Bikes

A couple of Sundays ago, I took myself out to the deep forests of Buckland to photograph Enduro motorcycle racing. This wasn't my first time photographing bikes, yet the exhilaration of watching riders hurtling through areas where masses of trees created a path no wider than a metre, was pure and precarious enjoyment. There are risks, and as a photographer, I too had to sign an indemnity form against my injury, but what's the point of living if you aren't doing what you love, risks and all. 

My introduction to motorcycles occurred during my youth in the small rural town of Bagdad, and although I feared for my life when faced with a 50cc bike no higher than, well, a beanbag, the feeling was incredible. Soon after I'd started riding at a friend's property on the other side of town, my parents informed my twin and I that they had a motorcycle of their own, which they'd stored away. This bike was the source of hours of adventures around the farm we lived on. I loved nothing more than riding it up ridiculously steep dam walls, often stalling halfway up and sliding back down the wall, which was more often than not laden with thistles. 

Anyway, riding through the streets of sleepy Hobart, navigating traffic and remaining constantly vigilant gives clarity like nothing else. Driving in a car, my mind tends to relax, and whilst I'm not suggesting that I'm a bad driver, the challenge of riding and the satisfaction of a good gear change or corner feels great. There's a whole lot of feelings in this post, but hey, do stuff that makes you feel, be it exhilarated or challenged, it's all good. 

Chasing

It's roughly been a year since I last wrote anything here, but having a view over this thing last night reminded me how it can sometimes be interesting to read over the past, but then, this blog isn't a diary, I stopped leaving diary entries on line when I stopped using myspace, back when I was such a typically dissatisfied and rather frustrated student at the Hobart art school.

I've been busy lately, in good ways and bad. There's way too much demand for me at my workplace, and I'm struggling to submit myself to all sorts of ridiculous tasks in order to maintain the friendliness of the place. There's one particular car which I've found cannot be driven without holding one's breath. I've devised a way to park the car which involves a series of steps aimed at minimising time spent inside this stagnant and sickening vessel. Firstly one must open the door, hold one's breath and turn the key in the ignition. The idea here is to start the car without getting inside it. Then, take a step back and allow your lungs to be filled with the fresh air of outside, once your lungs have expanded, hold your breath deeply, dive into the car, and get it into a vacant space as quickly as possible.

I have begun actively protesting against parking cars which make me physically sick, there ain't many of them, but I feel that being inside them violates the terms of a clean working environment. I'll keep up the fight and see where it leads me.

Over the course of the 3 months I've spent at uni this year, I've made some very valuable friends, and one of the purposes of this post is to reflect upon how good it is to constantly meet people who add so much to your life. Maddie, thanks for always being one step ahead with the German homework, one day I'll have bought you enough coffees to repay you.

Anyway, time to go and give the old ladies their weekly conversational excitement. You do your worst Poker Machines, but i'm going to make sure these people remember how to interact with the young and energetic.

6 months onwards

Man oh man, have I lost the blogger's touch. Seems like years since i last scribbled down some text and threw up a photo, it's probably now time to unleash some more photographs upon cyberspace, and do a little writing about what's been happening in the life lately.

2011 was going to be all about relocation and taking another swing at financial independence, but it didn't really turn out that way. I've just about reached the end of semester for my absolutely final university study of German, as a bachelor of fine arts wasn't quite enough for me, and i'm preparing for some form of great escape to a warmer climate.

A couple of months ago I embarked upon one of my most exciting photography assignments, and learned plenty about picking out interesting people and attempting to get decent shots of them. It was relaxing. Strolling around Bridgewater and Gagebrook and waiting for a kid on a quirky scrap-assembled bike to ride my way. And these bikes were incredibly interesting. Some were amalgamations of red-taped racing handles facing upwards like bull-horns, or the faring of a motorbike fixed to the frame with cable ties, really quirky.

Birthday Time

I was just about to throw the ultra intense coffee my mum has just made for me dramatically out of the window, I fear that a tablespoon of instant may well lead to some pretty nasty side-effects, but i'm not going to, because today, the 14th of November is my birthday. However, besides the significance of the date to myself, I'm finding it rather difficult to catagorise my 22nd compared to my 21st, or any other birthday that I've had. I decided to accompany my mother on a trip to the Bagdad for a school's garden showing. She'd organised a great deal of the gardens there, and a large group of admirers of Gardens had bussed down to, um, admire the gardens.
My current educational experience has also finished, after a rather rough German exam and a 'fingers crossed' photography assessment, i'm free to reap the rewards of my fine art degree. I expect a lot of hard work ahead of me, as I keep being told that sending out emails just ain't gonna cut it.

I'm making plans, slowly, trying not to relax, and going to commence the search for professional experience, somewhere in the world. It's a confused state i'm in, probably cause the educational system is a warm blanket of repetition, but i'm sure we'll all adapt to the reality of the real world, whatever it throws at us. So, congratulations to all the graduates of 2010, and good luck with working intensely until you find that ideal job.

And a very special birthday wish to that twin of mine. Happy 22nd Damon. Keep jumping those rocks baby!

Fine arts degree, you're almost mine.

Allowing myself a little break from writing travel stories in German, I'm going to commit some words to the blog. Firstly i'd like to thank the Tasmanian weather system for the painful walk amongst the hail this morning, and also for the red sunburn i acquired across my chest yesterday. But i suppose that love shouldn't always be predictable, so i'll let you get away with it Tasmanian weather.

Three weeks and all hard working university life will be finished, fertig.

My initial hunt will be for a $60,000 p.a job, hopefully the world values a fine arts degree as much as the art school does, otherwise i'm damn excited about where i'm heading, and that's anywhere with a camera.

Party series

I'm starting to realise my final semester's photography project, i'm aiming for 12 images, and am so far at 6. I've put this image up cause i can no longer contain my excitement. As soon as i get some more time off work, i'm going to hustle more people up like cows, cause i love it.
So, just wanted to thank those wonderful six people who have helped me get this far.
C and L, thanks for helping me get this rolling, and all my models, your patience, ability to take direction and give me super hot pensive, anxious looks, makes my eyes water every time i look at you in my photos.

Team

I'm feeling it, feeling the pressure.
At the start of next week i'll have four weeks left of my university education. There's a good deal to look back on, but that ain't the pressing issue of tonight's blog. You see, i could be doing my German assignment, or i could be writing in my journal, both wise things to do with the short amount of time i have left, but i feel like i need this, need some proof that stuff's been happening, important, non uni stuff.

It's been a rough winter at the restaurant at which i work. Customer levels have decreased and as a result the amount of snaky double standards in co-workers has increased, maybe it's the weather, but there remains a certain level of tension at work that frustrates me to no avail.

But there are plenty of good things. As we know i'm not a hero when it comes to building a too-solid crew of friends, i just don't know how to collect people with similar interests and keep them together for a good while. But there are two people who i'm really appreciating at the moment, one is a walking-talking movie reference joke a second, who never fails to convince me that 'covert special ops' is his normal state of being, and the other is a bio-chemistry, japanese/ mathematical genius who over the past 4 months has given me an unconditional kindness, with added cheesecake, vacations, and ears for listening.


Agent AA and Ash, two excellent associates of team Trent.