I need to think about scale

We live in probably one of the most beautiful urban areas in the world - Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Like my daughters, my "neighbourhood" is the source of great photographic inspiration.

The obvious story of this shot of the surf at Bronte in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs tells the tale of the power and the fury that the Tasman Sea can unleash on the coastline. In my mind, this photo is successful because it captures the contrast of the white frothing sea against the stormy slate sky and the green of the brush against the ruddy sandstone. I love it for this reason alone.

Where this photo fails in my view is that it fails to provide sufficient scale. In my estimation, the cliff face that is closest to the viewer is at least 20-25 metres high. This would make the top of the break on that wave around 10 metres and the general swell around 5 m. It was a massive sea that day!

I'm also not so fond of the glimpse of white (no idea what it was - perhaps a person?) on the far point. It is distracting. I really should consider going back and Photoshopping it out...

The Beginning of DSLR joy

I received my Canon DSLR body for Christmas 2005. My first daughter, the Roo, was eight months old at the time. There could not have been a better gift with which to document the wonder of her first Christmas.

This photo was IMG_0002 coming off that new camera. It was taken with little more than the standard lens (28-80 mm off my old Canon film SLR). I don't recall what the first shot I ever took with the camera was - obviously, it wasn't worth saving. I love the Roo's expression of surprise in this shot and though usually take pains to avoid the flash firing, it would appear that it did in this instance without detracting too much from the effect.

The difference in quality between the photos of the Roo (or anything else for that matter) that were taken before the 25th of December 2005 and those on and after is astonishing! The immediate satisfaction of high quality photos ignited an immediate obsession with my new camera and its potential. Of course, having a beautiful baby girl as a model and inspiration added fuel to this fire - which will be abundantly evident in posts to come!

Welcome! A mission statement

Obviously, every photo tells a story. However, in many cases, there is also a story to a photo.

I love to take photos to document my family's life and adventures both for posterity and to share with our family and friends at home and abroad. Photos anchor the thoughts and memories documented in my extensive family blog. Similarly, favourite shots are lovingly collected and published in photo books that can be leisurely pored over for years to come.

Photos for me have always been about the subject matter, but since I received my first digital SLR the process of taking photos has also become a fascination. I am starting this blog to consider some of the stories behind my favourite photos. Some posts will be about the process of taking the photo in question; others will be about the context in which the photo was taken.

Perhaps others might find these musing interesting - and if you do, please feel free to leave a comment. However, as with my photography, writing is a way for me to document my musings on my favourite photos. Perhaps, someday my girls will read these posts and learn of the passion I have for photography; the desire to learn that it ignites in me and how my love for them is expressed through it.