Photography … men in orange, with effects.

On a recent trip to the Blue Mountains with one of my nieces, affectionately known as Number 3, we shared being tourists with a group of Buddhist monks. It was an unusual sight to see these quiet men, clothed in shades of orange, casually lining up for a ride on the 52 degree sloped Scenic Railway to the base of the valley.

It was an autumn day and their orange attire did not appear to provide them with much warmth. They, however, seemed unaware of the chill in the air.

I find Buddhism an intriguing faith and the apparent peace that it provides something to be admired.

I took some happy snaps to record our chance encounter and did some playing with effects.

My original shot.

Magnetic Island ... A short break.

When your special-trusted-school-friend turns 60 AND she decides to celebrate on her favourite island AND that happens to be in North Queensland, thousands of kilometres north AND many degrees warmer than winter at home, you have to go. It's a definite. Magnetic Island, Maggie to those who love her, here we come.

Not your average tropical island, Magnetic has a granite heart and sits in the dry tropics. She's special, very special. 

Giant boulders tumble to the shore line. Trees survive in what seem the most impossible spots.

Photography … looking up.

I have a fascination with the patterns made by trees, branches and leaves, especially in the tropics, in the rainforest and on the beach front . So, taking "looking up" photos has been going on for much longer than my "looking down" obsession. 

Palm Cove in Far North Queensland (FNQ) is one of my special places. I have a little heart twitter as I drive the road in. It is a unique spot. Crocodiles and all. The beach is fringed with coconut palms which reach for the sky in all directions and provide speckled shade for beach goers. The jetty, usually a hive of fishing activity, juts out towards Double Island and Haycock Island, "Scout Hat" to the locals. The water is pristine and sparkles in the northern sunshine. But, for me, it is the looking up patterns which make my day … Oh, and the great coffee and breakfast at Vivo.

Coconut palms and their intriguing trunks.

Sydney ... strolling in the winter sunshine.

It's winter and it's sunny and there's a special friend in the house who hasn't been into "town" for nigh on 30 years, so it's time for a trip to town, to the city, the harbour city … Sydney.

Manual focus on my DSLR … scary!

It never ceases to amaze me how much I learn from reading blogs. Just recently, this Thistlewood Farms' post made my day.

I have been trying to play around with Aperture priority on my DSLR, having some success and some failure. I want to try to master the ability to blur the background or foreground of a photo. KariAnne, of Thistlewood Farms, suggested taking the camera off auto focus. 

S.C.A.R.Y!!!

But, I did. 

Right there and then, I grabbed my camera and took these shots of my desk and notice board. The sort of shots I want to keep and frame ... maybe not.

Focus at the front.

Surry Hills strolling.

Prior to moving to Sydney, my connection to Surry Hills was limited to Ruth Park's A Harp in the South, the sad, post World War 11 story of the Darcy family and their daughter, Dolour (a name I had not met before … or since). So, for me, Surry Hills strolling involved slums and poverty and hardship and alcohol and street brawling … not the most salubrious stroll. 

But, my recent venture to the Brett Whiteley Gallery, hidden in a small suburban back-street, changed those conceptions of Surry Hills strolling … dramatically.

Looking down.

Since becoming addicted to Instagram recently, I've started taking "looking down" style photos just for fun and because, well, I find them intriguing and I'd never really thought of recording life like this before. It's fascinating how many different and beautiful surfaces can be walked on in one day. How many patterns and patinas. So, here are my gaggle of my current "looking down" photos … just for fun.

At the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Holidaying at home.

There are lots of advantages to holidaying at home. Packing is easy. Well … non-existent, in fact. Great tea and coffee making facilities. Your own bed … yay! Your own pillow … double YAY! You get to stock the mini-bar with goodies of your choice and at the right price … triple YAY!! No need for Ralphie boarding ...

Playing around with editing effects.

I'm learning to use my DSLR camera, as you know, but I'm also trying to learn about editing at the same time. I've been playing around with Picmonkey because … well ... most of it is free and I find it easy to use. Free and easy, what more could I ask for?

I know there are more sophisticated editing programs, but I'm trying to keep things simple to start with. So, Picmonkey it is.

It's fun to see what I can do with even the most basic of editing effects. I've used my original photo, totally straight off the camera, no editing at all, as you see it below (Cousin Maria and I have been doing a bit of cemetery wandering in historic Richmond and Windsor recently, so an angel from a grave site seems appropriate).