I just need a hand, he said

Ah the infamous words…I just need a hand. We all know how that goes. So I packed lunch and smoko, and the kids and headed off to the prickle farm to help The Husband put up a fence around a tank.  Well, not so much put up, but pull down the old one so a new improved model could be installed.

This may sound a simple task, but much machinery and equipment was required. Firstly we had to wait for Dad to arrive with the bulldozer.  Dad (I should have known better) vastly over estimated the speed of his machine and so we had a bit of a wait. This allowed me to catch up on some reading, and the kids to catch up on some sword stick fighting and generally do their best to maim each other before smoko.

(is this a case of I HAVE ALL OF THESE BOYS TOYS SO I’M GOING TO USE ALL OF THEM TODAY?!)

First job of the day, after feeding the troops, was to roll up the barbed wire fence that was sort of still standing.

Clearly my gloves have seen better days and this little chore did not do them any favours. Whilst I was rolling the bulldozer did its thing VERY closely behind me, removing trees that could drop limbs on the new solar panels that are to be installed beside this tank. Speaking of Boys Toys, there were two boys in that bulldozer with big dusty smiles on their faces as they inhaled dieseline fumes and did lots of brooooming as they made an unholy dusty mess.

I also discovered – well I had a fair inkling – that I lack the skills to create anything more artistic than this out of barbed wire.

Then came the super fun part (please read that in sarcasm font). Digging holes with the post hole digger on the tractor. There’s about 3 feet of super fine sand and then a big old flat hard rock after that. A three foot deep hole isn’t ideal however is not so bad if one has to bale out the super fine sand by hand after the post hole digger has finished.

(I wasn’t just taking photos! sheesh. That’s my shovel sticking out of a hole there in front of me).

Once holes were close enough is good enough, in went the frame for the solar panels and cement to hold it in place.

At this point in time, after putting the frame in place and putting in two strainer posts for the fence that was to go around this structure, it was discovered that we were out of both vital materials and day. So all toys were parked up or packed up and homewards we went. The kids were delighted that I managed to get sand bogged in the ute (however nothing that the application of hubs in and 4WD didn’t fix…which reminds me, I always forget the HUBS OUT part. Wonder how many kilometres before The Husband realises and takes the hubs out again….)

Anyhow. I digress. We got home just on dark – and in time for some golden light that enabled me to take this photo.

Great end to a good days work.

Grubby faced,  bare footed children and sharp toothed pups make the best photos do they not?

Summary of a month in photos

Such a wonderful thing, the humble little app. There are a few about that will do this, one being Collect and the other that  I use, Project 365. I’ve been so good this year so far. And I LOVE it.

 

So much seems to have happened but its only been three short months already! I do love this little photographic summary of events and am making a conscious effort to make sure I put photos into the app  every few days. Am thinking they will be a great addition to any blog or photo book I make for this year. Speaking of…must crack on …

Violet

I had the opportunity to photograph my brothers chubster new baby girl recently. She's a bit of a grumpy guts, but we were able to get a few quick shots of her (with some bum patting to get her in the mood).

I've decided that in looks she pretty much takes entirely after her mothers side of the family :) (lucky for Violet hey!)

For the first time ever I think I have used a skin softening action, to take away the mottled colour she had and tone down the little blemishes on her chubby cheeks.

And I used my big camera again, freshly back from the repair shop. Turns out it wasn't anything major...but I'm still thinking something's not quite right, and now turning my attention to my all time favourite lens. I suspect the USM may have been damaged when it was dropped. Images aren't quite as sharp and clear as I think they should be from this lens.

Anyhow, there's Violet, who is now 6 weeks of age and has hearty lungs and appetite, and is quite good at dispelling wind at both ends. And is pretty good at a power spew too, witnessed it the other day. Love a squishy baby, but wouldn't go back there for quids!

In other news...its trying to rain. Nearly 30mms here in the past 4 days in small falls, and 20mm 10 days earlier. Things are a bit greener looking, but of course, we are still waiting for The Big Fall(s) to run some water. There has been recorded some great falls around the region so hopefully the gaps are starting to fill.

Lots more adventures to share, lets hope I can get my act together soon and share them!

Photobooks

So, you may have noticed, I take a lot of photos. A lot. Especially in this digital age, and especially since an iphone arrived in my hot little hands (it takes great photos!)

But. But. I'm not so good at getting those photos off my computer and out there for my family and friends to enjoy. Pretty woeful at it actually. I've recently printed off my blog in yearly chunks using blog2print. Love love love the result (despite its layout issues, which I can forgive).The family love them too. But this hardly touches the side of the wealth of great family photos that a year of snapping can bring.

I have, in the past, printed off a great wedge of photos, and slipped them into the generic slip in albums, or more recently, scrapbook type albums with divided page protectors (same thing as the former, just fits more and sturdier). But that all takes up SO MUCH SPACE on my limited shelf space.

After seeing how lovely and compact the blog books are, I've made a resolution. Photo books are my answer.

I might be around 3 odd years behind in my printing. But I've made a start. And its been a great trip down memory lane as I do so, keeping it simple. Not thinking too hard, making my selections quickly from my folders, by month. (and realise this: not every photo, especially of the same event/thing/time, needs to be shared).

Using a template (kindy shared by a friend) and loosely following the Project Life template (why mess with something that works) I am dropping photos into a 12x12 template using Photoshop Elements. I am sure the same thing can be achieved in Picasa and the like as well.

And a sample of one a bit closer up...

I roughly envision four pages per month, but if there's more, so be it. Or less, the same. I probably should have added dates on the second lot of pages, but will leave it be and remember for the next month. Doing these couple of pages probably took me an hour, less if I didn't stop to read emails and faff about!

I'll save the pages, and then wait for a nice sale to come along at Snapfish or Blurb or the like and print. And these will sit on the shelf in order beside my blog books (which I will share soon!).

I'm feeling organised (if not thinking I need to be dedicated in doing at least a month a day!) What about you?

Words to ponder

Taken from THIS BLOG. Words to remember. We need to be reminded of this every year...

So you’re feeling too fat to be photographed . . .

Listen. I hear you. You’re a few pounds heavier than you like (or a 100lbs heavier than you like). I completely understand how you feel. I get that same blah feeling about myself when I think about booking new head shots or long overdue pictures of me and Justin. Precious, I even picked a career that has me permanently behind the camera rather than in front of it. Seeing myself in pictures actually produces the faintest sick feeling in my stomach. Isn’t it amazing we can see the beauty in our best friends, sisters, mothers, and aunts without the slightest thought to their flaws . . . but can obsess for hours on our own imperfections? We fixate on our flaws to the point we shirk at any documentation that our round faces and curvy bodies ever walked the earth. No pictures to show how we LOVE, how we laugh, how we are treasured by our families. How is it possible that a double chin can overpower the beauty of a mother cuddling her child? How does arm fat distract from the perfect shot of a spontaneous hug? I swear y’all . . . how is it that we can put more value on a TUMMY ROLL than the captivating way you throw yourself into a roar of laughter during a shoot?

In our warped minds pictures become frozen mirrors that we can stare at as we pick apart our features over and over again.
I know girl. I know.

My personal duck-and-cover (or signature “make a funny face”) approach to having pictures of myself changed completely when I had a serious car accident last year (and started over). In the flash of a second (or a flash of the text message the young woman was reading) my entire life changed. I nearly left this earth with no physical evidence of the goofy, wide open and loud love I have for my life, my husband, my family and friends. I haven’t had professional pictures done since our wedding in 2006 . . . always waiting for this elusive moment where I would be thin enough (pretty enough) to have such a permanent record of me. Because, you know, HEAVEN FORBID there be any proof that I look the way I actually look.

So here is the harsh truth y’all. Listen good. Our vanity is no longer enough of a reason to avoid the camera. Life doesn’t wait until you “get thin” enough to capture it. Life is happening . . . it is happening right now and the only moment we are guaranteed is the one we are living. I shudder at the thought of leaving behind no pictures of my life with ME in it. My mom says of the accident she is “just glad that we’re still a whole family.” My gift to her this Christmas was a family portrait showing just that, 9 months post-accident . . . a whole family.

Do you know what my mom sees when she looks at this picture? Her beautiful family all together.
Do you know what my husband sees? The family he gained the moment he met me (and how much he looks like my dad…)
Do you know what my dad sees? The happy family he has worked for every day of his life.
Do you know what my brother sees? That he got away with wearing shorts…

Shocker: No one is looking at how fat I look.

Can we agree to put the value of family over the value of fat? Can we just accept that the weight you’ve been trying to lose for 5 years might actually just be a part of what you look like . . . and that if this magical day does come when you’re acceptably thin you’ll STILL regret not having any pictures of you with your kids from ages 5 – 10? Can we acknowledge that the insecurities we have in our heads will never be a part of how our children, husbands, and friends see us? Can we just please let our loved ones remember the YOU they love?

Your children want pictures with their mom.

Your husband wants pictures with his beautiful wife.

Your mom and dad want pictures of the happy, successful, amazing woman they raised (ok, and more pictures of the grandkids while you’re at it)

And if you’re thinking that high school friend on Facebook will say to herself (“wow she has gained weight”) then . . . newsflash you DID. You gained weight. Shed a tear. Read a book. Drink a Sweet Tea. Watch Oprah. Whatever it takes. Accept this reality . . . YOU GAINED WEIGHT. The truth is you’ve gained a lot of other things too (a career, a family, some kids, a house, a love for travel, the ability to coordinate your separetes . . . ) and that girl from high school is going to spend a lot more time hating on those things then she ever will on your double chin.

So you’re feeling too fat to be photographed? . . . Ok. But you’re the only one who notices. The rest of us are too caught up in loving you.

Hope this has struck a chord with everyone too.

yesterday

we went to a wedding. The venue was gorgeous, a true country wedding.I took some photos. We camped. We are tired. But we are home.

Just a couple of my favourite shots, picked quickly as I downloaded the camera.

The groom with his gorgeous daughter, my goodness she is photogenic, and being just 14 years old has the most lovely, translucent skin. I really love this photo!

The coffee bottles I collected and cleaned and made tags for....]

And last but not least, two good lookin' birds that are not normally in front of the camera!

Now, off for a little lie down, maybe some chocolate :-) and then tomorrow, some editing.            

This weekend

Do you remember this, from last year? (did I show it to you?)

Well, the time has come, and this has been on the fridge for a little while, reminding us of the fun to come...

Along with this one too. I might have had a hand in the design of each ;-)

Gathering up all of the saved coffee bottles from around the place, cleaning, de-labelling, and prettying up with a tag (featuring the cute birdy/flower graphic on the invite) and string, and plunking in some candles to go on the white clad tables at the country garden wedding. She has lanterns to string through the trees and around the place, and some of the big paper ones to hang in special spots. It should look just GORGEOUS.

And then finding my camera and giving it a bit of a de-dusting and putting on my photographers hat. This wedding photography lark is starting to become a (non-paying!) habit. Thankfully I have my lovely mate Mel as wing man. She's a handy one to have around when time is of an essence, the days are getting shorter and dusk falls all too quickly.

And both husbands will be there to supervise the kids. Hmm. They are easily distracted (the husbands, not the kids) Hoping they don't end up in a shed getting their wedding finery covered in grease (kids, not the husbands).

Stressing just a little. A few butterflies. Hoping I get time and a few quiet moments to catch my favourite details shots (the dress, the ring, the shoes, the lanterns, the glass bottles with the candles. The flowers.). Hoping that I get THE shot of the bride and groom. You know the one. It can't be set up, just pressing the button at the right time, catching a smile, the joy.

And with all of that floating around in the ether, luckily I had a friend do some easter bunny shopping!

sharing the love

or in this case, news of a good deal in my inbox.

Australian peeps, Big W photos is having a pretty good deal on photos, canvases and photo books at the moment, with standard 4x6 photos being 9 cents each (not sure how long for though, which means I best get my photo sorting skates on I suppose!)

photo books (standard 20 page book, extra pages are 98c each...I wonder though if one still got 30% off the total end price with extra pages?)

canvases

 

Now I can't assure what sort of quality these are, having only used their photo printing services before (which I was happy with, and the staff at the Big W store I go to were really excellent, which makes the difference I guess!) but if you have been waiting to do a photo book or get a canvas done (I might just do one for my mums up coming birthday) now just might be the time!

(and Big W don't know I exist, I just wanted to pass this along!)

Let me know of your experiences if you have done any of the above at Big W!

new toy

my little old faithful Panasonic Lumix "handbag/pocket" camera has been limping along for awhile, struggling to stay alive, so I recently bit the bullet and replaced it, using some credit card points I had saved up.

After researching what was on offer, and reading the reviews on each of them, I settled on a Canon IXUS 220HS.

First impression are that its SMALL (not much bigger than my mobile phone) and sturdy, with few buttons on the outside, which at this point is a pain, as I have to go through menus when I want to change something (it has quite a few options for a little point and shoot) and can't remember where I saw what.

  I don't have big hands, so you can see how small it is. Actually, being a wee bit bigger might make it easier to hold.

Picture quality seems fantastic! and focus is brilliant. Great little zoom, with image stabilisation(I can't find where I saw that but know it has it) Here are some examples.....

So, so far I am impressed, these are taken with out fiddling with any of the settings at all. I think my big old canon dSLR might start to feel a little neglected....