the outdoor type

Less than two hours from home lies the great outdoors; mountain air, bushwalking and greenness.

Years ago I would head to Lamington National Park on a Friday after work, pitch a tent in the dark and wake to the pademelons grazing outside.

Earlier this year I ran the Border Track from O’Reilly’s to Binna Burra. What an experience, navigating tree roots and overhanging vines in the dark, dark rainforest.

This trip I brought my camera and took advantage of my affinity with birds.

Shot with a Canon 7D and (mostly) Sigma 50-500mm lens. I hope you enjoy the images.

                         

a subtle autumn

brisbane has only subtle seasonal change; the days are still bright, trees stay green but the frangipani now stand naked and you can find the odd liquid amber as evidence of autumn. it might be time for gloves and a scarf, maybe soon.

celebrating place

i met some of my running friends at the cleveland lighthouse this morning, in the dark, at 5.30am. luckily they had all remembered torches. we ran 10km with a sprint finish (for me) to make it in under 56 minutes. we agreed, while running along the waterfront, that this is a fantastic place to live. i photographed the spiders webs and beetles sparkling in the early light, testing my new lens: canon EF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM, with macro extension tubes.

then i received some welcome news in the mail – my grant application with the regional arts development fund was accepted. i have a year to make pictures. i’m going to talk with local people, gather stories, take portraits and define our local cultural identity through image and word. i have a year to reflect on local life, community and place. it will involve the things i love; discussion, social history, photography, design, understanding and celebrating place. what a privilege.

king tides this weekend

spent the morning taking photos of my neighbourhood; enjoyed an amazing sunrise at thorneside, (where the ocean is parallel to my street), ran in the bush near lota before taking pictures of the boardwalk, where it was cyclist pandemonium as they all removed their shoes and socks and carried their bikes through knee-high water. too high to ride through, even on a mountain bike – believe me, i tried to talk them into it for the “spray” shot but they weren’t having any of it. i particularly liked the “planet” jerseys, reminding me that this is our home and rising sea levels are going to be a problem. these shots will be sent to green cross for the king tide project, planning for the impact of rising seas.

then we went to the beach!