Sunday, May 26, 2013

A Teenage Perspective

I have given in to the geek in me (again) and joined a book club. We are a small yet enthusiastic group brought together by one common denominator, my friend Kate. (You can follow her blog here.)
We have met three times now and I love that our conversations are not necessarily firmly focussed on the book of the month, but that we also spontaneously stray into reliving and re-loving books we have read in the past.
At last week's session, which was supposedly discussing Room by Emma Donoghue, we got on to discussing a book that I remember having a profound impact on me as a teenager - Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (although Wikipedia tells me it was actually written by a Beatrice Sparks). With the click of an iPad it was located on Amazon and deposited into my digital library, and I read it with almost the same speed.
At the time of my first read many, many moons ago, this diarised journey of a teenager drawn into the world of drugs was almost a forbidden read, a shocking story with a devastating epilogue. As a teenager it took me into a world I am grateful to say I have still never been a part of (or ever will be).
As an adult I must admit that despite the content being just as abhorrent, it felt like quite a tame read. Maybe this is because it was told from a teenage perspective, for a teenage audience. Or maybe it's because it followed the reading and discussion of Room and the realism that it coincided with the horrors and escape of the three women in Cleveland. Or maybe there's just so much 'shocking stuff' that we hear, see and read about in today's adult world that we've become desensitized. Who knows. It was good to revisit an old friend, regardless.


Monday, May 20, 2013

An Unsatisfying Ending!

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I am enjoying the freedom to write what I like and read what I like since the completion of my thesis. Over the weekend I completed another novel, which I loved... and loathed!
I loved the journey "Gone Girl' took me on, and the changes in the way I felt about the characters as more information was divulged. A clever use of the diary format by the author to tell a different side to a story helped to develop the story and characters
But I felt completely jilted by the ending. I mean I love a good twist, but the way this book finished left me completely unsatisfied and with a bad taste in my mouth. I want to rewrite it the way it should be!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Wall of Fame!

Just took a couple of phone snaps before I whisked myself upstairs to bed, to show off the 18 new blocks on my fast-filling photo wall in the hallway. (Cheated a bit with four triptych series going up, but still have 3 more blocks to hang, just ran out of hanging strips). It's certainly grown since here.
I don't really call it the 'Wall of Fame'... but am grateful for the opportunities I have had to capture the 'famous' faces of friends and family who grace it. 
The wall exists entirely for my own pleasure, and unintentionally represents my journey as a budding photographer. I am often tempted to take down some of the earlier photos I proudly displayed, as I see fault with so many of them now. But then I think that they serve as a reminder that I have improved over time, and photographic principle and appeal aside, each of them represents a moment or a memory worth recalling when I stop for a look. It always makes me happy.



Anyone can do it...

I've been on Instagram for quite some time, but have only just started re-using it, particularly as my first choice social-media-instant-photosharing option.
I love the way anyone can be a fantabulous photographer by using apps like Instagram. They are so great at transforming an ordinary moment into something quite extraordinary, and I intend to make the most of the Instagram filters in particular when I being the 100 Days project next month for that very purpose.
Here are this weekend's pickings - so far :)




Sunday, May 12, 2013

Candid and Cute


Sometimes those one of snaps with the right light make for a pleasing candid portrait.

I love this headshot of my friend's 4 year old that I took at a birthday party yesterday


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

One Amazing Lady!

I don't know if this amazing person really knows how highly I value her.
This glorious creature is my niece, Lisa.
I am often told by family members, including her mother, that we are very alike, a comparison which I take as a huge compliment.

If I were her age again, I would love to be Living the Life of Lisa.

I asked her to model for a photo shoot for me last weekend, and some of the photos will endure as personal favourites for quite some time.


My motivation for the shoot was to create a triptychs for our upcoming MPS set subject competition for May. These are the two I have created for entry; I know which one I'll be entering, but I rate them both. And I adore the photos individually.


The final photos below are two that I just love, love, love. Like I love you, Miss Lisa!

 

Blog Resurrection!

I have been waiting for a moment to finally motivate me to resurrect my blog writing habit.
My regularity waned then basically stopped during the writing of my thesis. Having to write takes the joy out of wanting to write. Same goes for reading; I am soooo enjoying reading for pleasure again, and especially enjoying reading on the iPad.
But I digress...
I had perhaps my biggest photographic accolade recently, by winning Round 2 of the PSNZ Canon Online Competition. Not just placing in the top 10, which would have been amazing enough, but... 1st. Place.
Now I have been sitting on this post since receiving notice of this about 2 weeks ago, waiting for the results appear online. Perhaps by the time you are reading this, this link will take you to the competition results...
The photo with which I received this honour was one I took in Bali over summer, and was entitled 'Monkey Love'.
In recognition this acknowledgement arrived in the post last week: