Queen Victoria Building or the QVB

If my previous posts and images have failed to highlight something, let me spell it out right here and now. I love Sydney! I love the harbour and look forward to the day when I can afford to live on it! I can't say from the number of times I go there that I have ever not enjoyed it. Being that I live in the "burbs", I am very proud of the city and it's colourful history.

I wanted to share some more of my shots of Sydney and also my favourite building and shopping place in the city, the Queen Victoria Building affectionately known now as the QVB. You saw one of my pictures of it late one Sunday night from the outside, but here are a few more showing the architecture of this great building. As the picture to the left shows, you can see 4 of the 5 levels in this one shot, it is a beautiful building that commands respect and admiration for the artisans and craftsmen who have laboured here. What a wonderful building. If only these walls could talk. What would they say, what stories would they tell. I photographed Naomi Campbell here once and went back and she autographed one of my pictures I took. She signed "Perfect Love, Naomi Campbell"!




I am including a brief excerpt of the buildings history as quoted on the website. I commend a visit there, simply click on the link below.

The Queen Victoria Building, now affectionately known as the QVB, was designed by George McRae and completed in 1898, replacing the original Sydney markets on the site. Built as a monument to the long reigning monarch, construction took place in dire times, as Sydney was in a severe recession. The elaborate Romanesque architecture was specially planned for the grand building so the Government could employ many out-of-work craftsmen – stonemasons, plasterers, and stained window artists - in a worthwhile project. Originally, a concert hall, coffee shops, offices, showrooms, warehouses and a wide variety of tradespeople, such as tailors, mercers, hairdressers and florists, were accommodated.

Over many decades, change saw the concert hall become the city library, offices proliferate and more tenants move in, including piano tuners, palmists and clairvoyants. Drastic 'remodelling' occurred during the austere 1930s and the main occupant was the Sydney City Council. As recently as 1959 the Queen Victoria Building was threatened with demolition. As it stands now, in all its glory. It is testimony to the original vision for the building and the superb craftsmanship of the artisans who put it all back together again.

The QVB fills an entire city block bound by George, Market, York and Druitt Streets. The dominant feature is the mighty centre dome, consisting of an inner glass dome and an exterior copper- sheathed dome. Glorious stained glass windows and splendid
architecture endure throughout the building and an original 19th century staircase sits alongside the dome. Every detail has been faithfully restored, including arches, pillars, balustrades and the intricate tiled floors thus maintaining the integrity of the building.
The visual message of Sydney's coat of arms, on the cartwheel stained glass window, is that the beehive depicts business, the sailing ship - trade, and the dolphins - the harbour. Panel 1, on the left hand side, represents the Council of the City of Sydney, and symbols of architecture, while the letters I.G.B. on panel 3, on the right, represent Ipoh Gardens Berhad, the Malaysian company who restored the QVB.

The symbols are of property developers - the builders. The bottom central panel represents the heraldic symbol of a finished building and the joining of two hands denotes the fusing of two cultures. There are many interesting and charming exhibitions and attractions throughout the building, along with portraits of the Queen. There is also a letter from Queen Elizabeth II to the Citizens of Sydney to be opened and read by the Lord Mayor of Sydney in the year 2085. Outside the QVB, on Town Hall Place, facing The Town Hall are the Royal Wishing Well and Queen Victoria's statue.

http://www.qvb.com.au/IPOH/QVB/me.get?site.sectionshow&PAGE360

Have a good day everyone.

Wanting to be Somebody

I was in the city today, Tuesday, visiting some clients and getting a few things done. I parked in at Wynyard and walked up to Martin Place, thence to Town Hall and then, because I had a lunch appointment back near the Rocks, I caught a train back from Town Hall on Sydney's underground rail network. What a wonderful experience. It has been years since I caught a train. I stood and as you will see I took a couple of pictures of the train arriving on the platform and the underground car parking station. Things we take for granted normally I try not hard not to.

Yes there was far too much graffitti that didn't exude an air of creativity it just exuded trash and abuse, however, I enjoyed the experience all the same. I used to be a commuter many years ago when I worked for Citibank in the Money market operations area, and it used to be an hour and a bit there and back each day. It was a "mugs game". Then when in the summer the air conditioning on the train breaks down and someone who chooses not to wear deoderant would stand next to me for most of the journey. eeeuuuwww! I was filled with a great amount of gratitude for my car as I recalled the down side of train commuting daily. Though the $53 parking fee for for the few hours I was there was a pain in the butt!

My happiest recollections of training was of a man who I always stood near at Wynyard railway station and at central as the doors of the train would open, he would open his arms, as his daughter meeting him from school, would run and jump into his arms. literally. It was at those times when I saw the look in his eyes and the young girl would say "Dad!" in a breathless, I just ran and jumped into your arms kind of way. I wanted a baby girl from that day on. Though unless we adopt, will not happen now. I wasn't thrilled at the news there was a boy in utero when I found out, but I have come to love my boy as much as I love life itself and then some. I think if I had a girl she would hate me as if any guy would approach I would want to give them a hard time.

I saw this portion online from a new book by Mary Ellen Edmunds called MEE Speaks. I know nothing of the author or her book, but I certainly like her message, which essentially says if you want to be A somebody, be THE somebody listed below. Timely advice and a beautiful reminder for me. I will quote this small section of a chapter that I thought appropriate.

"I was thinking that somewhere in this big world this morning, a woman is praying for her mother, who’s now living in an assisted care place and spends so much time alone. She’s praying that SOMEBODY will notice her mother, will touch her, be kind to her, make sure she’s all right.

And somewhere in the world there’s a father whose boy is going to start in the “regular” school class next week after being in special ed for several years. Oh, how he’s hoping that SOMEBODY will reach out to his little boy and build trust and friendship with him.

There’s a daughter somewhere who knows her dad should quit driving, but she hasn’t been able to stop him yet. He’s careful and doesn’t go far from home, but he drives so slowly. And she’s hoping that SOMEBODY will be patient with him as he’s holding on tightly to one of his last sources of independence.

In an apartment building there’s an older woman living alone who doesn’t have any family living nearby, and it’s too cold and snowy for her to go out much. She’s wishing SOMEBODY would stop by to visit with her and perhaps help her with a couple of things she hasn’t been able to do
.
In a home not too far away there’s a wonderful man caring for his wife who has Alzheimer’s, and it’s almost to the point where he can’t do it alone anymore. He’d love to have SOMEBODY come by and help him make some extremely difficult decisions.

There’s a single mom in the neighborhood who’s feeling completely overwhelmed with trying to put together a wonderful Christmas for her children, not knowing how she’s going to pay for it all along with the many regular bills. She’s desperate for SOMEBODY to help in some way but doesn’t know whom to ask and is not even quite sure what she needs.

Well, I didn’t mean to have quite that many examples, but I hope you get the idea. I want to be SOMEBODY. "

I find that with the happenings of today, and the reflections I have been pondering on of late, it is a gentle reminder for me to place things into some sort of perspective. As stated previously on my blog I am so far from the ideal, or from the person I would like to be, but I am endeavouring to be better tomorrow than I was today. Sometimes I am successful.

Lastly, all the pictures taken today listed above, are taken on a Kodak small compact camera as I am going back on Foxtel TV this week selling cameras for Kodak. So I am familiarising myself with the features and looking at what they can do. You must remember that this camera is selling in a retail store for $299. The photos are great!! for the little unit it is. Today I also went and held in my hands, the next camera I am going to get. It sells for just a few dollars more than the aforementioned one. $10,700 more to be exact. the magnificent 21.2 Mega pixel, dual processor Canon 1DS MK III. I felt like a culmination of Tim the Toolman from Televisions "Home Improvement" and Homer Simpson from the "Simpsons" when they express their complete approval of something. A combination of hoo hoo hoo and Hmmmm! I will show it below. hmmmmmmm. The picture is a press release picture. Not mine.

Lightning bolts & Balloons at dawn

A little while ago there was a lightning storm outside my front door. I have never had any success with this previously. I stood on someone's roof, at their approval of course, in the middle of a thunder and rain storm to capture the lightning. All I caught was a cold. Their roof was also an entertaining area and hence provided what I thought to be a good backdrop. I have tried several times all with little or no success. Now I would like to have taken these lightening shots with Sydney or a cavern as a backdrop but, hey who am I to tell the lightening come back when I am at a better geographic location! So I have captured these couple of shots and was so pleased. The shots are not doctored or created in photoshop, they are real! The two things I have never captured to my satisfaction and high standards are lightning, and the big yellow moons that look like a planet. I don't know what they are called eg New Moon....or whatever. I have never seemed to be in the right place when I saw them with a camera. The last shot is of a balloon I saw taking off earlier as the dawn broke at Parramatta Park. I could feel the warmth of the flame and it was beautiful! Have a great day everyone. It is cold and very fresh here at present, and I must be getting a bit older as I am feeling the cold a little more, but I am loving it. The change of seasons is beautiful, and as Autumn is my favourite season of the year I am on cloud 9.

Darling Harbour under lights

Well there wasn't much of a sunset yesterday, in fact, it was more like a fleeting glow and then the clouds set in again for a light dusting of rain. I was able to take some images of Sydney from Darling Harbour toward the city of Sydney itself. I was there to take the last few shots of the Author and her daughter and after that I snapped off these couple of pictures. I couldn't resist one of the indoor pool at the top of the hotel either. It was wonderful. Too bad I was there only for a short while. I wanted to share the pictures I took with you all. An interesting week ahead this week. The act of biting off more than you can chew is starting to catch up with me and I am finding I have to do more work to satisfy the things I have undertaken. But it is all fun and exciting. Have a good week everyone.

Beauty in Simplicity

Outside on the nature strip of my home a little while ago there is a tree and I happened to be walking past and noticed a cluster of bees, at first fearing they would sting, I approached to confirm they were bees and were friendly. I bounded inside the house, grabbed my 50mm Macro lens and dashed back to the tree and captured some pictures of the sleeping bee cluster. 2 of which I have posted here, I love them. Isn't nature and it's simplicity beautiful?

Missy Higgins Rocks

I can't count how many times I have heard this song from Australia's Missy Higgins. It has been out for some time and I still love it. She is one talented lady. There is lots of international artisits in town at present for the MTV music awards, Juliet Lewis and her band Wycliffe John and fiddy (50) cent, kd Lang, Michael Buble and a host of others. But Missy still stacks up and then some! You go girl!



The words

(Verse 1)
Feel it falling off like clothing
Taste it rolling on your tongue
See the lights above you glowing
Oh and breathe them deep into your lungs

(Bridge 1)
It was always simple
Not hidden hard
You've been pulling at the strings
Playing puppeteer for kings
And you've had enough

(Chorus)
But the search ends here
Where the night is totally clear
And your heart is fierce
So now you finally know
That you control where you go..you can Steer

(Verse 2)
So hold this feeling like a newborn
Oh and freedom surging through your veins
You have opened up a new door
So bring on the wind, fire and rain

(Bridge 2)
It was always simple
Not hidden hard
You've been playing at a game
Called Remembering Your Name
And you've stuffed it up

((CHORUS))

Ohh..
And now you finally know
That you control where you go..you can Steer

Cause you've been listening for answers
Oh but the city screams
And all your dreams go unheard

((CHORUS))

Ohh..
Get out of the box
And step into the clear

Ohh..
So now you finally know you can.. Steer

ANZAC DAY

It is ANZAC Day here in Australia and New Zealand. For the benefit of the international visitors to this blog, the 25th of April 1915 was a day when these two small, but great, nations lost many of their sons on the foreign soil of Turkey. An extract from Wikipedia relates Anzac day as the following.

"The Battle of Gallipoli took place at Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey from 25 April 1915 to 9 January 1916, during the First World War. A joint British Empire and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Istanbul, and secure a sea route to Russia. The attempt failed, with heavy casualties on both sides. In Turkey, the campaign is known as the Çanakkale Savaşları, after the province of Çanakkale. In the United Kingdom, it is called the Dardanelles Campaign or Gallipoli. In France it is called Les Dardanelles. In Australia,New Zealand, and Newfoundland, it is known as the Gallipoli Campaign or simply as Gallipoli. The Gallipoli campaign resonated profoundly among all nations involved. In Turkey, the battle is perceived as a defining moment in the history of the Turkish people—a final surge in the defense of the motherland as the centuries-old Ottoman Empire was crumbling. The struggle laid the grounds for the Turkish War of Independence and the foundation of the Turkish Republic eight years later under Atatürk, himself a commander at Gallipoli. In Australia and New Zealand, the campaign was the first major battle undertaken by a joint military formation, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), and is often considered to mark the birth of national consciousness in both of these countries. Anzac Day (April 25) remains the most significant commemoration of military casualties and veterans in Australia and New Zealand, surpassing Armistice Day/Remembrance Day."

Richard Reid wrote the following in his book A Duty Clear Before Us:
"The words ‘Anzac’ and ‘Gallipoli’ are part of the Australian and New Zealand heritage. They bring to mind thoughts of young men who fought and died far from their homes and families, and the values that we hold dear—courage, mateship and determination. The Anzac landings on 25 April 1915 led to the tragedy of the Gallipoli campaign and a generation of young lives lost. But they also epitomised commitment to duty in the face of appalling odds and conditions and heroism of an extraordinary nature. On a small peninsula, a force of almost 500 000 men, drawn from 14 nations, came against a similar number of Turkish soldiers determined to defend their homeland. The casualties sustained by both sides during the eight-month campaign totalled more than 400 000, of whom some 130 000 were killed. Yet, as the title of this book suggests, the Anzacs who served at Gallipoli willingly embraced their “duty". They thought of loved ones, they sought wisdom from their leaders and nothing could deter them from their commitment to duty."

I wanted to include a post on this important topic as my own personal memorial to those fallen men and women who paid the ultimate price for their countries. I have not yet been to Gallipoli, and feel that I have a destiny to visit there in a coming day and year. I have been to the dawn memorial services over a number of years and am humbled by the feeling that seems to gently caress the soul as the sun arises and we remember those who lost their lives. It is a powerful and emotive time. I don't know any of those people, nor do I know what they went through, but I feel for them, and feel to live each day more fully and purposefully in my silent tribute.



The picture below is of one of the actual vessels that lies silent in the hall of orientation, at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, our Nations Capitol. I looked upon the seats that spread across the boat and wondered at the silence and reflection the men would have had as they were rowed ashore with bullets raining down upon them and the lapping of waves on the bow of the boat. The boat lies empty now, but I sense the presence of many who once sat where I stood recently. I ponder and am grateful for much on this day.



Another picture is of the women waving the men goodbye as they set sail from Australia to a land that they would never have before known, it is as powerful an image as I have ever seen. The hopes, the fears, the expectations and the tears. All of which are now stilled, but not forgotten.



The next picture is of a diorama at the War Memorial depicting the mud and treacherous conditions the soldiers faced in the fighting. The next image is a life size effigy of a man sitting in the middle of the mud and when you see it, one senses the hopelessness, the heartache and futility of conflict on such a huge scale.





The Cross above is an actual cross created and used at Gallipoli before the soldier was reinterred and given a fitting headstone and is now housed in the War memorial. I marvel also at the hands that fashioned the metal to emboss the soldiers name. It is a testament to the man over whom it once identified, and also the man who created it. I wonder what went through his mind as he did so. I am keenly aware of life's fragility on days such as these.

I was in the company of a retired US Air Force General one time who made the observation to someone in the small group of 5-6 of which I was one, that "should a world war ever occur again, that the terms of surrender and cessation of war will never be possible anymore." The question was asked of him, "what do you mean? " His answer was met with a silence and hopelessness, he said simply, "that we are rapidly losing the ability to tell who the enemy is anymore. It is unlikely that we will ever really know who the perpetrators actually are to engage in dialogue with."

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest We Forget.

Sydney in cloud

Sydney has experienced a great amount of rainfall in the last couple of weeks, a wonderful thing for me, however the grey from the heavens seems to be a tad gloomy to some I associate with, who have imbued the same feeling into their day to day. Almost as my way of rebelling the feeling and in my quest to look for the beautiful amidst the grey, I thought it would be wonderful to show some images I shot that still whisper of the beauty and joy in this place that I call home. I have thought about hopping on a plane and going back to the lights of Vegas or the ambience of Paris, but today, I am here and happy that I am.

The Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the roof a building in the Rocks part of Sydney city.

View of Lavender Bay from the boardwalk next to Luna Park

A fountain in Martin Place made famous by the film the Matrix.

The El Alamein fountain in the famous red light district of Sydney called Kings Cross

A famous Meat pie stand on the side of the road in ritzy Woolloomooloo on the harbour called Harry's Cafe de Wheels People who have eaten here include Elton John, Richard Branson, Colonel Harland Sanders, U2, Russell Crowe and many many others...and even little ole un-famous me!
looking forward to another sunset - hopefully by Sunday night when I will be on top of a building in the city to hopefully capture another panoramic like this one I shot a while ago.

A thought....

Originality does not consist in saying what no one has ever said before, but in saying what you think yourself.

James Stephens

I love it! and to that end I shall remain original.

Fusion Flowers, Difficult Children and Belly Dancing!

I received a couple of publications this past week which had images I took in them, which I am proud of. Primarily because it allowed me to get creatively involved into new things. Small though they were, I enjoyed it. First up is a series of pictures that were published in the UK last month for Fusion Flowers. Through a series of serendipitous introductions i became friends with a wonderful lady called Gail Anderson, a florist of some distinction internationally who enlisted my photographic talents to produce some images highlighting what she does with Floral Art. What an amazing art form which had previously been off my radar. It shall not be again. They spelled my name incorrectly, but I can live with that, especially when they did put Timeline Photography in Sydney Australia.


The second is from a book that is now housed in the National Library of Australia on raising difficult children. I simply took the picture of Dr. Powell and his lovely wife Brenda at a wedding I photographed last year. They notified me they needed a couple of images taken for a book and this is the result. Lastly, this is the cover for Jrisi the Belly dancer whom I photographed. The images on the cover and disc are mine. I love the variety. That's all just thought I would share some small and seemingly insignificant things that to me are lovely to have been a small part of. I will share some of the CD covers I designed soon.

Still Busy .... and loving it!

So much for a relaxing weekend! After traveling away the other day, I had the opportunity to go to the wine country of NSW at Pokolbin to photograph the wedding of Claire & Simon. They are a great couple and it is the second wedding I have done for this family of 4 daughters and it would appear that there will be 2-3 more including a son from what mum Michelle said to me at the wedding. I enjoyed getting to capture the happenings on their special day. The wedding was at the Tamburlaine Members Lodge and Function Centre, and was just as beautiful as the service. I got to meet the owners and their staff. As a photographer having been to hundreds of receptions, good service of this standard for a "worker" is rare, but this place would rank very highly on my list if not the highest. Thanks everyone, you were wonderful! What a great venue. It is perhaps appropriate to mention here that Springfield House in Dural is another venue that I did not list in the previous post of this article, that also fit the bill. I never mentioned them largely because I feel like one of the family there, and never a worker. I will put their website address below as well.

http://www.springfieldhouse.com.au/

Tamburlaine even had fireworks going off while the couple were cutting the cake on the balcony. It was a little hard to capture it fully as the rain was coming down as well, as we stayed under the awning to shield the couple and the cake but I got a shot off you can see below.
Tamburlaines & Springfields details are here if any of you are interested. Contact them, you won't be disappointed. (copy url and paste to your browser)

http://www.mywinery.com/tamburlaine-organic/public/welcome.asp

Claire and Simon got ready at and were staying at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley at Lovedale, past Cessnock, where I happened to see the entourage of the band Matchbox 20 who appeared to be at the same hotel ready for their open air concert at one of the wineries around the corner.

Just prior to me going up the coast I had a phone call from a worried man called Gavin, who shared a story with me that he was getting married on the weekend and had a phone call just two days before the wedding saying the photographer couldn't do the wedding, he had double booked. There are a couple of things that can crop up and certainly there are instances where difficulties can arise, though two days before the wedding to advise your client is really in poor form. So with some degree of distress, they had asked a couple of people and their enquiries led to me. So whilst I had originally thought I would have a day in the weekend to myself, I was doing another wedding. Whilst I was tired and sore from aches and pains and that, I loved it all.

A post script to the wedding of Claire and Simon, as I left the Cessnock area it "bucketed" down with rain, here I was at 12:10 am or thereabouts on a fairly remote road and I am driving through a massive downpour and I hit a small dip in the surface of the road and I aqua planed in the car and it was a little scary as my car started to veer into the other lane, it was at this moment of distress I could feel that electronically, things were coming into play without my instigation with car and then instantly the car's handling changed and I felt and exclaimed WOW! I was in the Audi A6 and I am so grateful for engineers and people whom to me are faceless and nameless, who have created so many safety aspects to a vehicle that in no small measure saved my life, or at least, saved me from a serious accident that loomed with a large and ominous tree I saw approaching through the windscreen. I don't know if Toyota can claim absolute ownership of the statement "Oh What a Feeling" slogan but the feeling I had was pretty sobering and amazing I don't mind saying.

I got home at 2:15am and then had to transfer all my files and images to a bigger hard drive and charge the batteries, clean the camera, get the shirts and trousers ready for the next wedding and pre-arranged photo shoot for an Author I had to do in 6 hours time. So after what appeared to be 5 mins of sleep I arose and prepared for the shoot of the Author in the city with her daughter Sydney, named after the city! Claudia is a German author who travels the world and meets with a host of interesting people. She resides at the Mecure in Darling Harbour when she is in Sydney and numbers my hero Nelson Mandela amongst her acquaintances and spent Tuesday last with Keanu Reeves. What a lovely brief hour I spent with her and her daughter.

Then I went to the next wedding for Gavin and Joanne. Gavin was getting ready at Windsor a little over 40 mins drive from the city now thanks to the M7, and then Joanne was getting ready at the Crowne Plaza in Castle Hill. You might say it was a royal weekend with two Crowne's involved. It went very well and inspite of the downpour, good that I take a few changes of clothes, it went off without a hitch. It was quite thrilling to be a part of their special day, and I really came to know that they loved what I did by their numerous comments and rapturous expressions of praise at the reception. The thing I felt most grateful for, is that just hours before, I had not known them and at the end of the wedding I felt we became dear friends. A wonderful feeling. It is an honour and a satisfying experience to say the least.

Joanne & Gavin's pics

Autumn in the West

I have been traveling for a few days in the NSW central west. I have just loved the beautiful images I have captured. I love getting away in the car. I appreciate the solitude and chance to break into song to the eclectic music collection I possess. I was listening to The Brewster Brothers, Michael Buble, Sting, Eva Cassidy, Ill Divo, Tina Arena and many others. I loved the time. Country folk are different people to the ones I find in the city. There is not as much rush. They seem to care more, things pass a little slower for the most part and they appear to drink in the vicissitudes of life with a smile and quiet resolve that exudes strength and character. The language is more relaxed and few things seem to phase these people. I love the visits and feel refreshed each time. As I travel I am just so in love with the rich colours I am seeing as the leaves change colour and prepare to fall. It is a beautiful time of the year and of my life. I also had the brief opportunity to photograph a renowned Rugby League player for the Penrith Panthers called Luke Priddis.

What a great guy he is. I found out also that he has created a charitable foundation for Autism and is involved heavily in charity work. The men and women seemed drawn to him. He is an unassuming person who lets his ball playing ,do all the talking. He has even represented Australia playing Rugby League internationally. Again, what a great guy. I will include a picture I took of him as well as a picture of two of the Pennrith Pantherettes, the cheerleaders for the Panthers. Sarah and Jean in the order of the pictures shown, were genuinely kind and courteous young ladies. They also knew friends and acquaintances who were getting married...Yippeee. I offered them an incentive if they referred me to the people they knew. It's all about networking.

Well not a long one today, just a short one to say it was a positive trip away and the fact i was able to immerse myself in both my work and in some image taking was tremendously satisfying.

Have a great day and weekend everyone.

Miniature Earth

I have been away for a few days in the states central west, visiting places called Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Vittoria, and Wellington. I have been surprised and warmed by the responses the last couple of posts created. Thanks to all who have posted. It means a lot to me. I wanted to add quickly here a small You Tube video called Miniature Earth that I saw on you tube. I was really impressed with the message, and loved the beautiful images and overall presentation. I am a fan of these peoples work. Have a look and see what you think.



The next post will have a little more on my travels and pics.

Better Communication tips

This sort of post is a little off the wall and I cannot verify the true vailidty of this following post. It may be of dubious parentage, but it may perhaps help men to better understand communication signals with women. It was a forward, forward email sent to me and brought a laugh! That is all it is posted for...a laugh! It is not put here as an authoritative statement or placed to offend!

1.) Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4.) Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh : This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.) That's Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome.

8.) Whatever : Is a women's way of saying STUFF YOU!

9.) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to #3.

The City Slept

After the concert the other night at around 12:15 I just drove around the city which for the most part was empty. What a wonderful feeling having the bustle hushed. It was a little like a ghost town though, minus the sage brush and tufts of grass!
I saw two pedestrians and about 6 cars in total! I will visit the city again at this time in the future and spend a couple of hours just photographing the city, it was a very interesting perspective of the Sydney I love. I thought I would share a couple of things I saw of the streets and the Queen Victoria building, and one of it's awnings. I also took a picture of a couple of window displays. I took more than you see here, but I just liked the mix. Thank you everyone for visiting my blog. I sit at 1985 people who have visited here, some on numerous occasions but it is exciting that with 15 more people I will have had 2,000 people come to my blog! WOW. I was with a couple of friends last night, Jim and Lydia and amongst other things we discussed the excitement I feel on reaching 2,000 and laughed because Jim has had nearly 600,000 visits to his blog! He mentioned that it had occurred over a three year period though. So I have two years more to go! It has been an interesting time to reflect on the purpose for why this blog exists. For me, it is a vehicle for expression. I love the medium and the chance I have to write. I sometimes find supporters and sometimes detractors of my statements and views but it is refreshing and enjoyable overall. Thank you all. as I edited this, I have now had more than 2006 vistors. HUGE!!!

Choirs, Farewells, Weddings and Moonshine ending with the Angels

Here I am at Tuesday and only upon the photographic review of the images I took over the weekend am I now beginning to absorb the raft of experience and emotion that I encountered then. Friday evening until the wee hours of Saturday I was covering a major event in the history of the Loreto College in Normanhurst. Their Principal Dr. Degenhardt retired after 14 years. I have never met this lady before hand and viewed the assignment as a choral competition and farewell and was in awe of the scope of talent and ability that the students possess. What a tremendous showcase the event really was. I was also humbled to learn but a little of this fine principal's work and ceaseless commitment to the students she was responsible for over the previous years. I developed a real appreciation and respect for the love that was evident from her toward those in her charge, and it was reciprocated from them back to her. When the entire audience arose to give her a standing ovation and farewell, the cheers, tears and feelings of admiration and respect were evident. I feel grateful for having been just one of the witnesses of such an event. 'Women in time to come will do much'....Mary Ward 1609. A statement from a woman that Dr. Degenhardt herself took as a role model and has imbued the same beliefs and convictions and helped to foster a great deal of women who can and will do much. The principal is indeed a woman of substance. I was honoured to capture these images.



Then on Saturday I had a wedding for Kate & Derek. What a wonderful couple. I had a lot of fun. It was interesting at first, when I arrived at the grooms home for shots, the video guy was there. Often at these introductory moments there is always, well mostly always, this period of getting to know you between the photographer and videographer(s). I gel with most people, and in the rare cases I don't, I avoid being near them and take the shots from different angles altogether. It is an interesting phenomena when the discussion almost invariably leads to a verbal duel that is reminiscent of peacock feathering to display how wonderful they are or how valuable they are. I always smile when the talk leads to this area,from a range of experiences, I have come to expect it. Often though I never initiate such conversations of past glories because I am critical of their nature and believe that each experience I have, each new wedding, all harmoniously creates a body of work that is diverse and rich. The video guy at Kate & Derek's wedding was a nice guy, and became a much nicer guy by the close of the days events. I accept that we each find a creative place with which to work and go from there. I am present to the feelings that surround the people and events involved at a wedding and try to be sensitive to know when to be bold and forceful and when to step back and simply allow the day to unfold. It became obvious that Saturday was to be such a day when the "step back" was required. I am glad I did. There is always the creatively and emotionally difficult area at an event where one person dominates the time and is not seemingly respectful of the other's time, and obviously at such events it is never about me, it is always about delivering the images the client is paying for. I love the interaction and ability to look at things differently. And am again, very grateful for the images I was able to create for these two people. It was a truly great day. A young lady, Rebecca, I have as an understudy was covering her first wedding for me as well elsewhere. And though the camera died in what appeared as "error 99" I was able to walk her through it and we were fine. It is exciting for us both.


Then on Sunday evening I went to the Basement in Circular Quay and photographed the concert for the Moonshine Jug and String Band, who after the first half became the Brewster brothers and then even had a reunion on stage with "Doc" Neeson the lead singer from the Angels. It was a great concert that covered a vast array of musical influences and tastes. I loved it. I have already photographed the bands publicity shots and was honoured to be invited back to cover this rare and unique opportunity to see them all up close. I was invited by Rick Brewster no less. I occasionally have to pinch myself to think that people I have admired for many years are rapidly becoming actual friends of mine. There is a touch of the surreal about it.

If I was a betting man, I wouldn't mind saying that the Angels certainly gave the outward signs that they might be reforming with their original line up, but I have no inside info, it was just a wonderful thing to see and be a part of on stage. The energy and feeling from the audience was simply wonderful. It is a good audience. I love the intimate venues where you can be up close and personal with the artists, it is great. I was interested to see that Harry Connick Jr. had performed here and it even appeared that Norah Jones had as well. Too bad I missed that, I love Norah jones. I will be catching a lot more live gigs from here on out. They are great. I have a lot of photo jobs that are clamoring for attention and am busy, and believe that is when I am truly content. I can't believe that I get paid for this! Life is good to me, and just when I didn't think it could get better, it does!

A Few of My Favourite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels,
door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings.
these are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes,
snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,
silver white winters that melt into springs,
these are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings,
when I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
and then I don't feel so bad.

as an aside, I am a fan of the Sound of Music, and have been for many years. I am perhaps not the most die hard one around, though. I do say that I one day want to dance around the fountain in Salzburg, Austria where the movie Von Trap family danced around!

That said, I want to focus the reason why these lyrics appear at the introduction of this post. It is 12:50 am as I stare at the clock, that is in the morning! I have just come back from a big wedding today which kept me out from 9:30am until about a half hour ago. I dropped my heavy bags, emptied the car and the the days clothes into the laundry basket and stepped into a beautiful lingering hot shower. Hmmmm how do I adequately convey the rejuvenating and therapeutic feeling it was to clean the impurities of a long day working hard from my person, as the warm to hot water ran through my hair, face and body. I couldn't help but feel these words of a few of My favourite things pop into my head, and thinking that high on the list of feel good feelings would be peace, contentment, soaking in a nice hot bath or shower. A good back scratch, catching up with friends and a good sleep is factoring in about now as well. No pictures in this post today, I just wanted to write, because of the photo jobs I have had in the last couple of days and note that it has been demanding. Got home at 1:30am on friday night/ Saturday morning for a major photo job and will go to bed late / early yet again. My body is telling me it is time to rest and so I shall, I wanted to acknowledge the importance of dear and special friends who have both contributed on this blog and even for those who don't. I feel very tired and very grateful. It is now 1:17am and I am drifting off to sleep on my computer but have now transferred all the images taken today to the computer...whew, there are heaps. Will post pictures and more details when I have had some rest. Sorry if there are spelling errors, the brain is into the let me sleep now space, and I feel it wise to oblige. more later..

Good night all.

Is Might Right ? (part 2)

This post is written as an epilogue to the earlier post Is Might Right? written a few days ago. I couldn't feel that the two comments shared with me could be allowed to go unacknowledged. The sign above, whilst designed as an advertisement for investing, I felt it applied to a much wider application. I try to apply it to my life.

I had an anonymous person comment on that post. They are in a wheelchair, the result of someone's choice to express their anger in a moving vehicle. For want of a better term, they are a victim of Road Rage. At the trial the person shared with me and all who read here, that the people who were playing silly buggers on the road claimed in court that they "didn't mean to hurt anyone". Yet clearly they did. When I learn of these these insights into life it puts it into a whole new paradigm I submit. I am thankful for this comment, for the thoughts it created in me and the choices it made me look at with more reflection. I have walked away, note that part, and become a different person. To the person in the wheelchair who wrote me, thank you. I will strive to think of your words and carry them with me at times when I move through life from this point going forward.

My dear friend Lynn also commented privately to me that she felt vary passionately about the Olympic Torch violence and added some valuable insight into this as well. I will quote a couple of the things she said because it really is important to illustrate my feeling, though it is hers, and covers off exactly the motivation I had to write the article in the first place.

"I am more than aware of the atrocities that are occurring in and through China at present. I don't agree that violence is the answer, but I do see that through desperation to be heard, people are resorting to that means."

"The majority of the world has no idea, or simply refuses to believe, what is actually happening there. China has up until a very short time ago been able to keep under wraps the genocide they are committing, the murders, the concentration camps, the illegal detention of innocent people etc etc. Tibet is just one small part of it all. I have seen footage smuggled out of China showing the people in concentration camps whose only crime was to live in housing that was knocked down to build Olympic venues. 60 people cramped into one small cell. China wants to show the world via the Olympics that they are supreme. The cost is too high. I don't know what the answer is.... all I know is that more and more people are now aware and awareness is power in itself. I do not in anyway support violent protests... but then I think to myself... how would I react if it were my family being tortured and persecuted? Would I be able to remain calm?"

"We are so very fortunate to live in a world, a country, where life is quite simple. Admittedly we are starting to see anger and hatred weave it's way into our otherwise peaceful lifestyles. So many other people in the world do not know this comfort. They don't know what it's like to not live in fear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and a whole lifetime (usually somehat shortened) of years."

I cannot add much to the comments above, other than to say, that sometimes I, and possibly all of us, occasionally look at things in isolation and not see the wider detail.Consequently our view can be somewhat myopic and distorted. I appreciate the understanding and wisdom I feel I have gained from these two people's insights. Sir Isaac Newton, the forebearer for much of the collective understanding on gravity and time reportedly said, "that if I have been great, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants". Truly I feel similar to that presently. I honestly feel enlarged by the comments made.

Isn't the internet an amazing vehicle? I am so awestruck and honoured that some 1800 people have visited my blog. I have truly been grateful for so many things of late. I am grateful for Thomas Eddison for light bulbs, Alexander Graham Bell for the phone, Benjamin Franklin for the concept of electricity and many other things, The Wright Brothers for flight, and little known Oscar Barnack for the camera.

I stand on the shoulders of these great people every time I use the things they conceived. I thank them, and all those who took their original concept and made what we have and use today. Today is a day of much gratitude, that I again get to do what I most love. This picture below is another shot of La Perouse, called Bear Island which was the backdrop for Tom Cruise in the Movie MI2 (Mission Impossible 2). I Looove the clouds and light. Very cold though at that time of the morning. See the fisherman in the bottom right hand corner? It was a magic moment for me to capture this.