Stuart Cairns Photography

Ever tried changing your email

2012-09-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

I was just trying to post a blog, or have a look at the blog thinking that I have not done anything on this for some time, and then bingo, I have changed my email, opened new accounts in gmail and tried to be more effective in my cloud based computing, trying to get more with the programme and what do you know, and hour later and I finally have it, what I am not sure, but I have a couple go google accounts, not sure which does what and how I get in to each but what do you know,here I am back in blogoshphere. That's what happens when you don'e keep up with all of these things that you start and when life changes a bit and you want to get back into them then hey, there's a learning curve again - so is it all worthwhile or is it just some more time wasting - who knows, its sort of fun until you come across this whole new problem and sort of have to relearn, when you are of an age that there seems only so much time left to relearn.

And now there are the contacts to reload, and seem to be giving to someone else to be able to find out who I know, and then the feeling of big brother looking over the shoulder comes along again - is this going to mean that big brother can find out all, or are the hackers and security people going to be able to make more money helping the poor public to be able to avoid big brother looking - and who is big brother, those elected politicians elected to look after our public services who seem to have a penchant for taking more control of the lives of the people, under the pretense of them knowing best .......... well here I go raving on again, this is not what I set out to do however we are now able to access the blog, and so watch this space.

A recent visit to Fiji for a wedding was a bit of an eye opener, having been to school there for a term, and having been a regular visitor until about 10 years ago. Now the number of developments, the Denerau resort, and 10 minutes away from those holiday homes of $10m+ is the island life and poverty, having been devastated by a flood in April, and now, apart from the temporary homes and villages ( which don't look too different from the other houses around the town) there is no evidence of the devastation and people are getting on with their lives, as far as I could see no calls for more or less government intervention, but I guess there would have to have been some support.

The infrastructure seems to have developed a lot since I was last there, and the resort developments, most of which were full and it wasn't school holidays. The wedding season was in full fling with about 6 over the weekend just at the Sheraton, and hotels and golf courses were full - and then just 10 minutes away the tough life of recovering from a flood which has taken away ones house for the second time in 12 months.

Markets were quiet and it is hard to see how stall holders can make a living at the prices charges for fruit and vegetables, but it is still a good place to visit to see some of the local colour, have a look by following this link to my gallery

Where is the year going

2012-01-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

Well its into the New Year and lots of big changes for the year with Stuart Cairns Photography, trying to get to understand the blog and what the purpose is. I have always thought that having a blog was a bit of a bind and a bit of a once you start you must continue type of thing, but if one can get one's head around the real purpose, then let me know. I think I would like to talk about the interesting things I have found in photography in the last month. One of the most interesting has been my lens for my IPhone which has been a bit of a hit, as long as I remember to take it to places where I may want it, but now I am keeping it in my car in case I have forgotten a camera.

I purchased a Cannon G12 at the end of last year as an upmarket point and shoot, deciding to stick with Cannon rather than going to my other choice which would have been the Sony Nex 5. While I was on holiday in Central Otago I carried the G12 with me most of the time and once I had taken the time to read the manual and get to understand more of the camera I was surprised at how clever it was. I am not really a technical buff but the features of the G12 for a point and shoot were magnificent and I am printing images off the G12 like this one which I like.

Lombardy Cottage

I also got into some HDR processing over the break and tried to do some work around the cottage. I must say the holiday at the cottage was one of the best - the weather was magnificent and the time with family and friends was like a Tuscan summer and one which will stay in the memory banks forever.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T23:13:00.000-08:00

The bolgosphere continues, the yoke gets larger and more compelling, and no readers so one can be free and vocal. Its that time of the year when the retailers are supposed to make their profits, those ships from China arrive, only to return to China from the refuse station some months later, and so it goes - and the rush of people wanting to get their desks cleared, their shopping done, the food buying as though shops were not going to be open for another month but hey, this year the pressure is less, perhaps because of when the big day falls.

Looking forward to having the family here for Christmas and then heading away with hopefully some time behind the lens. Are few projects are developing and I am going to work on them some more over the next couple of days.

There are some interesting businesses on the west coast - how relevant is that?

Launching into the blogosphere

2011-12-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

Is this a noose, or is it development of more keywords and text to improve googleability - lets say it is the latter and then its more about New Zealand landscape photography, in particular certain regions such as Central Otago where we will be spending a couple of weeks over Christmas - one of the favorite regions for photographers and artists because I think the vastness of it all shows me the insignificance of us as humans on this planet as individuals, it is only when we are able to function as a collective have we any significance.

The challenge for any photographer heading to Central to photograph, particularly at this time of the year, is the challenge to find those images which will stand out from the bunch, which will show it in the way that one sees it and not the recall from the countless other images one has seen from the region. I remember a Charlie Waite talk where he put the supposition that perhaps there were few originals, that many images could have evolved because they had been seen before - he gave some pretty good examples none of which I can remember specifics of, but perhaps its just a good image, using the best technical ability and behind the camera at the right time of the day. Always a challenge as its light from about 4.30 am until 11.30 evening.

Our good friend Graeme Sydney has shown more people the beauty of the landscapes of the region and spends much time now on working for preservation of the natural beauty of the area. I have to admire his tireless work in pursuit of conservation .... or is it preservation. I think there is a lot of conservation in all of us, but preservation, some of the most beautiful spots in the region would not be the same if the miners hadn't been, or the dams hadn't been built.

Falls Dam, Central Otago

Anyway, the area is a great place "a world of difference" as the council's promotional literature rightly call it - pack all the gear and get ready

As the blog develops

2011-12-16T23:41:00.000-08:00

Slowly the Stuart Cairns Photography website evolves, and so does the marketing plan which develops to integrate the website with the blog and with Facebook. As one searches the library for to make sure the images are cataloged and key worded the process begins. Slowly the concept for a blog and the uses for the blog develops in the mind, what are the New Zealand landscape photography projects that I will initiate over the next twelve months, what travel will be involved and what plans will need to be made to be able to travel to the chosen places - the plans for a return to Italy are on hold, Central Otago is the only place on the immediate horizon

The Hawkduns, Central Otago

Looking through the library

2011-12-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

Still testing how the blog may work for me and time for a clean out or reorganization of the files, starting with Italy a few years ago brings back a few memories. Some of the places visited exist seemingly as they have for hundreds of years. That is the difference between an old and new country that I appreciate more and more when I travel. We live in a young country - I wonder what they were doing in this monastry when Rangitoto erupted

You can only jump in and start

2011-12-14T01:30:00.001-08:00

Its happening, I am slowly starting to understand how this thing works, the design is getting better better and I am starting to figure what needs to be done to the design

Starting a blog

2011-12-14T01:22:00.001-08:00

Well here we go, how does this thing work will be good to see how I can get it working