I’ve had a Godox V1-S Speedlight for some time now, and while it’s extremely versatile for a hot shoe speedlight, I’ve been itching to experiment with it further. Luckily, this year I received a very well-timed isolation-birthday present! The Godox XPro-S Flash Trigger, along with Godox AK-R1 Accessory Kit. Together, they have been the perfect pair for lighting experiments, particularly in the absence of any other creative inspiration during isolation!
The trigger obviously allows me to position the flash off the camera body, so I can achieve the light and shadows that I want in the shot. As for the accessories, they are literally SO easy to use – they just click straight onto the flash head magnetically and you can layer as many accessories as your little heart desires. It is so simple to make little adjustments as you go, just by snapping another accessory on. The gels also clip in and out of their frame, which can accommodate up to three gels at a time, allowing you to layer colours.
I’ve been experimenting a lot (photos to come), but I thought it would be useful to first do a series of shots directly comparing each of these fun accessories!
Control shot – flash with no accessories attached.
Wide angle diffuser.
Honeycomb grid.
Dome diffuser.
Snoot.
Barn-door.
Colour-correction gel kit.
Colour-correction gel kit.
Colour-correction gel kit.
Colour-correction gel kit.
Colour-correction gel kit.
Bounce card. This one has a white side (for bouncing) and a black side (for masking).
Dome diffuser layered with colour-correction gel.
Dome diffuser layered with colour-correction gel.
Side note: this Poor Tom’s Strawberry Gin is a bloody delightful drop, and drop-dead gorgeous repurposed as a vase!
I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary with my Sony a7iii. It has been a whirlwind romance and I can’t wait for many more years of love and mems!
One of the great features of this camera is its interval shooting function. I played around with it a little bit while travelling last year, but since we were on the road, I never processed the images into time-lapse videos. Now that we are in isolation, I busted it out again and I’ve been playing around with different speeds and frame rates. I love the flexibility this camera provides. It’s so easy to achieve whichever creative effects you’re after – I can’t wait to experiment with this a lot more!
I guess the standard time-lapse shot is sunrise or sunset – it’s a simple and achievable shot from most locations. I’ve found it to be a great way to start out and get a feel for the process. Since we’re so close to the water at the moment, it’s also fairly easy to frame a decent shot. Two of the videos below were shot on the Amalfi Coast last year, and I have FINALLY processed them in the last couple of days. The others (featuring the signature palm tree!) were taken over the last couple of weeks.
I’ve obviously been focusing on the sky. While it is ever-changing and fascinating, I wouldn’t blame you for being a little bored of my sky shots. Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to try out some more creative time-lapse videos – stay tuned!
“I believe that for most of us, most of the time, it is in the everyday experience of beauty, certainly in nature and in music, that we sense a heaven half-revealed and come closest to the true meaning of reality.”
Densey Clyne
Ahhh, Our Nation’s Capital. The Bush Capital. The big city. Treat your lungs to a big gulp of that crisp, Canberra air.
While Canberra hasn’t always had the best name in Sydney, it really does have a lot to offer. The food and nightlife scene are becoming much more diverse and exciting, as more and more people flock to the city. Its most attractive feature is probably its proximity to nature. You can spend 10 minutes in the car and feel like you are in the middle of the bush. In some suburbs, kangaroos sit quietly and observe the residents going about their business. The many local parks are populated with native flora and fauna, and there are countless bush walks and nature parks within minutes of the city. There are certainly more built-up areas of the city, but you are never too far from the warm embrace of a big ol’ gum tree.
During our most recent visit, I went out to Black Mountain Peninsula and the Australian National Botanic Gardens – both perfect examples of the beautiful surrounds that will very soon be on our doorstep. Based on my previous experiences of Botanic Gardens, I would usually expect to find carefully manicured displays of flowers, bursting with colour and perfume. This particular garden was a pleasant surprise. They showcase Australian native flora and cultivate plants that are threatened in the wild. It is rambling and wild and organic, and while well presented, it doesn’t feel manufactured.
One thing I have decided – if Canberra were a shape, it would be a circle. What with the roundabouts and the iconic Canberra bus shelters, I think these fabulous minimal planters dotted throughout the gardens confirm my theory.
Towards the end of the trail, I came through Rainforest Gulley, housing plants from the rainforests of Australia’s eastern coastline. In stark contrast to the dry, muted tones of the rest of the gardens, this area felt all the more lush and refreshing. How amazing is Australia?! Even our plants are diverse – love that for us.
Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.
Benjamin Franklin
This was an exciting weekend! After months upon months of almost total isolation, I ventured out of the house for a beautiful weekend in Canberra celebrating my sister’s birthday. We had an UNBELIEVABLE long lunch at Pavilion Dining at Pialligo Estate – all kinds of bougie and decadent in a gorgeous, sun-drenched setting. Due to the current restrictions, we also had an entire dining room to ourselves, which did dangerous things for our egos. I could get used to lunches like this.
We all skipped breakfast in order to take full advantage of the menu. By the time we got to dessert, I was so full I couldn’t think straight, and I forgot to take any photos. No regrets.
House baked sourdough with Pepe Saya butter and Estate olive oil
Beetroot carpaccio with cashew cream, candied walnuts and merlot reduction
Roast king prawn caponata with romesco and salsa verde
Pumpkin, feta and lemon myrtle rotolo with smokehouse chorizo crumb
Grilled pencil leeks, torn maple brisket, horseradish and curly endive
Grass fed scotch fillet, blackened brussels and red wine jus
Spring chicken with wilted leaves, hazelnuts and mustard emulsion
Roasted barramundi, parsnip and pistachio with saffron and kohlrabi remoulade
Confit mushrooms with kale barley, soft garlic and hard herbs
Pork belly with charred corn puree, zucchini and mint salad
When we had finished lunch, the sun was setting over the vineyard so we carpe diem-ed and had another drink outside. Even in Canberra in the middle of Winter, it was gloriously warm in the sun, and the wine was delicious.
10/10 would recommend. If you’re ever in Canberra, make a trip out to Pialligo Estate. Whether you’re in it for the food, the wine, or even just the views – you won’t be disappointed.
“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colours of a rainbow.”
Maya Angelou
It’s Mothers’ Day! One of the (far too few) times of the year we actually give our mothers the gratitude they deserve. Motherhood is strength, grace, patience, tenacity, wisdom and lots and lots of love. Our mothers provide us with a certain comfort and peace that no-one else can replicate. I truly believe that no matter how old we are, we all have times when we just want a cuddle from our mums to make everything better.
For those of us whose mothers are no longer physically with us, those times can be pretty dark. What starts out as a crappy day soon leads to a sudden urge to talk to your mum, which very quickly transforms into the jarring realisation that you can’t.
Ever again.
It’s awful. It’s up there with my least favourite feelings in the world. But over time, I’ve learnt to appreciate the time that I had with her, and to channel her when I need her.
I see my mother everywhere, every day. I see her in beautifully overgrown gardens. I see her in books that make me laugh. I see her in flowers as they begin to bloom. I see her in the shallows of the ocean, where the water is just clear enough to see the sand tumbling below. I hear her voice when I hear people speaking French. I see her in handwritten recipes. I see her when I wash my dogs. I see her in my Sudokus and crosswords. I see her when we’re dancing in the kitchen. I see her in the clouds when they make funny shapes in the sky. I see her swaying when Norah Jones plays. I see her in the laughter of friends and family. I feel her warmth when the sun shines on my back. I see her anywhere there is colour, vibrance, warmth and positivity. Most importantly – and, I suppose, the thing I’m most proud of – I am beginning to see her in myself.
She was a truly exceptional mother, and more importantly, she was a truly exceptional human being – beyond her role as my mother. Motherhood did not define her; she was her own person with skills and interests and knowledge and passion. That is not to say that every other mother lacks those things, but I think it’s important to appreciate them for everything that they are. My mother was so much more than a mum, which is just remarkable because she was a bloody good mum. Just imagine how extraordinary she was in every other aspect of her life! The mind boggles.
We all love her, we miss her, we are grateful for her every day.
At the same time, I am endlessly grateful for every other mother in my world. My many and wonderful aunties, my grandmothers in spirit, the mothers of my closest friends, my mother- and grandmother-in-law, those who have looked after me like mothers, mother Earth, friends who have become mothers, mothers-to-be – you are all ESSENTIAL workers who don’t get paid enough! (Like teachers and nurses, but with even less pay.)
The work you do is so important. I hope you feel valued and appreciated every day. If you don’t, then I hope at least you feel valued and appreciated today.
Hug your mums!*
*from a responsible distance of 1.5m, after sanitising your hands.
We’re getting the hang of life in isolation. One of the biggest perks is the lack of awareness of time. It’s a bit like the week between Christmas and New Year – no one is entirely sure what day it is, and everyone is in holiday mode because they’ve got nowhere to be tomorrow. The stress of the whole situation seems to have passed, and we are now in a constant state of deep relaxation – win!
We’ve been indulging in cocktail hour most afternoons, sitting out in the yard and watching the sun set (sunset, sunset, sunset) over the beach (beaches, beaches, beaches). If you know, you know.
It’s become commonplace to open the fridge and exclaim “we are going through [substitute literally any alcoholic beverage here] at an alarming rate!”, as though it’s some sort of surprising turn of events since the day before. At the risk of sounding like we’ve developed a problem, I like to think we’re just making the best of a bad situation; enjoying each other’s company and having some good old fashioned fun. We’ve leaned into the iso-life and we’re learning to go with the flow. As two BIG planners, we don’t often just see where the wind blows us. To be fair, we’ve accepted the fact that it’s not going to blow us very far in the foreseeable future – but it’s just the vibe. Again, if you know, you know.
It’s not all alcohol though, coffee is important too! And water. Lots and lots of water. We’ve also been doing daily workouts so we’re not totally neglecting our health.
Photographic inspiration has obviously hit a low point, so please enjoy these pictures of the many beverages getting us through isolation! I promise I’ll think of something better next time!
Special mention to SH. He is many things, but in particular he is an excellent lighting assistant, prop manager, website-fixer, troubleshooter, idea-bouncer-off-er and all-round supporter. Thank you!
Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.
Anthony Bourdain
We are still in isolation, but so thankful that the sun has come out for a beautiful Easter weekend. There’s nothing more therapeutic than Vitamin D in my humble opinion. In the absence of our favourite smoker, Sam cooked an amazing Wagyu brisket in the coal Weber. It’s a long process at 10 hours total cooking time, but it’s definitely worth it for the sake of a particularly succulent Easter meal.
In a time where I am trying to actively practice gratitude – I am grateful for a wonderful husband who loves to cook delicious food!
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
WARNING: Uncharacteristically emotional content! I’m usually fairly passive in my writing, but I’m isolated and we are in the midst of some kind of mass extinction bullshit and I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS. You’ve been warned. Read on at your own risk.
It can be pretty easy to feel overwhelmed by stress and anxiety when it seems as though the world is ending. First it was the fires, then it was the floods, and now it’s the virus. We are all more isolated than we have probably ever been, spending a lot of time alone with our thoughts…and for me that’s not the ideal situation! I tend to assume the worst case scenario and over-exaggerate the possibilities ahead when left alone with my brain. Combine that with the constant stream of news and general hysteria (and, for me, a particularly high vulnerability to this disease) and you have a recipe for near-insanity.
However, amidst the chaos, I have found calm in taking time to express gratitude for all the little joys that we are lucky enough to experience every day. The birds singing in the morning, a loving paw on the knee, the smell off coffee wafting through the house, flowers blooming in the garden. Every day there is beauty to be seen.
One of the things I am most grateful for is the beautiful location we have been able to isolate in. We have plenty of space and we are close to nature, which has a welcome grounding and calming effect. I have been noticing the way the light changes throughout the day. It is a reminder that although it feels like the world as we know it has screeched to a halt, the Earth continues to turn. In fact, it is thriving in the absence of human activity! The sun rises every day and sets every night. The tides continue to rise and fall. The seasons continue to pass, as the leaves begin to turn.
In these manic and uncertain times, I have found sunlight to be such a reassuring reminder to put one foot in front of the other and try not to get caught up in the panic.
In light of this (pun very much intended), I am channelling my anxious energy into creativity, making observations on light and shadow. I hope these images can help to bring some zen your way!
