THE LEMONADE TREE

 

Just like a lemon, but without the bitterness. The lemonade tree at Nana and Pop's started to sprout fruit after only two seasons from when they were planted. They are welcomed by them, us and the local possums. Their fruit is sweet tasting and mild compared to the citrussy bang that you would get from a lemon.

We had been at the beach all morning and when we got back at Nana and Pop's we wandered down to the back of their place to shake off the sand from our feet and we spied a couple of pastel yellow lemonades ready to be picked. Being too short to pick them, Pat was marching out the directions as I navigated with squinted eyes around the branches and it's thorny stems trying to pinch the ripe ones. A couple of them had already been half snacked on by the possums - a midnight snack perhaps. We sat down by the pond and bit into them so that we could peel the thick skin off and enjoy them as our mid afternoon snack.

This is what summer dreams are made of.

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Images taken using Canon 5D Markiii//50mm 1.4

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NANA & POP'S GARDEN

This is Spring at Nana and Pop's place. A tropical landscape of palm trees, elephant ears, shrubs, climbing vines, succulents and fruit trees. Randomly placed fruit trees. They are a result of birds and bats pooping out their seeds and then germinating into the ground if the conditions are just right. If you are careful enough to look around, you will spy little tomato vines growing up trees and pineapple tops growing out from underneath shrubs.

Home is always at Nana and Pop's place. A quaint little cottage sunken into a green foliage of bushy shrubs and plants which carpet the lower legs of the tall assortment of palm trees and eucalyptus trees who stand tall above their house. Green and pink are the colours that your eyes recognise as you walk closer down the drive. They are the decorative petals of the Azalea, a plant once known as the "thinking of home" bush and also once infamous for it's levels of toxicity. But I think that they are mostly known for their beauty. Well, that's how I know of them. It is very tempting to break off a branch and shake the petals off, just because they look so soft and delicate and somehow even more beautiful when the deep pink petals are scattered acrossed the stone pavement. I let them be and enjoyed their cheerful beauty everytime I walked through the front door.

What flowers do you most admire for their beauty? Camellia's and Marigolds would have to be some of my other favourites.

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Images taken using Canon 5D Markiii//50mm 1.4

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NATURAL THERAPY

 

Stepping out into the salty air, sprinkles of sand made their way inbetween my foot and my sandal. If I were anywhere else, I would find that sensation to be annoying. The long and narrow path from the car park led us into the bush where patches of light and darkness balanced each other out. We spied lots of things; spiders webs, shells, crabs, make shift chairs, pumice stones and somewhere in the distance the glittering movements of the sea peeking through the tall scrubbery. Up a newly constructed boardwalk, the sandy dunes peaked up and down and led us down into a flat silky smooth beach. The water was several shades of blue and the grass dunes were a patchwork of greens and browns, dulling as the sun brightened in the sky. We all had a dip into the ocean, it was cold and fresh and just the type of sensation you crave when you are transitioning into a new phase.

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Images taken using Canon 5D Markiii//50mm 1.4

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WHAT DO YOU NEED?

 

 

 

We need this. Every few months, we just need to pack ourselves into the car and drive up the coast. It seemed a bit impossible as there is always stuff to be done, but we did what had to be done and by midday we were driving up the highway, towards the sunshine and the salty air.

Our tummies were rumbling as we approached the two hour mark and we decided to stop for a make do picnic to enjoy a late lunch of fresh bread rolls, soft cheese, ham and olives; and the boys ran off and came back with a bundle of baked pastries from the local bakery. After a few rounds of kicking the footy and picking at the last bites of lunch we packed up and continued our drive with the sun chasing along beside us. We pulled over into this driveway to enjoy the last rays of sunlight which stretched itself way over the open land making long shadows which leaned over and through the fences. Sitting in the car with my family, watching the sun close another day. This was what we needed. What I needed. And it was only going to get better.

The last thing I remember before sleeping was Matty asking me if I wanted to watch the sun rise with him. We both woke at the same time and snuggled for a bit longer before we decided that we were dangerously close to missing the sun rise. Paddy was committed to the warmth of his bed, so us three quietly filled the car and left him in the snoozing home with Nana and Pop. We were a little late as a wavy orange fringe was peeking through the macadamia orchards as we drove down to the beach. But we managed to make it there to watch her yawn out those rays across the sea as she slowly lifted up into the sky. Looking down at my cold sandy toes, I noticed the large Kangaroo paw prints embedded into the sand next to the balled up sand by the crabs. The sun was shining bright after twenty minutes and the beach was stark, it was amazing. It was hard to believe that we were the only ones there, I relished in the solitude surroundings, I felt free. I am free.

What is it that you need?

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Images taken using Canon 5D Markiii//50mm 1.4

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LEARNING TO LEARN WITH AUTHENTICITY

Day two of the Slow Living Workshop at Glenmore House in Sydney, we started the day off with some amazing Tarts I have never ever tried anything like these little guys before in my life!! After morning tea Beth took the reins with a rolling pin in hand. As she prepared her pie dough, she talked us through the steps with lots of free flowing questions and answers. After the pie dough was made, she filled them with a rhubarb filling and turned the sides of the dough up to make some little gallettes, which we would use in our styling session later in the day. I have never made pie dough from scratch and I was a bit amazed watching it all come together. I guess the weighing of ingredients is something that has mostly put me off from making it, but after tasting these little galletes and seeing how effortlessly Beth made it, it is now on my never ending list of things to make. During the tail end of the gallette making Stacy Clark started prepping our table for lunch and it was a pleasure watching her balance out the setting by eye and feel, the ball of twine and scissors shadowing her slow move to each place at the table as she made each persons seated place at the table look amazeballs. If we were eating by means of our eyes, we all would have been full from the visual feast of beauty at the table. Lunch came out and it was a delicious fresh seafood pasta dish with a fresh garden herb salad, fresh breads and washed down with zesty jugs of water. The last hours of the workshop were filled with styling, eating and also an insight into post-processing photographs.

This weekend was just so fun. To be around other creatives who like to 'do' and 'make' and talk was beautiful. For me personally, I feel as though I am in a bit of a block with the development of my own style, trying to find and use inspiration without turning into it. It was very encouraging to hear how other creatives continue to develop their own style and how they use social media to inspire them. I feel as though I am searching for authenticity to self when it comes to my style of photography so that I can be more confident with what I am creating and putting out there, rather than feeling like it is just a 'copy' of someone elses style. I am hugely inspired by Luisa's work because I love the way it looks - real, fresh, in the moment. For me, they are elements that I want to exhibit, but in my own way. Beth's photography is deep and I like that there is a high level of consciousness that she puts into her photography, the deep and light feel of her photographs is almost like two polar ends meeting. I like the choices that she has made in defining her style and I guess that is where my mind is at when I am shooting these days, empowering my moments through better choices (and oh my goodness, it is still early days!!!). Finally, I am also inspired by making, doing and consuming to nurture which is why I was attracted to this particular workshop. I love to learn how to make and create, but I am not glossy and neat and this blog is not to put forth a pretty looking blog full of DYI's or perfect moments because that would be too contrived. I am a bit more rough and tumble and follow the lead of the practicality of the moment, I would say that I am a bit of a watered down risk taker. I seem to follow my intuitive needs when it comes to things that I like to become involved with and maybe it's because subconsciously what I value is the developing the ability of learning how to learn as opposed to learning how to master a particular skill - does that make sense? My aim is to keep shooting everyday, but not haphazardly or by co-incidence, but with a level of consciouness regarding my goals towards developing a personal style which is authentic to who I am.

How do you deal with creative blockages? Who inspires you and how do you use that inspiration to create?

 

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Images taken using Canon 5D Markiii//50mm 1.4

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