The next day

I was just looking through some recent shots of mine and came across a couple of sunset images that were taken from the same place, one day apart. It truly amazes me that nature/mother earth/existence can provide such a spectacular array of colours and light, then back it up the very next day with something that is equally gorgeous, yet so very different.

Having spent the last 3 days in an aerial classroom, and another 2 days to come, I have a newfound respect for rope access workers. High-Q is a brisbane based company that offers rope access services and IRATA certified training, both locally and internationally. Rigging, ropes, ascending, descending, diversions, re-belay’s, aiding, and rescues are all part of the game. This adds a unique perspective to my photography as it allows me to be in environments that are often perceived as high risk because of the height and exposure.

The Noosa Regional Gallery recently hosted Floating Land- a combination of interactive art events, workshops, exhibitions and sunset suppers. Exploring ‘Light in Nature’, artists went to work creating a myriad of installations within the Noosa Shire. Certainly for me the most spectacular of these events was ‘Firings By The Lake’. Artists and Sculptors worked for days constructing wood ,paper and clay kilns built on the water of Lake Cootharaba. The kilns were lit just before sunset as hundreds of people gathered on the shore to witness this beautiful and mystical event.

Highlighting the diverse and wonderful talents of our local designers, the inaugural Brisbane Indesign saw thousands of people flocking to showrooms throughout the inner city suburbs on Saturday 26 May. Among the many treats that awaited those hungry for a design smorgasbord were music, dancing, food, furniture, celebration, innovation, shuttle busses and butterflies.

Get out your garlic and crosses, Dracular is coming to town! Zen Zen Zo are bringing this eery classic back to life for a season at the Old Museum ,Spring Hill. As part of the lead up to the season, Zen Zen Zo recently hosted Children of the Night, a fundraiser held in the very creative Jugglers Art Space. I grabbed my holy water and holy camera and went along to check out some of the gruesome antics of Dracular’s brides and other night walking freaks. For all out there who like to indulge in darkness ,be sure to get your tickets for the midnight session on Friday 13th July.

Recently I was fortunate enough to have a few days r’n'r up in the Atherton Tablelands. The one thing more than all else that stood out for me was the green-ness of this wonderful place on earth. There is certainly no shortage of water up there as you can see from these shots. Another little blessing from this trip was the quality time spent with some very cute and fury critters called ‘Lumholtz’ or Tree Kangaroos, yes they do actually live in trees! Although, these ones do appear rather comfortable in the kitchen.

Driving home through Marooka ,the Magic Mile reveals a different sort of magic. That of colour and light, mixed with a pinch of motion.

Sunday I ventured out to a friends property at Fernvale and enjoyed the company of good friends, good food and some great photo opportunities, all mixed in with a decent amount of dirt bikes! I was quite distressed at the severe lack of moisture in this region, what was once lush parts of the Wivenhoe Dam are now barren landscapes of earth longing for a drink. However, nature still smiles and shows her beauty in the form of this wonderful sunset, teasing the earth with it’s full clouds.

As a photographer, i have often often been in discussion about the clash between ‘old school’ photo mastery vs ‘new age’ digital imagery. Are there ethics, rules, standards to which one must aspire? If so, what are they? For me, the single most important aspect of an image, photograph or picture, is how it makes me feel. As Ansel Adams so eloquently put it…
“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs”. So get out there and tweak, adjust ,cut, paste, do whatever you want to, as long as the end result is embedded with the heat and soul of you and your passion.
I hope you enjoy ‘the black lagoon’ as much as i did creating it!

To find the extraordinary in the ordinary is one of my missions with photography. To find that perfect angle, or view point that reveals something that people would normally walk straight past without a moments consideration for the potential of visual stimulation. This is one of those images for me, it offers a hint of something waiting to happen, something pre-meditated, but what? I would love to reveal the ordinariness in this image, but prefer to keep it extraordinary

Take a moment to imagine the sounds that accompany this image. Can you hear the chanting of religous ramblings echoing through the streets of Rishikesh? Perhaps bells chiming the arrival of dusk? Not even close! Try the belching roar of Monster Trucks as they tear up the RNA showgrounds at the 2007 Nationals.