Nothing is more adorable than photographing babies, no matter what they are... humans, cats, dogs, pigs, ducks, or birds. At an early age they seem to develop their own little personality.  

A written and visual story about Daffy the rescued duckling...

On the 27th of September 2014 a neighbour delivered an abandon day old duckling to our door. Daffy was found wandering under their pet Donkey Marvin, who is also a rescue animal. My heart rejoiced and sank at the same time. I knew how adorable they were having done this before, but also knew how much hard work it is to raise a single duckling. The need warmth and lots of attention as they do not enjoy being alone. The moment we laid eyes on Daffy we fell in love with the little ball of fluff.  

I noticed that Daffy had splayed legs, and was very puffy, her body felt spongy, and perhaps mother duck abandon her because she was weak and slow. The next morning Daffy was no better she appeared to have got worse and could not stand on her legs, she could only skate and looked like a round ball. I did some research on the internet and by 1 am the next morning I finally found an answer. Daffy had a ruptured air sac.  Air was building up in her body pushing her legs out, the pressure was making it difficult for her to move.

The only way to help Daffy, who was pretty uncomfortable by this time was to take a needle and prick the skin so the air could escape and the rupture could heal. Easier said than done, I was terrified that I was going to kill this poor little thing.  I knew that if I did not release the pressure she would die anyway. Holding Daffy securely, I held my breath, my heart was thumping as I said a prayer and pushed the needle into the skin just under her wing. The air rushed out and Daffy's body returned to a semi normal state. I did not expect to find Daffy alive the next morning. 

We woke to a happier duckling standing on her own two feet. It was such a relief. During the day the air built up again and I had to pop her one more time, since then she has never looked back and aside from a limp, which is probably unrelated, she is a happy healthy, cuddly duck. She is a real character, loved and spoiled.  She is a wild duck and we know that Daffy may leave home one day. It will break our hearts but we won't keep her locked up, she is free to go or stay. Our biggest fear is duck shooting season in New Zealand, (something I do not understand as a bird and animal lover) we hope and pray that she stays with us for her own safety. 

If Daffy decides to leave we will be left with thousands of adorable photos to remind us how much joy a rescued animal no matter what it is, can bring into your life. When Daffy is around it is hard not to laugh, smile, or just feel warm and fuzzy inside as you sit and watch her going about her daily business...

Enjoy the images and the short video clip of Daffy our adorable cuddly rescued duck who is now two months old and a huge part of our bird family at "Tranquillity".

Wonderful to see people especially children interacting with Daffy

Daffy catching hail stones, look closely you can see one in her mouth.

Photographing dogs with their handlers at NZDAC - Gore Dog Agility Championships 2014 was extremely rewarding. The passion they have for their animals was evident observing them through the lens. Dogs and their owners invest loads of time, effort and money into these tournaments. It was wonderful to see so many happy people with their excited dogs gathered in one place. Joy - is what they bring to onlookers and photographers...

Dog agility is a sport where dogs and handlers team up and negotiate various jumps, tunnels, ramps, pole weaving. The aim is to finish the course in the fastest time correctly.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Being a Photographer and rearing calves gave great opportunities to photograph the cows, calves and the beautiful rural scenery. The highlight of my days was observing the strange behaviour of a hen living in the calf rearing shed she loved the sloppy kisses of affections from the calves. She allowed them to lick her and at certain times of the day she would deliberately get into the pens to seek their affection. I was able to capture some great moments in the Dairy Industry during calf rearing- Rural Southland Waikoikoi New Zealand August 2014 

Sun up on the Dairy Farm after a cool night with steam rising from the cows.

Dairy Farm New Zealand 

The cow and the dog - That looks intresting

Calf Rearing Southland New Zealand

The Chicken that loves the affections of the young calves

Companions in the Calf rearing shed

Rural Southland scenery

Calf Rearing Southland New Zealand

Photography allows you to be aware of everything, you are not thinking about what you will be making for dinner, or what you forgot to add to your shopping list. You find yourself focusing on the now, the only thoughts you have are the view you see through the lens. Everything else in life just falls away, and you are one with your camera and the subject you are capturing.

A spray bottle and bright sunshine created a lovely effect.

Sundown in the forest

Working on water

A little too close for comfort...

Doors

Music

Puppy time..

Sunshine, spray bottle and fresh apples...

Photography is like a window, anyone passing by is able to peek into the photographers world by looking through their images. You can discover how a photographer expresses their vision through the lens, they are allowing you to see what they discovered.

There are many ways that photography can change your life and the lives of others. You meet and connect with so many wonderful people through photography. Donating time and images to a worthy cause is very rewarding. 

The 15km New Balance run & the Christchurch Airport Marathon June 2014.

Photography is like music. There are no language barriers or culture barriers. You communicate with people from all walks of life with an image. You connect! 

Photography brings you into a space where you get to really witness love and natures beauty. It’s amazing. You might not even notice when you’re photographing, but looking at the photos afterwards, you spot that smile, or that look in the eyes. An image of a loved one makes someone smile after the event. It’s as if photography gives you a pair of magical glasses and you you can see love and beauty all around!!

A recent wedding and some Autumn photos...

When you start getting up early to photograph the sunrise through the mist, or stay up late to follow the calls of an owl in the moonlight then you know you have a love and passion for photography.

As a photographer you start noticing details, you begin to see that you are surrounded by beauty. Every day is full of it, it is in unexpected places, your own back yard and in all the ordinary places. Beauty is all around you, all you have to do is focus and capture.

When you start looking forward to spending time with your camera with every moment that you have, then you know that photography has changed your life and all of your day to day experiences. It allows you to truly live in the present and like an artist painting a master piece, photography guides you to a place of peace, it becomes a form of meditation.

Photography is instant, if you have a camera you can capture any moment in time from where ever you are, it has no language barriers, you can communicate  and connect with anyone who has sight from all walks of life.

Click on any of the images to view large... enjoy!

A beautiful sunset in Africa

The amazing colours of Autumn in New Zealand

Himalayan Poppy growing in a Southland garden

Lovers at sunset  Little River Canterbury

Cold blooded reptiles of Africa & Thailand to the reflection of palm trees and shells on the beach in Thailand

From the majestic giants to the minute details of insects in nature, and the beginning of five new lives.

Historic Church in Gore immaculately maintained. Engagement ring ideas that make wonderful greeting cards. 

Natures art.. (wood worm formations in wood and pained word Art on nature's canvas) Beauty all around us in nature and made by man

Photography is an exciting and creative expression, there are no right ways or wrong ways to take a photograph... 

Each of us is unique, we are inspired by different things. If a dozen photographers took the same photo, each image would be different, and if a dozen people viewed your photos, each person would see and feel differently about your images... 

There are times when we simply do not know why a particular photograph appeals to us, it could be something deep in your subconscious mind, the colours that you are attracted to, a connection or recollection of something in your life, a subject that you are passionate about... or the image triggers a feeling. 

My photographs will not appeal to everyone... but they will appeal to some... and some images will appeal more than others do...

Dog portraits are sometimes challenging, trying to capture their personality all depends on how lively they are... Dog's are man's best friend... and for dog lovers there is nothing more precious than their beautiful dogs...  A dog is the only thing that loves you more than he loves himself... They are loyal friends, and always happy to see you even when you are grumpy...

Click on any image below to enlarge on your screen...

A beautiful little white boxer pup waiting for his treat...

Stunning Border Collies...

Large and small... long haired, short haired, blue, black and brown eyes... all beautiful breeds

Some breeds love water... play time with the sprinkler system or the pool, all fun, fun, fun....

Flygility is best described as dogs racing over a lane of small jumps and other obstacles to release and catch a ball from a spring-loaded box, then racing back to their handlers. Dog agility is a sport in which a dog and handler team negotiate a series of various jumps, tunnels, ramps and weaving poles with the aim of finishing the course.

The look says it all...

She's just picture perfect...

Sadly this beautiful gentle giant... Newfoundland has passed on, but his picture brings back beautiful memories for his owner...

Photography makes me grateful to have another day on this beautiful planet of ours.  We all see beautiful moments all around us every day...  I get to capture some of those moments and sometimes those little moments surprise me, some make me smile and laugh out loud, I learn something new from others and some moments bring me joy and make me glad to have another day. 

To capture a moment in time and share what you saw with others... That is where the joy is in sharing those beautiful moments with people like you all over the world.  Life is about sharing the gifts that we have been blessed with... 

Through photography, I get to freeze glimpses of a small piece of the world I lived in.  Those little pieces of my world are one way of documenting and sharing a this tiny part of my life with others.

Any question you ever have… the answer you will find in nature… That is.... If you know where to look and how to ask…

Photography is a communication method, it is descriptive, quick and easy to create these days and it can have a strong and emotional connection with the viewer. 

"To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye and the heart. It's a way of life." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

Photos of our family pet parrots...  Enjoy the images....

Splish Splash I was taking a bath..... Echo Maroon Bellied Conure just loves bath time...

I'm singing in the rain.... Sunshine our Sun Conure... he too loves water and bath time...

As pretty as a peach... Delta the peach fronted Conure... very partial to his fruit and veg...

Traffic lights... Dela our Rose Crested cockatoo... very talkative chap...

Garden hose assistant... Bubbles our Maroon Bellied Conure... just like her brother Echo... she loves water...

I'm feeling a little camera shy today...

Toys and food.... what more can you ask for...

Cheers!!!!                                                                          It was this small....

Pretty in Pink...

Trala la la la ....

It was this big.... Cinnamon, the elderly but gentle cockateel....

What a beautiful feeling... I'm happy again...

If you love photography... then do what you love... take photographs!

'Your best photograph has not yet been seen or captured.  We all have access to things that no one else has access to, so capture those moments.'

Since taking up photography, I see things in a new and different way.  Little things I never noticed before are suddenly everywhere to inspire and amaze me... like a simple dew drop... when the sun catches it in a certain way it looks spectacular and I know that my best shot is yet to come.

Photography is in a sense a time-machine, freezing a split second in time for eternity, allowing future generations to travel back to the past and experience life through a photo or video...  time moves forward and that split second disappears forever, except for our photos and our memory.

It is fascinating exploring unguarded moments, (candid photography)....looking for a soul peeking out and waiting for that one brief opening of the heart... finding a door unlatched into a persons thoughts and capturing the wisdom I so often see etched on their faces. 

I always try to become fully aware of the moment, becoming one with my surroundings, capturing emotion and feeling in a single frame... especially when it comes to people... I find the unguarded moments are often the best.

Get out there and be prepared to expect the extraordinary in the ordinary... this does not only apply to photographers, it applies to all of us... the extraordinary is there if you consciously seek it.  

Photography is exciting... especially to those who are passionate about it, turning nature's light and subjects into images that give the mind a framed and rich display, often with emotional connections and a deeper understanding of life.

Passion and excitement are the raw ingredients that fuel brilliance in many forms of art, sports and professions. In order to keep that fire burning I constantly look for ways to keep my own interests alive.  I find joy in life and power in my work. I never have drag myself out of bed, I am always happy to enjoy another day on the planet, another day to keep that fire burning and discover new things.

If you are truly interested in "seeing", there's no limit to what you can take in... for example: Walk through a crowd on a busy city street and see inspiration in every passing face, every shift of sunlight, and every angle of the cityscape. Always seeking new vision allows you to be creative and we can all cultivate that vision in every day life... you don't have to be a photographer to admire and enjoy the show amazing nature puts on for us.

In this day and age, there are no excuses not to take photos if you see something that catches your eye. Digital cameras have no negative consequences (Keith says I almost made a joke with that statement... lol), fill your memory card and always keep a spare one handy. The more photos you take, the bigger the selection of photos to choose from and you might be pleasantly surprised when you download the images.

Having the freedom to take photos any time of the day or any day of the week is a blessing and something I do not take for granted... It provides me with the ultimate freedom... I have the freedom of possibilities that never run out. Nature, places and people are always there gracing us with their beauty, for photographers and artists we are always looking for the extraordinary in the mundane.


Photography - a wordless medium of expression, a silent arena that has a visual voice.  
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase". – Percy W. Harris
Photography from the Greek (phos), meaning "light", and (graphê), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light". 

Thank you for reading my Blog, please leave some feedback, it will help me learn and improve...

Children are such wonderful subjects to photograph, they do not worry whether they have their make-up on, or if their hair is brushed, they are natural and so beautiful...

Waiting for the bus a few candid shots of these lovely girls...

A bright sunny day and lots of colours... a great recipe for a photo... or some would say for a drink...

Cardboard Cathedral Christchurch.  A-Frame in style, rising 78 feet (24 m) in height, the Cathedral rises 70 feet (21 m) above the altar. Materials used in its construction include 2 feet (0.61 m) diameter cardboard tubes, timber and steel. The roof is of polycarbon, and is held up by eight shipping containers which form the walls. The foundation is concrete slab.

Dandelion sprinkled with a light morning shower, revealing it's true beauty in the sunlight...

Standing on a vacant piece of ground in the heart of Christchurch where a church once stood, 185 white chairs represent each of the 185 lives lost in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Each chair, just like its owner, has its own personality, with the installation including armchairs, dining room chairs, a wheel chair, and even a baby capsule. The 185 square metres of grass that the chairs sit on represents new growth and regeneration... The artist’s statement poetically reminds us all that the ‘installation is temporary – as is life’.

Beautiful little Bee Eater in Thailand with a dragonfly... Wall art...

Here is a great quote...“My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.” – Steve McCurry

One can become obsessed with photography when you have the photo bug, it is not something you can shake off... it gets under your skin and becomes a very enjoyable obsession.

The little Silver-Eyes of "Tranquillity" originally gave me the photo bug.  After moving from Christchurch to a small remote village tucked away in Southland near Gore I was able to retire my employer alarm clock and pass my day job on to someone else... We settled in quickly and with more time on my hands I was able to reconnect with nature through the lens of my camera...  The little Silver-Eyes were my first subject and I quickly learned that they had a diverse range of personalities and often an amazing comical look... I found them fascinating to photograph and observe and their willingness to be my unsuspecting models allowed me the freedom to begin my 10,000 hour photography apprenticeship.

We can all take photos, and with the technology available today mots of us do... many of the mobile phones have incredible cameras... so most people have a camera with them at all times, and with the new internet age and social media I would imagine that billions of photos are taken every day and posted on the internet...

I make it a policy never to go anywhere without my camera, and on the rare occasion that I have, I have felt totally naked... yet four years ago my camera was not a mandatory part of my attire.

How many photos do you take a day? I confess to capturing somewhere between 300 and 1000 photos each day...every day... 7 days a week... If my subject is interesting like our little Silver-Eyes (especially in the winter months), my husband rarely sees me during the day. My lens and I are captivated...immersed in nature and what she has to offer through my lens...there is always "one more shot", I may not know what it is... but I know it's there.  The more photos I take, the more I learn and the more I realise how much more there is to learn.

My husband Keith often talks about the 10,000 hours... from the book Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell who writes "that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in any field".  Keith is very wise, he consumes books like we consume breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert... on a daily basis... He is not only my wonderful husband, he is a brilliant mentor and teacher of knowledge... and the support and encouragement he shares gives me the encouragement and motivation to follow my passion...

It takes more than caring to be a true friend... The little Silver-Eyes of "Tranquillity" one of the first in a series of images that gave me the photo bug... I really wanted to share them with the world... I have tried for four winters now to capture something similar to this... but nothing seems to come close... A unique moment captured for all time...

Traffic lights... This is Dela our beautiful Galah... (Rose Breasted Cockatoo) His vocabulary astounds us at times..

This time of year flowers are plentiful, they are always a great subject to photograph...

Rocky, the rescued Rock Pigeon... Once he fledged and was able to feed himself, we set him free to go back into the wild... He still pops in sometimes three times a day to have a good feed, often bringing his friends along...

This is one of those moments, probably never to be repeated again... In the right place at the right time with my camera... These split second moments in nature captured forever drive my passion, a gift I humbly receive and share with all of you...

My mother calls me a late bloomer... I think deep down I have always had a passion for photography, but 20 years ago I had never heard of a digital camera... I was too busy being a mother, and running a small business there was no time for photography... 

Photography used to be all about waiting until the film spool was used up before having your photos developed...  An expensive exercise and time consuming exercise, and if they were blurred, you paid for them anyway... incredible to think that we used to keep and cherish even the blurred photos... 

10 years ago I saw my first digital camera, I was amazed... you did not have to wait to fill the roll of film, you'd simply download them onto your computer, and if there were blurred photos, you just hit delete...

The internet has changed all that... we can now take photos, load them onto our PC, and in minutes we can literally share them with the world via email and social media sites such as Facebook, Pinintrest, Flicker, Twitter and so on...

I'm hoping to add new photos to this blog fortnightly, so please join me on my journey of passion in 2014... let me share my little view of the world with you from the lens of my camera throughout the year...

Gore Trots, this was my first time, a wonderful place to take some candid photos... we enjoyed the sunshine and a little time out with the family...

Three months ago we were given this Rock Pigeon. It had fallen from the nest and was not ready to fledge... I fed the baby by syringe for a week then taught him to eat seed with the help of our two white collard doves.  Rocky was set free to go back into the wild, he returns twice a day to eat...

Nothing like mothers down to keep this little chick warm and secure...

The magic of sunlight and dirt... Dahlia with sparkling dew drops, the Opium Poppy with the bumble bee... Early morning for me is the best time of day, everything seems new and fresh...

Not often I get to see the Hedgehogs in daylight, this young fellow was still out and about in the early morning... the dew from the grass caught on his whiskers... he wandered off into the bushes....

The beautiful Silver-Eye / Wax Eye, in search of nectar flowers... I know that they will be here in their hundreds when the weather turns cooler... They are birds full of character and provide amazing photo opportunities.

Jade... a first time Mum simply loves motherhood... I have never seen a mother hen as besotted as Jade is with her chick... she shows such emotion and feelings towards her chick, she can't stop looking at it, and if she could simile, she would be beaming from ear to ear...