Saturday 17 December 2011

Nelson Bay Cormorants



Boat harbours are a great place for a photographer to hang out! Ropes hanging everywhere, old tyres on wharfs for buffers, sea birds. There is a great atmosphere surrounding a boat harbour; travel, the sea, adventure....I wanna buy a boat! I love how this photo has turned out. It was sitting in its folder and I hadn't really played with it since it was taken. If there is one thing I have learned from this photo; make notes on workflow! I played with this for some time before it reached this look and I am damned if I can remember what it was that I did to get it looking like this!

Beautiful Shoal Bay, NSW, Australia



Beautiful Shoal Bay, NSW, Australia. 8 photos taken in portrait mode and stitched in PSE8. I have been experimenting with my panos lately and have found that using the Interactive Layout option in the stitch options does not give me the keystone effect at each end as I was getting in the Auto option. I have also learned how to adjust each photo once stitched but, before merging layers, so that any exposure or light issues that show the joins of the stitch are eliminated. So far so good!

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Mad Motorists…………

They drive me CRAZY!!   People who jockey from one lane to the other to gain an advantage of 1 or 2 car lengths ahead.  Are they too stupid to realize that they have only gained 2-3 seconds in time, or is it some inner ‘drive’ [for want of a better word!] that compels them to want to be first in some sort of street race?

They are always 10-15 Km per hour over the speed limit.   Don’t they understand what the numbers printed on roadside signs mean?   I would really like to know their thought processes.   If they are not paying attention to their speedo, then they are probably not paying attention to the person crossing the road, or the fact that the traffic ahead has already come to a stop.   Speaking of coming to a stop, I laugh at people who take off like a bat out of hell at the lights, travel about 500 metres and then come to a screeching stop at the next set whilst I measure my speed and arrive a fraction of a second later with more fuel in my tank and less wear on my brake pads!  

And another thing…..  Once upon a time, the rule was keep left unless overtaking or perhaps turning right.   I’m not sure if a lot of our drivers these days understand the meaning of the right hand lane.   If you do drive cautiously at 10 Km per hour under the speed limit, why are you still in the right hand lane?   Also, if you know you are going to be turning left at the next intersection, what in Gods name are you doing in the right hand lane at the last minute, desperately braking or accelerating and causing havoc because you have not planned more than 2 seconds ahead as you drive?

Mobile phones…..for crying out loud…..get hands free if you have to take that call that just might save the world!   On the way to work last night, followed by a middle aged female [green P plates].   Nearly ran up my butt because she was texting at each stop!   I watched her at the next set of lights after I had stopped.   She slowed down for the lights but before the car came to a final stop she was looking down texting!   My daughters last car was written off by a female driver on a mobile phone who didn’t notice that the line of traffic in front of her had stopped.

We have had quite a lot of rain recently here but, do you think that makes a difference?

Chill out people, wind down the window and smell the dinner cooking as you drive past the houses, be courteous, it’s not gonna cost you anything and, it might save your life!

Jordy

Wednesday 7 December 2011

The Beach Trail - Redhead




At the end of the boardwalk, this sandy trail takes you down to the beach. The plants grow over in an arch which keeps the sand lovely and cool underfoot.

Redhead Beach Dunes

Redhead Beach Dunes by Life with Jordy

















Redhead Beach Dunes, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.
There are lovely dunes at Redhead. They are a conservation area in an attempt to get the local beach flora to spread, thereby keeping erosion of the sand area at bay. There are raised boardwalks to keep the public from walking over the plants and the whole area is wonderful!

Redhead Conservation Boardwalk



It's a great walk on the boardwalk around Redhead.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Redhead Beach



This is a wider Pano shot of the other just uploaded. I discovered something interesting at this photo safari. Stand back and use the zoom for pano shots. This way, your elongated shadow cast by the setting sun does not find its way into the shot. Lucky I review my photos in camera!

Touch Footy Training - Redhead Beach



Training in the sand is a real workout! Love this photo because it captures the essence of Redhead, the tower and the great texture and colour of the headland cliff. Not to mention one of the various activities that was occurring on this particular afternoon.

Redhead



This Lifesaver Watchtower at Redhead Beach has had its photo taken sooooo many times it is almost a cliche of Newcastle! but I couldn't resist it yesterday! Just one more! I love the rocks and the cliff face at Redhead Beach, brilliant reddish colour and lovely texture carved by the pounding of the seas!

Rush hour at Redhead



I arrived at Redhead yesterday all ready for some sunset shots over the dunes there. Actually got there a little too early and my camera battery started dying on me because of all the other shots I took waiting for the sun to go down! There was quite a crowd on Redhead Beach as people finished work and went to the beach to wind down. It was typically Redhead; blowing a gale! I pointed the camera down the beach and just snapped this one. The sun was creating some interesting foggy bits happening with the sea mist coming off the crashing waves. Oddly enough, considering I had originally gone out to get photos of a golden sunset, this is my favourite from the afternoon safari; a black and white shot! It's funny how things turn out!

Saturday 19 November 2011

Tea Gardens Mooring



I have uploaded a monochrome copy of this one here also.   Scroll down to see it. The dappled sunlight through the tree is what drew me to this subject. I think it was a scene screaming to be recorded!

The Treasure Hunters



Some children were searching the beach for shells and whatever else they could find. 
Taken at Hawks Nest beach.

Karuah Bridge Panorama



Great little place Karuah. We found a lovely park where Barney could run and chase his ball to his hearts content without hassling anyone else! There is a very picturesque Oyster Farm behind me from where I took this shot. A photographers dream!

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Sydney Harbour Panorama.


Sydney Harbour Panorama 2


A late upload from our day out down to Sydney. Sometimes I think that urban photos should always be shown in Monochrome. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is because the city has a grey, dull look about it, it remains impassive about the thousands of people milling about in it's streets, wrapped up in their own personal cocoon as they go about their daily business, oblivious to the person next to them. It's so impersonal.

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Karuah Oyster Farm 2



We went out for an exploratory day trip about a week or so ago. Took a detour via Karuah on the way home. What a nice little town it is! Found a park where Barney could run and chase balls to his hearts content. Just next to the park was the Oyster Farm; lots of little jetties, boats and machinery to photograph! It was such a lovely spot!

Tea Gardens Panorama



Tea Gardens is such a lovely spot about 60 kms north of Newcastle. Located on the beautiful Myall Lakes, we have decided that it is possibly a nice retirement location [eventually !] We'll add it to the list!

Monday 7 November 2011

‘Bye Kirra–We miss you!


Kirra was a funny sort of dog.   A miniature Fox Terrier.   She was not a personable dog who attached herself to people; she always remained aloof, almost like she was snobby!   She did like chasing balloons and soccer balls, and loved to play the ‘bed game’ when someone would hide under the sheets and she would try and get under there with them!   She was a great mouse catcher!   During the mouse plague we had whilst in Wagga Wagga, I lost count of the number of mice she would bring up to us and proudly show off!   One of them got its own back one day though; a mouse bite on her leg became badly infected but, that did not put her off her love of mouse hunting.   She had a nervous disposition and, more often than not, if you reached down to pat her, she would pull away; this got worse as she got older.   She was always ready for a feed and did not like travelling in the car.  She would start to whine and cry loudly, and it took ages for her to settle.
We got Kirra in Oct 96 when our big friendly Labrador/Rottweiler Benson left us. She was a playmate for our other dog, Kaiser, and also assuaged the grief of our daughter Rhiannan who was 4 at the time, and would sob for Benson at bedtime each night. 
Windows Photo Gallery Wallpaper
I had to take Kirra to the Vet for a final visit the other day. She had turned 15 and doggy old age was not treating her kindly. We knew that she had a growth in her stomach; she was losing weight but her stomach and ribs looked like a balloon that was slowly inflating over time.   Her white soft coat had gone coarse and yellow.   She also had a problem with her bowels and the puddle of blood we found one night made us realize that there was indeed, something wrong. We also knew that she was losing her hearing but when the Vet told me she had bad cataracts and would be blind very soon, I knew that it was the right course of action for an old dog who was fast losing her quality of life.
   Jordy

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Tea Gardens Mooring - Monochrome





Kim & I went for a short drive about 1 hour north of Newcastle to a small village called Tea Gardens. It is situated on the beautiful Myall Lakes and has lots of boating activity going on. Spied this little tinny chained to the tree. I find that for every photo I take, I also check it out in B&W. This adds a little extra time to my workflow but is worth it when the end product looks better than what I first had in mind!

Random Female on Hawks Nest Beach



Kim & I had a day trip yesterday to Tea Gardens, a small place about 1 hour north of Newcastle. It is on the Myall Lakes, an absolutely beautiful area. It has been the first time in ages that we had been out as we have been busy painting and reorganizing a lot of stuff around the home that had been put in the most convenient place, at the time we moved in 2 years ago! There is some awesome places in the Tea Gardens area to capture; I could easily spend a few days there just wandering around with my camera. For this photo, I had set myself up on a dune at Hawks Nest to get some pano shots in. This woman was slowly wandering the on the beach and it was too good an opportunity to miss. I prefer this presented in B&W as the day was a little overcast and when the sun was out was very hazy.

Saturday 15 October 2011

Ice Cream Dreaming




Every one was eating Ice Cream at Circular Quay on this particular Sunday! I was wondering what this girl was thinking as she ate her Ice Cream; she appeared to be in another world.

I created a copy layer for the original photo and applied a gaussian blur to it. Using the Eraser Tool on PS I revealed the people in focus. It has a nice effect. I then merged the copied layer with the original.

Waiting for the Bus



An old gentleman waiting for his transport at Circular Quay.

Thursday 13 October 2011

Father & Son



Whilst in Sydney the other day I took advantage of being in the big smoke and grabbed some candid shots of people in the crowds. I was lucky to get this one from a distance with the people walking in between me and the subject. I love it; such a natural happy snap of a Dad and his son!

The Florist - Central Railway Station, Sydney



A stolen moment to catch up among the colour and fragrance amidst the hustle and bustle of a big city railway station. I am getting to like street photography; it captures people in a totally natural moment.

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Sunday Markets - The Rocks, Sydney



I love The Rocks area of Sydney. Kim and I went there on a day trip last Sunday and caught the wonderful markets that line the historic streets. I was in a street photographers heaven with the markets and the hundreds of people milling around at the stalls. Not to mention the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge standing tall & proud above it all!

Darling Harbour Panorama



The buildings you see in front here are a series of restaurants on the water front of the most beautiful harbour in the world located in Sydney, Australia! Panoramic from 3 separate photos.

Friday 30 September 2011

The Old Post Office, Newcastle, NSW



I took this at this angle to capture the brilliant architectural style of the old Newcastle Post Office but also to raise above the security fencing surrounding the building as it is refurbished.

A 3 exposure HDR.

The Lock Up, Cultural Centre, Newcastle

'The Lock-up' is a multi-faceted cultural centre encorporating the recently refurbished lock-up Museum (1861-1982), historical information and relics relating to the penal history of Newcastle, the john paynter gallery (an artist-run space), an artist-in-residence programme (accommodation for visiting national and international artists) and an Education Centre (programmes for school excursion groups).

I haven't been inside yet but the wonderful sandstone architecture looked brilliant this night bathed in the light from the street lamps.

A 3 exposure HDR and processed in Picturenaut and PS Elements.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Athcourt Lane, Newcastle, NSW

Newcastle offers many unique small laneways in its CBD area that are just begging for someone to record! Newcastle architecture is unique in that it spans from the late 1800s up to modern day high rise unit blocks. There is some great stuff waiting for me out there!

I am very happy with the way this has turned out! The dark and light side meeting right on the corner, the texture of the bricks. The corner has a slight bend as it ascends because I used my wide angle on it.

Join me on Google+

The Old Post Office, Newcastle, NSW

A 3 exposure HDR photo. The Old Post Office was built on the site of the old Court House which was demolished in 1900; the Post Office was opened in 1903 and closed in 2001. The building was designed by the Government architect Walter Liberty Vernon. It has lain dormant basically since its closure in 2001 and suffered greatly from water ingress, pidgeons and, vandalism. It was purchased a couple of years ago by the NSW Government with a view to refurbishment and lease to interested parties. One of the ideas for its modern day use is for lounge bars, and a range of food and beverage uses, such as a wine cellar and tasting area or an area for provedores of Hunter district produce. Due to renovations, it is surrounded by security fencing. I managed to get this photo by sticking the end of the lens through a hole in the wire!

I have recently joined Google +. Although I am also on Facebook, I find Google + is much better for photography in that I can upload larger photos, and the resolution is so much better than FB. Check it out and follow my link here. If you are on Google+ add me to your circle and I will reciprocate. Mind you, I will never forsake Flickr!!

plus.google.com/113737645865275154301/about

Saturday 10 September 2011

My Dads’ Camera

 

My Dads Camera.

This is where my interest probably got started. Dad did all his own film processing and printing.

This is his Voigtlander Bessa II bellows camera with accessories.

Dads Camera and Accessories #1

The item on the left is a separate viewfinder. The Viewfinder on the camera was very small and did not line up the subject very well. The separate viewfinder had to be used with both eyes open as the viewfinder was not transparent! The free eye would view the subject whilst the other (looking through the viewfinder) would view broken or unbroken lines which formed a rectangle that indicated the edge of the 'frame'. In a weird way, the subject could be seen within the frame. The other item on the right was used for calculating distance. Looking through the small hole, the photographer would see 2 images; one clear and the other a ghost. The dial would be turned to bring both images together. When this happened, the distance would be indicated on the dial and the camera set accordingly. 

The camera is still in wonderful condition. I would love to put a roll of film through it but I can't seem to get the 120 film it required.

  Jordy

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Something I discovered yesterday!

Found this yesterday through the Digital Photography School site. Using the geotagged data on Flickr Photos, it puts them on a Google Map and provides the embed and link codes so that they can be used in blogs or websites. It links in to photos within a Flickr users Sets but can also be used for individual photos.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Painting, painting and yes…..more painting!


I have to say that I don’t mind painting.   I love to stand back and look at the finished product, proud of my effort!   However, I hate the preparation and clean up afterwards!   Moving furniture, sanding, washing down walls, filling small holes, cleaning brushes, rollers……I wonder if there would be a profit in pre painted gyprock?
Kim & I have been hard at it now for the last 2 months.   We started painting the inside of the house shortly after our kitchen renovation was complete.   That was nearly 2 years ago!   Ok  ok…..we had a little break, but we have taken it up again with gusto and are now down to 2 bedrooms and the study left to finish.
1 of the 2 bedrooms left should be completed tomorrow [cross fingers!] and our main bedroom and study hopefully in the next 2 weeks in between my shifts.   It has been a long plod, but will be entirely worth it once it is done.
We have also got rid of the bloody ‘orrible looking beige vertical blinds and are gradually replacing them with white shutter blinds, [which are simply venetians with a much wider blade – they look awesome!].
Once the inside is finished, we have some cleaning to do!   Sanding down surfaces has a tendency to send clouds of fine white dust throughout the house.  We have not bothered to dust for a while because it is a lost cause until the painting is finished!
I am going to have to give some consideration to the outside of the house.   When a house is built, the painting is almost an afterthought; it’s never actually a great job is it?!    Our house is only about 7 years old and the outside paint has really faded.   The next project looms ahead!
Oh well….what else would I be doing if I wasn’t painting?      Well….there’s….my photography, guitar, walking, running, pushbike, the beach………..
Hope you’re all well.
Jordy

Saturday 13 August 2011

Pure Criminality - The UK Riots


I have been reading with some incredulity, reports from media and individuals on their Social Media sites about the recent riots in the UK.   I cannot believe the excuses some people are making for these thugs and criminals.

I have had enough of hearing how these rioters had no other course than to riot and destroy their own communities simply because they feel disenfranchised & disrespected by ‘mainstream society’.  I have had enough of hearing how they are being “ignored and marginalised and harassed by the police” and how “after months of seeing any conceivable hope of a better future confiscated, they are finally on the news” [quotes from a personal blog widely published on the net http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08/panic-on-streets-of-london.html?spref=fb ].

If you complain that you are constantly disrespected, it is possible you have not done anything to EARN that respect!   I see some individuals who live in Government Housing and on Welfare simply because it is the EASIER option.  They have never had to work to earn their keep and they totally expect that it is their right to take all from society without contributing.  These individuals will steal what they want because they have never lifted a finger to help themselves and never felt the great satisfaction of buying something with their own money, earned by the sweat of their brow.
Furthermore, if you complain that you are being harassed by the Police, well…….. it’s not bloody rocket science……… you need to start behaving yourself.  In my experience, if you constantly come under Police scrutiny, then you probably, totally, deserve it!

I can probably guarantee that for every 1 of those so-called disenfranchised and disrespected lower socio-economic dwellers who rioted, destroyed and, murdered, there were 20 others from exactly the same situation who were disgusted at the actions of their peers and at no time would have ever contemplated such actions. 

There is no such thing as an ‘average’ or ‘ordinary’ life; there is just ‘life’.   I guess it depends on how much pride you have in yourself, and how determined you are to pull yourself up out of a personal situation you’re not happy with.   Millions of people do it everyday in their course of their lives.

There are no excuses for their actions.

  Jordy

Thursday 4 August 2011

Fullerton Road Jetty, Stockton

Another shot of the 'jetty' from a different angle. This also a HDR from 5 exposures merged in Picturenaut and post processed in Photoshop Elements. It was such a beautiful afternoon to be out!

Stockton Jetty & Ship Wreck

I can only describe this Jetty as 'makeshift' although you couldn't pay me enough to walk on it!! In the upper right of the photo is one of the many ship wrecks on the Hunter River and surrounds at Stockton. This particular one is opposite Kooragang Island off Fullerton Road. Cant seem to find any information about it as yet but will keep searching. This is a HDR merge in Picturenaut and post processed in Photoshop Elements. 5 bracketed exposures have given some excellent tones and textures to the sand and the old Jetty. Will have to re-visit to capture the wreck a little better in daylight and low tide.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Newcastle and Port Hunter

Here is the larger colour Panorama of Newcastle and the entrance to Port Hunter. Taken from the Stockton Breakwall it starts on the left at Fort Scratchley and pans around to Griffiths Park at Stockton on the right. I cant remember the number of photos stitched together to make up this panorama but it was quite a few!

Newcastle Foreshore

Newcastle Foreshore by Life with Jordy
Newcastle Foreshore, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.

The Newcastle Foreshore from Stockton. I was lucky enough to get these shots stitched together without interference from boats! As I swivelled on the tripod and overlapped the photos, boats would travel into each shot which could cause repeated images of the same boat at intervals throughout the final product! Not only that but the water rippling effect caused by the boats would appear in some stitched segments and not others! I have another Panorama to add soon, this one in colour and much wider aspect than this. I love the B&W tones that are possible in a cityscape!

Thursday 21 July 2011

Hope springs Eternal

Hope springs Eternal by Life with Jordy
Hope springs Eternal, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.

The Light of the Day meets the Dark of the Night.

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope."
Bern Williams

Beautiful Morning

Beautiful Morning by Life with Jordy
Beautiful Morning, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.

It was such a Beautiful Morning the other day at Stockton watching the ships leave the harbour and sail off into the rising Sun! I want a job on this ship!! I see it regularly plying the waterways inside and out of Port Hunter. What a great job it must be!!

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Nobbs Point from Stockton Breakwall

I was up early to get to the Airport. Decided on the way back to pop into Stockton and capture the brilliant sunrise that was begging to have its photo taken! This is a 3 photo panorama stitched in PhotoShop Elements 8. It was a 'little' cold! My battery started to give out after a few shots but I am happy to say that it lasted long enough to capture this beautiful morning!

The Journey Begins

The Journey Begins by Life with Jordy
The Journey Begins, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.

I was up early to get to the Airport. Decided on the way back to pop into Stockton and capture the brilliant sunrise that was begging to have its photo taken! I was also attempting to take photos of the large freighters leaving the port in accompany with the tug boats. Because of the low light, all I got was blurry looking things and not boats! There was however, a couple which worked out really well and this is one of them

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Back to work tomorrow! DAMN!!

 

I have just had 2 weeks off work!   It’s a nice feeling to know that there is a small reprieve from those night shifts for a short while but, everything must come to and end!

It has been a busy cuppla weeks.   Kims Mum had a fall and broke her hip and so, about 10 days ago we drove down to visit her and spend a little time with Kims Dad to ensure he was coping well.   Kim cooked him some easy meals to reheat in the microwave, but I think that Ken is not as hopeless as Kims Mum, Faye, makes him out to be!   She never really did give him a chance to do things around the home; she always knew how to do it better [apparently].   Anyway, Kims Mum is doing ok and looked a lot better than what we expected.   Hopefully she will be transferred to a hospital a little closer to home where Ken doesnt have to drive too far to see her until she gets the all clear to return home.

Kim and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary yesterday.   I cannot believe that 25 years has passed since that wonderful day!   What a great day it was on the 4th August 1985 when we first met and started going out together.   It was a bbq day at Waragamba Dam for her Rotoract Club.   I was the zone rep and was undecided if I would go or not because I had finished night shift that morning and was pretty tired.   I woke up and made a split second decision to go because it was such a lovely day.  Funny how a decision made in an instant can determine the rest of your life!!   Kim and I often remark on the fate of that split second decision and how our lives are better for it!

I also got the front garden ‘trimmed’ which, in this case, means I took a chain saw to the Yuccas and Agaves and tidied it up a lot!   We had a council pick up day and I was concerned that they wouldnt take all the ‘trimmings’ that I had left on the footpath for them because there was a LOT!!!   We arrived back from seeing Kims Mum in Penrith to find that the lot had been taken.   Many thanks to the Lake Macquarie Council!!

Took Barney for a few walks.  On one of our walks around our great suburb, I spied some orange mushroom type things growing on a fallen branch.   They actually look like sliced orange portions and are some sort of fungus thingy [lichen ??] Lichens on Jupiter cct  Our suburb has Cocked Hat Creek running through it and has been designed with many concrete footpaths/walkways that follow the creek and also join streets behind houses and through bushland.   There are so many things I can capture on photo that I must do a Safari one day!   Attached here is the fungus I saw the other day.

Today has been one of the coldest days I can remember since we arrived up here.  I am sitting down wearing my special beanie which has floppy hanging down bits to keep my ears warm.   It is so comfortable however, Barney barked up a ruckus when he first espied me walking down the stairs with it on!!

Hope everyone is well as we are all here.   Take care one & all until next time.

Jordy

Friday 8 July 2011

The Fishing Place.

The Fishing Place. by Life with Jordy
The Fishing Place., a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.

The break wall at Swansea Heads is a very popular fishing spot. This day had heaps of people out trying their luck. In the background are 2 coal ships waiting to enter the harbour.

Sunday 3 July 2011

Sunset over the Marks Point Marina

This is a High Dynamic Range photo of 5 exposure bracketed photos. I have discovered a programme called Picturenaut which does an excellent job on HDR photos. The original merging and tone mapping is done in Picturenaut and then the final post processing is completed in Photoshop Elements 8. The HDR here has captured brilliantly the beautiful tones and hues of what was a magnificent sunset over the lake.

Marks Point Sunset

Marks Point Sunset by Life with Jordy
Marks Point Sunset, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.
After my afternoon at Swansea Heads, I headed to Marks Point on the beautiful Lake Macquarie where I was lucky to capture this spectacular sunset. A panorama of 3 separate photos taken from the Marks Point Marina.

Saturday 2 July 2011

NEWSFLASH!! - Velociraptor attacks man pruning his garden...............

We have a front garden that resembles Jurassic Park!   No joking!

 The previous owners of our house planted Burrawangs [Macrozamia communis - a Cycad, which I had mistaken for Sago Palms], Dracaenas, Yuccas & Agaves.  They were planted willy nilly with no thought as to how big they would grow in future years but also, without any composition as to the aesthetic look of the garden.

 I have spent all day today, chainsaw in hand, 'pruning' these plants/trees/things because they were so overgrown.  I fully expected a Velociraptor to jump out and take my leg off!   

HINT - Never let Agaves get out of control!   They get huge, and underneath all of the very large leaves, the former leaves die and remain to rot.  This in turn, encourages snails and, MILLIONS of mosquitoes   [which, oddly enough, have remained in their present form since Jurassic times also!!].

If u find yourself pruning these types of plants, wear long sleeves, gloves and, a thick hat!   The leaves of the Yucca are so pointy that they will stab you and draw blood [which my poor darling Kim found out this afternoon!]

 We now have some of these lined up on the front verge awaiting the Council rubbish pick up day which starts on Monday; I will finish off the rest tomorrow!   Hopefully the Council guys will pick up them all because if I had to take them to the dump, I would have to take out another mortgage to pay the tip fees because, these things weigh a TON!

I would dearly love to get a back hoe in and clear the lot out.   

I can picture hedged shrubs, a couple of miniature Japanese Maples, lots of flowering colour and, perhaps a water feature.......sigh............one of these days eh?

Sincerley

Jordy - 'The Happy Gardener'!

 p.s.  My apologies to my neighbours for the constant chain saw noise today and for part of tomorrow but, it's gotta get done!



Wednesday 29 June 2011

Swansea Heads Panorama

Swansea Heads Panorama by Life with Jordy
Swansea Heads Panorama, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.
This is 12 photos [I think it was 12 anyway!!] stitched together to form the Panorama! When the photos are stitched together, they form a curve because of the movement of the camera on the single plane of the tripod. The trick, as I have learned, is to also overlap each photo top and bottom also, so that the main subject is not going to be cropped out of the original stitch. Hope u can understand that!!! I wish I had a proper panoramic camera though..............the TIFF file of this image is approx 227Mb!!

Something for Dinner

Something for Dinner by Life with Jordy
Something for Dinner, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.
A beautiful sunset about to happen at Swansea Heads. It looks like the fellow on the right hand side has caught dinner because his rod is fairly well bent down!

Swansea Heads Fishermen

I love taking candid photos of people going about their everyday life. It captures them in a natural moment with no posing or setting up to get the 'right look'.

Sunday 26 June 2011

Fishermen

Fishermen by Life with Jordy
Fishermen, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.

I have not been out on photo recon recently due to some horrible weather. Finally! It all cleared and we have had some awesome days!. Yesterday I went out to the Swansea Channel and then across to the Swansea Heads. It is such a popular fishing spot which makes for great silohuettes late in the afternoon. Hope you enjoy these but stay tuned, because there are more on the way including some wonderful sunset shots which I am really happy with! For this particular shot I was walking back to my car when I noted the silohuettes against the golden sunset reflected on the water.

Caught Anything ?

Caught Anything ? by Life with Jordy
Caught Anything ?, a photo by Life with Jordy on Flickr.

I have not been out on photo recon recently due to some horrible weather. Finally! It all cleared and we have had some awesome days!. Yesterday I went out to the Swansea Channel and then across to the Swansea Heads. It is such a popular fishing spot which makes for great silohuettes late in the afternoon. Hope you enjoy these but stay tuned, because there are more on the way including some wonderful sunset shots which I am really happy with!

Fishing the Swansea Channel

I have not been out on photo recon recently due to some horrible weather. Finally! It all cleared and we have had some awesome days!. Yesterday I went out to the Swansea Channel and then across to the Swansea Heads. It is such a popular fishing spot which makes for great silohuettes late in the afternoon. Hope you enjoy these but stay tuned, because there are more on the way including some wonderful sunset shots which I am really happy with!

Friday 17 June 2011

What IS that thing in the sky????...................

It's round and very bright to look at and, when it shines you can feel the warmth creep into your rain sodden, cold, stiff joints!   It has hardly been seen in the past 2 weeks here!



Yep folks, we finally have a sunny day!   Well.....almost!   It started out sunny and then some large black clouds came over bringing a heavy shower but!,   now the sun is out again and I can see blue skies on the horizon.  I just hope they are here to stay; we have been cooped up inside for the last week or so and are going a little stir crazy!

Rhiannan sprained her foot the other whilst skipping.  She had a cuppla days off work but it appears to be much better now although, the swelling and bruising is still very obvious.  No more skipping please!

Kasey spent the long weekend in Wagga visiting Matt.   She had a good time catching up with some old friends but it was good to see her arrive back home safely after such a long trip.   It is about a 7 hour trip from here to Wagga Wagga through some very busy city traffic and long country highways!

Lachlan & I went out to see the new flick 'Super 8' the other night.   Great Sci Fi movie.   Saw the trailer for the final Harry Potter movie coming out soon and determined to catch up with the others before going to see that!

Kim & I have basically been stuck inside whilst the weather has been horrid.   Lucky we managed a decent day to get out to Shoal Bay [see previous post] before it set in.   One good thing about this time of year is that the grass doesnt grow much at all so the mowing etc is virtually nil!   Just gotta tidy up the front garden which is looking a bit like Jurassic Park; everything appears to be getting out of hand.  Problem is, I will need a chainsaw and a large ute to do some of the 'pruning'  haha........

I have picked up another gadget recently.   Upgraded my phone to the new Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone......it's great!

That's about it.  I haven't been out to get photos because the weather has been so crap and I am starting to get Photoshop withdrawals although, I have made use of the time to do some online tutorials and now can't wait to put them into use!

Hope your are all well and good!

Jordy

Tuesday 7 June 2011

A Great Day Out

Gidday everyone!

What a great day we had today!   Kim, Rhiannan, Barney & I went out to Shoal Bay and Fingal Beach today to give Barney a run on the beach and let him wear out some of that puppy energy he always seems to have.   It was an awesome day and Barney is fairly well worn out now [as is everyone else]!

Here are some photos ..........






Love to All

Jordy

Catching up.

 Well it has been a couple of months since I posted a Blog article.   I don't have any Project or roll of film in particular to share wi...