Blog Archive

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Stats for Last Month-Page views and Countries

Here are the majority statistics for the last month.

COUNTRIES

United States
665
Australia
501
Russia
208
United Kingdom
83
Germany
74
France
73
Indonesia
51
Poland
28
Canada
27
Turkey
14

POSTS

18 May 2013
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27








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25








19








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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Emerging Photography Talent and Training

Over the years I have trained many people in Wedding Photography and General Photography.
On this blog I have offered 1:1 or group training.
I have recently had a couple of people approach me for assistance with their photography and in my estimation they  both have a very great potential and talent  for people photography.
When I get an opportunity and with their permission I will post some of their work.
Peter came with me on my latest wedding last friday and his shots for a first timer are brilliant.
I will put just one of his  shots up as the bride and groom have not seen their pics yet.
We will probably commence some weekend training in wedding photography soon so if anyone in Adelaide wants to join in you are welcome to contact me.
The other person is a young woman with a brilliant grasp of composition of stunning portraits.
Ph: 0417867476 or email geoff.g.thompson@gmail.com

Ps Yes I still did yet another wedding even though at  67 I am getting on a bit.
http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/too-old-to-be-wedding-photographer.html





Sunday, May 19, 2013

70th Anniversary of the "Dambusters" Raids

Last friday I attended two functions relating to the 70th anniversary of The "Dambusters" wartime bombing mission.
My friend Greg Stanford's father Ross was a pilot in the famed 617 Squadron that carried out these missions.
Greg's dad died about 7 years ago.
About 10 years ago I did a photoshoot with Greg and his dad as Greg sensed time was running out for his dad and he did not have hardly any photos of them together in the later years.
See my earlier post. "When your Dad is your Hero."
http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/when-your-dad-is-your-hero.html
In the morning last friday 16th May we went to a memorial service on the path of Remembrance in Adelaide.
Wreath's were laid by some of the family members of men who served in the squadron.
In the evening we went to a booklaunch for a revised book on the Dambusters by Australian Author,Colin Burgess.
It's called "Australia's Dambusters"
One of my pictures of Greg and his dad is in the book.
Below are some pics from the Service and the book launch.
Greg Stanford contemplates the Dambusters Memorial Plaque

Peter Caldicott of Channel 7 news interviews Greg Stanford

Rev.Brenton Daulby


Nikki(Shannon) King speaking at  the memorial service

Colin Burgess reads a poem

Rev.Brenton Daulby,Nikki King,Army Bugler and Greg Stanford

Nikki King making a short speech at beginning of book launch






Greg Stanford and Colin Burgess


Clive Baker;Publisher, Greg Stanford

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Menacing Sky

I have seen lot's of approaching storms at times over the years,many of them very dramatic.
They have usually dumped tons of rain.
This one over the Adelaide City skyline today just seemed to fizzle away.
Maybe someone else got the contents.
I think it looks like the city is about to be attacked!





Thursday, May 16, 2013

From the Wayside by Graham Long




Dear Inner Circle,

"Disgusting," said a elderly street dweller as he passed me last week. I learned that the door to the hall had been left open and that was the cause of the outrage. This dear old sausage had a stroke about a year ago and ever since he slowly shuffles, dragging his mostly useless left side. This must be dreadful frustration for him. I saw him once step out of our lift and as he shuffled out toward me, he said that all the doors on the fourth floor had been left open and he'd shut them all for me. He thought this state of affairs was, "disgusting". A couple of weeks ago he shuffled into the chapel in the middle of our Sunday service. The shuffle is so loud and so slow that there is not much choice but to give a welcome and wait until he finally found a seat. On this particular day he shuffled all the way to the front row and then he noticed that someone had left a cup of water on the altar. "Disgusting," he proclaimed and started a slow shuffle out again.

The public rebuke from this paralysed old man caused me concern, not because his religious sensibilities were offended but because the man's complexion was bright purple. He looked dreadful and smelled worse than any other human being I've ever been near. I have a large nose. My daughter has told me many times how grateful she is not to have the "Long nose". Notwithstanding the size of my nose, my sense of smell is not good. Given my vocation, I've always thought of this as something of a blessing. If I can smell anything, you can be sure it is a massive odour. After church John, our of our Community Workers, got talking to the man who ended up telling John that his gammy leg was sore. He pulled up his trouser leg and revealed the worst infection that we'd ever seen. We called the troops from St Vincent's Hospital (the Homeless Health team) and they said it was the worst infection that they'd ever seen. We got him admitted to hospital but we learned that he checked himself out yesterday. No doubt he'll shuffle in sometime today and we'll call a nurse to change his dressing. I haven't made this dear old fellow sound very attractive but he really is a dear. I don't mind being told every now and then that what I'm doing is, "disgusting".

A fit looking young fellow spoke of how he was born with frontal lobe damage because of his mother's drinking. She eventually died in a drunken stupor on a park bench. The boy was brought up by a string of foster parents, some of whom were kind but some of whom were cruel people. From the age of only 11 years old this fellow began hanging around Kings Cross. He led a life that revolved around addiction and everything he ever tried seemed to bury him further into neediness. He ended up owing lots of money to some serious people and last week he took his own life. He was a week in his bedsit unit before anyone looked for him or discovered his body. This man has an older brother who has really made something of his life after an equally, if not worse, start in life. He owes his life to the support that he found in AA. So yet another funeral next week for yet another young man that died before he lived.

You probably know that we're big fans of the Honeybees Choir. They've agreed to make a special appearance on Sunday, 16 June at our 10am church service. We'll build our little service around the choir that day and I can promise that it will be fun as well as inspiring. If you know what a lift a first class choir can give, then make a note of the date and make sure some of this gift is shared by you.  We've also got a comedy night happening on Thursday, 30 May to raise money for Wayside. If you'd like to have a giggle and help us out at the same time, we'd love to see there. For more information and tickets, click here.

It's been a funny, heartbreaking, inspiring and frustrating week; pretty much normal.

Thanks for being part of our inner circle,
Graham

Rev Graham Long
Pastor and CEO
The Wayside Chapel
Kings Cross
http://www.thewaysidechapel.com/


 Protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information is important to us, as it is fundamental to the way we operate. All information is kept in the strictest confidence and is stored in a password secure database. Levels of access to information are determined by an authorised employee's specific need to do their job. Personal information collected by The Wayside Chapel is never sold or passed on in any way, shape or form to any other organisation or non-authorised person for any purpose. If you would like to seek access to, or revise your personal information or feel that the information we currently have on record is incorrect or incomplete, or you believe that the privacy of your personal information has been interfered with, please contact us. Our appointed Privacy Officer is Laura Watts laura.watts@thewaysidechapel.com

                 




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Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Family Photo Historian.

Are you your family's photo historian?
At this point in time I think I certainly fill that role.
Not something I deliberately set out to do but just happenned as I am and was a passionate photographer.
I have always wanted to document events.
Family occasions
Weddings
Sports
Funerals
Holidays
Vehicles
Babies
Pets
Birthdays
Baptisms
Sermons
The list of human events in families is endless of course.
I have done this for many years with still photography,movie film and video,film and digital,audio recording(cassettes,reel to reel,digital).
Of course before that my father,father in law and uncles did the same with the technology of their  day.
I have recently been going through all my film collection of negative and prints to put together a farewell album for one of my wife's employers spanning more than 25 years.
I am staggered at the extent of the collection.
When you are a blogger with a collection like that your blogging topics and potential articles are endless.
It has been and still is an emotional experience reviewing my collection.
Many loved ones have passed on.
Sadly there are also relationship breakdowns that tug at the heartstrings.
Many of my wedding customers from past years have also experienced both joys and heartaches.
With the accessibility of today's amazing technology many of the younger ones are now doing similar things.
I guess it means I have plenty to do in my old age and some of the collection, as it ages, becomes useful to others.
It's not a high paying job but can become a labor of love.



























Thursday, May 2, 2013

The Unplugged Wedding

The Unplugged Wedding.
What does that mean.
Well it is about the digital age of everyone capturing images on phones,facebooking,tweeting etc. and especially at weddings.
Follow the link below to read on.
http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding
I must say it is very well observed and commented on.
My experience as a wedding photographer is that there has always been enthusiasts and relatives snapping away at weddings but that has probably increased about 10 fold now.
I don't know that asking your guests to come "unplugged" will ever work.
"Digital overuse syndrome" might be just around the corner.
I could post many photos of wedding "paparazzi" but that would be unfair.