snap it {new}

New friends are often hard to come by when taking photographs in public places. Most people are really suspicious and treat photographers with a bit of apprehension... sometimes downright rudeness! But not this little girl and her siblings. They enjoyed trying to get in my way then hide from my camera. Their imaginations ran away with them as they pretended that I was some stranger trying to 'steal' them with my lens... eventually I obliged and joined their fun, trying to capture them with my shots! (Their parents were close by and happy to let them engage in some harmless play)

Link to snap it {new} at Faith, Hope and whole lotta Love

snap it {straight lines}

A glorious sunny Sunday led to a walk in the park and the opportunity to snap!

Link to snap it {straight lines} at Faith, Hope & a whole lotta Love

Bending a Straight Line

The straight lines of the rungs were different lengths thus creating a curved line... and yes, I did climb the ladder!

The posts on the wooden bridge are starting to look a bit tired and have completely fallen apart in places. This was a section of it not cordoned off with orange plastic webbing.

Repetition

The idea of repetition has always been appealing. In this collection of photos I have tried to show a range of ways in which repetition can be explored.

Link to Kat Eye Studio

Light in the Round  

Lots of spheres and circular shapes including the stools, glasses and bald pate!

I still chuckle when I see the spherical tummy of this man leaning on the giant metal ball

These two photos are of some of Uncle Harry's 'inventions' in which repetition also takes on the form of 're-using' as he lets nothing go to waste. He always finds a way to create something from that, which most of us would throw away.

Bird...

... Cage!

Domes

Red. Line. Shirts.

Horse Before the Cart!

Zebra Crossing... or Not!

Colour Collections 

Assortments of the Same Object

The last photo is my most recent, taken this month at Ballast Point Park, Sydney. These rusty old drums couldn't help but make a repetitive impression!

snap it {small}

Have you ever seen anything so cute and so small? This photograph was taken earlier this year, but is one I've not shared before.

link to snap it {small}

snap it {upside down}

For the theme of upside down I was initially thinking 'reflections'; but upon seeing this lovely topsy turvy tree shadow, my original idea was turned on it's head... or is that turned upside down!

link to snap it {upside down}

snap it {night time}

Night time is the only time for concerts! Just got back from a night with Ed Sheeran at the Enmore!

Link to snap it {night time}

snap it {soft}

The soft gossamer wisps of a dandelion clock, as they carry away wishes, have always captured my imagination since I was a little girl.


Link with snap it {soft}

Whispered Wishes

Signs

I didn't realise quite how many photos I took of signs! But perhaps it's not all that surprising with my interest in the written word. This is just a small collection of the many signs I have photographed over the years.  The last two, however, were taken last week on my way to a photography course.

Link to kat eye studio

snap it {growing}

My lovely friend brought beautiful orchids for me the other evening and they were extra special as she had grown them herself. Clever thing!


Link to snap it {growing}

Growing Your Own

snap it {yesterday}

After a recent setback and loss of confidence, yesterday, I came to a decision about my photography. For a few months now I have been coasting along with a comfortable collection of 'samey' images that are safe. So, in an attempt to take things to a different level I booked myself onto a lighting course to learn some new tricks; but also in the hope of being inspired and challenged!

Link to snap it {yesterday} 

Yesterday... Moving into the Light!

2166 Cabramatta

I found myself 'visiting' Cabramatta very soon after arriving in Australia. Having secured casual teaching in Sydney's south west I'd often fall asleep on the train on my way to work (having left the eastern suburbs at 6am) and would frequently miss my stop! The platform of Cabramatta station is where I would end up. I'd heard bits and pieces about the drug notoriety of the place but had never thought to fear it. Much like Redfern it had a 'reputation'! I'm not denying that the criminal element still presides but the council, police and local community have worked hard to rid themselves of the labels and stereotypes after the bad press they received. Their efforts to turn things around have been a great success!

These days people go on organised day trips to Cabramatta, food courses, food photography courses and food (nine eateries in one day) tours. In addition to the locals doing their weekly food shop, the place is visited by tourists, mostly from Sydney and most of them on a food mission! Do you get the picture? Interesting fact - It is thought that 'Cabramatta' came from the Aboriginal words for fresh tasty water grub CABRA and MATTA meaning a point or jutting out piece of land. How apt that even in it's earliest days it was a stand out area for delicious food!

Max and I felt quite relaxed walking around with our cameras in hand. It was like we were expected and people were very happy to see us. The faces, in that hustle and bustle of Saturday market shopping, were a mixture of energy and happiness, earnest shopper, concentrating game face, bemused worker, young and old. All familiar faces and universal feelings. 

This suburb that has become synonymous with the Vietnamese, Chinese and other east Asian immigrant communities gave Max and I another wonderful day; and of course we were drawn by the food too, swapping our usual cuppa and cake for green tea and yum cha.

These unusual specimens certainly caught my eye... any ideas?

King of Fruits - the infamous durian fruit was aplenty and as some may describe, 'heaven to eat and hell to smell!'

A family favourite

Cane... juiced!

Green tea and yum cha

Our Medicine man

... actually, fabric is another draw card for the area. Andrea and I sourced fabric last year for our dance group from this very store. Lots of people busily looked and touched, stretched and tugged to find the perfect material.

The conical hat in Vietnam, is called  nón lá - leaf hat

The innocence of childhood...

... and the cheekiness of age!

Xiangqi 象棋 - Chinese Chess

"Children Playing - Many of the people now living in Australia have come as refugees from war devastated countries. The First World War was once described as 'the war to end all wars'. Sadly, this was not to be but there is always hope that our children will be able to live in peace. " Plaque at Cabravale Memorial Park.

Remembering the past whilst looking to the future

Cabramatta - A taste of Asia in the heart of Sydney

I went in search of gold whilst in Cabramatta and this was the best I found. The jewellers wouldn't let me anywhere near with a camera (I guess I could have been casing the joint) so gold lettering, which was abundant, would have to do! So why gold? As you may (or may not know) I'm intrigued by the history of words, a common garden variety etymologist of sorts you could say, so I was thrilled to have come across a plausible and likely explanation for a true blue Aussie expression.

'During the Gold Rush of the 1850s and 1860s thousands of Chinese flocked to the goldfields of Victoria and NSW. It is believed that they gave rise to that most Australian of expressions: ‘Fair Dinkum’. In Tsoi Shan, a dialect spoken in Southern China Chin Kum means real gold. When asked by buyers if their gold was real they would reply 'chinkum' (real gold). '

... and so enters into the Aussie vernacular a new saying. Fair Dinkum!