[learning, always learning...]

Dear future photographer,

# 9 - Learn to use a DSLR camera.

See my bucket list here.

Oh me, oh my.  I am turning thirty in five days.  Yeesh.

(Does that make you feel old, Mum? Hehe.)

Anyhoo, just checking out my list of twenty-nine things I wanted to do before turning thirty.  This was a weird one, because I don't know at what point I've 'made it' in the DSLR arena.  There are still loads of things I need to learn, and practice.  We did a ten week course when we first brought our camera (about two years ago now) which I think gave me a fairly decent foundation.

BUT I'd still like to feel confident on what I guess is the next level of manual photography - manual focus, metered exposure, changing settings quickly to suit changing light.  But I'm pretty happy with my progress up until now.  I've taken some photos in manual that I'm proud of.  

SO I'm happy to tick this one of as done and done. *dusts off hands*

All of the following pics are largely unedited except for the occasional crop or frame.

water fountain, hamilton gardens // first maternity shoot //  austrian alps //  norman church, england //  lake lugano, switzerland //  botanic gardens, vancouver // city skyline, czech republic // kamari beach, santorini //  cottage, iceland

[iceland...]

[travelogs : a series of short, minimalist posts about places I've been and things I've seen...]

A few memories from a fabulous trip/road trip with a husband and two dear (girl) friends. //  One of us, I won't say who (its a boy), fell over on the ice three times in less than half an hour.  I'm talking full on, slice your hands open and crack your tail-bone skids.  //  The wind was ice cold and so so so so strong - not for the dogs though - they thrive in minus forty degrees (celsius) and they towed us all around the place, those clever mutts.  One of the dogs is famous - she was in a music video for David Guetta (as a wolf) .  // Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) was on holiday, so we missed her this time - better luck next time I hope!  //  I ate an amazing steak sandwich at the oldest cafe in Iceland.  It was very cute and had a funky toilet whose walls were completely covered in signatures, words of wisdom, letters from around the world.  //  We had a swim in the Blue Lagoon, silica masked our faces and after that ate an amazing lunch, in a fancy restaurant in our bathrobes (so stylish).

Iceland was one of my favourite places that I've been.  It was brisk and welcoming, it was stark and beautiful.  It was harsh and it was empty and it was wonderful.

there are some places...

Oh Canada.

Canada is quite similar to New Zealand, so going there felt strangely familiar somehow.  My Guy and I went for a five day trip, to Vancouver and Whistler.  And it was cool.  So cool.

I think I'll do a three part series - a trilogy of sorts.

Part one : Vancouver city.

We were in Vancouver for a day, then travelled up to Whistler for three days, and back to Vancouver for the final day.  It rained the whole time we were in Vancouver - I was a little nervous to take the real camera out, so it's iphone pics (not my best work) mixed with real ones.

Airports are always so cool to me...  I love people watching and the thrill of going somewhere new.

 Flying, on the other hand, is less awesome every time I do it.

 Lost luggage (for a while) - also not cool at all.

Next morning I do some planning.  My Guy is at a training day and I have some sights to see! 

 Such as...  

  Granville Island markets for awesome sights (and purchases)...

 Including places to charge up your electric vehicle...

 And grape flavoured apples (why, oh why?!).

After some lunch and a look around, I headed back on the aquabus to the mainland. 

I walked back in the rain (with my new umbrella), along pretty streets lined with pink flowers.

And my favourite flower - the tulip.

Once we'd been to Whistler (post on that to come...), we drove this beast back to Vancouver - on the wrong side of the road.  Well, we drove on the right side but it was the wrong side.  Get it?  Sweet crumbs alive, I must have looked like a child driving this thing.

 We stopped off along the way for some sights and history lessons.

(This photo is probably wildly inappropriate, culturally speaking.)

There is some of the most amazing, peaceful scenery in Canada....  Just breathtaking.

Also Vancouver cityscapes.

Vancouver delivered, oh yes it did.

Stay tuned for Part two : Whistler!

*  Originally written for www.kendylsplace.com

pregnancy shoot...

You may or may not remember my list of things I want to do before I turn thirty (not far away now!)

Well, I've completed another one, and what a one to complete!

# 19.  Photograph a pregnant woman...

Here are a few pictures from our 'shoot' (hehe try hard professional!)

What a super fun time I had, and I was so fortunate to be able to shoot a woman (and her lovely husband), who is looking so fabulous through her pregnancy, and is so photogenic - such a good first preggie shoot!

Isn't pregnancy such a beautiful thing?  It's so magical to think that a baby grows and is nurtured by a body, and becomes a little person!  I think it's so amazing that soon this baby will be outside in the big world!

And what a blessed little girl she will be.  She will be born to such special parents who are so in love with eachother, and already show such love for her.  They can't wait to meet her!

I was so fortunate to be invited to take some pictures of their special time!

(Not everyone wants to be on a blog for all the world to see, so out of respect I've chosen pictures which don't reveal their identities.)