That was 2024

The world was kind to me in 2024. Sadly tens of millions across the globe cannot say the same. 

I feel  for the people of Ukraine, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank and Sudan. Also for the women of Afghanistan who saw a bright future ahead of them only to have it cruelly taken away by the Taliban.

There was so much evil in the world in 2024 it is easy to despair. Even here in Australia, in what is still a very lucky and civil country, I despair at the greed and increasing nastiness and selfishness. 

World wide big companies seem to have totally abandoned their moral compasses." Greed is good-let's see what we can get away with" seems to be their new creed. They have it all and yet they still want more.

For so many companies customer service seems to be an oxymoron. The digital assistant is a curse of our times. What's wrong with employing real people who can actually assist? The digital assistants really got into their stride in 2024.

The outlook for the climate of the planet became grimmer in 2024. The climate change deniers seem to be in the ascendancy. How can they not care that their children and grandchildren will inherit an uninhabitable planet unless we all act?

At a local level the continuing proliferation of huge utes and SUVs totally baffles me. The same people who whine and complain about the cost of living go out and buy huge, gas guzzling, polluting trucks. I just don't get it.

The results of the US Presidential election left me shaking my head in total disbelief. 

Fortunately for me personally 2024 was kind despite this very depressing backstory.

Here are a few of the highs and lows- in photos

First the highs.

My trip to Istanbul and the UK in June with my daughter, Lisa  and granddaughter, Ellie.

A wonderful trip to Tasmania in April with Rosie.

 

 Seeing my grandchildren growing up

 

Adopting a beautiful cat, Holly.  A companion, but not yet a friend, for tiny Smudge -bottom photo. Despite her size six year old Holly is a big softy who just wants to be loved.

 

 Buying yet another camera-a Leica SL2- and a few lenses and really enjoying using what is the best camera I have ever owned.

Seeing Rosie's happy, smiling face every day. Particularly when she took delivery of her MG4 EV electric car.

Collecting a few valued plaudits for some  "rediscovered" photos -

Keeping in touch with relatives and friends  particularly in the UK and particularly seeing my brother, Bob, again after 22 years.

Sadly there was one very sad low point. My beautiful little Marvel died.  She saved my sanity after the death of my wife and through the covid lockdowns. She lived 8 months longer than the vet predicted after her heart attack. She lived her best life right to the end. She was always friendly and everyone who came into contact with her loved her.  She never hissed at me or scratched me. She was Marvel by name and Marvel by nature. I loved her and I still miss her every day.

Happy New Year to you all. I hope your 2025 is a good year.

John

 

Boxing Day-Terrigal Beach

 

Seasons Greetings to the small band of followers to this modest blog. Wherever you are I hope you are having a peaceful time.

Here in Terrigal, yesterday, Christmas Day, was hot. Today is even hotter and tomorrow is forecast to be hotter still.

Sadly there are massive bushfires raging in the Grampians National Park region of Victoria, down south. The forest vegetation is very dry, the temperatures are extreme, there are high winds and dry lightning has started multiple fires. So far no loss of life but thousands of square kms burnt out and sadly thousands, perhaps millions, of native animals lost.

The photo above was taken on New Years Day, 1989 on Terrigal Beach. The world windsurfing championships were being held in Terrigal that year. Today windsurfing is not nearly so popular and the  scene on the beach is much different.

This photo was taken with my Leica M6 with a 28mm Elmarit lens on colour negative film. The negative has badly degraded and is now unusable but many years ago I made a very large block mounted print which hung in my old house. I photographed that for the photo above.

For  comparison I have just taken the short stroll down to the beach and shot the same scene today-at 11.30am. Photo below. A big difference. The beach is much less crowded but that may be down to the difference in days as not all the visitors have arrived yet. Also it may be hotter today that on NYD 1989. Today people are much more sun conscious. The umbrellas have been replaced by cabanas and there are more hats being worn. This photo was taken with my Leica Q2 with its 28mm lens.

 

Gone early morning fishing

 Fishing at sunrise on Terrigal Beach on a beautiful morning. Another hot day ahead.

Not a surf carnival photo

Today  I really would have liked to have posted a colourful photo taken at the huge surf carnival being held on Terrigal beach today. There are hundreds of children taking part and there's the problem.

I do not want to be seen taking photos near children. There is so much sensitivity around the subject. It's easy to understand why but it's more difficult to understand why the literally dozens of people snapping away with their smartphones on the beach and Esplanade don't get a second glance.

Anyway it is what it is, so today's photo is not of the surf carnival, it's our big ball of fur, Holly.

Photo taken with my Leica Q2.

Taking a dip

 I have just been down to Kiama and I was reminded that on my last time there I took what is still one of my favourite photos.

Back then, in February 2022, it was a very hot day -as I drove there on the motorway west of Sydney earlier in the day the car was showing an external temperature of 35.6ºC. It was also very humid. Late in the afterrnoon I drove south to Gerringong and I spotted these swimmers walking carefully across the slippery rock shelf to an ocean swimming pool to take a cooling dip.

The Little Blowhole-Kiama

 

Earlier in the week I spent a few days down the south coast in Kiama and Berry. Photo above shows the Little Blowhole at Kiama early morning. The blowhole was in good form the three days I was there.

Racing in the heat

Went down to Sydney Motorsport Park yesterday to the Historic Race meeting to see friends, Craig ( Porsche 911) and Colin ( Alfa GTA), competing. Very hot and humid day. I was feeling the 35ºC heat and I was not driving.

It was good to catch up with friends from the Porsche Club who I had not seen for over 4 years. However to their apparent surprise I did not feel nostalgic for the days when I competed in my Porsches. Life moves on.

The conditions and the weight of my camera gear meant that I was not able to get into more than one vantage point for the action shots and I called it a day after I had some good shots of my mates.

Photos taken using my SL2 and the Lumix f2.8 70-200mm lens for the action shots and the Sigma f2.8 24-70mm lens for the static shots.