2015: A photo odyssey, part next

This is a catch up post, I'm just going to give you a few photos for the weeks I've missed posting for rather than worrying too much about having one a day. When I set out to take these photos, I promised myself I wouldn't let it get too stressful. It's a personal project taken on for the fun of it. So next month I'm going to try using prompts again because I find them a good source of inspiration - and in the cooler months I find photographic inspiration in much shorter supply than usual.

Moving right along.

Week 13 (16-22 March)

The highlight photo is from the chocolate walking tour I went on - a birthday present from Mum and Dad as this year I decided that I was more interested in doing things with people than coming up with a list of stuff. It was amazing! We stopped at seven venues, tried an amazing variety of chocolatey things and learned quite a bit as we went! This mint iced chocolate from Steven ter Horst was absolutely wonderful.

Week 14 (23-29 March)

 

The most significant thing this week, was that with incredibly inconvenient timing, my phone completely failed. Attempts at bring it back failed, and a new phone was ordered. After a phoneless week, I got the new one... which has a fault with the aux out. So it's gone back for repairs and as I write this I'm using a temporary very cheap phone I bought. It's got an incredibly dreadful camera in it, and I'm eager to have the very nice new phone back.

The highlight photo I chose because I preferred it to the dead phone photo (which is the first little one, I was feeling silly that day). It's part of my back fence, though the gate is in the neighbours' section. It's a heritage listed stable wall and gradually crumbling but it is quite beautiful.

Week 15 (March 30-April 5)

The highlight this week was a camping trip - I spent the long weekend with a great group of people camping, walking, photographing and snorkelling. There's a much bigger album of photos on Facebook if you are interested. The highlight is a fishing boat on the beach at Pondalowie Bay, near our campsite. The oldest graffiti is from 2008, so at a guess that's roughly how long it's been there. It made an amazing photography subject (and backdrop)!

During this week I actually had my new phone, I had some important calls to make/take and hung onto it until I could arrange a substitute. The photo of my feet has a short story - I took a photo much like it for Instagram on my previous phone, but I wasn't able to send it out before my phone shut itself down for the last time, not able to connect to a computer for retrieval (thankfully all but that photo had been backed up).

Week 16 (6-12 April)

A pretty normal week, mostly, and one for getting things done. In the case of the first photo, with a chai and in the Adelaide City Library. After my  haircut, I had work to get done on a deadline. The library proved to be a great place to plug in and get things sorted out.

I also went to a Board Games Day event - and won the door prize! Otherwise it was a good but unremarkable week of getting things done.

Week 17 (13-19 April)

Bacon + Eggs + Pancakes + Maple Syrup is the love story that won me some movie tickets in a twitter competition. There really only was one way to celebrate...

Side note, I actually like this one highlight, other smaller photos format. It's far less time consuming to put together, and I think it looks better too. Just as well I decided to change format for the catch up!

Reading onward... books 21-30 for 2015

Time to take my nose out of my current book (briefly) and let you know what I've been reading. Forgive me the huge post!

21 - What makes us tick? - Hugh Mackay

I bought this book at Writers' Week during the Adelaide Festival of the Arts. Although I didn't know much about Hugh Mackay's writing his talk sounded interesting, and I had time - although he mostly spoke about a different book I decided to try this one.

In this book, Hugh Mackay explains ten drivers of behaviour and decision-making beyond the basic needs of food, water, air and such. Throughout the book a variety of situations are given and the interaction of these drivers is explained. I started to think of similar situations I've seen, and began to see the behaviour of others I've met with a fresh perspective.

This is a book that really made me think - it gave me a lens to look through when thinking about my own choices and actions and those of others. I plan to revisit it again in future as it's knowledge well worth keeping active in my mind. Along with other books I'm currently reading or have read in the recent past I'm finding that I'm developing a new way of looking at things and learning from them. This can only be a good thing.

22 - Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice - John Layman & Rob Guillory

Tony Chu is cibopathic - he gets psychic impressions from what he eats. In a world where poultry was banned after an outbreak of avian flu killed millions this is a very useful detective skill in the FDA - combating the black market for chicken is serious work. But this skill is not always a good thing. Sometimes it's best not to know the details...and some of the things Tony has to eat in the line of duty are not exactly food.

The story is crazy and fun, the characters are wonderfully fun. I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to seeing where it goes - looks like a lot of shades of grey are developing.

You might not to read this one while eating though.

23 - Poisoned Apples: poems for you, my pretty - Christine Hepperman

This book of poetry mixes issues teenage girls frequently face with fairytales and feminism. I found about half of the poems in the book very enjoyable and cleverly written, but didn't really find much for me in the rest, especially the fairly substantial number of them tackling eating disorders. This might well be a reflection of personal experience, so others might find something more in those.

24 - Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8) - Terry Pratchett

A mysterious cult, a fire-breating dragon, a collection of unlikely guardsmen and (gasp!) a stolen library book. This book was my introduction to the wonderful and hilarious Discworld. I'd attempted to read The Colour of Magic before but hadn't got far. This book did the trick. When I heard that Sir Terry Pratchett had died I wanted to re-visit the Discworld, and I thought that the book that got me into it was the right place to go back to. I was sad to hear of Sir Terry's passing, but I was soon laughing along with this book. It's sad that he's gone, but the books he's left behind will bring many hours of laughter and good cheer to people for many years to come.

25 - The Disappearance of Ember Crow (The Tribe, #2)- Ambelin Kwaymullina

I really don't want to spoiler this series - and it's almost impossible to introduce this book without spoilering the first so I'll skip right onward.

Once again we're given the idea we know what's going on - but we're proven wrong repeatedly as secrets, some buried for many years, are revealed. It takes fantastic storytelling skill on the part of the author to do this so well, too often twists can be spotted a mile off - but not in this series. There are plenty of surprises here to keep you hooked and reading far later than is entirely responsible (*cough*). 

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf was a great book, but the second in the series is much stronger. The story has gained complexity and moral grey areas of varying degrees abound. My challenge now, is to wait patiently for the third book. That will be difficult.

26 - Hinterkind, Vol. 1: The Waking World - Ian Edginton and Francesco Trifogli

After the blight, little of humanity remains. Cities are overgrown and life as we know it is long gone. Fantastic creatures and people have returned to the world, and they're not exactly friendly...

Even by my standards, I'll keep this one brief. This book wasn't bad, but I just wasn't inspired or compelled by it. I did continue to Vol. 2, but I'm not sure I would have if I hadn't already borrowed it from the library. I'm sure some people enjoyed it... but this wasn't my cup of tea.

27 - Into the Grey - Celine Kiernan

After a fire destroys their Home Patrick, his twin Dom and their family move into a seaside cottage that was once the family's summer getaway. Now, changed by the fire, they attract sinister attentions. Patrick can see that Dom is changed - perhaps dying- but nobody else seems to notice. As things worsen and history is gradually revealed Patrick will have to deal with the situation to the best of his ability in trying circumstances. 

A good spooky read that drew me in so well that time seemed to disappear within its pages. The supernatural is here, but this is proper spooky stuff, not the more amiable and flashy paranormal that has become so popular. While I really detest gender categorising books, in YA I can't help but notice the dominance of books primarily targeted at girls. When looking for books to recommend to teen boys when they visit the library it can be tough to find newer titles. This book will be great for recommending in that situation.

28 - Hinterkind, Vol. 2: Written in Blood - Ian Edginton, Francesco Trifolgi and Cris Peter

According to my notes, I enjoyed this a little more than Vol. 1 (book 26, higher up in this review). That said, now that I come to write a review not much comes to mind to write about it. The characters are stronger, there are some interesting developments, but I'm not sure I'll continue with the series. There are too many out there that I'd rather read first.

29 - Pride of Baghdad - Brian K Vaughan, Niko Henrichon

Inspired by the real life escape and eventual re-discovery of lions from Baghdad's view, this emotionally powerful story imagines what might have happened and mixes it with a great deal of musing on the meaning, value and costs of freedom and captivity.

I was drawn to this book as I've enjoyed some of Brian K Vaughan's other work, especially Saga. I can't really draw a comparison between that book and this because there's not a lot of common ground. The philosophy was a bit heavy-handed at times but the ideas were interesting and I found myself quite attached to the characters.

If you're looking for a happy ending, you won't find one here. It's an interesting read though.

30 - Faking it (The Intern, #2) - Gabrielle Tozer

Things are going well for Josie. She's found a job as a writer and things are working out well with her boyfriend. But the pressure's building with new responsibilities and expectations and she's developing a shocking case of impostor syndrome...

As with the first book in the series, the characters are wonderfully written. Josie's awkwardness is believable and the distinct personalities of the other characters are really well written. I really only had one gripe - there's a scene with a librarian, she's a horrible, vicious stereotype (ultra-authoritarian, uptight, angry, moralist) who behaves in a manner totally unbelievable to a person who's worked in libraries. Given how well other characters are written it was quite disappointing. I had to put the book down and walk away for a bit. Thankfully that character didn't recur and the book is very, very good otherwise.

I've been enjoying reading some newer Australian YA authors and Gabrielle Tozer and the earlier mentioned Amberlin Kwaymullina have been the standouts.

Graphic Novels and French Classics (obviously) (2015 books 16-20)

16 - The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 1: The Faust Act - Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead.

Another brilliant new comic, and one that I am looking forward to seeing more of. The story is engaging, the art beautiful, the characters very interesting. It's been a while since I read this one *cough*catchinguppost*cough* so I've not got a lot more to say.

17 - Lucifer, Book 4 - Mike Carey, Peter Gross, et. al.

This comic continues to be brilliant, drawing on mythology, especially Judeo-Christian mythology, and spinning a fantastic story with it. Most graphic novel volumes take me an hour to read, tops. There's so much content in these, however, that each one might as well be a short novel.

As with the previous, this is a catch up review, as it's not as fresh in  my mind it's consequently brief.

18 - Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery - Curtis J Wiebe, Roc Upchurch

Rat Queens was absolutely brilliant. I read it three times before I had to return it to the library. In the first story, now that more peaceful times have come the town of Palisade is finding the adventurers who previously dealt with the town's problems have become a menace. To avoid exile, each group is set a task, but something fishy's going on...

Centring around an all-female group of Dungeons-and-Dragons style adventurers this hilarious action-filled story has a great deal of potential and I cannot wait to see where it goes next. I'm particularly keen to learn more of Violet's story, though it looks like the next character to get the spotlight will be Dee - not that I'm complaining. An atheist cleric whose family worships an evil god has got to have one heck of a back story.

Not for those who like their stories squeaky clean and their characters well behaved, but if you're not looking for those things then give this a try, it's got an improbably high concentration of fun within its pages.

19 - You Only Live Once - Lonely Planet

I enjoyed this book over some weeks with cups of tea. It's a beautifully made coffee table style book and divided up into ideas based on how long is needed. The majority of stories are very, very brief and don't really give much by way of how, just inspiration really.

There's still a bit of me that now has the urge to walk/cycle a ridiculous distance. Perhaps I could walk across Ireland... or cycle around the country here. Hmm.

20 -  The Ladies' Paradise - Emile Zola

I picked this up at my local library in the 'blind date with a book' promotion, and am glad I did. I doubt I would have picked this up otherwise, as a perceived high chance of a dominant romantic theme generally puts e off.

Instead of what I expected, I was fascinated with a story of the social and economic implications of the arrival of department stores and the prosperity, ruin and upheaval they brought. The romantic plot was there, and unsurprisingly I didn't care for it at all, but it wasn't as big an element as expected. I would heartily recommend this book.

2015 photo post up-to-dating

54 (23rd February) - Fix - I took time to fix this mouse... he's Mum's and was a victim of kitten curiosity a little while ago. PVA glue was all I needed - that and to tackle the job in stages. At this point there are already some sections that have been glued back together. I was pleased with the results, and the mouse is back on the shelf.

55 - 12 O'Clock - I was out on the road, almost at Keith, on the longest distance driving day I've yet had. I enjoyed it more than I expected though wouldn't want to do this kind of thing daily.

56 - Reflection - after an interview I take time to reflect - on this occasion that meant time at Picaninnie Ponds, a place where I really enjoyed the isolation, if only for a little while, and during the drive. While much of my mind focuses on the road and the route there's plenty left to contemplate life, the universe and everything. The skies were pretty spectacular too. They might not be a literal reflection but they help with the reflecting.

57 - Grow - Something this lobster at Kingston SE did?

58 - Still Life - I took a few more traditional subject photos but wasn't really happy with them. Instead I focused on background and light. Which I need to work on more... but made some progress. This is my favourite of the shots taken, possibly not the best lit but in combination with framing it seems stronger.

59 - Thank you - not so much thank you, as thankful. For the festival season in Adelaide, the atmosphere, buzzing and excited, and for good nights out. This night I caught one of the $5 shows and enjoyed some food, drink and people watching.

60 - Starts with R - R & R and Reading. I've enjoyed a few books with a sociology/psychology angle lately and they've been good food for thought too.



-- From here I decided to take some time off, I don't want to burn myself out, so if I need a break in my creative projects... I'll take them ;) Days 60-74 I'm considering that break though the few photos following I've included anyway. They were taken incidentally rather than as part of an ongoing effort --

66 - Spotted some street art on the way to Yum Cha in the city with friends, these were Chinese donuts, crisp pastry inside, soft pastry outside, tasty sauce. I tried tripe for the first time, the flavour (especially with sauce) I found to be decent but I just couldn't get past the texture and found it difficult to eat as a result.

70 - I made my second batch of jam, this time with peaches. The method was a little trickier but the results were good. It didn't set as firmly as the nectarine jam did but I'm still happy with the outcome. This was also a much bigger batch so I'll have jam for quite a while now.

71 - A night out at the fringe. I saw 'Randy Writes a Novel' with a friend and had a lot of fun doing so. Couldn't take a photo then, so instead, this was my dessert. It was gooood.

72 - Colour - I jumped into responding to a prompt today as it inspired me. Overnight I heard that Sir Terry Pratchett died. His books brought much colour to my life and will continue to do so, I love re-reading these from time to time.

74 - After a huge and wonderful birthday weekend (this mug was a gift) spending time with friends and family and seeing La Soiree, which was absolutely incredible, it was time for a cup of tea. I will keep creating, keeping calm... is a work in progress. Although I'm going forward without prompts for now I'm hoping to resume more regular photography after this break.