12 Years a Slave

Our daughter Carol-Ann is up from Sydney for a few of days. The darling girl came up to celebrate her dad's birthday. It was decided we'd go to the movies this afternoon to see the above film. In hindsight it would have been better to see anything else. Unless you're into gratuitous violence, keep away from that one. I know, I know, it's supposed to be based on a true story about how white USA landowners treated their black slaves, but really? This was just over the top. If it wasn't for my daughter sitting beside me, I would have left in the first ten minutes. There really is no need for such garbage. Sorry about that.

HOWEVER!!

While entering the theatre complex, we walked past a poster of the upcoming film 300: Rise of an Empire, starring Sullivan Stapleton, an Aussie actor and very good friend of Bernie and Sonya's and 'uncle Smooch' to the boys. Sullivan spent Christmas with us at Bernie's parents' place on Mornington Peninsula.

 A poster of Sullivan's new film

A couple of frightened cinema goers

Burnett River - Bundaberg

We took a trip on the MS Bundy Belle on the Burnett River last Saturday, in Bundaberg. A very pleasant experience.

The MS Bundy Belle ready to depart

We saw a few fishermen out in their tinnies.

The gang (sans moi)

They were practising their rowing skills

The ferry terminal - we had a fabulous seafood lunch there

The Blogger enjoyed herself

There was a regatta on the river as well

And lots of pleasure boats

The Bundaberg Sugar Terminal

Loggerhead Turtles at Mon Repos

We're now at Bargara, near Bundaberg. Close enough for a drive to the Mon Repos Turtle Beach for a look. We booked our tickets and rocked up at the time stated. We were told that at this time of year the hatchlings would emerge from their eggs and head for the sea. But like everywhere else on these occasions, they had their night off and we waited till 11.00 PM without any action.

But then we were called to witness the other big event on the beach, when a mother decided to come up the beach to lay her eggs. It was very exciting.

First, we visited the exhibition to learn a bit more about the Loggerhead Turtle.

Then, while we were waiting, the rangers gave a talk about the habit of these ancient animals and showed a DVD of the process.

 Then it was time to head for the beach. It was 11.00 PM by that stage. There was a near full moon so we had a little light to follow the ranger to the site, which was quite a distance away.

 The turtle had crawled up the beach and was madly digging a big hole with her rear flippers which work like a human hand.

 The ranger grabbed a couple of eggs to show us what they look like. The hole, the turtle digs is 40 cm deep, so that's where the eggs drop into.

 The rangers, then measure the turtle, note features and record the event.

 Finally, the turtle covers the eggs with sand and pats it down with her rear flippers again and after a short rest, darts back into the sea.

It was a fascinating experience.

A secret Beach

We're on the way to Bundaberg for a few days with a group of friends. First night we stopped at a little coastal township called Woodgate, south of Bundaberg. I'd never heard of it. What a gem!

We're staying in beach cabins for a couple of nights.

Catching their dinner

Not a soul on the beach

Our cabins

Woodgate near Childers, Queensland

The Heart of a Photograph

We had our first meeting of the U3A Camera Club for the year and Diane presented the topic THE HEART OF A PHOTOGRAPH. They say, 'A picture is worth a thousand Words'.

A well attended meeting, we had 35 members there

Diane explained the 'Rule of Thirds' for the benefit of the new members who have joined us this year. Most cameras these days have a function to display that on the screen.

One of the main Rules - Rule Of Thirds used by photographers

Basically what that means is don't place people, objects in the centre of a photograph, but move it onto one of the Third lines.

Use Rule of Thirds

Place especially eyes on the point of Thirds

Use colour to highlight focal point

Use framing to highlight focal point

Use framing and/or lines in your photographs.

Or just lines

Get pictures to tell a story, make the viewer work out what you are trying co convey

Tell a story

Evoke emotion in your photograph

The difference between an ordinary photograph and a picture that tells a story. The following picture shows a train stopped at a country railway station in New South Wales. Basically an ordinary photograph.

Just a train at a railway station

Now add some people and suddenly the picture tells a story and evokes emotion. Here is a family saying good bye to their son, brother, nephew who is off to the city, who knows how long for.

Suddenly we have a story of a family saying good-bye

Show interaction between people in your photographs, sometimes other people are not even shown but the picture shows that they are indeed there. This shot was taken at O'Reillys Mountain Retreat and shows a Swedish girl feeding birds outside the Reception. The girls is communicating with her mother who is also feeding a bird. That's the mother's arm in the shot.

Swedish tourist with an Australian Bower Bird talking to her mother

If you want to se more about the Logan U3A Camera Club, check out our blog

CLICK HERE

Black and White Monday

Mondays are not always black and white, but this one is. It's a public holiday in Australia. So the Blogger dragged me for a walk this morning around our local park lake. Time to grab the camera and take some B&W photos.

K-fee Coffee

We were invited by our neighbours for dinner a few weeks ago. They are terrific neighbours. We keep an eye on each others houses whenever we go away.

After dinner, they served coffee. It was very good coffee and I was interested what kind of coffee it was. Turned out it was Aldi coffee made with one of their coffee machines, using capsules. After New Year I investigated and was pleasantly surprised. Although I had a coffee machine for some years, it was cumbersome and messy. This on the other hand is quick, clean and works out at 37cents a cup. I had to have one.

My old Saeco coffee machine

The new coffee maker came in a box, marked Expressi but upon examination, it turns out it is actually a K-fee machine, made in Germany but Swiss engineered. (So it must be good).

Swiss engineered K-fee coffee maker

That says it all

My new coffee maker in action

Now I just need some proper coffee cups but they are hard to find. I might have to go and look for them in a trade supply shop.

Aldi sell a variety of capsules rated by strength.  At this stage I use #10 for me and #4 for the Blogger who doesn't like strong coffee.

Mmmmm… very good

I'd be interested to hear from anyone out there if you are familiar with K-fee (or Aldi) coffee capsules.