When things go bad

I am a bit sick of the stupid little things that are making my life harder than it should be at the moment. It seems for every little bit of good that happens, I get a shit load of bad.... yes today I am in a blue mood and feel like venting so turn away now if you can.

I have just deleted a page long rant about how everything sucks I sounded like a big sooky la la. I was reminded that when things seem really bad write 2 lists, the bad and the positive

The Bad and the Positive

• My car was damaged when someone hit me when I was stopped at light
• No one was hurt, I do not need to pay the excess
• My car was making a weird noise - possible water pump
• My sister was driving my car when I heard it, can't hear the noise when driving with radio on - avoided major damage
• No car for a week
• A chance to take a few days off work and catch up on my editing
• My trip to Chile has been cancelled for this year. (by my trip I mean Daughter #3's school trip - I am going as a parent helper)
• I will be able to go on a photography trip to the Top End of Australia with my teacher/mentor/workshop boss.
• Trip to Chile still on the plan for next year = more time to save
• Daughter #3 left gas on grill running before lighting this morning resulting in a gas flare
• singed hair and a huge fright, this could have been very very bad, it has taken most of the day for us to get over the fright.
• I had another wedding to photograph on Saturday with Ra Ra....and it rained again
• I had my umbrella for my camera :)
• My pay dispute with work has still not been resolved after 12 months and I am getting more and more angry about it.
• when the money comes it will get a new stove and pay for my trip to the Top End

I am sure if I thought hard I would find more things to complain about... I am not going to. I going to get on with it and know that these things will all work out.

I have not edited my photos taken this week....I should be doing that now. I prefer procrastination....So much so I am going to make my lunch and watch a movie with D#3 

Watch this space for HWMBO new website, this week I have to find time during my procrastination to finish it for him. Then I get to work on mine. I did a baby photo shoot as well as the wedding in the rain so I am getting a collection for my portfolio.

These are my entries monthly for the Flickr challenges. Food and Winows

Preconceived Ideas

I am guilty of approaching a photo shoot with a preconceived idea, I don't mean a plan of the photos I wanted to take (I always try to have some sort of plan). I was told about a disused insane asylum that is on the grounds of UQ Ipswich, it has not been renovated in the 15 years since closing. I was very excited and set about getting permission to photograph this building. I am a UQ employee so I imagined this wouldn't be very hard.... my first mistake. 6 weeks of playing email tag with different departments I finally got the go ahead. While I was waiting for permission I saw  some photos of abandoned asylums in the US, this is where the preconception came to play, I wanted to see the operating table, old chairs and theaters.

http://www.photographyblogger.net/deinstitutionalized-pictures-of-abandoned-asylums-by-justin-earsing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+photoblggr+%28Photography+Blogger%29

It was not like that at all, the Blair Pavilion is used for storage....that was my first disappointment, the building had been cleaned a few years ago so it was not a neglected as I expected. I wanted there to be old furniture in the rooms...

As a result of my disappointment I didn't even look at my photos when I loaded them to the computer, I dumped them in a folder and never intended to go back to them....until I heard that I was very lucky to be able to take these photos, a work colleague told me that she has worked at Ipswich campus for 10 years and has never even been in the building. It is a no go zone. This prompted me to go back and look at my photos...so I could send her one or two.

They were a lot better than I originally thought, which makes me wonder should I leave my photos for a few weeks before editing? Probably not, but it would be a good idea to go back and look at my raw files after a few weeks, I might see something I had dismissed the first time.

It was a rainy day when I took these photos, I liked the clouds around the old building

The current security guard posed for a shot for me

Names of the patients are still on the doors

Scratch marks on the door from when the patients where is lock down

Long corridor

Inmate art - preserved

Adam and Eve - no separate bathrooms. No privacy 

Finally a nice weekend (I hope)

After 10 weeks of rain, it looks like it is going to be a fine weekend (touch wood), yesterday and today have been beautiful, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds....it is shame I have been working. 

It has been a very busy week and I am looking forward to the weekend, I have no plans except there will be photo taking. I have thought about getting up early for a sunrise....but these are over rated so I will make an effort for a sunset somewhere pretty.

I am a  Uni Green Officer, this is a group of UQ staff dedicated to sustainability and good environmental practices at UQ, my part in this group is small as my office is only 3 people and we are all pretty good with personal 'green habits', I would love to have a paperless office, however the antiquated systems and polices in place make it impossible. For example all contractors/workers must do an online induction, this is stored in a data base to which I cannot access so there must be a printed copy of every induction. This is 6 pages long and not relevant to my work yet still must be done.

That was not where I was heading with this post, so forgive me for waffling today, it is Friday. 

The Green Office incentive this month is to get people out of the office and enjoying walks around UQ lakes, so there is a photographic competition with a fair trade chocolate hamper for a prize. The photos must include a sustainability marker. So after work on Saturday I went for a walk with my camera, I ended up ankle deep in mud the one time I stepped of the path and wished I had taken my big lens to get a closer picture of the ducks chasing the bride.

These are the four I have entered in the competition. 

If you look at this large you will see the ducks at the brides feet, the photographer  spent ages shooing them away
I would have included them in my photo....a memory you can't stage. (The photographer also go very shitty at me for pointing may camera at the bride when I got closer....my feet were wet and dirty so I didn't pick a fight....I could have won because I was in uniform...)

I am looking forward to a weekend of sunshine, photos and wine....after the week I have had I am looking forward to a lot of wine.

I also have to redo HWMBO's website and create a Facebook page for him. He needs to move into the digital age and jump on the social network bandwagon. It is the way of the future. I will start with the Facebook page and take it from there. 

Watch this space

Have a good weekend

Steam Train

On the other page of this blog is the 104 photos in 404 days challenge...404 days has past (i think about a month ago) but I am going to finish the list...I am very good at starting something and never seeing it through so this time I am determined. I know that I can go snapping and create situations to finish this challenge, in fact I have for a few...however these photos are not ones that I am happy with so I am waiting for the 'perfect' moment now.

I do look for the moment, I know what is left on my list so I can plan how to get the photo I need or have visualized. The steam train has been one I have been planning for a few months, the most local steam train to me is at Gympie - The Gympie Rattler. I was planning on a Wednesday when I wasn't working to find a place on the route to get a photo - this plan has been foiled by all the rain and flooding in Gympie (4 times in the last year) the tracks have warped and the train is not running. Bugger.

A few weeks ago our local paper advertised 'The Sunshine Express' a heritage train tour from Brisbane city to Landsborough on Saturday 2 March, how excited was I. I got the schedule and worked out the best places to get the northbound and southbound journey photos, HWMBO and I planned our day around the schedule, and it rained...not gentle pitter patter rain, torrential rain, this was not going to stop me from getting my photo so we waited at 'my spot' in the car, the plan was when the train came we would stop the wipers for a clear shot. We waited an hour before I checked the schedule - no change...had it been canceled? Was it just late? I finally rang the hot line and got a recorded message - the train left Brisbane 1/2 hour early. I had missed it.

The rain continued all day but I was determined to get my photo, for the return journey we where 1/2 an hour early after 50 mins I was ready to give up and go home it was pouring rain and in the effort to keep my camera dry i was getting my back wet, HWMBO was great about holding the umbrella - all the time thinking there must be a better way.

Just as we turned to walk away the train came, I got my shot YEAH I expected the train to slow as it came though the station....no it went shooting past blasting it horn. I shot so fast my camera couldn't keep up so I missed the photo of the driver as he pasted. All good I got what I wanted.

This is what HWMBO was thinking about while holding the umbrella - how he could not be there. He made me a connection for an umbrella to keep me and the camera dry. 

Lets hope they sell....any money we make goes towards a weekend away. 

PS This is the logo I created

Success

The wedding photos were a success, I don't know why I doubt myself so much...The bride was so happy, she cried and hugged me about five times. When I explained the loss of photos she was more upset about how I felt than missing a few photos. After I told her she said she wondered why her family were all looking in different ways. Her family were so hard to work with, I was a wonder I could even get them sitting together. Over all it was a good result and everyone was happy...even the mothers.

I will now spend some time being creative with the photos, this was my first attempt, while it is OK there is a few issues, like the fire works coming out of her cleavage. CreativeLive has had a photoshop week, and this has been fantastic for what I want to do. I have also invested in Adobe Lightroom, which is a editing program that has the option to edit multiple photos at once...another new program to learn.

I am thinking ***Ok I am going to*** create a website and Facebook page to put it out there that I am in business and want to make money...I have created a watermark for my photos, I have turned my pendant in to a logo, I have got a name...very creative Roz Bannan Photography. ***I know, I know it is boring, but I have been asking friends and family what they think would be a good name and everyone has said the same thing*** Now the hard work begins. The work on a website, then getting it in the open. Am I worried about what people will think. Hell Yes. Am I worried I am not good enough...Double Hell yes. Am I good enough HELL YES. What happens if I get no work?....nothing. What happens if I get work?....I have a chance to make money. Wish me luck.

A few more wedding photos.

The Wedding Photos

Today I am going the the bride and groom's to show them the photos of the wedding, the bride is unaware of the tragedy that occurred with the loss of my photos - I will tell her after she sees what I have got.  I think she will be happy. The groom knows, I work with him everyday and it is very hard for me to keep secrets. 
Bride was starting to get worried when I wanted to deliver the photos rather than email or Dropbox. My reason for hand delivery is more selfish than the 'tragedy'....I want to 'see' if she likes them. It is all good to be told but it is nicer to see the reactions. A few more images from the day....I am not telling the B&G which photos are mine or which ones are RaRa's. I am not going to say here either, RaRa and I will be the only ones.

I am thinking about creating a website/facebook group and maybe get paid for my work....the jury is still out ***mainly coz I can't think of a name or I start doubting my ability, I also worry too much about what other people think***

A funny thing happened the other night - HWMBO was standing behind me when I was on Facebook - I didn't know he was there, I was looking at a photo one of my school friends had taken with her mobile phone. He said, 'the horizon is crooked'....I am obviously rubbing off on him as I often have a sloping horizon in my photos that I have to correct before posting. 

I also had to restrain myself for commenting on the Brisbane Lions FB page, the post was the behind the scenes of the official photo shoot, when I first saw this photo I cringed and wished I was the official photographer -  I would have made the backdrop higher or created another pose for Mathew Leuenberger... I am getting a bit picky now.

More photos of the wedding after I have show the B&G. I hope they are happy.

Still raining or is it raining again

Once again the weekend was wet, it looks like the whole week is going to be wet again, as severe weather warnings have been issued. Possible flash flooding and high seas. I am a bit over it, even our duck is looking a bit put out with being wet all the time. Lilly (our golden retriever) is getting bored - she doesn't like to be wet so she wont go outside, a bored puppy can only mean one thing....mess. She has destroyed 2 of her squeaky toys this week... pulling out all the stuffing  because she likes to play with the squeaker. ***note to self, buy toys with out squeakers***

Pre stuffing removal , before the rain

The advantage of a wet weekend was I spent a lot of time working on the wedding photos, I allowed myself a few days of sulking (if you saw my previous post you will understand http://rozzy35.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/the-rain-and-pain.html) I am happy with the photos and if the Bride is not, well she is too hard to please.

I will share a few today, I haven't finished yet - although I am now under pressure to have them all done by Thursday. I was going to Dropbox the photos to the bride, then I decided I wanted to see her face as she looked at them for the first time. I need to know she is happy so I will hand deliver a disk after work Thursday.

This is the first photo I edited - I wanted it for my 52 week challenge - The idea is to post a photo taken each week on Flickr, with all this rain I am struggling to get photos.

There is so many photos to chose from, I am going to let the bride pick her favorites, this is a selection of what I have processed so far. I had a scan through Ra Ra's photos, we have got all the main moments. Thank goodness, this wedding work is a lot of hard work, the bride and groom were great happy to do what ever was asked, the family were a lot harder to control. couldn't get them to look the same way for a photo, hard to get them to smile. Even the bridesmaid refused to smile most of the time. 

Live and learn, if I ever do another wedding a few things will happen - I will charge *** even a nominal fee***, this way my time will be important to the family, I will not waste my time on those who don't want to smile or even get their photo taken, if the family don't want photos with the Bride and Groom I will not wait for the squabbles to settle I will walk away.

AND most importantly, I will check my files before formatting the card in my camera - this I will do ever time now. Just because it is a new card doesn't mean it is not faulty.

the men in the rain

For the groom....Carlton garter belt

Mother and daughter 

All ready to go