Let The Music Play

2004 was one of the biggest turning points in my life, I started to listen to rock music. The tattoos, eccentric hair, frowning faces and piercings used to scare me because I was 14 and went to an all girls Catholic school, anything more than a short skirt was too overwhelming for me to handle. Secret's out. Good Charlotte was the first band I listened to, and they showed me the beauty of hurt and love connected through music and lyrics. So I searched for more bands, bought their CDs, put them into my walkman and listened to them until my heart was about to implode with a sense of purity and satisfaction. I grew up, and I could finally go to concerts without bringing my dad. By 2007, I was in love with the genre and with the bands I started to grow up with, the unsigned labels, the new & young bands taking a leap of faith to achieve their dreams. Lyrics started to seem more real, like they knew exactly how I felt at times and knew the perfect way to express it. Melodies and instrumentals collaborated to create a completely novel colour to an emotion, a situation or of life itself. From what I have heard, no other genre of sound can connect to me like this one does. Going to concerts, meeting with members of bands who wrote music to get me through a break up, a break down or a moment of any kind, has been amazing and no words could explain the feeling. It's unbelievable with how many other people out there experience music the way I do, and thought I was an unusual person to love music the way I do. Finding new music or new bands that are perfect in every shape and form can easily become the happiest moment in my life. It's like finding a treasure or a diamond in the rough. Music has shaped me in every way possible, and it continues to help me grow and teach me new things just by being there for me. Music has been my escape, my love, my life, my heart, my everything and I'm so grateful to have found it, because now I won't be able to live without it. And to love something that much, is worth everything I am.

This was before I had a digital compact camera, it was the best concert I have ever been to. Good Charlotte [17 Oct 2007]

Paramore was amazing. Hayley Williams is just inspiring. [10 Oct 2010]

Went to watch Valencia twice in one day. There was pretty much only 40-50 people in the crowd, so I got to hi5 and hug Brendan and George after the show. They are so down to earth. [21 Nov 2010]

We The Kings [07 March 2011]

Mayday Parade were so mind blowing LIVE, and Derek was the most sincere musician I have ever met. [03 March 2011]

Every Avenue

Every Avenue was also really good LIVE, he has amazing vocals, and again only 50 people in the crowd [03 March 2011]

ADTR was unexpectedly really well performed with a lot of circus acts to keep us entertained [08 May 2011]

Boyce Avenue, better quality than youtube, but didn't play for long enough. All in all, it was a great night. [23 August 2011]

I know these photos aren't the best, but thanks to my Canon IXUS 80, they had to survive the mosh pit and my over excitement. Music has been and will always be my everything, I'm even beaming with happiness just to share with you about how much it really means to me.  

"When I'm hanging by a thread, & I've got nothing to give. Let the music play."- Good Charlotte

You Should Date A Girl Who Takes Photographs

“Date a girl who takes photographs. Date a girl whose favourite sound is the click-click of the shutter as it closes and opens to capture a memory. Date a girl who sees beauty in the simplest of things. Date a girl who looks at the world and wonders how to put a little of herself into it.

You might find her in the park, lost behind her lens, the world a blur around her as she tries to capture a single moment in time. You might find her in an exhibit, a look of concentration on her face as she contemplates a photograph that called out to her as she was passing by.  Or maybe you will find her in a bookstore, a book in her lap as she pores over photographs of weddings all the while wondering what hers would look like.
Take her out to photo walks and laugh as she tries to take a picture of you. When she gets tired of walking, buy her cupcakes but wait until she has taken pictures of them before eating them. Listen as she tells you her ideas for a photoshoot on the ride home.

Take her to a restaurant and wait patiently as she surveys the menu carefully, appreciating the food photography. And again, wait until she has taken a photo of your food before digging in. Allow her to introduce you to Ansel Adams while you both eat your lunch. Introduce her to your favorite musician as you wait for the bill to arrive. When you get home, change your Facebook profile picture to a photograph she has taken of you. She silently hopes for it.

Take stolen shots of her. Compile it and give it to her on her birthday. Tell her you love her over and over until your voice replaces the click of the shutter as her favourite sound. Kiss her on the nose as she lifts her head up from the camera. Give her camera-shaped necklaces. Go places with her.
You will never be bored again.
 
Date a girl who takes photographs. She will never whine about a little dirt on her favourite pair of jeans as she kneels down to get a better angle of her subject. She will never be afraid to go on adventures with you. She will take photographs of you not just with her camera but with her mind as well and keep it to herself to admire late at night. But above all, she will teach you how to look at the world through different perspectives and she will do so unknowingly.

Marry a girl who takes photographs. Ditch those wedding photography books and give her the most beautiful wedding you could. She will teach your kids to find the beauty in everything just as she has taught you. Every day will be an adventure as she tries to create memories photograph-worthy with you. She may wake you up in the middle of the night because she is buzzing with ideas but she will make it up in the morning with a stack of hot pancakes beside a steaming cup of your favourite coffee blend.

Grow old with a girl who takes photographs. Sit with her on the front porch as you both pore over the bits and pieces of the moments you’ve shared together. Stroke her hair as you both relive the photo walks that you took and the places you went when you were both young. Smile as you both reenact your clever wedding vows.

Date a girl who takes photographs because she will never let anyone take you away from her like she will never let anyone steal her photographs. Because she will inspire the fuck out of you. Because she will always see that “something” in the most “nothing” of things.”

- Claiie

Tree of Life

Capturing the sunlight within the tree to create root like shadows made this boring old tree and landscape simply amazing.

All The Small Things

The Little City

One beautiful sunny Saturday in East Perth & Perth City, it was nice to take the camera out for a walk :)

I understand that this was slightly overexposed, but I loved the shadow effect of the trees. Plus there's something about this area that makes it look European.

Trying to position the photo perfectly without wasting too much space. It was nice to get a level of rocks, sea, earth, mankind, sky and trees all in the one photo.

This is my favourite photo of the Bell Tower, I love the position, the colours including all the shades of blue, the contrast, the use of space and balance, I would so post-card this one.

Perth isn't the most exciting place in the world, but it's nice to find beauty and appreciate the little city for what it is.

Would love advice on Landscape Photography since it's my biggest area of interest.

Give it to me if you've got it!

Canon Love

Canon 50mm 1.8II lens cap against the sunset after work

This camera has (since 2009)and always will be my concert compact camera that knows how to withstand the suffocating mosh pit, record the bursting stereo and the dirty life of the public

H

All I need is my Honda Accord & my 50mm 1.8II

My Favourite photo of the Honda Logo. Maybe I should submit it to Honda North...

Car Photography has become more and more appealing to me, maybe it's just the love for my car.

I'm always open to feedback, so if you're a photographer of any level and you think my photos need work, let me know how I can make myself better :)

Tweety

Here is a few photos of my bird. It's been so fun to try and catch him in the moment.

awwww <3

Natural, with my LiveView swivel screen camera!

Hopefully more to come :)

Cordon Rouge

Getting a new car was easily the best thing that I had done in my working life. After more than a year of saving, spending it on something that I've always dreamed about was another thing I could check off my list, and say I'm so happy I'm alive. It was just as fun taking pictures of it, I can't express how incredibly happy I am to be driving this beautiful sexy beast around in Perth.

Loving the champagne colour, it just gives off a darker, metallic edge to it than the washed out cream coloured cars. Had about 50km on the odometer when I took this photo. Brand New! <3

All about angles when it comes to this beast, it naturally is the biggest Sedan, this 2.4 Cylinder baby with 70L capacity accelerates in his sleep!

Loving the exposure on this photo, in contrast with the blue sky. There's just so much reflection and curves on this bad boy, it was one of the reasons why I chose Bold Beige instead of Black. My Cordon Rouge has so much class :)

My money well spent, the biggest dream achieved in 2011, July 13.