My daughter Debbie left on her overseas adventure today. She is going to be gone for one year. I feel so sad but so very excited for her. These images were taken at the airport as we were walking her to customs... or rather her brother walked her to customs. The first image shows just how excited Debbie was feeling as she was leaving. Love you Debbie.

My daughter and I went to Anglesea to take sunrise and sunset photos and to spend a little time together camping before she heads off to London. While waiting for the sunset that did not eventuate, I took these photos on the Anglesea cliffs. Many people walk the cliff top late afternoon and, as you can see, the light was beautiful and warm.

Another photo taken two weekends ago at Airley's Inlet. This is the tidal river that runs down from the Ottway Ranges to the sea (on the left of the photo). There was a school camp activity going on with canoes. As we were leaving, we saw these canoes on the river being paddled backwards -- or trying to be. It was chaotic and very funny to watch and the kids looked like they were having a ball.

Some further images from last weekend. This house, the "post house", has always fascinated myself and my family, and in fact, the world. I have seen it featured on a travel show on TV a few times. It is located on the Great Ocean Road just outside Airley's Inlet. You can see from the second picture that access to this house is via a walkway from the cliff top. I've always thought it would be a scary house to be going to if you were fairly drunk. However I'd love to see what it is like inside. Imagine the views of the ocean from those windows and the walkway around the house! You would never imagine that anyone would build another house which would block those views.

Last weekend my daughter and I went camping down to Anglesea. She is heading off to the UK in a couple of weeks and so this was a time for us to share before she goes. I also needed to do some photos of sunrises and sunsets (non-existent the night we were there) for a course I'm currently doing. The two photos I have posted today were taken at Airley's Inlet just south of Anglesea. The cliffs were actually that colour as was the sky. The other photo is of my daughter playing with the waves. She LOVES the ocean and will go in even when it is freezing (well almost!). This is a favourite image from the day. Enjoy.

Another macro of oriental lilies that I grew this year. They looked so beautiful I couldn't help but photograph them. Enjoy.

I have been watching this tiger lily opening over the last week or so. Today I had the opportunity and time late afternoon to get some photos of it/them. Enjoy

Shutter priority AE, 1/10, f9.5, 100mm focal length. 100mm macro lens.

On Australia Day morning I forced myself out of bed and down to Docklands for a photo shoot. I became engrossed in playing with White Balance. This image, to my eye, looks quite spectacular because of the combination of cloud cover, rising sun behind building and the use of the tungsten setting on the white balance panel with f.8 and 1/1000 shutter speed. I have played with mid tones and levels a little but not much. I think I would like to play more with filters. Mmmmm, something more to add to my list of "to do's". LOL

I've had the photo blues of late and have just now started to take more photos. Today's photos, however, are from before Christmas when I received my Christmas present, an 17-35mm EF lens. I was testing out the lens around my workplace and took these photos of a rest/smoking area outside my building, the Kathleen Syme Education Centre in Carlton, Melbourne. This building is a heritage-listed building and was one of the first (if not the first) school in Melbourne. Someone came into the building the other day and said they went to school here in 1954. I am uncertain how long the Royal Melbourne Hospital has owned the building. However, as the name suggests, the building is still used for educational purposes as well as to house the Newborn Emergency Transport Service (NETS) where I work.

As for the lens ... it's a lovely lens for taking big group photos, landscape without any structures in it and I'm not sure what else as yet. I do know if trying to take landscapes with structures in the image, like these photos, the edges have that 'curled in' effect that architectural buildings get if photographed without the appropriate lens.