I'm Back!!!!

That's right I'm back in Brisbane after my two amazing weeks away in Mougulu PNG. Wow what an experience - but that will wait for another (few!) posts.

Thanks for accepting my two weeks of complete inactivity (or radio silence as I have taken to calling it) on the Internet. 

In the meantime I'm slowly starting to tackle the over 100GB of RAW photo files I took while I was away. Honestly I have barely started to scratch the surface but I couldn't resist sharing one... Just one... One that's defiantly going to get a place on my wall on a nice big canvas. A definite favorite for sure!

There will be many, many more posts to come full of plenty of photos and my attempts to put the whole glorious experience into words. But just for now I leave you with this:

 

This Thursday

As I gulped down the first of my anti-malarial tablets this morning it all became 10 times more real and I figured now was the time to share the news I've been dying to tell.

Do you remember in my post about George and Crystal how I shared about my desire to go back to Papua New Guinea one day? Back to a place that holds a special place in my memories. No. Back to a place that holds a special place in my heart. 

Well as it turns out I'm heading back. Much sooner than I ever would have anticipated. In fact I leave this Thursday! That's right in two short days *insert excited squeal here* I'll be heading back to the international airport to jump on a plane bound for PNG.

 Source

More specifically I'll be heading to Mougulu in the Western Province. This is where my grandparents have worked and lived (off and on) for... well... as long as I've known them - plus a whole lot longer. They have built an airstrip, a school, a hospital, translated the Bible into the native language and a whole lot more. To think about everything they have accomplished is mind boggling to say the least. Pretty amazing people hey?

 Source

For me Mougulu is... the words escape me currently. Hopefully I'll find them while I'm away so I can accurately convey all that it was, all that it is to me. Suffice to say it's a place of memories (both good and not so great) and a place of much significance and history - not only for me but for a lot of people.

This all has really only come together since I've been back from New Zealand and to be honest my brain has taken a little bit to catch up. I keep walking around (and now packing my bag) in a bit of an excited daze with my brain on a constant loop of "I'm going to PNG. I'm going to PNG! I'M GOING TO PNG!!!!" To say my excitement level is sky-high is a complete understatement.

I'm so excited about everything about this trip not the least of which is the amazing photographic opportunities. My camera and my favorite lenses will be making the trip with me for sure. As if there was ever a question. There is such phenomenal beauty up there I simply cannot wait to capture as much of it as I can. So you can bet when I get back there will be a few posts about my time away. 

I'm so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to go back to such an important place. Again words fail me when I try to express how grateful I am. Just to say my excitement levels are matched only by the level of my appreciation for the chance to go back.

So for two weeks starting this Thursday my Twitter shall fall silent, my Instagram will not be updated, my emails will go unanswered and Facebook will never know what's on my mind. As a pretty avid social media sharer it will certainly be strange to go silent for two weeks but the experience will be more than worth it. So I hope you can bare with me and stick with me through the two weeks radio silence... I look forward to telling you all about it when I return.

Until my next post I hope this finds you safe and happy.

Last Thursday

So... Words and pictures, right? That's the goal. Let's see how it goes...

In case you didn't know I'm quite the music fan. My little music mix CD (yes CD... you do remember those?) keeps me company whenever I hop in my car and my mobile phone handily doubles as my personal music player. 

And while I like and appreciate a wide variety of music (though some would disagree) I always seem to circle back to... well I'm not quite sure what to call it really. Soulful, acoustic, singer/songwriter, kinda mellow (at times), meaningful, one-person-with-an-acoustic-guitar kinda vibe genre? Music shouldn't be in a box anyway. But that's what I listen to the most.

Anyway last Thursday I headed to the Dowse Bar to surround myself with the incredible talents of Mr Stu Larsen, Mr Luke Thompson and Mr Chris Simmons. I first heard Stu Larsen at a Passenger gig a long while back (if you haven't heard of Passenger then you are truly missing out!) And when I found out Stu was doing a headliner at the Passenger gig earlier this year I knew that was something I couldn't pass up. I am ever so glad that I went! Plus I got to hear to new-to-me artists who will be featuring on my playlist for sure.

My camera accompanied me (of course... really would you expect nothing less?) on this lovely evening out. So I thought I'd share some of my pics from the night... Do yourself a favor - as you're looking at these pics press play on the little video below to listen to Luke Thompson's song 'Water' to get the full effect: 

 

I was sorely tempted to make all the photos black and white. Who knows I may yet do just that. There's something about black and white photography. It's like it just strips away the detractions so you can really focus on the heart of the image... Or at least that's what I think.

I am falling more and more in love with live music photography. I've had the chance to take my camera along to a few gigs so far this year and there's just something about this type of photography that makes my heart...sing (pun intended). So if you're a musician looking to get some photos done don't been shy about giving me a call!

So that was my Thursday night... Filled with stunning and soulful music and a little bit of photography thrown in for good measure. Kinda perfect if you ask me. I can't wait to share my next post which is some news I've been dying to share so stay tuned!

 

Words And Pictures

Words And Pictures

I miss words… 

There was a time not too long ago when I used to write every day. I devoured books like they were about to disappear. I wrote pages and pages of poetry and short stories… A novel or two are lurking on one of my many hard drives somewhere. An Ernest Hemmingway, Charlotte Bronte or Edgar Allen Poe I most certainly am not. But I loved it (still do) and worked hard to foster a certain level of eloquent expression.

As I got more and more into photography it all shifted slightly. Instead of a regular reading of Pride and Prejudice I started reading manuals, technical analysis, pages and pages of spec sheets and blog after blog after blog (after blog!) of everything photography related. Don’t misunderstand. I do not regret this at all. Not one bit. Not in the slightest. It allowed me to grow and develop in my chosen career (and what I believe is my calling). I truly believe giving myself this time to totally immerse myself in all things photography has been completely invaluable.

Long time readers of this little ol’ blog would have no doubt noticed the shift. Way back when I started blogging I wrote phenomenally long (entirely too long now that I read them back) posts with maybe one or two pictures that I felt emphasised my point. I shared poetry (admittedly the majority of it was cringe worthy) that seemed to pour out onto the electronic page. Fast-forward four years (I can’t believe I’ve had this little space of the internet for four years!) to my post about my recent adventure in New Zealand where my written highlights section was lack-lustre at best.

So it’s apparent that it’s high time to find a bit of balance. Words and pictures. Pictures and words. The two can co-exist and complement each other quite nicely. I have found and am developing my visual voice and it’s time to circle back and (re)discover and deepen my writing style. Prose and photography coming together to help me tell whatever tale I wish. I shan’t be sacrificing one for the other. But rather fostering the growth of both my passions simultaneously. I hope that this blog will contain prose and photography intertwining seamlessly together to tell my stories.

Why am I sharing this on such a public forum? I honestly don't know. Maybe to keep myself accountable? Maybe to let you my lovely readers know that the structure and content of my posts may (hopefully) change a little? Maybe just as a little reminder to myself that my 'writer' side is important as well as my 'photographer' side. In any event that's what I've been thinking about lately.

Life is all about balance and sometimes you just need to recalibrate things a bit (or at least that's what I find). I'm excited to start (really) writing again and figuring out how to work it in with my photography. Luckily there are a plethora of photography blogs out there who write exceptionally well as well as taking phenomenal photos.

So that's what's been on my mind. 

I have a some exciting news to share but I think that will wait for another post. In the meantime I hope you're having a wonderful week!

A Week Away

Like I said in my last post (all the way back on September the 21st - where does the time go?) I recently headed off to New Zealand for a week's holiday...

And, my oh my, what a beautiful country! It felt like there was a picture-perfect-postcard moment every 5 minutes. My camera's defiantly got a work out on that little trip that's for sure. Spending a week traveling around the North Island with my marvelous mum was all kinds of fantastic! She's one of the best traveling buddies this girl could ask for.

I was planning to write up a day-by-day posts but then I thought it would be better to condense it down to my favorite-favorite images with a little highlights write up. So here goes:

Highlights:- mum and I spending the majority of the week laughing (sometimes til tears ran down my face), stunning scenery, learning a bit about Maori culture, the Redwood forest, geysers and tulips at Rotorua, seeing a real live Kiwi (the bird... but I did meet heaps of Kiwi people too!), my mispronunciation of almost every single town (it was decided that I should probably never share any of these with a New Zealander), winding roads, the themed gardens in Hamilton, going up Sky Tower in Auckland while mum waited safely on the ground - not such a fan of heights is my mum, taking photos of the majestic wonder of everything that is New Zealand and last but certainly not least spending some quality time with my mum.

Most of the places we stayed at had little to no internet connection which was a little bit of a bummer as I had planned on sharing more as I traveled along on my Twitter and Instagram feeds. But that's okay... Note to everyone heading overseas though - check that your mobile phone doesn't automatically connect to mobile data when Wi-Fi isn't in range. Just got my phone bill and OUCH!

All in all it was a magnificent week away and New Zealand is most defiantly on my 'must visit again sometime soon' list. I don't think I'd ever get bored of the place! My two instant cameras made the trip with me and once I can figure out how to get a decent quality scan I'll be sure to share a few of my instant pics of NZ. There are some really lovely ones in the collection. So keep an eye out for that!

Thanks for reading about my break away. I'd love to know what your favorite picture of the bunch is! Until next time my lovely readers... Take care

Just to let you know...

Hello lovely readers!

If you've been following this blog for a while now (or if you've been following me on any other form of social media for that matter) you may be aware that I've been working on setting up a website for my photography business. My what an adventure that was! I'd be working on something for days, get it to a place where I thought I was ready to launch then the next minute I was unhappy with it and totally scrapped it.

Well, I decided it was time to finally take the plunge and launch taflinehoeyphotography.com.au!

It's still a little bit of a work in progress. But it's there... My little proclamation that I'm a professional photographer. I'd love it if you could click the link, take a look and tell me what you think! If you have any suggestions I'd appreciate the feedback.

If you are a facebook user I would be very much obliged it if you could take a second to 'Like' the Tafline Hoey Photography fan page! 

In other news I'm off the New Zealand tomorrow for a week... Yes okay not exactly the best timing to launch my business website then go overseas the next day. But be on the lookout on the website, facebook fan page and this blog for pictures of the stunning landscapes of New Zealand in the up-coming weeks! I'm going to try and post a bit while I'm away but I'm not sure what kind of Internet coverage I'll have access to over there so if I go quiet for a week now you know why. I hope to tweet and Instagram where possible as a little on-going journal of my trip so follow along if you'd like to see what I'm up to.

In the meantime I hope you are all having an amazing day and are looking forward to a fantastic week ahead... I know I am!

 

George & Crystal - First Look

Let me tell you the story...

I have a wonderful cousin who lives in Sydney and shares my passion for photography. She has been slowly but surely building up her own photography business - Samara Joy Photography. A while ago she shared her joy at the opportunity to photograph her friend's wedding and build her portfolio.

I, of course, delighted in the news and offered (half jokingly) to fly to Sydney and act as her assistant/second shooter ... As it turned out the wedding was taking place in Brisbane and my cousin and the bride were happy to have me come along as second shooter! Truly amazing! It was a joy to photograph the delightful couple's special day with Samara. Click here to see her take on the wedding day. (While you're there take a look at the rest of her blog and subscribe)

 ghhhhhhh

To capture the absolute beauty of two people making a lifelong commitment to one another is an honor. Crystal and George began a journey that day and I was privileged to witness it. Click on the images if you would like to view them larger.

 sdfgggggggg

I'm still working through my images from the day but I thought I'd share a few of my favorites so far. There was laughter. There were pictures. There was the occasional tear. There were precious little moments. There were stories shared. There was love... And there was a couple starting their new lives together as husband and wife. That is pure beauty...

 dxddffffffffff

I'd like to share another quick story if I may. As you may notice the groom is a Papua New Guinean. I cannot recall if I've shared before of my connection to the country. From living there when I was little to going back for (at times heartbreaking) visits - the place holds a special place in my heart. It is undoubtedly part of my history... And there are times I yearn to go back for a visit... At this wedding I got a taste of Papua New Guinea and my heart was full. Thank you George and Crystal for allowing me to capture your special day and for giving me a sweet little taste of PNG.

There are many more images to go through and a lot more exciting news to share... But that shall wait for another post. In the meantime I say thank you to George and Crystal for entrusting your special day to Samara and I... And thank you Samara for a wonderful weekend of photography, fun and laugher - we must do it again sometime!

 

Inspired By Song - 'Let Her Go'

A while ago I decided to start a new photographic series called 'Inspired By Song'. Because I'm such a visual person whenever I listen to music I always 'see' pictures to accompany the music. I figured it was about time that I start making these imaginary photos into a reality.

I shot the first set of the series yesterday... Inspired by 'Let Her Go' by Passenger. If you haven't heard of Passenger you are seriously missing out! Click through and listen. Then do yourself a favor and buy all of his albums... and oh my is he magnificent live! I've had the privilege to go along to a few of his gigs in recent years and he is one of my favorites for sure.

Here's the official video clip for 'Let Her Go':

Now that you've heard (or are listening to) the song here are a few of my favorites from my photoshoot 'Inspired By Song - Let Her Go':

A huge thank you to Miss R for being my amazing model! She got my vision for the shoot the minute I started explaining it and was on-board with it all. Even after mosquitoes started eating her alive she happily was traipsing through the forest when I asked. If that's not dedication I don't know what is! Thanks so much Miss R!! I can't wait to work with you again. 

Also a big thank you to Miss D for the fantastic make-up artistry skills. I'll be calling on her again for sure... It was so wonderful to be able to capture the images that I saw in my mind's eye. I'll leave you with my two favorite images from the set.
dffffffff

Thanks for taking a look at the first set in the series! I'd love to hear what you think!!

Stuff Your Eyes With Wonder..

A while ago a friend and I headed out to take a few photos of the sun fading from the sky and stare in wonderment at the stars above. We managed to find a spot not too far from my place that seemed like the perfect location with very little light pollution. A spot I'll be coming back to I'm sure. Here are my three favorite photos from our little adventure.

 Standing out there in the cold beholding the beauty of the stars shining bright and true I couldn't help but think of Ray Bradbury's thoughts in Fahrenheit 451:

"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."

 

I've got to say after sitting in that spot for a few hours gazing at the stars above I felt as if I managed to stuff my eyes with the wonder of the world. All in all it was a wonderful way to spend a few hours... But next time I'll be bringing a thermos of hot chocolate!

I Choose...

 It's 3:45 am and smoke hangs heavy in the air. Sleep does not come easy to this restless mind of mine...

So now seems as good a time as any to actually type out a post I've been writing in my head for quite a while now. You know the type that you write and re-write over and over in your mind til one day you actually sit down at your keyboard and punch it out.

Yep it's one of those posts... So settle in for a manifesto of sorts if you will. Hope to see you on the other side.

I Choose

I choose to throw away the measuring stick

I choose not listen to those who seek to bring me down

I choose to stop keeping up with the Jones (who are they anyway?)

I choose to follow my own path wherever it may go

I choose to not get to get discouraged when things don't happen as I expected

I choose to do what makes me happy

I choose to live, laugh, love and learn

I choose to tune out those who don't deserve a say in my life to begin with

I choose to live a BIG life

I choose to be brave and stick to my guns

I choose to passionately pursue my photography career with vigor and determination

I choose to grow and learn and develop my photography skills in every way possible

I choose to go on adventures...even if they are in my own city

I choose not to put life on pause waiting for something to happen

I choose to be confident in my talents and abilities

I choose to be confident in myself

I choose not to care about other's judgments

I choose to dream

I choose to have fun 

I choose to stand up for myself and for what I believe in

I choose not to spend so much time thinking/worrying about tomorrow

I choose to live in the moment

I choose to make mistakes and I choose to learn from them

I choose joy

I choose to be who I am no matter what the circumstance

I choose to see the beauty in every moment I have on this Earth and make the most of each moment

What about you? What do you choose?

 

Twin Bridges

About a week ago I got up and dressed before the sunrise to capture the beauty of a brand new day. It seemed like the perfect day to re-visit a spot that I'd been to roughly a year before. Thankfully I got there a bit before the sun rose which gave me the chance to scout the location a little bit more than the last time and fit in a few sneaky l-o-n-g exposure shots before the sun started its climb to start off a new day.

Of course this was the perfect opportunity to break out my ultra wide lens (gotta love that 8-16mm focal length) and experiment with perspective and distortion. I just loved this little spot underneath the two towering bridges above. While I was there I couldn't help but think that it would make a magnificent backdrop to some stellar portraits. I'm slowly gathering an arsenal of perfect portrait backdrops... So if you're in the area and feel like some photos be sure to contact me.   

As can happen when I'm off taking landscape photos on my own I got completely wrapped up in the experience - completely enthralled in my long exposure shots underneath the bridge. So much so that the next thing I knew colour was starting the creep into the sky and I wasn't in position. Luckily I am now able to pack down my gear in record time and I (almost) ran to the best closest spot to capture the sunrise. 

I know I say it every single time but there's something kind of breathtaking about watching the sunrise. Seeing a band new day full of infinite possibilities take hold is something everyone should witness at least once in their lives.

 

I decided to add a black and white treatment to one of my under the bridges digital shots. I have a bit of an infatuation with black and white photography. Especially film black and white photography - the grain, the texture, the varying hues of black and gray - simply bliss. Given all that you can understand why half my rolls of 35mm film are 'true black' rolls. I'm going to get a bunch of my rolls of film developed soon and I'll be sure to share once I get my hands on them.

There should be a lot more coming up on this little blog super soon so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime I hope you're having a wonderful week!