So, a long time ago, I quit Instagram, for various reasons  but I miss part of it. I miss being a part of communities that share photographs and set challenges with advice. I refuse to get back onto Instagram, mainly because I was letting it take up too much of my time, so Az and I both decided we’d jump off board and it’s been one of the best things for us.  But, loving photography like I do, I  have wanted to be a part of  photography challenges, in order to learn more about what I love to do.

So, my mum pointed me in the direction of Clique, the Age newspaper’s photo-journalism group where they set monthly challenges for hobbyists like myself! Happy Days – the monthly challenge is right up my alley, enough time to get out and about with my camera, have a theme in mind and see what happens. No pressure, no instant gratification, and the time i’m spending is quality time learning something new, WITH my hubby, instead of staring at our phones! It’s pretty cool to just be a part of another interesting community again! Win win!

So, as nerve-wrecking as this is, I’m posting my first entry into the world of Clique and what a better way to share it with those involved than firing up this old blog! It’s been a while!

So, this month’s theme is to photograph ‘People and their hobbies’ – the first thought that sprang to mind was taking a selfie of me and my camera but really, no one wants to see that and remember Linz, this isn’t Instagram! So after chatting with Az, I asked if I could  snap a few shots of him and his surfing buddies. One thing led to another and before I knew it, all the boys were keen to jump on board (no pun intended!) and I even had the pleasure of having ‘Smithy’ arrive – the affectionate name for the beautifully restored Kombi Van.

Here lies the issue though. Now that i’m a part of this photography community, i’ve all of a sudden placed a whole heap of pressure on myself to get the perfect shot. After a few days wallowing, I have realized that there is no such thing. And thank firetrucks I came to that conclusion (my poor hubby was losing his mind!). The point of photography for me is not to get the ‘perfect shot’. The point is that i’m not taking photos for clients, so I don’t have to please anyone else but myself – so, I just need to get out there, take photographs, tell a visual story and have a bit of a play in post-production (I’m addicted to black and whites) and that be it. Nothing more. Nothing less. It really is purely about the journey (apologies for the cliche) and I’m on the way to learning more about myself and photography than I ever thought possible.

So, what journey are you on right now?

Disclaimer – In no way am I bagging out Instagram, it’s a cracking app that has changed the way we live and like I said, I miss it but won’t be returning to it. I’m on a new journey…

(Feel free to throw me some hints on post-production – I’m trying to master Lightroom and my brain hurts!!)

Love a moody winter beach photo… love that Kombi!

A non-selfie selfie!

Possibly my favourite tone,  however i’d like to learn how to remove shadows (is that even possible!?)

Boys doing what boys do… An important part of surfing is talking about it right?

These guys live for the thrill of a wave… what a great way to live! The most excited of them all is my Az! Love that smile!

Daz and his bus, people and their hobbies, surfing, Kombi’s and the beach… a winning combo! Thanks so much for letting me capture the bus!

Throw back tone… of yesteryear!

And the photo that I’ll upload for my Clique theme ‘People and their Hobbies’. While there’s nothing amazing about the photograph itself in terms of technique, it’s the story that it tells – which to me, is ultimately the point of photography. What more do you need in a hobby than being part of a like minded community, getting together and passionately committing to something you dream about ‘visual story telling’. These guys sum up the definition of ‘committed passion’ because it’s all about the wave, and by sharing a passion, they get the best kind of bonus – mateship. I loved capturing these guys on a wintry night in Torquay, I cannot thank them enough for letting me do this to kick start my own hobby – legends!

A big shout out to everyone who gave up some time to help me out – Thanks for the Valiant, the Kombi, your cheek and the smiles!

These Days are My Days and I do love photography! x