Discovering Jo Eastaff with Fleurieu Living Magazine
Discovering places and people on the Fleurieu Peninsula. A recent shoot at the home of Jo Eastaff for Fleurieu Living Magazine.
One of the best parts of my job is the discoveries I get to make. Of places and people. Recently I met, and photographed the home (and studio/gallery) of Jo Eastaff. She lives in a charismatic home at Middleton.
I could not get enough of the views, the art she produces, and all the little things to see around her home. Her bathroom (and toilet with hand-washing water recycled to flush the toilet) is pretty wow too. It is a true reflection of who Jo is. Creative, fun, social and very talented.
I had to concentrate on taking photos as it was so easy to talk to Jo. We shared common interests of the love of the beach (which was right out the front of her house), need of travel and creativity in work and life.
Here are some of the pics I took in the hour or two I was there. As I said… I had to drag myself away from her coffee and biscuits, goggling the surf and chats. ;)
Escaping for a relaxing night at Lush Pastures
A relaxing weekend away… close to home. Eat, drink, sleep. And a wander.
Ever since I photographed Lush Pastures a few years back, I knew I wanted to come here for a night (or more). Now, I'm here. And not for work. And I'm excited.
The experience, for me, all starts with the drive down. Lush Pastures is just outside of Yankalilla, so I get to drive along one of my favourite roads away from Adelaide. The winding curves, the big bosom hills (that are looking so lush after winter) on one side and sparkling ocean on the other. I feel like I am a race car driver, scooting around the hillsides - even though I'm sitting on a speed that is similar to Granny driving (well, that's what I'll tell my Mum and Dad anyway).
When the road turns to dirt and we venture upwards, I know we are getting close. Surrounded by green paddocks, trees arching over the road and the odd farmhouse... Mother Nature's design of countryside, hills and valleys, I have no choice but to breathe deep and soak it in. Relaxation begins.
Cheryl and Andy greet us as we are getting out of the car, and show us around the property. The views from the pavilions are beautiful - especially with the blue sky and green winter grass. We look out over the hills to the ocean.
It's mid-afternoon, I have grand ideas of tramping around the paddocks but instead, find ourselves sitting with a bottle of wine and cheese board in the huge chairs that look out of Romeo, our pavilion. It's like a painting, the panoramic window framing the hills, ocean and sky perfectly. Chatting away, sipping wine and nibbling Fleurieu cheese, figs and gourmet crackers, it's hard to move. So we don't. Until dinner. When we have to wander a few metres over to the Lodge for more wine and three-course meal with Andy and Cheryl.
Blue cheese and fig creme brulee, spanakopita and dill pancake rolls with smoked salmon start us off. Beef short ribs, potato crisp and bok choy fill the tummy even more. Homemade vanilla ice cream with red desert lime marmalade, chilli plums and chocolate brownie nearly make me burst. All washed down with local K1 by Geoff Hardy wine.
The conversation goes from personal stories, the theatrics of a soccer game, sports stars, hilarious Australian humour to wine. Cheryl and Andy are great to chat to - but by 10 pm I'm ready to collapse into a food-induced coma. I waddle back to Romeo.
Waking up with no blinds, I love watching the sun change the shape and tone of the hills from under the covers. Gemma comes to the door for a pat before breakfast - and probably to tell us breakfast is ready, which (in the gentlest way) finally forces me out of bed. It is 9 am after all.
Breakfast is waiting for us in the Lodge. Luckily, I had a good nights sleep to rest my tummy after yesterdays food because this is a big, yummy feed of cereal, fruit, eggs, toast, yoghurt and endless coffee.
Now is definitely a great time for that walk. We wander through the paddocks to the dams - with Bella and Gemma in tow. Or, more so, leading the way. And then it's time to leave.
Driving back to Adelaide, we stop off to walk Normanville to Carrickalinga beach. My body is craving movement. I wonder why? Food coma, lots of wine and a good dose of relaxation... I feel like a different person.
iPhone TIP: Better exposure
An easy tip to get better exposure with your iPhone.
You are framing up a photo, and it’s too dark or light.
What do you do? Take the photo anyway?
Well, there is something that can help you get a better photo. Whenever I show people this, they light up with joy.
Press the screen where you want to focus.
See the sun symbol. Hold and drag the sun up and down to lighten/darken photo.
Take the photo.
Inkwell Wines and Hotel California... stolen a piece of my heart.
Inkwell Wines and Hotel California is in McLaren Vale. I went to photograph it for Fleurieu Living Magazine recently. Made from shipping containers, my camera (and I) love all the architectural design and vineyard views, snapping away in the cellar door and on the viewing deck above.
But, it’s when I go down to the micro hotel of ‘Hotel California’ that I’m audibly going ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’. The baths hook me. Deep, freestanding and open to the views of the vineyard. There are only 3 suites, so the likelihood of someone seeing you taking a dip is, well, lower. And hey, all part of the fun?
Inkwell releases single vineyard wines which express the "fingerprint of place" from its iconic Mclaren Vale vineyard winery. By fermenting without additions, we produce age-worthy wines that retain natural freshness and intensity. We are the only winery in McLaren Vale to produce estate-only wines in this way. But, we keep things simple: one tractor, one de-stemmer, one press, small fermenters and one dog. We've removed as much of the “man-made” from Inkwell’s sustainable wine-growing and wine-making as we sensibly can so you can share in the fruit of our special site and labor for years to come.
My old stomping ground... Victor Harbor.
Reminiscing about old times in Victor Harbor… while at work.
I had a photo shoot around Victor Harbor recently. I was very excited. I spent my late teenage years in Victor Harbor and hadn’t spent much time wandering the streets since. I wanted to see how it has changed. And boy, has it changed.
Now there are juice bars, health stores, coffee shops, funky plant stores where plants are named along with the old favourites like the lolly shop and cinema. The main street (Ocean St) has had an upgrade and now has artwork and seating areas while the whale tail in Warland Reserve still draws the crowds. I remember doing ‘mainies’ (doing laps of the main street) down here in the 90s, and now I’m sipping on double-shot lattes.
It still has the country feel but with the little niceties of quirky cafes, protein bar, wholefoods bulk store, and an outstanding collection of coverture chocolate that looks more like artwork than a treat.
I also went for a drive... as everyone does when down here. Out to Encounter Bay, to the Bluff and further out to Middleton. To check the waves of course. It's what I do when I'm down here. A day well spent at work.
Check out the map and story in the current issue of Fleurieu Living Magazine.
Leonards Mill with Fleurieu Living Magazine
Leonards Mill… in the (Second) valley down south. Worth the drive. You can stay overnight too.
That one time when on a shoot, I got adventurous. And ate pigs head. (It’s the crumbed balls and actually tasted ok).
A great place to eat while on a day trip down at the Fleurieu Peninsula. Just make sure you book first. I went down with Fleurieu Living Magazine and photographed staff, food and venue. Here are some of the pics…
Shimmer Festival 2018: Instagram Dinner
#foodporn
Come join me for a night of fun, photos and food. Plus a bit of wine. :)
Havana nights...
Havana nights… salsa and rum.
DANCING IN HAVANA
Cuba. It’s the home of salsa. Anyone who loves salsa, more so Cuban salsa aka ‘circle salsa’ would love here. I have dreamt of coming here for many years. The allure of the classic cars and crumbling buildings was the main attraction for many years, that is until I took up salsa.
I'm told the dance scene has changed a lot in the last few years. Cubans are getting used to foreigners now, but before, it was a novelty. Any foreigner would be asked to dance, song after song. I find though, that they want to dance with people who can dance well (or a person they find attractive :)) The better you dance, the more dances you are asked for.
But even if I am not asked to dance, I love watching. In fact, sometimes I find myself in quite the dream-like state watching people. Growing up dancing, they know their stuff. They glide, they are smooth, they have the fancy moves, they are sexy - they are intoxicating.
If you are a newbie to dance, don’t despair. There are ways of still getting a dance. You can hire a dancer to go with you. You could do some classes then try your luck. Or you can go with a group and have a blast. With or without the Cubans. This is what we do.
We came to have fun, and we do. And we gain friends along the way. Cubans love fun and gravitate towards it. Do not take yourself too seriously while here. They (well, some) can be blunt, but they don’t mean it rudely.
Just like they don’t think they are rude by staring and ‘wolf whistling’ in their different ways when every woman walks past them. One day I watch a man nearly walk into building columns because he is too busy gawking at the woman he just walked past. The woman - dressed in active wear, with a very large booty, keeps walking, head held high while he gawks in despair. I giggled. The outward expression of interest is something I am not used to seeing. It's not about the hourglass woman with bigger than average breasts here, it is all about the curves and bum.
Anyway, back to the dancing. Some rules… Not just for in Cuba either.
Don’t get tense. You will be told this a lot. ‘Just relax’. Don't worry about not knowing what you are doing, or getting anxious because your dance partner is much better. Yep, easier said than done sometimes.
Second rule… let the guy lead. Don’t try to guess what he is going to do, just let it flow.
Three…. stay by the dance floor if you want to be asked to dance. That way, the people interested in dancing more can grab you when they finish a song.
Four… normally it is the guy that asks for the dance. In Australia, this isn’t always the case, but it is here. Guys may be shocked if you ask, it’s not a social faux pa, just be warned.
Salsa is the main dance of Cuba. Solo or with a partner, everyone can dance. We dance salsa suelta (solo) at many concerts while appreciating the performer in front of us. Sometimes it’s directed from the performers on stage, sometimes it’s followed from someone in your ‘line’ of dance. And sometimes, you just dance to your own style.
Now, go out there and dance. Don’t worry about the sweat (from anyone and everyone). It will be there, in abundance.
Surfergirls hit Crescent Head...
When Surfergirls SA head north to surf… we discover Crescent Head and surrounding areas.
It’s on day three that I realise what I’m doing. I’m on a surf trip with a bunch of girls. We have taken over the town (by default of large group of 8 foreigners) of Crescent Head and are now meeting the local surfers and regular surfer boy groups.
We are surfing at Big Hill, the best wave we could find in a time of little to no swell. And it seems everyone else is also. There is a big group out on the water, about 25. And the break is only a few metres wide. It’s like playing dodgeball, surfer gets the wave, and we all lean and swerve to not hit each other like pebbles rolling down a hill. I'm not used to the crowd; it’s scary, but it’s also fun. I hope I don’t get in anyone's way. And I hope I get some good waves.
We spend two hours or more in the water before the waves drop. People have gone, people have come, and more people have left again. But we are still here. It’s like a mission. We are here for surf, and we don’t want to give up. It doesn’t matter the wait or the wave height. We just want waves. Usually, there is swell at this time of year (August), but we have a feeling the blood moon has mucked with the oceans and swell. Locals have told us there has been no swell for the last few weeks. Very odd for here.
We search for waves on many breaks. We wander through the bush. We look with longing over cliff tops. We even surf the shark waters (unknowingly) for a wave. Typically early morning we find our wave. And I freeze for it. One frosty morning I lose feeling in my heels and can't stand on my board.
When we need to warm up, we head back to "camp". Our house at Crescent Head. We cook eggs on toast then head to the cafe for coffee. Our fave being Blackfish and Green Room. Again, we build on our relationship with the locals. They see us coming - probably due to our group size, and our hoodies that state ‘Surfergirls SA’. We even have one hoon on a skateboard scooting around town. Cheryl, our leader. We are no chameleons.
It’s a beautiful, tranquil spot (yes, even with us here). Seems to attract the over 40s crowd, but seriously, anyone chilled could come here. The houses line the hilltop, all overlooking the bay where little lines peel, great for longboarders. On a bigger day of swell, it’d be good for shortboarders too. I hear there is also a Shark Alert system in place, and the day we arrive the beacon has gone off to alert people that a shark is lingering in the area. Great idea, maybe. Or maybe it’s more a scare than anything else. We do know that they are there anyway. I guess I’d prefer to know if one (if not more that are not tagged) are hanging about where I want to surf. It keeps me out anyway. I mean, there’s no swell, but if there was, I’m not sure I’d go in.
If Crescent Head isn’t working - which it's not - there are plenty more breaks to explore. We head south, checking out Sunsets, Big Hill and Plumer Point. We end up at Big Hill all days… it has a small break when everywhere else is not working in these conditions. One day, I count 25 in the water, all surrounding one little wave. It seems everyone is crazy to get a wave, and this is the place. Perhaps the only place in the area.
You can also head north. We road trip up to Scotts Head for an afternoon. Another cruisy town where we spot SUP riders, little groms learning the whitewash waves and couples strolling along the beach. There’s no surf, but we keep the local coffee/takeaway shop open with coffee and juice orders. He was happy, beaming while telling us he hadn’t had a customer for over an hour. It’s common for the cafes to shut just after lunch and I’m beginning to realise why. Everyone gets their morning coffee hit then heads off - I guess after 12pm is wine time though, isn’t it?!
I caught some fun waves this week, and a nearly perfect one that I was told was ‘the wave of the week’. I was also told my face beamed after that wave. And that’s what it is all about. Catching the stoke, having fun and chilling out with friends (human or happy flipper kind).
3 important photo tips...
3 easy tips to get better photos - no matter your photo device.
Lots of people say 'oh wow, that is a great camera, it must take really good pictures!' Well, you know what... Really expensive pots and pans don't make me an excellent Chef. Far from it. Sometimes the better the equipment, the more operator flaws are obvious.
Here are a few tips to consider, to make your photographs better, no matter the equipment.
1. Light
Considering the word photography means 'drawing with light' in Greek it's probably quite important in practice, yeah? Yes, it is. Light can make or break an image. One 'scene' photographed in one type of light can tell a very different story to the same 'scene' being photographed with a different kind of light. Dark and moody is reflected (or not so much practically speaking) through light, or lack of, just as bright and fun are achieved through photographing with lots of light and minimal shadows.
When looking at your 'scene' look at the light and what the light is doing.
Is there shadow across the face?
Is something too bright?
Is there too much shadow/darkness?
Evaluate and then take action.
If there is a horrible shadow behind the person you are photographing (and they are up against the wall) move them away. If there is dappled light on their face, move them to somewhere where it's not dappled. If there is too much shadow on the front of your object, turn it towards the light - whether its window, sun, flash, torch or lamp/light.
2. Story
I guess before you even get your camera/phone out you have to know your why. Why do you want to take this photo? What are you saying through this photo? Remember, one photo tells one thousand words.
What do you need to include in the photo to make the story? Will the person be enough or do you need to include where they are? A close up of a wine glass or a wine glass being held, with bottle and cheese platter, by a couple sitting watching a sunset. Or friends having a dinner party.
What is the most important part of the photo? Make sure there is a focus on that. If someone is doing a fantastic trick, but they only fill 1/10 of the frame, it's easy for them to get lost. And it's easy for the viewer not to know where to look.
3. Composition
There are a few rules to photography, but they can also be broken. So don't hold them as gospel. However, if you do remember them, and apply them, it can make a more appealing photo (most of the time).
The main one is the use of the rule of thirds. Cut your image into three horizontally then cut it into three vertically. Where the lines intersect is where you can place your point of focus. For example, put your waterfall on one of these points instead of the middle. A portrait of a person with a beautiful landscape behind (that you want to show) can be out on one of these points too. It works for anything. Except when it doesn't. Haha. Sometimes if you only have the one subject in the frame and nothing else to compete with it, it is better in the middle. Examples being a person looking directly into the camera, a product by itself, a group portrait...
So remember, it's not all about the equipment. In fact, I believe it has little to do with the equipment. Think about what you want the photo to achieve - your why. Then look at the light - does it suit what you are saying. Are there bad shadows or too much light? Then make sure what is inside your frame is right. Can you move in, should you get more in, are there distracting things in the frame?
