The Way I See It

Anniversary Flowers

2011-09-30T10:32:00.003+10:00

Twelve years.
Let a girl loose with a bunch of flowers and a few bits of coloured card and this is what you get!

Rain

2011-09-27T11:36:00.001+10:00

Fifties Fantasy

2011-08-25T22:26:00.004+10:00

Who would have thought the fashions and memorabilia, music and cars of the fifties would still be so popular today?! Every year, there is a Fifties Fair in Sydney and I popped along for a very quick look around, and here's a sample of what I saw...

People were getting primped and groomed, boys and gals, young and old:

There were bands and dancing:

This girl above must be into Fifties fashion in a big way: she caught my eye at the Fair last year too - such grace and style!

The Days Are Finally Getting Longer...

2011-08-05T20:58:00.004+10:00

Manly Corso, 16.05h

2011-06-27T17:28:00.002+10:00

Check out the long shadows - and it's only 4PM! I can't wait for the Summer to get here...

Bronte

2011-06-24T22:39:00.000+10:00

Malta (revisited)

2011-06-12T23:25:00.004+10:00

It occurred to me that there are a few of my favourite views of Malta that I forgot to post after we got back from our trip. So here goes:

This is Filfla, a tiny little island (uninhabited, of course) that used to be used by the British for target practice - or so the story goes. Which means that there are a number of unexploded bombs dotted round and about and it is not advisable to try and reach it by boat. It's not that far from the mainland at all (cliffs along the western coast) and there's a legend that it was used as a refuge during the plague. There may even be the remains of a makeshift chapel there. Anyway, the place has always fascinated me and I would love to have a closer look at it one day...

There are a number of towers in strategic places around the island from the time of the Knights (1500s onwards) when they were used as a means of communication. Some of them have fallen into disrepair, but they are heritage-listed buildings and many have been restored to their former glory:

Here's another:

Here's a typical church rooftop, a couple of blocks from where we were staying, in fact. The bells tolled on the hour, on the half hour and I think they even rang on the quarter hour (except through the night). Pretty noisy, but we got used to them...

This last one is a small lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour of Gozo, Malta's 'sister-island'. That's Malta in the background, so it's not too far away - just a twenty-minute ferry crossing. Gozo is about a third of the size of Malta, a little bit greener and a lot less densely-populated. It's much more untouched and unspoilt by the ravages of tourism and we spent a few days there on a beautifully restored (but still very rustic-looking) farmhouse with family members and friends. One of my favourite places of all time...

Camouflage

2011-06-11T12:15:00.001+10:00

Vivid Sydney

2011-06-10T13:27:00.002+10:00

As usual, the folks at the annual Vivid Sydney festival put on a spectacular light show mainly focussed on the Opera House, as iconic as ever, with its unfurled sails reflecting off the water.

It's getting pretty cold for wandering around at night these days, though!

Excuse me...

2011-05-29T11:12:00.003+10:00

...while I have a love-affair with my mobile phone! Some would argue that this is not 'real' photography. But I am having so much FUN, I don't really care! Who would have thought that you could create something like this on the run, with a few clicks of various buttons and apps?!

Or something like this, straight from the phone with just the push of a shutter?

Or this:

And having an indiscreet phone with you at all times allows you to take surreptitious photos of strangers without arousing suspicion:

And when you're out and about, you don't always have to miss a shot because you've left your camera behind...

I have also been doing some other, more SERIOUS photography (also fun!) with a so-called REAL camera at an evening course. Here are some water splash photos, taken with a borrowed high-speed flash:

Kate

2011-04-25T11:05:00.003+10:00

My niece, Kate. This was edited with a Florabella action (Halo) and a texture called Serendipity, by Kim Klassen. I've entered this in the Texture Tuesday challenge.

Looking Up

2011-04-22T20:19:00.003+10:00

Just back from a few days up the coast. We were so lucky with the weather and I just wanted to share some of the amazing shows that the sky put on just for us!

Autumn Colours

2011-04-04T09:03:00.001+10:00

(Texture by Kim Klassen)

More Purple and Green

2011-03-29T15:49:00.002+11:00

I love this flower - its stamens look as though they are trying to hook in their prey!

Purple and Green

2011-03-29T15:45:00.000+11:00

Opera House

2011-03-18T19:13:00.002+11:00

Sammi

2011-02-17T23:22:00.002+11:00

Celebrating the anniversary of when Sammi came into my life (she was a birthday gift) four years ago!

14th February

2011-02-14T21:12:00.000+11:00

Cyclamen

2011-02-10T22:24:00.001+11:00

Playing with textures (again!)

2011-01-23T22:15:00.002+11:00

Hydrangeas

2011-01-17T20:31:00.001+11:00

Ava

2011-01-10T22:25:00.001+11:00

CJ

2011-01-04T22:25:00.002+11:00

Happy New Year! Who knows what it might bring...

These are the days we will remember...

2010-12-23T22:53:00.005+11:00

However 'Bah-Humbug'gy I sometimes feel about the Christmas festivities, one of the best things about this time of year is the opportunity for the younger members of the family to get together, especially when they live far away and only get to see each other on very rare occasions. Today we had a spontaneous rendezvous at Manly Beach for fish and chips. My son, his cousins and their cousin fed the gulls and frolicked in the sand and generally had a ball. Simple things can give such great pleasure!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Holiday Time

2010-12-21T23:21:00.002+11:00

While the Northern Hemisphere braces itself for the Big Freeze, the sun is out over here and the days are long. The lead-up to Christmas is always busy. I am looking forward to January when I can kick off my shoes and top up my Vitamin D.

Channelling my Inner Annie Leibovitz!

2010-11-30T22:23:00.002+11:00

I took the opportunity to visit the Annie Leibovitz exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, down by the Harbour. I love her work and how it has developed over the years. I particularly loved some of her huge landscapes, stretched out over three panels on a blank wall. I came out of the exhibition feeling inspired and loving the way a lot of her photographs were framed in black, either from the negative itself or some object in the foreground, like a doorway, for example. Anyway, since I don't have a medium format film camera I can only pretend, but here's an attempt at a slightly different view of the Opera House, a view that greeted me as I left the exhibition.

Gharghur, Malta

2010-11-18T17:18:00.001+11:00

Farmhouse in Gozo (Malta)

2010-11-15T19:27:00.002+11:00

We spent a few days on Gozo, Malta's sister island - always a pleasure. Of course it has moved with the times, just as Malta has, but there are still little glimpses of timeless beauty, old farmhouses like this one that have been lovingly restored, hidden alleyways, untouched countryside... More photos to come!

Hollywood Hills

2010-11-14T00:31:00.002+11:00

This was my first time in the States... EVER! And as we were flying in to LAX, I got really excited to see the HOLLYWOOD sign on the hills just in front of the plane in this photo (you might need a magnifying glass to see it, but it was there, I promise you!). Later I was told that Los Angeles is usually shrouded in fog and it is rare to have such good visibility from that height. I was lucky :)

Basel, Switzerland

2010-11-07T21:54:00.004+11:00

There was a quirky fountain in downtown Basel in Switzerland, with all sorts of miniature sculptures that sprayed water around.

Gisela's Flowers

2010-10-27T21:28:00.010+11:00

During our recent trip, we stayed with friends on their farm in Germany. These were some of the flowers in bloom at the time, lovingly nurtured by Gisela and Walter:

Things I Saw On My Travels

2010-10-18T14:24:00.003+11:00

The holiday's over - it's back to reality and the grindstone! I will gradually post some photos of my travels. This one is a little sidestreet in the old walled city of Mdina on the island of Malta.

Fifties Fair

2010-08-29T22:29:00.004+10:00

Sorry - I haven't been too prolific recently and I am about to take another break while we jet off around the world, visiting friends and family. But I will return with (hopefully!) lots of new material to work on!!
We went to a Fifties Fair today and there were some gorgeous women who were dressed up to the nines in 50's clothes and accessories. The good thing about the day was that they were there to be admired and looked at and photographed - they were quite happy to pose for camera, even though there were dozens of people with cameras there. Everything 'vintage' seems to be in high demand these days. Or even 'faux-vintage', like digital cameras that produced photo-booth-like instant prints in sepia, and I even spotted a new style of digital Polaroid camera that looks like a cool toy to have! Me? I had lots of fun with my Lensbaby!

Old Paddington Reservoir

2010-08-05T21:52:00.003+10:00

To think I worked down the road from this place and never knew it existed! This old reservoir, which is below street level, used to be grassed over and used as a garage until a part of it collapsed. For years it was fenced off but it underwent an extensive restoration and is now open to the public as a tranquil haven in the middle of Oxford Street. This part is sectioned off. I think it would make an ideal backdrop for some fashion shoot!

Luna Park, Sydney

2010-08-01T14:13:00.002+10:00

Ice Skating

2010-07-21T09:49:00.001+10:00

It was a crazy concept: setting up an ice-rink on the world-famous Bondi Beach in the middle of winter. But somehow, despity the incongruity, it worked!

Cloud-Dreaming

2010-07-10T21:58:00.003+10:00

I love looking up at the sky and seeing clouds that resemble other objects (with a bit of imagination!). There's a new web-site dedicated to the stories that people can conjure up from the shapes they see in the sky. Maybe you can add your cloud-dreaming story, too! The address is: http://www.cloud-dreaming.com/

This was my story: Is it a horse? Or a rather short caterpillar? No, it must be a galloping Polar Bear! He thought he was in the Arctic Circle but found his way over to Antarctica. Now he's in a hurry to get back home before all those seals get taken...

Winterscape

2010-06-29T16:08:00.000+10:00

Rainforest Retreat

2010-06-24T21:17:00.000+10:00

Minnamurra Rainforest, NSW

Winter Is Upon Us

2010-06-09T19:18:00.002+10:00

I quite like being able to experience four distinct seasons, actually. Winter is the time to feather one's nest, spend time indoors nurturing and feeling cosy. And yes, it can rain in Winter, too - just not every day for weeks on end as it has been doing. Everything in moderation.

Rain

2010-05-29T20:38:00.000+10:00

OK - I've kind of had enough rain now. Can someone make it stop?!

Reflections

2010-05-24T22:27:00.004+10:00

In the heart of the bustling City, there is a little oasis... the Chinese Gardens were a gift from the people of China and are very relaxing. I have never seen such HUGE carp in my life!

Under The Harbour Bridge Part 3

2010-05-18T15:35:00.001+10:00

(Waiting for 16-year-old Jessica Watson to sail home after her non-stop solo RTW voyage)

Under The Harbour Bridge Part 2

2010-05-17T11:06:00.001+10:00

Under the Harbour Bridge Part 1

2010-05-15T20:44:00.004+10:00

Henry, aged three months (and a bit)

2010-05-12T12:45:00.002+10:00

Handsome Little Man!

Peek-A-Boo!

2010-04-27T23:31:00.002+10:00

Good Morning, World!

2010-04-23T10:44:00.001+10:00

At The Zoo Yesterday

2010-04-19T14:12:00.003+10:00

The newest addition to the Asian Elephant herd at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Pathi Harn is just six weeks old. And very cute!

School Holidays...

2010-04-17T23:34:00.000+10:00

... are for having fun!

Darling Harbour, Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T19:41:00.000+10:00

Pretty In Pink

2010-04-01T21:47:00.003+11:00

(post-processing by CameraBag)

Another Beautiful Day In Paradise...

2010-03-25T21:22:00.001+11:00

Well, we had our fair share of rain during our Summer, but Autumn is making up for it: day after day of spectacular sunshine. Today I grabbed CJ after school (homework be damned!) and we raced off to Freshwater Beach to make the most of the sun and the surf. Soon we'll be putting our clocks back and the days won't be as long...

I'm Back!

2010-03-14T22:38:00.002+11:00

... well, almost!

I am still moving back in to my refurbished computer. You know, re-installing stuff, getting things back to the exact way they were before. I'll get there eventually!

Taking A Break ...

2010-02-28T20:23:00.006+11:00

...while I sort out some computer issues. Be back as soon as I can.

Narrabeen Lake

2010-02-16T22:02:00.002+11:00

A Quiet Moment

2010-02-09T10:51:00.001+11:00

(Texture by Groundfloor)

Nature Is Beautiful!

2010-02-08T21:01:00.001+11:00

She was Royalty, in a past life!

2010-01-28T20:37:00.002+11:00

(Post-processing by CameraBag)

Gorgeousness

2010-01-27T13:26:00.004+11:00

(Textures by Boccacino)

Vision

2010-01-25T14:26:00.006+11:00

It began when I couldn't see to thread a needle, and that was over five years ago. Now I am onto my second pair of glasses (same prescription) but the difference is that I now need them - and I hate to admit that my vision isn't as perfect as it once was!

Doing the Can-Can!

2010-01-24T15:15:00.001+11:00

Spider, spider... where are you?

2010-01-24T14:09:00.001+11:00

See Saw

2010-01-13T20:15:00.005+11:00

(Taken with a Lensbaby. Post-processed with NeverCenter's CameraBag, which is lots of fun!)

Into 2010

2010-01-08T20:18:00.004+11:00

Well, all the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, the old year has been farewelled and the new one welcomed. And now it's time to relax and enjoy the school holidays. The weather hasn't been the best - this was probably the third day since Christmas when it hasn't been either raining or threatening to do so. So as soon as we saw the sun this afternoon, we headed for our closest beach. And it was bliss! Oh, I do love the Summer :)

Enjoy your Christmas!

2009-12-22T21:35:00.001+11:00

Taken at North Curl Curl Beach today.

Elizabeth Street, Sydney

2009-12-17T21:25:00.001+11:00

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

2009-12-15T22:35:00.001+11:00

Sunday Afternoon At Freshwater Beach

2009-12-06T20:55:00.000+11:00

Continuing my fascination with flowers...

2009-12-03T22:04:00.001+11:00

Remembering My Dad....

2009-11-30T21:54:00.001+11:00

... on the fourth anniversary of his death.

Jacaranda

2009-11-29T16:58:00.004+11:00

Soon all the splashes of purple will be gone...

Sculpture By The Sea 2009

2009-11-16T13:10:00.009+11:00

Sculpture By The Sea is an annual event here in Sydney, with sculptures of various sorts installed along a very popular walking route between Bondi Beach and Tamarama Beach. This year, these were some that caught my eye (and yes, some were taken with the Lensbaby - still practising, remember!!! - but some with a 'normal' lens, as well):

The one below is my favourite. I could definitely live with little sculptures like this one in my
garden (if I had a garden, that is!):

The one below was pretty amazing:

SO cute, this next one:

This one I could see as a CD cover:

(texture by Groundfloor)

And this photo is one I took at the walk last year, just to show you the stunning backdrop to the whole event:

(And yes, if I must be honest, it is to rub it in that we are heading towards Summer, wonderful Summer, while a lot of you in the northern hemisphere are having to cope with darker days and miserable weather. This is precisely why I 'defected' to this wonderful country!).

Gorgeous Light

2009-11-09T21:50:00.002+11:00

Sammi, a star in her own back yard!

2009-11-06T21:25:00.002+11:00

(taken with a Lensbaby Creative aperture set)

Bushwalk Thistle

2009-11-02T23:09:00.007+11:00

(This one's for you, L.E.)

I went for a bushwalk with some trepidation today. A week ago, after torrential rain, a woman's body was found beside a bush trail pathway not too far from where we live. She was found in a body bag but it looks as though she placed herself inside it before deciding to end her own life. All rather sad and macabre. I thought of her a lot as I walked along the same track with my son - what must have gone through her mind, what led her to make such a desperate decision. And why the body bag? Did she perhaps not want to be found for a long time (she had been missing since June). She almost wouldn't have been found if it hadn't been for the heavy rainfall washing her body onto the pathway. Anyway, I hope she is in a more peaceful place now and that her family can stop wondering what became of her...

Lensbaby!

2009-10-31T22:02:00.003+11:00

I've stuck the lensbaby on my camera and have been taking lots of practice shots. I have to say it's been a bit of a steep learning curve for me - I love the effect, but my manual focussing is a bit hit and miss (my eyesight might be a bit to blame!) and more often than not my shots are over-exposed. I haven't tried manually exposing yet (that's a bit TOO much to think of all at once!) but that will probably be my next exercise. Here are a few shots I have taken whilst out and about:

(Jacarandas are my favourite tree and they are in bloom everywhere around Sydney at the moment)

Anyway, I will have to keep practising, practising...

Since it is Halloween tonight, here's one taken with a 'normal' lens:

Playing Around...

2009-10-20T15:49:00.002+11:00

... with textures. I've used some from Les Brumes, one from Groundfloor (both on Flickr) and a fake TTV frame whose origin is shrouded in obscurity I've had it so long. I was inspired by this wonderful photographer whose work I could spend hours looking at. She is just SO BRILLIANT she puts my pathetic efforts to shame. But I'm so glad my passion is beginning to come back! Now I can't wait to get my new Lensbaby, which is on its way from the States as we speak. I'm so excited!!

Willoughby Street Fair

2009-10-18T16:47:00.002+11:00

Dee Why Beach

2009-10-05T21:12:00.002+11:00

More Dali

2009-10-04T17:12:00.000+11:00

I am loving all things Dali-esque at the moment and came across these photos I took over ten years ago at a David Jones window display in the City:

Dali

2009-09-28T20:07:00.002+10:00

I spent the weekend in Melbourne with my better half, who had never been there before, despite it being only an hour's flight away. What can I say: the weather was even more disgusting than I thought it was possible for it to be and we nearly froze to death. But all that can be forgiven because the City just does art so well. Art exhibitions (Salvador Dali is one of my all-time favourite artists and this one did not disappoint) and unexpected little art installations randomly placed in the streets. And as for the shops... they were so much more individual than the usual chain stores that we get here in Sydney. Gorgeously designed clothes, fantastic little vintage shops with handmade items, unusual quirky items I'd never seen before. And as for the food markets and restaurants, don't get me started! It was so relaxing just to spend the whole weekend browsing and lingering, without a care or a deadline in the world. Even if I had to buy myself a new umbrella!

Unbelievable

2009-09-24T15:18:00.002+10:00

I've been in a few dust storms in my life but I have never woken up to this eerie orange glow that was our sunrise yesterday. Everything was covered in a fine reddish dust and visibility was down to a few metres. This was the view from our bedroom.

Colour Splash!

2009-09-14T21:36:00.002+10:00

More Spring Flowers

2009-09-08T11:57:00.003+10:00

I've hit a creative "wall". So many times this week I have taken my camera out and taken a few shots but nothing really worth sharing! Plus I'm a bit annoyed that my images have been "borrowed" and placed on other websites such as MySpace, without anyone so much as asking me (and my image storage account is supposedly private!).
Anyway, this morning I walked my son to school and took these, which I thought were worth posting, but I am still looking for something with a bit of 'WOW!' factor. Sure, Orhan, there are plenty of Spring flowers around. But I can't seem to create anything worthwhile from them. Sometimes it isn't enough to have a gorgeous subject! The lighting and the composition have to be right, and at the moment it just ain't happening for me :(

Cherry Blossom

2009-08-26T20:03:00.002+10:00

Spring doesn't officially start here until September 1st but that's not stopping Mother Nature from strutting her finest stuff already! Buds are a-budding; blossoms are a-blossoming; colourful flowers abound everywhere. It's all very exciting!

Wildflowers

2009-08-19T12:47:00.002+10:00

Birds

2009-08-12T18:52:00.002+10:00

There is a busy intersection close to where I live, complete with traffic lights and traffic that stops and starts all the time. You would think it would be one of the noisiest places on earth to try and get to sleep. And yet, this is where all the birds congregate, as soon as night begins to fall. Perched precariously on the telegraph wires, they spend the night huddled up against the wind, chattering noisily about the day's events and then falling slowly silent as darkness sets in. I wish I knew what makes this particular intersection so attractive!

It rained today...

2009-08-11T20:28:00.003+10:00

... and for a long time I have been wanting to get a photograph of an upside-down drop of water that holds a separate image in its reflection. This was one of my attempts, which didn't quite work (I think I will have to use a tripod next time) so I decided to add a texture (by ground*floor) and create something totally different! Next time it rains I will try again... :)

Seen on one of my walks...

2009-08-10T20:13:00.003+10:00

I took this a few months ago and forgot all about it - may as well post it now. I have no idea which tree, bush or shrub this is. I think I am going to have to invest in a local wildflower directory as I don't know how to look these things up online!

Here's another view of the same plant:

Little Manly

2009-08-03T20:05:00.002+10:00

This is Sydney in the middle of Winter. Who says we don't live in Paradise?!

Yellow

2009-07-30T21:36:00.005+10:00

"I swam across

I jumped across for you

Oh what a thing to do

'Cause you were all yellow"

~ Coldplay ~

Winter

2009-07-28T17:48:00.004+10:00

While the Northern Hemisphere swelters, we're hibernating, waiting for the promise of Spring.

Camera Shy

2009-07-23T21:57:00.002+10:00

Maidenhair Fern

2009-07-20T10:43:00.003+10:00

I'm looking after a friend's plant while she's away, but it isn't doing very well... :(

Rain on Agave Plant

2009-07-08T12:04:00.002+10:00

Sydney Opera House

2009-07-07T19:48:00.002+10:00

And here's the Sydney Opera House looking quite spectacular during the Vivid Sydney festival last month:

Sydney Harbour Bridge

2009-07-04T00:09:00.003+10:00

A different view of this iconic structure. One day I will climb it. For sure.

Wildflower

2009-07-01T18:09:00.002+10:00

Liquidambar

2009-06-25T19:52:00.004+10:00

These trees are amongst my favourites, providing gorgeous colour all throughout Autumn and Winter. But they are deemed to be 'exotic' (as in 'not native') by our local council, and quite a few of them are going to be cut down in the next few days to be replaced by 'native' trees. On a couple of streets around our local shopping centre, there are trees marked with a yellow cross -a sign that their days are numbered. It's such a pity, as they are so beautiful. Maybe I should become a tree-hugger and go and chain myself to one in protest...