Week One | #52Env

52 for the environment, it's the project I chose to do this year. One a week, in place of a photographic type thing (specifically) I'm going to find something to do to help this planet of ours, you can read more about my motivations here.   This isn't that photo. This is a snap I took with my iPhone - leave only footprints.

A photo of the Sawtell headland sunset as taken with my iphone

 

Well, this week - week one - I thought I'd best start with a simple straight up 'emu bob' that's what they called it when I was at school - they'd bugger off the cleaners and get the school kids out to walk along and pick up rubbish - looking like a bunch of Emus bobbing up and down. Well, I picked up 16 bits of plastic, two crushed cans, two beer bottles - one that was blazing hot in a massive park of dry grass - nice one, idiots. and a plethora of other crap.... from an unused (still packaged, kids) condom to half a bicycle peddle. (really? where the hell is the other half?)

I said I wasn't going to make this a photo project, but there has to be SOME aspect of photography... I took one photograph with my iPhone...

You know, the funny thing about this little project of mine, when I started the walk I was walking along with my 3yo, he was pushing his truck... I had a plastic bag and was simply picking up bits of rubbish, stuff that people have carelessly let fall to the ground, and yes, I'm sure at some point I've done it too! -- But the weird bit came when we made it to the park. Aside form the weird ninja guy that likes to park his pushbike (on its stand) and ninja kick one of the street signs, there were a handful of people in and around the park - sitting in the sun, talking, eating, walking and running, and there I was - slowly wandering around the park, Seb and M half a footy oval away, picking up empty beer bottles and junk - and it FELT WEIRD.... I was sure people were looking at me thinking "What the hell is that guy doing?"

Are we too cool to pick up the rubbish we drop? Thoughts?

Hello 2013... What do you have instore?

Has 2012 been kind? Has it delivered? Have you become better in any way? A better person? A better worker? A better lover? A better negotiator? A better photographer? A better dad? Did the sunshine warm your back and light your way?

parachute jump sky dive coffs harbour sun

No? Doesn't matter... There's always tomorrow, right? Not always... Mostly...

Well, my 2012 was interesting... A full year of running my own business, still semi-sane, interested and excited about opening my email each morning... I get some time with my little man, I get to spend the days at home and can wander about nude if I so desire... Don't worry, I wear a shirt for business Skype calls... I have a good coffee machine and a great music collection.

I have interesting clients, all in my desired field, all producing products I believe in - it makes it very easy to talk about the gear you promote when you use all of that gear. I don't get people that *love* this, that and the other when they've not even used it.... Anyways, their loss... Smile and Nod.

2013 is going to be more awesome in many ways. I'm assisting on another wedding with award winning photographer, Katie K of HeartStory in Canberra early Feb and then shooting my brother's wedding a couple of weeks later - can't wait. He'll look awesome and his lovely fiancé will look amazing.

A brief aside for you, think about this...

Do what you love. If money was no object, what would you do? I'm doing it. Lucky.

What is one important thing I'm doing this year?

This year I'm working with MindShift Gear, a new company formed out of thinkTank Photo and award winning photographers Dan Beltrá and Jerry Dodrill... MindShift are a company that make camera bags - well, that's what they do at base level. MindShift Gear are much much more - they're a company creating a connection with nature, they're making products that enable a photographer to work unhindered, to take care when amidst the great outdoors. This all got me thinking - how can I make a difference to my little part of our planet?... I think like this often and, as with a lot of other people, I come to the crushing conclusion that it's very difficult for just one person to do something worthwhile - not impossible - just very difficult.

When I think about the environment, I think about global warming, I think about Polar bears, I think about reefs and mountain ranges... I don't necessarily think about the creek at the back of my house or the river down the end of the street... The local park... Hell, a roadside near where I picked up my coffee... There are a brazillion *small* things I can do to make my part of this planet a slightly better place - it doesn't need to be cleaning the wrong kind of ice away from the entrance of the Norwegian Fjords or chasing a Japanese fishing boat back into international waters.... So, rather than be overwhelmed, I'm committing to a blog post once a week about what I've done in the preceding seven days to help the planet in my local community. I encourage you to do the same.

In other news - other clients have exciting products lined up for 2013 - some you'll expect, some you won't... It's going to be an exciting year.

Don't look down, dont' frown... look back and smile, look forward and be empowered. 2013 will be amazing.

Don't look down, look up, keep going up

Happy New Year x

Christmas....

So, it's been another interesting Christmas, shifting from Windows to Linux on my webhost resulted in my entire web presence being ...well... stuffed up... So, in the meanwhile (I have a backup, just not here at my parents where I'm enjoying a fun, energetic Christmas week or two) .... in the meantime, there's 'nothing to see here! Log off, walk amongst the trees...