Scampi On The Run - Jun10

They say that most people put weight on over the winter break so we've been trying to get outside for lots of walks in the weekend.

Scampi of course loves this. The outdoor shots below were taken at Lyne Park in Rose Bay (Sydney). Given the camera was out we also took a few snaps inside of Scampi and his Mum.

















(Above) Scampi watching guard over the balcony. He does this often so pleased I finally caught his pose on camera!

Vaucluse Coastal Walk + Jelly Lens Effects - Apr10

Our friends Anrik and Elizabeth bought us some jelly lenses as our wedding present. These attach to the front of a compact camera (they work perfectly well with a mobile camera also) - there are around 20 in total and each produces its own unique effect. My personal favourites are the ones which produce mosaic style images! The close up lens also does an excellent job.

We took them for a test run during a coastal walk we were keen to do. The coastal walk went along the Hermitage Foreshore Walk encompassing the areas Rose Bay and Vaucluse. It was a warm late autumn day and the walk was spectacular, although a bit longer than we anticipated!



A three way mosaic shot of a Mediterranean style house at the start of the walk



A smokey filter type effect - looking back towards the CBD



Guess who didn't take notes when experimenting with all the jelly lenses (read: I am not sure which one this is...!)



A typical beach passed along the way



My favourite - multiple images (mosaic effect)



Starburst effect - a bit like zooming the lens during an exposure!



Close up lens effect - mind you, this spider was not exactly that small (a bit concerning, even if it has lost a couple of limbs)



Jenn and I at Milk Beach, near Strickland House



Shark Beach



Vaucluse House - owned by a wealthy family in the 19th Century

Scampi Lounging Around - Apr10

Well they say French Bulldogs are lazy and here is proof of it ;-)

A quiet Sunday at home so we decided to have an impromtu photo shoot. Jenn gave him a good brush and we are amazed at the amount of fur he is shedding at the moment. Other than that, he seemed relaxed at posing - enjoy!







"I've just had a good hair cut!"



"What d'you looking at Willis?"









It's a dog's life!



"Mummy and Daddy call this my 'road kill' sleeping position!!"









"Now will you just leave me alone and sleep??"

Scampi Meets The Rellies - Mar10

Scampi is now over 6 months old. After our wedding, my parents and aunty and uncle popped over for tea and coffee and got to spend quality time with him.

Attached are some "family" shots :-)



Scampi and "Great" Uncle Merv



Scampi, "Great" Uncle Merv and "Great" Aunty Ang



Scampi and Tracy (or a.k.a. "Aunty Tracy")



Scampi with my parents (a.k.a. Mum and Dad)





Mummy feeding Scampi a small treat





Scampi, doing a good impression of a sock puppet

High Speed Stag's Night - Mar10

As part of my stag's night, nine of us guys took a high speed jet ride across Sydney Harbour (courtesy of Down Under Jet). This preceded the heavy drinking night that followed and it was an excellent way to start the night out.

The specialty move was the "spin move" which involved taking the boat up to a high speed, then spinning it in one direction. I was given one of the wettest seats and was instantly drenched after the first spin!

We all agreed it was good value - we got out as far as the heads or the entrance to Sydney Harbour. All shots were taken with a Kodak waterproof disposable camera. As a side note, it felt weird to take a film in to get developed!

Using the first photo as a guide and from left to right, in attendance were (starting at the top row down): Carl Reaich (Best Man), Philip Beattie, Tim Riceman (Groomsman), myself, Craig Blair, Daniel Collard, Geoff Best, Michael von Geldern and Dale de Luca (out of shot as was holding the camera!).





Phil looking as though he is about to soil his pants....



Myself - totally oblivious to the imminent drenching....



Just after the first drenching suffered on the starboard side (and Craig on the far right realising his underpants are not in fact waterproof)....





Here I have captured the extent of the soaking - somewhere underneath this are nine saturated stags....



Next stop New Zealand!



Holding on for dear life whilst half of Sydney Harbour is emptied over us

Scampi the Beach Bum - Jan10

We've now had Scampi for over two months and have noticed changes in him, and I am not talking about his doubling in weight as well (he now weighs in just over 7 kgs).

He is asserting his personality and is much more confident. Last Saturday we decided to take him to the beach for the first time. He was a bit apprehensive about the water at first, but became more comfortable.

He even made a new doggie friend while he was down there!