Pets: I have a dog called Ruby and five chickens. Social distancing has also been a dream come true for Ruby who used to give me the sad eyes each morning as I left. The chickens really just think of food every time they see me and at a time when the eggs section of the supermarket is usually empty, the girls are not exactly pulling their weight. When they do lay though, I am pleased that my eggs come from happy, healthy chickens with room to run around.
Ruby.
What gear do you shoot with? There was a photography competition for staff while I was a PhD student at the Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Woolloongabba in around 2014. I was struck by the fact that the entries were submitted not by professional photographers but my colleagues, and so many of them. It was a few years later that I bought my first interchangeable lens camera. I seriously considered purchasing a full-frame camera but eventually settled on the Fujifilm X-pro2, a mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor. The deciding factor in the end was weight. With no previous photography experience, my priority was ensuring that I never hesitated to take my camera out for the day based on weight and inconvenience. I use an 80mm lens for macro work with 1.4 teleconverter, a 23mm for street and when I’m wanting something very light and a 16-55mm for everything else. I don’t have a good telephoto lens yet. That’s something I’m working towards. I have recently added a Fujifilm X100F with a fixed 23mm lens that I carry with me every day, so I never miss an opportunity.
Preferred genre/style of photography. I don’t really have a favourite genre yet. I currently do a lot of macro but am mostly experimenting with a bit of everything and generally just opportunistic. I think I am leaning towards social documentary and plan to return in the next life as a photojournalist. I’d also like to do a little more with black and white and see where that takes me.
Favourite song. Really, everything by Billie Eilish. If I had to choose, it would be ‘My Strange Addiction’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBFfclLlc6o.
Favourite restaurant. It’s not a restaurant. I can’t go past the fresh, warm pastries straight out of the oven at the Powerhouse Farmer’s markets on Saturdays.
Best holiday you ever had. In February 2016 I visited my daughter and her partner for 2 weeks who live in Vancouver. In addition to sightseeing around Vancouver we went to Whistler, Banff and Lake Louise. Absolutely amazing and beautiful! I didn’t yet have my camera, so my photos from that trip are just holiday snaps. That means there will have to be a return trip at the same time of year to photograph everything I saw the first time. Of course, there will also have to be a trip at the opposite time of year to see the bears in British Columbia and Lake Louise in summer when it’s not frozen over.
Favourite photo of a QCG member. Harvey Kramer: Wilderness train.
Wilderness Train by Harvey Kramer.
Working from home during a pandemic. Working from home in my current role during the pandemic is a dream come true for me. I save two hours a day by not travelling to UQ in peak hour traffic. I love to hear the birds calling all day and see the sun shining through the windows while I work. Two of my adult children still live at home so I also enjoy some company. They both work and lead busy lives which is really the perfect combination of company and alone time. We laugh a lot together and there’s never really a dull moment.
The temporary home office during COVID-19.