set off around the block first, to test out the bike, having never ridden it before and having not ridden a non-stationery bike since I was a child! Having successfully stayed on the bike that far I ventured further, along the river to the end of the road. There are gentle hills all along the way which were challenging but in a fun way. Just as I got to the end of the road, the right hand side pedal fell off my bike!

Could it be a sign? Am I not meant to ride? No, surely the sign would be when I started to walk/jog back home and it started raining. Then pouring, no problem, I'm only getting wet, right?! What about when it turned into a thunder storm? Was that a sign? Walking, saturated, holding a chunk of metal in a thunder storm; that's like asking to be struck by lightning isn't it? So I stopped under the freeway bridge, hoping to wait out the worst of the lightning activity, only as soon as I stepped out from the cover the lightning started again.

So, is it a sign? Walking home my broken bike, hoping not to be struck by lightning, wet to the bone?

I'm sure it is; it's a sign that good things don't come easy. It's a sign that I put off riding for way too long (the bike's been sitting in the shed for at least 10 months, possibly longer, if I'd ridden it sooner the pedal would've fallen off sooner and been replaced and I would've beat the weather today.) I didn't get struck by lighting; it's a sign of better and longer rides ahead. As soon as I can get a new pedal...

(I had wanted to go to the end of that road as there is a track along the river from there to a creek which runs down the mountains; there is a walk from a campsite about half an hour up the track, down to the river and back again. One day these school holidays I hope to make the trek up there with the children, if these days of unbearable heat or drenching rain ever cease!)

Specs:
Nokia E63
3.2f/
4.9mm

Three Sisters

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/25s
22.0f/
50.0mm
ISO 400

Katoomba Falls

The walk yesterday was my first opportunity to photograph waterfalls since reading up on shutter speeds, I think they're mostly okay, though there were a lot of deletable photos and a lot where the focus left a lot to be desired.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/6s
22.0f/
55.0mm
ISO 400

Our Little Adventurer

Okay, so this photo was actually taken yesterday, along with a couple of others from our afternoon adventure though, I feel it has to be shared.

This was Djr's first big bushwalk, the first one when he walked most of the way and he absolutely loved it! We walked down the Katoomba Falls walk, so many steps, my legs and knees are sure feeling it today, everyone else seems to have pulled up much better.

Specs:
Canon EOS 400D
1/60s
4.5f
34.0mm
ISO 400