Firstly, I know my blog has been quiet of late, things have been rather hectic at this end, with not as much photography as I'd like.
2011 was an interesting year as far as my shooting went. Upon releasing my 2012 calendar A Southern Exposure it became clear to me that I seem to have a fascination with movement and water. I mean, who doesn't love wet feet at the beach, or watching a waterfall cascade over rocks, or constantly being driven to distraction by the bladder-inducing sound of water moving? So after the initial release of the calendar, we rethought the layout and re-released as a purely water-based publication, which sold like hot cakes. So if you're one of the lucky few who own a copy of the initial release, hold onto it, only 8 of these are on the face of the planet.
But now it's 2012, and exciting things are afoot in the coming months. As I said, I haven't been shooting as much as I'd like, due to several reasons, not the least being the hideous temperature we get at this time of year. People who know me know I'd rather live in an Antarctic blizzard than deal with heat over 25 degrees C. I have though, squeezed in a couple of shoots with my good friends Ben Lawrence, Ly Tobias and Nick Skinner. All great people to shoot with, and always a good time, despite sometimes trudging for miles over sand dunes and through slippery rocks, it's all part of the fun! My partner Nicole and I also attended the annual Kustom Nationals at Phillip Island raceway a week after Ben, Ly and Myself hit up The Pinnacles at Cape Woolamai, also down at Phillip Island.
Soon afterward I was down at the secretive No. 16 Beach and it's Dragon Head Rock on the Mornington Peninsula, with friend and talented shutterbug Nick Skinner after 2 weeks of overcast conditions. This proved to be a blessing in disguise, as when the sun sank below the horizon, brilliant colours burst through the cloud and bathed the whole low tide scene in amazing warm soft light. It's the kind of moment you can try and plan for, but rarely capture. This shot seemed to impress so many people that I had a sale of a 42x28" canvas enlargement, which my clients loved. So back in my local stomping ground, on a balmy saturday evening I hit the road to Rye back beach, on the Mornington Peninsula. With perfect still conditions and receeding tide and delved into the surf again to get some more simplistic frames of the start of the limestone rock shelves that border that part of the coast. 
Since then it's been a bit quiet with the inevitable return to work and the hustle and bustle that comes with having to be places at a certain time. But on the plus side, the planning and booking is almost complete for my Partner Nicole and I to get on a plane at the end of March to New York City, and basically head south down to Florida, across through Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico to California, stopping at many of the Southwests most beautiful national parks and bustling cities, up through Oregon and Washington into Canada, and back across the north of the USA taking in Yellowstone NP, Chicago and back to NYC, for a final short trip north to Boston and back to Australia during the first part of June. It's an opportunity neither of us could ignore, and I'm excited to finally leave the wide shores of my beloved homeland (Tasmania doesn't count). This also means I won't be taking any bookings for wedding, portrait or commercial real estate work from the beginning of March to the middle of June.
On a sadder note, on Christmas Eve 2011, I recieved the news that Cinty Humphries, the wife of my workplace's network manager Mark Humprhies, lost her long battle with cancer. These two were really a force to be reckoned with, the type of couple people read about. Cinty was strong until the end, and Mark, day by day by her side, never wavering or giving up. And now, he's still not giving up, and organizing a team of riders to participate in this year's Ride to Conquer Cancer, benefiting the Peter MacCallum institute. Cancer is something that will touch most of our lives in some way, at some time, and having worked with Mark so closely over the past 6 years, a cause which is important to me. So if you can, show your support, and if you feel like braving the heat this weekend the 25th and 26th of February, head down to the Westernport Festival this weekend at the Hastings Foreshore on the Mornington Peninsula, and have a look at the Team Cinty float and display, and maybe give a few dollars to the cause.So, until next time, stay cool, and keep snapping and smiling,
Sean
