tiny purple fish

Newcastle Deliverance

2012-01-11T15:07:00.000+11:00

I'm loving working on my multi-layered shots from Newcastle, NSW! Here's another one ... comprising the Newcastle Baths and Sandgate cemetery.

"Deliverance"

Close-Up

Newcastle Wings

2012-01-07T19:08:00.000+11:00

Newcastle is my favourite Australian city ... its vibe blends surf and arts cultures with a history of convicts and heavy industry. If I could only visit one part of the city, it would be the one of the two ocean baths, Merewether or Newcastle, both gloriously art deco. These baths, and the beach generally, pervade Newcastle ... the salt air and dazzling light are everywhere, in the graffiti-decorated walls of the east end, the op shops of Mayfield and the cafe strip on Darby St.

My friend Kerry Mountford-Baylor took me to her home town last April, where we spent a week lugging handbags full of plastic cameras all over the city. I experimented with running each film through three cameras in an attempt to capture Newcastle's diverse layers.

Even though I shot random subjects, it was amazing to see what themes emerged and how objects layered over each other to create patterns and meaning. This is my favourite photograph, which blends angel statues in Sandgate cemetery with graffiti in the east end.

I can't wait to return to Newcastle and continue this experiment!

"Wings" (click to view a bigger version)

Detail

Debarcle, Braddon

2011-12-27T22:28:00.000+11:00

I'm on a roll today!

I took this shot of Justin at Debacle in Braddon a few years ago ... the black board menu jumped out as an unusual background for a portrait.

Say, "Debacle" very slowly over and over again and you'll work out why this is one of the best pubs in Canberra.

3 Views of Yass

2011-12-27T12:37:00.000+11:00

I pottered in Photoshop on Boxing Day, looking through my folders for unworked images ... believe me, there are a lot!

I chose three pictures that have nothing in common, apart from being shot in Yass. Above, my sister Kirralee lounges on the steps of the local courtyard ... note she's wearing a t-shirt with the US flag, is posing in front of an Australian court and lives in Scotland!

I moved to Yass with a documentary photography plan, taking my trusty Pentax K1000 to as many local events as possible. Um, that kinda faded a couple of years ago, but 2012 will be the year to get back to the goal. I shot this guy at the Yass Ute Muster at the end of 2007 ... check out the fox tail on the radio aerial. The refraction down his body obviously wasn't intentional, but it neatly mimics the tail.

I got hold of Ferrania's last 110 film stock a few years ago and sold it on eBay to help finance my photography habit. Naturally, I kept plenty of rolls for myself, which I ran through my fabulous little Holga Micros. How I wish I had more 110 ... I hear, however, that Adox is in the process of manufacturing again and hoping to release new film next year!

Garlic from the Vegie Patch

2011-11-18T14:48:00.001+11:00

I love to garden, especially when it comes to fruit and vegetables, and this winter I discovered the joy of growing my own garlic (following organic principles, of course!). In fact, I filled two beds with almost 100 cloves of a delicately purple-striped variety a friend gave me.

You're probably wondering why I grew so much. Garlic bread, anyone? No. I actually grew it for my horse, Thumper, who has one raw, chopped clove every morning in his breakfast. The theory is that garlic purifies the blood, repels flies and keeps respiratory problems at bay. You wouldn't expect a horse to like raw garlic, but Thumper chomps it down!

I even found a Youtube video on braiding garlic, so now have seven big braids hanging on the back of my feed-room door, which should last an entire year.

American Embassy: 4 July 2011

2011-11-16T16:24:00.002+11:00

The storm clouds and hat-ripping wind may have promised a deluge, but Justin and I braved the queue at the US embassy, Canberra for this year's Independence Day celebrations. Naturally, I checked the embassy's camera policy beforehand and had my neat little Agfa Isoly 100 tucked in my handbag.

Goodness knows what the pros with their long-lenses and heavy digital bodies thought as I switched the exposure from the smiley face to the thunder cloud!

Despite the weather, the embassy's spacious back gardens of roses and lawn were crammed with people in black suits, open bars where the kids of diplomats served drinks and baseball practise nets for guests who fancied their sporting prowess.

Check out the embassy's Flickr page if you want to compare my images with the "official" ones ... you'd swear I was at a completely different event!

"Entry Check Point"

"Battling the Crowd"

"Loud Shirt at an Open Bar"

"Hitting the Major League"

"Bring in the Cavalry"

"Too Many Free Drinks"

"Popcorn Cart on Hollywood Boulevard"

"Studio Backlot"

Yass Photography Club: Moments in Yass

2011-11-02T22:29:00.001+11:00

The Yass Photography Club may have only started this year, but nine months to the day after we started our Facebook page, we're opening our first exhibition, Moments in Yass. Part of the annual Classic Yass celebration, nine photographers share their visions of our town through 43 images, ranging from macro and nature to ethereal night shots and others that pop with cheekiness or vibrant colour.

As always, my contributions are on the less conventional side. I must confess that, as exhibition curator, I've been a tad busy, which is why the following images are still unframed, while the other contributions are lined in order on the gallery floor, waiting for me to hang tomorrow!

"Bunny Baby"

"John Deere"

"Blue Robot"

" Two Ducks"

Glen Hammond: Farrier at Work

2011-10-27T19:06:00.000+11:00

The lovely and ever patient Glen Hammond, of Nashama Equine, at work on my horse, Thumper.

Dollface Journal

2011-08-22T14:13:00.000+10:00

Front Cover

Back Cover

9x14cm, 27 pages, Accordion Journal

Three-and-a-half months in the making, my journal for "Project: Art Journal" at made. Creative Space in Toowoomba is finally finished and ready to be express posted!

Gel and Modge Podge Image Transfers

2011-08-18T18:38:00.000+10:00

My journal for made. Creative Space’s “Project: Art Journal” group show is printed and ready to pick up tomorrow. All I need to do is attach the front and back covers.

The above portraits are in my journal, and also form the basis of two image transfers that grace the above-said covers. I started with a scan of the head of a smug-looking, blonde, blue-eyed little girl doll, which I meshed with a cheap 'n' nasty photobooth portrait of myself from two years ago. The results are so wide-eyed and plastic ... they look like "good" and "evil" twins!

I've wanted to make image transfers for years, but somehow only started experimenting a few days ago. First, I cropped and ramped up the contrast on both originals, which I roughly printed on everyday A4 paper and photocopied at the local library.

My first transfers are done with Modge Podge, a popular craft glue found in art supply stores. Here's what I did:

Brush 300gsm watercolour paper with gesso and allow to dry
Cover a photocopy with Modge Podge, lay face down on the watercolour paper and lightly brayer to ensure good adhesion.
Allow to dry for an hour before dipping my finger in water and rubbing the photocopy paper away, leaving the toner image behind
When dry, repeat the wetting and rubbing to ensure all the paper fibres are gone (the image looks cloudy when fibres still remain).

Modge Podge transfers are rough 'n' ready compared with other mediums, the photocopy paper is harder to rub completely off and the actual toner transfer is quite fragile ... as you can see, some of it tore, especially in the darker transfer. I do, however, love the aged and tattered look, like something from a really old newspaper.

My skills had sharpened by the time I tackled gel transfers, using Golden's soft gel medium. This is a beautiful product, but its hefty price tag and rarity in Australia makes for a luxury item!

Again, here's what I did:

Brush 300gsm watercolour paper with gesso and allow to dry
Paint an acrylic background (I used simple blocks of colour varied in tone and saturation) and allow to dry
Brush a second, light coat of gesso to unify and add visual texture, and allow to dry
Seal with gel medium and allow to dry
Cover a photocopy with gel medium, lay face down on the watercolour paper and lightly brayer to ensure good adhesion
Allow to completely dry, which may take a few hours, before dipping my finger in water and rubbing the photocopy paper away, leaving the toner image behind.

Gel transfers are rich and detailed. The actual transfer is more robust than the Modge Podge one, but is still delicate (again, you can see a couple of tears in the darker transfer). The photocopy paper was also much easier to remove ... I only had to do it once.

Which technique do you prefer? If you've played with image transfers, what other "emulsions" have you used and to what results?

Angels and Tears

2011-08-16T19:00:00.000+10:00

I normally adore museums of any kind, but I must confess watching three fighter planes for an entire day at the Temora Aviation Museum's "Pacific theatre" showcase last year wore a little thin not long after lunch. So while Justin and our friend JB clucked over propellers and the shark's teeth paint job on the nose of the Spitfire, I ducked off to explore the rest of Temora.

Naturally, I ended up at the local cemetery, which I know most people would find far more boring than a display of WWII mean machines. I'm just a sucker for the monuments we make to our dead — it's the first time I've seen a crying child figure, such a touching headstone. In contrast, the child-like angel is very common ... this one is particularly serene, and I love the red and gold light leak that follows the curve of the monument next to it. That's a lovely trait of my Olympus Pen EE-2 ... the last shot of every roll is usually stained this way and, of course, that last shot is always your favourite!

2011 BSG $10,000 Art Prize

2011-08-10T13:30:00.000+10:00

"Kolossoi I"

The email announcing my image "Kolossoi I" was one of 50 selected out of 800 entries for this year's BSG $10,000 Art Prize arrived at dinner time last Wednesday tonight.

That was delirious news. Not so fun was this ... I had just seven days to get the image printed, framed and in Melbourne for the exhibition!

Now, if you're a fellow photographer, you'll know that we don't make hard copies of our pictures until we need them for a show — in the meantime, they sit on our hard drives — which makes getting the above done in a week no mean feat.

What did I do? Grovel. That's right ... my lovely printer, Stephen Best of Macquarie Editions, who happens to live a couple of hours away, did the print and delivered it to Canberra overnight. Then, the folks at The Exhibition Centre, who are always keen to help artists, managed to make a cool, minimal perspex frame for me in just over one working day. The result is that the artwork is now with a courier, waiting to be delivered to Melbourne tomorrow morning.

Phew!

Are there quiet moments in a hectic week? I obviously found some because I finished two more images in my series exploring the use of dolls in ancient Greek folk religion and rituals ("Kolossoi I" is also part of this series).

"Kolossoi II"

Close-up 1

Close-up 2

Close-up 3

"Kolossoi II" follows the same lines as its predecessor, exploring the practise of making, mutilating and burying dolls to protect both public spaces and private homes from evil, ranging from ghosts to invading armies.

"Daidala"

Close-up 1

Close-up 2

Close-up 3

"Daidala" explores the use of dolls in a girl's transition to womanhood. Girls sacrificed their dolls (Daidala) to Hera in the lead-up to marriage. As brides were as young as 14 (and married to men up to twice their age), marriage was literally a transition from childhood to adulthood, making this sacrifice incredibly poignant. Marriage in ancient Greek was not about love and romance as it is in our society — it was about procreation and the preservation of the male line, and was essentially about transferring the ownership of a girl from her father and a husband as soon as a she was considered fertile. In this sense, she was a commercial product, a baby-making machine.

I hate to be flippant, but does anyone else see a bit of Britney Spears in my image?

The Horse Dentist

2011-07-31T23:09:00.000+10:00

Casey always works Lucky Luke style with a hand-rolled

cigarette hanging from his mouth

"Open wide."

Okay, that's not what equine dentist and Kinesiologist Casey Tribe says when he first meets a patient. But he does get to the root of any teeth problems, as well as a whole host of other health issues, from imbalanced intestinal flora to misaligned vertebrae.

Watching Casey work often shocks the uninitiated — his drills and files are super-sized, and his spinal manipulations sound like punches. But the relief he gives horses is often immediate ... it's amazing to hear a horse sigh and stretch its neck as a long-term headache suddenly disappears.

You can see in these images how calm Thumper, my 16hh chestnut thoroughbred, is as Casey and his assistant Dan give him a clean bill of health. Thumps simply had his pearly whites filed — horse teeth continually grow, so need this done every six to 12 months.

Casey files Thumper's teeth. Note the heart-shape of Thumper's

tongue as Dan holds it away from the drill

A resistance technique identifies muscle or bone problems ...

Thumper gets the all clear

Kolossoi: Exploring Ancient Greek Dolls

2011-06-29T15:54:00.001+10:00

I've never been one to keep a sketch book or journal. I know they're invaluable artists' tools, but it's hard to explore ideas on paper when you're a photographer — the problem is that we don't use pens, paper and paint ... instead, we see the world through viewfinders and Photoshop.

However, recently I've changed my practice. As you know, I'm keeping a journal for an upcoming group show at made. Creative Space in Toowoomba, Queensland ... and am thrilled with how simply filling the pages with research is not only propelling my image-making forward, but also taking me in all manner of new directions.

Take the image and close-ups below, for example. Dolls are my journal theme, but this is as far removed from little girls' play things as possible! I've been reading about Kolossoi, which are dolls the ancient Greeks made, disfigured and buried in the ground to protect their homes and communities. They aimed to frighten away everything from ghosts to foreign armies by making these dolls as shocking and obscene as possible!

2011-05-25T15:53:00.000+10:00

My friend Shane is a barrister specialising in family, criminal and human rights law ... plus, he quite the specialist on DNA as courtroom evidence, which, contrary to what we see on crime dramas, isn't processed in blue-lit laboratory and can't instantly identify culprits!

He's branching out into a speaking career and has plenty of sordid or fascinating stories tucked up his well-cuffed sleeves. This, of course, means launching a promotional website, which is where I come in. The design uses a crazy panoramic image format, but I'm sure you'll agree that I've squeezed as much of Shane and his curiously-decorated office as possible into each one.

Boudoir Dolls

2011-05-03T14:16:00.000+10:00

made. Creative Space in Toowoomba, QLD has sent little passport-sized journals to a stack of artists, designers and writers, inviting us to fill them as we wish over about four months before submitting them for Project: Art Journal, an exhibition from 31 August to 18 September.

I've chosen a "dark dolls" theme, starting with TtV shots of boudoir dolls. Popular during the interwar period, these dolls were for adult women only and the concept behind them is fascinating. They came into being in the 1920s, where their owners used them to vicariously experiment with rapidly changing roles for women. The dolls represented everything adventurous modern women wanted to be — they broke the rules by looking like flappers or silent movie stars, wearing glamorous fashions and make-up, and smoking.

As the name suggests, boudoir dolls were displayed on women's bed. However, they weren't just for private life — owners took them to parties and posed with them in photographs.

Somehow, as always seems to happen with radical things, boudoir dolls were absorbed back into more restrictive views of women. They became an ideal gift from suitors, which were dressed in the same outfits as their owners, with the eventual aim of putting them in wedding dresses. In this sense, they came to represent a conservative ideal of of women.

Boudoir dolls are now vintage tragedies. While the originals are collectible works of art (made from silk, felt and other fine materials), the ones I see in charity shops comprise cheap plastic bodies, dressed in "southern belle" gowns that are crocheted from garish nylon ribbon, the same stuff grandmas use to make padded coat-hangers. They're definitely more "deceased estate" than "decadent".

The dolls in my images are the latter kind. The focussing circle on my Mamiya C330 puts the emphasis on their eyes — sometimes they watch us, as if through a crystal clear magnifying glass, but other times their vacant gaze evokes pity.

Bruised and Battered

2011-05-01T15:32:00.000+10:00

Don't fear — the above portraits are well and truly FAKE!

Our friend Joanna is a medical student and asked guests to come to her 18th birthday party in need of treatment. After watching a couple of stage make-up tutorials on Youtube, I grabbed some food-colouring, eye-shadow and lipstick, and dragged Justin into the bathroom for a make-over.

We emerged looking like victims of domestic violence, and toddled off to the party to discover ... hardly anyone else had dressed up!

The birthday girl, however, squealed with delight when she saw us and I spent the whole night explaining over and over again how I created our looks.

It was too good not to document, of course, so I did the Nan Goldin thing, using lots of hard flash and bland poses to make the pics look like trashy happy snaps (or "not-so-happy" snaps, in this case).

The blood and bruises disappeared super quick when we got home (thank goodness for wet wipes) — red food-colouring in your mouth and up your nose isn't the most comfortable thing!

Cowgirls at Yass Rodeo, 2011

2011-04-23T22:26:00.000+10:00

Cowboys may ride the treacherous bulls and broncs, but cowgirls have the more vibrant and fun events at a rodeo — there's nothing quite like barrel racing, for instance ... and no event gets the sods of dirt flying more!

Yass has two rodeos a year — one is part of the local show and the other is affiliated with the Australian Bushman's Campdraft and Rodeo Association. The mix of western culture and side-show alley is bizarre at the first ... kids scream and lights flash on the rides only about 50 metres from where competitors twirl lariats and stetsons are de rigueur.

Crochet Dachshund

2011-03-31T21:32:00.000+11:00

As a miniature dachshund owner and collector of vintage crochet patterns, I put two and two together and whipped up this sweet little number. I made a few adaptations to the original '70s pattern, including swapping multiple orange, purple and green stripes for black-and-tan, like my dog, Cameo. The button nose is so cute —I found it at Hobbysew in Belconnen, a shop that I can potter in for hours.

I'd love to make another sausage dog, perhaps in the classic red, but I sent the above one to my mum for her birthday and didn't jot down my pattern!

Chainsaw Sculpture at The Crisp Galleries

2011-03-15T18:00:00.000+11:00

The delighful and very new Yass Photography Club enjoyed an inaugural excursion to The Crisp Galleries on Saturday, which just happened to co-incide with the opening of Adam Humphrey's "Sawdust, Sweat & Tears" exhibition.

The Welsh artist uses a chainsaw to turn humble blocks of wood into surprisingly detailed sculptures, which are on show both in a conventional gallery space and dotted around acres of garden. I love his farmyard animal pieces — lambs frollicking under a bridge and geese waddling beside hedges of lavender.

While I toiled in the hot sun, lugging a rather heavy Mamiya C330 around for a spot of TtV, I did spy some of my colleagues indulging in decidely non-photographic activities ... quaffing white wine, crustless sandwiches and chocolate-coated strawberries.

Tsk, tsk ... I shall make sure this is brought to attention at our next meeting!

A meandering garden path

An old clawfoot bath makes a garden feature

Golden lambs playing in the sunshine

Hard-Working Dogs

2011-02-07T20:43:00.000+11:00

My beautiful girls, Cameo (left) and Ruby (right). Cameo looks likeshe has done something naughty that I don't yet know about, whileRuby is always impeccably behaved.

Most volunteers at the Salvation Army Family Store in Yass work

incredibly hard; others do not ... they prefer to lounge around or

eat cream-filled biscuits.

More that one person has wished to be reincarnated as a black puppy living at my house ... and the above pictures show only the tiniest example why.

Life is very tough when you've got your own swimming pool, shaped like a giant clam shell, in the backyard and a blanket-lined basket in almost every room inside. Magnum PI, which is screening on 7mate, is Cameo's favourite TV show at the moment.

Margaret's Mannequin

2011-02-06T13:53:00.000+11:00

My dear friend Margaret is blessed with her own dressing room, which is a gallery of antique wardrobes, which she personally restored, bespoke dresses from signifcant birthdays and anniversaries, vintage hats and sentimental accessories, including her first handbag, a handpainted, suede Oroton clutch her mother gave her in the late '40s or early '50s.

Above, is a clever vignette from this room of treasures — the mannequin came with the house, which was once a shop.

Bull-Riding

2011-01-20T13:23:00.001+11:00

As I've said before, rodeo culture is big in Yass, especially in March and November each year when the whole town, it seems, pulls on its cowboy boots and plaid shirts for a night of drinking whisky and coke, and watching the daring tumble. I love the accoutrements of the events, including the mechanical bull and utes covered in B & S Ball (Bachelor and Spinsters Ball) stickers.

Tonga

2011-01-09T15:38:00.000+11:00

While a honeymoon can be many things, I'm quite certain few would think it an opportunity to trek through a third world country for the sake of photojournalism.

What can I say? I am very fortunate to have a husband who is always willing to lug around a backpack of heavy camera gear, even in Tonga's sweaty, tropical conditions — all in the name of true love.

Pumpkins and Shells, Vava'u

I shot the still-life above at the market on the nothern island of Vava'u. It was the crack of dawn, but we had been wide awake for hours, thanks to the venue being located immediately under our bedroom window at the Adventure Backpackers Lodge — we heard every handbrake and stage whisper as the vendors unloaded trucks of pumpkins, watermelons and bananas.

E'ua 1

The boys warily eating icypoles and chips were on E'ua, Tonga's largest, yet least developed, island. Here, little kids break into giggles at the sight of tourists and traditional tapa (painted bark cloth) makers are readily found.

Miniature Dachshund Puppies

2011-01-02T00:49:00.001+11:00

Surgery preparation 1

Surgery preparation 2

Desexing after the caesarian

It seems fitting on the first day of a new year to share images of new life.

Cameo, my cheeky miniature dachshund, gave birth to her first and only litter of pups on 10 September last year. It was a difficult labour — an extremely good pregnancy produced pups that were simply too big for my little girl to handle. After the first one got stuck and suffocated in the birth canal, and the second was wrenched free, alive, the vet performed an emergency caesarian, which produced a further two.

A newborn little girl

Despite a painful and exhausting experience, Cameo was the ideal mother — she searched for her three healthy pups and tucked them under her arm before the anaesthetic wore off.

Lulu at 2 weeks

Dieter at 2 weeks ... what a fat belly and adorable, stumpy legs

It was a privilege to watch "the kids" grow. At birth, their feet were half the size of my little fingernail. At two weeks, their eyes started to open and you could see them concentrating so hard to focus on the world that was slowly revealed. At six weeks, they romped on the back lawn for the first time, tumbling as their wobbly back legs gave way. They were unstoppable by the time they went to their new homes, jumping up the steps and hurtling through the cat door.

The kids: Daks, Deiter and Lulu at 6 weeks

How I cried when they left, even though one is with a friend's inlaws and another is only two houses up! Such grief was worth it, though — I'm proud to have given three other families the miracle of a healthy, well-adjusted and beautiful miniature dachshund.

This breed certainly makes the world a nicer place.

Trailing Monsignor Hawes

2010-12-28T22:11:00.000+11:00

"John Paul II and the Angel"

"Perenjori Holy Water"

Western Australia's wheatbelt is perhaps the last place you'd look for significant Catholic architecture. However, for 24 years from 1915 British architect-priest Monisgnor John Hawes designed and built 15 churches and a handful of other ecclessiastical buildings among the wheat silos and paddocks of Merino sheep in the Mid-West region.

Three hundred and fourty eight kilometres north of Perth, the Church of St Joseph in the town of Perenjori is the geographical start to what is known as the "Monsignor Hawes Trail". I'm not sure this simple, white church is anything other than a tourist attraction these days ... I had to hunt down a key from a local shop-keeper when I visited in 2002.

The religious artifacts certainly speak of neglect, as you can see in the above images. Pope John Paul II, torn from his frame and sitting next to a paper mache angel is poignant, while I can't help but smirk everytime I see the label "Perenjori holy water" on what looks like a sherry flagon.

Hunted

2010-12-22T16:55:00.000+11:00

"Hunted 1": a vandal's safari

The base image for "Hunted 2" and "Hunted 3"

"Hunted 2": like a monochrome infrared ... the birds flying

past were in the perfect place

"Hunted 3"

The two elephants outside the now closed Raj Mahal retail centre in Woolgoolga on the northern NSW coast are quite the tourist attraction — so-much-so that a local made it very clear he wouldn’t cheapen himself to photograph them like the average tourist.

Locals, it seems, prefer to vandalise the statues. The elephants were already trunk-less and covered in aqua-blue graffiti when we visited in April, and a month later one had a basketball-sized hole in its shoulder and scorch marks from a fire lit between its front legs.

Anyway, jibes about tourists didn’t stop me whipping my camera out. I love the tragedy the nets add to the sculptures, and the photomontage and infrared effects I got from playing with layer effects in Photoshop.

You’d simply never guess these images were taken in Australia.

Grave Decorations

2010-10-02T22:50:00.000+10:00

Time and time again, I gravitate back to photographs of cemeteries. I shot these conventional, yet beautifully arranged, vignettes in Redcliffe, just north of Brisbane, at Easter.

How strange that kissing doves and musing cherubs are associated with both death and romance!

Chess

2010-09-28T14:30:00.002+10:00

"Chess I"

"Chess II"

A weekend with our friend Damon usually means stacks of games, including chess. The boys sipped beer and played on the porch each night, while I stayed inside away from the jibes and one-upmanship!

Besides, I'm more of a Guitar Hero sort of girl....

Picasso's Horse

2010-09-08T16:02:00.000+10:00

"Picasso's Horse"

Sometimes photography hands you a gift and this image is the latest for me.

Toy camera viewfinders are dodgy things, which makes composition a matter of guess work. Of all the plastic-fantastics I use, the Holga Micro is the worst — the tiny, fold-out square is about as useful as closing your eyes, spinning around and randomly shooting on the count of 10.

And that's why I love it!

See how the film emulsion abruptly fades at the lower edge of the eye. The flat and detatched look is just what Picasso would have painted in his cubist phase.

Holga and Hayley

2010-09-06T21:07:00.000+10:00

My friend Hayley threw her wedding dress on again a few months ago and we went for a romp around a local farm, Holga in hand. Toy cameras are in vogue for wedding photography, of course ... and the broken down ute and old sheds simply add to the charm.

"I work my models pretty hard," I told Hayley. It was her first time posing for me, so I don't think she took my warning too seriously — until she spent the next day soaking her feet in warm water and bicarb soda, that is!

Okay, that's a fib ... I didn't make her feet ache, but I did "encourage" her to climb all over bits of vintage garden furniture and other cobweb-covered stuff. Fortunately, she trusted me because we got some great shots.

Of course, it helps that Hayley is gorgeous — black hair, green eyes, rosie skin ... bla, bla, bla.

Mental note to self: keep making friends with attractive people.

Hang It Yourself 2010

2010-08-27T23:30:00.000+10:00

"Church on Fire"

"Lipstick"

"Monocle"

"Blue Moon"

It's that time of year again ... the third annual Hang It Yourself (or HIY) opens at Photoaccess in Canberra at 12 noon on Sunday 5 September and runs for just over two weeks.

The exhibition concept is simple, yet super-charged — photographers dash into the gallery and pin up to five images, unframed and no bigger than 42cm, anywhere on the walls. It's the perfect forum for experimental or recent work.

I'm submitting the above four pictures, all playing with TtV in a way that I hope is novel, one that plays with the technique as much as the subject matter.

If you'd like to see the show, I recommend dropping by the opening for a drink (always complementary) — big group shows always have such fun openings!

Blue Moon

2010-08-03T22:00:00.000+10:00

I often say how much I love chance in photography ... a single moment of co-incidence, accident or diversion can give an image you never dreamed of taking.

Today, I made a tube to cover the ground glass of my Mamiya C330 to reduce reflections when shooting TtV. I cut, taped and painted four rectangles of cardboard black in front of a DVD of Northern Exposure.

I never imagined the tripod would slip during the testing phase, and my Mamiya would tilt back, catching the view of clouds and blue sky through the loungeroom window. Or that the focusing circle on the ground glass would be perfectly positioned to look like a rising moon.

The blue is not just from the sky — I'd been testing under artificial light and had my digital camera set as such.

Did you know a blue moon is not as rare as we think? One occurs every two-and-a-half years.

Pixel: Self Portrait

2010-07-13T18:13:00.000+10:00

It's surprising that I've been so interested in self-portraits over the last year, given that most photographers, including myself, will do anything to avoid being in front of the camera.

I've done a bit of reading and apparently artists make self-portraits for a variety of reasons, including: self-promotion, emotional purging, the convenience of a free and willing model, or the opportunity to experiment with new techniques.

I think I fall into the last category — where I feel compelled to make others look attractive, I don't mind distorting my own image ... I'm happy to mask my identifying features with psuedo pixels and tattoos in order to take meaning to new levels.

I'm sure a psychologist would have fun with that!

Self Portrait: The Forest Shadow

2010-07-06T21:10:00.000+10:00

I was making the bed on an icy morning when the low winter sun cast shadows of myself and the lace curtains on the wall. Like any keen, yet rather untidy, photographer, I immediately forgot about the housework and grabbed my Canon Powershot S90.

The result is rather sculptural — I love how the curtains look like a forest. I think the centre image is the strongest ... there's a strong sense of branches and being hidden deep in the trees.

Monocle

2010-07-04T22:33:00.000+10:00

Now that I've finally tried TtV, I've gone a bit mad photographing still-life using this technique. The only suitable medium format camera I have is a Mamiya C330 and, while it's a superb camera, it has a very visible focussing circle smack, bang in the middle of the ground glass. So I'm looking for ways to use what would seem like an impediment to creative effect. In the pictures above, it becomes a monocle (I just love dolls that look creepy and supernatural!) ... I'm also working on some other pictures where it becomes a ball and the moon.

Uncle Dave

2010-06-29T21:34:00.000+10:00

Ah, Uncle Dave ... the name makes me think of red wine, fine Scotch, camembert and staying up way too late. He only comes to Australia every couple of years, but there's much celebrating when he does.

Dave spent most of May here, flitting between three states to visit his sister (my mother-in-law), and his many nephews and their families.

His expression in the top photo is typical, and reminds me of laughing over tales from his diplomatic career or brainstorming completely inappropriate solutions to the world's most pressing problems.

The second image is less characteristic, but I love the poignancy, the slight wariness and the incredible depth in his eye.

TTV Crochet Apples

2010-06-23T17:18:00.000+10:00

I've become addicted to amigurumi crochet, in particular these cute, life-sized apples from a free pattern by Lionbrand. They're super fun and quick to make, even for a beginner — in fact, they're the perfect project to do while watching a DVD.

I've been meaning to try TtV (Through the Viewfinder) for at least six months, and today finally picked up my Mamiya C330. Such a fine medium format camera isn't usually recommended for this technique, but it's all I've got. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the bar that appears on the ground glass when shooting close-ups, but I do quite like the central disc ... I shall have to experiment for a way to the use the latter to great effect.

JB Looks Cheeky

2010-06-05T13:42:00.000+10:00

I'm not normally a fan of multi-window photo frames, but I snapped up the one below on the first day of the latest Target sale — it's beautifully made, big (47cm x89cm) and has a wonderful sculptural quality on the wall.

Of course, now I have to fill the 18 windows, which means to next few weeks will be devoted to hunting through my huge backlog of negatives for images of family, friends and pets.

I love this picture of my friend, JB — it really captures his cheeky personality and intelligence (he's a university lecturer). I also love the couch he's sitting on, which has been the backdrop to many a photo ... the fabric pattern is so rich and elegant, especially in black-and-white.

Autumn Leaves Series

2010-06-03T00:47:00.001+10:00

I've been playing with Photoshop as a drawing tool, inspired by the autumn leaves on the poplars down by the river, where I take my dogs to play with a tennis ball most days.

At the same time, I've been catching up on photography documentaries on Youtube.com, including June Newton's fond portrait of her husband, Helmut by June, in which she depicts a photographer who, tongue-in-cheek, confessed to being a "pornographer" as a lovable ruffian. It's convincing stuff ... making Helmut Newton's complicated images even more so.

Helmut Newton was a big fan of long legs and
a rather large dose of bondage

Going Where I've Never Been: The Photography of Diane Arbus flows like automatic writing. Her eldest daughter, Doon, starts the ball rolling with personal memories, followed by narration from friend Mary Clare Costello, who re-speaks what Arbus said in classes that were taped by a student. The photographer's insights are compelling ... she used photography almost as a kind of therapy and the camera definitely as a tool to mediate her experience of the world, very much aware that every aspect of picture-making is subjective.

Diane Arbus used her camera for adventure, to take her

places far beyond her privileged upbringing

St Peters Anglican Cathedral

2010-05-11T16:51:00.000+10:00

It's unusual for an Anglican church to open its doors to tourists. However, one doesn't even need to step into the grounds of St Peter's Anglican Cathedral, Armidale to see why parishoners are keen to show off their place of worship. Open every day, this High Victorian Gothic building towers over nearby streets, showcasing local granite and bricks made from clay dug from Saumarez Station, home to the district's blue-bloods.

Well-known colonial architect John Horbury Hunt designed the cathedral, with considerable input from Reverend James Francis Turner, who was the Bishop of Grafton and Armidale at the time. Turner's touches include the luminous stained-glass windows, some of which he personally designed, and the mosaic floor, for which he sourced the tiles and created the design in which they are laid.

While most who visit St Peter's are impressed by its grandeur, Turner thought the building rather humble. In fact, he declared, "There is nothing in it fairly chargeable with extravagance". Of course, brick was considered a second-rate ecclesiastical building material at the time ... and Turner was comparing the church with the great cathedrals of England!

Pink Car, Gold Coast

2010-05-09T01:03:00.003+10:00

Bursting from the balcony of a house on the Pacific Highway at Reedy Creek, south of Brisbane, this flamingo pink car looks like belongs to a movie set. It's actually in the grounds of what looks like a closed down wrecker's yard, enclosed by a security fence topped with barbed wire.

Some things simply beg to be photographed....

Autumn

2010-05-05T09:18:00.002+10:00

How strange that the colours we associate cooling weather are so hot and spicy. It's partly the turning leaves and newly-lit fires, of course, but I wonder if it's also a last-ditch yearning for the summer just gone.

The "fuel" sign is on the main street of Tenterfield, the home of Peter Allen and Tenterfield terriers. Despite so much to boast, the town is rather dilapidated ... so many windows covered with security grills hint that all is not right.

The vintage chair and lollipop rug are in the children's section at the New England Regional Art Museum in Armidale, which reportedly has the best collection of any regional gallery in Australia — thanks to Howard Hinton's donation of more than 1,000 works, the walls are heavy with pieces by the likes of Hans Heysen, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Norman Lindsay, Margaret Preston and Thea Proctor.

St Nicholas's Church of England, Armidale

2010-04-26T14:04:00.010+10:00

Rain can ruin a photographer's day.

It was pouring for the third day in a row when we pulled up at St Nicholas's Church of England, Armidale, on our recent driving trip to Brisbane. We'd gone out of our way to find this sweet white weatherboard chapel on the rural outskirts of town, so I was determined to take a least one picture.

But how was I going to keep my camera dry?

That's when I thought of my friend Lorna Sim, who has a penchant for photographing through her windscreen ... in any kind of weather.

I love the blurred and dreamy look of shooting through wet glass, but my image was a little blue and drab, so I played with the "screen", "exclusion", "colour burn" and "negative" effects in Photoshop Styles and Layers to add a little punch.

I wonder how the results below would look painted in oils?

A mix of sepia, magenta and black-and-white adds to the

feeling of isolation and brings out the "face" in the church

The colour negative of the image above, partially desaturated

Graving in Redcliffe

2010-04-24T16:09:00.005+10:00

"Christ and Child"

"The Floral Scarf"

Four cameras, a typed list of every charity shop between Yass and Brisbane, a couple of t-shirts and a second pair of jeans ... and my bag was packed for the 1,231 kilometre drive to see my brother-in-law and sister-in-law for Easter.

Garth and Kirrily are renovating a little worker's cottage in Redcliffe, a city actually half an hour north of Brisbane and the first city settlement in Queensland. While they tiled the kitchen floor, I wandered over to the local cemetery a few streets away, where I found these unusual headstones.

I love how the writing on the reverse of the prayer card shines through Christ's face ... and I've never seen anything before like the sculpture with the scarf of artificial flowers.

For the record, I'd like to point out that I also helped around the house, although my favourite activity was sipping tea on the balcony, overlooking the mango and macadmia trees in the garden.

Mayfield Ute

2010-04-18T16:48:00.002+10:00

My father, grandfather and great-grandfather were farmers.

Growing up, on long family trips through the West Australian landscape, I listened to my parents chatter about the farms we passed, noting the condition of the crops and livestock. Their disapproval of messy farms always struck me — paddocks littered with car bodies, rusted wired and corrugated iron, and other "rubbish" was akin to dirty clothes knee-deep on a bedroom floor.

So many years later, I catch myself seeing through their eyes, criticising the "messiness" as I drive around the Yass Valley or travel with my husband. Yet, at the same time, I revel in the "junk" — it's a photographer's delight, not to mention nostaglic to see the wrecks of cars that were the mainstay on the roads of my childhood or derelict buildings that must have been built when my grandfather was a child.

I snapped this ute at Mayfield, a local farm on which my friend Judy was caretaker until recently. Grafitti-covered and roughly treated, it's just the kind of vehicle that farm kids learned to drive in, and spend their weekends tearing about in.

It might now be sitting idle in a paddock by the shearing shed, but I bet it still works.

Julian at Barney's of Bookham

2010-04-15T09:41:00.002+10:00

Julian, my brother-in-law, stayed with us for a couple of weeks over Christmas, just before he left for his second deployment to Afghanistan.

We took him to Barney's of Bookham, as we do with all visitors, to sample chef Allan Smith's scrumptious menu. Bookham may be about 35 kilometres from Yass on the Hume Highway towards Melbourne, but the drive to this roadside diner is worth the effort — the homemade burgers and pies are too good to be true, as are the prices.

I just hope Allan whips up some of his experimental escargot pies again soon ... they sold so fast last time that I missed out.

Angel and Devils

2010-04-12T11:34:00.003+10:00

I wouldn't normally have put these two images together, except that I shot them one after the other on my Olympus Pen EE-2, a nifty half-frame camera that I like to keep in my handbag, and the lab put both on a single 6" x 4" print.

The extreme contrast of subject and colour makes sense, though — I took the crumbling little angel in the serene bush-setting of the Bookham cemetery, while the modern and devilishly red mannequins were part of Levi's department store display in Myer in January.

Afternoon Tea

2010-03-27T22:00:00.003+11:00

These tea cups started life as an advertisement

for Maxwell Williams fine bone china

And this image came from a recipe

for angel food cake ... mmm

I’ve been experimenting again with citrus-based solvents, the kind used for cleaning up oil and other grimy things.

“Better Homes and Gardens” magazine, of course, doesn’t fit into this category, but the solvent releases the ink from the pages, which I can then blend to painterly effect with a brush and cotton tips.

The time has come to apply this technique to my own photographs but, alas, my lovely printer, Stephen Best of Macquarie Editions, uses archival inks and papers that are just far too superior in quality … the ink simply won’t budge!

I wonder what would happen if I tried colour photocopies….

Click here to see my first experiment with this technique.

Vicki Whitelaw: Professional Cyclist

2010-03-23T17:47:00.003+11:00

The pay may be poor, but the lifestyle of a professional cyclist seems idyllic, at least judging from all the photos of snow-capped Italian villas my friend Vicki Whitelaw posts on her blog.

Sure, she falls off her bike fairly regularly at the same speed cars go through your average suburban area (and has the scars to prove it), but what are a few scratches and bruised ribs in return for spending six months of the year in Europe?

Seriously, I’m so proud of Vicki, who took up cycling in her late 20s and turned professional within a couple of years. We had great fun shooting some pictures for her website a couple of weeks ago — while I love the power and athleticism in the top two, the last one with Cameo, my darling miniature dachshund, is my favourite.

Vicki and her husband, Dave, are just as enamoured with this cheeky breed as I am … unfortunately, their little dog, Fritz, went to heaven late last year.

Tentacles

2010-03-10T15:35:00.004+11:00

I love to grow my own vegetables and have a huge patch in the backyard, fenced off by white lattice and a rose-covered arch. Gardening really is a miracle — at this time of year, I potter around each evening … watering, fertilising pumpkin flowers, checking for the first pink bloom on the tomatoes, and picking beans and zucchini.

Planting enough red spring onion seeds was one thing I didn’t do this summer ... the few I did grow were succulent and, quite simply, beautiful, which is why I grabbed my camera before putting them in the pot.

Don’t the roots look like tentacles?

Why not check out out my tomatoes and zucchini too.

National Galleries Architecture

2010-03-02T15:41:00.006+11:00

"Golden Escalator": the National Gallery of Australia's

inspiring architecture (photo: Kathleen Fisher)

The architecture of the National Gallery of Australia is just as inspiring as the precious art it holds.

Designed by Colin Madigan and built between 1974 and 1982, the gallery is sleek and industrial, featuring a plethora of geometric shapes, especially triangles, and exposed materials, notably concrete.

Iconic artworks projected on the National

Gallery of Australia facade (photo: NGA)

National Gallery of Australia interior
during construction (photo: NGA)

The building is in the late twentieth century Brutalist style, a term that suggests ugliness or violence. However, it is anything but — instead, the use of humble materials seems honest and accessible, and the sharp geometry has a sculptural effect. Indeed, the gallery appears to have been designed to be viewed as an object — a series of platforms and windows invite visitors to pause and gaze at various “architectural vistas” within the open-plan, multi-level space.

Next door, the National Portrait Gallery moved into new, purpose-built accommodation in late 2008. Designer Johnson Pilton Walker has at once made this “new kid on the block” stand alone as an iconic piece of architecture and harmonise with the eight other national institutions in the surrounding Parliamentary Triangle. Not surprisingly, their work has picked up four impressive awards.

"Geo Face Distributor", sculpture by artist James Angus
at the National Portrait Gallery entrance (photo: Kathleen Fisher)

However, the architects have overlooked a crucial element — how their design leads (or, in this case, does not lead) visitors through the building. The forecourt uses light directed by a ceiling of giant wooden louvres to stunning sculptural effect, enticing visitors to walk through what looks like a series of glowing “sunbeams” into an equally magnificent entrance hall.

But here the drama stops. Where does one go next? Where are the portraits of great Australians we’ve come to see? Unfortunately, the doors to the institution’s two galleries are dark recesses, virtually hidden and barely distinguishable from the entrances to the nearby toilet and carpark. Without even the usual piece of signage, many visitors, including myself, head straight to the café and bookshop … which, by the way, are excellent.

The National Portrait Gallery's stunning entry
(photo: Australian Design Review)

Entrance Hall at the National Portrait Gallery

(photo: Matt Kelso)

Nerida Does Networking

2010-02-19T20:28:00.007+11:00

I have a new-found respect for illustrators.

The images they produce for magazine or web articles look deceptively simple — a few strokes of watercolour here or the odd scrap of paper collaged there. It’s as if they couldn’t possibly spend more than an hour on each one.

I’m laughing right now, but it’s not a funny laugh … it’s one of insanity, caused by staying up all night to create what looks likes a few line drawings, a bit of colouring-in and a couple of scanned heads. I might not have “whipped up” this illustration to go with my friend Nerida’s article on networking for Her Business, the blog of the Australian Business Women’s Network. But I learned a lot and am pretty proud of my first-time effort. I especially like that I even included Nerida in the illustration (that’s her head on the left).

I must say that Claudine Hellmuth, a rather nifty mixed-media artist based in Washington DC, is a rather heavy influence behind this piece. In hindsight, I also noticed something a little Matisse about the style and composition of the three background figures, albeit a modern version.

Claudine Hellmuth makes the illustrative

style look so easy ... believe me, it's not!

Rough photocopies of heads are a

hallmark of Claudine Hellmuth's work

Game of Bowls by Henri Matisse (1908)

"The Black Fern" by Henri Matisse (1948)

Citrus Solvent Sunflower

2010-02-17T21:52:00.003+11:00

Step 1 of a 4-step process: Cathy Taylor dissolves

ink on a magazine page using Citra Solv

Step 4 of a 4-step process: Cathy Taylor adds

acrylic paint to create an autumn forest scene

In the January/February 2010 issue of “Cloth Paper Scissors”, mixed-media artist Cathy Taylor demonstrates how to create soulful backgrounds by blurring the ink on magazine pages with Citra Solv. Unfortunately this citrus-based solvent isn’t available in Australia, but the previous owner of our house had left something similar tucked in a rickety cupboard in the garage.

My first attempt at "painting" a magazine page with

Citro Clean before manipulating the ink with ear buds,

tooth picks and paint brushes

Close-up detail 1: I'm inspired to paint this in oils

Close-up detail 2: I'm fascinated by the texture and pattern

While I didn’t get Taylor’s sea of Turner-esque intermingling, I did have fun manipulating the ink with cotton buds, toothpicks and paint brushes. I wonder if ink, paper and geographic differences across the publishing world make a difference to the effects one can achieve — where Taylor used the US version of “National Geographic”, I used the Australian version of “Better Homes and Gardens”.

Still, I’m intrigued with my painterly results, especially in close-up detail, so plan more experiments.

Brookers Cordials

2010-01-08T15:03:00.002+11:00

" 37"

"Georgia Anne"

"On Fire"

A solid mesh fence, the kind used to keep vandals out of building sites, surrounds 37 Church St, Yass. The wild oats in the big yard are high and the front door oscillates between being kicked in and boarded up.

Kids may now sneak into this derelict building to smoke and smash beer bottles, but it was once home to Brookers, a local cordial manufacturer.

Christmas Decorations

2010-01-03T20:08:00.003+11:00

After an end-of-the-year hiatus, I'm back and ready to take on 2010 with a new camera, the Canon Powershot S90. As professional as a point 'n' shoot digital can be, this baby is perfect for street photography ... slim and unobtrusive, yet capable of manual focus and shooting raw. I can't wait to take it to Scotland in June, where I'm visiting my sister Kirralee for a month.

In the meantime, I've got a backlog of images to get through from my other cameras, including these happy snaps of my Christmas decorations.

Top: The gorgeous Eddie Ross, who you may remember from the second season of Bravo's Top Design, inspired the bauble wreath. His blog is a gem for how to style on a budget and using vintage finds.

Centre: I snapped up half-price decorations at Ikea a couple of weeks before Christmas ... boxes of 40 cute baubles were under AU$5 and hand-blown glass hearts and spirals were under AU$1 each. I particularly liked the range of heart decorations ... so fresh, full of love and outside-the-square.

Below: I found this plain mug holder at my local Salvation Army Store, where I volunteer every Friday ... it made the perfect mini Christmas tree for the table next to my front door.

The Flying Pig

2009-10-20T12:08:00.007+11:00

The garden furniture at Village Antiques in Bungendore looks like it has been whisked away from the grounds of a French chateaux. It carries an air of time-worn gentility — the wrought iron is tinged with rust and the copious amounts of white paint are peeling. I also love the many outdoor sculptures on offer, such as this winged pig.

I've photographed other curiousities in the past, including an antique hitching rail in the shape of a horse and a house-sized kewpie doll from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The Way Home

2009-10-18T19:51:00.003+11:00

What a dreamy entrance to a home!

It leads to a stately property on the outskirts of the town of Bungendore, over a rickety old bridge on Molongo St.

My Brother-in-Law's Wedding

2009-09-30T14:15:00.002+10:00

Who says toy cameras can't be used to photograph weddings?

I'm in love with the unconventional idea of using plastic for documentary purposes, so made sure I had a stash in a rather big bag at my brother-in-law's marriage to the delightful Kirrily in March last year.

It was a day of sunshine, champagne and smoked salmon — plus tiers of cupcakes covered in thick icing and lollies. There was even a bouncy castle and someone swirling fairy floss onto sticks.

Sigh ... my inner child was in happy land!

HIY 2009

2009-09-04T15:13:00.005+10:00

A little farmyard/rural triptych for "HIY 2009". Do I have a wicked sense of humour or what?

Now in it's second year, "HIY" (or "hang it yourself") is a street-wise exhibition concept at Photoaccess in Manuka. Basically, photographers are given free reign to stick up to five images anywhere on the gallery's walls, with only two rules: images must be unframed and no wider than 42 centimetres.

The result is naturally going to be chaotic, a spaghetti-like explosion of styles, subjects and skills. I'm told 130 images will go on display, which, given the maximum width rule, makes about five and a half kilometres of art!

With so many photographers on show, the opening tomorrow is going to be mad ... there's nothing like the party atmosphere of a group exhibition. So if you're in Canberra, please feel free to join us for a glass of bubbles.

Where: Photoaccess (cnr Manuka Circle and New South Wales Crescent)
When: 2:30pm, Saturday 5 September

"HIY 2009" runs until 20 September.

Self-Portrait: Tattoo

2009-09-03T19:51:00.004+10:00

I have a habit of tackling huge concepts and this self-portrait, comprised of 24 photographs, is no exception.

Needless to say, stitching these together in Photoshop was time-consuming, yet very rewarding ... I'm now an expert in using the "eraser tool" to blend and create scratched textures, as you can see in the close-ups below!

The result is quite frightening: it's like a tattoo, but also like the skin has been peeled from my face to reveal the muscular workings beneath. Both tell the story of my photographic interests, of Christian iconography, gender issues and rural motifs.

After Warhol: Pop Art Self Portrait

2009-08-10T20:31:00.002+10:00

The idea for this series of self portraits started after a chance encounter with Howard Millard's article "Create a Pop Art Portrait; Back to the '60s" at Shutterbug.com. It didn't come to fruition, however, until last Friday, when I went in search of a do-it-yourself photo booth at Belconnen Mall, Canberra.

I love the delightful cheap 'n' nastiness of these booths, including the thrill of the note slot sucking up your money and those nervous moments waiting for your sheet of portraits to be dumped into your hand, kind of like a can of Coke from a soft drink machine. The beauty of this particular machine was the four different poses it allowed, so watch out for much more of me!

I wouldn't say copying Andy Warhol's famous technique, albiet digitally, was easy. In fact, it took a couple of days to scan and adjust the original picture, choose sympathetic Pop Art colours and master Photoshop's "elipse" and "add anchor point" tools. Millard doesn't suggest the use of these last two tools, but I'm a perfectionist and wanted absolutely smooth edges between colours, just like you'd find in a silkscreen print. The result is definitely worth it.

As for copying Warhol ... it felt strange at first, but I'm now convinced that everyone should have their own pop art portrait! I'm inspired to drag Justin and other family members into the nearest photo booth, and perhaps experiment with turning the results into image transfers.

Snooker

2009-07-27T10:51:00.004+10:00

The front of The Boorowa Hotel may be home to a rather fancy bistro, but the rest of the building is a little down-at-heel.

The colours in the snooker area match every bawdy image of late night playing, complete with cigarette burns and un-mopped beer spills. The atmosphere is the epitome of a working class pub in country Australia, which — as always in my book — makes it the perfect stop for any tourist.

Note the vintage cinema chairs in the background … these would look very nice on my front porch!

All Saints’, Tangmangaroo

2009-07-23T12:54:00.002+10:00

Built in 1889, All Saints', Tangmangaroo is an Anglican church in the middle of nowhere, next to a wooden house that was once a school, and surrounded by paddocks. Lonely churches, barely or never used, are common in the Yass Valley and vicinity — their congregations must have been farming families, the numbers of which would have shrunk as farm sizes grew bigger, transport developed and Christianity waned in popularity.

I spent two weeks working on this image, trying to blend the past and present, showing the luminous beauty of the church’s stonework and hinting at its spiritual past.

Kewpie Doll

2009-07-09T11:25:00.004+10:00

One of 12 giant kewpie dolls created for the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, this six-metre tall darling is now for sale at Village Antiques in Bungendore.

Designer Brian Thompson was clearly inspired by 1930s Hollywood. With pencil-thin eyebrows, red "cupid's bow" lips and golden hair styled into finger waves, his "girls" imitate the likes of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.

As for where to put a doll that towers above the average single storey building ... I'd put her in the outdoor eating area of a cafe or, if I was daring, in my courtyard, surrounded by sleek and sumptuous plants.

Her fibreglass and steel body would certainly stand up to the elements.

Marian Grotto

2009-06-30T12:47:00.002+10:00

The simple Marian grotto at Mt Carmel School, Yass

The Red Hot Chair

2009-06-29T14:44:00.005+10:00

This soft, grainy image is my first attempt at using a Holga Micro indoors. I’m continually amazed at what can be achieved with what is essentially a small piece of plastic; a camera that has no back and no real viewfinder.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about the grain at first, so played with a couple of Photoshop filters. As you know, I’m not a big fan of the cheap gimmicks this part of software offers, but found myself getting quite excited over the “median” option.

Let me tell you why….

Berry's Bay by Roy de Maistre (1920)

Back in April, I was enchanted by show at the National Gallery of Australia called Misty moderns: Australian Tonalists 1915-1950. Neither big nor showy, the works seemed like spontaneous sketches, seemingly created by a few quick, bold brushstrokes. The resulting slabs of tone and colour put atmosphere ahead of detail, making for images that give a rough, yet simple and, ultimately, emotional impression of the subject.

Hawthorn Tea Gardens by Clarice Beckett (1936)

Pushing the “median” option a little too far reminds me of this effect — the subject is reduced and blurred until it appears as shapes filled only by tone and colour.

The Club House Hotel

2009-06-28T15:38:00.002+10:00

As a published travel writer, you may be surprised to hear that The Club House Hotel, pictured above, is one of my favourite local tourist attractions.

True, the bathrooms don’t seem to have been cleaned, yet alone redecorated, since 1950, but the hotel offers travelers to Yass, especial those from overseas, an off-the-beaten-track experience of rural Australia.

For example, the billiards room features angling trophies on the walls — in the form of giant stuffed fish heads. Meanwhile, the main bar offers counter meals in a setting that also allows diners to watch the horse and greyhound races, and make bets. Not that you’ll find many people ordering food — a liquid lunch of Victoria Bitter is often the order of the day — which is disappointing as the fish ‘n’ chips with what I call “granny” salad (pasta salad, coleslaw and a third salad of pickled beetroot, chopped Iceberg lettuce, tomato wedges, grated carrot and grated cheese) is not just cheap at $7.50, but rather tasty.

These pictures, of course, feature the hotel's accommodation. While I love taking friends and family to The Club House Hotel for lunch, I'd much rather they rest their weary heads in my spare bedroom!

You can see more of my behind-the-scenes images of The Club House Hotel here.

Mobile Cowboys

2009-06-25T20:34:00.003+10:00

Ah, the rodeo — the flared nostrils of quarterhorses, the parade of Wrangler jeans and spurs, the bellow of cattle in the yards, and the smell of rum and coke on the audience’s breath.

The whole town comes to the Yass Rodeo to cheer the broncs and bulls, and feel clods of dirt in their faces and down their shirts.

Clichés of country life are everywhere — even tiny tots don the uniform of a plaid shirt and felt hat.

This image is in keeping … almost. I’ve seen the basic formula many times — cowkids sitting on the arena rails — but never have I seen them photographed using the latest communications technology to text their friends!

Baby in a Box

2009-06-14T22:17:00.003+10:00

I took this image on the streets of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, in 2002. I love how children all over the world play in cardboard boxes. Regardless of race, class, sex and wealth, these humble items of packaging are enjoyed by children everywhere.

Three Sunlit Portraits

2009-06-11T13:03:00.002+10:00

The light was perfect, yet fleeting — at the end of a hot summer day, it pierced through my lounge-room window. I grabbed a camera while Justin changed into a black t-shirt. The sun moved so quickly that he had to slide across the couch between shots to keep up. Within a few frames, the light was totally gone.

Red Rose Reflection

2009-06-09T16:07:00.003+10:00

Places decay without people, and the village of Murringo in the Southern Tablelands of NSW is the perfect example. Teeming with horse thieves, bushrangers and gold prospectors in the 1850s, it’s now so quiet you can hear the run-down buildings groaning for restoration.

This image from the local cemetery suits such a lawless history — it must be a veritable boot hill! I love the refection of the red roses in the headstone … the fine polish creates a seamless optical illusion.

Gemma

2009-06-09T15:57:00.002+10:00

"This is boring!" my niece, Gemma, announced at The National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, thereby gaining the attention of everyone else in the building.

We visited a village of miniature castles, the kind fairy princesses could live in, and ate icy-poles shortly after. Not surprisingly, that was scintillating.

Look at those gorgeously chubby fingers!

A New Baby

2009-06-04T11:45:00.003+10:00

Ruby at about four months

Julie, her husband and 10 children live in a converted service station. She is eight months pregnant with number 11 (“The obstetrician asks me for advice!” she exclaims), yet sits with me on the concrete path in their backyard.

Three black-and-tan kelpie pups clamber on my lap, sucking the last of the autumn sun from my jeans. At seven weeks, they have fuzz rather than fur, which is filled with a blizzard of the puppy equivalent to cradle cap.

One catches my eye. She is earnest and resolute, with white blaze on her chest and a tiny letter “m” on the velvety skin of her lower belly.

The puppies need new homes and I want this one. I am surprised. When I was four, our farm dog, a black kelpie named Lucky, gored my eye, leaving a brown scar like a large piece of grit on my inner eye-lid. Lucky’s fate did not match his name, and I have been frightened of dogs ever since.

Justin is equally surprised, but agrees to discuss the possibility while we go to the supermarket. We grab a trolley and start down the first aisle. I have named my puppy Ruby before we reach the end.

A couple of weeks later, Justin puts together a dog kennel that looks like a log cabin, while Ruby pummels the carrots in the vegetable garden. He puts a finger to his lips and dashes back to the supermarket, returning with a fuchsia pink hot water bottle. As he tucks Ruby, her hot water bottle and two teddy bears into bed, he berates me “for making me love this puppy”.

Ruby and I roam along the local river daily. She blunders over granite rocks and charges through grass so high I see nothing but the whiplash of green stems. Only one of us returns home exhausted. The other, smeared with mud like the carp that live in the river shallows, is elated.

Ruby’s favourite toy is a Kong — a hollow rubber cone that I fill with peanut butter. She sprawls on the lawn, sucking and chewing for hours. Then one afternoon I find myself in the kitchen, gouging the last mouthfuls of chocolate spread from a jar with my fingers. I laugh at our similarity.

Two weeks later, Justin plays tennis at night, Ruby chases moths in the floodlights and Julie goes into labour. Within days, another baby arrives at a new home, a red-haired boy named Shilo.

Ruby is now two. She is still as eager to please as she was at seven weeks, and, as a working breed, is a natural athlete, with the agility and finesse of a trapeze artist.

High Tea

2009-06-01T20:15:00.002+10:00

At the Hyatt Hotel Canberra for high tea in 2008: (above) my sister, Kerriann; (below) my brother-in-law, Matthew

High tea at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra is a giddy buffet — crust-less finger sandwiches of smoked salmon and wafer-thin beef, pastries, mousse served in port glasses and meringues joined with cream are just some of the sweet and savoury dainties. A glass of champagne is presented on arrival, followed with pots of tea, served by staff in vintage-inspired uniform. Not surprisingly, guests dress up — black pants for men and afternoon cocktail dress for women.

Graving

2009-05-28T01:31:00.005+10:00

"Facing the Grave"

"Flowers and Cross"

I’m a “graver”, at least that’s what I’ve just discovered through Google. According to Shanna Riley at A Gravers Journal, this means I find cemeteries peaceful and serene, and am fond of reading and photographing headstones. What’s more, this is apparently a perfectly respectable hobby, and is an essential part of tracing family histories, whether your own or other people’s.

The Halls

2009-05-26T14:37:00.001+10:00

Part of my fascination with cemeteries is our practice of creating monuments to deal with the passing of our loved ones — the architecture of headstones alone is an artform, one that is subject to trends and changes, just like any other creative endeavour.

But I also love the stories of individual lives that are hidden behind the names and dates.

For instance, given that she died aged 77 in 1993, we know that Stella Margaret Mary Hall was probably born in 1916. This means she saw everything from the Russian Revolution in 1917 to the first public access to the Internet in 1992. She was 14 before Pluto, the ninth planet, was discovered, and yet lived to see the first “test tube” baby born 1978.

Suitcases and Electric Jugs

2009-05-25T13:10:00.002+10:00

Down Memory Lane is a cavernous antique, vintage and curios shop in Fyshwick, a strangely-named industrial area in Canberra. The prices are realistic and an afternoon of rummaging is akin to visiting a social history museum.

I’m a big fan of using old suitcases for storage, and can never walk past a stack of vintage magazines or a cabinet of costume jewellery.

Screened Portrait (Justin)

2009-05-22T21:29:00.002+10:00

Seven years ago today, I went on a date with a young PhD student. He had black hair, grey eyes and a voice like smoke — I thought he was divine. We had lunch in the sun at a little place on the café strip in Leederville, Perth. Not that we ate anything … we were both too nervous, a state that lasted for the whole nine weeks and two days that we dated.

It wasn’t very long … you see, the PhD student was waiting for his final marks and planned to get a job on the other side of the country. And he didn’t want to take me as his girlfriend.

Instead, he wanted to take me as his wife.

We married six months to the day after that first, awkward date.

Were we crazy? Yes. Did we know what we were doing? Yes. I knew Justin was “the one” before he even asked me on that first date. And here we are all these years later.

You’ll be pleased to hear we’re not nervous around each other any more!

I'm not sure the above portrait is the best illustration for this romantic story. Justin looks less like a dream first date and more like a character from the sci-fi series V — the one where alien lizards disguise themselves as humans and take over the world!

Our Sunshine

2009-05-19T13:52:00.004+10:00

I was up until 3am working on this — some pictures simply take a long time to “nut out”.

The whole process in general for making this image was overly complicated, which is something I’m very good at bringing on myself!

I started by using a torn cardboard mask to create an in-camera half-frame in my Holga, following Ed Wenn’s instructions at Toycamera.com.

Then I walked around Goomalling, a tiny wheatbelt town in Western Australia, where my parents have a house, looking for close-ups. The main street is a long, wide avenue, with a pub, ramshackle shops and industrial yards on one side and a railway and park full of relics from the pioneering days on the other. I also nipped out to the cemetery (I can never resist a wander through one) and the restored Slater Homestead, built in 1856.

A little planning and big dose of good luck resulted in a series of meaningful juxtapositions that will hopefully turn into six portraits of the town.

“Our Sunshine” contrasts a vintage Sunshine harvester with a statue of a “digger”, the nickname for an Australian soldier, to comment on our national pride in those who serve Australia in wars.

Single Sheep

2009-05-18T16:22:00.002+10:00

Some people say sheep are silly. Not this one — it kept me on my toes for a good half hour before I could get close enough for a shot. Perhaps "sneaky" or even "skittish" are better descriptions. I was quite surprised when this well-framed shot came back from the lab as I gave into running and randomly shooting in the end!

Tantrum through the Tulips

2009-05-16T19:50:00.001+10:00

This image shows why one should not take a child to a flower festival. In 2004, we went to Floriade with Justin’s cousin, Jo, and her two girls, Eden and Bronwyn.

And this was the result.

For those who prefer blooms to bust-ups, Floriade is the biggest flower festival in the southern hemisphere. For 30 days every September and October, there are three times more flowers in Commonwealth Park than residents in its host city, Canberra.

That’s one million flowers!

After Mondrian

2009-05-14T13:00:00.003+10:00

I remember the furor over the cost of Australia’s new parliament house when it opened in 1988 — notably the extravagance of the 48 pillars and two staircases of Italian marble in the foyer.

Of course, the building is now an award-winning architectural icon, applauded for its sophistication and symbolic use of materials. Further, Italian-born Romaldo Giurgola — who co-created the winning design with Australian Richard Thorp in a 1980 competition — is now an Australian resident and lives within walking distance of his handiwork.

Piet Mondrian, Composition with Red, Yellow, Blue and Black

The sleek, symmetrical exterior of Parliament House is instantly recognisable — it towers, visible from all angles, over central Canberra, making it one of the city’s most photographed subjects. However, I prefer the foyer; grand yet minimal, it’s geometric shapes and simple colours remind me of a Piet Mondrian painting.

Geometry expressed truth for this modernist Dutch artist. Can the same be said for what goes in the home of Australian politics?

Artist Talk

2009-05-08T19:38:00.004+10:00

From top to bottom: Poor Little Rich Girl; Junior Player; On the Shelf

It's official ... I promise these are the last mannequin photos I post for a very long time (the fact that I don't actually have any more helps). In fact, I've only shown you these because I'm giving an artist talk at Photoaccess at 2pm on Sunday. If you're anywhere near the corner of New South Wales Crescent and Manuka Circle, Manuka at that time, please feel free to drop in for a glass of champagne, a cupcake and a chat.

Otherwise, you're welcome to stay right where you are and read my catalogue or browse through the entire exhibition at Flickr.

I Spy: Nick Vlahadamis

2009-05-08T19:09:00.008+10:00

Ragged frame edges and a blue-duotone make for a gorgeously moody architectural shot.

A test of the minox B using available light in the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney. “The results were pleasantly surprising,” Nick says.

From Nick’s series My Minox Newtown Essay, shot in the inner-city Sydney suburb of the same name using a 50-year-old Minox IIIs.

“I’m really an ordinary dad with a couple of young kids,” Nick Vlahadamis tells me in an email about his camera habits. That may be true, but Nick’s passion for Minox — the world’s most famous brand of spy cameras — is anything but mundane.

I met Nick through cameraFanplastic, my online shop, and we got talking about what is technically called subminiature photography; that is, cameras so tiny they fit in the palm of your hand. He was thinking about investing in a new film scanner, so I offered to test a few of his teeny (as in the size of your little fingernail) negatives on my gear. As you can see, the results are fantastic, so I thought I’d interview Nick for this blog.

But first, a little bit about Minox….

Walter Zapp, a German born in Russia and living in Estonia, dreamed up this portable and lightweight in 1932. While not as popular as the 35mm camera, it quickly became a niche favourite, first in the luxury “gadget” market, and second in the intelligence community, notably with US, British and German agencies, who used its easy concealed size and close focusing to copy documents.

In today’s world of digital imaging, Minox is alive, well and still in production. In fact, the cameras have a cult following and are adored by collectors. Part of the appeal is the styling — these cameras embody the best of modernist design.

“I love their brushed aluminum construction and miniscule size,” Nick says. “One look at any model and you just marvel at the unique craftsmanship. You just want to hold it, carry it and use it all the time.”

No wonder he owns seven of these beauties: three Minox Bs; three Minox Cs and a Minox IIIs (also called a Minox A). “There is nothing else like the Minox in photography,” he enthuses.

Like many photographers, Nick likes to have a camera on hand at all times. “I always carry the Minox IIIs in my pocket,” say says. “I can shoot anything that catches my eye and if I don’t use it, I just play with it in my hand, like worry beads. It’s so tactile.”

About the length of your average finger, James Bond fans will recognise this particular model from the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. A piece of trivia — star George Lazenby actually holds the camera upside-down!

While Mr Lazenby’s camera technique means he would have shot … well, nothing … Nick says Minox cameras generally are ideal for snapping ad hoc in busy streets. Surprisingly, he adds, “They’re lovely portrait shooters.” In fact, he often uses them to photograph his wife and two children.

Having said this, Nick is coy about his skills, although his images suggest otherwise. “I am really a novice, with a keen interest in something that was once ubiquitous, but is now so quirky,” he says.

The Butcher's Cow

2009-05-04T19:04:00.003+10:00

I achieved an incredible feat when I recently visited printer Stephen Best in nearby Braidwood — I limited myself to packing a single camera. I also had just one hour on the day we left to take pictures, gallery hop and rummage through vintage shops. And this is what I came up with — I love the way colour links and balances what, at first glance, are two diverse subjects.

Urban Birds

2009-05-04T18:42:00.003+10:00

In early 2007, I went through a phase of wandering the streets of Yass with my Olympus Pen EE-2, snapping scenes of mail boxes and front yards that took my fancy. Well, after a two years, my backlog of film is finally processed and I’ve unearthed some more, this time with a peculiar bird theme.

In “Bird House” (top), the beautifully hand-crafted feeder seems higher up and more impressive than the house itself. A vintage pot guards the house in “White Swan” (centre) — this scene evokes childhood memories of visiting old folks who were friends with my parents. In contrast, I’m a bit frightened of “Birds 4 Sale” (bottom) — the house looks derelict and the car seems almost dumped on the unkempt front lawn. Would you feel safe knocking on the door to enquire about the cockatiels and finches on offer?

Who Was Mary Farrell?

2009-05-01T19:38:00.002+10:00

Who was Mary Farrell … and what was her life like before she was buried in the Boorowa cemetery?

This is where I enjoy playing the role of sleuth, like Hercule Poirot, one of my favourite fictional detectives.

Her name suggests she was an Irish Catholic — “Mary” is obviously a reference to the mother of Christ, while “Farrell” is a common Irish surname, which means “hero” and “man of courage”.

The words and pictures on Mary’s headstone support this. The three-leafed clovers also suggest Ireland, but not luck — otherwise there would be four — while the dove with the olive branch suggests peace, perhaps to “rest in peace” now that her life on Earth is over. Meanwhile, the epitaph “Of your charity pray for the soul of” was a popular Catholic inscription, which urged the living to intercede for the souls of the dead to speed their journey through Purgatory. This inscription, however, was most popular in the 100 years before Henry VIII split from the Catholic church in the 1530s. While no date of death appears in my photograph, the headstone style and Boorowa’s history suggests she died in the 1870s or 1880s — does this mean Mary was an old-fashioned girl?

What is certain is that Mary and/or her parents came to Australia in one of two ways: they were either convicts (possibly sent as political prisoners) or emigrated to escape the Potato Famine. Either way, she and her family would have been farm labourers, possibly working their way to owning their own farms or businesses. Of course, they were not alone — Boorowa is still known for its Irish heritage.

The amazing thing is what Mary would have worn while she worked the land and raised children: no stranger to the corset and bustle, her waist would have pinched in and her bottom padded out. If she couldn’t afford the real thing, she would have created imitations using petticoats and horse hair, both hidden below a tight blouse and floor-length skirt.

And to think people praise Ginger Rogers for “dancing backwards” in high heels!

Rust

2009-04-29T12:10:00.001+10:00

Summer is my favourite season — I love its hot, earthy colours, especially the parched brittleness of the dry landscape. There’s something primal about the way heat stores in the ground, then moves up through you, like something alive, as you walk over it.

I took these pictures in nearby Boorowa last year using my Olympus Pen EE-2 half-frame camera. With a population of just 2,450, the town may be small, but it holds a glut of photographic inspiration — the first shot is from the local cemetery, while the second is from the balcony of The Boorowa Hotel (where the counter meals are exceptionally cheap!).

Opening Night

2009-04-24T18:59:00.006+10:00

From the top: Tony Stewart, David Bruce and myself (photos courtesy Bob Burne)

I have a theory that I believe applies to any event, ranging from weddings to conferences — all people really remember is the quality of the food and beverages and that's how, in hindsight, they will rate the quality of their experience.

For this reason, I bought great beer and wine, and spent all day yesterday making canapes and cupcakes with my sister, Kirralee, for the opening of my exhibition, Dumb-founded.

Was the effort justified?

Well, I hope so — everything seemed to vaporise within five minutes, even though we over-catered, and people lingered in the gallery for a long time. Those are surely good signs.

Above are some pictures of the speeches: first, Tony Stewart, chair person of the Photoaccess board, who opened the show); second, David Bruce, who is exhibiting in the gallery next to mine, with First Impressions (we shared an opening); and, finally, moi, looking surprising calm.

Thanks to everyone who came along, plus those who emailed me with best wishes or checked out the online version of my show.