I have added the international awards that my photographs have obtained in the section titled International awards. I will add the actual photos as well
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My second solo exhibition of limited edition prints was held at The Waverely Library Gallery in Bondi Junction. I have attached the catalogue resume below.
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My first first solo exhibition of limited edition prints was held at Sun Studios in Alexandria as part of the Sydney-wide HeadOn photographic festival. For me, it was pretty surprising as it was well received by my photographer peers and I sold 31 prints. I have attached the catalogue resume below.
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I am returning to this site after a long break due to an illness where my immune system has decided not to like me anymore. Medication has prevented any bodily damage, but the side effects have knocked me around. But now the improvement is such that I can update this site including many more travel posts and information. In fact, I have just hosted a collection of limited edition photographic prints as part of the Sydney-wide HeadOn photographic festival at Sun Studios in Alexandria. For me, it was pretty surprising as it was well received by my photographer peers and I sold 31 prints. I have attached the catalogue resume below.
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South Georgia Island update and considerations for visits during October -November This is an Update to my South Georgia Island Page . The months of October -November present a different image to those of peak summer when the weather is warmer and more stable, and king penguin colonies are at their most spectacular. Instead, this is the time to witness huge elephant seal beach masters establish dominance and lord over their harems. King penguins still present in large numbers but their colonies are dispersed. Snow covers the ground and there is a definite “Antarctica” feel to the land with a soft, luminous light that is great for photography. At Gold Harbour, the foreshores were guarded by beach masters protecting their harems. Further along the backshore, colonies of king penguin okemboys were huddled tightly against the severe weather, while their adult counterparts were widely scattered from the shore to the hills beyond the tussock grass. There was a fierce wind that made walking ponderous, and so strong that it blew the falling snow horizontally, transforming the landscape into a black and white fantasy world. Yes, conditions were harsh but the experience was truly exhilarating. Still the high risk of inclement weather […]
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BARGA, PIETRASANTA and the LEANING TOWER of PISA BARGA I like medieval towns; particularly those that are small, have atmosphere, are paved in cobblestone, and whose architecture have facades of timber and textured stone. Barga, a tiny fortified hillside village in the forests of Tuscany fitted all these. In olden times, Barga was an important trading centre and its compact fortified design kept out the marauding Lucca barons. Now after wandering through its narrow cobblestone streets it feels like a picturesque historic village, that has enjoyed far better times. Although it is impressive I would not like to live there with its steep up and down empty streets and shadowed alleyways. From across the road bridge, the village appears as a cone with its cathedral forming the apex and brightly painted buildings in autumn colours crowding together at its base. In between the buildings wind steep alleyways many with steps, lots of steps. However, there is gentler access through the fortified wall near the top of the hill on the opposite side of the village. Down a narrow lane, just past the stone face carving into which you are told, to stick fingers in its eyes and nose to expunge […]
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LUCCA Lucca, the medieval walled town of Tuscany not far from Pisa. It is our third day wandering the narrow cobble streets, and we are slowing down. Not that it is boring or overly busy, rather the opposite, it is a living museum with an intact fortified wall, many piazzas and I am told 99 churches in the Lucca commune. It is just larger than we expected and there is lot to explore, and we enjoy strolling down the main street with the local families and their dogs. Although Its central piazza is well known seeing it in person is still quite an eye opener being oval in shape and encased by varying height buildings thrown higgidly piggidly together. Lucca was the birthplace of Puccini, and we attended a concert of his arias in the San Giovani basilica, a church with a history dating back to 1st Century BC. It turned out the concerts are quite famous and the singers come from all over Italy to perform. So all in all a memorable experience.
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Paris will always be Paris (Paris Sera Toujours Paris) Well not quite. Yes, the buildings and monuments were the same, and the ambiance walking the streets felt very Parisian, with the curb site cafes full and food shop windows promoting cakes and cheese and ham as works as art. But there were changes. There were many more people on the street since our last visit 2 years ago, with the metro crowded most of the time. Prices have notably risen with the 2* and 3* restaurants with a set luncheon starting at €150 pp were now well beyond us. further many previous good affordable restaurants had lost their edge, probably victims of their own success. Still we found some excellent local restaurants, Relais Louis 13 was better than before with the chef greeting all his customers and there were new ones popping up all around. And of course, there was the Le Train Bleu, a unique dining experience in itself. One thing that still amazed us was the Parisian fascination with old books, the left bank of the Seine and our area was riddled with used antique book shops, in fact, there was one right next to our apartment block. And then […]
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A Greek Island Cruise. The Ship It was the end of the season for a Greek island cruise and we wanted small. But the smallest cruise ship I could find was the 450 passenger Seabourn Odyssey, a 6-star luxury liner. Still, that was petite compared to the other available vessels, most exceeding 1000 passengers. So how was the experience aboard the Seabourn Odyssey? The decor was elegant and luxurious, the cabins spacious and comfortable. Service was impeccable, and the food in the five restaurants ranged from good to superb. Also, the passengers were friendly, and as for travel, I couldn’t feel any movement or vibration of the ship. But there were niggling issues. In the main restaurant women dressed in fashion evening gowns with high-high heels, while the men wore tuxedos, or white trousers and navy blue blazers sporting gold sleeve buttons. To me, this appeared very twee and pretentious, and led to the impression that the Seabourn vision was primarily to provide a floating luxury hotel that moves from port to port rather than being a ship exploring exotic places. So in conclusion, the Sebourn Odyssey was not for me. Impression of the Greek islands At a ship lecture, […]
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One Day in London We drove into central London ending in a mighty traffic jam caused by a major demonstration supporting migrants. From this gridlock we drove to our hotel in Westminster only to find a large group of Labour supporters spilling into the street from the pub below, celebrating Jeremy Corbyn recent election to labour leader. Accepting the dictum if you can’t avoid, join, we walked to the focus of the demonstration in Parliament Square, where I soon found myself at the centre of the activity. So looking back, the day turned out quite well ending in a memorable experience. Next day we visited Westminster abbey and took a boat ride along the Thames for old times’ sake.
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