Sometimes I like to do a post that is like a chat over a coffee. A bit of a brain dump of what I’ve been up to lately, thoughts in my head – stuff like that! It’s hard to know what to title these kinds of posts so I’ve decided to call them Miscellaneous Crackles and will number them to distinguish one from another.
Ta Da – here is my first one – Miscellaneous Crackles #1!
Sometimes I roam around the house with my camera and snap random things. Occasionally I put in a lot of effort to get a good shot (take my tripod to avoid any camera shake, style up the image if it needs it and if I’m in the mood etc) and other times I just roam around and snap away. As a result, I get some good shots and I get some not so great shots but either way it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because during the process of taking photographs, I do my best thinking. Taking photo’s relaxes me and pulls me back to the present. It slows down my crazy monkey mind! Sometimes it forces me to notice things I might never have noticed before!
I’d like you to meet my pool hat. It hangs on a nail in the bricks (so classy!) in our back pergola area. I grab it and whack it on my head as I make my way to the pool. It keeps the sun off my face and it’s great for tucking up my hair when I don’t want to get it wet. This hat has been wet many times and it doesn’t matter. See how great she still looks?! She’s seen me through many a hot and humid summer. Now this particular day I felt compelled to photograph my friend ‘the pool hat’ and in so doing so – look what I discovered (towards the bottom left corner)! Photography makes you see stuff you never normally notice. It’s special like that!
I have some places and things around the house that I photograph regularly. Sometimes with effort. Sometimes not. Meet my lanterns. Ok – you only get to see one but there are two of them. I am obsessed with them. I think I really like them! They were a gift from my sisters and the subject of many of my snapping wanderings. Here are some snaps taken on different occasions of my lanterns.
The most recent lantern snap – February 2015.
August 2014 – Lantern Photo with the candle lit
August 2014 – Photo of lantern with unlit candle
Other things I photograph a lot are:
- Our pool. I love the ripples in the water and the reflections of the sky and palm trees in the water. I love the abstract result. Here’s a couple of recent shots but there have been many, many, many more in the past!
February 2015. Thought I’d try a shot looking through the bars of the pool fence. Why not huh?
November 2014 – My usual pool shot showing the ripples of water and the reflections of sky and palm trees. Love the effect if I do say so myself!
- The garden – especially flowers.
- My yellow fruit bowl.
- Cut flowers whenever I buy some.
I’m excited about our trip to Tasmania that is coming up in late April – JUST 8 WEEKS AWAY! OMG! I have never left our grown up kids for this long before (13 days). God knows what I will be coming home to. I will miss my two dogs. I keep thinking of things I will need to pack. I will have to start a list. I know I will have to buy some more memory cards for my camera because I will not have a laptop with me to upload photographs to – in order to make room on ‘the’ memory card. I know I will need a waterproof and warm jacket. I am not a very good packer. I always pack WAY too much stuff. I haven’t travelled much so am not practiced at it. I would like to do better for this trip. I want to pack light. A couple of pairs of long pants, underwear, a variety of long-sleeved tops, warm jacket, going out outfit, socks, joggers, more dressy shoes, scarves, maybe a beanie type thingy, maybe knitted gloves, toiletries and stuff, phone and camera chargers, hair dryer & straightener (can’t live without them).
I’m also excited about the mini ProBlogger event that I will be attending in Brisbane on 3 March. I’m excited but I am also very nervous. I suffer from a ridiculous FODP (Fear of Disappointing People). You know how you sort of become this character in computer land and people most likely build up their own image of the character of you in their heads. I know I do it – it’s just natural. It’s a bit like when you read a book and you have your own vision of the characters in your mind’s eye. When the movie comes out you are usually disappointed because they are nothing like the vision you had in your head. That is what forms the basis of FODP. It’s a fear of not meeting up to the image people have of me in their heads. Silly I know and a good reason to stop hiding behind a computer screen and get out there meeting people. What is hilarious really is that most likely many people attending will not have even come across me and my blog. It could be a case of Min who? Write of the Middle what? haha For those that have come across me and my blog – maybe, just maybe I will be BETTER than they imagined! Maybe I will knock their socks off with my awesomeness! So there Min – stick that in your pipe and err don’t smoke it!
Do you suffer with FODP too? What else do I need to pack for my Tassie trip? Any tips on packing lightly but ensuring I have everything I need? Do you ever wander around your house snapping photos in order to relax yourself or is it just me?
Well there you go – Brain dump #1 done and dusted! A little insight into my turning cogs!
Ciao for now,
[This post is linked up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT, With Some Grace for #FYBF and also joining Maxabella Loves, Life, Love & Hiccups, Sonia Styling, A Life Less Frantic and The Annoyed Thyroid for Weekend Rewind.]
30 Comments
I love how your photography gives you clarity and perspective – I can see how the lanterns enthrall as you capture them in different lights and moods. I think I’m being pulled to get into photography – first I need a better camera or phone camera! I’m not going to the mini Pro-Blogger event but I will try to get a ticket again for the conference now that it is announced as on the Gold Coast again. I mostly suffer fear of disappointing myself – whether I’m on my own or in crowds. I think mostly people are either more impressed or care less than we think!
Yes I think you get it with me and my photography Kathy. I love light and it comes in so many different forms! Love to hear of someone feeling the pull of photography. You will love it! It is so much fun. I would love to go to the main ProBlogger event but I doubt I can afford to spend the money so soon after our Tassie trip. I know there would be no flights required but there would be the conference cost + accommodation. I’ll ponder it for a bit!
Oh Min you will be just perfect in Brisbane at the PB event, just be you and everyone will love you. Never been to Tassie but if it’s like NZ, pack for 4 seasons in one day!
Hi Min, I really love your photography. You are gifted. If I may be so bold as to offer a suggestion. Don’t worry about equipment because your most important piece of equipment is your eyes. You have good eyes because you “see” things. You see your images in your mind and you get them with the camera.
Your November 2014 pool photo is magical. Now I don’t know if this was your intention but the way you have captured the ripples on the water is so reminiscent of a painting by Monet. You should blow that one up. Please be careful and copyright and watermark your photos. Two weeks ago I took some photos of the Fitzroy gardens in Melbourne and put them on my twitter page. I always link these sorts of tweets to the Lord Mayor of Melbournes page as I love my capital city. Several people favourite them. I always check that and one of the people had taken the photos saved them on her computer and posted them as her own work, even using the caption that I had put there. I like retweets that’s fine but this was a straight rip off. I had to threaten her with legal action then she removed them.
With your Tassie trip. Don’t over pack. You will be upset with yourself if you do. Take one pair of jeans one pair of slacks and just a few tops because the fashion stores and market stalls at Salamanca will have some amazing clothes. The shops around Sandy Bay and the docks will have some amazing “hand made” clothes. I bought the most beautiful hand knitted jumper there 20 years ago. The crafts people make fantastic shoes and boots as well. You will want to have space in your luggage.
In 8 weeks time you will be having the time of your life.
Thanks so much for your kind words Patrick! I wish I didn’t have to worry about equipment but I do need to give it some thought. I’ll be taking my camera and a variety of lenses with me and will have to get more memory cards because I will be taking LOTS of RAW photo’s and will have no computer to upload images to to free up space on my current ‘one’ memory card. I cannot wait to rest my eyes on all the beautiful scenery I will see over there. The different light than we have here, the different scenes and vegetation, different architecture and cute cottages – so exciting! I’m so glad you like my Nov 2014 pool photo. I adore that one. You’re right – I should blow it up. I do love it! All my photographs have my watermark on them but I don’t put them across the whole image as it ruins the aesthetics. There are copyright details I can add into the image details at the backend. I sometimes forget to do that. Thanks for the reminder that I should be more vigilant with it. So sorry to hear your story where someone was using your image. I do fear that happening to me! I plan to pack as lightly as I can for Tassie for exactly the reasons you pointed out. We’ve made sure we’re in Hobart for the Salamanca markets and besides that – I do love to shop when I’m away on holidays! 🙂
Don’t know about perfect Em but I’ll try my best! Yes I think Tassie will be similar to Melbourne – eg all seasons in one day so I’ll go prepared for that. 🙂
I’m a terribly disappointing person to meet. I’m quite boring until I get a drink under my belt which is sad. I also say inappropriate things and go over them in my mind again and again in self-loathing. I’m sure you’re lovely. Don’t be nervous. You should have seen me at ProBlogger last year. I’m sure people thought I had something wrong with me.
I love those pool photographs. They’re so relaxing looking and pretty.
Oh c’monnnn, Pinky! You’re anything other than disappointing in real life. You were one of my Problogger highlights! 🙂
Oh I bet you are so not disappointing to meet at all! I can relate to saying things and going over them later in your mind again and again and kicking yourself or cringing etc. I do that! I’m a quiet person and can get a bit overwhelmed in a sea of loud, extroverted people – so yep I think I can appear a bit boring LOL! I’ve been nervous prior to other blogger meet up thingys I’ve been too but I was ok once there and always enjoy myself. Thanks for saying nice things about my pool photographs!! 🙂
I don’t know if I am more jealous of your trip to Tassie or that you got a ticket to the Brisbane ProBlogger event. Make the most of both of them, though I have no doubt that you need reminding of this. I often take random photos throughout my day, so much so that my girls are now copying me!
Even I am jealous of my Tassie trip coz it doesn’t seem like it is real to me yet. I have wanted to go to Tassie for so many years!! I’m looking forward to the Brisbane Problogger event. There are so many people that will be there that I can’t believe I am going to have the opportunity to actually meet!! 🙂 x
I’m with you on taking photos around the house, it partly fuels my desire to document our family life. How exciting to have a trip coming up and to Tassie of all places, we’re hoping to get there in Dec. Re packing for the trip, my tip, pack stuff that dries quickly and bring stuff that is versatile. x
Lovely to know I’m not alone in my love of wandering around the house snapping photos. I am SO excited about going to Tassie! Thank you for the packing tips! 🙂 x
I’ve never really thought of it before, but I suppose I do have a bit of FODP. Just focus on enjoying yourself and learning and you won’t have a chance to worry about disappointing anyone. See you at the Brisbane event 🙂
#teamIBOT 🙂
FODP is a thing for sure! I’ll be ok once there! OMG – I’ll be meeting you? Fabulous! 🙂
Your photos of the lanterns are beautiful. I’d put that on my wall.
I’ve neer heard of FODP. I won’t think about it too much, because I might end up diagnosing myself with it. 😉
Oh Jess – you’re lucky you’re not here or I would have thrown myself at you with glee over your lovely ‘I’d put that on my wall’ comment! To a new photographer that is like music to my ears! Thank you! I don’t think you would have FODP coz there is no way you could disappoint anyone! 😉 xo
Those lanterns are very very cool hun. I too take random photos of things, just because I can lol. As for FODP? HELL yes!!!! Every Single Day!!!! You will have an awesome time though and how could you disappoint anyone… I mean really! xx
What more can I say – Peas in a Pod Sonia – so much in common. I’m much better in small groups. I tend to get a bit overwhelmed in large groups where there are lots of loud, extroverted people. I go a bit quiet and boring! I don’t believe that you could disappoint anyone either – no way! 😉 xo
Oh I just giggled at the ‘my pool hat’.
I love the lanterns, I’m a bit of a lantern and candle fan too!
Glad my pool hat gave you a giggle Eva 🙂 I love lanterns and candles!! x
Love, love, love your photos! The lanterns are especially gorgeous.
Looking forward to hearing about your Tassie trip — I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time. Hope the weather is good for you.
Totally envious about your pool by the way. 🙂
I think I used to have a FODP…now I don’t care as much. Maybe just my parents.
Thank you! Can’t wait for the Tassie trip. I hope the weather behaves too! Love my pool in summer. It’s nice to look at in winter too! 🙂
I thought I was the only one with FODP! It’s a terrible affliction, it really is. I have to keep reciting that Dr Seuss quote to myself, “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no-one alive who is you-er than you!” I’m sure you will knock everyone dead (metaphorically speaking!) I do hope you are going to blog your trip to bits because we’re hoping to do Tassie later in the year and I’m looking for top tips. Sorry I can’t help with the packing, I am hopeless. I always take everything but the kitchen sink!
Is it selfish to be glad I’m not the only one with FODP?? Love that Dr Seuss quote!! Will I look silly if I recite that over and over again at the Brizzy PB event? I will blog my Tassie trip to the umpteenth degree – I promise! Just not while I’m over there but when I get back! Oh I am hopeless at packing too – yep everything but the kitchen sink!! 😉
Hello… my name is Sandra… I suffer from FODP too! Looks like I’m in good company!
Well, that was a lovely little chat over a cuppa Min! (I am actually having a cuppa). I love those lanterns. I’m always lusting over similar looking lanterns. Why didn’t I get any lovely lanterns for Christmas? Maybe I didn’t lust loud enough? Must be slipping.
Looking forward to more Miscellaneous Crackles (great name) 🙂
Hell there Sandra! Well that was an enjoyable chat over coffee with you. So glad you like my lanterns. My sisters and I are very good at telling each other exactly what we want for gifts! 😉
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who takes random photos of things around the house – I do that too! Just the other day I took photos of this cute little bird feeder I have hanging on my back deck, just because it’s one of my favourite little things and I often look at it and smile. I can’t say the photos are as nice as your lantern shots, but anyway. Also, enjoy the ProBlogger event. I was hoping to get to one of these events this year as I have never been but had to give it a miss as it’s too close to my baby’s due date – there’s always next time!
Oh Erika – I love bird feeders! If I had one I’d be photographing it too and even better if I managed to catch a bird on it! I’m really looking forward to the PB event. I’d love to go to the big one in August at the Gold Coast. Just not sure that I can afford it though – considering it is soon after our Tassie trip. I’m still pondering that one! Good luck with your baby – how exciting! 🙂