The Update, Queensland, Fires and More

This first bit was written on Tuesday, 4.09pm Tas Time, 5.09pm Queensland Time

The weekend is over! I know it was over a few days ago but it has been a very busy few days starting in North West Tasmania, on to Brisbane and then to home.  I’m fealing exhausted but thought I should write a little post to update you on what is been going on.

Saturday was a long day for a great wedding. Hayley and Aaron tied the knot at Highfield House in Stanley, here is a preview, and a full post will be up in a couple of days.

 I managed to get back in the door after the wedding at 11.30pm and then packed for Queensland. It seems that I only had a couple of hours sleep before the 5am alarm went off so I could get to the airport for the 7am to Melbourne then up to Brisbane.

I had been invited up to speak at the Australian Institute of Professional Photography’s Hair of the Dog conference. It was my first time to this conference and I was impressed, a heap of speakers, lots of sessions, a big trade show and most importantly quite a lot of participants.

My talk was delivered in the late afternoon to about 100 or so people and I am told went quite well. There were a heap of people who hung around to have a chat afterward. There was a cocktail party afterwards where I hit the water and orange juice hard, where large amounts of others hit the jager-bombs hard and woke the next morning with drinking related issues. I was stuffed so headed home early and turned on the TV to be horrified by the fires.

I had been away from news all day and could not take my eyes off the TV. It is horrific. The next afternoon I realised that my old head lecturer Gale Spring lives in one of the areas where people have died. It took a couple of days but I did track him down and heard the story of the fire coming towards them and then turning away when the wind changed. They were lucky.

Back to the presentations and we heard and saw photos from about another photographer in north Queensland who has had 7 foot of water through his shop and studio. His computers and equipment were stashed in the ceiling to keep them dry.

It really is a sad time in this country.

Last night I had dinner with some of the remaining photographers before heading off to see Jason Starr, a photographer who was a great help to me when I was starting out and always a delight to meet up with to talk shop and life. This morning I was with new friends Todd and Aleda, we met after my talk and Todd asked me if I have photos taken of myself often. I try every year or so to have photos taken of Vikashni and I, it is good to be on the other side to remember what it is like. He and Aleda hadn’t had photos since they were married 8 years ago, so this morning changed that. See below for a little preview…

 After the shoot I had a mini studio tour through some inner city photography businesses, sharing ideas and stories. Photographers are a great group, most are willing to share for the greater knowledge of everyone. I know I have picked up things that will be used at Photobat and I know there are ideas I have given that are already being picked up by photographers here.

I’ll post some more shots later, for now it is time to catch a plane and get some sleep.

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Now, its a few days later and here are a heap of photos from the last few days including a lot of portraits of photographers.

 And on a hopeful and really cool note, I dropped off some clothing to the local drop off point which is some local parliamentary offices. I was early so I just though that what was left out the front was because they were not open. I was wrong; they were out the front because inside was packed. There was no room to move. It is a mammoth effort that made me feal really proud to be from Launceston. So much giving and I heard that people turned up with cash to donate but they couldn’t accept it, so the people went to the shops, bought clothes and donated them. Go Launceston!