Carousel Ponies

Would you believe these carousel ponies were shot using an Olympus Pen EE-2?

That's right. The picture has a toy camera feel, but was actually taken with a point 'n' shoot half-frame camera. The softness comes simply from being too close to the subject and the square format is thanks to Photoshop's cropping tool.

These ponies live outside a supermarket in the coastal town of Bateman's Bay, a couple of hours from here. They remind me of rocky candy — glossy, bright and simply delicious!

Bed Jackets and Other 1940s Fashions

I have a soft spot for vintage sleepwear, especially bed jackets, so was delighted to find this 1940s Patons knitting book while on holiday at the beach last week. The eight patterns have popular women's names of the time — including Anna, Alice and Wilma — and most would, in fact, make excellent cardigans for day-wear.

I simply adore fashion photography from this era, as epitomised by Horst P Horst — the models are unattainable and even haughty, like elegant statues with perfect "dinner roll" hair styles and arched, crescent moon eyebrows!

Affected by the hardship of World War II, 1940s fashion is generally described as austere, but I see something wonderfully glamorous in its sleek, clean lines and over-done make-up, the kind that makes a woman look like she's asking a question.

The model in this picture reminds me so much of Gene Tierney in The Ghost and Mrs Muir (1947).

You can see more shots from my pattern book at Someday, Sweetheart, my sister Kerriann's blog, which is dedicated to World War II popular culture.

More Girls From Lambing Flat

"I wonder where your thing for mannequins comes from??" laughed my sister, Kirralee, in an email this week. "It's cool, though," she added, protecting herself from a potential sibling squabble!

A kooky collecting gene does, in fact, run through my family. My Uncle Blue used to scour his local rubbish tip for "gems". When I was four, my parents threw out my yellow tricycle after I broke it jumping down a retaining wall in the garden — oops, that one had to eventually come out. Guess where we found it the next day? That's right ... my dad clamped his hand over my mouth before I could tell Uncle Blue his latest treasure was my yesterday's trash!

So let me continue to share my fixation with you ... here are two more "girls" from the historic fashion display at the Lambing Flat Folk Museum in Young. You can find another couple here.

What objects, unusual or not, tickle your fancy?

What's Your Favourite Camera?

Obsessed photographers usually have an arsenal of toys — that's why I've taken to carrying a huge pink woven bag on shoots. As an aside, it has two advantages: first, you can spot me when I'm lost in a crowd; and, second, I don't look like a photographer, so can sneak my cameras into all sorts of forbidden places!

So, what's your favourite camera at the moment? And why?

My Holga Micro 110 is currently my weapon of choice. It's small, fun and no fuss. I'd love it even more if it had a "B" setting but, hey, where would that fit on a 5cm camera! Unexpectedly, my shots from this camera have been the most viewed and commented on at my Flickr page.

An Easy Way to Promote Your Art

Alyson B Stanfield of ArtBizCoach has used one of my many mannequin photographs in her 9 June Art Marketing Action newsletter!

The image appropriately illustrates part two of her feature article, "Start Promoting Your Exhibit Now" — most of her 22 comprehensive tips won't cost you a single cent to put into action!

"Pitch to other bloggers" is one of Alyson's tips, and it fits perfectly with how she came to use my photograph in the first place. Earlier this year, I noticed she uses works by various artists to illustrate her wonderfully informative website and blog, so I touched base to offer free use of mine, anytime.

What an easy way for more people to see my work.

You can also see the photograph in question at my post, Mannequin's and Men's Toilets.

Business Plan to Succeed

Life’s tough when you’re a business whiz ... just ask my friend Nerida!

Her company, Admin Bandit, won yet another award on Wednesday night, this time the Business Plan Award at Canberra BusinessPoint’s inaugural Awards and Gala night. This may be her fourth award in two years, but it’s the most important to me because I helped write the application. We put together ten thousand plus words back in April, but the result was worth the sleepy eyes and sore typing fingers.

Admin Bandit is the creator of an accounting software package designed specifically for volunteer treasurers in community and non-profit groups.

Here’s to volunteer treasurers….

Nerida and husband Shane looking wholesome and award-worthy.

While Nerida does the networking schmooze at the awards cocktail party, Shane and my husband Justin get "caught out" hiding in a corner and quaffing beer!

The Girls From Lambing Flat

The title of this post is misleading. Yes, these two “girls” are from the Lambing Flat Folk Museum, but they’re hardly the homely country girls the name suggests. In fact, I adore their wide-eyed beauty, shiny pouts and white lace outfits.

As with many rural museums, this one uses vintage mannequins for its fashion display. All the garments — including Victorian wedding dresses, a beaded flapper dress and various christening gowns — have been donated by locals. These finds are absolutely precious considering they come from an area that got its name from a paddock where a pastoralist kept his pregnant ewes!

Lambing Flat is the original name for Young, a town that is still known for its sheep and wool.