Charlie's Worldgirl on film
Posted on March 6, 2010
An homage to the missus. Taken with the Holga and (mostly awful) Diana Mini.
looking good, wifey 🙂
Melbourne trip (part 1)
Posted on February 27, 2010
We’re in Melbourne for a long weekend city break for our honeymoon
It’s not that far from Perth, just under 4 hours by plane, which still makes it an occasional visit, rather than a regular jaunt. We arrived Friday night and went for a wander. We’re staying in Chinatown right in the middle of Melbourne, which is pretty interesting, colourful and lively. We had a fantastic meal at a bustling Thai restaurant, wandered some more, then retired early ready for a day exploring on Saturday.
We started the day with an early birthday present, i got Jay a vintage polaroid camera and a load of film, which i know she’s been hankering after for the longest time.
We then walked off to get Vegan muffins and organic coffee in Degraves St, a gorgeous laneway cafe strip, followed by a wander around the river and southbank. We did some shopping in the lovely laneway malls and cute boutiques then caught a cab to Fitzroy, a bohemian suburb, for some lunch and noodling around the cool shops and cafes.
Had lunch in a fabulous vegetarian restaurant – Jay took a a load of photos too which was cool. We walked back to the hotel via the parliament building and are now chilling out on the bed for a well earned rest!
Good times 🙂
Kite Surfing
Posted on February 14, 2010
Saturday afternoon I popped out to Shoalwater where the kite surfers hang out and took a load of photos.
It was earlier in the day than the last lot and there were a lot more kits out and the sun was higher leaving more blue sky to get decent shots against.
I usually just watch them for 15 minutes or so to see who the better kite surfers are and where the wind is blowing, thus where they are doing the best tricks. Then, I take a few shots, gauge the speed and the angles, the background behind the shots and how many other kites are in view.
Then I get right up close to the water and hope to engage some of the better kite surfers to show off for me 🙂
Had a corking session this time – there were a couple of guys out who were noticeably more confident than most – one of whom was really happy to try to do tricks right in front of the camera. He came in for a few mins and I asked him to get as close as he dared so I could use the wide angle and get him really filling the shot – to which he obliged and I got some awesome shots! Hats off to you, mate – I didn’t get your name, but hopefully you’ll see this when I email you 🙂
Chatted to another photographer who had one of those waterproof baggy things around his camera – he was standing (getting his toes bitten by crabs) chest high in the water getting some serious wide angle shots. I’ll see if he posts his stuff anywhere – it’ll look pretty intense I’d say.
Anwyay, for your viewing pleasure – kite action – I have so many I don’t know which ones to keep! This is about 1/2 the “keepers” from the session.
Monday Monday
Posted on January 26, 2010
So good to me…
Just like the Mamas and the Papas, my Monday ended up being awesome.
Work was boring, nothing happened at all all day, as this year, Monday is an odd day between the weekend and the public holiday for Australia Day (today). As a consequence, I was done early and “helped” Jay make pizzas for dinner and we went out to take sunset photos at Point Peron
We’d had a hot day, compounded by the aircon having given up the ghost and deciding that it was only going to blow hot air from now on (*sigh*) so it was lovely to get out to the beach.
Was a gorgeous evening, the girls had lots of fun, we saw a big brown seal lazing on a rock and lots of crabs in the rockpools
What more can I say other than to show you photos..
And to top that, if it were even possible, I went and got some wine.
Mondays, not always bad.
down south, part 3
Posted on January 24, 2010
3rd verse, same as the first.
Or so sang the Violent Femmes (one of my all time favourite bands of all time)
anyways, its a fib, this isn’t the same as part one at all (except that we took the same roads home)
The drive back was unremarkable except for the fact that the sun was going down and we were treated to an amazing sunset. If Jay hadn’t been suffering with her back and keen to get home I would have headed for the beach and set up the camera. As it was, I made do with my shotgun position to capture a few of the moments on the way back.
Then, I decided to do some long exposure shots with the camera on the dash – was really funny to see the crazy shots that came out 🙂
So there you go – that was the day trip to Dunsborough.
Back in the real world
Posted on January 8, 2010
Got back to Perth on the 3rd of Jan and it was bloody hot coming out of the airport, especially as I’d been in either air conditioned comfort or the freezing UK air for 3 days.
Was nice to get back home though and one of the first things I did was to skype the kids.
Poor Henry, being small, burst into tears when I spoke to him and wanted me to cuddle him (we’d being doing lots of that and I miss it too). They’d had the remainder of their presents and were pretty happy.
The next day, Monday 4th I had to prep for an interview (sorry if any work people read this – its true, its not that I’m really unhappy with my job or company, it just pays to explore the market every now and again – if I get the new job, I’ll be over the moon as its a good opportunity, if I don’t, its a shame but I’ll carry on and continue to focus 100% on my current job – does that cover my arse enough?) which was a pain – it was a presentation on stuff that I don’t know anything about, so I had to put in 1/2 days work to get to grips with what I had to do.
The interview the next day went well I think, although I haven’t heard yet – its always hard to gauge what an interview panel really think – I’ll let you all know what happens as soon as I know anything.
So, we’re almost upto date – back to work this week already although very little is happening at the moment as a lot of people are still away. I have a big project to take part in this month, although I’m not sure what my active involvement as technical architect will actually be as this is going to be a hands on exercise, I’ll find out on Monday.
Well, thats a load of text without any pretty pictures..so, to remedy that..here’s some I took the other night 🙂
Its another beautiful day today, so I may pop out to get some photos this afternoon 🙂
Christmas
Posted on December 30, 2009
Only 5 days late – lol.
So, Christmas morning was a late one, the kids slept in as we had dragged them around the Christmas lights late the night before – I even had to go wake Henry at 8:30 as he was still sound asleep.
Got some excellent presents, a wide angle pin-hole Holga, a fish-eye lens for the other Holga and a Wii cricket game that I am yet to play as the kids have been on Wii Sport Resort morning noon and night.
Loved seeing all the kids get their presents – they all got surprises which was cool. Everything was a surprise for Henry though and he had a lovely time.
My parents came over, followed by Jays parents and Jay’s brother – we had a wicked feast and lots of presents and we had a brilliant day. We all sat outside on the patio in the 30+ degree heat and drank wine and chatted. Bliss.
Some pics from the day 🙂
Henry with Thomas the tank engine presents
Ella with Littlest Pet Shop presents
H in his Thomas t-shirt
amazingly that t-shirt stayed clean for 3 days despite heavy chocolate consumption, jam sandwiches and running about boy-style-ee.
Cos we were so busy, I don’t have many other pics – Jay’s girls were off playing within seconds of getting their presents and that was that – what with a houseful, I never did get to play family snapper. Ah well..they all had buckets of fun.
destinations
Posted on June 10, 2009
I like to travel. well, let me expand on that – I like to travel on holiday. I have travelled loads with work but I usually get precious little time to see anything, so its not the same
Over the last 10 years or so in my career I have been to the following places with work – most more than once, and sometimes, I’ve managed to get out and see a bit of the place.
- Glasgow
- Aberdeen
- Belfast
- Paris
- Annecy
- Munich
- Frankfurt
- Amsterdam
- Berlin
- Düsseldorf
- Gothenburg
- Trondheim
- Prague
- Geneva
- Stockholm
- Milan (Lugano, Switzerland)
- Krakow
- Barcelona
- Toronto
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
thats quite a lof places actually and I’ve got some interesting memories of evenings out arranged with my company, customers or with the conference I was speaking at.
For example, Gothenburg – amazing place, lovely people, horrendously expensive – went out with colleagues to a top class fish restaurant and had lots to drink. Went to a bar later and cant remember much else. All the people there were very friendly though.
Krackow in Poland – was there for a conference for about 4 days – its an amazing place with one the biggest and oldest squares in Europe – people were so nice, we went on excursions to a really old castle for dinner and also to the famous salt mines in Wieliczk.
Paris I’ve only really seen La Defense, the equivalent of Canary Wharf in London, but have been out to a few restaurants and bars in Monmartre with colleagues which was amazing.
Toronto – been there lots, its an okay place, you have to know where to go to have the best time. Have been to many jazz bars downtown – its a very vibrant city once you know where its all happening.
Barcelona – thats a crazy place and I have to go back. Its pretty dicey, lots of organised gangs and crime, felt like I was about to be mugged all the time and nearly was – saved by an electro club at 1am when I got hammered and danced with some colleagues until the very small hours. Also saw some amazing Django style live music jazz.
I drove from Milan to Lugano in Switzerland in a little Smart Car, which was frankly terrifying and I wish I’d paid more for an Alfa Romeo. Brilliant place though, so beautiful.
Annecy was so lovely I actually went back on holiday.
San Jose was dull dull dull, San Diego was amazing, very cool city, but I was only there for one night (yeah, 3 days in total from the UK – that was a red eye jet lag visit from hell)
The crap thing is that I didnt take my camera to most of these destinations – I wasnt really into photography then. I have a few of Annecy and Toronto (and I’ve lost a few in hard drive crashes too) and one of me in San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge.
Me and a bridge
I have a couple of Paris, mostly of La Defense
La Defense at night
La Defense
but thats it – the rest are in my head. Maybe that the best way – means I can go back to any of these places and not be biassed by a load of photos I took on a work trip.
So, I have to go to Sydney in a few months or so – should I take my camera or wait till I go there on holiday?
My favourite places I’ve ever been to are
- Venice
- Rome
- Barcenona
- Madrid
- Annecy
- Krakow
Italy is so wonderful – been to Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure on the Riviera – both beautful – as was Venice and Rome – Verona was fab too, Milan I didnt really get to see, but Lugano, although in Switzerland, was very Italian. I cant believe its taken all this time to realise how much I like a place and then move far far away from it, making holidays somewhat more expensive and difficult. Ah well, I’ll just apreciate it all all the more when I do get to go back – and I can’t wait to go with Jay, she’ll adore it, being the writer/artist type that she is 🙂
Charlie's World 