Stay Healthy and Keep Fit

I'm starting my photo journey
 at the front door

Forget toilet paper and food in packets, concentrate on fresh food, fruit vegetables, and good quality protein. Eat well (prepared at home) and exercise. If you can get out take your camera out in the fresh air (it's getting less polluted by the day) but stay away from crowds. Not everyone has access to a large open parkland like me but just walking around the block or down to the local shops (high street) is exercise.  It is also a great opportunity to take photos. Start with snapshot to the path you take (perhaps looking down at the path) and key landmarks along the way. When you get home wash your hands with soap and water and give your camera a wipe down with a microfiber cloth (don’t use a spray or sanitizer on your camera, just wash the cloth after use) then put the camera away.

No need to show anyone the photos, but later that day or night review them and think what could I have done to get a better picture (Hint most often it will be to do with composition and framing, then perhaps tonal balance). Sharing your photos can come soon enough, but treat your first day as practice.

This mission is inspired by Rich Salmon’s recent book “Photo Therapy Motivation and Wisdom” here is the advice he offers on this topic given before the COVID-19  crisis.

“Exercise as much as you can and try to eat smart. The healthier you are, the better you feel and the more energy you will have when you are out photographing. Download a fitness tracker or utilize the step counter on your smartphone. Also, cut back on the carbs.”

Telling the stories of the Boyd’s in Murrumbeena

The Boyds are famous in many artistic endeavours and the family home in Murrumbenna is now gone but their story is very interesting and well told by Colin Wilson. In particular the story of Merrik Boyd really came to life walking through the place that was very important to him and his wider family.

Some truth in the rumour

I wrote a little while ago about the urban myth of the traveller and his 100 slides BUT I have just seen a video called the Art of Walking,Great Ocean Walk, Victoria, Australia



One of the walkers is John Francis, also known as the Planetwalker. His story is remarkable and includes a period of 17 years where he did not speak, just wrote, gestured and played his banjo. He now has a lot of common sense to say about environmental issues. John is also remarkable in that he keeps wonderful journals as he is travelling in which he writes, paints and sketches and then gives them away to others he meets will walking to carry on the story.