After four weeks of planning, V and I finally caught the weather and aligned days off to go and do the Grouse Grind and see Grouse Mountain before summer gasped its last breath.

It was a gorgeous day, and I managed to get a few nice photographs. Apparently I was too shaken up to hold my camera steady during most of the Grind itself, but the photos from the top are worth a look. I’ve tried a few more HDR shots, but the technique’s still a work in progress. Getting the exposure balance right on busy photos is something I’ve yet to figure out.

I barely caught this little guy on film – he was quick

I contributed a cover illustration to On Dit, the University of Adelaide student magazine shortly before my graduation this year. On Dit received new design and layout-savvy editors this year, much to its benefit, and I’m disappointed I won’t get to read it regularly now I’ve left the university.

The editors were kind enough to send me a couple of copies; I’m really pleased with how the cover came out, so I’ve posted some photos below.

Freshly arrived!

A few weeks ago while summer was still in full swing, V and I visited Lynn Canyon on Vancouver’s North Shore. We chose it because it was a free alternative to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, and I can’t say we were disappointed.

The Lynn Canyon bridge is built in a national park area of old-growth Pacific North-West rainforest. It’s very difficult to describe exactly how impressive these rainforests are; really the only way to get a feel for it is to visit one in person. The trees are vast, the vegetation is lush, and apart from all the other visitors, they feel incredibly peaceful. Lynn Canyon also has a very informative visitor’s centre exhibit describing the biodiversity of the rainforest, which is under threat from activities such as logging.

I took a few photos while we were there which I’ve shared below. I hope you enjoy them!

One of many streams running down the rocky walls

About ten months ago I was fortunate enough to win a competition run by TJ Schiller, a professional skier, which allowed me to work with CoreUPT, a European freeski company, to place a design on the topsheet of their TJ Schiller Pro model ski for the coming 2010/2011 winter. I received a pair of the skis the other day (from TJ himself, no less) and I’ve taken a few photos because – I’ll be honest here – I’m really proud.

I hope you like how the skis have turned out, let me know your thoughts! They’re still wrapped in plastic in the photos because I’m trying to cosmetically preserve them for the start of winter. The bumpy texture on the close-up photos isn’t actually on the topsheets, just the wrapping.

CoreUPT 2010 TJ Schiller Pro model

I recently contributed a skateboard deck to PipeUp, an international skateboard exhibition in Adelaide curated by Lisa King of Paperhorse Studios in Rundle Mall.

I wanted to do something a little different, so I investigated the options for laser-etching the base of the deck. I found KP Sales in Thebarton, a sign-making business, who were able to etch the deck for a reasonable fee. Since the deck is concave, their machine didn’t work perfectly, but the deck ended up with a smooth gradient due to the distance between the wood and the laser.

I think it adds to the piece, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. I’ve included images of the deck and a couple of pictures from the exhibition below. Check them out and let me know what you think!

My deck after laser-etching was completed