Too much to do not enough time

I have had so many photo shoots in the past few weeks I have not had time to edit my photos... this is a problem I am very happy about. I have found that I usually get  edit a few photos as soon as I can, then never go back. Last week I decided I need to finish one set of photos before I work on another. Even if it takes me a few days....weeks.

I completed another goal of creating my Facebook site and registering for a Domain name. I am now www.rozbannanphotography.com. I need to build the website....after I finish HWMBO's (for the record I have done 4 pages for him and I have set aside all day Saturday to work on it. The sooner his is complete the sooner I can work on mine) My Facebook page is Roz Bannan Photography,https://www.facebook.com/RozBannanPhotography?ref=hlI was so thrilled to get 50 likes on the first day...of course it has slowed down since, all in good time. 

I often say I am distracted by shiny objects and will often find ways to avoid doing the job at hand, this weekend I thought I would get my photo for the Flickr challenge done, this month themes are Toys and Winter Up Close. With a $10 budget I hit Kmart looking for the perfect toy, I got 2, a dragon from a game called Skylander and a Ballerina doll.

I still did not have a plan as to how to photograph the toys or even if I used them together, HWMBO came suggested I use the doll as a pole dance.... 20 mins later he made me a dancing pole. As this the Flickr group is a diverse range of people, some young and some old I thought I better keep it a bit PG, so he made a balance bar as well. After  editing a few different poses with the doll I went the the family for their favorite. As normal no-one could agree and the best one for the competition, I made a collage of the three most popular.
It was a fun afternoon and NOT what I had planned.

The secret life of toys

I felt this guy was lacking something so didn't even consider him for the comp

The only other photos I have to share this post, is a red belly black snake. I love snakes and will always take the opportunity to handle them if I can. This snake is deadly...I was glad I have the zoom lens and even then I was shaking. I emailed these photos to the Sunshine Coast City Council and was very please to be asked if they can display them and use for educational purposes at the park. 

Swisse Color Run

The happiest run on the planet, this is how this event was sold to the public, my Niece (related by friendship not by blood) told me all about this event, it sounded like a great photo opportunity and it was. The first date for this event was cancelled - lucky for me because it was a day that I was not able to make it.

This run is sponsored by Swisse and was every bit as fun and colourful as all the advertising, the rules were very strict *** insert tongue firmly in cheek*** this is my favorite bit from the FAQs 

How strict is the “white clothing dress code” for the start of the event?
We will have white clothing police inspectors located throughout the event.  You will be arrested and put in The Color Run™ jail if more than 11.8% of your clothing is a hue other than white.

Were you kidding about the question above?
Yes we were.  As long as runners wear shirts that are mostly white, you are totally good.  They can include team logos and any other image you see fit.  Shorts/pants don’t need to be white, especially if it’s after labor day.  To the point… It is really just more fun to run starting in white and ending, well…. COLORIFFIC !!!!!

How is the color administered?  Will I be hurt, maimed, or killed?
Ha ha ha! we love this one.  No, it doesn’t hurt at all.  It is like getting into a powdered sugar food fight.

You are sure??? Teenagers with paint ball guns are not involved at any point?
Yes. We are 100% sure.

Daughter #3 and I went only to take photos, we were not participating...this did not stop the crowd from sharing the love of colour, my camera and I were covered by the time we left, a few friends offered concern for my camera....apparently bad thing can happen if you get dust on your sensor DUH...I didn't change my lens at all and avoided it when possible. A wipe with the inside of my shirt every so often kept the lens and LCD screen clean. 

Before

After

 not on the camera OK....

The crowd

Everyone had a huge smile at the end of the day....how could you not be happy on a day like this

sharing the love, with clean spectators.

Not so clean now

exhausted after a big day

I can't wait until next year, I will 'run' and not take my camera. (or maybe just a point and shoot camera, I will need to record the event). There is already dates planned for Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast for 2014. I 

 

Busy few weeks

Wow doesn't time fly when you are busy, every day I have said I would catch up on my editing, website building and blogging....and every day I have had something else to do. I have been busy at home, busy with photos and supper busy at work. Lucky for me June is a reasonably quiet month at work so I will have more time for the things I enjoy.

#2 is much happier with her travels after the phone incident in Paris, http://rozzy35.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/the-big-adventure.html she has been making friends around Europe and is now spending her last week of travel in Spain. I think my baby girl has grown up a lot in the last few weeks. The photo a day challenge for her stopped when she lost her phone. I have had to be happy with messages on Facebook and a few Skype dates. She is happy and having the time of her life, that is all a mother can ask for.

While #2 Daughter has been gallivanting around the world her friends have been playing with me. I wanted a young pretty girl for a shadow photo - a challenge for our Flickr group. Luckily the friend had a lace parasol that creates beautiful shadows, I was going to use a clear umbrella with hearts on it, the parasol worked so much better. This image won the challenge.

Winner - shadow like a mask

Hiding from the camera

I had been trying for months to get #2 to pose for a few photo ideas before she went OS....she always had an excuse not to come with me, so I asked A to pose at the graffiti wall. 

I need to work on my posing a bit, I am not sure how to direct friends to do what I want and still remain natural... it is all learning 

The other idea I had was a story...Genie in a bottle. Another one of #2's friends helped with this idea. I love when a plan turns out exactly like I imagine. 

I have not finished with these photos, I still have the story line to create.

The costume is mine from my belly dancing days, the wings are my favorite prop. Neek loved running around the beach with them, regardless that it was freezing. 

More photos to come in my next entry...I also have a lot of planned shoots for the next few weeks. Maybe I will start getting paid soon....maybe I need to get the website built....maybe I better get on with it now. maybe maybe maybe............later.

The big adventure

I am sure every mother feels lost when a child moves out of home before you are ready for them to go...even worse if they move overseas. Daughter #2 has started her overseas adventure, she has not moved per say but there is no return ticket. 
After a week staying with wonderful friends in England, she has started a 9 stop bus tour around Europe...on her own. Did I mention she is only just 18. Day 1 she arrived in Paris after an overnight train trip with little or no sleep. The first message I got was one of frustration that the locker wouldn't except her coins...how did she expect me to help from over 16000 kms away (or 21 hours) I don't know. All I could do was tell her to get a staff member and some sleep. 

Day 2 in France, I get the message that starts with a sentence every parent of a traveler dreads - 'Don't freak out!' My heart started pounding and my head went all cloudy as I tried to read the rest of the message....Phew it is only her phone that has been stolen. This I can cope with, apparently a girl asked her for the time, when #2 check on her phone it was snatched from her hand and the girl ran off. 2 nice guys asked #2 to come with them and they would help her get her phone back ***yeah right*** Lucky #2 was smart enough to be suspicious and went back to her Hostel then reported it to the police. She is now without a phone and about to board a bus to go to Switzerland. I have checked with her insurance and she is able to buy a new phone and will get reimbursed once the claim is approved.

I was so proud of the way she handled the phone debacle, I thought she has grown up in the past few weeks - then she asked for me to post her favorite stuffed toy over to England for her.....seriously. I am the good mother so I will send it with a care package of tim tams and her favorite Aussie treats.

The planned photo a day she was told to send me has been put on hold until the phone is sorted. She is still taking pics with a camera, it is hard to upload and email on the laptop everyday, the Wi Fi is not always the best.

A few of her photos so far,

Buckingham Palace with her host sister (HS stayed with us for 6 weeks in 2011 - she is the reason for this adventure)

The gates of Buckingham Palace - #2 knew HWMBO would like the detail

A church in Arundal - I think she didn't say anything about this photo. 

She loves the streets and houses in England

Some of the notes I hid in her bag the day she left -she has found 15, I hid 24. I hope she finds one in a few months. 

 

I am finding it a bit hard not to worry while she is on this tour. I wish her safe travels. 

Books and Photography two of my favorite things

I mentioned in my last post that I got my first paying gig as a photographer, (still doing a happy dance inside). Every 2nd year UQ Alumni holds a Book Fair to raise money for scholarships and other Alumni funded events.
This is one of my favorite events I work, it is well known how I love to read. 

I was in my element, books, books and more books. I looked for photography books for me and cook books for #1 Daughter, I was successful with the cook books, not so lucky on the photography. The most current Photoshop book/magazine was for PS4 - I am currently using PS6 and have a load of video tutorials. There where some interesting books pre DSLR, I flipped and read a bit, I didn't buy them due to a lack of storage. I did buy a few novels - and by a few I mean 3 boxes. I pay it forward, when I finish a book I pass it on to a friend, who does the same.

Boxes and boxes of books ready to be unpacked

Popular and new release books - sadly these didn't sell as well as they have in previous years, I believe this is due to the Ereader/iPad

Art books, magazines and posters

Records, CDs are always popular

Panorama of the books waiting for the public to arrive - this is 3 photos stitched together - a wide angle lens is on my wish list  

The buyers

Birds eye view 

I love children reading

The English Housekeeper 1805 - this book not only provided recipe ideas, it also gave instructions on how to kill and prepare the meat.

Unfortunately there is a lot of books thrown out at the end, there is plenty of people prepared to sift through the skip for free books, I guess this is another form of recycling.

I don't often bring my camera to work - I would never get any work done.... As I walked to my car camera in hand I liked the reflections of one of the newest building on the lake. 

Family visits

I had 2 days full of family this week and surprisingly I enjoyed all of it.
My niece turned 16 and celebrated with a high tea at home, I doubt I would have gone if she had wanted to have it a fancy restaurant or cafe. I am not a fan of stuffing myself on cake and tiny sandwiches and calling it afternoon tea and I certainly can't justify spent $50.00 to do so (this is an average price at the better quality restaurants) .
My sister spent days baking and making...she loves to cook so this was not a chore, little cakes, sausage rolls, mini quiche, scones (these were awesome), finger sandwiches and of course the birthday cake.
After cake and tea, we headed to the beach for fish and chips with surrogate family so they could say goodbye to #2 daughter before her overseas adventure.

Canberra Cousin and her family are holidaying on the Gold Coast for a week, with not a lot of time and a busy schedule full of theme parks and beach days. It was decided the best time for me to visit was the day they arrived, it is a 2 hour each way drive for me so I went early to spend some time taking photos. I lived on the Gold Coast for 5 years before marriage (I usually describe my time on the coast as my misspent youth...I did meet HWMBO then so it wasn't all bad). Obviously it has changed so much since I lived there, I have visited a few times but rarely to I have wander time. I had never been to the very end of the spit, this is where I headed with my camera. I want to go back...I didn't have enough time. I walked out on a rock pier and looked back towards surfers paradise. I think the photo show how beautiful it was. I would like to go back and walk all the pier (although I am not sure I can, as it is used for sand dredging).

it was a lovely afternoon with CC and her family, the boys are both delightful but very strong will and mischievous. I was keen to get photos of them on the beach in the afternoon light, they wanted to go the to pool. As it is often very cold in Canberra there is not much pool weather. We worked a bit of a compromise, pool  - beach - pool - dinner. I got photos I wanted and the boys got what they wanted.

After a dinner of pizza and pasta, Master 4 year old announced that he was tired and going to bed and so was his Brother 8 year old. Mum and Dad looked at each other with surprise and said 'goodnight'. Apparently bed time is known as struggle time. The boys went to bed and were asleep within 1/2 hour. I hope they make this a habit. CC is 5 months pregnant and could do with less stress (baby is due on my birthday and her fathers, my beloved Uncle - I was born on his 21st birthday so we have a special bond)

Website is coming along nicely, I hope to be finished in a few weeks. Isn't it funny how things start to flow once you start....one day I will master the art of starting. 

I have a paying photography gig this weekend and the good thing about it is I am working at the same time - I think this is called double jobbing. UQ Book Fair have hired me to do professional photos for marketing. YEAH ME, I am planning my website while I am doing the business one. It is hard for me not to do mine first because it is more fun for me. Photos of Book Fair next week.