Sultana Sandwich

A fantastic by-product of the best job endeavor was the rapid growth of my comfort zone. While many of the things I accomplished are still outside that circle, they just seem a little less daunting these days.

A quick example would be dealing with the media. A little over five months ago you'd have had trouble getting me to request a song on live radio. Such a simple feet that most accomplish at age 7 would petrify me to the very core, and now post best job I find myself shrugging my shoulders at a 10 minute live discussion on a national broadcast. Of course I still get the jitters but I no longer actively avoid such events (unless the discussion turns to swine flu).

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to catch up with commercial fine art photographer Alexia Sinclair (I previously wrote about Alexia's masterclass that I attended a couple months back). Alexia invited me along to one of her weekly rituals - sketch club, whereby participants grab some paper and their medium of choice (mine - compressed charcoal) and proceed to illustrate (roughly) the model's intricate contorted positions.

I hate drawing, I find it frustrating that my hand won't create what my mind sees. Now throw in a nude person and it just seems like the perfect recipe for insult and embarrassment. Alas I need to evolve, if I want to create cool imagery I need to be able to understand other illustrative techniques. Anyway, I figure if I can address a couple million aussies on national morning television then how difficult can it be to pony up and draw a late-twenties model wearing nothing but a pair of stilettos and hat.

Pretty god damn difficult... at least I'm givin' it a whirl.

I have my life back. Three months of nothing but the best job in the world. It's been a fantastic and eye opening experience. I've gained skills I never thought I would, I've met some of the most fantastic down to earth people, and I've jumped aboard over 22 aircraft in the past 28 days. It's been a whirlwind adventure but now it's time for something new!

Akin to standing in front of dam wall charged with Dynamite, I hesitantly opened my feed-reader for the first time in what seems an eternity and began the long process of consuming information of the world.

This vid, by Chris Milk shot on a 5DMKII with a lensbaby lens, was something that just stood-out above the mediocracy of internet blah.

The skies opened up, then the hail battered down on our waterproof hoodies, the pattering sound instantly transfixing me into a motionless state. Mesmerized my mind raced back to the last time I could recollect a similar feeling, images flashing through my memory came screaming to a halt as I remembered the moment.

My parents and I sat on the verandah overlooking the turquoise turned gray waters as a thunder storm rolled in over the Whitsunday islands, the massive tropic raindrops beat down on the corrugated roof, the sound instantly deafening. I'm ready to come home.

It felt relaxing to be in the middle of nowhere. No cell phone reception, no internet, no laptop, completely disconnected. No reason to make contact with anyone, no means to accumulate votes.

Unfortunately the video is more of a montage, the weather turned too foul to keep the cameras around my neck, the old 5D is no longer working due to water damage and I couldn't risk the new as I have upcoming shoots before I leave the UK. So I apologise guys as you'll never get that update from the summit.

Write up to come. Check flickr for some more photos!

Help me in attaining said job and vote now by going to http://islandreefjob.com/james!

Alas my visa has come to an end, at which point an antipodean must choose to either delay their inevitable life by renewing for another two years or to finally face the music (and student loans) and head home to the ever quizzical parents: Why do you not have a girlfriend yet? How did your face get so chubby? Are you really staying indefinitely this time? Are you sure you should be leaving in this economic climate? and where are you going to live? We turned your bedroom into a Sauna.

I have made the decision and It is time! Time to give up my awesome obligation free lifestyle and fantastic living quarters situated just off Portobello Road to one lucky person! Although it's going to be tough replacing the likes of me! I am relaxed and easy going, yet I keep the place modestly clean for my charming flatmate Kim. She's a twenty-five year old Australian professional student (what ever that means).

Our flat is modestly awesome, it's clean with floorboards through kitchen, hall, entrance and living room. Bedrooms carpeted. The bedroom is big enough to spend a whole Sunday in and not get bored, but you'll love the living room that looks out onto the always bustling and vibrant notting hill scene (absolutely amazing come notting hill carnival).

We're less than a half a block to Portobello road, situated less than ten minutes walk to either

1. Notting Hill Gate
2. Ladbroke Grove
3. Westbourne Park
4. Queensway
5. Bayswater

Count em... that's five tube stations! (albeit four tube lines)

You'll walk less than four minutes to the Local Tesco, or eight minutes to late night sainsbury's (open till 12pm alway handy on Sunday nights when you've spent all day in bed). Or if you need to buy everything hop on a bus and in less than 10 minutes you'll be at the massive/gigantic ladbroke grove sainsbury's.

Seriously, we're perfectly located to everything! Amazing Pubs, Restaurants, Cinemas, Clubs, Gallery's and the freakin Market!

• Double Room - Plenty of space with built in wardrobes
• Incredibly quiet neighborhood
• Either Male or Female
• Suits working professional
• Someone chilled, talkative but also has own social life.
• Awesome lounge room with adjoining kitchen
• WiFI internet & SKY on sweet LCD TV
• Rent - £758 pcm (includes internet & sky)
• Bond - £1050

Room available Early April 2009!

If you think you're the one get in touch! - nottinghillflatmate@googlemail.com

It's time to make plans, time to move on. I leave London and the United Kingdom in just over a month. So I thought it was time to do the final still in the Peeping Tom series, and with this shot, I've also bundled in a Making of the Peeping Toms HD Video, so don't forget to check it out!

Image copyright James Hill 2009. All rights reserved.

Could it really be true, an all you can eat Sushi Restaurant in London?!!!

Yep... It's true! £14.99 per person, all you can eat in 1.5 hours. That's our second massive plate... check out all that Salmon sashimi! There are a couple conditions..

• Buffet for eat in only, no take away.
• Maximum amount of time to enjoy buffet menu is limited to 1.5 hours
• We reserve the right to charge £5 per person for any food wastage.

I only read the last point just when the second plate was served... It was hard work... but we got there in the end.

Hi Sushi
40 Frith Street
Soho, London
W1D 5LN

Image copyright Alexia Sinclair 2009. All rights reserved.

So I'm booked into a Masterclass at the Australian Centre for Photography with Alexia Sinclair. Notice the dates, that's the week I fly back into Sydney. No rest for the wicked.

Alexia's captivating multilayered art presents contemporary notions of fashion and beauty through an innovative use of digital media. Alexia's years of experience in both fine art photography and digital retouching have seen the development of some ingenious techniques now employed in the production of her elaborate digital images.

During this weekend master class students will have the opportunity to gain rare insight into some of the processes used by Alexia in her art works. A range of topics will be covered from pre-visualisation, through to planning, matching colour, light source and image capture. After a demonstration in Adobe Photoshop students will then complete a series of practical exercises using these digital techniques to blend and stitch several elements together creating a finished composition.

- ACP

Check out Alexia's amazing work on her website www.alexiasinclair.com.