New Camera - Canon 50D

The latest addition to the Surf the Dream family is the new Canon 50D.

I've done a quick write up on my other SurftheDream site, New Canon 50D.

For now though I thought I'd show you a couple of snaps that I took around the garden at Paulie G's house.

First off we have me, with the camera, in the mirror using the monochrome setting.


Now to the garden.

I spotted a little catapiller chowing down on some leafy goodness. Using the macro setting I zoomed in a little, manual focused the little bugger (with AF the brown leaves in front were in focus)


And this is the same photo after a bit of zooming and cropping in Photoshop CS4.


This is all done with the pictures taken as super fine large JPG's. Next stage will be to use the RAW files and see if I can get a little bit more out of the picture...... maybe the amoeba on the flea that's chewing on the caterpillar who's sucking some leafy goodness.

Visa Application Submissions

Biometrics taken, Visa application submited.

It's been a long process beginning back in November of 2007 when I first start at Squiz UK.

I worked there until June before taking a three month Europe road trip and then heading back to Darwin for another three months.

Next I was back in London with my housies, my workmates, and reinventing long lost friendships with special persons I first met way back in Hawaii.

Now I want more time.

More time with my Northern Hemisphere folk, more chances to travel Europe, more chances to film my big wave riding friends..... and with that last point life has just given me one of those "everything is fantastic and will be alright" moments.

What is that moment?

Well, after putting in my application I decided to go for a celebratory pint at O'Mallys in the Brisbane Queen Street Mall.

In the past I've had beers at O'Mallys with Vim, Jado, Jimmy, Corsa, Rollie, Jess, a weird random time with Baylis Barnesy Jas and Trobs, and there's been many a good time and many a good memory.

Today however, I came for a pint on my own and to write about what's been happening.

As the Guinness was placed on the bar I looked over towards the big screen to see big wave surfing on ESPN. Not just any big wave surfing, it was the Billabong XXL 2008 Awards dinner... and as I sip my pint I watch Al Mennie & Duncan Scott surfing a 40ft swell at Mullagmore back in 01 December 2007, and I smile with the knowledge that the footage on the tv is the footage I was lucky enough to film back on that cold wind swept cliff ledge of Mullagmore.

Life is beautiful.

(even sweeter, the credits just rolled with a "Video Courtesy of...... Justin Avery" ... plus many more names, but hey it's still pretty cool)