Virtual Jottings

Facebook Timeline and Your Cover Image

2012-01-30T22:06:00.000+11:00

Facebook Timeline is going to be introduced to all users inthe coming weeks whether we like it or not. Many have already been using Timelinesince the end of last year. I resisted the change until the weekend, when Iswitched to the new format. If you're not sure how to do that, then click here.

The new format allows a much larger cover image to bedisplayed on your wall, and this is where I had a bit of fun. Using Big Huge Labs' Mosaic Maker, I selected the number of rows and columns (either 3 x 7 or3 x 6 will work) and then chose images straight from my flickr account. There are several ways you can add images via flickr and they're spelled out in the Mosaic Maker page. Once you're happy with your selection simply save it to yourcomputer and then you're ready to upload it to Facebook. You can change yourcover image any time and Facebook saves your cover images in their own folderwithin your images.

Of course there areother more creative ways to display the front cover image but I found this wayto be quick, easy and didn't involve having to allow other applications accessto my Facebook account.

Embrace the change. Whinging about the new format isn'tgoing to bring back the old. Go get creative with your cover image!

Week 4 ~ "From a High Angle"

2012-01-27T12:08:00.000+11:00

Not your usual interpretation of this phrase, but I wanted to create something that was a little bit of fun and a whole lot of silliness. I had seen an image where the object was overlaid onto a blackboard background - but do you think I can find it again so I can link you? No! It's been bugging me all week and I've tried all the keyword combinations to no avail. If you've seen other examples, I'd love for you to link me to them. Just pop the link in the comments :)

You'll be surprised to know that I didn't hire a Cessna and launch my dog from it in order to create this image. The 'high angle' in this shot, involved me standing on tip toes on a kitchen chair. I had my dog lay on a piece of green fabric then I arranged a red t-shirt above him so it would look like a superhero's cape. In PS, I erased the green background and then duplicated the dog layer onto a drawing I had done and scanned into PS. I added a couple of textured layers and then applied a fake TtV brush I had made in PS over the top of the previous layers. To create the impression that Super Scruffy is flying, I duplicated the back portion of him and pasted that onto a new layer then applied motion blur to the new layer. A few more tweaks with curves and some dodging and burning and this is the final result.

Another week is done. You know, the scary thing about a project like this, is it forces you to notice the passing of time. People, we are already four weeks into the new year....gulp!

Week 3 ~ RED

2012-01-20T09:21:00.002+11:00

As I mentioned in my post last week, I usually start thinking about the following week's theme while I'm still working on the current theme. The recurring thought I had with the theme of "red" was a still life. While it's possibly been done to death, I also wanted to include a pomegranate. I'm sure I would use more of that fruit in cooking if I could buy it already seeded. I know that it is available as I've seen Nigella use the pre-packaged seeds, but I've not been able to find it, so maybe it's a UK thing and not an Australian thing. So, back to the still life, I've also included a lighting diagram to show you the set up. I used a black background, not white as per the diagram and at one stage I toyed with a red gel, but that didn't look effective so i removed it. I absolutely resisted the urge to use any textured layers to give it an aged or painterly feel - I wanted a straight-up image for this week's theme. Short and sweet this week, I hope you like it. Bring on week 4!

Week 2 ~ Clouds

2012-01-17T10:26:00.004+11:00

Last week's theme for the 52 Captures was "clouds". As I'm only committing to one photo a week with this project, I didn't want to simply take a photo of clouds. My intention, in doing this project, is to push myself creatively and photographing a landscape with photogenic clouds wasn't what I was after. And a very big thank you this week to Aerokev, who I have ~~roped in~~ encouraged to participate in this challenge.

I had an idea floating around in my head and I simply had to rely on there being suitable clouds. So here's the workflow that took place over a series of days:

* Photograph clouds for 3 days in a row. The weather was conducive to gorgeous white scattered clouds that popped with detail when using the polarising filter.

* As often happens with an idea, I need to see it take shape in my imagination before I can actually then try and create it. Pondering the idea and how it will come together while sipping coffee and eating chocolate works for me...

* Time to upload the images and print up a contact sheet full of clouds. I then picked out the appropriately shaped ones and edited them in PS. The main shape I was after was a heart and it was a matter of putting the cloud jigsaw together.

* And of course, as often happens, what I imagined was not translating onto the screen. I did persist with the idea and instead of ending up with a sweet collage of abstract cloud images; I ended up with a very early 70's evangelistic, very bad stained-glass-effect that still makes me shudder when I view it. I dislike it so much that I don't dare upload it anywhere! Idea scrapped.

* Onto the next idea - I still wanted to keep the idea of a collage of clouds, this time though, I wanted the clouds to be floating up in the sky. I use a drawing program and so had to draw the grassy foreground, the string and sky. I then imported the files into PS and began blending the images together.

* It's important to blend the various elements so that they all look as though they belong, and this is where adding textures (my own used) comes in handy. I used 3 different textures, blended them in various modes (overlay, soft and multiply at varying opacities).

* The heart cloud still didn't look quite right, maybe if it was a little rounder and 'flyaway', and this is where the Liquify Filter in PS comes in handy. I used the bloat tool and found I needed several attempts before I was happy with the result; it's not a tool I use a great deal in PS.

* My now bloated heart balloon was taking shape (sorry...). I used the Warp Tool to make the string 'fit' the balloon. I also added a subtle Drop Shadow to the balloon to create a bit of distance between it and the sky.

* To create the shadow in the grass, I used the Burn Tool - in a separate layer - and burnt the shadow into the grass.

* Some final tweaking with curves and vibrancy and the image was done.

I should point out, that I was working on 4 versions of this at the one time - as I couldn't decide which version I preferred. The one I uploaded to the group wasn't the actual version I had settled on! Oops! As I don't know how to change it, there it remains.

The version I uploaded to the 52 Capture Group, a slightly muted, more sombre version.

Onto week 3 where the theme is 'RED'.

A New Year - a New Project

2012-01-07T19:01:00.001+11:00

Well, well - Happy New Year! Did you make a New Year's resolution?No, neither did I. I only get disappointed when after a few days I abandon theresolution, so it's easiest not to even make one! I have embarked on a newphotographic project though - and I can't tell you how pleased the family isabout this! I've told them that it won't be as tough as Project365; this oneonly requires 52 photos - that's easy, right?

So with one day to go before the first deadline, I set aboutcompleting the task for week 1. Of course week 1 would be "self-portrait"but I decided to combine an idea for another challenge and create one photo. Somemight say that's being lazy, I prefer to think of it as creative! The otherchallenge's brief was two-fold - "A new beginning" plus"texture". So with those criteriain mind, I set about capturing the image. Setting up the lights and umbrellas,positioning the camera, taking test shots, then hair and make-up and then atthe last minute I decided to change the lens. I swapped the nifty-fifty to theLensbaby Composer which meant I had to grab a prop to sit where I would besitting and find the focus spot. Afterquite a few attempts and some fine tuning of the lens, I managed to get my eyestack sharp, which was my aim. I then scoured through my 50's magazines to findan appropriate kitchen shot, in colour - it's wasn't common for magazines to bein full colour then; scanned the image into PS and incorporated that into myphoto. I played with the individual curve layers to create a discoloured andretro look, before then scanning in some old and textured paper. I find thatscanning rather than photographing the paper yields better results, as you canreally bump up the dpi quite a bit. I used 3 of my old papers and applied themin soft light, overlay and multiply at varying opacities. I then added a coupleof text layers and added the text, using retro fonts in keeping with the retro theme.Lastly, I felt it still needed a little something so I drew the retro starburstsand created some vignetting. From start to finish it probably took about 4hours and I probably would have kept fiddling with it, but when you're workingto a deadline, there comes a point where you need to stop.

I'll keep you up to date with each week, posting the imageand blurb here, as well as posting the image over on Flickr. If you've starteda Project52, link to it here, I'd love to follow your progress - and maybe Ican link you in the side bar. The best part about the Project52 I'm followingis the fact the weekly theme is spelled out for us - yeh! So, here's to 2012 -may you enjoy many creative moments and may you be surrounded by those youlove.

Christmas Wishes for You

2011-12-23T09:16:00.001+11:00

Christmas Wishes for You, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Just a quick post, as we're getting to the silliest part of the silly season now. A warm thank you to all who have viewed and read my blog posts in 2011. I hope I've been able to entertain and/or inform and/or distract you even if only for a brief moment.

Whatever you do in the upcoming days, I hope you are able to spend time with those you love. I'll be spending the time with my family and visiting friends and will be cherishing the moments we are all together.

I wish you much love and peace and may 2012 bring you all good health and joy. See you again in 2012.

With love,

Adriana ♥

Sydney Harbour Bridge B&W

2011-12-21T11:44:00.001+11:00

Sydney Harbour Bridge B&W , originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

I'd like to apologise to all the tourists who find themselves in Sydney at the moment. Yes, this is summer, but this ugly grey weather is most unusual. I'm sorry that you've come all this way to visit our iconic harbour, expecting to see it draped in warm blue sunny skies. I bet you thought you'd promenade along the foreshore enjoying the sight of the sparkling blue waters whilst sipping a coffee or licking an ice cream. I bet you thought you'd be able to go home and tell your family and friends just how warm and sunny and gorgeous your visit to Sydney was. I bet you thought you'd still have that warm glow on your cheeks from just a little too much sun, to remind you of your visit. Instead, you're probably cursing that you've packed completely unnecessary summer clothes, when in fact you should have packed your autumn clothes and a raincoat and an umbrella.

Sorry about that.

I'm really not sure where our beautiful weather has gone. I can safely say that we're also sick of the greyness that greets us every morning when we open up our curtains.

I hope that one day you will return to our shores and enjoy our summer weather - I'll let you know when it makes an appearance.

Music cufflinks created by Simone Walsh

2011-11-28T18:55:00.001+11:00

This post is to shamelessly plug the wonderful handmadejewellery designed and created by Simone Walsh.

A few weeks ago, we hired a suit for the eldest Teen'sschool formal and seeing as his shirt had french cuffs, we needed a pair ofcufflinks. The easy option would have been to hire a pair, or to simply buy asuitably neutral pair from the nearest department store. As the Teen lovesmusic, I thought buying a pair of music themed cufflink would be a good idea,the trouble was, no department or jewellery store had such a pair - that Icould find... What to do? Well, turn to twitter of course. There in my feed was@simonewalsh tweeting about being in her studio creating her current pieces.Bingo! I would contact Simone and ask if she could create the cufflinks. Ofcourse she could! So, a few short emails later and all I had to do was sit backand wait for the cufflinks to arrive in the post. The whole process took lessthan a week - I still think this is an amazing feat! It really was very easy,payment was organised through PayPal, the cufflinks were express posted andarrived in plenty of time. Simone enclosed the important care instructions andthe cufflinks were beautifully wrapped. What more could I ask for? Well, howabout a special discount offer for my next purchase - yes, special voucherenclosed - excellent!

Here's an image of the cufflinks, the music is from one of theTeen's own compositions.

What did the Teen think of his cufflinks? He loved them!

Need some inspiration for gift giving ideas for that special person? Then look no further than Simone's website. Happy shopping!

Movie Review and Rant - "We need to Talk About Kevin"

2011-11-17T18:04:00.001+11:00

Firstly, thank you to Mamamia and Hopscotch for offeringtickets to the preview screening of "We need to Talk about Kevin", amovie I was very keen to go along and watch.

Secondly, the traffic. Sydney - what is going on? Seriously.I really want to know what the hell is going on with the roads out there.It was a rainy Wednesday night - who wants to go to the cityon a rainy Wednesday night? Well, it seems that everyone wanted to go to thecity and we were all sitting in the endless traffic snarl that slowly snakedit's way along the freeway. I had allowed2 hours to drive from Kellyville to Moore Park, a distance of 42km neverimagining that it would take that full 2 hours to get there. So much forchilling out with N., pre-movie over a bite to eat and a chat. I say poo to youSydney traffic. /rant.

And now, to the movie - yes, we got there and missed 5minutes, possibly 10 minutes, maybe less and maybe even more. The reason forthe confusion is the way the movie portrays the story. Written as a series ofletters the screen adaptation doesn't follow the chronological order of thebook, instead you are shown vignettes from the present and past and back again.However much was missed, it certainly didn't impact on the rest of the movie. Themovie was brilliant. I don't watch many movies, but this is the way booksshould be adapted into movies - it left me speechless and for all the rightreasons. Both the casting and the acting - perfect, I really couldn't findfault. There is much to be said for actors who don't use botox and Swintoncould not have pulled off the nuances of expression needed had she been pumpedwith the celluloid-doll-making stuff. The dialogue was spare - it was all aboutthe visual. The pain, anguish, confusion, realisation in Swinton's face andbody were very real. The same goes for Reilly and the actors who played the variousstages of Kevin. This sort of acting is what movies should be all about.

So, reasons why you should go and see this movie:

1. You've read the book. Forget going to see this if youhaven't, as you won't be able to make heads or tails of what is going on and youwill miss the subtleties that pepper the movie.

2. You like old style horror and suspense that leaves youlying awake at night. Sometimes it's what you don't see that is far morefrightening than the obvious. This movie has plenty of chilling subtle visuals.

3. You're not squeamish about the topic of"parenting". At the heart of this story is the relationship parentshave with their children and just how much is nature versus nurture. Withoutgiving anything away, this portrayal is an extreme and will leave youquestioning just how people tick - husband and wife, parent and child.

4. You like your movies a little on the arty side. Thismovie is full of angled shots, blurry fade outs and ins, extreme close ups,artfully cropped scenes and hand-held-on-the-go camera technique. It all addsto the drama and chill.

5. You're over movies that are full of dialogue. Asmentioned, the dialogue is spare. It's all about the emotion and this isbeautifully shown in the visuals.

6. You like to be able to hear the movie over the din ofchip wrappers, slurping fizzy drinks and rustling popcorn. I can tell you thatin the cinema last night, I didn't so much as hear a lolly being unwrapped. Andthat is a wonderful thing.

Reasons why you shouldn't see this movie:

1. You read the book, or at least tried to, and hated it.You will hate the movie even more.

2. You prefer your movies presented in an orderly fashionand really don't like movies with flashback scenes.

3. You don't like horror, graphic or subtle, and you'repregnant with your first child. To be honest, I would be squeamish watchingthis if I were in that position. Yikes...

4. You like happy endings. I don't think that's a spoileralert, but there's little happiness in this movie. There are some touchingmoments and that's the closest you'll get to happiness with this story.

5. You don't like confrontation. The story will mess withyour head and what it means to be a parent. If you're particularly sensitive,you'll be too frightened to read to your child ever again. In fact, you mayeven ban books altogether...

All in all, I loved the book and I loved the movie. I wouldrank it the second best movie ever.
Do you dare go and watch it? If you do, letme know your thoughts.

Book Review - "We Need to Talk about Kevin" by Lionel Shriver

2011-11-04T22:05:00.001+11:00

I have been remiss and this review is long overdue and notjust because I promised N. that I would write it. You don't know N., but we goback quite a few years and we've always swapped book lists. Our tastes aren'talways the same but that's the beauty of it. It works most of the time... Lastyear though, it almost ended in tears. I finally got around to reading one of N.'sfavourite books and I wrote mynot-so-thinly-disguised thoughts here. I think I am the only person inthe whole wide world who didn't enjoy that book. Everyone else I've spoken withabout it, speak of it in those soft and dreamy angel-voice tones. Many alsoenjoyed the movie, and again, speak of it in dreamy-like angel tones. As for themovie, I understand the ending is somewhat different (and by that I meanTOTALLY) and casting Cameron Diaz as the mother? Goodness, what were theythinking? In my head, Diaz is the last person I'd imagine playing that role inthat movie.

So, to the point of this post and speaking of actors and thecharacters they play, segues perfectly to - "We need to Talk about Kevin" by Lionel Shriver. If I had a Top Ten list of favourite books EVER, then Kevin wouldbe in the Top Three. I don't know about you, but when I read I build images inmy head of what I think the characters look like. And I think that's why I see so fewmovies based on popular novels - the actors tend not to match the characters inmy head. The exception is Kevin. I cannot imagine a better actress than TildaSwinton to play the part of Eva, Kevin's mother. And John C. Reilly as Franklinand Ezra Miller as Kevin - WOW! perfect casting!

If you haven't read Kevin, it's a toughie. This is the sortof book you'll either love or hate, there won't be a middle ground. I found thestory haunting. Each page delivered a punch to the guts that didn't let up forany of the 468 pages. Each night I would apprehensively open the book andalthough I was cosily tucked up in bed, I always had the feeling of being on aprecipice. A craggy, crumbly precipice only barely held together by somenon-gravitational force; one that could give way at any moment if I daredbreathe incorrectly.

So, if it made me feel so uncomfortable and anxious, why didI read it? It was the language. It was personal. It was as though I had afriend recounting her life's story to me; a gripping, heart wrenching,difficult and challenging one at that. And you don't turn your back on a friendwhen she's pouring her heart out. You listen, with patience and without judgement, until she finishes. And whenit's over, you can sink back into the chair you've been ever-so-slightly sittingon and be grateful that her life isn't your life and even more grateful that itis, after all, fictional.

I can see how this story can spark debate aboutparenting, communication among other things. In fact, in the back of theedition I have, the publisher has even supplied a list of possible questions you're meant to sit and chat about with your book club buddies. Thatreally isn't necessary, the story supplies you with all the questions you'dever want to debate. Unlike "The Slap", which also sparks debate anddivision, you develop empathy with the characters in Kevin. At the end of thestory, I wanted to hug Eva and simply cry. As for the movie, I'll be putting iton my To Watch List and who knows, I might even meet up with N. so we can watch ittogether.

For a great interview with Tilda Swinton by Kira Cochrane onthe role she played in Kevin, click here.

N. - you are so redeemed. :)

Now, what other books have youread lately?

Spelt Fruit Muffins - with a Twist

2011-10-26T12:56:00.000+11:00

So, we're in HSC mode in our household at the moment andanyone who has been here will know just how stressful this period can be. Notonly do they have exams they need to perform well in, the realisation thattheir school years have now come to an end smacks them well and truly in theface. Even for those who know exactly what they'll be doing once the exams areover, the transition into the next stage of their life can still provedaunting. I've been trying to keep healthy snacks in the house to ensure that abalanced diet is maintained during this time - feed the brain healthy andwholesome foods and avoid snacks with saturated fats and high calorie sugaryfoods, right?

I came across the recipe for Spelt Fruit Muffins while watching"Eat Yourself Sexy Australia" and thought it would be a great snack to make -full of wholesome foods and high in protein, so I searched the site and foundthe recipe. The trouble was, there were a couple of ingredients I feltuncomfortable using. It wasn't the tofu or spelt flour, it was the one cup ofoil and 300g of raw sugar the recipe required. Yikes! That's a lot of oil andsugar! Picturing a cup of oil is enough to make me gag and to use that much ina "healthy" snack, just didn't sit right with me. The two alterationsI made was to cut the sugar in half and to substitute the cup of oil for a cupof apple puree.

You'll be pleased to know that with those simple variations,the Spelt Fruit Muffins (there were 29 in the batch) turned out a treat and were gobbled up by all. Givethem a go - just don't tell your family what's in them!

Tony Ryan Empowering Beauty Photography Workshop December 2011

2011-10-22T22:00:00.001+11:00

If you’re a photographer and can be in the Sydney area onthe 10^th or 11^th December 2011, then you may beinterested to hear that Tony Ryan still has a couple of spots available in hisupcoming workshops. These workshops are intimate and concentrate on theimportance of building a rapport with your model in order to obtain beautifuland empowering portraits and fine art nude photographs. Don’t panic if you don’tknow how to “drive” your camera, as Tony is more than happy to offer tips. The emphasisof the workshop, however, is the human aspect of portrait photography ratherthan getting the most from your camera. Sure, anyone can replicate a pose or leave itup to the model to pose, these sorts of portraits tend to look vacant andshallow and perhaps even a little awkward. Tony explains, and shows examples,where richer and more poised portraits can be obtained through dialogue betweenphotographer and model. Priced at $150.00, I feel the information you learn andthe confidence you gain from this workshop is certainly great value for money. And it's a fun day to boot! Formore information, visit Tony’s website here.

I'm Sorry, But What Season is This?

2011-10-14T21:19:00.001+11:00

I'm a little confused. My calendar tells me that this is midOctober, yet I'm still wearing winter woollies. Normally at this time of year,I would expect soaring blue skies and temperatures in the low to mid 20's. Yettoday, like many days this week and last week and the week before, the temperaturestruggles to get to 20 degrees and it's bleak and dreary. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the mist and fog,but it does get a little tedious. I can really only recall a couple of fineSpring days so far this season, the rest really have been quite blergh. Thisafternoon I ventured out and about and went for a bit of a bush walk. There areonly so many hours you can spend indoors.

I used the Lensbaby Composer with f5.6 aperture disk then convertedto black and white in PS. The abstract colour images were various grasses andbushland, and the effect was achieved in-camera.

I hope that wherever you are in the world, your weather is alittle brighter, sunnier and cheerier than the weather I'm currentlyexperiencing.

And This is why I love Social Media

2011-10-11T21:57:00.000+11:00

Chocolate coated jelly snakes. Yes, that’s right, you read correctly –chocolate coated jelly snakes is what social media is all about. And this is why: I discoveredthe existence of these very yummy sweeties last week thanks to @ozdj over ontwitter. @ozdj tweeted that these sweetswere one of his favourites, but I’d never heard of them before. Being thechocoholic that I am, I just had to know how I could get my hands on a packetof such an exotic sweet! A couple of tweets later, I had the information I needed.Not only did I now know of their existence, but also where I could buy them, Ieven received a link from @CathieTranent letting me know that I could also buy themonline! Sweet! I thought I would share this with you seeing as this week is#chocolateweek according to a current twitter trend. Can you imagine life without chocolate coated jelly snakes? No, neither can I! Thank you twitter, I think life is complete.

Oh and, what do I think of chocolate coated jelly snakes? Very yummy indeed!

Are you on twitter? Do you interact with other tweeps? Go on, give it a go.You just never know what you’ll learn.

My iPod has a Sick Sense of Humour

2011-09-26T14:23:00.000+10:00

I resisted getting an iPod for a long, long time. I neverreally saw why I would need one. I'm happy to listen to the radio in my car andI listen to my CD's at home. So when would I actually need to use an iPod, Iquestioned? Well, when I'm at the dentist, of course!

It was because of a visit to the dentist that I bought myiPod a couple of years ago. Listening toyour favourite music at full volume does wonders for your nerves and it takesyour mind off that whining, drilling sound. Taking my own advice and seekingtreatment for a cracked cusp saw me at the dentist this morning. A previouscracked cusp was so painful that multiple injections were needed to deaden thearea (bad, huh?). While those injections did help somewhat, there was still alot of discomfort due to the sensitivity of the cracked tooth. This morning, Ihelpfully reminded my dentist of that time and suggested I be given as many, ifnot more, injections to make the experience a little more pleasant* for both ofus.

I've included a snapshot of some of the implements used to repair the saidtooth (I really can't see why I should have all the fun) and I'm going to fastforward to where I hit the shuffle button on my iPod to block out the nasty noises. You can only imagine myhorror when the very first song is a "Like a Version" by Grinspoon ofThe Verve's "The Drugs Don't Work".

Thanks iPod - you have one sick sense of humour...

And as a final note, while I can't feel the right side of my face, my tongue feels like it can't fit into my mouth anymore and I can't enunciate my words correctly without dribbling, I felt no pain whatsoever. Yeh!

* euphemism.

Better Photography Photograph of the Year 2011 - My News

2011-09-11T21:35:00.000+10:00

I've been a little tardy in sharing some photographic newswith you. Earlier this year I entered three images in the Better Photography Photograph of the Year 2011. Last year, I also entered 3 images and receivedthree Bronze awards for my efforts. This year, I received two Silvers and aBronze! I was absolutely delighted with this; I was hoping for a silver and wasawarded two! And thanks to those of you who kindly sent me emails tocongratulate me - as I hadn't even realised it - one of my silvers also made iton the Top 50 Emotive Portraits page. Win!

Here are the images; they are available forpurchase over at Red Bubble or alternatively contact me via this blog.

You'll never guess what I just heard...

2011-09-08T16:55:00.000+10:00

I'm really smiling more than this, simply thinking of those two.

I have a Very Big Smile on my face and I'm dreaming of LasVegas. It's not because I'm suffering from the side effect of the hay fevermedication I'm currently taking. It'sbecause I did some serious eavesdropping when I was at the nail bar thismorning. Well, actually, that's stretching it a little. It wasn't hard to eavesdropat all. Apart from myself and the technicians, the only other clients were the2 Very Excited middle aged women who walked in for their booked pedicures. Fromthe moment the two walked in, they were atwitter about their pedicure. One wasa die-hard fan of them and the other had never had a one and was just soexcited at the prospect of having her toe-nails painted she could hardlycontain herself. But they were more than just excited at the oh-so-relaxingpedicure and the many settings on the massage chairs they were sitting on. The numerousmassage settings were delighting the newbie, as the seasoned pro explained thevarious relaxing settings to her with a very knowledgeable tone. It was their upcoming holiday that really hadthem chatting and giggling and squealing with joy!

Here were two best friends who were about to embark on a "tripof a lifetime" (their words). They would be departing this Sunday, for twoweeks in Disneyland and Las Vegas! They were absolutely buzzing with excitement- talking to each other about the arrangements: the children were beingbabysat, comfortable walking shoes were discussed, the importance of moving aboutin the plane was agreed upon, and so on and on. All this interspersed with ticklishgiggles from having their feet rubbed and scraped and pampered. Should they also splurge and book in for faketans and massages prior to their departure - to really get into the holidaymood early - they also pondered... I wanted to call out my reply - yes to themassage and no to the fake tan - but I didn't want to spoil their moment. Theseweren't women who were big noting themselves, their elation was genuine andfrom the sounds of things, well deserved. I wanted to soak up their excitement- while looking as if I wasn't really listening! The excitement of theirupcoming holiday (the first holiday overseas for one of them), the simple joyof having their toe-nails painted, the enthusiasm they were feeling was soinfectious - I truly was so delighted for them - I wanted to hug them good bye!

So now on Sunday morning, I'll be thinking of those two women as they farewelltheir families at the departure lounge and board their flight bound for the USof A for what sounds like a Very Exciting 2 weeks of girly, giggly fun.

Bon Voyage ladies! You've made my day!

Laghi Serru' and Agnel in Landscape or Panorama print?

2011-09-06T17:01:00.000+10:00

I'm refreshing the art hanging on the walls at home at themoment and I have an offer for a hugely discounted canvas print over at theCanvas Factory. The wall space is approximately 1 metre wide and I've decidedon one of my own landscapes to get printed up. I'm having a dilemma however, asI have two images to choose from. Actually, two images that I've narrowed itdown to. Of the same location - the two lakes at Nivolet called, Agnel and Serru', the scenery is absolutely magical and one I'd love to see hanging on my wall as a reminder of the great times we had whilst in Italy in 2010.

To view larger, as for some reason I can't get the linking to work with this image, please click here.

* * *

So, do I choose the landscape orientation or the 5 image panorama of the same location? Which would you choose? And why? I would love to hear your theories on what would work best in the space I have allowed.

Guest Photographer of the Month - A String of Pearls

2011-09-05T17:25:00.001+10:00

September already, I'm not sure what happened to August, butthere you go - we're in the first week of spring. Hooray! It certainly didn'thelp that for much of that time our internet was playing up and our phone linesounded like it was the original line used by Bell when he invented the phone allthose years ago. It's all fixed now, and not before time! (Thank you @Telstra).

So, the latest news is that I was asked by the lovely Janeto be their first ever guest photographer of the month over at A String of Pearls blog. I can thank Jane for suggesting the images I include as guest photographer, be tranquil,peaceful ones and with the stressful month we've had here at home, it was certainly timely.

Please go and check out the blog, A String of Pearls, and I encourage you to leave a comment on any articles that resonate with you.

Have you discovered the joys of Instagr.am?

2011-07-19T21:17:00.000+10:00

Sometime over the last few days, I decided I would take a look at Instagr.am. I downloaded the app soon after I bought my iPhone, but just never had the chance to set up my profile or have a play with it. Oh boy, didn't things change when I discovered just how easy - and how much fun - it is to use. There are some serious advantages to using Instagr.am:

The main one for me being that it integrates with not just twitter, but also facebook and flickr! How good is that?! You can determine which platform you'd like to upload your images to.
It comes with a set of pre-determined filters - the tricky part is actually deciding which cool filter to use. It also has an option for blurring, you can control the positioning and strength of the blur. Very arty!
Square Format - is there anything more retro than the square format, complete with its off-white border!
Discover other Instagr.am fans, and see what they're shooting. We're all sticky beaks aren't we, and we can't resist peaking at others' photos. It's a bit like a swap meet in your iPhone - you show me yours and I'll show you mine. Instagram will display the popular images, as well as giving you the opportunity to 'follow' others. (It even helps you find the people to follow by finding them for you in your list of contacts). Within minutes, I had uploaded four images and found a few Twitter friends.
You can comment and 'like' other images you see, which is something else we all enjoy. I uploaded an image from country NSW, and one of my US twitter friends, Cathy Ross saw it and 'liked' it. I don't know what made me smile more - the fact that I was happy the image was 'uploadable' considering that it was taken from a moving car (yes, I was the passenger, don't panic), the seconds it took to upload, or the fact that within minutes of uploading it, my friend from the other side of the globe had seen it. Have we ever lived in a more instant world?
I feel that it also helps you improve your compositional skills. You can't zoom in, you can't crop - so as a 'fixed' lens, you need to move around to get the composition just right. Surely if you take enough Instagram images, you start to get the feel what which compositions work and which don't. Hopefully then, you'll be able to transfer these skills over to shooting with your DSLR camera. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Something that I haven't really delved into, but you can also allow Instagr.am to pinpoint the location of your shot to share with others. This can be useful with sharing location details with others.
It's free!

There are a couple of downsides that I discovered. One false move with the buttons, and you've deleted your shot for good. We were away for the weekend and I'd just shot the bowl of pea and ham soup I'd had for lunch. Back in the car, again as passenger, I was deciding what filter to use and whether to blur or not when going over a bump on the road made me slip and accidently hit the delete button. No more pea and ham soup image to share with the world. There are those of you out here that would be grateful for that and I put that attitude down to not having Instagr.am and/or a fun and/or addictive personality. The other issue I guess is, just how many images is too many images to share in a 24 hour period? I felt really guilty that I was bombarding flickr, twitter and facebook with these images - but the urge to shoot images and share them was greater than the guilt, so maybe I didn't feel that guilty. At the moment, the other downside is that Instagram only works on iPhones, but I'm sure that will change in time.

So. Do you have an iPhone? Well - what are you waiting for? Head over and download the app and start having a little fun. :) Come on - you show me yours and I'll show you mine - lol!

Book Review - "Mezza Italiana" by Zoe Boccabella

2011-07-14T11:59:00.000+10:00

I would like to start with a disclaimer. I am not a writer. I am not an editor. I am not a book reviewer. These days anyone with internet access can start a blog and share their opinions with others. So, look at me as one of those anyones who has a blog and is happy to share an opinion or two with whoever is happy to come across and read it.

Right, with that out the way, I'm going to tell you how I felt when I finished this book. Disappointed. That, is not the end of my review, by the way. Let me explain further. The title and author's name caught my eye, "Mezza Italiana" by "Zoe Boccabella", the collage-feel to the cover also appealed. But it was the blurb on the inside cover that sent my heart racing. This was the book I had been waiting for and finally someone had written it. And this was my mistake - I had set it up to fail, to fall from the dizzying height from whence I'd perched it.

The story is a common migrant story of growing up in Australia in the 70's where Italians were still referred to as 'wogs'. The older generation Italians were holding fast onto their traditions while the teen generation just wanted to fit into the Australian way of life. If that meant denying or stifling your heritage, then so be it; they weren't interested in their heritage; I wasn't interested in my heritage. I had expected the narrative to meander through the author's journey in some sort of logical order and to be charmed or shocked, whatever the case may be, by the anecdotes where I would nod my head in agreement and understanding. If I use the analogy of meandering along quiet country lanes and being charmed by the surrounding scenery, then this book does not fit with that analogy. Instead, imagine you're in a buzzing city with tight little lanes, distractions are everywhere. The lanes look enticing, exhilarating until you come to dead end after dead end. The buzzing little lanes whilst offering initial promise, fail to deliver. They soon lose their initial appeal and instead become annoying. So it is with a lot of the author's anecdotes in the book. I felt as though I was trapped in those buzzing little lanes wearing a blindfold and not being able to get my bearings, constantly bumping into the dead end walls.

It was relief I felt when I came to the end. And of course disappointment.

Another disclaimer for you - I don't have the foggiest at what is involved in writing a book, how the process works, how long it takes, how many re-writes are involved. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to write a book that not only recounts your journey physically and emotionally, but also the journeys of your nearest and dearest. I do appreciate the enormous effort involved. What I don't understand is how the book slipped past the editor and over to the printer without just one more critical read-through. I am not a high school English teacher and I'm sure this post is peppered with errors, but I feel the narrative could have been improved immensely with tighter editing. There were too many unanswered questions for me, too many half anecdotes, no photographs (apart from the covers).

The trouble is, no matter how well it could have been written, this book was always going to disappoint me to a certain extent. Do I recommend you read this book? No, I don't. Unless of course if you are related to the Boccabella family then you may be privy to some of the stories already and your knowledge will be able to fill the many gaps that left me wanting. If in the future, I purchase another book with a similar story, I will lower my expectations and simply go along for the ride without being so critical of how the story should be presented.

The Runaway Plastics - Where Do They Go?

2011-07-07T20:59:00.000+10:00

Why is it that no matter how often or how recently you tidy your plastics cupboard, the number of containers and the number of lids never seem to match? I would like to declare that my plastics cupboard is tidied often, but that would be a big fat fib. It is only when I reach the stage of sheer frustration of not being able to close the cupboard, or find a lid, or find the right size container, that I empty the whole cupboard out and begin to play the frustrating game that is "Find The Matching Lid!" It sounds an exciting game, especially when you say it just like a Game Show Host, and it was exciting when the Teens were Toddlers. But it's not an exciting game at all. The Teens now just look at me, roll their eyes and go back to doing what they were doing, leaving me to play "Find The Matching Lid!" on my own.

How is it possible that even though bases and lids tallied up in the last tidy up and the cupboard closed effortlessly, that suddenly numerous lids don't have bases and vice versa? It's always been my policy - if it doesn't have a matching base, or there's no lid, it doesn't go back into the cupboard. It goes, instead to a new home courtesy of Vinnies. For whatever reason, this policy isn't working, as I now have bases without lids and lids without bases. Again. Sigh. I do try to maintain some kind of order, but really, it's to no avail. That and the fact there's more to life than balancing the plastics cupboard with the precision of a trust accountant.

I have a theory as to why I'll never balance the number of plastic bases and lids in my kitchen cupboards. I think that some of the sneakier lids and/or bases (as they're just as capable), manage to run off with those single sneaky socks. Those same sneaky socks that leave you with useless matchless single socks that accumulate with each load of washing. (FYI: We currently stand at one shopping bag full of variously coloured single socks).

I'd like to know whether you have this same problem of mis-matched plastics in your kitchen. How do you solve it? Do you have a better solution? Do you perform roll call each day before the situation really gets out of hand; these plastic containers are quite expensive, after all. Where do you think the runaway plastic goes to? And why is it that even though you have less than what you started with, after a week, you're back to not being able to close the cupboard? Sigh.

Lesson of the Day #1

2011-07-06T21:35:00.000+10:00

I'm half way through my first week of a two week break. The winter wind is howling and I'm staying within my cosy four walls - hopefully for the duration of my break. I've set myself quite a few tasks, a major one it seems is trying to keep the food up to the growing teen boys that stalk the pantry 24/7. My youngest had asked for some oreo mini cheesecake cupcakes as sampled at the weekend at a do we attended. I had forgotten I even had the recipe for them, and I was fortunate that the ingredients required were at hand, albeit with some minor variations. Substituting the oreos for chocolate montes, whilst yummy, meant the cupcakes were very messy to eat. There's a reason why a round biscuit, rather than an oval biscuit, fits so much better in a round patty pan...hmmm... And leaving out the sour cream and substituting it for more cream cheese - it really was too windy to go to the shops - meant the cupcakes lacked that certain tang.

So, lesson of the day - teenage boys will eat just about anything, no matter how it looks, and it helps if it's in a bright and colourful patty pan. Also, if it can be eaten with your fingers, then all the better. The not-oreo-but-chocolate-monte cheesecake cupcakes were gone in the blink of an eye.

When Life is but a Blur

2011-05-30T22:06:00.000+10:00

Photo: Adriana Glackin

It was a last minute decision that found me at the 52 Suburbs exhibition at the Museum of Sydney late yesterday afternoon. I was aware of this project thanks to twitter and was following the progress with interest. If I thought the Project365 was a challenge, then surely a challenge such as documenting 52 suburbs in 52 weeks is the ultimate. Phew! My head spins just thinking about it. I'm pleased to say the exhibition didn't disappoint, and even though it was late there were quite a few people enjoying the display.

The exhibition runs until October 2011, and allow yourself plenty of time, as there's another exhibition well worth visiting - The Enemy at Home. Recently discovered photographs taken by a German internee are being exhibited and they show life in the intern camps during WWI. The two exhibitions work well side by side and show just how much Australia has changed within the last century.

Getting back to the 52 Suburbs, there are limited edition prints available for sale as well as the book which showcases the project. For the photographers amongst us, there's also a competition you can enter that encourages you to get to know your suburb!

A brisk walk over to Allens Music to pick up some music supplies, then over to Chinatown for a quick meal before heading home and the whirlwind trip to town was over. Of course no trip to the city is complete without a photo or two... the photo above was taken with my iPhone using the Slow Shutter App and edited using the Film Noir App.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to cosy up in bed and enjoy my copy of the 52 suburbs book.

Hearty Soul Food

2011-05-21T18:50:00.000+10:00

Sometimes I just can’t help it; I have to photograph my food before I eat it. It’s not because my loved ones will have the evidence of what my last meal consisted of, should I be fatally struck down by food poisoning. It’s more about the colours and textures and aromas - they're simply so appealing. (Yes, I know you can’t photograph an aroma...yet) My family and friends are used to this behaviour now and when I have my camera up at my face it’s hard for me to see their eye rolls. So, this was one of my dinners from earlier this week – a simple minestrone soup. I had picked up the recipe card from my local greengrocer and added it to the other recipe cards I seem to have accumulated over the years. With the chill of autumn well and truly here, it was time to rummage through the recipe cards and come up with my own simple minestrone variation.

My ingredients included:

· Onion

· Leek

· 2 carrots

· Celery

· Cup of peas

· Handful of beans

· Cauliflower

· 2 x 425g tinned tomato

· Tbs tomato paste

· 1 ½ cups of small pasta

· 1 lt of beef stock

· 1 Tbs olive oil

· Salt and pepper to taste

· Fresh Parmesan Cheese grated to garnish and flavour

My method:

· * Finely chop the onion, leek and carrots, add to the pot with the olive oil and fry until the onion and leek are clear. Stirring and taking care not to burn the onion and leek.

· * Add the other raw vegetables and stir frequently until they brown a little.

· * Add the stock and tinned tomatoes and tomato paste. Lower heat, place lid and allow to simmer. Stir occasionally and as the vegetables begin to soften, you can add the small pasta, stir (you may add a little water or stock at this stage), place lid and simmer until cooked.

· * Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with parmesan cheese upon serving.

Variations:

· * You could use frozen vegetables in place of raw vegetables.

· * The beauty of this simple minestrone is that any vegetables you have in your fridge, freezer or pantry would be suitable to make this hearty soup. You want to end up with a bowl-full of chunky delicious vegetables and not a light and liquidy soup.

· * If who you’re serving to, has an aversion to a certain food, you could always omit the pasta and blend the vegetables into a fine puree and serve with a dollop of sour cream. I will be cooking this variation next time as MOTH objected to the ‘ridiculous’ amount of peas in his bowl. Tsk.

· * Use your favourite spices, perhaps cumin, to give a different flavour to the soup. Or a generous handful of chopped basil would also be a yummy variation.

· * If you want a meatier variation, add bacon or ham pieces to the onion and olive oil and substitute vegetable stock for the beef stock.

Importantly, once it’s cooked, don’t forget to take a photo of it before you serve it up! Oh, and if you like, post me a link to your photo. Enjoy!

Book Review - For One More Day by Mitch Albom

2011-04-28T23:19:00.000+10:00

Photo: Adriana Glackin - (Lensbaby; iso 100; f2)

I’ve been pretty pre-occupied lately and this blog has fallen by the wayside. Never mind, it’s always here when I’m ready to pick up where I left off.

So, I have this pile of unread books by my bedside table. Some new, some old, some trashy, some classics. I enjoy being able to choose a book to suit my taste at the time, and my taste in books, like music and art, is eclectic so it’s always an adventure working out what to read next.

A couple of days ago I started a little adventure in picking up Mitch Albom’s “For One More Day”. It’s been sitting there for quite a while and always overlooked until now. It’s a short read and this style of book is best devoured while you’re sitting on your cosy lounge, under a hand-knitted blanket, with a warm and luxurious shawl wrapped snuggly around you and pure sheepskin slippers on. An autumn wind and rain howling outside, the slow cooker is quietly simmering away tantalising you every so often with it's delicious aroma and no other distractions will take your attention away from the story. Of course a box of tissues tucked in beside you will also come in handy. But if all this is not possible, then the next best thing, is to sneak back in bed once everyone has left for school and work and devour the rest of the book then! Which is exactly what I did this morning. Thank goodness MOTH and The Teens weren’t home to see me blubbering like a big baby upon finishing the book and hopelessly willing for more words to magically appear. (Hmmm, that seems to be a bit of a theme when I finish a book – please sir, can I have some more...)

What did I love about it? He uses a minimal amount of words; he uses them so effectively, that every sentence is heavy with meaning. He uses words in such a combination that all the emotion contained in the words is squeezed out and laid bare on the pages for you to drink in. Of course I’m not going to divulge the plot; you can probably guess what it’s about by the title and you know you’ll need tissues handy. Whether you can relate to this tale or not, if you’re left unmoved by this narrative, then you’re not really alive, are you...

Do yourself a favour and grab a copy from your favourite second hand bookstore and snuggle under a blanket and read this tale. A good cry never did anyone any harm. Enjoy!

Scanography

2011-02-28T21:05:00.000+11:00

Wow! Who knew you could even do this? Scanography has been called the poor man's large format style of photography. All it basically is, you "photograph" your object by placing it on a flatbed scanner and activate the scan via your editing program. Wow! I'm still excited at what you can achieve. Of course, my first subject is flowers... These are my first attempts at scanography. I really must read up a bit more on this. What I'm wondering though, is just what other unusual forms of photography are out there that I don't know about...

Book Review - "The Distant Hours" by Kate Morton

2011-02-21T16:50:00.000+11:00

Photo: Adriana Glackin

It was with a little apprehension that I opened this book. This is the third novel by Kate Morton, a Brisbane based author. Her other two novels are “The Shifting Fog” and “The Forgotten Garden” and I thoroughly enjoyed reading both. So why the apprehension? Well it seems that authors tends to have a formula, a signature , to their writing and sometimes it can be so overpowering that it overtakes the story; so that all you see is the formula that’s been followed rather than the story or even the characters. Think of John Grisham and you’ll know what I’m talking about. I didn’t want to feel the disappointment I did when I read the third, almost identical Grisham novel.

Kate Morton’s style is to weave more than one story within the pages; she also has this wonderful knack of being able to take you back into the past, back to the present and then back to the present again over and over, the whole time weaving the stories and characters together. She does this so effortlessly, that although it’s been that way for all 3 of her novels the actual narratives and characters more than hold their own. This latest of hers, is another clever narrative, and my only regret is that I raced through it far too quickly – I simply needed to know what was going to happen next!

It was also with some disappointment that I closed the book for one last time. At 497 pages, the book seems long enough – and heavy enough when it falls on your nose when you’re up late in bed reading when you should be sleeping... But I feel a sense of sadness that I won’t hear any more of the tales of Saffy and Percy, two of the characters from the novel. There simply wasn’t the room in the book to squeeze anymore in, for that I’m certain and I think it is more a testament of the writing skills of the author that she is able to leave you with this feeling. Or, it might just be me being greedy and wanting to know more.

If you’ve read her previous two novels, then you’ll definitely enjoy The Distant Hours. If you haven’t read any of her novels and you enjoy your chick-lit with the modern day mixed with the early 20th century, full-bodied characters and clever twists, then give them a go. I know I haven't given anything away here - that would be spoiling it, now wouldn't it...

Kate, if you happen across this blog post, it would be really, really good if you could write a spin-off novella about Saffy and Percy. Such sweet dears, I would have loved to hear more of their stories.

What lens do you use when photographing waterfalls?

2011-02-08T18:34:00.000+11:00

I tagged long with photographers Tatiana and Peter this past weekend and I thought I’d share some photographs I took of some waterfalls located in the Leura area. I’m not certain of their name, but they are below the Bridal Veil Falls. Please feel free to leave me a comment if you happen to know the names of the waterfalls below.

I used three very different lenses: Sigma 10-20mm, the Lensbaby Composer (with Soft Focus Option) and 24mm Tilt-Shift Lens, borrowed from Peter who has a wonderful tutorial on tilt-shift lenses just a click away. You can see by the examples, that some very different results were obtained. I have included the camera and lens settings for you.

So, what lens do you like to use when you shoot landscapes such as waterfalls?

Canon 50D, Sigma 10-20mm @14mm, f11, ISO100, 30 seconds, Cokin ND filters x 2

Canon 50D, Sigma 10-20mm @ 11mm, f14, ISO100, 15 seconds, Cokin ND Filters x 2

Canon 50D, Lensbaby Composer, Soft Focus Optic, ISO100, 1 second, Cokin ND Filters x 2, own textures added in PS

Canon 50D, Lensbaby Composer Soft Focus Optic, ISO100, 0.6 seconds, Cokin ND Filters x 2

Canon 50D, Lensbaby Composer Soft Focus Optic, ISO100, 1/13 seconds, Cokin ND Filters x 2,

Canon 50D, 24mm tilt-Shift Lens, f11, 1.3 seconds, no filters

The magical world in the upturned glass

2011-01-29T18:06:00.002+11:00

the magical world in the upturned glass, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

The challenge was set and the keyword was “glass”. It could be interpreted in any way, and having seen an early entry, I almost didn’t bother. How could I compete with that...and then I got to thinking - what’s the point of a challenge if I give up so easily? That wouldn’t be the spirit of it, so it was time to think hard and give it a go. Each day I would formulate an idea in my head whilst working out if I could pull it off, trying all the while to build the image in my head. In the end, I decided to pursue a dandelion idea as there was a perfect one in our lawn. Thanks to some butterfly stock over at Deviantart and quite a few adjustment layers, I’m happy with the result – a magical world in an upturned schooner glass!

Why shooting in RAW is worthwhile

2011-01-28T00:09:00.001+11:00

Whale Beach afternoon , originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Last week I met up with a fellow photographer friend of mine, Matt Penfold, and we spent a couple of hours clambering over the rocks at Whale Beach on Sydney’s northside. While it was more an exercise to check out a possible sunrise location, the tide was just right for some interesting seascape shots. The problem was the lighting, with the sun still being a little too bright and the shadows just that little bit too long and dark. Using ND filters certainly helped, but if you’re like me and you use Cokin filters, then you would have noticed the unsightly colour caste created when stacking two or more filters; a colour caste that does nothing for the image unfortunately.

This is where it’s really handy to shoot using RAW and not just jpeg. I actually shoot both; I use jpeg as my proof and I edit using the RAW file. The RAW file is considerably bigger and contains the complete image file as captured by the camera sensor and unedited by the camera software. I managed to “rescue” this seascape image from the trash thanks to having shot using RAW. Had I only shot using jpeg, I don’t know that I would have been able to rid the image of the murky muddy purple caste in the sky. Instead, using ACR and making adjustments to hue, saturation, colour temperature, levels and curves, I was able to eliminate the muddy purple hue in the sky and enhance the afternoon warmth instead.

One book that you might find handy is the Focus Guide Photoshop: Get More From RAW. I switched to RAW when I bought my first DSLR and I used this book to familiarise myself with ACR. Now, I do much of my editing in this format. The guide is easy to follow and is suitable for both PS and Elements versions. I’m not sure if this book is still available new, but it would certainly be available in second hand book stores and of course online.

~ sleepwalker ~

2011-01-13T22:05:00.002+11:00

~ sleepwalker ~, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

My first post for 2011 and I’m saddened by the natural disasters befalling many Australians at the moment. Extensive, horrific floods in QLD, NSW and Vic and raging bushfires in WA. Such is Mother Nature. My sympathies go out to those who have lost so much, and to the volunteers who are working tirelessly to help restore some normality to those who have been affected by these disasters.

With everything going on, and with up-to-the-minute reporting on TV and via the net, that is so difficult to ignore, I haven’t given any more thought to commencing my photographic project for 2011. My camera also is in need of servicing. The photo above is my first offering for 2011.

Anyway, I’m sure you’ve seen the links on how you can donate to the flood victims, in case you haven’t, I’ve included them below. If you can give of your time and/or your money, please give generously. Let’s hope these disasters aren’t a sign of things to come in 2011.

Donate your $$ here

Donate your time here

If you have other links, then please feel free to add them in the comments. Stay safe.

Farewell to 2010

2010-12-30T17:22:00.000+11:00

2010 is drawing to a close. It's been an eventful year, lots of surprises and wonderful experiences. I have no idea what 2011 will bring, but am looking forward to a small break in early January from my photography projects. My camera needs a much needed service and I'll use that time to reflect on the year that was.

If you've come across this post, then I'd like to wish you a very Happy New Year. May 2011 bring you health, happiness, love and adventure. May you be surrounded by those you love and may you look upon each day with wonder and excitement.

See you in 2011!

Calling All #Project365 Photographers!

2010-11-30T10:19:00.000+11:00

If you’re like me and you started this project on the 1^st January this year and you’ve yet to skip a day, then that means you’re coming to the end of the project – HOORAY! But, what next?

This project has been extremely challenging, frustrating, frightening, hilarious, interesting, and educational as well as the biggest time thief ever. I’m counting down the days until this is over. I’m trying really hard not to waste the last days with low quality images – I want to continue pushing out from my comfort zone as this was one of my goals when commencing this project. The challenge now, is to plan “what next”. I can discount another year of #project365 – I truly couldn’t imagine anything worse!

I’d like to hear from you, fellow #project365’ers. How have you found this project? Is it what you thought? Have you learnt anything from it? Did you take it seriously, or was it more of a lark? Are there any tips you’d like to share with your fellow #project 365’ers? What will you do when you complete your project?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, and maybe you can include a link to your project so I – and others – can check out your gallery.

Book Review: "Open - An Autobiography" By Andre Agassi

2010-11-15T19:05:00.003+11:00

Let me start by stating that I’m not a tennis fan. I can count on one hand the number of tennis games I’ve watched on TV. I did attend a tennis match. Once. I can’t remember who the players were, but I seem to think that one was a mover and shaker at the time and his name now escapes me. I have had about a dozen tennis lessons in my life but I wouldn’t even consider myself a “hit and giggle” player, more a “miss and stamp your feet” sort of player.

I had heard this book was good, an enjoyable read, so when I came across it , and saw the front cover - the piercing eyes on the front cover are difficult to ignore - I picked up a copy. I originally bought this book for MOTH* so he would have something to read on a recent long flight but the book wasn’t removed from the in-flight bag. Not wanting to waste a book, I picked it up, read it and enjoyed it.

The candid, frank and open manner the book is written makes for a very easy read. It really doesn’t matter whether you’re a tennis fan or even an Agassi fan. While the tennis facts aren’t exactly “glossed over” in this book, they’re not the dominant part of the book. The candid manner of the book can mean that a whole tennis tournament is over in a breathless and fast-paced paragraph; other tournaments can take a lot longer but as breathless and exhausted Agassi was at the end of those tournaments, so will you be at the end of the narrative. The tennis is just the means; the emotions, the thoughts, the feelings are what dominate this story.

I couldn’t put the book down – Will Agassi’s antics get him kicked out of tennis school? Will he win the latest match? And what about the tournament? Will he retire at the end of the season? How long can he keep playing top grade tennis for? And the mullet was really a toupee? (thank you BS for convincing him to get rid of that thing). Of course, if you’re an Agassi fan, you would know all the answers to the above questions without having to pick up the book. What you will get from this book is an insight into the joy and the pain of the journey of one man’s extraordinary tennis-driven life. A journey that Agassi has struggled with and is perhaps only now coming to a point of peace and acceptance as he is perhaps finally free to follow his passions – his family and school.

*Man Of The House

Where do you get images to decorate your blog?

2010-11-08T18:39:00.000+11:00

Blogging is so easy and accessible that it’s no wonder so many keep blogs these days. You don’t need to know computer code in order to start a blog and there are so many blogging platforms to choose from, many of them free. Once you set up your blog, and start writing content, you’d probably like to add the occasional image to brighten up the blog for your reader. But where do you get the images from? You could supply your own images for your own blog or - many bloggers turn to Google. The trouble is, just because an image is on Google, it doesn’t mean it’s free for you to use. As a photographer, I understand that the moment I upload an image of mine onto the internet, the chances of someone else using that image without my authorisation is possible and there is nothing I can do to my images to prevent unauthorised use from occurring. If I saw this as a huge problem, I would simply choose not to publish my photographs online. While I do choose to publish my photographs online, I would like to have a choice where and how I see my photographs displayed. Take the image below as an example.

plainly ~ i love you by Adriana Glackin

Using the Tin Eye Reverse Image Search, I was able to search for my image and see where else on the internet my image would pop up. I found the image in no less that 8 other blogs from around the world. While I feel very flattered that they felt my image best reflected their blog posting, my name as the creator of the photograph was annoyingly missing. The other issue is that while the photograph was “clickable”, it led to a large version of the photograph and not to my website - grrr. Had the blog writer linked back to my website AND mentioned the title of the image AS WELL AS my name, then I probably wouldn’t have a problem with my photograph being used on their blog. Remember – I’m very flattered, but I’m also annoyed that I haven’t received credit for that photograph.

So, my tips for image use are:

1. ASK the creator of the image if you can LINK the image to your blog. It may also be necessary to send a copy of the post you intend to use with the image in question. The photographer/artist will want to ensure their image isn’t being used to promote hatred, vilification, pornography etc.
2. Ensure that you clearly label the image with the TITLE of the image and NAME of the artist and that it links back to their website.
3. At the end of your blog post, it might also be a good PR tip to note that the image used was with the “Permission of ARTIST” and again make it a clickable link.
4. If you can’t find the creator of the image, probably best to find another image – or use one of your own images.
5. If you’re in a hurry to post your blog and simply can’t wait to hear back from the artist/photographer, then ensure the image is LINKABLE to the artist’s website and note in the blogpost that you are “Awaiting permission from ARTIST” to use the image.

A strong word of caution – I have a fairly relaxed attitude to usage of my photographs as you can see by the tips above, but not all photographers and artists share my relaxed point of view. It is with extreme caution that you undertake to use someone else’s image without their authorisation. Not only will some photographers/artists use all their legal might to ensure you remove their image from your blog, they will also contact the likes of Google, Blogger, Wordpress and inform them of the image theft that has taken place. The likes of Google, Blogger, Wordpress and others take a very dim view of image theft and they can, and will close your blog down. And all because you didn’t use your manners and ASK...So people, just because we live in the modern world, let's not forget our old fashioned manners. Do the polite thing - Ask and Link! Happy blogging.

Have You Started Your Christmas Shopping Yet?

2010-11-04T18:15:00.000+11:00

Yes, no, maybe, you don't want to think about it?

Well think about this - until 14th November 2010, Red Bubble have are having a sale -

15% off all my works when you use the voucher code

"dabble_is_on_sale_7255".

Remember, this code will only work on my photographic art items.

How to Add Texture to Your Photographs - a simple tutorial

2010-06-28T20:49:00.000+10:00

I’m always asked how I add textures to my images, so I thought I would write a quick and simple recipe for you with a before and after photographic example. I use my own textures, however in this example I have downloaded some free textures from Isabelle LaFrance Photography. Isabelle has free textures as well as free actions on her blog, so go and pay her a visit.

Here is the image BEFORE:

Step 1: Download the Free Texture Pack from Isabelle’s Website and save them onto your computer.

Step 2: Open up your Photograph. I’m using Photoshop, but I’m sure you can adapt these instructions to suit Elements.

Step 3: Open up “Burst – Free” texture that you’ve downloaded and change the colours using “Colour Balance”. I altered the colour from the original terracotta/green to a blue/fuchsia.

Step 4: Add the “Burst-Free” layer to your image. (Right click on the layers dialogue box and select “Duplicate” and select the image destination you would like the texture image to be sent to).

Step 5: Go back to your original image. It should now have the “Burst – Free” layer over the top. Resize if necessary. Set this layer to “Soft Light” and to about 63% Opacity.

Step 6: Open up “Organic – Free” texture and once again change the colours to suit. I altered the colour from the original mushroom to a turquoise.

Step 7: Add the “Organic – Free” layer to your image. Resize if necessary and set the layer to “Soft Light at about 60% Opacity.

Step 8: Duplicate the Original image and position this on top of the two textured layers. Change this layer to “Black & White” (Go to Image – Adjustment – Black & White) and set this layer to “Soft Light” at 100% Opacity.

Step 9: Open a Curves layer mask and create a very slight S-curve – to suit your taste. And you’re done!

Step 10: If you are posting the image up on the web, and you’ve used other people’s images – then don’t forget to give credit with links back to their site.

Here is the image AFTER:

Please Note: The “recipe” will alter with each and every image as well as each texture layer you apply. While setting it to about 60% Soft Light works in this example, in another example, Overlay at 20% may be the effect you’re after. The trick is to experiment; there is no right or wrong way to apply layers. Of all the layer effects, I tend to use Soft Light, Overlay, Hard Light, Multiply and Darken the most.

If you have any questions, then please leave a comment and I will try and answer it for you. In the meantime - Enjoy! :-)

Blowing in the Wind? Where are you Heading?

2010-06-28T00:08:00.000+10:00

It's funny how some days when I'm trying to capture an image for my #project365, I shoot a back up image that is nothing like the theme I'm working on. Today was one of those days. I'm happy with both images from today's little adventure, yet only one can be chosen for the project. This image is my back up and I've added one of those little inspirational quotes that we need to hear every so often in order to remind us about where we're heading. Where am I heading? I'd like to complete this #project365 - that's where I'm heading. Where are you heading?

One Week Only - SALE @ RedBubble

2010-06-16T09:27:00.000+10:00

It's SALE time over at RedBubble! For one week only, you can receive 20% off your Calendar, Greeting Card and Postcard purchases. The lovely people over at RedBubble have made it possible to set the starting date on your calendar. That means if you want to get a head start with your Christmas shopping, then buy your calendars this week and choose "January 2011" as your starting date. Or you may realise that you don't have a calendar in the house (how did that happen?) , again order your calendar this week and choose "July 2010" as your starting month.

Don't forget Greeting Cards and Postcards - yes people still do write them and send them and RedBubble have so many cool and amazing designs. The slideshow above shows just some of my designs, but you may prefer:

landscapes cityscapes floral people babies pets still life vibrant colour blur

simplicity abstract nature retro vintage graphic design hearts fantasy art

Whatever you prefer, you have only until 23rd June 2010 to get your 20% off. Please use the following Promotional Code during the checkout process:

Handshake03934015

And - pssttttt! Feel free to pass the code on - don't just keep it to yourself. Happy Shopping!

Autumn colour in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia

2010-05-25T14:04:00.002+10:00

autumn colour I, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Autumn in the Blue Mountains is the best place to be to see amazing deciduous colour that changes with each passing day. Depending on where in the Blue Mountains you visit, this riot of autumn-toned colour can start as early as April, in the upper mountains and extend through to June in the lower mountains. There’s a wide variety of deciduous trees, from liquid ambers, Chinese Tallowood, Japanese maple, crepe myrtle, all have their own rich autumn tones. If you’re a fan of autumn colour and you enjoy a certain briskness in the air, then come along to the Blue Mountains – or your favourite autumn location – and marvel at the spectacle that is what makes autumn so awesome!

Can You Survive the Weekend with Just One Camera Lens?

2010-05-17T21:42:00.001+10:00

Mudgee vineyards, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

That was the question I asked myself when deciding on a last minute weekend trip to Mudgee. We would be surprising friends already out there, non-photographer friends, at that. I knew the agenda would be packed with wine tasting, shopping and eating – my friends are quite organised and had already planned their weekend with the various places to visit. So, did I really need to take all my gear? And what lens to take? What if I took the wrong lens? I then asked myself some more questions –

1. What was the purpose of the weekend away?
2. What was the reason for taking the camera?
3. What lens would best suit the purpose of question one?

Upon answering those questions, I decided on taking the 17-85mm lens, no back-up battery and only one CF card. Now that’s living life on the knife’s edge! Or is it? The purpose of the weekend was to spend time with those friends and the photography would only be a very small part of our weekend. I really only needed to take two photos – one for each day away as part of my Project365, so I certainly didn’t need to fill an 8gb card with endless photos; and as we were in some very picturesque country, it made sense to take the very versatile 17-85mm (as much as I would have loved to take the Lensbaby!)

I have no regrets. I achieve my photography goals with battery life and room on the CF card to spare. It actually felt quite good not to be lugging around all that gear and it made me really think about the photographs I would be taking. I tried to maximise the capabilities of the 17-85mm and it was quite freeing not having to worry about swapping this lens for that. Importantly, it meant that I could spend time with my friends and that’s what the weekend was all about.

Mind you, I would love to organise a weekend away in Mudgee with a group of fellow photographers – and in that case, the answers to my questions above would yield very different results!

How do the serious photographers enjoy their holidays?

2010-04-19T09:08:00.007+10:00

Sunrise at The Gap, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

I ask this question because I’ve just spent 10 days away on holidays with family and friends, and of course much of my camera gear. At the start of this year I also undertook the Photo-a-Day project and was looking forward to the family holiday even more than I normally do – I would be able to take advantage of the wonderful location AND submit stunning images for each day...no excuses.

There would be no excuses about no time, or being too busy, or couldn’t think of what to shoot, or being too tired, or no props, or there’s nothing exciting to shoot. Nosirree, no excuses – I would be surrounded by fresh scenery – beaches, bush, pastureland, dairy farms, and quaint country towns – gosh, I was even planning the shots in my head as we drove to our holiday destination. That is, until I got there. The minute I stepped out the car, I immediately went into holiday mode. All I wanted to do was go to the beach and have fun with my family and friends; all day and every day. There were days that I really struggled to even take the camera out of its bag as it would mean time away from my family and friends. Stealing myself away from them made me resent the project and resent the commitment I’d made to myself about completing it.

I then got to thinking – how do the really serious photographers go while on holidays? Do they even have holidays? Do they struggle to have a good time? Do they switch off from all things photographic? Or do they have their cameras around their necks no matter what? Is every moment a photographic moment? What is a holiday to a serious photographer? And is that the difference between a wannabe and a serious photographer – that there’s no such thing as a holiday as every opportunity is a photo opportunity? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. How do you juggle the fun times with photographic times while you’re on holiday? Needless to say there are many photos I didn’t take, which really is just as well as we’ll be returning again next year.

Dear Blog,

2010-03-07T21:50:00.001+11:00

raindrops from heaven I, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

How are you? Well, I'm fine, doing really well actually.

I'd like to apologise to you though. Have you noticed, I haven't been here too often? I'm so sorry I've been so lax in keeping you up to date with things. You know I couldn't work out why I wasn't spending more time here with you, and then I realised what it is that has been keeping me away from you - and it's the Project 365. That's right, not only am I composing a photograph a day, I'm also writing a little story to go with each image. It seems that I'm using up all my words in a place other than you. I'm so sorry. I do apologise. I'll try and make an effort to visit and keep you updated with stuffs. I've included a pretty picture for you to look at.

And please remember, it's not you, it's me.

Yours always,
Adriana :)

Book Review - "time of my life" by Allison Winn Scotch

2010-02-27T00:33:00.000+11:00

I love books and find I immerse myself in them, getting totally lost in the narrative. I’m going to tell you about the latest book I’m reading, called “time of my life” by Allison Winn Scotch. Thanks to another great pick from @hemymusic (the first book being “Hollywood Ending” by Kathy Charles – please read it, it’s great) I have totally immersed myself in this book – to the point where having only about 20 pages to go, it is with mixed emotions that I read it to the end. The characters and their lives are so interesting and enjoyable and their problems are so like our own, that it seems a shame to say good bye to them so soon. Surely that’s a mark of a good book...

Basically, the story is a little like this – Jillian, the main character finds herself in the life that is a little too suburban, shall we say. She’s married, has a child, a beautiful home, lovely friends...but is this it? Is this really as good as it gets? Fantasising about how life would have been different had she made other choices earlier on, she manages to find herself in the situation where she can change her life’s direction. Of course, such a twist in the story comes with its own problems – how will the writer handle Jillian’s situation and the sequence of events, will they be cheesy, will they be predictable, will they be unrealistic or over the top? Thankfully, the characters and their encounters are none of these. The warm, friendly and candid style of writing means you could almost be listening to a friend speak with you about her problems; there’s a genuineness about the characters and a realistic and somewhat humourous portrayal of their problems - qualities that make the story so engaging. Jillian is, after all like many mothers who discover their lives are so very different once babies come along. Often feelings of “is this it” aren’t talked about during pre-natal classes or even in mother’s groups, the subject being taboo. And of course, there’s the old adage of “be careful what you wish for” to contend with. I’ve really enjoyed how this little talked about topic has been treated in this book. It’s been given a certain lightness so it’s not depressing, whilst at the same time it’s a serious situation the character find herself in, with some very serious consequences.

It is with reluctance, trepidation and excitement that I will complete those last 20 pages tonight. Reluctance that I will no longer be reading about Jillian’s life; trepidation that the last 20 pages are going to rush through to the conclusion leaving me feeling a little ripped off – so much action happening in so few paragraphs (why do some writers do that? Rush through the ending?)hopefully it won't be the case in this book; and excitement, how will Jillian’s life choices be resolved. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

How different Photographic Treatments change the look of a Subject

2010-02-01T21:38:00.001+11:00

Take a bunch of hydrangeas, a hand painted ceramic bowl, a string of pearls, a cedar table, some floaty organza and a couple of torches. Add to this mix your favourite camera equipment and your editing skills. Get busy and arrange the items in a pleasant fashion. And now experiment!

In the first photograph, a standard 50mm lens – the plastic fantastic, diffused torchlight, and a long exposure of a couple of seconds was used. The diffused torchlight was used to “paint” the light onto the hydrangeas. The brightness, contrast, levels were then adjusted in Photoshop to get this final results.

There’s a real trend toward adding textured layers to photographs these days. Adding textures really changes the feel of the photo. It somehow ages the photo, giving it a real retro/grungy/moody look. I recommend you shoot your own textures or if you really prefer, you can obtain free textures by simply searching Google for “free textures”. I’ve used 3 different texture layers (my own) to the original image, and have blended them using varying opacities and blending modes. I find I use overlay, soft light, hard light and multiply the most.

This image is identical to the image above - it has been layered with textures to change it's appearance to a more moody and vintage look.

This final image was shot using a very different technique – in fact it’s a blend of two techniques that I enjoy – the dreamy Lensbaby and the Through the Viewfinder techniques are absolute favourites of mine. Different brands of Twin Reflex cameras will also yield varying results. So, in these final two images, I used the Lensbaby Muse with the +4 macro filter; I inserted that into the “tube of darkness” which directly points to the viewfinder on the top of the Twin Reflex Camera. Using the Muse lens, really softened the overall look of the image and the square format plus some cross-processing, gives it an aged appearance. Follow this link if you’d like to know more about the Through the Viewfinder technique.

Through the Viewfinder using Lensbaby Muse +macro 4 filter and Argus Argoflex Camera

Through the Viewfinder using Lensbaby Muse + macro 4 filter and Kodak Duoflex Camera

Coming Soon - How to apply textures to your images.

Canon 50D - Noise Problems

2010-01-18T23:46:00.007+11:00

Back in July 2009, I bought my Canon 50D and so far I’ve very much enjoyed the photographic journey. My photographic tastes are eclectic – I don't to stick to any one genre of photography...lol...I love all sorts from close ups, or using a lensbaby, doing long exposures, seascapes, landscapes, portraits, abstracts. I enjoy checking out what other 50D owners produce with their camera, you can learn a lot from talented photographers who use the same equipment. So it was a little disturbing to come across various forums around the web that discuss noise issues with the 50D. I was alerted to this by Simone Byrne (please go immediately and check out her seascapes and landscapes – they are to die for!) Simone and I managed to upgrade our camera gear at about the same time, so I keenly view her work and hope that one day I can display the skill levels, commitment and passion that she does when it comes to photography. If ever there was a case of it being the person and not the gear who is responsible for the photograph, then Simone definitely fits this saying!

Anyway, back to the noise issue with the Canon 50D. Simone, like many others, is experiencing serious noise issues, while I am not. Have a look at the following forums to see some lively discussions.

PhotoMalaysia

Luminous-Landscape

Better-Photo

Australian Photography

DPreview

Photo-Forum

There seems to be a few opinions to explain the noise, but one thing seems clear - you’re either experiencing noise, or you’re not – there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. Are there faulty batches? Is there a patch that can solve the issue? Are Canon aware of the problem and what are they doing to keep their Canon fans happy?

I’ve done my own little experiment and have included the results below. Please judge for yourself, and feel free to leave a comment letting me know how you’re going with your Canon 50D camera.

Umina Rocks early overcast evening ISO 100

Umina Rocks early overcast evening ISO 250

Umina Rocks early overcast evening ISO 400

100% ISO 100

100% ISO 200

100% ISO 400

I didn't bother with experimenting with higher ISO's in this instance. No noise reduction, whether in-camera or during editing, has been used.

Day 1 of 365

2010-01-01T12:43:00.001+11:00

Day 1 of 365, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Happy New Year. The first day of 2010 is warm, humid and drizzly. This is Sydney summer, changeable yet glorious. What better way to mark the first day of the New Year than to record a blurry image, reminiscent of how some saw in the New Year - through the blur of their champagne flutes. You can just see the rain level in the rain gauge where we've received some much needed rain.

I look forward to this experience and I hope it doesn't go the way of most New Year's resolutions... :)

Christmas Day doesn't need to be stressful...

2009-12-28T23:21:00.000+11:00

Long gone are the days when I would stress over Christmas Day preparations. This year I adopted a laid back approach which meant the day was much more enjoyable – which is how Christmas Day should be. So what that I forgot some grocery items, like orange juice, avocadoes and shortbread biscuits to name a few, there was still plenty of goodies to eat and I really don’t think anyone noticed. It also meant I could improvise with some of the recipes.

The smoked salmon & avocado stack was still delicious despite the fact I had forgotten to buy the fresh avocadoes, yet I had some yummy avocado & salsa pre-made dip which worked quite well instead. So what that I ruined the ham rind by cutting all the way through it – the redcurrant glazed ham was that yummy, it was devoured in two days. So what that there weren’t the traditional shortbread biscuits to serve visiting friends and family over the course of Christmas Day and Boxing Day – the mini chocolate puddings, the delightfully decadent egg custard and those huge, juicy cherries were enough of a distraction.

We’ve been spoilt over the years to expect food stores to be open every day and at all hours, and we panic when they are shut for just one day. You see shoppers stocking up on food as though it will be weeks before the stores re-open. The world didn’t end simply because I was missing some ingredients; Christmas wasn’t ruined simply because I didn’t follow recipes to the letter. While it’s lovely to have a table full of delicious gourmet foods to serve your friends and family, we can miss the point if we make that the focus of our day. It’s so much more important to relish the time spent with family and friends, for they are the essence of Christmas.

Photographs taken using Lensbaby Muse - a Christmas gift - and textures photographed by me added to the original photos.

love peace joy for Christmas 2009

2009-12-22T09:39:00.001+11:00

love peace joy, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Here we are in the Christmas week, so I'm taking this opportunity to wish all who come across my blog, a very Merry Christmas. May you have the opportunity to spend it with those you love and cherish. I think there is no nicer place to be on Christmas day than with those we love and care for.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and wishing you love peace and joy for 2010.

Scream Aim fire Cover

2009-12-14T19:37:00.011+11:00

This post is purely a self-indulgent one - so, please indulge me as I share with you this little music clip. After all, a mother can boast a little, can't she?

My Teen loves his music fast and loud, and not just listening to it either. For weeks now we've been hearing his riffs as he enjoys his new Marshall amp, and a couple of weeks ago he posted his first Youtube cover. Take a listen - I hope you enjoy it!

Here he is, practising the Bullet for my Valentine piece, shot one afternoon as the last of the sun's rays danced in his bedroom.

How Time Flies when you're having fun

2009-12-12T12:27:00.007+11:00

Getting Ready, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

The month of December always leaves me feeling a little teary and emotional. There’s more that 101 reasons why this is so. The recurring theme seems to be, however, the passing of time. How fast did this year pass, how fast have the past 5 years been, is it possible that such-and-such happened 14 years ago, is it really that many years since I finished school, I've been married for how long? – and on and on it goes. I question dates when events occurred, do the math and realise that in fact so much more time has passed than I thought. And of course, another sure sign of the passing of time is to see policemen and doctors, who were always so much older, are now in fact considerably younger – how and when did that happen? Aren’t they a little young to be fully trained?

The other sure sign of the passing of time is to see your children come to the end of another school year, and for those of us in Australia that coincides with the middle of December. If that isn’t a reminder that time flies by, add to that the milestone of reaching the end of compulsory education and you start to truly wonder where the time has gone. Our Teen has completed his compulsory education and will go on to complete his final two years of schooling. Schools celebrate this milestone with a dinner dance/formal where the students dress up and celebrate the event. For our family, that took place this past week and of course I’m being very proud and extremely biased when I say that I think our Teen looked very handsome and so grown up. Seeing him with his peers, many of those known since they were all in kindergarten together, was a truly surreal moment. They were all so grown up, handsome, well groomed, tall and – gasp – no longer babies... I can vividly remember his first day of school – and as corny as it sounds, it does feel as though it was yesterday...sigh... Is it really possible that 11 years have passed in the blink of an eye?

If the passing of time isn’t enough to make you realise it’s a fact of life that cannot be controlled or stopped, there’s the looming New Year’s Eve to contend with, now mere days away. I’ve given up writing out my list of New Year’s Resolutions. Instead, knowing that time passes so quickly and indiscriminately, I simply try and embrace the year ahead and all the adventures and wrinkles that come along with it.

If you’re a regular read of this blog, you’ll know that I like to share images that I come across in my interwebs journey. This time, I share with you a portrait of my Teen getting ready for his School Formal. I’m also sharing two links to some beautiful writing that depicts the essence of the passing of time. Written by two RedBubble members, I encourage you to click on the links and read their prose. If you’re a RedBubble member, please feel free to comment on their work.

youth's passing by Jordan Busson

The Pendulum of Life by Margie Avellino

Monday iMage Madness

2009-11-30T18:01:00.024+11:00

It's been a while since I've showcased some of my image finds on this blog. Lately I've been showcasing those finds on my tumblr account. Today I thought I'd showcase some new RedBubble members - those that have recently joined the site. Take a look at the gorgeous thumbnail images below - the first four are t-shirt designs while the second four are gorgeous photographic prints. Click on each thumbnail to view the image in full - it's well worth it. If you're a RedBubble member, and you like their work, why not leave them a comment. Enjoy!

T-Shirt designers:
1. heyhodesign
2. Idkbbydoll
3. FluidBotDesigns
4. ConceptStores

Photographic Artists:
1. Yagosan
2. Roxana Crivat
3. Richard Carey
4. -Wink-

Book Review - "Presenting: Miss Bertie Page by Mel Brackstone"

2009-11-25T17:30:00.006+11:00

I am absolutely delighted to share with you the arrival of an online purchase I made several weeks ago. I don’t know if you know or not – but recently RedBubble partnered with blurb, the creative online book publishers to offer a new service to all RedBubble members: publish your own photography/art books and sell them online! It was also at about that time that Mel Brackstone was capturing the dreamiest of images of Miss Bertie Page – doing what she does best - using a handmade loupy lens thanks to Matt Penfold. “Hmmm...”, me thought, “...wouldn’t it be great if I had a book where every page was a loupy lens photograph of Miss Bertie Page as photographed by Mel?” Luckily with the magic of perfect timing and the internet I’m now the proud owner of a “Presenting Miss Bertie Page by Mel Brackstone” Let me say the ordering process is straight forward, with emails sent to confirm your purchase as well as a confirmation email sent when the book is actually shipped.

I could not find fault with the sturdy packaging, and the book arrived in perfect condition.

The pages have a beautiful satin feel to them and are a good weight while the colour rendition is comparable to the images on Mel’s site.
With Christmas only a few short weeks away, why don’t you consider making your very own blurb photographic art book? Or you might like to purchase one created by another artist, like I did. They’re a wonderful gift idea, and really, you can’t beat online shopping! If you’ve created a blurb book, add your link here for all of us to view and admire.

Where have all the Spiders' Webs gone?

2009-11-23T21:08:00.002+11:00

September Rain, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

I would love to boast and say the reason there are no spiders’ webs around my home is due to the fact I am fastidious and clean my eaves and gutters regularly. But that’s not the case. The photo I’ve included was taken over two years ago. The spider web was huge. I have iron verandah posts and plenty of shrubs and trees perfect for web making, and yet, not a decent spider’s web has been formed in such a long time. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of spiders. In fact last week I almost picked up what I thought was a dead huntsman spider – he wasn’t dead at all, and only moved at the last minute before I picked him up. Luckily spiders don’t frighten me, or I would have been in trouble. The flower pots on my verandah are riddled with red back spiders, but no webs. We used to have magnificent St Andrew’s cross spiders spin their webs amongst the rose bushes, but they’ve moved out as well. So, what’s going on? Where are they all? How can I invite them back? Where do I send the photo shoot invitations out to these unknown spiders who once resided in my garden? I really miss being able to take photos of their webs. I’m a much more patient person now with a few more skills under my belt and I would love nothing more than to take photos of their glorious homes. I will simply wait patiently until the spiders return. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions, then pop your feedback into my comments below.

If you would like to buy this image as a greeting card, wall art, canvas or print, it is available for sale at my gallery over at RedBubble.

What gifts are you buying this Christmas?

2009-11-17T21:39:00.012+11:00

That's the thought on lots of people's minds at the moment as Christmas 2009 quickly approaches. I've started my Christmas shopping by selecting some t-shirts and photographic prints over at Red Bubble where I am a member. Logging onto the Red Bubble website today, I noticed a fancy-dancy new tab for people looking for gift-giving solutions. Not only does it look fab and you can type in your favourite keyword to search whatever your little heart desires, but you don't need to worry about parking, or the shop not being open or traffic or tired shop assistants! It's all on-line, and you can shop in the convenience of your pyjamas and it's delivered to your door - what's not to love! Go on, check it out...Happy Christmas Shopping!

An old lens is like an old friend...

2009-11-16T21:08:00.005+11:00

sweetly do I surrender, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Yes, just like an old friend that you come to know and love over the years, a beloved old camera lens can still make your heart sing...

I’ve been so infatuated with the lensbaby lens lately, that I almost forget I have other lens I can use. One lens in particular is my Canon EF 70-210 f/4 and one I picked up many, many years ago while travelling through Europe. Sure it doesn’t have the Image Stabilisation of its newer contemporaries, but I love it all the same. I used it this weekend for the first time in a few months, and as always, was pleased with the results. I’ve added a couple of images here to show you what it can capture. Both images are from flowers in my garden, the large daisy being a most unusual variety. Whenever I'm pressed for time and just need to have my camera in my hands, there's nothing like a wander through my garden to keep me going...

daisy in my garden, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Missing Socks? The Magical Appearing Argyle Socks(223//365)

2009-11-10T22:16:00.002+11:00

223//365, originally uploaded by medias res.

It’s common knowledge that single socks disappear somewhere between when they’re placed in the washing machine and when the wash cycle finishes. We don’t know how they disappear or even where they go. But disappear, leaving their partner behind, is a common sock phenomena. Now, explain this next little sock mystery – a pair of woollen argyle socks have appeared down the side of my lounge chair. How long have they been there? Why hadn’t I seen them before? How did they get into the house? Had anyone else seen them and chosen not to mention the oddity of a pair of socks poking out from the cushions on the lounge? Could it be there is a second family living in my house afterall and this is a piece of evidence to prove that? I have interrogated all members of my family to no avail. Nobody has ever seen socks like that before. I have done the Cinderella thing, too – forcing my family to try them on as erky as that seems – and no, they don’t fit anyone in the family. Strange but true.

Tips on How to Shoot Self-Portraits (or not)

2009-10-30T20:41:00.024+11:00

The following tips, hints and how-to's are in no way to be viewed as being completely instructional, or even helpful... I just thought I'd clarify before you read any further. Anyway, let's begin to take a look at what's involved in taking Self-Portraits.

1. It's a good idea to use a prop, such as this teddy bear, as a point of focus - the aim is to replace the prop with yourself, of course.

2. If you have one, use a remote shutter release - they are really handy, as you don't have to rush back to the spot within 10 seconds (like I had to before I bought the shutter release) - oh, it's also a good idea to remember where the spot was, and to hide the remote from view...

3. If you're a little shy, then get a family member to join you in your Self-Portrait, especially when they also don't normally like having their photo taken. Then the two of you can learn to relax and go with the flow. Note: sitting with the reluctant family member and using a remote shutter is a stroke of genius that I wish I had thought of way before now.

4. The reluctant family member, who is by now enjoying this little photoshoot, may even pose and smile at just the right time. No, wait, this shoot is about taking Self-Portraits...sorry, but I couldn't resist adding this photo or this quite useless tip.

5. Taking a Self-Portrait doesn't always mean facing the camera. Have you thought of a profile pose?

6. If you're not happy with a profile shot, there's always the stand-by "look-at-the-camera-with-a-semi-serious-expression", but don't be shy, fill the frame, don't hang around the edges....

7. Yes, while this is a Self-Portrait shoot, it's also good manners not to hog the camera and push the family member out of the way. There is room for both of you.

8. Placing yourself, or your subject in this case, in the centre of the frame isn't necessarily the wisest choice. Sometimes this can make for a very static and boring composition. Place yourself, or your subject to the side, leaving some negative space for the eyes to rest on.

9. Who said your eyes need to be open when you're taking a Self-Portrait? Who said you even need to be awake when you're taking a Self-Portrait? These are questions you should ask yourself.

10. When using a prop as a focusing tool, it's a good idea to remove it completely from the shooting area. Unless of course you want to incorporate it in your Self-Portrait. In that case, it can make for a quirky element in your shot. Mind you, you can also crop the image, or clone it out.

11. If you're sharing your Self-Portrait with a family member, you don't need to have both of you in focus. In fact, it looks quite nice if only one of you is in focus, and the other is all soft and blurry. Using a shallow depth of field will mean the eye will be drawn to the part of the image in focus, in this case, the precious family member.

12. Use a Soft Focus, Cross-Screen or even Rainbow filter to give a soft and dreamy feel to your Self-Portrait. Using such a filter makes for a very forgiving image result.

13. A little bored with straight photography? Then why not incorporate some texture layers to add some interest and depth to your Self-Portrait. Either download these from around the web, or photograph your own, as I've done here. The number of layers and how you blend them will depend on what you're trying to achieve with your Self-Portrait.

I used my diffuser propped against a fairly bright window, camera on a tripod and a 50mm F1.8 lens. The 50mm is known as the "portrait lens" and the fact that it's only the f1.8 means it's called the "plastic fantastic". I also used a speedlite flash (just a teensy one) with a tissue as a diffuser to soften the effects of the flash.

If you haven't tried taking your Self-Portrait, give it a go, you might be surprised at just how much fun it can be. If you have taken your Self-Portrait, and can share some useful tips, feel free to comment in this blog - share your tips with others.

From Nothing to Something

2009-10-25T20:20:00.018+11:00

Hmmm, I wasn't sure what I was going to blog about this week. I had run out of words to say. Thankfully that all changed earlier this afternoon - woo! I sold two of my photographic prints at the local Falls Art Festival. Now I have plenty to say - all incoherent of course, as I'm running around the room with my t-shirt over my head as though I have scored the winning football goal! I have been smiling all afternoon, and even the MOTH was delighted as we spied the precious red dots these galleries assign sold works. I actually noticed quite a few red dots this year, and that's always a good sign.

The Falls Art Festival is the annual fundraiser for Wentworth Falls Public School and last year over $10,000 was raised - so it is a big to do if well organised. It's also a nice feeling to be able to support my local community in this small way.

And then, if my smile couldn't get any bigger, I logged onto RedBubble to find out I had sold a greeting card earlier today, as well as winning a photographic challenge (albeit with a handful of images competing in the challenge).

And - I bought a new pair of shoes today - Woo! So, this is one very happy gal!.

Have a great week!

Sunrise at Echo Point, Katoomba

2009-10-18T22:34:00.003+11:00

Sunrise at Echo Point, Katoomba, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

It's not very often that I find myself witnessing a sunrise with a camera in hand. Not very often, as in, ummm, never. So it was with a little apprehension that I tagged along to a sunrise shoot at Echo Point this past weekend.
Now, I'm not one to be anal or superstitious about things, but as soon as I put on my shoes and socks in the incorrect order, I knew this was going to be one of those days. Sure enough, I wasn’t 200m from my door when I realised that I had forgotten my jacket, beanie and gloves. Although it’s October, these items are essential for the upper mountains, especially since the sunrise shoot would be one of two locations that day. In the process of performing a U-turn, I managed to spill most of my espresso into my centre console (why don’t they make travel mugs to fit centre consoles I’ll never know...). So with jacket, gloves and beanie now in hand I hurried, as best as the speed limits allow, up the mountains before the sun rose over the horizon. Did I mention there are major road works being carried out in various locations up the mountains, which I hadn’t factored into the time required to get from one end of the mountains to the other?
I could see the sky was getting increasingly lighter with each passing kilometre and I was possibly not going to make it in time. Not only that, but there were no clouds or mist to be seen. I was also 10 minutes behind schedule, and I was meeting two other photographers, lets simply call them P1 and P2, and I certainly didn’t want to keep them waiting. Taking advantage of a red traffic light, I took the opportunity to call P1 and P2 to ascertain their whereabouts. Imagine my surprise (read horror, shock, astonishment) to find they were actually about 25 minutes behind me and would certainly not make it in time...P1 and P2 are dedicated and passionate photographers who think it quite normal to get up at stupid o’clock, drive countless kilometres simply to shoot a stunning sunrise – had they put their shoes and socks on incorrectly that morning as well?
Needless to say, it’s just as well P1 and P2 didn’t make it in time. The sunrise, while pink and pretty, was also very plain, very quick and very ordinary. This wasn’t going to be one of those Kodak moments. There was no cloud. There was no magical Katoomba mist rolling through the valley. And it was over in a matter of minutes.
Remind me again why Cosy Bed Syndrome as mentioned in a previous blog posting is a bad thing?

Long Live Rock and Roll

2009-10-14T17:44:00.007+11:00

At the moment I'm reading the book "10 Songs that Changed the World" by June Skinner Sawyers. I should actually be reading that Sister's Keeper book, but that's another story... Back to the songs that changed the world, I'm only at number three, and I am totally engrossed with the amount of information that has been compiled for the songs. The book is a mixture of history and entertainment - so would that be histortainment or enterstory? Who knows. I'm not going to spoil it and announce all the songs here - you'll have to read the book yourself for that! I will say that the book is a trivia-night nut's delight! The question remains: will I be able to retain the information, and will I also be able to retrieve the information at the crucial time during a future trivia night? Only time will tell.

Sawyers' discusses the many aspects of the song "Hound Dog" in particular as sung by Elvis Presley, and how that changed the way we listened to and enjoyed music worldwide. Notably, she talks about the time Presley sang that particular tune on The Milton Berle Show in 1956. In Sawyer's words, "he slowed the rhythm right down to a licentious bump and grind to such an extent that everyone knew what was on his mind. The arbiters of good taste must have felt that the world was coming to an end, and all decency thrown out the window". Phew - thank goodness for the world of YouTube, because this "licentious bump and grind" I had to see for myself - could it have been so risque? Well, for 1956 it certainly was as Presley was only shown from the waist up in future performances, so as not to offend the television audiences...

Here's the clip from that historic performance, I won't spoil it and tell you when he slows that rhythm down, you'll simply have to see it all for yourself. Enjoy! Long live Rock and Roll!

~Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon ~

2009-10-06T20:15:00.001+11:00

~Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon ~, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Recently I came upon a collection of surreal artworks created using simple pencil. The drawings were extremely detailed and quite large and I can only imagine the hundreds of hours taken to create each drawing. I only had time to admire about 6 or 7 of these beautiful drawings - there were so many more - and the ones I did view took my breath away. I have no idea of the age, gender or name of the artist, but I know they were very beautiful drawings that Salvador Dali would have been proud to call his own.

At the same time, I had bought a bunch of daisies I was intending to photograph. And while I did take photos of the daisies while in their prime, they remain simply 'photos of daisies' - really nothing special at all. As the daisies slowly wilted and decayed, it was interesting to see they took on the surreal features - they became very Dali-esque, with gravity dragging down the petals and flower heads. I wouldn't have considered photographing wilted daisies, thinking them too ugly, but instead seeing those wonderful surreal drawings inspired me to capture the daisies in their surreal best.

"Hot Water Service from the Sun!"

2009-09-27T19:53:00.008+10:00

Yes, even in 1957, we were thinking of ways to utilise the sun's energy for our everyday household heating and electrical needs. This small article, scanned from the "Home Beautiful" Magazine March 1957 edition shows that even then, sourcing alternative power was a serious consideration. Such a shame that I don't have the April edition showing the survey results they refer to in the article. And here we are in 2009 and we are still striving for "free power for all". How disappointed would the editors from that time be to know that although solar hot water is readily available, not many households have taken it up... If you happen to have the April 1957 copy showing the survey results and related articles, then please add your link in the comment box.

Dust Storm hits Australia's eastern states

2009-09-23T22:36:00.011+10:00

If you live in the eastern states of Australia, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd woken up on an alien planet, perhaps Mars, this morning. While the wind howled all night, we were greeted this morning with a most bizarre sunrise - a heavy, thick red/orange "fog" blanketed not just Sydney, but the state. According to the weather bureau, the last time visibility in Sydney was this poor (less than 1 km) was back in 1944. Normal life was disrupted as we marveled at our new look city. Images from today's dust storm are being posted to websites including Red Bubble - surreal images of the state being bathed in a heavy orange glow, in what I hope is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Make with the clicky-clicky (thanks Rhana) and view some amazing dust storm photography.

2010 Red Bubble Calendars are Here

2009-09-18T17:05:00.005+10:00

Here we are at the end of September 2009 and already promoting art calendars for 2010. Yes, I realise that retail outlets ordered their 2010 calendars months ago, but we Red Bubble artists are a little different. We spend the year creating the images that will be used for the 2010 calendars, so how can we possibly market fresh images for 2010 when in early 2009 they're still in our head? Well, that's how I'm explaining the reason why Red Bubble calendars are available so late in the year...

The calendar I'm excited about this year is the compilation of images taken at this year's Fifties Fair at Rose Seidler House at Wahroonga. Using a 50mm f1.8 lens, a great portrait lens, I captured candid portrait of guys and gals in their best 50's gear. Culling the several hundred images down to about 60+ was hard enough - and these can be seen on my flickr account - culling them down to 12 for the calendar was sooo difficult. So, without further ado, here is the 2010 Fifties Fair Calendar available for sale on Red Bubble:

If you would like your Fifties Fair calendar for 2010 to be customised with images from my flickr gallery, then drop me a line and let me know. And yes - Red Bubble deliver world wide and the calendar quality is excellent.

While I don't want the rest of this year to fly by, I can't wait for 2010 so I can hang my Red Bubble calendar in my kitchen for all to see!

Create Polaroids from your photos at www.rollip.com

2009-09-12T17:04:00.002+10:00

Create Polaroids from your photos at www.rollip.com

Shared via AddThis

It's images like this that make me wish I had a polaroid camera and film. I used the rollip website to create this, and while I'm pleased with it, it's not quite the same as the real thing.

When Artwork Inspires

2009-08-26T07:52:00.000+10:00

"A letter to a Friend about happiness" by Alexander Edwards

Let’s be honest, I spend a fair amount of time browsing through art and photography sites such as RedBubble, JPEG Magazine, Ph.Art, Onexposure and Flickr and I look at lots and lots of wonderful art created by really talented people. Sometimes I wonder how life would be different, less colourful, if I didn’t have all this art and photography at my fingertips; I guess I would be browsing through books instead. It wouldn’t be the same.
Occasionally there will be a piece that returns to mind even when I am in the midst of the most mundane of tasks, weeks after I originally viewed or read it. The piece isn’t always about the perfection of that image or writing, or whether it follows rules or not. Generally, the piece has somehow resonated with me in a way that I cannot explain.
Recently, this has happened with a new series created by Alexander Edwards. Edwards created the “Touch Series” in 2008, a series he successfully exhibited in Melbourne. His most recent series, “A letter to a friend...” is simply hand written words on blank white paper. Although simple, the words carry quite a punch, and it is these words, and the sentiments behind these words that have lingered now for weeks.
It got me thinking; there are certainly words that I can say to people in my life, words that I choose not to express, mainly because of the impact the words would have and how sometimes honesty isn’t always the best policy. Inspired by Edwards’ phrases, some of my own phrases I choose not to express are as follows:

I do what I do because it helps me forget.

* * *

I know you think I’m incapable, but when I look into your eyes I see someone who has settled for far less than they think they deserve. And you don’t realise just how obvious your resentment is.

* * *

You made me a promise and although small and insignificant, I’m still waiting for you to carry it out.

* * *

It’s sad how you hide from life and I’m not sure what it is you fear, but it’s all passing you by. Life isn’t that scary. I wish you would give it a try.

* * *

I’m sorry that all this time has passed; I thought that I had only closed my eyes for a moment. I will try harder not to miss anything more from now on.

* * *

After all these years, I realise that I am still invisible to you. Just because you can’t see me, doesn’t mean I’m not here.

* * *

It’s sad the way you live your life through the lives of so many others. Time is ticking. Stand on your own two feet and live your own life.

* * * * *

Books I Need to Read - Aug 09

2009-08-16T19:23:00.006+10:00

I've always had a booklist over the years, but I thought I'd start to share it online. Reading is one of those things I could do all day, everyday if only I had the chance. Sometimes I get so caught up with the story and characters that I'm reluctant to put the book down for fear of leaving the characters frozen mid-action!

Reading this weekend's papers has yielded a nice little variety of books that I'd like to get around to reading one day. Sometimes I base my selection on the reviewer's summary, as the list below shows. More often than not, a good looking book cover with beautiful typography is enough to get me interested in picking the book up and reading the back page summary.

"orange on purple" by Wiezo (available as a greeting card, wall art, canvas, framed print from RedBubble)

The House in Via Manno by Milena Agus & translated by Brigid Maher

Tainted by Ross Pennie

Lost Boy by Brent W. Jeffs

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

How we live and Why we Die by Lewis Wolpert

Tell Me No Secrets by Julie Corbin

How to Avoid “D’Oh!” Moments in Photography - 10 Bleeding Obvious Things to Remember before your next Photoshoot.

2009-08-15T07:14:00.000+10:00

forest of impression II, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

Homer Simpson has been having “D’Oh!” moments for over 20 years, which is funny when you’re an animated cartoon character. What isn’t so funny is when you have your own “D’Oh!” moments in real life. Then those moments become frustrating and annoying and you simply can’t believe you’d be that stupid and/or forgetful. Take this week for example. I planned a morning shoot about 40 minutes from home, I organised all my gear the night before. The plan was to test the Sigma 10-20mm lens that I’m playing with. I left home at my planned time, experienced no traffic along the way, arrived at the location, set up only to discover to my horror - the lens I had planned to shoot with was not in the car – D’Oh! But wait, it gets worse. I thought I would simply go with the flow and use another lens and shoot something else entirely. So far, so good. I continued with my shoot, alternating between lenses, subjects and locations and eventually made my way home. Uploading the images from the camera, I discovered that the photos from the first location were all out of focus – WHAT?! D’Oh! I checked the lens, as I had only used it for that location, and well, what a surprise, it was set at manual focus and I hadn’t even realised. Being myopic as I am, the images looked ok and they so clearly (pun...) weren’t. To add more insult to injury, the photos aren’t out of focus enough to be “arty”. They’re just rubbish.

The photography journey is riddled with D’Oh! moments. Sometimes we just don’t want to admit to them for fear someone will tap us on our shoulder and confiscate our camera gear. I can see it now – “Excuse me madam, I think I’ll take all this camera equipment from you. You clearly have no idea what you’re doing with all this.” So, to help you avoid your own D’Oh! moments in photography, below is a list of things to remember when you’re planning and attending your next shoot. They are all obvious and straight forward, but oh so easy to overlook. So before that mystery person comes up behind you tapping you on the shoulder and requesting you hand over your camera gear, take a look at the bleeding obvious:

1. Charge the camera battery the night before.

2. Make sure the back-up battery is also charged and in your camera bag. Today’s cameras are thirsty beasts.

3. Where are the memory cards you’ll be using? Is there one in the camera? Is it empty? If not, can those images be deleted? Place your spare memory cards in your camera bag. Now.

4. Are you meeting others for this shoot? Have you confirmed the time, place and date? You don’t want to attend the shoot in your pj’s because you didn’t have time to get dressed – although, as long as you have all your gear, the others would just think you’re eccentric, I guess. Tell them you do your best work when dressed in your pj’s.

5. If you know what you’ll be using for the shoot, gather it all together in the one place, so that you can pick it all up when you’re about to leave – no distractions when you’re doing this!

6. If you shoot a variety of subjects, before you commence your next shoot, check the camera settings. Sometimes in moments of distraction, this can be overlooked and the photographic moment can be lost.

7. Do you want to focus manually or let auto focus take over? Make your selection before you commence, and don’t rely on myopic eyes to approve of the image in the viewfinder. It won’t be artily OOF, I promise you that.

8. If you’re using a tripod and your lens has “image stabiliser”, then check whether it’s on or off. It should be set to off.

9. Get into the habit of putting your equipment back in the same spot each time. My camera bag has side pockets and a few internal pockets, and I try and place the same pieces of equipment in the same places. That way, at a glance I can see whether I have something missing.

10. If you have forgotten a crucial piece of equipment and can’t possibly commence the shoot, providing it’s not a client involved shoot, then simply sit back and enjoy your surrounds. You’ve obviously driven there because it was an appealing location, so enjoy it without a camera jammed up to your eye. It will certainly make a change to what you’re used to, and you might just see things you would have other missed.

If you can think of other absolutely bleeding obvious things to remember and you’d like to share, then pop in a comment, so that we can ~~all laugh~~ all learn from the bleeding obvious. Afterall, how else do we learn, but from our mistakes?

Lensbaby 2.0 - A New Found Love?

2009-08-10T08:14:00.000+10:00

LB 005, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

I feel very fortunate in that I've recently been able to borrow a lensbaby 2.0 to try out and have a play with. This weekend was the first opportunity I've had to have a real attempt at using this tricky little lens. I did take it away with me for the girlie weekend last weekend, but really had no idea what on earth I was doing. This week, I was able to read up a little on how to use the lensababy and have a real go at taking some photos with it.

I haven't ventured very far, just my garden and my neighbour's garden. I'm pretty pleased with the results so far - gosh, between the Black Glass, my old filters and now this lensbaby, I think I've got enough fads to last me for a while! I can't wait until next weekend to go a little further afield and see what I can do with it.

Why do I like the lensbaby? I think it's the unpredictability, the shallow dof and the other-worldly feel it has to it. It's really difficult to duplicate the same effect - well, for me it certainly is...and it's part of this photographic, learning journey that I find myself on. Visti my flickr site to see more of the lensbaby images I've taken so far.

Sunrise versus Sunset - The Dilemma

2009-08-06T21:51:00.004+10:00

The Entrance at Sunset, originally uploaded by Adriana Glackin.

I recently went along to The Entrance for a weekend filled with fun and frivolity with a group of my girlfriends. Spending three nights there meant that I would have three opportunities to shoot a beach scape scene at sunrise. Living in the Blue Mountains as I do, means that here was a great opportunity to have the seaside at my fingertips. It would be a walk across the road, right? Surely it can't be easier than that?
Anyone who knows The Entrance, knows just how picturesque it is, beaches within walking distance, and even more stunning beaches if you're prepared for a ten minute drive...so you would think it would be easy, right? Wrong!
I've discovered that the time that beds are at their most comfortable, is just before sunrise. I call this the "Cosy Bed Syndrome". Suddenly, what had been an ordinary bed for most of the night, becomes a most luxuriously warm and cosy bed that simply entices you to stay within it's toasty billowy confines. Was I able to wake up for at least one sunrise? Not a chance. I slept straight through the alarm.
I've decided that those photographers amongst us who wake up at "stupid o'clock" (and never has there been a better name for it), are immune to the powers of the "cosy bed syndrome"; are insomniacs who are awake at that time anyway; sleep on timber slats, no mattress and so have no problem getting up; have partners that are chronic snorers; drank waaaay too much coffee the day before and have yet to go to bed; or even worse - are really dedicated to catching that magic moment when the sun first peaks over the horizon and will sacrifice sleep no matter what it takes.
Alas, I am not one of those photographers. I did however, manage to take myself to the beach and photograph three gorgeous sunsets. I also managed to chat with a fellow photographer (even though he way using a Nikon), and I got chatted up by septuagenarian by the name of Alistair during this time. All isn't lost, as the sunset hour is just as magical as the sunrise hour - well, from the photographs I've seen of sunrises, they're both pretty special times of day.

Photographic Art Sale

2009-07-14T09:35:00.000+10:00

[caption id="attachment_176" align="aligncenter" width="212" caption="10% OFF all my Photographic Art"][/caption]

That's right - buy any of my photographic art pieces and receive 10% off.

This offer is valid until 26th July 09 - Hurry - don't miss out!

Tell your friends, tell your family - Shipped worldwide.

The Three Sisters, Katoomba B&W

2009-07-13T20:38:00.002+10:00

The Three Sisters, Katoomba B&W, originally uploaded by Adriana_G.

I can see why kids jump and down with glee when they get a new toy...as that's exactly what I was doing when I opened up the box of my new Canon EOS 50D - oh what joy I felt! With every squeeze of the shutter, a small but shrill squeal would escape my lips - I just couldn't contain my excitement. Imagine my horror at discovering that I couldn't play with it until the batteries had charged! Gasp!

Anyway, the photograph I've included is from the first outdoor opportunity I've had to shoot with my new camera, who will henceforth be known as "Precious". Going along with Tanya and Peter, fellow photographers (who know what they're doing, btw), was a day spent in rapture as I familiarised myself with Precious, and all the clever things she can do. I borrowed Peter's Sigma 10-20mm lens to take this photo (a lens I think I'm in love with...sigh...), and am very pleased with the results. :)

Mackinac at Midnight

2009-07-11T02:21:00.000+10:00

Mackinac at Midnight, originally uploaded by kklawiter.

Flickr's "blog this" functionality makes promoting artists and their images so much easier. Then, if you connect your blogs and networking sites, that means that it becomes quite effortless to promote your favourite finds from the web. Would have loved to link this direct from Karri's RedBubble site, but flickr's "blog this" is hard to beat.

Feature Monday

2009-06-29T16:54:00.007+10:00

Today - my feature images are taken from the RedBubble home page:

"_two sisters_" by Louise LeGresley"

"Stellar Sealions in the Mist" by underdoc

"Vague Horizon" by Silijo Selman

"A Walk through Paris #5" by Mike McGlothlen

and only because it seemed to fit the theme, "~ teacakes in the afternoon ~" by Adriana

Valley of the Waters - Wentworth Falls

2009-06-22T06:47:00.000+10:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Valley of the Waters with two other photographers - Peter Hill and Tatiana R. These two are absolutely passionate about their waterfalls and landscapes and will go to all sorts of lengths to get the shot perfect (and by that I mean, getting up at a ridiculous hour even in winter in order to capture the scene in it's best light) . I was also fortunate enough to borrow a spare Canon 30D - which, of course, I fell instantly in love with...sigh....

I'm in the process of considering an equipment upgrade, and after using the Canon 30D, I think the upgrade will be happening sooner rather than later. I'm looking forward to our next outing, and shooting some more of our beautiful surroundings.

To view more Blue Mountains and the waterfall images please go and view Peter's gallery here and Tatiana's gallery here. Their works are available for sale as greeting cards, matted prints, wall art and canvases through RedBubble. when you view their gallery of images, I think you'll agree that getting up at "stupid o'clock" is well worth it if it means being able to achieve such wonderful results.

To view more in my series of the Blue Mountains, see my flickr gallery.

Peter and Tatiana in action - if you've taken a look at their galleries, then you'll see that getting up at "stupid o'clock" is certanly vital to getting the perfect shot. And yes, that means not only all the necessary camera equipment, but also good shoes, cap - rearward facing, flask of tea, chocolate and a beanie - preferably with a pom pom, good shoes, and a heap of patience and stamina.

undergrowth 3, originally uploaded by Adriana_G.

Is the "I was asleep at the time" the Perfect Excuse for us all?

2009-06-18T10:12:00.007+10:00

I've been reading about this poor teenager's misadventure at a local tattoo shop, and how she fell asleep whilst being tattooed. She allegedly asked for 3 stars to be tattooed on her face, fell asleep, only to wake up with 53 more stars on her face than she asked for. Oops!

Of course, that got me thinking - what things have you done and wished you could have used her excuse of falling asleep at the time? I know there was a prominent Australian businessman who back a few years ago used the "I don't recall" excuse when questioned over some questionable dealings at the time; then there was the US president (at the time) who "didn't have sexual relations" with a certain person...if only they had used the excuse that they too were asleep at the time instead of the excuses they used...

So, if "I was asleep at the time..." is the excuse of our day - then how will you be using this excuse?

Poster was created in response to a on-the-spot challenge over at RedBubble.

Sweet Blog

2009-06-09T23:51:00.000+10:00

Sweet Blog, originally uploaded by Adriana_G.

Recently, the comment seen in this image was left on my blog. I felt flattered - for a nanosecond - then I realised it was probably left by a machine with links to goodness knows where. I googled the entire term, and sure enough, over 625,000 search results came up - all showing that people had accepted this sweet little comment on their blog without realising that it was instead, fake.

It's always nice to know that another person is reading my blog, and feel flattered when comments are left. But, sheesh, when it's a machine leaving fake, little, meaningless blurb, well that just stinks.

Steve Leadbeater - Feature Artist

2009-06-09T15:43:00.010+10:00

Steve Leadbeater is a Melbourne based artist who creates images using the successful blending of typography, graphics and photography to create original Tshirt designs as well as greeting cards and wall art. The image that introduced me to Steve’s online gallery was this simple, yet very effective message:

It doesn't matter by Steve Leadbeater

Surely such a statement resonates with those of us who create pieces and display them in online galleries for all – or no one - to see. His style is deceptively simple, yet complex in meaning. I’ve included a few more of my favourites. Please visit Steve’s online gallery, and see which of his designs resonates with you.

Seize the Sound by Steve Leadbeater

THROUGH OTHER PEOPLES EYES by Steve leadbeater

Adler tessy deluxe typewriter by Steve Leadbeater

Drawing Day 09

2009-06-08T04:04:00.000+10:00

What is Drawing Day all about? It's all about the art of drawing, of course! It's the day you're encouraged to drop everything and simply draw. Visiting the Drawing Day website, you'll find the various websites participating in this artistic day. I've had a lovely browse through many of the pages, and have picked my favourites here. If you're a member of any of these sites, then go and comment on those works - give a little encouragement to your fellow artists. Enjoy!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="424" caption="Batukarang by FriellaAnakIndonesia"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="339" caption="Draw Your World by KuyaChan (DeviantArt)"][/caption]

Nes On Pennyroyal, originally uploaded by the manx. As seen on Flickr

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="327" caption="Repose by bojancica"][/caption]

Feature Sunday

2009-06-07T18:25:00.010+10:00

Using Stumble Upon's feature of finding random images from the web, here are my pick of 5 random photographic images:

Le Carrelet - France 2007 from The Michel Rajkovic Portfolio

Fashion Mistress by Joseph Cartright Photography

Glass Chamber by Andrew Pearce Photographer

DYPTCH002 by ProspectOfTwilight

Image by http://www.eliara.com/

Parking Critique Posted

2009-05-27T21:38:00.000+10:00

Parking Critique Posted, originally uploaded by Mixed Species.

Would love to carry a handful of these little stickers around! :D

More or less to CRAPULOUS than meets the eye?

2009-05-26T14:39:00.004+10:00

The term Crapulous refers to the feeling you have when you've eaten or have drunk far too much. If you're not sure, check the link and the little robot man will also pronounce it for you.

Well, I propose that a new meaning be given to the word Crapulous. You see, I visit this photographic website, that shall remain nameless. Their acceptance criteria is quite stringent. They don't want simple flowers or kittens or cute puppy dogs, and that's fair enough. They have high standards and want them maintained. They like dark, moody, art shots with just the right amount of grain, of movement, of tilting, of textures, not too processed and not to raw. Viewing the accepted images can be quite breathtaking - there are many stunning images. To date, all the images I have attempted to upload have been rejected. It's quite common to receive rejections, and as long as you don't let it get to you, then that's ok.

Earlier this week, I decided to take a look at all the images of mine they had rejected. Obviously, I'm biased, but I think they're fabulous. They think otherwise, they think they're crap. And b-i-n-g-o - we have a new use for the term Crapulous!

I present to you one of my Crapulous images:

My latest Fad, maybe...

2009-05-14T15:52:00.007+10:00

Fads – I’ve had a few over the years. Some last a day, some several years, all my fads are completely engrossing – at the time of the fad. I want to learn all about the fad I’m into at the time, I want to chat with other people who enjoy the same fad I do, I want to work at my fad without interruptions and get cross when I can’t get my fad-fix. Then suddenly, before the fad ever gets boring or completely mastered, a newer, shinier fad comes along and I become completely engrossed in it. Sometimes this means that I abandon older fads in order to replace them with newer, fancier ones; sometimes I can run several fads side by side quite happily. It’s even been known that family and friends will place bets on how long particular fads will occupy my attention...which is a bit rude really...I’ve even been called Fad-Girl to my face. But that’s the thing – the world is full of undiscovered fads and the harder I try not to look for them, the easier these new fads find me.
My latest fad – cupcakes. Of course I’ve been denial of this fad for a long time. My family have only just cottoned on to the fact; this is indeed a fad of mine. I’ve been a closet cupcake fancier for years. It’s only recently that I’ve started baking the odd batch of two for the family. What gave it away to my family, was when I recently photographed a particularly cute chocolate cupcake - that’s when they collectively rolled their eyes and sighed and declared – “oh, looks like mum’s found a new fad...”
How often can you combine more than one fad together – in this delicious cupcake photograph, I combine my love of photography, of cupcakes and of scrapbooking (by using a craft punch to create a teensy little heart shape template)...I ask you, where is the harm in having the odd fad or two?

I heart cupcakes by Adriana Glackin

If you'd like to buy a copy of this as a wall print, canvas or greeting card, click on this link.

theme of the week

2009-05-04T19:19:00.004+10:00

Can you guess this week's photographic theme?

Word of the Day - Happy

2009-04-21T21:40:00.000+10:00

Having discovered www.oneword.com, I try and visit it when I can and come up with something that remotely makes sense. Trouble is, with a time limit, and a visible timeline that runs to red far too quickly, you don't realise just how much you rely on the backspace button when typing up a simple phrase.
It's just a little bit of fun, a little bit of pressure and far more enjoyable than doing crosswords. Of course, now that I'm following oneword on twitter, it's easy to be reminded when a new word appears.

The images below are ones I've chosen to suit today's word - HAPPY - and have been found on Redbubble. Please click on the images to visit the artist's online gallery.

Absolute Joy by Rough Diamond

Have a Nice Day by thartranft

Happy Cloud TShirt by SavannahSaurus

the party of the crocodile by Gillian (: Cycling Trivialities :)