151: An afternoon with the ponies

I found myself at my old riding school, Riverside Equestrian Centre, this afternoon helping with the evening feedup. It was a wonderful visit and so nice to catch up with everyone that I hadn't seen in a while. I also happen to have purchased a new camera (eeeek!) this week, a Canon 1000D digital SLR. I'm super excited and this was a great opportunity to test it out. It's a bit of a step up from my trusty Panasonic Lumix that I have been shooting with for the past 6 months. I thought it was a great time to upgrade, since I'm hitting the 6 month mark of the project and what better time to try and up my photography skills for the second half of the year. As you can imagine I had a lots of piccies to try and choose from for today's photo in the end, but this one won for it's great colour contrasts and super sharp detail in the top left corner, with the rest of the subject softly blurred in the background. Delightful.

150: Empty drinks

Well more drinks this evening! We were out for a lovely birthday dinner (Happy Birthday Anna for Monday!) with friends and decided to hit the town for some drinkie drinkies afterwards. Since my photo yesterday represented the early end of the evening, I decided it would be nice to catch the end of this one as a bit of a themed follow on. I unfortunately found myself without my camera though which was a bit of problem until my lovely friend Samantha was able to lend me her little digital one. So go little camera, thanks for keeping the project on track.

149: Pub crawl

This afternoon we were lucky enough to finish work a little earlier than usual due to our office relocation. We took this in our stride and headed straight for the pub. A few drinks became a pub crawl and before we knew it we were onto our next location. Here Tegan and I splashed out on a cocktail (amateurs mistake, of course we had no money by the next location and had to scavange around our bags, pockets and friends). The cocktail was delicious though and with the light just fading outside I knew it was a great opportunity for today's pic. A lovely way to sum up a fun and relaxing evening with my work buds.

148: Mr Eggy

I thought I'd turn my dinner into a photo opportunity tonight. A boiled egg with toasted soldiers is on the menu. Give him a little face and pooof... Hello Mr Eggy.

147: Struggling

This evening I was struggling to find a photo. I wandered around the house for a while spending too much time in each room looking for subjects, angles, shadows...anything. After getting a bit frustrated I decided to just work with what's in front of me and try and capture it in a less stereotypical way, experimenting with the angle, lighting and composition. Not too bad in the end but definitely not a highlight.

146: Fun film camera find

Check out this cool old Konica Ben's Dad pulled out of his office recently. What a great find. I had a lot of fun earlier in the year experimenting with my Canon EOS 3000 and got some great prints out of it. I'm pretty keen to get a film in this one and go out on another photoshoot. Old cameras are so exciting.

145: Depth and symmetry

I thought it was about time for another black and white photograph. Down the this car park everything is so greyscale anyway, I thought it could be enhanced as a black and white photo. My eye got sucked into the symmetry and depth captured in this area and I couldn't resist taking the photo. I've always been a sucker for a sense of 3D in my work so it was fun to catch this quite extreme example.

144: Late night takeaway coffees

I'm sure many of you who know me are thinking "but, you don't even like coffee". Well the scary thing is recently I discovered that I might. It's another one of those things that you grow up into liking, something preferred usually my a more mature palette. The problem is secretly a little bit of me liked not liking it. I think it's something to do with how people get addicted. But I'm taking it slow, only weak mochas for me right now and well, I'm trying to make it a weekend thing.

143: Singing in the rain

Driving home from a party tonight. Was so much later than I thought and suddenly realised if I didn't get my camera out, I'd miss a photo for day 143. So while I'm singing along to Pink on the radio I dig my camera out and capture some great moving night light that is only enhanced by the rain beating down on my windscreen. I love the effect it has given around the street lights up above.

142: Le artiste

This evening my brother Nick opened his first official art exhibition at Nine Lives Gallery! A joint event shared with his friend Jared, a photographer, the mix of art and photography was just the right amount of variety for viewers. This great little gallery, located above the cafes at the top of Brunswick Street Mall has a whole load of atmosphere and is a very enjoyable place to enjoy the work of some of Brisbane's best creatives. The boys had a roaring success of a night and the exhibition will continue to show over the next 2 days. If you can make sure you go and have a peek. Congrats little brother.

141: Kitchen prep

Mmmm Mmm pancakes for breakie tomorrow morning, for Miss Candi's birthday. Just been preparing the mix so I don't have to get up too early. Yum, can't wait!

140: Experimental

Something a little experimental this evening. I normally play with my pics as little as possible, but in the spirit of trying something new! Red is such a great, bold colour, why not try and enhance it within the composition to make stand out even more. The idea all started when I noticed my new nail polish matched the necklace I was wearing today and then with a plain and melting background it made a nice, simple photograph.

139: Mess at my desk

I felt like capturing a little piece of my work today, so I just played around with angles and the objects scattered over my desk. It probably catches more me than my work with the beverages, jewellery and music taking up most of the picture. Welcome to my desk.

138: Fun with numbers

Just like I captured last week on the telegraph pole, again some random numbers sucked me in. I'm obsessed with numbers/letters stenciled onto things, I think it's a typography in the outdoors thing. These I found on a mate's drum kit case. Pretty cool. It's a grungy look, that goes unnoticed by so many eyes. 

137: Growing up

B.dog's getting bigger (well not really much in size anymore, but in age) and I thought it was time he deserved a new collar. He's proudly it showing off, letting us now he's pleased with the choice by the waggy tail that refuses to stop.

136: Fun at the fair

This weekend is of course the Brookfield Show! I just couldn't resist a trip to the little country fair that graces our calendar's annually in May. You could call it a mini Ekka, with rides, stalls, bars, showbags, competitions, animals and horse events, but on a much more local scale. I was a little inspired by a picture I noticed in the photography competition and tried to capture my own take on it with this shot. Right on dusk it was nice to catch the natural light as well as the colours from the ride.

135: Chestnuts for roasting

Trying to recreate childhood memories here. When we used to live in Switzerland sometimes we would head down to Lake Geneva for a walk or a rollerblade. Hey! It was the 90's. In the winter there was a man with a little cart that sold roasted chestnuts. I've always wanted to get my hands on some again, but up until now, hadn't stumbled across any. This evening in the supermarket, BINGO! Surprising since our local Coles is stocking less and less each time we go in. But now I just want to roast them, nestled amongst the coals in the Weber bbq, wrap them in newspaper and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

134: I heart you

Thought about playing with a lipstick writing on the mirror this evening. I wanted to try capturing if from a few different angles. Turns out straight on resulted in the best shot. It was nice to incorporate the camera and photographer again, it's been a while! Red would have stood out a little more I think, but I couldn't find one. The layered effect is quite cool I think. Right up front, middle ground and a soft faded background.

133: Sleepy state

This evening I was so tired when I got home I just fell asleep straight away. I somehow managed to take this little pic in the middle of the night (before midnight though, I can guarantee that). I just looked around for something photo worthy and snapped my heat pack which is made of such pretty fabric.

132: Stairway to the moon

Hello pretty moon. Almost full. Round and shiny. I caught this composition through the louver windows out the side of my house. I like how the stairs up to the apartments next door looks like it leads towards the moon. Plus I just watched The Dish, so I have the moon fresh and present in my mind. It was interesting playing around with the settings on my camera again to capture a quality night time photograph.

131: Charlie

Meet Charlie, the little teddy bear I was given by my grandma when I was born. That's right Charlie is 23 years old and still in pretty fine form. Thanks to Mum! He has just undergone some fairly serious facial surgery after falling victim to one of Bentley's mischievous and rather naughty moments. Poor Charlie lost his nose and it's lucky for me (and him) that my very talented Mum is crafty with a needle and has successfully fixed him. May Charlie live on for many, many more years with his new nose! I was a little hesitant putting up a photo of my old teddy bear. But then I realised, everyone has one, wether it be a raggy doll, worn panda or for the boys maybe an old dinosaur. They are great portals into our childhood, where they provided company in many different games and bedtime stories. Thank you Charlie.

130: Happy Mum's Day

Happy Mother's Day Mum, hope you like these pretty flowers I picked out! I couldn't resist taking their photo today, and on the window sill in the morning light seemed just right.

129: History of boarding

Check out the Paddington Antique Centre on Latrobe Terrace, Paddington for wonderful old fashioned finds like these cool old skateboards. I thought it was such an interesting way to display them. The wheels simply hooked through a section of wire fencing.

128: Plastic sushi and a dirty window

If I was in a reality TV show and you had to produce something outstanding, whatever genre show you might be in (cooking:Masterchef, dancing:So You Think You Can Dance, singing:Australian Idol, popularity contest:Big Brother) that was going to be judged and used for or against me in voting, this is where I'd be taking a big risk. But one that I feel would be worth it. Sometimes I want to take a photo of something purely because I'd like to share it with everyone here, not because I think it would make a good photo, but I don't really like doing this. I like to capture things creatively and as you know am on a journey to learn how to take great photos. By accidently having my lens focus on the (dirty) glass in the sushi train window, it's actually taken a great shot of the cleaning residue on the glass and the blurry colours and light in the background. Much more arty, much more my style.

127: Night minds

I noticed these numbers on a telegraph pole this evening out on a walk and kinda liked them. Weird I know, and I'm sure I looked silly to the people sitting across the road in a cafe, staring up at the pole with my camera. It's nice with the moon in the background, although I'm sorry the foreground came out a little blurry. I must invest in a tripod!

126: In the nick of time

Good-night.

125: Aromas

I was in the mood for a green thai curry this evening, so off I toddled to the supermarket and got myself the ingredients. It was delicious. I love the flavours of this curry: coconut, lime, ginger, thai spices. Mmmm. When I threw in some prawns and watched them turn from blue to pink, it was definitely a moment for a picture. Unfortunately for me the phone rang and they cook so quickly it was impossible for me to capture their transition, but I will aim to capture this image before the project is up.

124: Powerful light

Captured this delightful sky on an afternoon walk today. Pretty.

123: An interesting pet

I certainly didn't wake up this morning thinking today would be the day that I would hold a snake. But on at a spontaneous BBQ at the Peach's we discovered Kat has 3 pet snakes. Curiosity definitely got the better of me and when Ben was brave enough to have a hold of this young female I just couldn't resist either. It helped knowing that Kat, a reptile lover, handles these guys both at work and at home, and with the reassurance she wouldn't bite she wrapped her around my arm. It's the most unusual sensation of their muscles and scales against your skin. Hard to believe this little one will grow to be 8-9ft! Crazy. I just had to get a pic and am pleased with the angle I captured these guys and the way the light is cast across Kat's face and arm.

122: Random, sporadic art

This evening I was looking for something to photograph and just when I thought I was stuck I managed to throw this together. I like it because if it's simplicity, light and just the fact that I created it when I thought there was nothing much around. Just goes to show, think as far outside the square, look as far and creatively around you as possible and you can literally create something from almost nothing.

121: Present

What a cool pair of shoes. A lovely surprise from Ben while I've been feeling a bit under the weather. The lining is so pretty I wish you could see more of it on the outside!