Orange-Eyed Doll

An elderly gentleman at my church recently gave me a small lightbox he'd hand-made for his late wife. His attention to detail, such as painting it a beautiful Shabby Chic green, made the gift so touching — he'd clearly treasured his wife.

As you can see from this image, the way I've used the lightbox so far hasn't matched its beautiful history! I pulled it out on World Toy Camera Day 2008 (Saturday 18 October) and played with a couple of vintage doll parts that Joan, my friend and fellow garage-sale addict, gave me.

The porcelain skin is so luminous! And I love the eerie light pouring from her eyes ... it reminds me of the video clip of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

For those of you who like technical details, I converted the image to black-and-white, toned the skin blue and painted in the original eye and lip colour.

Ram Man

I am married to a very patient man. Each October, we have a "fun" outing for World Toy Camera Day — I prance around turning ideas I've brainstormed during the week before into realities, while he lugs a bag full of plastic cameras. This year, I even coerced him to model; I found this filthy, disgusting ram's skull by the side of the road, and it was apparently very heavy.

Justin did get a reward, however. As soon as our shoot was over, he packed his bags for a road trip and weekend at the races with his friend, Chris.

Perhaps next year we should have a day for those poor souls — partners, children and gullible friends — who support toy camera nuts!

A couple of set-dressing details ... the background is my favourite latte-coloured sheet, pegged to the clothesline. Do you think I could get a job as a stylist?

Golden-Haired Girl

I was hoping this little blondie at the Moruya Museum would look ghoulish and evil, like something out of The Exorcist — that's certainly the vibe she gave when I photographed her. Instead, she looks so super "Goldie Locks" sweet I want to feed her milk and cookies!

Today's post comes with a two-word tip: Neat Image. My friend Ross got me onto this program, which is hailed as the "best noise reduction for digital cameras and scanners". I simply adore the smooth and creamy Horst P Horst look it creates. Even better, you can download a free trial version.

Don't Knock Photo Booths

After five years of forced abstinence, we visited Ikea in Sydney on the weekend ... and not just once, but on both days of our trip. We jumped into a photo booth outside the front door on a whim at the end of our final shopping spree and this is the result — not bad, especially considering it has been blown up to six times its original size. Of course, a little bit of adjusting levels and converting the image to black-and-white in Photoshop helps.

I'm left with two questions now:

1. Is this toy camera photography (it's definitely low-fi and DIY)?
2. Why doesn't Ikea open a store in Canberra?

Special thanks to Daz, my brother-in-law, for chauffeuring us around and carrying shopping bags full of dinner sets, vases, lamps and other goodies!

Miss Power Wheels

Why is this mannequin wearing a tyre on her head? I'm not sure if she's donning a novel hat for the races or has entered a beauty pageant sponsored by a tyre company!

Anyway, this is how I found her, doing her balancing act in the corner of a junk shop in Mogo, that sweet New South Wales holiday town I've mentioned now in a couple of posts. The tyre sure must be heavy — her head has literally slipped an inch off her neck!

Well, it seems that you're getting all my holiday snaps lately. Those of you who have read my last few posts will realise it has been a very long time (32 years, in fact), since my holidays meant lazing on the beach; now they're a frantic effort to take as many pictures as possible with as many cameras. Luckily, I have a big bag for all my "toys" and a husband who happily trails behind me carrying that bag in return for numerous coffee stops!

Licorice Allsorts

There's a wonderful lolly shop in Mogo, a quaint tourist town on the south coast of New South Wales, that sells "soor plumes". These boiled treats are a fierce blend of sugary sweet and absolute sourness that I suck on until my tongue turns green. Fortunately, Justin hates them, so I get to indulge on entire packs by myself ... bliss.

Even the building of the shop is deliciously enticing — it reminds me of a giant licorice allsort!