The anti everything.....

I did it again.....I ruined a photography shoot

I finished work early, so checked in with RQQZY and AH to see if they had plans for a sunset shoot, the boardwalk at Caloundra had been recommended to them so this is where we met. I love this part of Caloundra, there is rocks and a winding boardwalk, views of the Glasshouse Mountains and surfers both young and old.
Everything looked perfect, there were light fluffy clouds, the tide was coming in, kids were playing, mums where reading, couples sharing a romantic walk, surfers riding the waves and even a few cargo ships coming and going. Then 20 mins before the sun went down, a haze hide the mountains and storm clouds covered the sun.

I have been blamed before when the sunset fails, the Mentor has asked me to join him a few times for a sunset shoot - every one a fail, I met with RQQZY last week for coffee and a sunset at Point Cartwright, all the makings of an amazing sky, but nothing....NADA.....ZIP.

I got to thinking about the some of other photo opportunities I have ruined, 

• Coffee with the Jpegs at Caloundra last year - rain and gale force winds
• Night shoot in Brisbane - rain
• Camping at Yabbalumba - rain (for forty days and forty nights)
• Sunset at Point Cartwright with the Mentor - no colour
• Sunset at Moffet beach with Mel - high tide
• The Christmas break up at Bribie - rain
• Sunset at Moffet beach with Mentor - clouds blow away
• Blue wren photos with Mentor - birds that were there for 3 previous days gone...without a trace
• Sunset with HWMBO at Shelly Beach - Fail

It has been suggested that I preform some sort of ritual before going on a photoshoot with others....I wont tell you what was suggested. Lets just say it is not gunna happen.

This is all in fun, I know I am not at fault (i think), I always come away from every shoot with a photo I am happy with, even if it is not the one I planned. I get a bit of a kick out of the title and I wear it with pride, it is not everyone that thwarts mother nature. 


All jokes aside, I was happy with my photos from last night, not a magic sunset, but an awesome moon rise. Followed by a night photo at Bullcock Beach. 

Moon Rise looking towards Kings Beach

Couple taking a romantic stroll

Surf school

Mum waiting for surf school to finish....enjoying time to herself

the dark clouds roll in as the sun sets

Bullcock Beach night lights, families enjoying BBQ's and fish and chips

Talent or lack there of

Working again on a Sunday....I don't mind, the event I am working is fun and everyone is having a good time. I am lucky really my job description is Events Co-ordinator, if I worked in the public sector I would have to work a lot of nights and most weekends, once or twice a month is not such a bad thing, especially since I demanded (because I am entitled) 2 days off in a row when working weekends, I think I am getting too old for split days off and 7 day working weeks.

While listening to a beautiful young lady sing and play the guitar, a work colleague and I were talking about her talent and how we would like to have a talent. This got me thinking... 'what is my talent?' does everyone have a talent?' I would be keen to know what other peoples talents are  - and what they think mine is.

I think my talent is -------, I really don't know, I am a good photography - but there are others (lots) that are better, I am a good organiser - is that a talent? Is procrastinating  a talent? Coz I am very good at that.
HWMBO is easy he is a talented silversmith and handyman. I would like my talent to be photography.....yep I am going to go with that. ***actually I would like my talent to be mind reading***

I do have a talent for pissing people off - or maybe it is the other way around I have a talent for being pissed off. 
Shopping on Friday was one of them most unpleasant experiences I have had for a long time, I was having a good day, I was full of thoughts about what I was going to buy and where I was going to get it from (I am doing a secret Santa/gift exchange with  social network group....it is very exciting). BUT the shopping center was busy with lots of kids (that should have been in school) and older people and everyone was in a hurry or just rude. A 3 shops I had people push in front of me to get to the cashier first, I had one person snatch the trinket I was reaching for away from me (there was 5 of the same thing she must have thought the one I was closest too was best). When I decided enough was enough of the personal shopping I did the groceries...Big mistake....HUGE! The crowds followed me, they parked their trolleys in the aisles, they stood 3 abreast, they jostled and pushed me, one person rammed me with a trolley while I was waiting to get past a couple who where leaning on trolleys talking.

While I am not a rude person (most of the time) it was the final straw when I was waiting at the check out to have an older couple ask if they could go in front of me as they only had one thing. I snapped and said 'No you can't there is express and self serve check outs use them'. OMG you would think I slapped them. I had one lady call me a bitch, another stare like I grew 2 heads. I didn't care I was my right! ***Ok I did feel bad, but seriously if they were teenagers would I still have been called a bitch... I think not***

I finished shopping, sulked at home for a bit, then met with the friend for a coffee and a photo shoot, crappy sunset. Good conversation and fantastic people.

This morning puppy woke me up hours before I had to leave to go to work so I took a few photos in the garden. I really should do this more often, sometimes you need to look at what you have before searching for something else.

Lilly is now 5 months old and very cheeky

I love my frangapani trees

The FORMAL = Best dress in the world

Finally the night all teenage girls look forward to was Wednesday. THE FORMAL...

This week has all been about #2, she has had a week long birthday, her formal dinner, the after party, her actual birthday, the last day of school and now she has gone to schoolies week...
Everything has gone as so easy, I hope schoolies doesn't upset the rhythm
Shopping for the dress was a dream - 

• 1 shop
• 4 dresses
• 1 hour

We both thought the dress was nice and stunning, just another pretty formal dress, NA AH. The compliments she got were amazing
'Best dress ever', 'Nicest formal dress I have ever seen' and from the 'IT' girls. OMG I am so jealous! The boys she has spent most of her school life with stopped for a second look, #2 is a bit of a dag, she is happy in jumpers and shorts, so to see her looking so stunning was a surprise to her classmates. 

The after party was an eye opener, I am only know what I was told....a few boys got very drunk very quickly - throwing up and passing out within the first hour or so, one of her friends drank more than she should have and #2 looked after her. I think it was an eye opener as my girls don't drink...it is not that they are not allowed, they chose not too. 

Today she is of to Rainbow Beach with three friends for schoolies week, I trust all of them to look out for each other...but I would not be a mother if I didn't worry a bit, I will stalk her facebook while she is away. - this is my job.

Nails

Hair

Makeup

Running late

At the beach with Asti

wind and chiffon don't mix

Beautiful Girls

The transport

Beautiful girl

Saying goodbye to the teacher - trying not to cry

18 now first bottle of champange

the cake!

HWMBO and I have produced 3 beautiful girls.

Baby shows and movies

This week it is all about #2, she is turning 18, graduating from high school and had her formal and first big party with alcohol.
Soooo to share the love I took #3 to see the last Twilight movie on the day it was released (ok we all know it was because I wanted to see it!). We laughed, cried purred (rolls tongue with delight) when Jacob took his clothes off and we PHEWED when there was a twisted that I didn't see coming. I have read the books (and listened to them on audio book) so I was a bit surprised with the end of the movie. There was a bit of creative license by the producer. This is all I am going to say, I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

We got to the shopping center early, wanting to get tickets for the early session of the movies - I have a busy week (running around with #1). Central court was full of prams and babies and toddlers all dressed in frills and ribbons - A baby show.  Not that I have anything against thinking your baby is the sweetest, cutest most beautiful baby in the world (I know mine were). BUT do you have to parade them around like cattle in the middle of a shopping center. I had noticed a few particular mothers when we walked pasted the first time, after the movie and lunch these women (girls) were still there with their babies. 3 hours waiting around for some overweight and seemingly overbearing matron to give you a $5 trophy and a sash with 'most placid baby' printed on it. Seriously!

The shopping center I frequent is in a low socioeconomic area (it is the closest). The population is predominantly overweight with a high percentage of teen pregnancies. After the baby show yesterday I counted a group of  14 mums with young babies there was at least 8 girls under 18, they all had tattoo and the whole group was smoking (this was outside the shopping center near the banks) As I was waiting for #2 to join us I sat and watched this group for a bit. Some doted on their babies, some ignored theirs completely, this was not a mothers group like I attended - sharing tips, getting advice, talking with an other adult and socializing our babies, this was a group of school girls who all set out to have babies so they could leave school and get government payments.

I am not being harsh or generalizing I listened to their conversations and overheard a 'grandmother' yelling that she would not look after the F##ken baby while 'YOU slut around and get the government money'. I feel sorry for the babies, they are going to grow up thinking this is the way it is so they wil have babies while they are still babies and the cycle will continue.

Oh well, I know my girls are loved and have a happy, healthy home life. We talk everyday and I know what they do - good, bad and ugly. 

#2 has opened her presents and is ready for the last day of school - not that is a day, she has a BBQ in the morning, a talk about the big bad world, then parents watch as the whole school claps and send them on their way.

#1 is coming to spend the day with us and will help me prepare the birthday dinner. 

Photos from formal coming soon.

The last week of school

The last week of school - EVER is pretty special for every year 12 student, #2 daughter has reached this milestone this week and it is super special for her as she turns 18 on the very last day.

There is never much work done in this week, exams are finished assignments marked. This week is all about getting ready for 'Formal' on Wednesday night, booking the hairdresser, the nail place and the friend for make up. Then there is scheduling it all so Mum (me) get plenty of time to take 'Formal' photos at the beach. Thursday is a recovery day with no school, when #1 graduated they had to go to school on the day after Formal, they were all taken to the the beach to swim out the hangovers from the after party. This year common sense prevails and the year 12s get the day off to recover. ( I heard a rumor that there is the worry about kids still being over the limit and driving to school)

She kicked of her week with a party on Saturday night, very low key with her besties and a jumping castle. It rained all night so they spent more time talking then jumping. (All but one of the girls all left at 9:30pm which I thought was very strange - I like to think it was the rain the sent them running not our party)

The kit kat lasagna was a hit, one girl described it as a bowl full of awesomeness http://rozzy35.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/kit-kat-lasagna.html
Because I poured hot melted white chocolate over the honeycomb layer it slightly melted into this yummy gooey mess full of mini marshmallows and smarties.

Not many photos from the night - it was raining after all. Cameras and rain are not a good combination.

Sunday was very windy and an extremely lazy day for all, I was the only one out of bed at 9am (I got up at 6am to let the puppy out)  the jumping castle was blown up and everyone had a play before it got taken away.
***old ladies like me should not be allowed on jumping castles....boobs go flying and there is that fear of no bladder control - made worse by the laughing, my time on the castle was short and any plans I may have had of getting on a jumping castle when alcohol was involved are gone (I always thought it would be a heap of fun when drinking)***

Death by Chocolate

Kit Kat Lasagna

A few weeks ago I saw a post on Facebook, a kit kat lasagna...it looked wickedly decadent, totally fattening and delicious. Daughter #2 is having her first 18th birthday party on Saturday. I figure she has booked a jumping castle, there is no alcohol and all girls this would be a good birthday cake.

I turned all this

into this

Maybe not all of it....the dish was as big as I thought it was, there was almost half of everything (except the chocolate melts) left. I didn't use the maltessers ***these are my favourites, they have been saved for when the chocolate fairy visits me***

Layer 1

Wafer biscuits - I could have used kit kat but didn't think the extra chocolate was required

Layer 2

Crushed chocolate honeycomb, using a zip lock bag and a meat mallet is the quickest and cleanest way of crushing anything I have found.

Layer 3

Melted white chocolate (this is to represent the cheese sauce)

Layer 4 

More wafer biscuits

Layer 5 

Mini Marshmallows

Layer 6

Melted milk chocolate 

Layer 7

Smarties

Layer 8

More melted chocolate



 Layer 9

Pop rocks  (A Heston Blumenthal favourite)

Final layer

Kit Kat

I am hoping none of the girls go in to a diabetic coma after eating this - I will be sure to give them a piece to take home with them - only so it is not left in my house! I have just lost 15kg....I don't plan on putting it back on with one desert!

Video Tutorials and photoshop

I have spent the last three days watching an awesome teacher on Creative Live, Lindsay Alder is a fashion photographer who spends a lot of time of retouching. She is very good at explaining the different levels of retouching,  a portrait - don't get rid of distinguishing marks (unless the client requests it). A portfolio shot has a bit more editing and a fashion shot has heaps and heaps of editing, no blemishes, no skin texture, nose perfect, eyes colored and eyelashes added. 

I was doing my head in by the time I started to play around with what I learnt. I will be watching these videos again and again.....but I do need models to work with. I have a great spot picked out.

Daughter #2 has her school formal next week so I will have the opportunity to get a few of her and her friends all dressed up. Getting them to pose for me will be the hard part.

This is the before and after of my days work. I am glad we had the self portrait challenge in September, it means I didn't need to take another photo to work with. Today I would need lots of work. Even a professional retoucher would have there work cut up for them. Having a puppy who wants to get up at 4:30 am and play is starting to take it toll on me.

Before - notice all the wrinkles and the bra strap

After, got rid of the bra, the wrinkles and smoothed out my skin.

Don't be fooled by the cute sleepy puppy in this photo, she is a naughty little girl. I have been taking her for a walk each day, well I have been trying she refuses to walk more than a few steps. Nothing is wrong the harness is not too tight, the grass is soft, she is just plain lazy or chicken. A dog barks and she stops, a car goes past she stops, a phone rings she stops. I have been trying food rewards. After I lift her back to her feet if she keeps walking I will give her a treat. This is not even working she is an embarrassment. 

Lilly is lucky she is cute and good most of the time.