Sun Herald 12/11/06

Just a quicky because I'm on my way to bed. My latest proof prints arrived today and I've been busy getting proof packages ready whenever Alex would let me. So I haven't had time to go through the rest of my photos from yesterday but I thought I'd share this before I forgot.
Alex and I were in the Sunday paper. It was an article about guidelines for caring for premature babies between 23 and 26 weeks gestation. Basically whether to resuscitate them when born that early.
The reporter wanted to interview and photograph a 26 weeker (that is interview a Mom). So we had an interview and a photo session and this is the photo they printed. There was no mention of us in the article.

Another day another beach

Well it's about time I did an update.
I've been flat out working photos for clients and when I have work like this on all photography for myself is put on hold, along with blogs and email and most of my life :)
Last night I sent the latest proofs off for developing and they aren't due back until tomorrow and then I'll have to print up some documents, bind the lot and send off an order for the next persons prints.
So today I had 'free' to do something for myself.
Alex and I went off to Bondi with Mom and Dad to see the sculptures and I was all set to take a lot of arty photos but we got there and it was packed, no parking anywhere. So we went to Parsley Bay. It's a perfect little beach for toddlers with picnic area and playground. It was beautiful and peaceful. Alex had fun on the beach and I still got to take photos.
Not sure when I'll have time to go through all the photos but here's some I've had a look at tonight.




In other news we have a new family member.
Meet Ember.

Meet Embers wannabe best friend.

Ember was called Rigel 2 but he looks nothing like the first Rigel so he gets a name of his own now.
I used to have a blue Siamese fighting fish called Rigel who lived in a bowl on the dining table. Until the cat called Gremlin ate him.
Recently Mom filled the fish bowl with some roses so I spent a week looking at the fish bowl on top of the TV unit thinking how nice it would be to sit and watch a fish in there. I thought Alex would like a fishy too and as Gremlin is no longer with us I thought a fish would be safe from Gremlin 2 (Tilly) especially up near the ceiling on top of the TV unit.
So on Sunday I got my fish and a plant for him and set him up a lovely home. All Sunday night Tilly sat and watched him with her tail lashing and we decided that we couldn't trust her not to find a way up to him.
So now Ember sits on my desk and the door stays shut when I'm not in here.
He is a happy little fish, very active and hungry. Alex loves watching him and makes fishy noises at him.

Alex is coming up with more and more surprises every day. It's amazing how much he is picking up just from watching us. On the weekend Graham taught him to blow, just air pfffft through his mouth, ready for his next birthday candles. Then yesterday he picked up a tissue while I was changing his nappy, held it over his nose and blew into it (with his mouth). We have never tried to teach him to blow his nose so it's something he has picked up just from seeing me do it. Such a clever little boy but we are going to have to be careful what we do and where we put things because he sees everything.

snap

A quick update before I start packing up my gear ready for tomorrows shoot. The batteries are all charged and I've spent most of the day working on my business forms and paperwork whenever Alex was asleep.
Firstly here's an interesting comparison. This is the photo of Alex from the other day and a photo of me as a toddler. Do you think there's a similarity? Finally I'm starting to see something of myself in Alex rather than all Graham.
Alex's hair is getting the same little curls at the back too.


And while we're on similarities. Here's me with Dad many many years ago (yep they had colour back then) and Alex with my Dad.

This evening I was watching Alex playing in the dining room and he was being cute as usual but I was resisting the urge to take photos of him because I know as soon as the camera comes out he'll head the other way. It was a dull wet day and the sun was going down so there was very little light but Alex was playing by the window with his cubes. He worked out if he rubs his cubes on the lower window pane it makes a lot of noise (it's textured glass). I couldn't resist for long. I got one shot of him with his cubes before he headed off to the kitchen, hall, TV, bedroom - basically anywhere but in the light.
I played around with my camera for a while, checking out some different settings in anticipation for tomorrow, and eventually Alex came over to see what I was doing and demanded a lift onto the lounge.
Then we had fun! Alex went backwards and forwards across the lounge, looking out the window and rolling the cat up in her blanket. I stayed at the window and kept trying to get him to pause in the light. I'm loving that spot for photos with the last of the days sun. The dark wall behind makes a nice backdrop. I have to bump up the iso and go for a slow shutter to get enough light which can make for some grainy photos with motion blur. It's very hard to get any photos there without some area of motion blur, at least with a very active toddler, but I like how they turned out.
Here's Alex playing with his cubes and Tilly enjoying the last of the sun in unsuspecting peace and quiet.

and here's Alex spoiling Tilly's peace. First he rolled her blanket over her which she didn't mind. Then he tried to pull the cushion off the back of the lounge and she fell down the back.



Here's a shot of him from behind showing the window. He can look but not reach with this window.

Then he went into the corner where it was dark and flopped down on the cushions to show how his Dad watches TV.

Photo club

About time I did an update. I've been a bit busy lately getting my prints ready for the November camera club comp and getting my web page up and running. Things are all up-to-date for now so it's time to catch up here.
Firstly here's some recent photos.
On Sunday I was trying to take some last minute photos for camera club on the set subject of 'doors and windows' by getting Alex to look through the window. It didn't last long. He thought it was fun until the palm tree brushed against the glass and scared him.

Here's one of my unimpressed husband sitting by the window so I could test the light first.

Here's Alex at the window. Not sure which version I prefer. The B/W emphasises the light more so makes it more a window shot but I didn't end up using this for the comp anyway.

I bought a new lens, well it's an old third hand lens and it came with a camera but I bought it because I wanted the lens. A Sigma 24mm macro lens. I thought this would be good for indoor shoots when I don't have a lot of room to back up. Unfortunately it's a bit old to work with the digital cameras. I've found if I use it at anything other than f2.8 it crashes the cameras with ERR 99. I'm not sure I'll keep it. f2.8 is a bit limiting as far as depth of field goes when I want to use it for up close portraits.
Here's a couple of test snaps I took to check the focus. Awful photos but the lens seems sharp enough.

I've registered my own domain and uploaded a basic web page. It's only a gallery of photos at this stage but eventually will include info about my work and pricing etc. For now it works as somewhere to send people who ask about having photos taken.
http://www.reblphotography.com.au
and now I have my first 'stranger' (as in not family or someone from my social circle) photo shoot booked for Sunday! It is a large family group in a small house so it could be challenging.
Last night was the camera club comp. As usual I spent Sunday getting my print order off. They arrived Tuesday so Tuesday night was spent mounting photos. Mom and Dad came over yesterday and baby sat for us so we got to enjoy a night out without trying to shhh Alex all through the judging. Alex was well behaved, excited to see his grandparents and he slept well for them.
There's been a change of committee at camera club. There was a meeting last week which we didn't know about in time to attend. Anyway in our absence Graham was voted back in as reserve show secretary which was useful last night as the show secretary wasn't there. It was a good night. We had a judge who we've had before and he is always interesting and entertaining. He critiques well and involves the audience with questions or by picking on them :) He knows how to make me blush. It makes such a difference to have an interesting judge. I left feeling inspired. We also have a new member who showed for the first time last night. I was very impressed with his photos. He has a different eye composition and his photos had a finished look to them, kinda like my style, so I enjoyed seeing his work. He entered 4 photos and got an honour for one but I liked them all.
I did well with my photos. I got 4 honours (1 in each class I entered) and 6 merits (2 in each print class) and 1 acceptance. So I entered 14 photos and placed 11 of them. It was my first time entering slide class, mainly cause it's taken me all year to finish the roll after the camera broke. I was nervous about the slides as I hadn't seen them projected before so I wasn't sure if the focus and exposure was correct and of course with slide they are straight out of the camera, there's no editing/retouching/correcting so it's purely down to the photography skills and not photoshop skills. Some people 'crop' their slides by masking off part. I didn't with mine, I thought about it but I like the negative space in them. I entered 2 slides and got a honour for 1 and acceptance for the other so I feel really good. I really pleased that my work can stand on it's own without any retouching.

So here's my winning entries.
If you want to see all the entries with the 3 that didn't place have a look at http://members.optusnet.com.au/capturedbyrebl/november/
I'll probably keep that site up until the next comp results.

Small print class.


Colour print class.


Mono/B&W class.


Slide class. The statue shot has been cropped here but I showed it with a lot of space to the right.


Check out the scoreboard for the camera club at http://www.parracameraclub.com/scoreboard.html

Oh I've had a few photos featured on Coffee Photography blog http://coffeephotography.blogspot.com/
pop on over and have a look at the work there.

Marmite face

Alex has developed a taste for Marmite. Marmite sandwiches, Marmite on toast and Marmite in mashed veggies.
Unfortunately Marmite is very messy and is like glue once it gets on the floor. For some reason Marmite sandwiches wont stay together but a bit of bread with Marmite on it will require a knife to chisel it off the floor.
Here's Alex being a happy little Marmite (doesn't quite flow as well as Vegemite).

We had the TV on tonight, on a show with a live audience, and every time the audience clapped, Alex did too.
Alex has well and truly mastered the skill of standing up without having to pull up on something so now when he has a spill he can get up without having to crawl his way to the nearest piece of furniture (or adult). It is so nice to see him this mobile, even if it's exhausting.
Today he expanded his mobility to include an extra dimension. Yep he went up. He still can't reach to climb onto the sofa but he found his way up onto the lounge chair over and over again today. Not to sit on though, he wanted to stand on it. Unfortunately he thinks he can go from standing on the chair to the floor in one step, head first. We have to teach him to sit first and climb off feet first. Still it's exciting to see him finally climbing on the furniture. Not that I want him climbing on the furniture but it's another natural development step he has reached.

No photos of furniture climbing, I was too busy catching him :) but here's more photos from the beach.