Toowong Cemetery

Daughter #1 is always keen to help me with my photography ideas, you may remember when she willing walked in the freezing waters at Gardeners Falls for the lady in the lake photos. Here Recently I have been toying with an dark morbid idea using a cemetery as the back drop.  I was after a dark fantasy look. I think I pulled it off.

I have been following the work of Brooke Shaden, http://shadenproductions.com/blog/ she does a lot of composite work with photoshop, I like the story telling of her work and wanted to try my own take. #1 and her BF are keen gamers and love the game of Thrones and Medieval stuff, I am sure they are going to love these photos. ***Although I  am not sure how HWMBO will like them*** (perhaps I won't show him)

The Toowong Cemetery is one of Brisbane's most historical cemeteries a lot of Queensland's governors and premiers buried here, the most notable grave in the Toowong Cemetery is  possibly that of Jack the Ripper. This is an extract from Wikipedia In August 2008 Toowong Cemetery made world news with the revelation that Jack the Ripper may well be buried there. According to Queensland Historians Jack Sim and Paul Tully, Walter Thomas Porriott was in the Whitechapel area of London at the time of the murders and later migrated to Australia. The headstone over his grave is only engraved with "Bessie - Died 25th June 1957 - And her Husband". 

I could have spent hours walking about the cemetery, looking at the different graves, the new and the old...although the old are much more interesting. I have another photo shoot planned for a cemetery so I might spend a bit of time on my own looking around for another site.

This was the first photo I took when I got out of the car, I love the light and colour of the weeds.

From this spot you can see the newer graves in the background, it was really quiet eerie...there was also a very strong smell of incense around the newer graves yet no evidence of it.

The lady in red 

HWMBO looking at the headstones

Behind the scenes a little help with the hood

The BF floating above the grave of Sir Anthony Musgrave Qld's 6th governor

This is the image I was after, again I am amazed that I can execute and idea and it work just as I picture it in my mind. Thank you #1 for being so patient and obliging 

I am looking forward to my next photography adventure....now I just need some ideas.

***Any ideas would be appreciated*** 

Quiet lazy day

Today has been a lazy day doing not much of anything, I have the mind of a guppy. I have start something, get distracted then forget what I was doing. I am still in my PJ's at 4pm. I even broke my rule of not leaving the house unless dressed properly....in my defense I took #2 to work and never got out of the car.

I did do a load of washing - does it count if it is still in the machine? I washed the brekky dishes - they are still draining. I started to read a book - boring can't get interested. I tried to watch a photoshop tutorial - her voice drove me mental. I helped HWMBO for a few minutes (he has started renovating the veranda upstairs), I was so useless he sent me away after 10mins.

The good news is I haven't been eating all day, usually when I am bored or out of sorts I eat like it is my last chance. I even have lots of food in the house, I finally went shopping and stocked the fridge, freezer and pantry yesterday. Maybe I have a shopping hangover!

I am not a fan of celebrating Halloween, I think it is over commercialized, over rated and should stay in America...I know that the holiday is not American...but they gave it the bullshit tradition we know today. Seriously why do parents let their children knock on strangers doors and ask for candy? 

Anyway I will hope off that soapbox and get on with the I am not a fan but....  I do like to dress up, I like to make costumes, I like the parties. This year there is NONE. So today I used a program called picmonkey to ghoul up some photos, I asked #3 and a friend to pose yesterday with the plan to 'Halloween' their photos today....I am so annoyed. I turned off auto focus for some stupid reason so all the photos I took are out of focus. I save a few and this is the result of 6 hours work (with lots of side trips in to the wonderful world that is my mind) 

I have used this for my Facebook profile pic...I love it, I used picmonkey  for the blood and the gashes , then added a few textures with Photoshop...still my preferred editing program

This turned out really well, I had talked to #3 about taking her to  the old house dressed in white to be a ghost. I achieved the same thing with out leaving the house (which is good because I am in my pj's still)

over editied I should have quit while I was ahead....PS crashed when  I left to do something else so I lost the original before I saved it.....rooky mistake!

Daughter #3 getting murdered by her Zombie best friend. this was fun to set up..... how do you get teenage girls not to smile :) 

Windy Day

A day off today and the wind is blowing a gale...no photography  opportunities today. I want to look at some photos for editing...I want to read a book....I want to watch a movie...I want to go shopping...I can't be bothered do doing anything....I am procrastinating.
If you have no dead lines or agenda, if no one knows what you have planned is is still procrastinating?
I am easily distracted today, I guess the wind is playing it games on me today...I am sure any school teacher/child carer can tell you that windy days are the worse days for behavior. When my girls were young they used to go silly on windy days...driving me to distraction. Today I have a puppy and a cat doing the same thing, they have been tormenting each other running around like they are possessed. Although puppy has just collapsed next to my feet and will sleep for hours now.
The posty has just opened the gate....goody this means stuff that wont fit in the letter box = ebay goodies. No ebay goodies even better, presents from the UK. I have got a box of sweets (although I think I am supposed to  share), there is soft toys for the girls mascots from the Olympic Games 2012. 

I had sad news at work yesterday - one of my boys (casual staff) is leaving to move to Melbourne in December. He is my favorite and if I was 18 I would be "crushing" on him. (don't get all weird and think I am a dirty old woman - I don't see him like that now). When I asked him if his lady would be going with him...he told me there is no Lady. This explains why he is moving, a few months ago he was telling me of his plan to go to Venice next year and propose, then have a pre wedding honeymoon in the UK. I am selfish enough to hope they work it out so he will stay and keep working for me. I wish I could get the courage to ask him to pose for me before he leaves, he has some awesome tattoos, a nice body and I need a nude model for a photography challenge. It won't happen...I am his boss and this would cross the line and be really creepy. (even from my point of view). 

I am suffering photoshop block...I want to edit photos for the challenge and the photo 5 competition, I am happy with nothing!
This is my thought for filling the frame - the October challenge - this is a iris center. I thought a flower would be easy for this challenge....nu ua. I might have to use one of my girls or Lilly.