Ramblings

Listening to: Fear Factory - Replica
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I am a duplication
Innocently
I was conceived
So violently

I had a dream the other night, that I met Dream Theater. The fact that one second they were wearing the classic mid-90s white basketball shoes with black jeans and black T-shirt, and then the next, they were all in casual clothers with their hair cut shorter doesn't seem to stick in my mind as much as the fact that I was sitting next to guitarist John Petrucci, talking about when they would be touring.

For those who don't know, DT have never hit the shores of Australia, despite having been in the industry for twenty years now.

I love my dreams sometimes, they're so random. Then again, the one I had when I was about five, where I was being chased round my grandmother's house by a Tyrannosaurus Rex, wasn't so lovely. I've only ever had that dream once, but I've never forgotten it. I can still see myself clear as day, running around the house, with this god-awful thing behind me.

Have you ever had a dream where you knew what was happening, but couldn't see it? See, I knew there was a T-Rex after me, but I don't actually remember seeing the bastard. I know it was behind me - I just don't remember looking at it. Needless to say when I was that young, it spooked me which probably why I can remember it so vivdly.

I wonder if that's got anything to do with my morbid fear or being approached from behind without knowing. In my previous job, I sat with my back to the corridor. To overcome this fear, I placed a small convex mirror on the edge of my computer screen, so I had a view of any movement behind me. I didn't necessarily want to know who was there, just if there was someone there. It was there for a good twelve months before someone (never did find out who) complained to my manager saying it was "unprofessional", and I was asked to remove it. I moved it to a less obvious location on the partition, where I could still see it, but it was difficult for others to see.

Anyway, enough about my bizarre tendencies. If you're not aware, Nikon have announced the D300 and the D3. While I would love the latter, the former is more within my target price range. I've been planning on upgrading my venerable D100 for a while, and was eyeing off the D200. But with the D300 being released, I have a new prize to keep my eye on.

One thing I noticed while reading up about the D3 is that, because it's a full-frame sensor, if you stick a DX lens on it (which were designed specifically to get around the multiplifaction factor associated with non-full frame sensors), the D3 will actually reduce the size of the image you take, from 12 megapixels to around 6 or something.

Not something those semi-pro shooters who have a bag full of DX lenses want to hear I bet - hope you held onto your FX lenses!

A Taste Of Culture

Listening to: Machine Head - Battery
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Friday night was a true cultural experience for us. The General Manager of the company I work for is Maori, and wanted to put on a show for all employees and their family, with a Maori twist. Instead of your traditional barbecue, or in my previous employer's case, a spit roast, he decided to put on a traditional Maori Hangi.

To start the night though, we were treated to a Maori welcoming ceremony which was amazing to see. When Kel and I were planning our now-delayed trip to NZ, we were able to learn a bit about the Moari culture and heritage. So to be able to see it right in front of us was incredible. The passion and pride the people involved showed made me think about the fact that, as Australians, we really don't have that much history. Sure, we've got two hundred or so years behind us, and a broad mix of cultures and heritages, but the Maori people have probably thousands of years of customs and history. To be witness to a small part of this history was an honour.

Then came the food... Cooked in a hole in the ground for about five hours, made for some mouth-watering meat. Perfectly cooked chicken, delicious lamb and beautiful smoked pumpkin and potato made for a fantastic dinner.

And to top the night off, a group of Cook Islanders performed traditional dances and drumming for us. Couldn't ask for a better experience, really.

A huge thanks to Clark and his crew for putting together a night that I know I won't forget any time soon. Beats my old employer's work dinners!

Life

Listening to: Dream Theater- The Ministry Of Lost Souls

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Hello mirror

So glad to see you again

It's been a while

Well, here I am, four weeks into my new job. I'm slowly hacking my way through the quagmire that is the current documentation backlog, and am slowly making notes on how to improve the whole system. File storage, file references (the CAD software we use relies heavily on linked files and properties within those files - time-consuming to set up, but very powerful once it's sorted) naming conventions, supplier contacts, that kinda thing.

It's a lot to take in, but I'm getting there. I'm yet to spend some time on the factory floor, getting used to the different stages or production, but it's on the agenda and I'll keep pushing for it to happen. I'm also planning to ask to spend time with the guys installing our products, so I can see what they need to deal with.

It's nice to be able to sit here and work away, without the constant drumming noises of the huge die-cutting machines at my old work. I got used to it pretty quickly, but it's a change being able to hear the keystrokes on the keyboard! Every now and then I'll hear someone drop a length of aluminium rod, or hear the chop saws cutting up the steel tube, but other than that, it's a peaceful environment.

I'm also working on a little design project that's proving deceptively challenging. At first glance I thought it wouldn't be too tough. Man, did I underestimate this sucker! But I'm working through each issue as they come up, and I'm almost there.

And to top this first month off, in about two and a half hours, I'll be flying to Sydney for the Saturday inDesign show. Sweeeet.

In other news, my second photographic exhibition is coming to a close. No luck in selling, but for it was never about sales. I was proud to see my work hanging in a public space. Sure it would've been nice to flog it off, but I've achieved my goal.

Till next time.

New Horizons

Last night was the opening night of Refuge:refresh and was another fantastic night, with three prints selling (two of them Kel's"!). Crowd numbers were a little less than last time, but still a lot of people shuffled through and shard a beer or wine with us.

Over the last month or so, I've been feeling a little... uneasy about my photography and where I'm at with it. I've been getting the sense that I'm in a but of a rut. I've been shooting a lot, but haven't been the satisfaction out of it that I used to. It's like I'm just going through the motions.

A while back, I bought a Holga 120N to try new things and shake it up a bit. But I've only used it once, and it's been in the cupboard since. I made a pinhole camera and haven't had the first film processed yet. I have a box of exposed 35mm film that contains film that are probably about five years old. I have a habit of starting something, but never going on with it. Digital is easier to follow through with, but now it's less satisfying.

Recently, I started to read up about processing my own film. I've never done it before, and thought it a bit daunting, using all the chemicals and stuff. But I found a step-by-step tutorial on how to do it on Flickr, and the light has turned on above my head.

Something's gotta change before I crack the shits and walk away from it entirely. I love photography, and don't want to give up on it. Until recently, I've gotten so much out of it, that I just can't give it up. I'm planning on learning how to process my own film, so I can scan it (somehow - haven't thought that far) and work on it, without having to wait for the lab to do it all for me. A film scanner is a possibility, but I need at least $2000-$3000 for an entry level scanner.

I'm going back to basics, and I'm starting again. I have the creative ability to make this work, and I have the ability to learn the technical side to make this work. Stuff the techno-shit, stuff the rules, stuff the conventions. Anything goes.

The exhibition opening last night reinforced the fact that I'm really not all that comfortable with selling my work. I like the fact that people want to buy it, but there's something that just feels wrong to me. So I'm not sure if I'll be in any more exhibitions - at least not hte next one or two. We'll see.

By the way, Take A Photograph is currently in hibernation, but I have plans for it to be evolved over the next few weeks or so. Stay tuned. :)