Christmas Card Samples

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Here are just a few designs. Please stay tuned for more designs....

























Comments

Dean Whyte said…
Very thoughtful bblog
24 May 2022 at 19:39
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The Love Story Part 6 - The Sydney Arrival

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As diffused morning rays filter through my bedroom window, I stretch luxuriously, prise my eyes open and swipe my phone awake. I smile contentedly as I am greeted with a cheery, "Good morning, Nina. Sleep well? He will arrive today. I caress the space beside me. The time zone difference has been excruciating. It will be a relief to have him here waking up by my side. Sleep has evaded me often over the past seven months. I was restless thinking about what he was up to and only truly relaxed when I knew he was asleep. I caught myself glancing at my watch, calculating the time difference, pondering his whereabouts. Right now, he should be on the train into London to meet his daughter for breakfast at Dishoom or, this afternoon he'll be with his brothers bellowing expletives at a Charlton game. It's a tribal thing. The author of my anxiety was the disbelief that this love at first sight fairytale was actually playing out. This fantastical adventure was indeed happening to me. ...
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Rustic Australian Countryside - The small town of Rylstone

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One of the Dam's looking toward Kandos  On the property, Lindoway looking back toward The Shed  It happened. A rare weekend when I wasn't shooting for a client! So I threw the camera in the car and headed three hours out of Sydney to  the Central Tablelands.  I visited a friend's property, Lindoway, in  Rylstone ,  a small town with a population of 615 people and at least 10 times that in sheep! View toward the town of Kandos There are 65 sheep on Lindoway and this is as close as I could get as they are quite skittish. The leader sheep lets out a massive Baa (he tried to sound scary but Baa still sounds cute to me) then they all take off.  Today is particularly warm 30 degrees celsius but it did cool considerably in the evening.  There don't seem to be any mosquitos but the flies certainly make up for it. The great Aussie salute probably originated here! So many flies... There are alway...
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The Love Story Part 1 - A Chance Meeting.

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We met through friends and the attraction was instant. A tingling sensation aroused from its sleeping hibernation. A burgeoning sexual energy combined with a sense of knowing that together we would be compatible in every sense. He would quieten my uneasiness and I would feel safe. I would be the spark to his humdrum, the wisdom to his healing. He was recently separated, and I was a few years down the track after my own split and divorce. A horrific affair that ended up with lawyers and court hearings for over 5 years. It was an abusive marriage that lasted over twenty years and I was happy to be out of it. I had become a person that I no longer liked. Through it, my self-esteem around relationships had taken a battering. I had been on a few dates and quite frankly, was exhausted by the entire process. So you can imagine the exhilaration when this lovely man reciprocated my attention. He was safe too because he was an old classmate of my girlfriend's husband. I didn't have to do...
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Family Portraits At The Beach - Sydney Northern Beaches

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Nothing like a cool Winter's Day in Sydney for a photo session at the beach. Actually our winter's are amazing and I much prefer shooting at this time than those belting hot summer days. My light is soft and the sand is still warm. I only need the slightest fill to get a good exposure.  The family was moving to the USA and wanted a memory of the Northern Beaches, where they had spent their time so I also didn't mind a bit of contrasty sunlight here and there as a reminder. I really liked the outfits chosen by the family.  They complimented each other whilst not being too "matchy". I have a Pinterest Board that has fabulous clothing suggestions for family portraits that you are welcome to follow. The family was extremely relaxed even though their house was being packed up as we were shooting. They were very committed to making it a great shoot and that makes all the difference.  We wanted Manly in the background of ...
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Zombie Meets Indulgent Sufferers - My recent stay in hospital.

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I arrived at the Emergency Room, wrapped in my toasty blanket. Despite it being 28° outside of my furry throw rug, it was closer to 40°C inside my body, so it felt freezing to me. I slowly moved through the doors like the walking dead emerging from a post-apocalyptic horror scene. The admin nurse took one look at me and bade me sit in the red priority chairs, whilst I waited for my triage nurse to finish her tea. I lowered myself tentatively and, unable to remain upright, lay shivering across all three chairs. The nurse arrived abruptly and suggested emphatically, before she had examined me, that I had Rhinovirus.  I explained to her that, as Rhino = nose and my nasal passages were decidedly clear and my brain decidedly lucid that I begged to differ. She replied, “What do you mean by lucid?”  I pretended that the roll of my eyes was due to the fever and briefly explained lucidity as the opposite of brain fog, then went on to relay my actual symptoms. Above-normal temperature, ...
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Clown Doctors -The Children's Hospital, Westmead

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  My son was a patient at The Children's Hospital  at Westmead. First at 8 months of age when his kidney failed and then at 10 months when they removed it. It was a difficult time for us all.  Visiting again, this time as a volunteer photographer, I had to confront the crockpot of intense anxiety and other emotions that envelop you as a parent. But more revealing was having to face the children. The head hanging to their chest and pain glazed eyes, head tilted with a curious expression. "Why does this hurt mummy?" On this visit, however, the intensity was quickly dissolved by the pure joy brought to the faces of these young patients by the highly skilled and very funny clown doctors. What a wonderful gift! Whether finishing a round of chemotherapy or waiting for a kidney transplant, every child was able to find a smile for the clown doctors. Each bedside visit was pure delight. In addition, I witnessed momentary relief among the visitin...
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Cambodian kids bring tears of joy! - Our visit to a remote school in Thailand

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Steps With Hope Desperately in need of funds to continue their support of this little school in Thailand, Founder of  Steps With Hope , Jen Spoor, hosted a Mother's Day High Tea. After her presentation, I said to Jen, "if you want to make a bigger impact, you need better photos".   So that was that and I committed to visiting the school on their next trip.   Meet The Kids If you're like us, you will want to meet the kids right away. There are about 70 children currently attending the school with three classes starting at Kindergarten age.  These children come from poor Khmer families, remnants of a recovering population that has endured one of the darkest times times in its history.  Around 3 million people slaughtered and many more terrorized by the Khmer Rouge has left a devastated people still clawing its way back to normality.  Families reside in makeshift huts just over the border in Cambodia. The children walk across...
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High School Formal Dance Photography - Killara High School

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Professional portraits for your high school dance or dinner? I wish they had thought of this when I went to high school! Although I remember it vividly, I do not have one image of my year 10 formal. What a fabulous idea! 20 years from now, these kids will love showing these happy snaps to their kids. They will reminisce about what they wore, how great they looked, who their friends were and how much fun they had! I had a wonderful time and all the kids were amazing! They just fell into their poses for the formal shots, each guy and girl looking as though they had stepped out of a magazine! Sometimes the formal consists of a dinner but tonight we are dancing away at Home Nightclub at Darling Harbour, downtown Sydney.
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Portrait of a Muscian - Danny May

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It was an honor for me to photograph Danny. I really respect his artistic skill and he is such a nice guy as well! We first met at the Marist College production of Copacabana. I photographed the show and Danny was first trumpet! My son played second trumpet next to Danny which was an amazing experience for him. He was actually introduced to me as "Australia's Best Trumpeter!! You can see some of the images from the show here . Danny is out and about playing  Jazz in Sydney .  You can also see some of his mean jazz skills on this youtube clip! The quality isn't great so you will just have to buy a ticket and go see him perform!!
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Walking Sydney - Chowder Bay to Middle Head

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Not just a walk with panoramic views of the harbour, this is also a fabulous step back into Sydney history.  View toward North Head The fortifications began in the 19th Century and were modified over the years and include a series of tunnels that connect the entire area. Fascinating but scary to think that we needed such protection. One of the many tunnels that connect this entire fortress The guns have been removed but you get the idea. There was no way anyone would get through Sydney Harbour. As the Japanese were to find out in 1942 during WWII . Getting There  We parked the car in a free 2 hour spot at Georges Head , which is just above Chowder Bay On Middle Head Road, Mosman. Then followed the signs to Middle Head. Some parts aren't as well signed so you'll have to follow the map, one wrong turn and you could end up at the Nudist Beach! You will walk through the abandoned military quarters and come to this little group of cottages on Old Fo...
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