The year that was 2012

[gallery columns="3" link="post" type="rectangular" ids="247,249,250,252,253,255,256,257,258,260,262,264"] A year in review...

Really interesting client briefs, camper-trailing with the kids, articles published and stock images sold.  Hard drive corruptions and tsunami evacuations.  Laughter and tears. Fun and darn hard work. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Holidays with Kids Two in Tow An article that has been published in the recent edition of Holidays With Kids - a great magazine for parents looking to make best use of their holiday time.  So many fabulous ideas and experiences to read, including this one from our recent trip to Phuket. Please let me know what you think, if you have any comments.

Phuket with kids

[gallery link="file"] It's no holiday, but traveling with kids can be fun and rewarding.  Forget the teething bubs, the tantrums, the water care, the fact that you can't do many tours - and you are in for a great time.  What you can't do is made up for with what you can do.  Massages when they are asleep, afternoon naps for yourself, lots of swimming in the pool, stopping to chat with lots of locals, spending all day with your kids as a family and generally messing about.

We have just got home from Phuket, an adventure that saw us do all of the above and more.  The most 'excting' time saw us up a mountain in a local home for five hours due to a tsunami evacuation.  While we were up there we were told that 1000's had been killed in Indonesia from three waves eight metres high.  When we finally edge down the hill at 9.30pm to find a hotel on the hill, we are told that all warnings have been cleared and no wave is coming.

I'm still wary of staying in our beachside villa and want to be transfered to a room in the main building.  Nothing is available, so we end up back in our room.  Until at 5am we are woken by the fire alarm, this time however we are prepared.  We grab our pre packed backpacks, lock the kids in the pushers, and run to the lobby in our sleepwear.  It's a false alarm.  I want to go home now, so scared of staying and the racing adrenalin tiring me.  We are not aware yet that no one was killed by the tsunami.  We are not aware yet that there was no tsunami.

The kids don't go back to sleep, even though they have only had six hours.  After breakfast I get on the internet to find out what happened.  That's where I read there was no tsunami, only a 80cm wave, with no injuries.  I'm exhausted - thank goodness it's the last day.  No more adventures please, not for a while.

Robe weekender

Robe is a quaint little town on the South East coast of South Australia - well known for its beach, fishing and 4WDing.  I like it because of its cute character, its very eclectic ice-creamery, and now, Mahalia coffee.  I've been to Robe twice, and loved it both times.  Once prior to kids, and now with kids in tow, literally.  One on a trike and one on a scooter.  We down beautiful, strong Mahalia coffee in the mornings, get the adrenalin pumping on the tracks of Little Dip Conservation Park, and then chow down on Vic Street Pizzeria pizza in the evening.  One night, the Big 4 Caravan Park put on a disco for the kids - Belle, my two year, wanted to go.  It made my heart sing.  A little two year old head banging, clapping and spinning in circles with all the big kids to Top 40 music while a disco light and coloured lights scatter beams of light all over the floor.  So worth all the drama throughout the day, and trying to get them to sleep.  Needless to say, she went to bed fine that night.  Here are some pics... [gallery link="file" columns="2"]

The Power to Help

I now donate a percentage of all my paid invoices to CARE, a fantastic organisation that helps women and children in third world countries.  I've also recently donated photography to Bali Kids and The Leukaemia Foundation.  I think it's important that we give back, to those who are far less fortunate than us.  Sometimes I wonder, how it has become, that we can drive around in our new shiny cars, build dream homes, and buy all the new mod cons while there are others in our world that are struggling to survive through lack of basic necessities like food, water and shelter.  We have the option of sending our children to private schools, where some families don't even have the option of sending their children to A school.  Instead, children have to stay home and earn money for the family.  And what about the children that are sick, and have no access to medical supplies or doctors to help them. I recently read an article on photographer, who worked on a project that helped raise awareness of the poverty on the land in the USA, and one of her photographs struck me to tears.  It was an image of two children, walking down a dirt road hand in hand, their hut in the background, the little child's legs bowed by disease.  Having a daughter myself, I could not imagine not being able to afford treatment or help, to improve her life.  I could not ever imagine having lost her to illness, or at childbirth, as happens many times in the developing world.

We all need to step back and see what's important, and feel what's important for us.  If we could all donate a little extra to help these people (and forgoe the updated car/entertainment system/lavish holiday), it would be of so much benefit to the people that really need it.  Time or money can help.  'Voluntourism' is on the rise, where people volunteer their time to help in a community for anwhere from a week upwards.  We can donate to a number of charities (and some great ones I've donated to include CARE and Bali Kids) and we can also buy 'gifts' to give to people, where your money goes to real aid in someone else's life.  No more duplicate toasters, socks and jocks, and other unwanted items that inevitably end up lost in landfill or in the dark of the back of the cupboard.

Charity work

I recently returned from a trip over to Bali, where I photographed orphans at Bali Kids.  I contacted them before I left, hoping they would allow me to come in, photograph the kids, and help them out with promotional images.  I asked at the right time.  They were in need of some images for a calendar, and needed them urgently.  I took my lappie, worked on the images and gave them straight back to Bali Kids. I learnt a lot from photographing the orphans.  How the orphanage works, how sponsors help so much, how the kids live, how they came about to be in Bali Kids care, how the organisation helps sponsored children study in Australia... and realised how very lucky I am to live in a country with so much available.  To live in a country where I can bring up my daughter, family, quality care, schooling and medical services so close.

If you are heading over to Bali (or some other Asian countries) please Carry for Kids.  We all head over with an empty suitcase, so why not fill it with something useful, that is needed so much.  Medical supplies, clothes, school supplies, toys, nappies, books - whatever.  You can get more information at www.carryforkids.org .

Here are some of my pics that I took over the two days of photography...[gallery]

Hello world!

My first entry into the world of blogging - proper.  An easy way of telling unassuming people my life, what I'm up to, and showing off my images.  That is, if you to listen.  I'll try to make it interesting!  From now on, a  goal of mine is to update you on my latest photographic assignments, personal photography, thoughts, upcoming or just completed journeys and anything else that takes my fancy on any particular day.  I hope you enjoy a look into heidi who? photos.