loving the life aquatic

Spring Hill Baths, Brisbane :: 2

Spring Hill Baths, Brisbane :: 1

 

Hello! Long time no post, I know. This week things have finally slowed down a little so I’m taking the opportunity to check in before the next urgent, need-it-now job hurtles towards me.

As I review my work for various clients over the last six months, one almost constant theme is water.

Some of my favourite water moments have been poolside…

 

Centenary Pool, Brisbane

Centenary Pool, Brisbane

 

 

 

Spring Hill Baths, Brisbane :: 1

Spring Hill Baths, Brisbane :: 2

 

 

 

Boy Charlton, Sydney

Boy Charlton, Sydney

 

 

 

Prince Alfred Park pool, Sydney

Prince Alfred Park pool, Sydney

 

 

 

North Sydney Pool :: 1

North Sydney Pool :: 1

 

 

 

North Sydney Pool :: 2

North Sydney Pool :: 2

 

 

 

As much as I love pools – swimming in them and snapping them – the most mesmerising water experience was at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria…

 

wonder at the water wall

wonder at the water wall :: 1

 

 

 

wonder at the water wall :: 2

wonder at the water wall :: 2

 

 

 

The wall of water is totally wonderful but the most breathtaking water episode I’ve had recently was shooting way up high above the stuff at Brisbane Port, in a tiny cabin that moved so swiftly, I’m amazed any of these shots are in focus…

 

walking on water :: 1

walking on water :: 1

 

 

 

(Trying to stay upright and shoot was of course nothing compared to what the operator has to do – manipulate a tiny joystick to precisely pick up and move massive containers way down below, from ship to shore. For hours. On. End. The least I could do was not fall on top of the poor guy.)

 

walking on water :: 2

walking on water :: 2

 

 

 

walking on water :: 3

walking on water :: 3

 

 

 

Shooting back down on firm ground wasn’t nearly so dramatic but I do love a massive ship.

 

Brisbane Port :: 1

Brisbane Port :: 1

 

 

 

Brisbane Port :: 2

Brisbane Port :: 2

 

 

 

One of the things about shooting bodies of water is they look their best at daybreak. As much as I wince at the thought of waking up while it’s still dark, I love it when I do. No one’s around, the air is deliciously crisp and then suddenly, the light breaks over the horizon – it never stops feeling incredible…

 

Balmain :: 1

Balmain :: 1

 

 

 

Balmain :: 2

Balmain :: 2

 

 

 

Pyrmont :: 1

Pyrmont :: 1

 

 

 

Pyrmont :: 2

Pyrmont :: 2

 

 

 

As impressive as the sunrise is over the harbour foreshores, I had a recent OMG moment just a few minutes after I’d got off the M5 one early morning, near Liverpool. I thought I’d discovered a lot about the hidden gems of the western suburbs from the days of my first 52 Suburbs project, but this was news to me…

 

daybreak on the Georges River :: 1

daybreak on the Georges River :: 1

 

 

 

daybreak on the Georges River :: 2

daybreak on the Georges River :: 2

 

 

 

daybreak on the Georges River :: 3

daybreak on the Georges River :: 3

 

 

 

It wasn’t just the beauty that blew me away, it was also the richness of river life, just spitting distance from the M5 and busy, urban Liverpool. The life aquatic in the suburbs…

 

 

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 1

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 1

 

 

 

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 2

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 2

 

 

 

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 3

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 3

 

 

 

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 4

the life aquatic, in the suburbs :: 4

 

 

 

The biggest buzz for me was meeting a gaggle of gorgeous kids, messing about on the edge of Chipping Norton Lake. They loved having their photos taken – “me, miss, take me!” – as did their parents, a group of Lebanese Muslims enjoying a peaceful day out. The whole debate about immigration and the recent ‘us and them’ bizarreness seemed like a million miles away…

 

lake fun :: 1

lake fun :: 1

 

 

 

lake fun :: 2

lake fun :: 2

 

 

 

lake fun :: 3

lake fun :: 3

 

 

 

The two kids below are brother and sister. I wanted to snap them in the lovely late afternoon light but they weren’t sure how to stand. So I asked the older brother what he would do if he met his sister on the street. Without hesitation he hugged her tight. How beautiful is that?

 

gold

gold

 

 

 

So that’s just a little of what I’ve been up to. I’ll check in again soon – I always say it when I haven’t blogged for a while, but I really do miss it. (I probably should migrate to a new blog since clearly we’re no longer travelling around the world; I’ll add it to the To Do list.)

On other fronts, I’ve had a rush of blood to the head and reduced the price of my 52 Suburbs Around the World book to just $49.95. (If you’d like a copy, click here or head to the SHOP tab at the top of the page.) And I’m also offering family portraits at special Chrissy prices – I’ll post about that separately soon but in the meantime, please email me for the details (52suburbs@gmail.com) if you’re interested.

 

52SATW case2print corrs.indd

 

 

 

Last but not least, Coco says hi! Here she is with some of her friends, celebrating her 11th birthday – it was in July but her bad mother only got around to organising it recently. Wicked woman!

 

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 1

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 1

 

 

 

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 3

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 2

 

 

 

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 3

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 3

 

 

 

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 1

Happy (late) Birthday Coco! :: 4

 

 

Here endeth this mega post. As usual, the blog format is all very one-sided – I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to over the last six months. Either that or you know, anything really. How you feel about sunrises, Christmas, cats vs dogs. The more random the better in a way. Just would be lovely to hear your ‘voice’. (I’d better go, it’s getting weird.)

 

checking in – and a special Mother’s Day offer on the book

Well hello. Geez, been a while huh? I’ve received quite a few emails recently from some of you, asking what I’ve been up to lately – and how Coco is going, now that we’re well and truly back from our global adventure. Given that so many of you ‘travelled’ with us every week for over a year not that long ago (and before that, around Sydney for another year), I thought it was high time I checked in with an update on life post-52 Suburbs Around the World.

On my side of things, I’ve been busy working on various photographic jobs. I really miss working on my own projects but I feel incredibly lucky right now just to be able to earn my living doing something I absolutely love. I have a couple more projects in me for sure, but right now, it’s about building on the last four years of hard, self-initiated work.

Speaking of building, I’m also loving the fact that these jobs offer so much diversity. One day I’m out on a building site chatting up some burly blokes …

 

building site 01

 

 

 

 

BEEBO_LOW-RES_LouiseHawson_140220_116

 

 

 

 

BEEBO_LOW-RES_LouiseHawson_140214_102

 

 

 

 

BEEBO_LOW-RES_LouiseHawson_131128_004

 

 

 

The next, I’m in a studio, dealing with lights and far from burly blokedom …

 

LH_Studio_2

 

 

 

 

LH_studio_1

 

 

 

 

studio2a

 

 

 

I’m learning something new every week in a photographic sense and absolutely loving it. May it continue thus!

So that’s me, in a very small nutshell. And Coco? She’s settled back into school life pretty much as if she never left it. (Although remember my frantic worries about her lack of schooling when we were travelling? And how I quipped that she could always get a maths tutor when we got back if she needed one? Well, she now has a maths tutor. Exy but Coco practically skips on her way to see her so I can hardly complain.)

When we started the project in January 2012, Coco was eight and a half. She’s now about to turn eleven. Eleven! Has she changed much? Not really. She’s still the most delightful, kind and funny kid anyone could wish for. Just a bit taller (photographed on the beach for her friend Elyse’s birthday) …

 

Coco and Elyse :: 1

Coco and Elyse :: 1

 

 

 

Coco and Elyse :: 2

Coco and Elyse :: 2

 

 

 

 

Coco and Elyse :: 3

Coco and Elyse :: 3

 

 

 

 

Coco and Elyse :: 3

Coco and Elyse :: 4

 

 

 

 

Coco and Elyse :: 5

Coco and Elyse :: 5

 

 

 

Extra-special Mother’s Day book offer

I was at a bookstore on the weekend where my book is stocked and the lovely man behind the counter told me that the day before a gentleman had bought my book for his mum who’s just been diagnosed with cancer. He thought it would help to give her a break from her new reality. I went from, busy-busy with my Saturday morning list of things to do, to standing totally still, feeling like I was about to burst into tears – not only at how touched I was at the thought of his poor mum enjoying my book but also because my dear old mum is no longer around. I adored my mum and would do pretty much anything to have her back (she never met Coco – how unfair is that? Blah.)

Anyway, if I can’t give my own mum a gift, I can give a gift to other amazing mums – for the next week until the moment the first glass of something or other is raised at Sunday lunchtime, my 52 Suburbs Around the World book will be 20% less exy – just $63 (and will come with a set of postcards and a little note from Coco and I).

Go here if you wish to purchase – and yes, Happy Mother’s Day to you (and my mum). I hope you are adored and cherished as you should be.

 

 

Maureen Anne Hawson – my mum

Maureen Anne Hawson – my mum

 

Order my first book online

Buy the 52 Suburbs Book online

Find out more about the Sydney book here

Sponsors

Advertisers

EnglishItalianChinese (Traditional)GermanFrenchHindiTurkish