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ardysez

~ surrender to yourself

ardysez

Tag Archives: 365photochallenge

all’s well that ends…well…

31 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by Ardys in 365 Photo Challenge

≈ 41 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, creativity, iphone, iphone photography, nature, photography, photos

I realise now the name of my 365 Photo Challenge really should have been 365 days of Mindfulness. That has probably been the biggest single thing, other than improving my photography, I have taken away from shooting a new photo every day for a year.

The mindfulness came in varying forms.

  1. First there was the obvious, being mindful to take a photo every single day. At first that was pretty easy because I was highly motivated and the project was new. And we had a major rain event in January, which helped with great subject matter. Oddly enough, as I write today the weather is exactly the same! I even helped a burrowing frog out of the spa this morning!
    A view up the normally dry riverbed of the Todd River.
    A view up the normally dry riverbed of the Todd River.
    Spencer-Burrowing-Frog
    Spencer’s Burrowing Frog posing for a portrait
    moisture-covered-stem
    moisture covered stem
    rain-alice-springs
    Down came the rain, obliterating the mountains
  2. Then I realised the time spent in the task of taking the photo was a kind of meditative experience for me. I relaxed into the process and time passed without my knowing it. It felt very odd on the few days that I did not have the opportunity to take my time with the process, as when we were traveling. You would think that seeing new things and different environments might make the photography easier, but the opposite was true. The light and environments were very different and it takes time to adjust; time which I often did not have. I realised how important that process was, allowing my mind to flow along its own path, to see and to associate freely.

    bird-moon

    early bird and sliver of moon

  3. early morning light in courtyard

    early morning light in courtyard

    Also I noticed that ‘seeing’ became more of a habit for me throughout the days. This was truly something I had not anticipated. It became more and more of a habit for me to find the light in a situation and if not take a photo, to take note of the moment. A Light Chaser was born.

  4. I began to see that the tiniest moments that I would have previously walked passed were numerous and each one a true gift in my day. The largest percentage of photos was taken within a kilometre of my home. And I was never without a tiny miracle when I needed it most. There were days when I felt very flat, or sick, or pushed for time, but something always caught my eye. It caught my eye because I was looking.

    vera-wang-jug

    less colour, more appreciation of the lovely shape and light falling on this little jug

  5. dragonfly-alice-springs

    photo #56 dragon fly in my courtyard

    Finally, a humbling and humorous moment came when on about day 280 I discovered I had misnumbered, not by just one number, but by THREE numbers AT DAY 56!!! Those of you who know how little mathematic ability I have will see the humour in this situation, that I did not see at the time. For quite a few days I contemplated what to do. Finally, at day 330 I decided to correct all the numbers in sequence, from day 56. Each change required at least 8 ‘taps’ to make! It took hours. Adding salt to my wounded ego, I discovered along the way I had made two additional errors in numbering, returning the number of days out, to only ONE. But one, is one, so I continued making the changes. And therein shows that my mindfulness was less on the mechanics of the project and more on the creative aspects. I can live with that.

Don pointed out the pink epaulettes on the Pilot's Uniform, supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In very rapid response I opened the iPhone and captured this photo

Don pointed out the pink ribbon epaulettes on the Pilot’s Uniform, supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In very rapid response I opened the iPhone and captured this photo, seconds before deplaning.

To say that I was ‘supported’ through this endeavour is an understatement. My friends and family encouraged me, and my dear husband was so supportive in the last few, sometimes difficult, months that he began pointing things out to me, or bringing me ‘lovely dead things’ (no animals) to photograph. I hope you all have someone in your life who is that supportive.

Wonderful as my husband is, there is another man without whom I would not have done this year long journey. His name is Emil Pakarklis and I have never even met him. About 20 months ago I enrolled in his iPhone Photography School to learn how to take better photos with my iPhone. His course expanded to include an editing course, which I also took, and now it has expanded to iPhone Photomasters subscription courses. Emil’s courses provided me with all the technical knowledge I needed, and much inspiration. It was on a post at his website that I got the idea to attempt the 365 challenge to improve my photography. Goodness, who knows where this will end? Here is an example of a photo I would not have been able to create without Emil’s courses. I used four different apps to achieve this ‘simple’ photo. (Cortex cam, Touch Retouch, Snapseed, iColourama)

Simple image, five apps!

Simple image–four apps!

Thank you so much to my inspiring Instagram and blog friends, who have ‘liked’ and commented about many of the photos along the way. The entire collection of photos is available to view on Instagram @amosthemagicdog. I doubt you have seen the last of this year’s photos. There were many extras that were not part of the 365 challenge for various reasons, not because they lacked merit. Some days choosing only one left me torn. Other days it was a struggle to find one. That is photography, and pursuit of the creative life.

Evening at Honeymoon Gap, Christmas Day (not a photo of the day)

Evening at Honeymoon Gap, Christmas Day (not a photo of the day)

Secret Weapon, Cockatiel feather

Secret Weapon, Cockatiel feather

Possibly the most important photo of all is the penultimate photo. This was my ‘secret weapon’. Last summer, before I started the challenge, I found this Cockatiel feather. We seldom see Cockatiels at our place and I loved the pattern of this feather. When I started the challenge I decided I would need a fall back photo to take, in case things got very bad one day. The feather was the fall back subject. Things did get bad a couple of times, but somehow this feather was never needed. It was my insurance, and put my mind at ease. But I wanted to share it anyway, because it was part of the story, and also, you know I love feathers.

Matrix of photos of the day done from components of the natural treasures collection

Matrix of photos of the day done from components of the natural treasures collection

Lastly, here is a photo matrix of some of the individual daily photos made using the natural collection accumulated from my daily walks throughout the year. This treasure trove began in a small drawer and then found a home on our kitchen work space these last few months, for the simple reason, that is where the light falls. In the morning the light flows in through the kitchen window, and in the evening the light streams through the dining room windows. A Light Chaser’s dream come true! This is the first time I have revealed the collection in its entirety. After today, most of the items will be returned to nature. Small little miracles, each and every one. As it turned out this collection saved me. Four days before the challenge ended, I developed a problem with my left foot and could hardly walk. So, no daily walks to show you the early light or sunrise. And the final day of the challenge there was hardly a scrap of light due to all the rain, so these last two photos were done in less than desirable conditions. Still, isn’t it just amazing how everything works out in the end if you persevere? xx Ardys

Selfie with treasures :)

Selfie with treasures 🙂

my sparkling collection of natural treasures

Photo #365 my sparkling collection of natural treasures

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supporting my habits

25 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by Ardys in 365 Photo Challenge, Creativity, Inspiration

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, Better than Before, Change, Gretchen Rubin, Habits, self improvement, Waterlogue app

I’m getting to the pointy end of the 365 Photo Challenge. I have passed day 330. Wow. And yet…and yet…success does not seem guaranteed, but probable. I am feeling the pressure of constraints I have put on myself to try and keep improving my photography, and learn, and to maintain a relatively high quality in the photos I use. No lazy snapshots. This is the University of Life.

Most of my photos have been taken around my immediate environment of Alice Springs but also, of course on our travels. Most, I take on my morning walks. Until a couple of weeks ago when it rained, the extreme dry conditions made everything look tired and dusty, and my inspiration languished a little too. The rain was a relief, but things are already dry again, causing me to have to look carefully to find the moments to capture. But this time, the end is in sight.

Landscape on Alice Springs Golf course edited in Waterlogue

Landscape on Alice Springs Golf course edited in Waterlogue

For the first months of this project, I wondered ‘Why is it I have been able to step into this challenge and get so far into it?’ As often happens, a book came into my field of awareness that addresses that very question. A couple of months ago I gave into Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin. Even though I had told myself I was not going to buy any more self improvement books, this one especially piqued my interest. I ‘caved’ and bought it to read on our recent trip. At first I was just curious to discover why it is that at various times in life I have made a decision to do something and then just done it. Other times, not so much. Gretchen is a meticulous researcher and an entertaining, non-fiction writer. She analysed a lot of data about the nature of habits and habit building and presented it in such a way that it could be useful for either building new habits or getting rid of undesirable ones.

I need to add a caveat here. The reason I had decided not to delve into any more self improvement books was that I began to feel ‘flawed’ and needing to be fixed, rather than feeling perfectly imperfect–which was closer to how I wanted to feel about myself. My current mantra is ‘I am enough’. We are exactly as we are supposed to be. And so I read, with curiosity to understand, rather than a purpose filled thirst for changing myself.

Found objects still life

Found objects still life

Rubin introduces the ‘Four Tendencies’, her name for categories most of us fall into with regard to our approach to life in general. The Four Tendencies are: Upholder, Questioner, Obliger and Rebel. I will not go into explaining each, but I did find that I am a Questioner. A Questioner evaluates situations and internalises them to decide if they are something of value to them, and if so, they do it. That pretty much summed up my approach to the Photo Challenge, so I already had the answer to one of my questions soon after I started the book. But there was so much more.

The book further elaborates on other qualities and combinations thereof. Are you a ‘Lark’ or an ‘Owl’ with regard to the time of day you work best? Do you like to immerse yourself in a project and work like crazy for a short period of time, or do you like to take baby steps and achieve over a longer period of time? There are other qualities to think about as well; are you an ‘opener’ or a ‘finisher’, an ‘over-buyer’ or an ‘under-buyer’, and so on. Understanding these things about oneself assists in establishing good habits, or breaking bad ones. But I have found the simple awareness of one’s tendencies to be valuable, even if I do nothing to change them.

So in addition to moving through the 365 Photo Challenge, I have now learned how it is I managed to select something which was intuitively based on my natural predilection toward habit creation. I thought about it, and internalised the reasons I would benefit from doing it. And that was true to my character, so, while difficult at times, it has been, on the whole, achievable. When I started the challenge I said I was looking forward to the ‘adventure’. Perhaps you thought I was intending to jump off a cliff or sail the Pacific so that I could document it with photos. But the adventure to which I refer is the inner one a person experiences when trying something new, and a little out of their comfort zone. I have always thought inner adventure was equally interesting to physical adventures, and often, the two combine.

Here are a few photos from the journey that are among my favourites–I have lots of favourites. You’ll notice quite a few photos that I have edited using an app called Waterlogue. As a former watercolour painter, and because I am a Light Chaser and watercolour painting is mostly about the light, I just can’t resist using it. The key to using these apps that modify the photographic image is to be selective. I try to only use them when it actually improves the image, not to cover up mistakes. No amount of editing will make a bad photograph into a good one. And by the by I have learned, no amount of well-intended decisions will become habits if they are not right for you.

Afternoon rose in winter
Afternoon rose in winter
Salt Bush leaves edited in Waterlogue
Salt Bush leaves edited in Waterlogue
Basket seller at Victoria Markets, Melbourne edited in Waterlogue
Basket seller at Victoria Markets, Melbourne edited in Waterlogue
Eucalyptus flowers in morning sun
Eucalyptus flowers in morning sun
Pear halves, photo edited using Waterlogue
Pear halves, photo edited using Waterlogue
Have you got something for me? Edited in Waterlogue
Have you got something for me? Edited in Waterlogue
Still life of wings and dragonfly dish edited using Snapseed app
Still life of wings and dragonfly dish edited using Snapseed app
Still life of feather and bark using Snapseed and Waterlogue apps
Still life of feather and bark using Snapseed and Waterlogue apps
Photo of beads edited in Waterlogue
Photo of beads edited in Waterlogue

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are you Here, or are you Lost?

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by Ardys in 365 Photo Challenge, Inspiration, nature

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, David Wagoner, lost, nature, trees

acacia-desmondii-leaves

Acacia Desmondii leaves in early morning light

LOST

Stand Still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you

Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,

Must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,

I have made this place around you.

If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven

No two branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows

Where you are. You must let it find you.

-David Wagoner

In my 365 Photographic Challenge, I have renewed my love of Alice Springs, Australia and nature– especially for trees. Reading David Wagoner’s poem, I think I know why. It has helped me know where I am.

Not lost.

Here.

Eucalyptus trees lining dry Todd River bed.
Eucalyptus trees lining dry Todd River bed.
bark layers of a 'Paper Bark' tree.
bark layers of a ‘Paper Bark’ tree.
Eucalyptus and MacDonnell Ranges in early morning
Eucalyptus and MacDonnell Ranges in early morning
Corkwood in late afternoon light
Corkwood in late afternoon light
Eucalyptus with MacDonnell Ranges in early morning
Eucalyptus with MacDonnell Ranges in early morning
Lonely tree along rocky coast in South Australia
Lonely tree along rocky coast in South Australia
Giant Ghost Gum in late afternoon light
Giant Ghost Gum in late afternoon light
Early light through the Tea Trees
Early light through the Tea Trees
Morning light in winter
Morning light in winter
Lichen on tree in South Australia
Lichen on tree in South Australia
Laneway in winter light
Laneway in winter light
Having an Ansel Adams moment
Having an Ansel Adams moment
eucalyptus-corkwood-alice-springs
Eucalyptus trees, with Corkwood tree blossom in foreground.
corkwood-tree-silhouette
Corkwood tree at sunrise
Ghost Gum and friend.
Ghost Gum and friend.

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seeing the light at the end

28 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by Ardys in 365 Photo Challenge, Alice Springs

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, Alice Springs, Big Magic, creativity, photography

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for the photography challenge. The land is dry and dusty. The sun’s rays have to filter through a haze. And flies. God, the flies are horrible already this summer. The worst we can remember, and that is saying something where the national salute is a person waving away the blow flies! And somehow, sleep eludes me on a regular basis at the moment.

I think it is the full moon.

You think I’m crazy. I understand.

Regardless, I am managing to get myself up at the usual time of 5.15., so that I have time to go through my stretches and have a glass of water before heading out for the morning walk.

Wildflowers in early light

Wildflowers in early light

Fortunately we are still getting relatively cool mornings, helping to keep me awake as I walk–although the word somnambulist does come to mind and worries me a little. I usually follow the path being lighted by the rising sun, because even nearly comatose, I am still a Light Chaser. On Monday I carefully picked my way through the dry, prickly scrub as I walked to the top of a small rocky outcrop. The sunlight was gentle, filtering through a scrim of cloud near the horizon. It never ceases to amaze me how stunningly beautiful the light can be, even on things I have seen and photographed over and over. It strikes me as a little miracle and lifts my spirits like the best chocolate cake!

Sending kisses!

Sending kisses!

A few days ago, I nearly freaked myself right out of being able to continue. You know how we sabotage ourselves sometimes, unintentional though it may be? A good friend who is also an artist reminded me it is often when we are at our lowest point, or think we have nothing left to give, that we are about to make a breakthrough.

My best friend told me, “It is a marathon and you can see the end, you can do it”. I needed to hear that from her. She has run marathons. She knows. I also needed to see this at my feet a couple of mornings ago. Emerging from the earth, the Universe encouraging me with kisses.

And then, as books often do, one came into my life at the perfect time. It is called Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. She understands the creative process and the work ethic that goes with it— the fear and the self talk, all of it. She understands. Her words nudged me forward…stay in the moment—stay open to all the little clues and magic coming your way—do the work.

‘The work’ is getting up and out every single day, opening myself to seeing the light and the photo, capture it, edit it and post it. And on a day when I am somehow upright after only a few hours sleep, and I think perhaps I’ve used up all my little miracles from the Universe, there is this. Parigi. (Pair-ee-gee) Parigi is Italian for Paris, and that is this lovely little guy’s name. The lady who walks him in this pram each day told me, his owners didn’t want him any more because he was old and too much for them to look after. So she adopted him. He is ‘really old’ she said, but wasn’t quite sure how old. It is too much for him to walk, so she puts him in the stroller and walks him, occasionally removing him from the conveyance so that he can attend to his ablutions, and feel the grass under his feet. You can see the water bottle in the top, and underneath the blanket is an ice pad that she freezes and puts in the pram in the heat of summer, so he can stay cool. I think she is cool. What a kind person.

Parigi, of the pram

Parigi, of the pram

Rain tree and thirsty honey bee

Rain tree and thirsty honey bee

And before the walk finished on that very tired morning, I was lured by a heady aroma that could only be a ‘rain tree’. I looked to my side, and sure enough, there it was in full blossom. Trust me, it is the closest thing to rain we have seen in many months. The honey bees were loving it, and I think maybe they were a little bit tipsy, or maybe that was me in a sleepy stupor…The bees were flying right up in front of the iPhone anxious for long drinks from the centre of the flowers.

And then this…another of one of my favourite subjects, the feather catcher.

'feather catcher'

‘feather catcher’

I am living proof, you can do things even when, at times, you wonder how.

Day 300 is passed. I am taking nothing for granted. But I can see the light at the end and I am focusing on that. Always the light. I can promise you, on day 366, I will miss it, but I will take a well deserved reprieve from the self-imposed pressure. And I can also promise you there is a nap in my immediate future.

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the yellow challenge

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by Ardys in 365 Photo Challenge, Inspiration, photography

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, inspiration, photography

Along the way of my ‘365 photo challenge’ I have done a couple of sub-challenges. It helps me keep perspective, otherwise I wander along the same walks and routines and the ideas could get stale.

the photographer and her tool

the photographer and her tool (perhaps the ‘tool’ and her photo??)

The first sub-challenge was to take 3 photos over three days that I could post ‘straight out of the camera’, that is no edits at all, only cropping–because Instagram primarily uses square format photos. I’m sorry if this disappoints all my peeps out there, but I DO edit the majority of my photos. A photo seldom looks like what the eye has seen, so I endeavour to recreate my memory of the subject/scene—what excited me about it in the first place, and usually that takes editing. Occasionally I take a photo, maybe once a week, that I feel meets my objectives and so I post it ‘as is’. The #sooc (straight out of the camera) challenge went well. Magic happened and I was able to do 3 photos, three days in a row, that I honestly felt needed no editing. Whew.

So, recently I accepted another challenge, the ‘yellow challenge’. This one, for five days in a row, is to take a photo of something yellow or with yellow as a major component. The morning the invitation came through to me, it happened that my photo of the day had been a stunning one, of a yellow leaf. So I took this as encouragement to accept the invitation for four more days. No pressure.

Nanook of the South

Nanook of the South

Day two was exceptionally windy…Nanook-of-the-North windy. It was also cloudy and I took a beautiful photo of the subdued hues of clouds in early morning, but no yellow. I turned right to continue my walk–still with the yellow challenge in my mind. My eyes fell on flowers and leaves and bits of yellow rubbish, but nothing I hadn’t recently photographed or that seemed worthy.macdonnell-ranges-australia

And then…

galah-feather-pink

pink galah feather

Caught in the grass was a tiny feather, white of fluff and yellow of tip. It was the rarest of the rare. I see feathers of many colours on my walks, and have photographed a few—pink, green, blue, grey, black and white. But never have I seen a yellow one. It was my little bit of magic for the day, for the challenge, for ME.

Despite the strong winds the grass was holding it securely. Carefully I bent down and plucked it from its lodging and placed it in my pocket. For the remainder of the walk, I smiled the smile of the cat who ate the cream. Arriving home I unloaded my pockets—key, used tissue, glasses, iPhone, macro lens and yellow feather.

Aaaaarrgghh, WHERE WAS MY FEATHER?

It was as gone as yesterday’s lunch. Gone. I turned pockets inside out, unravelled the snotty tissue—at least three times. It was nowhere to be found.

It was my treasure. My beautiful little bit of magic and I had let it slip through my fingers–probably quite literally. Despite all logic to the contrary, I decided to go look for it, IN THE ROARING WINDS. Silly girl. You will never find it. But I believe in magic, so I looked. I walked up the street and beyond where I had found it, searching in the grass, along the roadside, everywhere. Notta. I was so sad I nearly cried. How could this magic thing have happened and then it was as if it hadn’t? Why? I suspected when I could answer that question, the real magic would happen.

Fast forward 24 hours…

Every so often my mornings are turned upside down like a snow dome and I have to rearrange the timings of coffee, breakfast, and walking to accommodate some unusual errand or event. This was one of those mornings. The walk came at the end of all the other things, including a trip to the grocery. The fact that the wind was once again blowing a gale straight from the Antarctic was just like a layer of Vegemite on top of a cake. Not that great.

It was very hard to take photos when the branches were swaying wildly and at times, gusting so hard it threw me off balance. Thank goodness for warm houses on cold, blustery days, I thought. Photos are very much a by-product of my walks. I walk because it is good for my back and heart, but most especially for my mind. It is moving meditation for me. Though it was late-ish and the sun was getting high in the sky, I set out, perhaps to take a photo or two. Too much overhead light makes for bleached out colours in photos, but I am ever hopeful.

I was wearing sunglasses, which generally I find a nuisance when photographing, but otherwise the light was so bright I couldn’t really look around to see things, including approaching bicycles and vehicles! Bracing myself against the wind I walked down our street, analysing the patches of shifting light and possible subjects to photograph. And then for reasons I have no idea about I glanced to my right, in the grass. There. It. Was. Yellow of tip and white of fluff. I was stunned. I held my breath and slowly reached down to release it from the grass. This time I took nothing for granted. I deliberately held tightly to it, and did not look away until it was safely in my pocket. Deep down in my pocket. For certain.

For the rest of the walk I was cautiously jubilant, and truthfully wondering if I was asleep and dreaming I had found the feather again. What if it had been another mistake, and was not real? Occasionally, and carefully, I stopped and peered down into my pocket, the way a small child does when they are carrying a treasure in their tiny cupped hands. Is it still there? Yes, still there.

Arriving home, I repeated my daily ritual of unloading things from my pockets. Finally, I looked for the feather. It was nestled deep down into the farthest corner of my pocket and waiting for me saying…

have hope, patience, and perseverance;

all things are possible, in their own time.

feather-yellow-white

yellow of tip, white of fluff

The gallery of photos from my yellow challenge:

acacia-tree-sap
crystalised sap from Acacia tree
shaft of light through the back of a leaf
shaft of light through the back of a leaf
native vine against cerulean sky
native vine against cerulean sky
waterlogue-lemon
Waterlogue app edit of lemon on tree
feather-yellow-white
yellow of tip, white of fluff

(Posted on the occasion of my 62nd birthday. It’s good to be alive. Thank you for reading.)

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when things come together…

04 Monday May 2015

Posted by Ardys in 365 Photo Challenge, Alice Springs, photography

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, Alice Springs, Australia, life, photography

No one asks me how my 365 photo challenge is going. I think they are afraid I will have to tell them ‘I’ve failed’. There is no failure in such things, there is only learning. If I never learn another thing, these 128 days of taking a new photo every day, will have been worth it. SO…if you are wondering how my 365 Photo Challenge is progressing, here is an update…

Sunrise is over an hour and half later now than it was when I started my challenge. That means my morning walks are later, otherwise there is not enough light to capture my subjects. And light is everything with photography.

There are problems with walking later. I intersect with people doing other things, like playing golf on the course that is my backyard, and where I take most of my walks! It also disrupts my comfortable morning routine. Things are all topsy-turvy now.

It is a confluence of activities, re-creating the flow of my life.

Yesterday morning, in order to avoid the golfers, I left the house too early. The sun was not high enough to light the things I wanted to photograph. So I walked farther, to take up some time. This brought me to the Todd River. It lay in its usual state of benign desiccation, still waters running deeply beneath. Nevertheless, there was something pulling me into the riverbed.

dry-todd-river

Dramatic sunlight and shadows.

I realised the siren song was the dramatic light and shadows. They created a different Todd River than the one I showed you a few months ago, at the beginning of my photographic challenge. It was confluence of a different kind, the two sides of the personality of the Todd.

(If you move your cursor over the photo gallery, you will see the captions revealed at the bottom of each photo. If you click on the photo you can see it full size)

tuncks-road-torrent
Torrent at Tuncks Road, Jan 2015
todd-river-morning-light
Todd River in early morning light.
Silky grass seeds.
Silky grass seeds.
Tiny flower cluster
Tiny flower cluster
Wildflower.
Wildflower.
Sock, looking for a shoe.
Sock, looking for a shoe.
wildflowers-central-australia
Wildflowers and friend
glass-broken-riverbed
Shards of hidden danger
Shoe looking for a sock
Shoe looking for a sock
Trash that tells
Trash that tells
Discarded.
Discarded.
Grass seed heads.
Grass seed heads.

The discarded.

Hidden danger.

The everyday.

And the extraordinary.

The photo challenge is…challenging. Most days it requires at least an hour of my time, some days more. It’s a bit like ‘home schooling’ myself. I am learning new methods of editing, and practicing basic photographic skills as well as developing my eye. I have discovered a new application called Steller (click to see some of my stories), that allows a person to publish photographic stories. (I haven’t been able to figure out how to get it to show as a ‘widget’ on my blog, but stay tuned!)

After 23 years, I have also fallen in love, all over again, with the place that I live. The more I photograph, the more I see. Also, the additional walking and climbing, to chase the light, has forced me to become more fit (seriously)–and that is no bad thing!

Contributing influences—confluence–where things meet. If a person’s life isn’t this, I don’t know what is.

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it’s an Instameet!

26 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by Ardys in 365 Photo Challenge, Alice Springs, Animals, Life, photography

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, Alice Springs, Australia, Instagram, photography, Red Centre of Australia

Perhaps you know the quote attributed to John Lennon: ‘Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.’ It kind of explains why my break from blogging has been a bit longer than anticipated. Our time away was very good, but the small amount of spare time I had was used to relax, and I knew you wouldn’t mind! On our second day away I received a surprise invitation to something I had only recently even heard of, and never attended…an ‘Instameet’.

participants-instameet-2015

camera man and participants–it made the weekend ABC news!!

As you know, I am engaged in a 365photochallenge. It involves taking a photo each day and posting it on Instagram @amosthemagicdog. Many of my photos have been picked up, with permission, by some of the Northern Territory tourism Instagram and Twitter accounts, as have many photos of others here in Central Australia. Through the efforts of @NTOutbackAus an Instameet was organised here in Alice Springs. It was to thank those of us who contribute to promoting our love for the place in which we live. It was also a chance for us to meet each other, as well as a few professional photographers who travel the country contributing from everywhere.

drone-anzac-hill

The lads and their drone

The problem for me was the Instameet happened only about 5 hours after our plane was to land from our trip. As you know there are always many things to get back into place when arriving home from time away, groceries, unpacking, washing of clothes, etc. Part of me really wanted to go along to this unique opportunity, but the introvert in me, that person who hates crowds and gatherings, sat on my shoulder saying “you can get out of it, you have an excuse”…

didgeridoo-andrew-langford

Andrew Langford takes a break from playing the didgeridoo

At 6pm atop Anzac Hill it was still very hot, 38C (100F) but I went along and found a bit of shade, and shook a few hands. Much to my surprise, some of the Instagram buddies, whose work I have enjoyed, were there and it was fun to meet them. Our hosts had provided local foods and some special guests from the local Desert Wildlife Park. In the background local performer, Andrew Langford, played the didgeridoo, which added to the very Central Australian feel of the event. People who happened along to view the sunset were intrigued, if not a little intimidated by the activities! There were even a couple of enterprising men with a drone! And then of course there were all those cameras! Who wouldn’t be a little intimidated? I’d guess about 20 or so photographers and contributors showed up, in addition to the Wildlife Park Rangers, the promotional people and other support staff. When will I learn these things are seldom as daunting as I imagine?

This, among other things, is part of the ‘adventure’ of my 365photochallenge.

anzac-hill-sunset
sunset colours from Anzac Hill, Alice Springs
anzac-hill-cenotaph
Anzac Hill Cenotaph, ‘with drone’
dingo-desert-wildlife-alice-springs
captive, but wild, dingo-Desert Wildlife park, at Anzac Hill
instameet-instagramers
Incognito Insta-buddies
wedge-tail-eagle
Wedge Tail Eagle-Desert Wildlife Park, at Anzac Hill

(The day after the Instameet I came down with a heavy head cold which has kept me from the computer, but I have managed to struggle through the photo challenge. I will update you soon on that and our travels.)

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hello #200

11 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by Ardys in Inspiration, Life, photography

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

365photochallenge, inspiration, life, photography

(28)

(28) my favourite tree at sunrise, edited in Distressed FX App

Here we go…. post #200 for ardysez. I started this blog three and a half years ago, as an experiment. I could never have predicted it would lead me where it has.

(37)

(37) face of a Golden Drummer cicada

This is the joy in trying new things.

 

It is partly why I decided to try something a little different this year, 2015.

I have heard that if you make just one small change in your life it can make a huge difference. While there is not a lot wrong with my life, I have certainly struggled with direction and purpose since our daughter flew the nest. My husband is ensconced in his research and is very successfully publishing papers and presenting at conferences. I’m very grateful and happy for him. But my own creative endeavours have languished at times, for lack of motivation and inspiration.

tiny-mushroom

(13) tiny mushroom in blades of grass

On New Year’s Day, an article appeared from the Internet ethers, extolling the value of  a 365 day photo challenge. I’m very anti-new-year-resolutions, and even though this seems like one, it is more a ‘coincidence of date’, than a result of it. I had been pondering for a while some new purpose to which I could apply my interest in photography and creativity. I know, from other challenges that if one does not have the motivations well thought out, it is seldom successful. In those moments of weakness, what will be the reasons that propel me forward?

  • Improve photography composition and narratives
  • Learn new apps for editing and sharing photos
  • Record my year with a photo that represents some aspect of each day
  • Adventure (in my own very modest way–I’m not a skydiver!)

    (41) local wants to borrow the Advocate newspaper

    (41) local wants to borrow the Advocate newspaper

The only ‘rule’ that I adhere to, other than my own guidelines, is the one that says each day I must take a photo. That does not mean I can take ten photos one day, and use them for the next ten days. Every day I must take a new photo. The metadata on the photo will rat me out!! Here are my guidelines:

  • Take a new photo every day
  • The photo should be of reasonable quality (my discretion!)
  • I will post it on Instagram (if you care to follow, my Instagram name: amosthemagicdog)
  • All photos are taken with my iPhone
  • My only reasons for stopping are; if I feel I’m starting to hate taking photos; or if my iPhone breaks–perish the thought of either!

It is no small thing, to take a reasonable quality photo every single day. What if I am sick? What if I have an uninspired day? What if a well-meaning friend tells me all that is wrong with this idea? (which has already happened!)

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. –Marcel Proust

(3)

(3) birds on wires– this was my eventually successful photo from numerous attempts over the passed year, having taken over a hundred different shots.

This is my modest voyage of discovery, documented by taking a photo every day for a year. Some days will be uninspiring, and yes, it will be hard to take a photo on those days, but that is where the growth lies. Yes, on dull days, the photo may reflect the lack of inspiration, but isn’t that one of Life’s lessons too? We must have the low points to see the heights.

dead butterfly on road--before editing

dead butterfly on road–before editing

(39)

(39) dead butterfly after editing in Waterlogue App

Most days I arise and go for a walk. Because I am motivating myself to ‘see with new eyes’ I want to find ever more ways to view the same scenes, whether it is the minutia of a day or the dramatic moments. This may resolve itself in the taking of the photo itself, or in the editing. I have already experienced days where late in the afternoon I had no ‘photo of the day’ yet. When this happens, I am reminded of all Life can show us, especially when we least expect it, but we have willing eyes. Without fail, something special has appeared, begging to be photographed.

(7)

(7)

My plan is to write about some of my experiences, and learning along the 365photochallenge way, and perhaps to elaborate weekly on some aspect of the photos or circumstances surrounding them. As I write this post, I am in day 42.

Thank you to all who regularly read my musings. My humble goal is simply, to not bore you! I appreciate all your comments and marvel at the world wide web, the blogosphere and the Universe.

(23) simplicity at dawn
(23) simplicity at dawn
(9) Todd River in flow
(9) Todd River in flow
wallaby-skull-desert
(19) skull of a wallaby–circle of life
peach-australian
(5) Australian grown peach
(6) insect
(6) insect
(32) deceased galahs as found
(32) deceased galahs as found
(25) desert oak at sunrise
(25) desert oak at sunrise
buckwheat-pancakes-fruit
(1) Buckwheat pancakes with fresh blueberries, peaches, apricots, walnuts and Greek yogurt

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