the Grecian gown

her dress!

simplicity and elegance

their scents

weekend in review....

What a truly huge weekend its been.

Saturday was the engagement party for Dion and Paige. For the very few who knew, it was a wedding. And what a perfect day for it. Warm, no wind, and overcast. A photographer's dream. It simply doesn't get better than that. Paige asked if I'd like to take their photos, knowing that I don't 'do' weddings. This is probably the one exception I can think of. So to make it perfectly clear, "I don't do weddings" so don't ask me if I'll do one. I won't.

She glowed and he was pretty damn handsome. I felt very very privileged to be part of their day and to help in the best way I could. So with Laura shooting as well, we covered the engagement  wedding day. I had a bit of a sob behind the camera during the ceremony, but managed to choke most of it down.

We stayed the night in a caravan lent to us from my very dear friend, Sandra. Quite a few stayed on for the eggs and bacon breakfast.

But not me. I had a 5am alarm set to get to Lincoln very early to head out on the shark dive boat. Kym's nephew and his girlfriend came over especially for the dive and asked me to go with them. How could a girl say no to that ;)

We had  3 hours of steaming south to reach Neptune Islands in relative easy swell. Mind you, that still had quite a few being unwell outside the cabin. We felt fine.

We were the 4th group to head down. Until then I was on the flybridge shooting sharks as they breach the water.

Group 1 and group 3 had the best of the viewing of the sharks. With the 3rd group down in the water, a 5.5 metre monster came into view and circled the boat so very lazily. According to the ships crew, this is the very first sighting of this one. It was just damn huge. You step out 5.5 metres and think think how big that mouth is on it.  The crew were very very excited to see this one.

So finally down we went. I had a leaky mask which didn't help my claustrophobia anxiety. So I was up and down to the water's surface until I asked for a replacement mask.  It took me a short time to get used to the hooker rig but then I was fine.

The big one cruised around for a bit and then took off. That's when the others came back. S/he must be the top dog in the area, and quite frankly, I'm not the least bit surprised.

I had updated my GoPro camera to the Hero3 which is much better for underwater photography, particularly in low light especially for this trip. Pretty damn pleased with the stills and video I captured. Its a cinch to use, especially while underwater.

We had a late afternoon hot lunch on our way back to Lincoln, before heading off home. Dom and Denise stayed here overnight and we all slept very deeply on Sunday night.

Monday saw me in Sean's class so I can support their literacy subject on Monday mornings, then off to Gym, before returning after recess to Annie's class for their literacy block. This particular Monday I was also invited to come in to the Year 12 Art class to help support the students studying photography. Basically I was there to have questions asked on how do you shoot different scenarios but it ended up being mostly a post processing workshop to get the best of their images by working with Photoshop.

After tea on Monday night I started into Paige and Dion's pics. I'm very very excited to see what the camera caught on Saturday. And tonight I have Laura's images as well. Man, she's so bloody good. So very very glad she came on board to help me. She's bloody brilliant. And the most amazing friend.

I'm a bit puffed at the moment. I wonder why lol??

his and her balloons

I had the kids for a balloon photoshoot recently. I've been waiting for a pleasant overcast day without any breeze. And on a Saturday while Annie is off netball with her foot injury. So really the deck was stacked against us, but as luck would have it, the perfect day happened, and on a Saturday too. 

I organised for the balloons from Bouncing on Eyre. They were fabulous. I was able to collect them with an hours notice on a late Saturday morning. Can't be knocking that.

So we had a bunch of fun with them. 

We brought them home for a fabulous sunset shoot....

..... and for the next day out in a paddock before we set them free. That was fun.

After letting the balloons go, they bounced merrily on their way to our neighbours house. None of them popped while we watched them. Amanda, if you found balloons somewhere on your property, now you know why and where from   :)

a mate won't leave a mate behind

I've been in a bit of a scrapping rut lately. I just don't have the mojo to get up and running with it. This LO has been on my desk for over a week to be finished. I've never done that before. I've been so brain dead in the evenings when I normally scrap, that I just couldn't be bothered.

I also have a few things on my plate that have been distracting me elsewhere as well.

And Wednesday nights after golf???? - forget it. I hurt. Feet, knees and hips are a bitch on that night. I take pain killers so I can sleep. As of yesterday, I have a good pair of runners to play in, as well as investing in a golf buggy that I can push my clubs around in, rather than pull. We'll see if that all helps next Wednesday evening.

I've a photography trip in September that I need to be climbing sand dunes, so with that in mind, I've stepped up my exercise.  I'm at Gym on Monday's, Thursdays and Fridays. Tuesday I coach Gymnastics. Wednesdays is 18 holes of golf.  Probably a 7km walk the way I hit the ball hahaha. I'm also in a separate golf knock out round which is played on the occasion and on other days. This last week was two rounds of 18 holes of golf.

So I'm physically tired as well as brain dead.

Must run. More things to achieve on my tick list today.

she....

......lights up my day.

Miss 10.5 and stands as tall as my eyes.  She'll be towering above me before I know it.

feral cat interview on 1485 ABC radio with Brooke Neindorf

Personal opinion of the local feral cat issues.

Little Teaser

Little Teaser.

Tiff Firth Photography

scrapbook creations photography article

I've been sitting on this little secret for a while 

:)

Issue 99 of Scrapbook Creations features a photography article I wrote, "How to Photograph your Layouts for Submission and display on Social Media"

It's a very visual article with a lot of screenshots of my computer screen as examples to go along with the text.

I'm pretty happy with the presentation of the article, and you may see more "how to's" in future issues of Scrapbook Creations.

;)   ;)  ;)

mothers day 2013

My annual 1 cup of coffee for the 'Tim Tam Slam' was switched out this year for 'Tim Tams Plated Up'.

Annie's been so inspired by MKR that everything she does is 'plated up'. How cool is that!!!

Sean gave me the best list in the world of why he loves me.  Just about made me cry. Just love the love they both have and share.

xxx

balloons, sunset and the kids.

www.facebook.com/TiffFirthPhotographyA book cover inspired an idea for a photoshoot with the kids and balloons, which ended this evening with a spectacular sunset. I couldn't have wished for a more perfect day. 

golf

image source

126 off the stick for my first shot at 18 holes last week. And a lot of fun.

I'm told that's pretty good for a very first score. I have no idea how I went as I have nothing to gauge it by, but now 126 is my benchmark.

Golf coaching today. Looking forward to that.

This is my typical Monday according to my diary.

8.50am School. (I go into Sean's class to volunteer an hour to help with literacy. I really enjoy this time with the kids.)

10.00am Gym. Pilates.

11.20am. School. (I go into Annie's class to volunteer my time for their computing lesson and for literacy. I'm there until 12.30pm)

Today I've added a golf coaching lesson and a quick business shoot to be done before school knocks off for the day.

Thankfully no meetings tonight.