The reason as to why I've been missing in action is I've changed full-time jobs (I work in a private hospital now) which requires me to be on-call. As a radiographer I'm expected to update my knowledge and be constantly keen on furthering my education in terms of the different and abundant modalities this new work place is offering me so all my time and effort has been coned into the "work" department of my life. I haven't really had the chance to pick up my camera let alone take any more photos.
I've been considering buying a new lens. One of the Pro "L"-series (Luxury) lenses specified for pro-photographers. I merely use a humble 450D lens which is nowhere near pro-level but does the work I want it to. I doubt I am or will ever be a pro-photographer but the lens I'm after does the trick but for a high price. Once I get this lens, I have no choice but to use it. I'm excited because I know I'll jump right back on the saddle.
I find that being back in my hometown, I've become too comfortable. Sydney to me isn't a holiday destination, and thus I'm not intrigued and curious about the workings of the locals here like I was in Rio or San Francisco or Buenos Aires. I'm not enticed to capture that moment where I'm stuck in traffic on the way to work or take that picture of the ceiling as I'm flat-out from work. Naturally, you succumb to the daily grind and all you want to do is rest at the end of the day. This is exactly where I DON'T want to be- Having a monotonous week. Feeling as though you "live and breathe" work. I have workmates who see their work as their life. I see my job as work. Nothing more, nothing less. I've been turning to photography for a while now to channel my energy and output somewhere else. I've find that the only photo-op involve some form of low-light event photography which none of my present lenses are able to handle. That's the reason why I love to travel. I love to be out in the sun, the daytime, their winter where the locals go about their business and you see their world completely different to them and thus you're able to encapsulate their world with one picture. You become more confident and take street photography in your stride. Every day's different. Every place is different. Every person represents a unique history, a story which you desire to know. Every place has a song & dance you wish to witness and become swept up in. The more foreign, the better.
The stories you compile in one trip is enough to last you a lifetime, and I wish to live many lifetimes. The most compelling, eventful, inspiring, fun & challenging experiences I've had abroad.
San Fran: The cab driver realised from our accent that we were "Aussie" and asked us about his most favourite TV show "Summer Heights High". I had NO idea that this aussie show was airing in the states let alone having a solid fanbase. He took us to our destination but wasn't really recommending it to us (because it was the dodgy side of the city) so he stopped the meter and gave us a mini tour of the suburb and its surrounding locations for free and told us to tell him when and where we wanted to hop off. Such an awesome guy.
Vegas: in Caesar's palace at the lost and found counter looking for my best friend's wallet & passport on New Years day at 5am. Bump into these two European guys who were well-dressed, well-groomed and quite good looking. They were from Norway. Norwegians! I've never met one before. So in my drunken stupor I struck a conversation with them and invited them to have breakfast with my group. we ended up chatting and laughing until 8am! I had no idea they were so well-educated and fluent in English. They had wit to challenge anyone and the best sense of humour. Amazing people again. 4 hours later, we were on a helicopter ride in the grand canyon. Note to self- do NOT drink alcohol before a helicopter ride. although there were no tragedies on the flight, the poor German tourists beside me were worried about any sudden oral pyrotechnics I was capable of.
Rio: Me carrying my digital SLR around was like tempting the hungry wolves with a chunk of meat. Even one of the sales assistants told me to "Be careful of your photo machine. A lot of thieves". How endearing- "photo machine". oh how I love Brazilians. But luckily there was no tragedies there. I even went on a Favela Tour through Rosinha the largest slums in Rio. I had my SLR taking pictures (when permitted) throughout their town. The people there were full of life and love. They were offering us fruit and nourishments. the kids would jump in front of the camera yearning to have their picture taken. Yes the drug dealers are the unofficial "government" of these Favelas but there's so much culture and life in these places. It's enlightening to see the state in which they live in sometimes. Rubbish scattered everywhere, zig-zagging through the uneven concrete paths. The way our tour group had to ascend the mountain was via motorcycle and my mother almost had a heart attack. I forgot my mother had a fear of bikes, let alone motorcycles but she was a trooper. she latched onto the driver for dear life, I think she may have drained the airs from his lungs. She almost finished the whole rosary with both her eyes jammed shut tightly. Let me tell you, these motorcycle taxi's aren't a stroll in the park. they weave in and out like their racing to get to the finish line. The whole bike tilts and you feel like your knees are gonna get scraped by the blurred concrete road. They overtake and squeeze through impossible gaps in the traffic. Mine almost hit the corner of the bus! But alas, I'm alive. and what an exhilarating ride that was.
So experiences such as these take me through a place and inspire my photography.
So here's some images to express the monotony of my daily grind:
My Fish called Barbara Streisand. Yes I know, this fighting fish is a male BUT it's a personal joke of mine and my sister (who is currently in New York after working on a cruise ship). Barbara Streisand was staring at a childhood picture of us.
Here's a place near Darling Harbour in Sydney. My brother was looking for a Reception Hall for his wedding.
A lake near where I live in Western Sydney. This lake in Norwest is beside a popular Japanese restaurant.
I found this quite quirky. This situated at the cemetery where my father is buried. I find serene beauty and stillness in the cemetery. I visit every week and find a sense of calmness and awakening in that area.
