Fantastic FNQ photo Friday

Wow have I been slack. It's been nearly a month since my last blog post. Disgraceful I know. But I have actually been busy doing stuff other than making school lunches and helping with homework! Anyway I figure it's about time I started posting up my regular Friday pic from beautiful far north Queensland. Or maybe we should call it beautiful wet north Queensland! Flooded bag yards, mud through houses, streets closed off. It must be that time of year again. Of course for the adults it's usually one big nightmare. The Bruce Highway getting cut off means that the trucks can't get through, which means the supermarket shelves get barer and barer. But for the kids...well it's just one big wet and wild playground! Why bother getting in the pool when the whole back yard is a pool?

Digital Photography Magazine interview and 10 page spread!

For those of you who haven't signed up at the Have Camera Will Travel Facebook page yet, and those of you who I haven't bombarded with a very excited email! I have some news.

This month the latest edition of Digital Photography Magazine came out - Issue #23. On the front cover it has my name in tiny little letters at the bottom, and on the spine. But inside is a different story. I'm thrilled to have 10 pages devoted to my landscape images and an interview with me.

For those of us who make a living in photography and writing, having your work published in glossy magazines is nothing new. In fact if it didn't happen regularly we'd go bust! But the article is always about something other than ourselves - a place, a photographic technique, an adventure. We are just the storytellers, the narrators of somebody else's story.

This time the story is about my adventure and it's such a thrill to be able to share some of my favourite images from around the world, as well as my philosophy on photography and how much it means to me.

So if you're anywhere near an Australian newsagent (or know somebody here who can send you a copy!) I highly recommend taking a look. Of course I have to say that. :) But my Mum would agree.

Vocation

Over the years I have had the immense pleasure of photographing some of the most interesting people.

Sure some have been celebrities - David Suzuki, Cathy Freeman, Kathy Lette - but the vast majority of them have been regular folks like you and me.

Only different. One thing that many of them have in common is passion. A sense of vocation.

Vocation - a job that you are passionate about. A job that you are called to do.

Passion is a big theme for me. I want to be passionate about my own photography. I love to photograph people who are passionate about what they are doing.

On a travel writer's forum I'm a member of someone posted a question the other day. In light of the fact that there's hardly any money in travel photography, magazines are either shrinking in size or going bust left right and centre - why the hell do we do it?

I don't know why anybody else does it, but certainly part of the reason I do it is because I can't imagine not doing it. Sure there are other things I am qualified to do - I used to work as a Japanese-English Medical interpreter!. But this is my vocation. Another part of it is that I want to show my children that you can live your dreams and follow your passions without having to compromise your values or morals.You can absolutely love going to work every day and be proud of what you accomplish.

Part of keeping up that passion is to photograph what you love. Which isn't always possible when your life involves shooting on assignment for clients who need you to photograph what THEY love. So this year I've decided to embark on a personal project. Vocation.

I want to photograph people in the north Queensland region who are passionate about what they do, and are making a positive difference to the world around them. The last few years have been hard in this part of the world. A high Aussie dollar and the GFC have meant that tourism numbers are down and a lot of businesses are hurting. All we ever seem to hear is how our unemployment rates are amongst the highest in the country.

And yet I've met wonderful, inspirational people who do fantastic work in their respective fields. From butterfly researchers like Darrell Kemp (above), to Buddhist monks. People following their own path. Walking their own walk and ignoring the naysayers.

So how can you help? If you know somebody who you think would make a perfect subject for this project I want you to let me know! Comment here, comment on my Facebook page, send me an email at info at dymond dot com dot au. Send me a letter if you're passionate about hand writing! I have a few ideas up my sleeve already but I'm only one man. I am sure there are a plethora of inspirational, passionate stories out there waiting to be told.

So if you could help me out I would be really appreciative. Pass this post on. Get the word out to as many people as possible. Let's show the world that Cairns may be down but that our passion will get us through this.

Fantastic FNQ photo Friday

Recently I had the opportunity to spend some time up on the beautiful Atherton Tablelands on assignment for the Mercedes Magazine, a stunning publication sent out for free to owners of Mercedes cars.

Part of my assignment was to photograph Lake Barrine, part of Australia's most biologically diverse national park, the Crater Lakes National Park. (that title swings between it and the Daintree as more species get discovered in different areas!)

One of the great things to do on Lake Barrine is a boat cruise around the lake. Here you'll spot heaps of wildlife out sunning itself on the banks of the lake - snakes, ducks, turtles,eels and these beautiful Bearded Forest Dragons. This fellow wasn't perturbed in the least about us coming right up to him for a close-up and I love the detail and subtle colours the soft lighting has pulled out in his scaly skin.

So if you have a chance to pop up to the Tablelands for a day trip, or even an overnighter, then I definitely recommend a trip to Lake Barrine.

For more of the images I shot on that day head over to the Lake Barrine images on my website.

Fantastic FNQ photo Friday

One of the great joys of living in far north Queensland is the wildlife.

Not only the wildlife found in the bush mind you, but that which lives all around the house.

It's the time of year where the green tree frogs keep you awake at night.

They climb up on the kitchen window to catch insects attracted to the light.

They get into your toilet and give you a heart attack when you lift the lid!

And they help the postman deliver the mail. This fella may look like he's sitting on the edge of a leaf but it's actually my mail box.

My boys were never so keen to go get the mail for me (even in the rain!) as when this little fella decided to take up residence. So whether you live here or are just visiting, keep an eye out for these cute little frogs around your property. And maybe bring a set of earplugs for a good night's sleep!

Are you following us on Facebook? I often post links to interesting articles on photography and great images there that I don't get around to posting here so if you're on Facebook pop on over and Like our page!

Paul Dymond to offer private photographic tuition in 2012

Jump for joy! Well those of you who live in Cairns anyway. If you haven't been following the Have Camera Will Travel page on Facebook. 
here's letting you know that as of February I will be offering private tuition in photography for those in the Cairns area. People have been asking me to do this for a while for various reasons - hard to make it to a course, need one on one help with specific problems, would like feedback on their images. Wel I've finally pulled my finger out and got myself organised to offer this service and I am really excited about it. You can find all the details in the press release. Hope to be working with you in 2012.

Why I want to be around creatives.

As we start a new year there's a lot of optimism floating around. People all over the world always consider this a great time to re-evaluate their lives, make promises to themselves that they may or may not keep, and generally start off 2012 with a wave of enthusiasm.

I love being surrounded by creatives because they keep that feeling of optimism throughout the year. They don't need a date on the calendar to fire up their enthusiasm, it seems to pervade their every waking moment. And I think I know why. It's because they have dreams. Not regular I'd like to pay my house mortage off kind of dreams, but huge, life altering dreams.

Of course one dream that they all have involves the crazy notion that they can build a career and business out of what they are passionate about. When I first decided I wanted to be a travel photographer it never occurred to me that it was a crazy thing to do. I didn't personally know anybody who'd done it, but there were obviously people who were doing it. Ergo it must be doable.

Whether I had succeeded or not i think the most important thing was having the dream. Having a lofty goal that spurs you on, fuels your enthusiasm and ignites your passion. There are so many people in the world who have no goals outside of their immediate vicinity. They want to pay off their houses, get a new boat to go fishing in, take a month's holiday every year. Nothing wrong with that at all, just not inpiring enough for me.

I want to be surrounded by people who have dreams that seem impossible. Dreams that seem as crazy as trying to grab the stars in your hands. People who want to change the world, not just their own situations. And that's why I love being surrounded by photographers, writers and other creatives. The people who remind me that you don't need January the 1st to put crazy ideas into motion. You can do it any day of the year and ideally should be doing it every day of the year. Dream big, dare to fail. Go for it. The dreaming is more important than the result. Without the dream you may as well just resign yourself to a life of mediocrity and who wants that? Not me.