Twocentpiece Photography

WE HAVE MOVED!!!!!!

2010-01-02T13:30:00.002+08:00

The new Twocentpiece Photography website is finally active!!!! YAY!!!

It was supposed to launch in October, and then it got put off until November and then December ... but it is finally here!!

Here is it: Twocentpiece Photography.

This website will continue to be here but will no longer be used.

Thank you for your support.

Shannon
xx

Ella & Anthony

2009-09-11T23:11:00.009+08:00

In the month of July (which seems so far away now) I had the pleasure of shooting two of the most gorgeous children I have ever met.

These two kids were so easy to shoot (photographically speaking of course) and were so much fun. I was laughing so hard and so much that I found it difficult to hold my camera up.

I have known Ella and Anthony's Dad for over 8 years. I used to work with him in what seemed like another life time.

Their Dad is actually a fantastic person ... except for one MAJOR flaw. He is a Collingwood supporter!!

There is one major saving grace and that is his beautiful wife. She is not only one of the most stunning women I have ever seen (and tall) but she is also a beautiful person on the inside. The love between this husband and wife is so obvious, I have never seen anything like it before. They have been married over ten years, known each other for even longer and they still appear as much in love today as when they were married. Even more so.

Ella and Anthony are two incredibly lucky children to be born in to a union of this nature, and even more lucky to have their mother's amazing looks.

There are heaps more photographs on the Twocentpiece Photography Facebook page. You can find the link at the top of this website.

Annabelle & Maya

2009-08-08T12:04:00.004+08:00

This shoot was one of my most challenging to date. On the surface it didn't appear to be that difficult. What could possibly be the problem with Maya, a divine 8 month baby and her 3 year old sister Annabelle, a stunning, blonde haired Angel.

Well, Maya was a breeze to photograph. Annabelle on the hand was the biggest photographic challenge I have encountered, thus far.

Annabelle is such a beautiful little girl with such a wonderful personality but as soon as the camera is pointed at her she stops smiling, looks away and becomes coy.

In saying that though, I think we did alright all things considered. I am very proud of these photographs and I have Annabelle to thank for that. She made me work so hard for the end result and I'd like to think it has paid off.

There are some more photographs on Flickr and on Facebook.

Hayden

2009-07-27T19:42:00.006+08:00

This little man was a delight and a mission to photograph! He was so energetic, bounding and bouncing all over the place! I struggled to keep up with him. He is an adorable 14 month old boy with such an infectious smile. At such a tender age he has a great sense of humour.

It was fantastic to catch up with his Mum after 'knowing' her for the last few years.

There are some more pictures on Facebook, the link is at the top of this website.

Jennifer

2009-07-18T15:16:00.006+08:00

This maternity shoot was arranged just in the nick of time! Less then 24 hours after these photographs were taken Jen gave birth to April Rose. Nothing like cutting it fine ;)

Watch this space ..... I am booked to do a newborn shoot with April next week. I am a sucker for photographing squishy little newborns.

Hannah B

2009-06-29T11:32:00.026+08:00

This child is without a doubt one of the most beautiful children I have ever seen. She is gorgeous. Even when she is pouting and throwing a tantrum she is a fabulous little creature, though it is to be expected really when her parents are both tall, lithe, beautiful creatures themselves.

Hannah loves the camera and is an absolute natural at being a model. None of the shots I took were posed, they were just of Hannah doing her thing, with a few props that we gave her.

I had such difficulty in deciding which photographs to publish, hence the large number of them. All of them are just divine and oozing sweetness.

Here are a few. There are some more on Flickr and Facebook.

Thanks for the great morning Kymmee & Hannah, I had so much fun! xx

Kaidan & Me

2009-06-19T06:30:00.000+08:00

Kaidan's Mum was kind enough to take some photographs of me with one of the world's most handsome little men during our last session. I couldn't not post these! Thanks for the great pictures Karen!!!! xx

Kaidan Charles {photo shoot number 3}

2009-06-18T17:22:00.010+08:00

I have finally finished proofing the photos of the beautiful Kaidan Charles. At 7 and a half months old I have had the pleasure of this gorgeous little man's company on three separate occasions. It is always a pleasure to mix it up with Kaidan C. He is the most adorable and fabulous little man I have ever had the pleasure of hanging out with.

You can see more photos on Flickr and on Facebook.

Kaidan - Sneak Peek

2009-06-14T18:24:00.006+08:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Kaidan again a few weeks ago. This is the third time I have done a photo shoot with this beautiful 7 month old baby boy. The first one was when he was 14 and a half weeks old and the second time was in Kings Park with his cousins.

I haven't had time to proof the photos from this session yet due to a whirlwind week of travel from Perth to Kalgoorlie, back to Perth then to Melbourne then to Leongatha and back to Melbourne and Perth again.

But here is a sneak peek of my favourite photo from the session so far. More to come soon!

The Downes Women

2009-05-23T22:33:00.013+08:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting two very beautiful women for a photo shoot at the Mindarie Marina. What a perfect location on what was a perfect day! The sun was shining, the sky was clear and blue for as far as the eye could see, the water was shimmering. It was amazing. Not bad at all for what was supposed to be an Autumn day.

This mother and daughter team are two very beautiful women who were so incredibly easy to photograph. Not only are they gorgeous but they were a dream to work with, very accommodating!!

There are some more pictures on Flickr and for those of you who are on Facebook there are some more pictures on my Facebook profile.

Thank you Kate and Eileen for a beautiful day in the sun!!

Make up for this shoot was done by Clare Kenward.

Chase Levi

2009-04-12T20:16:00.011+08:00

Remember Casey's maternity shoot? If not refresh your memory here: Casey Lee

I had the pleasure of doing a maternity shoot with Casey on 1st February 2009. It was my very first maternity shoot.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Casey's beautiful baby boy, my very first newborn shoot.

Chase was a wonderfully behaved little man. Throughout the two hour long shoot he only cried a handful of times, which surprised me considering the things we were doing with him. The poor little man was poked, prodded, dressed, undressed, made to wear cherub angel wings, suspended in mid air, made to hold a home pregnancy test amongst a myriad of other things. But he got us back, he got the last laugh. Lets just say that as soon as I got home I put all my backdrops and fabrics in to the washing machine for a good soak!

Here are some of the shots. It was so incredibly hard deciding which ones to post. I can honestly say that this is my best shoot by far! I am so incredibly proud of these pictures. There are some more on Flickr. Click here to see them. Enjoy!!

Oscar

2009-04-10T10:22:00.008+08:00

Because I love him so much ... and because it has been a while since I have posted any pictures of him.

Star Trailing

2009-04-07T16:55:00.004+08:00

Have a look at these amazing pictures! I have a friend who tried his first attempt at star trailing the other night. Awesome pictures, absolutely amazing!

Here is a video of the images in sequence. I love it!!

Check out his Flickr photostream: sixfootfour Photography

Storyboard

2009-04-03T21:45:00.002+08:00

My first storyboard! I must say, they are quite a lot of fun to do and very addictive!!! This one is a 10" X 20" board.

Casey Lee's new addition

2009-03-25T21:08:00.003+09:00

Remember Casey's maternity shoot?

At 5.29pm she and her husband welcomed a son in to their family. Chase Levi was born weighing in at 10 lb's, 10 oz's and 53.5cm long!

Casey had her heart set on a VBAC but after seeing those measurements I am sure she is secretly relieved it didn't happen ;)

A huge congratulations to Casey & Karl, as well as Indi & Summer on the arrival on their little brother, even though he was 7 days late.

xx

A park full of Pickerings

2009-03-22T14:01:00.000+09:00

Back in February I had the opportunity to do a shoot in Kings Park with Team Pickering. I am sure you will remember the shoot I did with Kaidan ... well this time he was joined by his three cousins, Liam, Chelsea & Riley.

What an exhausting day, chasing around after three kids with an abundance of energy, sporting a dodgy knee that I'd had surgery on only 2 weeks before and a very heavy camera, as well as a pocket full of memory cards and filters.

Despite the sheer exhaustive nature of this shoot, I had an amazing time and I am pretty sure Team Pickering did also.

My sincerest apologies to Karen and Sherrie on the lengthy delay in the processing of these pictures.

There are some more on Flickr.

Donations for Butch - a great cause!

2009-03-21T11:07:00.003+09:00

Something else "unphotographic" to post about. Remember my post about the rally? If not click here.

This rally made the strongest possible statement to our Members of Parliament about community resolve for this legislation and its greater protection for officers. Numerous sources have reported that there were 5,000 people packed in the Parliament House forecourt.

The legislation to implement mandatory sentencing has passed the critical second reading stage of the parliamentary process and will proceed to the formality of the third reading stage over the next few weeks.

I believe the legislation will be sent to the Legislative Council late in May when the Government will have the numbers in the upper chamber to ensure its approval.

For anyone to assist Constable Matthew Butcher, donations can be made to his trust fund:

Bank: Westpac
BSB: 736 011
A/c: 658328
A/c Name: Dave Goddard and Janet Kerr as Trustees for Matthew and Katrina Butcher

Please dig deep for this worthwhile fund.

Remember Tania?

2009-03-17T09:09:00.001+09:00

I'm sure you all remember Tania. How could you not remember such a gorgeous girl. Just in case your memory needs refreshing click here

Today I received the news that Tania had given birth to gorgeous baby boy, Brodie James. To make the occasion even more perfect, it sounds like she got her much wanted home water birth.

Brodie has weighed in at 8lb and 1oz and is doing wonderfully, as is his beautiful Mum.

Congratulations Tania!!

xx

Defend your Police or defend yourselves

2009-03-15T19:10:00.004+09:00

A little bit off the beaten track and something completely unrelated to photography but this is an issue that is very close to home and something I am very passionate about.

Show your outrage at so many assaults going unpunished and support Matt Butcher and his family. On Tuesday, legislation to implement mandatory sentences for assaults on police will be before State Parliament. This is just days after the "not guilty" verdict over the assault of Const Matthew BUTCHER which has outraged the West Australian community.

The public and all available police officers need to be at Parliament House on Tuesday to send a message to our MP's that anything less than mandatory jail for assaults on police is unacceptable.

Since Thursday there has been a massive outpouring of community support for Matthew BUTCHER and the State's Police. Support is now needed from all sides of politics.

We want mandatory sentencing and we want it now.

RALLY SPEAKERS:
Police Minister Rob Johnson
Attorney General Christian Porter
Police Union President Michael Dean
Police Union Senior Vice President Inspector Chris Cassidy
Police Union Vice President Inspector Russell Armstrong

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Attend the rally yourself
Invite all your relatives, friends and supporters to attend
Get them on talk back radio to support the cause and the rally
Write supportive letters to the editor of your local newspaper
Use internet blogs to spready the word

Email Premier Colin Barnett at Premier.Barnett@dpc.wa.gov.au

MEETING AT THE FORECOURT OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE at 1500HRS TUESDAY 17th MARCH 2009.

We really need your support with this issue, especially inlight of recent events. I hope to see you there.

Gifts of thanks

2009-03-02T17:51:00.004+09:00

It is such a simple gesture but one that makes my heart melt.

Every now and then again a client will give you a thank you gift for the job that you have done. It is often small and inexpensive but the thought behind it is something that money can not buy and for that I am eternally grateful.

After doing the maternity shoot with Tania she gave me a delicious box of chocolates, of which I had only two thanks to everyone else in my house eating them whilst I was out on another shoot the next day. Lovely!

The bottle of wine was given to me by Bianca. None of Bianca's pictures on this blog, or on Flickr for that matter. Bianca was selling her house and asked me to take some decent photographs for her agent, which I gladly obliged.

Such small gifts, but the memory of receiving them will make me smile for a very long time.

Thank you Tania and Bianca, you are not only beautiful on the outside, but beautiful on the inside too! xx

Tania

2009-02-21T23:59:00.001+09:00

Here are some shots from a maternity shoot I did yestday with Tania. She is 37 weeks pregnant with a bundle of blue, hence the blue fabric around her belly in some of the shots.

Tania is a gorgeous girl with an unbelievably perfect belly. She was amazing to photograph. She has so much confidence and was so comfortable in front of the camera, she was a natural. She had absolutely no hesitation in taking her clothes off to get some awesome photographs and was even sweet enough to, at point, ask me if I was OK with her nudity ... so sweet :)

I am also happy to announce that this was the first photo shoot that I did completely in RAW. I didn't rate in before but after editing these pictures and seeing how much proofing can be done and the quality of it, I am now a RAW convert!!!

There are more pictures on Flickr.

The below photograph is purely thrown in to show the set up I used. In the past I have had a few emails about the backdrop and how I secure it so I thought I would throw this one in to the mix to give you an idea of how I normally set up. It is interesting to see how much of a difference proofing and cropping can make. Keep in mind this photograph was a test shot only and was taken when working out how to use the natural light to it's full advantage. Poor Tania sat patiently while I worked out the lighting combination my turning interior lights on and off, using my flash, not using my flash and by pulling the blinds open and shut on various windows. We got there in the end though. Nothing beats natural light, but sometimes a little creativity and improvisation is required.

RAW

2009-02-15T16:36:00.004+09:00

I am starting to experiment shooting with RAW rather then in a JPEG format. I tried to do it a few weeks ago during a creative streak but it was thwareted by my editing program which didn't support RAW formats from a Nikon camera.

With a bit of help from a friend in the way of a downloaded and installed plugin I am reading and RAWing to go!

The picture below was shot in RAW. I am still not sure of whether or not I think the benefits are worth it. Time will tell I guess.

Casey Lee

2009-02-01T21:42:00.015+09:00

My very first maternity shoot and oh my God I was so nervous. By the time I got to the location I had only been out of bed for an hour and had already had one hell of a morning.

The shoot was for a couple that I work with.

Casey is pregnant with her third child and is due on 3rd March 2009. She already has two little girls under the age of two and a half. Indi is the eldest and she is a real Diva and needs to have everyone’s focus on her, while Summer is very placid and happy to be by herself. Both very different personalities but both equally as beautiful and captivating.

Summer is such a cuddly little girl. Just prior to me leaving I picked her up and got such a wonderful cuddle from her. I was trying to work out how to smuggle her home with me. I should have just asked Casey if I could have her, I think at that stage of the day she would have been more than happy for me to kidnap her.

I have since heard that Summer was very upset when I left and that I have a new best friend.

What an experience though. I found that this sort of shoot was a lot more challenging then Kaidan’s shoot. I am very impressed with how these photos have turned out ... even if I do say so myself. I am sure Casey will feel the same way.

On a side note, Casey's maternity bra was purchased from Bloom Maternity, Nursing & Baby which is the brain child of another girl I work with.

Dancing Queen

2009-02-01T21:19:00.010+09:00

I did my first maternity shoot today for a girl I work with. Admist the shoot was this little fireball who is also known as Indi Storm.

New Norcia

2009-01-28T10:27:00.000+09:00

On Sunday my friend, Mel and I made the long and dusty drive to New Norcia. The buildings there are amazing. They hold so much history and have so many stories that they could tell.

New Norcia holds a very special place in my heart as it is where my ancestors are from.

Kaidan Charles

2009-01-26T19:10:00.008+09:00

I had my very first professional shoot on Saturday. It was so much fun, despite the initial nerves!

The model was Kaidan Charles, who is 14 and a half weeks old. He was perfect, so incredibly well behaved, patient, tolerant and absolutely gorgeous!! He was a charm to work with, as were Karen & Danny who are his wonderful parents.

Thank you Karen and Danny for the amazing opportunity you gave me. I hope you had as much fun as I did and I hope you enjoy the pictures. I was glad to hear that I managed to wear Kaidan out as much as I did and that he slept for 3 hours after I left. His afternoon nap was certainly well earned!!

Coincidentally, it was on this day last year that Karen and Danny discovered that Kaidan was on the way. This day 12 months ago they found out they were going to be blessed with a baby.

There are more pictures on Flickr.

South Perth ..... again

2009-01-23T14:12:00.018+09:00

I love this part of South Perth! It is not the first time I have done an impromptu shoot at this location, and hopefully it won't be the last!

Photography V's Genealogy

2009-01-20T07:17:00.000+09:00

What to do, what to do? Both are two very much loved hobbies. Both are incredibly therapeutic. Both take a lot of creative input. Both take up a lot of time. Both have turned in to an obsession. But for whatever reason, I am unable to do both.

Whenever I focus on one project, the other one suffers. I am struggling to find that happy balance.

For the last few months photography as been the front runner, due to having a motivator and inspirator (yes "P", talking about you). Is inspirator even a word?!

So, my main aim for this month is going to be finding a happy balance between my two passions. No easy feat when you delve in to my schedule . This week alone is hectic. Plans tonight, dinner with a friend tomorrow night, a work send off on Friday night, photo shoot on Saturday and photo shoot on a location (that is not in the metro area) all day Sunday.

This is certainly going to take some effort and organising. Anyway, a good start would be updating my sadly neglected Family Tree Website which I haven't even looked at since October 2008!!!!

For those of you who are my Friends on Facebook you can access this website through my Information page.

East Perth

2009-01-12T22:22:00.012+09:00

I took these photos a few months ago, 2nd November 2008 to be exact. The location is the beautiful renovated, rejuvenated section of East Perth where the Royal Bar is ... which just happens to be my usual pub and one that holds the fondest of memories for me.

I had already edited some of these pictures but last night I downloaded some amazing actions from EzAction (the link is on the side of this website). I love, love, love them!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, re edit was needed and I love the result.

Dedicated to Garreth

2009-01-06T19:14:00.008+09:00

My beautiful brother arrived home the mines today. He is home for a week. It is always so good to see him, because I miss him so much!

He always brings a smile to my face. He has the most amazing an d quick witted sense of humour I have ever encountered. He does the most amazing impersonations of people and is the funniest, most passionate, most dramatic story teller I have ever seen. I have always said that when I die I want him to speak at my funeral ... he would have the whole congregation in fits of laughter.

I love him and adore him so much, but in saying that no one else frustrates me, upsets me, irritates me and angers me as much as he does!

I took these shots today when he was playing pool with Dad in the back shed.

Coffee Shop

2009-01-04T08:11:00.019+09:00

I downloaded a few new actions from Coffee Shop and I love, love, love them!!! They are amazing, brilliant, too cool for school!!!!

Here are some examples of them I used on a picture of King Oscar (who else of course!).

The original

Coffee Shop Vintage

Coffee Shop Irish Breakfast Tea

Coffee Shop Hot Cocoa

Coffee Shop Green Tea

Coffee Shop Cream Toffee Latte

Coffee Shop Cream

Coffee Shop Barista

Coffee Shop Raspberry Tea

Coffee Shop Vivid

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T17:00:00.005+09:00

Happy New to you all.

My New Years Resolution's are in full force. I enrolled in an online Photography Course with the University of Western Australia, thanks to the fabulous Dale Neill who alerted me to it. I encourage you to check out his website called Wild Heart Adventures. He is a fabulous photographer and has some amazing courses available, some of which include travelling to Egypt, Indonesia and Europe.

The online course goes over a 6 week period with tutorials occuring from home and online every Tuesday & Thursday night, I think, or maybe that was Monday or Wednesday.

I am really looking forward to it!

Cotteloe Beach

2008-12-31T13:42:00.013+09:00

These photographs were taken at Cottesloe Beach on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and as per usual I got sunburnt, no where near as bad as the last time though!

I have no idea what this sport is called, if anyone knows I would love to find out! Flick me an email and let me know.

While I was there someone who had just come in off the water approached me and said that if I wanted to get some great action shots I should photograph Dan Anderson who is the state champion. He was pointed out to me but when I turned around to bid this kind stranger farewell I lost Dan Anderson in a sea of colour.

There are more pictures from this day on Flickr.

The below picture was taken along the shore of the Swan River, near the Swan Brewery. This bird stood like this for ages, I had never seen anything like it. It let me get so close to it. I didn't want to get too close to it though for fear of being chased!!

Clarity, Peace & Serenity

2008-12-26T20:01:00.010+09:00

This evening I went and sat. I sat and pondered (I love that word .... pondered). Whenever I need some clarity, peace or serenity I have a special place I can escape to. A place where no one else is around as far as the eye can see. A place where the only sound is the crashing waves and the wind whipping through the sand dunes. The silence is deafening.

I often come here. I can sit by the beach forever. I sat here for an hour this evening, it only felt like 5 minutes.

I am under the care of an Orthopaedic surgeon at the moment because of my poor, busted up knee. Imagine how much my heat sank when I realised that all these stairs I had just climbed down where the only way for me to get back up again.

I soon discovered that walking down them only took 30 seconds and was a piece of cake. Walking up them was another story. It took me a good 10 minutes and a lot of pain. Just in time for next weeks MRI at Joondalup Hospital!

Julie Kember

2008-12-26T10:31:00.004+09:00

This post certainly has nothing to do with photography but I want to give this beautiful girl as much exposure as possible. She is an amazingly talented singer, brilliant songwriter and absolutely gorgeous girl. She is Julie Kember, my old school buddy from Eneabba!

If you are a fan of Hero's on Channel 7 you will recognise her song, Strongest Girl In The World.

If you are on facebook have a look at her here: Julie Kember Page

Check out her Crazy music video:

Here she is an Afghanistan with the troops:

A Christmas Insight

2008-12-25T15:57:00.004+09:00

I had to go in to work for a few hours today. Christmas Day is just another day in my line of work, which is why instead of saying Merry Christmas to everyone I have been saying Happy Thursday.

I am still at work right now, sitting at my desk. The only sounds are the tapping of my keys on the key board, the radio in the background and my colleague "D" shuffling some paperwork and occasionally humming to the radio and busting out a lyric for my amusement.

I ducked outside a minute ago for some fresh air and to my amazement the city is silent, so quite. My office is on a major Perth road which humms constantly with traffic. There are always cars parked along both sides of the road without a car parking space to spare. Not today.

I took the opportunity to take a few quick pictures to introduce you to my home away from home:

Not a car, motorbike, bicycle or person in sight!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T20:37:00.004+09:00

Merry Christmas Everyone. Thank you for all your support and advice throughout the year. Wishing you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Stay safe.

xx

2008 at a glance

2008-12-20T20:36:00.000+09:00

Truth be told, I can not wait to get this year over with. It has been a tumultuous year, a cruel and twisted roller coaster ride. Without a doubt, this has been the worst year of my life ... for many reasons. It has been filled with some wonderful highs, but it has also been severely tainted with a lot of incredible lows.

It was these lows which made me want to crawl in to my bed before midnight on New Years Eve and wake up only in the sunrise of 2009.

Thankfully I am working over New Years Eve. I have the graveyard shift, the Third Watch, I am working from 11pm until 7am which suits me down to the ground. I am working one up, manning the office. I am actually looking forward to the solitude of it all. I will be armed with my laptop, some DVD's, some books, some magazines and thousands of photos to edit. So many things to do over an 8 hour shift!

Anyway ...... considering all the dips and dives my life has taken over the last 365 odd days I figured it was best to focus on all the good things, all those things that have made me smile, all those things that bought me comfort, all the things that remind me that life could be a hell of a lot worse. And it is because of those things that I present the following photographs to you.

To most of you none of these photographs will make sense, to a few of you only some of them will make sense, but to me they all make sense. I am not going to explain the context of these pictures but each and every one of them invoke happy memories, a significant event, a beaming smile and the feeling of love and comforting warmth.

They are in no particular order. Some of them I actually didn't even take, some of them have never been published and some of them offer no creative purpose whatsoever. But the moments they represent are so important to me.

I hope you enjoy them and I hope at least one of them makes you smile, like they all make me smile!

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Wandoo Forest

2008-12-14T22:16:00.005+09:00

Another 4WDing adventure was embarked upon yesterday and another fabulous time was had. Even with the invasion of spiders that set upon me! The beauty of this day though, was that I came away unscathed, absent of sunburn.

As usual, I digress. Our host was the beautiful, sublime, serene surroundings of the Wandoo Forest, hard to believe that not far from it is a thriving metropolis.

There are more photos on Flickr.

Down on the Farm

2008-12-11T22:04:00.004+09:00

Here are some pictures from my recent trip to Victoria. My God, it doesn't feel like it has been two weeks since I have been back. I wish I was still there, no mobile phone range, no internet access, no pressure to do anything, catch up with anybody. I had all the time in the world. It was bliss.

When taking these photos I had to have my trusty assistant with me, who is also known as my beautiful mother. She had to act as my look out due to a number of suspect cows and bulls that I didn't trust. Here is a picture of her, way off in the distance doing a brilliant job:-

My First Canvas Print

2008-12-09T17:45:00.004+09:00

I've chosen and received my very first canvas print and I could not be happier with it!!! I LOVE IT!

I ordered it from Brilliant Prints and can not recommend them enough!

I took this picture on brother's wedding day, in the back shed whilst they were playing pool. It is his birthday present, I am sure he will love it .... he had better!!!!

Flickr Pro

2008-12-06T09:11:00.001+09:00

I finally did it.

I signed up for Flickr Pro, and already I am reaping the rewards. I should have done it when my photo limit first hit 200.

Mood lifter

2008-12-05T08:41:00.006+09:00

Photos in South Perth is just what I needed to lighten the mood. We went for a walk down to the rivers edge where I got snapping. It was a shame there wasn't more of a break in the clouds as the sunset, or what I could see of it was a beautiful, vibrant orange.

I'm not entirely happy with this one as "C" is not centered. I should have yelled out to him to move over to his left but he didn't realise I was taking this one at the time and seeing so he hates having the camera pointed in his direction he may have done a very quick disappearing act had he have known what I was doing!

Riding out the storm

2008-12-04T16:16:00.004+09:00

These photos pretty much sum up the mood I am in at the moment. I am miserable and the tears have been flowing freely all day. Both of my knees are causing me an incredible amount of frustration and pain, which in turn is affecting my hips and my lower back. All of this at the tender age of 30 years old .... or 29 years old, depending on whether you believe my birth certificate or my Mother. To top of what was already a very low day I bit in to my favourite chocolate bar, the deliciously delectable Curly Wurly, and ripped out all of the dental work that took my dentist an hour (and three anaesthetic injections) to complete only two days ago. An impromptu visit to the dentist this afternoon, another hour in his chair (and 6 anaesthetic injections later) and the tooth was fixed until my next visit in 3 weeks.

But then I was faced with another dilemma. I was supposed to meet "C", my best friend in the whole world for dinner tonight but had to cancel on him due to the fact that the roof of my mouth is throbbing and swollen, not to mention the whole left side gum line of my mouth.

After a very tearful phone call to "C" I am feeling a little bit better, but that is only because instead of going out to dinner I am going to grab my camera and head over to his house to try and get some spectacular sunset photographs from his South Perth balcony.

Yep, it was just one of those days. We all have them. It's just really a case of riding out the storm, I guess.

Speaking of which, these photographs were taken at Wilson's Promontary in Victoria during my latest trip over there. There are more pictures of Wilson's Prom on Flickr.

Moondyne Joe

2008-12-01T19:07:00.035+09:00

Yesterday I went on a 4WD adventure around Toodyay. I had an unbelievably amazing time. It was so much fun!!

Apart from the wonderful sights and amazing photographs I also gained a wicked sunburn. I am such a bright shade of red, it has been years since I was this sunburnt!!

Jasmine Nova Taylor

2008-12-01T10:05:00.013+09:00

Whilst in Leongatha I caught up with my cousin, Chelsea and her beautiful (almost) 3 year old daughter Jasmine. I haven’t seen Jasmine since March 2007 and was surprised at how at ease and comfortable she was with me. From the minute she walked in through the door she showered me with cuddles, kisses and attention, called me Shannon and was completely happy for me to pick her up and carry her around, which of course I was more then happy to do!

She is a gorgeous little girl, very smart and bright and full of energy. She had me absolutely worn out! But, I was more then happy to shower her with lots of love and attention.

Here are some pictures of the simply fabulous Jasmine Nova:

These photos were taken by Jasmine’s Mum (Chelsea). I am adding these photos in here just for me. Jasmine is truly something. She made my heart skip a beat. I cannot wait to half a dozen children of my own, just like her.

St Laurence Catholic Church

2008-11-30T10:53:00.001+09:00

This is the Catholic Church in Leongatha, Victoria where my parents were married over 31 years ago. I am very proud to say that they are still together after all these years.

There are more photographs of this Church on Flickr.

Leongatha, Victoria

2008-11-25T11:21:00.013+09:00

I am in Leongatha, Victoria at the moment. Anyone who knows where that little pocket of diary farming is scores 100 points. It is amazing what a quick walk around the farm will yield.

This place is so picturesque and holds a place very dear in my heart. It has always had a spark of magic to it, for as long as I can remember.

More photos are on Flickr.

Shelly Rosemoyne Foreshore Park

2008-11-17T12:46:00.001+09:00

These pictures were taken at Shelly Rosemoyne Foreshore Park On Thursday night (13th Nov). Unfortunately I have absolutely no idea where I was or how to get back there. I went out there with a friend who discovered the location on a bike ride. Even my friend had a bit of trouble finding the location .... and that was with a GPS, isn't that right "P". xx

The Worlds Best City

2008-11-09T14:16:00.013+09:00

Remember this faux pas: CARDINAL SIN

Well, I finally made up for it yesterday evening. I braved the dark, cold, scary night and stood amongst the night air, blustering wind and serenity to take some amazing night time shots.

It was worth the wait. Judge for yourself:-

Boys Stuff

2008-11-08T10:48:00.010+09:00

Men tell me that this place is a boys dream. I can't see it! All I can see is dirt, dust, grease and spider webs. I really think it is time my Dad cleaned out his shed.

And even through out all the machoism and brute male influence, there is always room for patriotism, even if it comes in the shape of a small Australian flag nailed to a wooden post. Advance Australia Fair!

Lazy Sunday

2008-11-04T17:10:00.004+09:00

I was itching to get out and snap all day Sunday after my failed attempt at South Perth the night before .... I am still seething at my stupidity!

Sunday morning I ventured over to Neil Hawkins Park in Joondalup. I specifically wanted some pictures of the bridge, the lake and the little ducklings that are brave enough to hang around. Unfortunately when I got there is was over run with picnicers, BBQers and fitness fanatics. That will teach me for going there on one of the most beautiful days we have had this year!

I am planning on going back. Note to self - MAKE IT EARLIER IN THE DAY. AVOID THE CROWD!

I took about 50 photos but these are the only ones I had had time to proof:-

A Wedding Preview

2008-11-02T13:32:00.016+09:00

I have finally found the inspiration to get off my lazy butt and proof some of the 1000+ photos that I took at my brothers wedding on the 11th October 2008.

As you can see from some of the proofing that I have done, I've just discovered vignetting ... and I love it!

Enjoy:-

Cardinal Sin

2008-11-01T23:11:00.001+09:00

I was so excited today.

All week, all day I had been planning to go down to the South Perth Foreshore this evening to take some shots of the city skyline, the river, the Bell Tower and anything else I could spot that I could point my camera at.

I found an absolutely gorgeous spot right across the river from a breathtaking city view. The water in the Swan River was so still and the lights from the city reflected of it just perfectly.

I set up my tripod, carefully placed my camera on it, took the lens cap off, cleaned the lens and set the rest of the camera up. I was primed and ready to go. I carefully pressed the switch only to get an error message that so bluntly informed me that my battery was too low.

How could I be so stupid as to commit the cardinal sin of photography!???

Sparkle Sparkle

2008-10-15T19:10:00.006+08:00

A photo of the sparkly wedding jewellery that I wore to my brothers wedding last weekend. The bottom photo is a picture of the fabric from the red dress I wore.

As soon as I get my lazy backside in to gear I will proof some of the photos I took at the wedding and post them.

Flickr

2008-09-28T22:32:00.002+08:00

I know, I know ... it has been a long time in between posts. I am ashamed to say that I haven't even picked up my camera since my last post. Disgusting isn't it.

I was having a browse at my Flickr website today and started considering whether or not to invest in a Pro account. I think I still have a long way to go in the commitment stakes where photography is concerned before I take that leap.

While I ponder this decision have a look at my Flickr site. The link is here.

Spring time

2008-09-02T17:22:00.007+08:00

Spring is definitely in the air.

Fire

2008-08-21T21:10:00.009+08:00

12 months worth of grass clippings, tree branches, cardboard boxes, add a splash or two of diesel, some spuds and lamb shanks wrapped in foil some good old fashioned country folk and a hell of a lot of alcohol and you've got yourself one hell of a shin dig!

Photoshop Lessons

2008-08-05T17:27:00.017+08:00

I am a complete novice on Photoshop Elements and in all honesty have no clue on how to edit photographs effectively. So you can imagine my utter shock, surprise and joy when I stumbled across a magazine that was relatively easy to follow and had a CD on it with some free actions.

I spent a great deal of time last night having a play with some photos. Now, although these aren't the best I am quite proud of them. It is my first attempt at doing anything this fancy on Photoshop so please humour me!

This is the original photograph taken on Sunday at the 10th Light Horse walking trail:-
The same photo with some flood action added & voila:-

This photo was taken a week ago at Burns Beach:-

The same photo with an rainbow added to it:-

This is the original photo of Kings Park, taken at night time (obviously):-

The same photo with the sepia tint:-
The same photo with the sketch action:

The same photo with the old photo action:-

The same photo with the old paper action:

The same photo with outline action:-

The same photo with the flood action:

The same photo with e same photo with the carving action:-

The same photo with the blue tint action:-

The same photo with the blizzard action:-

Just for fun ...

2008-08-05T13:12:00.009+08:00

10th Light Horse

2008-08-03T23:02:00.003+08:00

I ventured over to the 10th Light Horse walking trail this afternoon. In all honesty, it was quite boring and not that much to photograph. However, it was a glorious day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and the scenery was breathtaking. Hard to believe it was buried amongst the hustle and bustle of a thriving metropolis.

Burns Beach

2008-07-27T21:29:00.014+08:00

Today was a particularly quiet and boring Sunday, so on the spur moment I decided to head down to the beach with my camera. It was absolutely amazing, so serene, so calm, so peaceful yet so violent all at the same time with the choppiness of the water and the crashing of the waves. I had such a great time just walking up and down the beach by myself. Before I knew it I had been there for an hour and it was almost dark. I got completely lost in my surroundings, time truely got away from me.

It is amazing what you find washed up on the beach. This white rose was not staged, this was exactly how I found it. I wonder what the story behind it is.

Mr Grumpy

2008-07-25T21:27:00.004+08:00

This little pussy cat is Oscar, my sunshine, my comfort, my rainbow. He doesn't normally look this grumpy though. I don't know what was going on with him here, caught him during a bad moment perhaps.

Smiling Puppy

2008-07-24T21:11:00.003+08:00

This is a picture of Mick. Because of the cold & blustery winter nights he has been given a coat, which he absolutely loves. He loves it so much that when I went outside the other night to take some picture of him he refused to get off his bed, which for him, is unheard of.

Although it looks like he is in mid laughter this picture was taken right in the middle of a huge yawn. He must have been tired!

Kings Park

2008-05-08T21:53:00.007+08:00

I did a night time shoot in Kings Park this evening, my first one ever. I am not overly happy with these shots, I don't know why, there is just something "off" about them. But still, not bad for my first night shot, on manual too, no automatic focus on these ones!

Hillarys Boat Harbour

2008-05-04T14:58:00.006+08:00

I went down to the Hillarys Marina today with my best friend for some lunch, as usual I had my camera with me. I didn't take many pictures at all, which was a shame. It was such a beautiful, sunny, glorious day. You would never have thought we were in to the third month of Autumn.

Sunset

2008-05-03T16:29:00.005+08:00

Tug Of War

2008-05-03T16:19:00.003+08:00

Everyone's getting in on the game!

Trigger

2008-05-03T16:06:00.003+08:00

This is my brother's dog Trigger. He is an American Staffy and is the most hard headed, undisciplined, naughtiest dog I have ever seen. But he is just sooooooo cute!!!

Blooming flowers

2008-04-27T17:46:00.007+08:00

This afternoon I went for a wander around my parents property. Luckily I took my camera.

Something to get started

2008-04-22T16:50:00.003+08:00

This is a photograph of my beloved, wonderful little pussy cat .. Oscar. Not the most interesting or amazing photo ever but at least it is something to start with.

The beginner photographer

2008-04-20T22:49:00.000+08:00

I wouldn't even call myself that at the moment. I am so far off from being a beginner it is laughable.

Photography is an obsession of mine, it has been for as long as I can remember but it wasn't until I met my gorgeous wedding photographer and watched how she worked during my wedding (November 2006), that my passion surfaced.

On 31st July 2007 I got my very first DSLR and fell in love with it instantly.

I am looking forward to getting involved in a few courses, competitions and clubs so I can further develop my skills.

I have been looking at a number of photography blogs for the past few months and have been blown away by the stunning photographs that some people have taken. It is all so very intimidating to a novice like myself.

I have started this blog with the intention of tracking how my photography goes. Please feel free to comment on my photographs, I would be very grateful for any feedback (positive or negative) that you can offer.

I am currently using a Nikon D40X (twin lens kit, 18 - 55mm lens and 55-200mm VR lens). At the moment I have Photoshop Elements as an editing program.

Stay tuned ....