Curl Curl...Curly Run Swim Chat Shoot

Rock Pool Headland Cloud

I’ve very pleased with myself for making the trek down to Curly on Friday to explore the strange new land of South Curl Curl beach at dawn. Actually, it’s neither strange nor new as the trek is about 3 kilometres and my winter runs take me past at dawn frequently. Anyway, major brownie points go to…absolutely no one, you’re all very lazy and none of you came to see me. (Half a brownie point goes to Heidi for almost coming down, well done…kind of.)

Ken's Bike

The most exciting thing about this shoot on Friday morning was using the new camera. Abusive cries of “Geek!” go unheard fellow blogites. This piece of equipment is the coolest thing I have ever owned, so I stand proudly and declare, “I love The D7000”.

How hot was this weekend?! I got to enjoy some of it, but I seemed to spend a lot of time doing stupid things like learning to do a backward bend until my foot touches my the back of my head. Why you ask… just because. In case you were wondering, I can do that now.

Fools Gold

I also had another photo shoot on Saturday, this time for the new yoga instructors and therapists at the Bikram Studio at Brookvale. I think I got some pretty good results, and with the help of Paul, the Studio manager there, we did a pretty good job of getting the ‘real essence’ out of everyone. There are a couple that I’m really please with, being Burnie’s and Phee’s, which I will post in a few days when I’ve edited them.

Boxing Tony

The best part of this getting up at dawn thing is the random people you meet. Tony was stood by the pool practicing his boxing skills, don’t get in his way, he floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee! I also met a friend of his, Ken…to be honest, I think he was drunk. He was Irish, so he probably was.

Lost

This morning I did Boot Camp with Matt and a few other early morning reprobates and there was a small Asian lady on the boardwalk near us who was feeding the sea gulls bread. Every time we would run past the birds would flap about a bit in a temporary panic as birds do and the woman would shout at us “Horrible Lady! There are people trying to eat here!” and other slightly psychotic, warped things of that nature.

Swoop

Now I don’t mean to be judgemental or cinical at 6.30 in the morning, but come on!! One; they are sea gulls. Two; feeding them bread is socially irresponsible and bad for their health. Three; they are sea gulls. Four; I think she should seek professional help. I should clear my conscience by admitting that we may have provoked the situation slightly by purposely running through the birds and shouting as we innocently jogged past. I’m on the express train to hell, first class.

Just for the record, no, the bird isn't fake.

January 21st...homage to an M&M



Dee Why Pools 6.05am

I don't know why I'm paying homage to an M&M...

Apologies for the lack of communication last week; an old family friend passed away and I didn’t want to bum you all out to! In a strange twist of universal fate or irony, on the same day I found out about Mark, I got photography booking for a Christening, which I did on Sunday.

Rosemarie and Andre had their three children Sofia, Matteo and Luca christened at St Mary’s Church in Concord yesterday, followed by lunch at Frattini’s in Leichhardt. Firstly, thank you to Heidi for the recommendation and secondly, eat at Frattini’s on Marion Street. It’s a proper family owned and run Italian restaurant (mama in the kitchen, papa and sons waiting and everything else) with fantastic food and a lot of it, at great prices.

Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever been offered more food in my life, I felt really rude having to turn down the enormous plate of fresh prawns after the bruschetta, the spinach and ricotta dumplings in gorgonzola sauce and then the king prawns in a cream and peppercorn sauce served with steamed vegetables and bread. I’m just glad we didn’t stick around for cake. Well, maybe just a sliver….it looked like good cake.

Warming up for a swim. 

This dude was very chatty for so early in the morning. If memory serves me correctly, I think he said something about being paid for having his photograph taken....I'll write him a cheque. 



Rushing

Most importantly, the pictures have come out really well, mostly thanks to the latest edition to the family, my new Nikon D7000. I mention this mainly because those of you who will be spending any time with me will now be subjected to meeting ‘The 7000’ and may be required to feign interest to entertain the geek in me.
 

Stretch and Twist



So with a new camera in my bag and a yoga teacher training course to get stuck into, my year is shaping up pretty good so far…Start Shameless Plug: Have you got any friends or camily getting married this year? Why not recommend ImagesbySophie? End Shameless Plug.



Couples Swim. No Heavy Petting.

Is it an English thing with the signs at swimming pools that say 'No Heavy Petting' Can someone please explain what that actually means. Maybe not as a comment if its a bit rude, answers on a postcard please. Apologies if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

My back is a bit buggered at the moment so I can’t run in the mornings for a week or so, which means I’ll be getting out and about to some new beaches. Here’s a challenge, I’ll let you know where I’ll be and when on Facebook, so why not come on down to say hello!? 


Dee Why Panorama

Let’s see who turns up…
 

January 11th...cleansing

I'm posting this as a form of exorcism of my previous post.

This is a crazy storm we drove past in Queensland.

December 31st... Manly pre-dawn and some final reflections

Admittedly I am going through some weird phase with my photos. I'm not sure where all this abstract colour/social-documentary/general randomness has come from. A had a (slightly less than sober) conversation with a friend on Christmas Eve and she questioned my lack of interaction with people in my photos at the moment. The weirdest thing about the 'critique' was that I always forget that this is actually being read by anyone! So thank you Ains for making me think about what I'm doing... I was thinking about you this morning whilst I was out and will face the challenge head on....tomorrow.



Every colour of the rainbow! Manly Wharf at 5.10am



So this morning I was a good wife and drove M down to Manly Wharf to go fishing. Did I mention it was 5am?! He better come back with dinner...

The lack of waves meant that Manly was pretty much empty, apart from a couple of stand up paddle boarders making their way across to Shelley Beach.



The long and dusty trail...



So after my ridiculously early start to New Years Eve, I went to a 6am yoga class. As much as I enjoyed it, and as nice as it was to walk out at 7.30 with a full day ahead of me, I couldn't help but wonder, 'what the hell am I doing?' I've become one of those crazy people.



Lake Manly

Like most people, I find that New Year is always a good time for reflections, reviewing your achievements for the year, redefining your goals for the next 12 months. I think I did pretty well this year, made some great new friends, built on the relationships I had with existing ones, did a half marathon, got engaged, got married, rekindled my love for photos and walked a bloody long way. 



So in closing for 2010, I'd like to share something I was told in a yoga class yesterday. Forgive me if this is slightly wrong, it's hard to memorise life-affirming quotes when you're standing on one leg, locking your knee, sweating profusely and wishing you hadn't placed your mat behind the guy with the shortest shorts who is also really good at doing the standing splits - sorry for the visual.  

"The past is in the past, the future is a mystery, now is a gift, that's why it's called the present."

Happy New Year everyone.

...the tropical north

I'm a fan or 28 degree water temperature. I'm not a fan of transparent, floating globules of jelly the size of my little fingernail that can kill you simply by looking at you. Conclusion, big fan of hotel swimming pools. You can drink gin & tonic there too.

A few piccies from my mini-moon to Tropical North Queensland. Highlights being diving with sharks, snorkelling with turtles and hot air ballooning at dawn. Due to a lack of water-friendly technology (or camera housing for my camera) my artsy-fartsy shots were somewhat limited to 'supremus humus'. That's 'above gound in latin for the uninitiated. Tourist note; if you want to go out to the Great Barrier Reef, do it from Port Douglas, not Cairns. Better reef, fewer backpackers.

No trip to the GBR would be complete without several hundred shots of the crystal clear turquoise water...believe me, there were lots. I won't bore you with them, instead I will recommend you visit Palm Cove yourselves. Very chilled out place, but word to the wise... eating isn't cheap!

While you're there, eat at Far Horizons... quite simply, yum. I know it sounds random but we met the best waitor ever, a South American who was travelling, had spent time in Mona Vale (random?!) and had started working at the hotel as a luggage porter.

When he hurt his back and couldn't carry bags anymore, the manager gave him a shot at being a waitor and has consequently become pretty much fluent in conversational english in about 6 weeks. Seriously impressive and a bloody good bloke.

He obvioulsy had a better grasp on this waitoring thing that we thought because he got us pretty drunk (becuase we needed encouragement) and we ended up tipping him something ridiculous.

Anyway, when you're there, say hi from us.

Palm Beach Panorama

A very pleasant trip to Barrenjoey Lighthouse. Looking back onto Palm Beach and Pittwater.

I love the light in the late afternoon and evening, there's just this golden hue that is so different to anywhere else I've ever been. Probably going to give us all cancer, but it sure as hell makes for a good photograph.

isolation

Tuscan Vineyards

Italian travels...



There's nowhere quite like Italy.



Amalfi Coast







Obviously if you've been there I don't have to tell you that. In April 2008, just before my intrepid move to Australia (I was very brave), Matt and I travelled around Italy, from North to South, for about a month. 




Florence

   
   I honestly dont think we had a bad drop of wine the whole time we were there.



Travellers tip: if you're on a budget, instead of buying lunch or dinner, just go to a cafe or bar and buy a glass/bottle of wine and they'll bring you nibbles... and lots of them! Free. Olives, chips, pretzel things, and they'll just keep filling them up! Eat like a king, turn into a while. But it tastes so good!







The most awesome shop in Amalfi

 


Random fishing village we discovered on the Amalfi Coast

 

This little herbs & spices shop is a visual work of art! Be careful when taking photos though...you're not supposed to... shhhh!



 

 



Lake Como

  


Stay on Lake Como and go to Bellaggio for the day. You might see some A-list celebs... apparently George Clooney stays there. Just make sure you go 'in season'. Friends of ours (lets call them Vicky and Ken) made the mistake of going at the wrong time of year and the whole place was deserted!






Asleep on the job - Florence



 Florence has everything I could ever need in life... architecture, art,wine and as many cheap knock-off replica handbags as you can carry.

home of the blue domes....

Personally, I think Santorini is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Matt and I were only there for around 24 hours, I think I took over 500 photos!

Make the effort to go there, once in your life. Take spare batteries and memory cards. Just walk. Get lost and you'll find some of the most amazing vantage points and be completely alone.

We caught a ferry from Crete to Fira. First thing I must mention is the coffee we had at the most random cafe at the ferry port. Think road-side truck stop campervan with a jar of instant Nescafe and a deep fat fryer and we're on the same page. Seriously, it was a cross between the best ice coffee you've ever had and a semifreddo, with a little splash of heaven thrown in for good measure. I know I sound crazy.

Definitely stay in Oi, on the other side of the island, which is actually one side of an old volcano.

Watch the sun set.

my favourite time of day...

Dee Why Sunrise. Out of the darkness, and into the light....