Day 73: Birthday wishes

Day 73: ...for mum

Today is mum's birthday, and it is a significant one, which she would rather we didn't note too obviously. Still, it was an opportunity to for family to get together and for me, that means a trip down to the Gold Coast. We gathered at one of the Coast's bigger hotels with plenty of seafood. It was all very pleasant. 

Birthday flowers

Earlier in the day I had some politics business to do with a meeting and trying to capture a good pic of the statue of TJ Ryan, for a related project. Not exactly a blue sky day for a statuesque photo, so you will have to wait, dear reader. 

But mum's flowers were quite beautiful, and who am I to resist a pic or two of flowers from my local florist...she does a marvellous job every time. So, in honour of my mum's birthday, pics of her flowers: gerberas,  antique roses and tulips. Lovely. 

[Camera iPhone 4S, 1.34pm, 1.35pm]

Up close: gerbera

Up close: rose

Day 72: Single, solitary...

Day 72: ...beachtweets.

The moon and clouds and sunset

Today was a day at the office. Had to be done. But in upholding the bargain to oneself, I was also quite determined to make a point to get down to the beach again before the day was over. 

And I did. 

It was getting quite late when I arrived, but I got there. There was a high tide, a high moon and the water temperature had noticeably dropped in the last week. There were also fish 'n' chips, naturally. 

The moon's reflection in the northern rockpools

Today also we learnt of the jury's determination in the long-running Daniel Morcombe case. I find solace in the beach for all sorts of reasons. This afternoon it was also to reflect a little for the Morcombe family, a Sunshine Coast family whose son Daniel was a student at the school next door to my university. There has been a constant association over the past decade. 

The beach speaks...and when I got home, I noticed an interesting and coincidental theme in the tideline pics too. And so, at the risk of boring you, dear reader, with more beach pics, here is today's selection. 

Incoming tide...

Tideline 1

Tideline 2

Tideline 3

Just some single, solitary thoughts today...

[Camera : iPhone 4S, 5.58pm, 6.02pm, 6.08pm-6.19pm]

Day 71: Blue skies...

Day 71: ...make me smile

A simple straight forward day today: a little work, a little meeting, back home for a little more work. The conference paper is nearly done, good news from an affiliate in Japan and the loris worked all day out the back. 

My tai chi is on the improve too. And the health benefits that go with that. 

So I couldn't help but smile when I looked up from my table and saw the blue sky at one of its bluest moments. Photographically-speaking, I enjoy capturing the blueness. Indeed, our local Brisbane ABC radio presenter Spencer Howson (@SpencerHowson) started a bit of a trend a couple of years ago, encouraging us to capture those blue sky moments, and we do. Under the twitter hashtag #612bluesky we are together collecting a wonderful array of pics. 

Blue sky under the gum tree

It was indeed, a #612bluesky moment this afternoon. 


[Camera : iPhone 4S, 5.19pm]

Day 70: Raindrops and sunshine

Day 70: ...are all I need some days

Having revealed to you yesterday, dear reader, my artistic ineptitude dating back to school, well, you'll understand why I picked up a camera instead. Photography was also a unit in high school art but it is something I've enjoyed ever since I can remember...even to buying my first toy camera at the corner shop, with my own saved up pocket money, at about the age of seven. 

The camera has always been like my third eye where ever I go. I hadn't thought about it until recent conversations with a couple of friends who don't take photos when they travel because they prefer to remember the scenes and images, in a different way. 

I try to make some of my pics 'art' and so really think about the effects, light and shadow, etc that I might use. I don't like to digitally manipulate my pics in any way, other than perhaps crop or enhance...in other words, what you see it pretty much what I saw. 

Rainspots on pine tree from the back verandah

Sunbeam (no filter)

And so it was this morning, at the risk of making this a blog about boring backyard moments...rain, sun, trees...it was all there. It was a bit of a technical photo shoot, but the wonder can be there, when we pause long enough to look.  



[Camera ; Canon EOS60D, 75-300mm, 6.35am, 6.30am]

Day 69: I see parrots...

Day 69: ...eating the umbrella trees...

What? you say. More bird pics. Well yes. But this one is different, sort of...

Going back many more years than is polite to share, in one of my senior art classes at high school we were given different titles each week to draw or paint. One week, I was a bit stumped. The topic was 'I see parrots eating the umbrella trees'. The thought of drawing birds 'properly' scared me witless to be honest. Well, a classmate (who was the best artist in the group) dabbed a bit of acrylic on the card, said use your imagination and away I went. I've kept it for some reason, albeit tucked away in the garage, perhaps because it ended up in the senior 'exhibition' at the end of the year. (I also have a recollection of drawing a kookaburra in year 9...now I just photograph them all!)

I see parrots eating the umbrella trees (reprise) 1

So now, for years, whenever 'I see parrots eating the umbrella trees', my mind goes back to that day at high school. Right now, the umbrella tress in the neighbourhood are flowering and guess what, there are loris eating the umbrella trees. Lots of them. 

These pics have only been cropped, no colour adjustment at all. Shooting into the afternoon sun and clouds gives off a bit of a silhouette effect with just a 'hint' of colour. 

I see parrots eating the umbrella trees (reprise) 2

The 'original'

So, dear reader, I beg your indulgence as I travel the nostalgia highway today, but I just couldn't resist. For tomorrow, we live to click ... something else.



[Cameras: (Birds) Canon EOS60D, 75-300mm (cropped), 3.38-3.39pm; (painting) iPhone 4S, 4.50pm]

Day 68: Halfway there...

Day 68: ...but still on the dark side of the moon

I have spent much of the day indoors writing a paper for a forthcoming conference. It aims to try and understand our apparent apathy towards our politics or as one analyst suggested, 'why we hate politics'. I don't know that we actually hate it, I just think we've been led down a path where we (and I include politicians here) actually no longer do it very well. 

I'm looking at a couple of examples of recent successful election campaigns here in Australia and in Japan to try and test my hypothesis...with the right level of engagement, people can in fact become quite enthusiastic and in turn, perhaps we can revitalise our public sphere. Well, that's how I spend my Sundays, what about you? Of course, it meant I didn't get out much today, pondering as I was our political milieu. 

Light and shadow

Today's pic is a first attempt at trying to take the moon properly. After I saw my friend and fellow snapper Shelley Lloyd's moon pic yesterday, I was inspired. I checked out ways to photograph the moon. As it turned out, the moon was up there for trying this evening as I took a short break. 

As for my paper, I'm perhaps halfway there, but as for taking moon pics, I'm still on the dark side I reckon...

To click another day. 

[Camera : Canon EOS60D, 7-5-300mm, set at 200mm, f5.6, 1/125; 5.37pm]

Day 67: Looking skywards...

Day 67: ...with colour.

International Women's Day today. So much to think about on this day, particularly given my work in politics and international relations. But off to visit my mum down the Coast again, lunch again at what has become her preferred restaurant (yes, the new Greek one) and also a chance to catch up with my niece who has come to live with my mum. So a nice sort of day. 

Clouds 1

Clouds 2

On the way home the sky put on a real show for us here in Brisbane, as the twitter timeline showed. The passing clouds played with the setting sun, presenting us with a light and colour show.

Clouds 3

Clouds 4

It seems to have delivered rain in other parts, but not here. I'll happily watch this kind of show, anytime. 



[Camera : iPhone 4S, 6.02-6.11pm]