(August 16th) The update today will be the last one for a while. But there's about FORTY new photos both here and in the Jedi Academy. Have fun!
So. You'd like to see some photos?
You're in the right place. Here, I've put on display the last dozen of my favourite photos for you to look at - as new photos are added, old ones are pushed out. Each image is thumbnailed and described so that you have an idea of what you're looking at before you open the full-size version. If there's a photo that you think I've taken and you would like to see it on this page (so that you can save it for yourself too), all you have to do is ask me, and I'll put it up here as soon as I can (usually once a week or so).
Now, a few words before you jump straight in. As I mentioned earlier and you can see below, I've thumbnailed every picture that I upload to the site. To make them all look pretty and fit in with the colour theme of the site, though, I've applied a special filter to each one - it makes everything look more orange (you can see the effect straight away).
(August 9th) After the disaster that was the Bismarck essay, and with the weekend ahead, I've decided to put up some Jedis for you. Five new ones, with my best sabers yet! And another update coming soon, with almost forty new photos!...
(August 7th) If you're here, you can see it. I've just done up the site a little nicer - hopefully I'll continue to do this as the site develops. It's meant to look less dodgy, & more professional.
(August 5th) Ag trials are over and with it come THIRTY-TWO new photos! From park pictorials to school adventures, portraits of Harry and the prefect induction (right down the bottom)... this update is chock-a-block. Enjoy!
The full version of each photo, however, is in normal colour - all you need to do is click through on the link that says [ Large Rainbow Version ], and you'll see it in sixteen million colours, as well as the bigger picture. Also worth noting, the thumbnails only show a small part of the image - for example, the face of the subject instead of their whole body - it's just a habit I've developed. So, when you see the thumbnails, realise that what you see there is not the whole photo.
One more thing, on that subject. My camera can take pictures at 1600 by 1200 (that's a size measured in pixels - about two and a half times bigger than most people's desktops), but I don't upload them at that size - most of them are 900 pixels wide instead of 1600. I've found that at this size, images still retain most of their detail, while being a manageable size for you to download and me to upload. If there's any picture you really want the full version of, gimme a whistle (manifold@soon.com) and I'll see what I can do for you.
By the way... since I'm opening up this site a while after I first got my camera, there are some photos that I want to display first before I get to my latest ones. Recent photos will start appearing when I've exhausted my older collection. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy these older gems until then!
Alright then! Bring in the photos!
"Hanging 'Round" [ Large Rainbow Version ] We rose early for our trek to Canberra. After we arrived at school, we saw the sky turn a dark shade of blue, before setting off in the coach bus that would become our home for seven hours of that very day - and our first stop was Hungry Jack's, in Some Remote Place We Don't Know™ (SRPWDK™ for short). And here is a bunch of us, sitting in the otherwise-empty restaurant, watching the sun continue to rise.
"Mr. Keith Enters" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Spending fourteen hours of a day with people you don't usually spend one hour a day with is a curious experience. We had the joys of Mr. Keith, Mrs. Wood and Ms. Bundy constantly accompanying us throughout the day. I'm just thankful Mr. Keith hasn't thought up a derogative nickname for me yet.
"So Many Customers!" [ Large Rainbow Version ] SRPWDK™ wasn't a very populated place when we reached there early in the morning, save for a few customers who came for breakfast. There were about thirty of us students. We imagined that we were the largest number of people this particular Hungry Jack's had ever seen. (Funnily enough, although there were a lot of us, very few of us actually bought anything. Ronald - 1, Jack - 0.)
"Eh?" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Facial expressions are the best. I'm not sure what caused this one on Kien's face; perhaps it was one of the lines in Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore. Or an overheard conversation that is just a little too wierd. Or maybe I just asked him too. No matter...
"Anupam's Burger" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Ever the patient teacher. Anupam was kind enough to explain to me that Hungry Jack's actually makes vegetarian burgers (they are called, rather originally, 'Vegie Burgers'). This photo is of Anupam with his own, home-made Vegie Burger. Jack - still at 0.
"Hungry Jack's Ladies" [ Large Rainbow Version ] On second thought, I have no idea why I asked for this photo to be taken. Well, you know me... I guess this kind of attitude is what has gotten me to >3000 photos, right?
"Arnie's Everywhere" [ Large Rainbow Version ] When we reached the AWM (Australian War Memorial), we saw a lot of exhibits. Many were dioramas, many were explanatory maps, some were violent relics from the war. And then there were the mannequins. There were about six displays of them around, totalling to maybe a dozen models in total; but this one was special because one of the guys - second from the right - looked like Mr. Arnison. That's it.
"Rainbow Sock" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Long hours on a bus make you do funny things. I think the term for it is 'cabin madness', or something to that effect. I think one of those funny things must be wearing rainbow socks. And, notably, taking photos of said rainbow socks.
"That's All, Folks" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Rise at dark, retire at dark. As the bus hurtled home on the final leg of its trip to and from Canberra, and the camera started to beep indicating it was running out of batteries, I took this shot. And then the day was over.
"Streaks" [ Large Rainbow Version ] This is the sequel to "Castle Hill Night". Oh, the joys of photography. I didn't actually realise, but it happens that 4000 photos is quite a lot to have taken in my first two months, even for a digital camera. Hmmm...
"Banquet Dishes" [ Large Rainbow Version ] *stomach rumbling* All of you Chinese people out there will know exactly what I mean when I say, "we enjoy our food". Here are a couple of dishes from my brother's birthday dinner: "Geng-Tou yuk-pah" & "sarm see yee min" - pork from the city of "Geng-Tou" and a special type of egg noodle.
"Crustaceans" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Maybe it's just Chinese restaurants. Here are some lobsters and other cool fishies swimming in a tank, waiting to be eaten. Reminds me of a TV ad... "You think you live with stress?" I always love watching these little guys bobbing around in the water. Too bad they get eaten.
"Joey's Tie" [ Large Rainbow Version ] I really have nothing to say about this one. Except that... well, I guess fire drills make people do funny things. Take "Gosh, Fire", for example.
"Coke Machines" [ Large Rainbow Version ] We snagged a pretty good deal. When the SRC told Mars we were going to send back their vending machine, they decided to pay us to keep it. Maybe Coke is getting in on the act as well.
"Oh, The Humanity" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Indeed, these are the veyr words that spring to mind given the situation. I won't tell you exactly what's going on - you can see for yourself and I'll let you all guess - but I'll leave you with this thought.
"Imagine if it was a cricket ball."
"Video Evidence" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Picture-In-Picture Here is one of our local cricket stars, Gajan. He was delivered a no-ball - a bowl above the waist on the foul for the uneducated - and I took a photo as proof. Of course, this upset some of the players, because I stopped them chea- err, gaining the upper hand in matches of late.
"Ramesh's Six" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Shortly after Ramesh - sustained his injury, he was back on his feet and blasting balls all over the park (no pun intended). Here, he's retriving he ball after hitting a six into the nearby paddock.
"Stirling Reserve" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Multiple Images I highly suggest you check this one out. It's a collection of photos from my local reserve (about a hundred metres from my house). The tricky thing is this: the photos look like they were taken in Summer (it sure felt like Summer - the mercury was up around 25º that day). But the photos were actually taken in early August, close to the heart of calendar Winter. This Summer holidays should be awesome for the beach.
"Hostile Occupation" [ Large Rainbow Version ] So it's just a cloud. But it's a special cloud! This was actually taken the same day as "Stirling Reserve" - but the completely clear sky was only temporary. Around three o'clock in the afternoon, an enormous cloud front moved towards our house. For about ten minutes, the cloud front stayed over the top of our house, dividing the sky into two halves - a white and a blue. And this photo is of the leading section of that wall of cloud.
"My Bananas, Yet Again" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Well, the saga continues. Here is Big Kev proudly displaying the latest progress on the bananas - they're yellow now! Woohoo! Any time now, we'll start eating them, or turning them into milkshakes and cakes.
"Late Night Study" [ Large Rainbow Version ] A bug's eye view of my study table late at night, with an incandescent light bulb providing the only light in the scene. Those are my characteristic Derwents up the front there in focus (have always liked colouring, probably always will). The background has gone all fuzzy because it's out of focus, something which I always think looks kinda cool. Oh and yes, that is The Lord Of The Rings up there at top right, borrowed from Esther. Reputedly, Two and Three are much less boring than One.
"Guitar-Jun" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Here is Jun brandishing The Tiny Guitar™ at the Thursday year 11 prayer meeting. If you hear songs while passing C2.6 and C2.7 on Thursday lunches, now you know where they come from.
"Delivery" [ Large Rainbow Version ] I picked this one for publishing because it is so typical of the relaxing situation that I've only ever really found in the lecture theatre group. It reminds me of years 7 & 8 when sport was periods 3 & 4 after double DT. We'd finish playing whatever sport (never cricket, unfortunately), then head up to the canteen to grab a cold can... then back down to the Art block, where we'd lie down on the grassy hill that is now the lecture theatre. bathe in the sun, sip our Sprite, and gace up at the sky for an extended lunchtime while a few people were always bowling or batting. Oh, the memories.
"Robbo STYLE" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Robbo tries his hand at a new fashion range... backward shirts. Some of us are aspiring to be doctors, nerdy IT guys, pilots - and others of us are going to be catwalk designers. (Hey, remember the 'Farrelli' line of merchandise, Robbo?) Good on you. Follow your dreams! ;)
"Bowlin', Boys" Multiple Images [ Large Rainbow Version ] It's been so long. Between years 7-9, all we played was cricket - followed by a short time of touch and soccer, as well as our own invented games (most famously, stairball @ GeoStair). But now we've gotten back into the swing of things, and the skills are all still there.
"School Captain Man" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Picture-In-Picture Here's another sequel for you - this follows "Vice Captain Man" (I've already got several "Senior Prefect Man" shots around the place, but maybe I'll make a proper one to copmlete the trilogy officially). It's Jono - a great guy, you won't find anyone like him anywhere. We're definitely all fortunate to b able to spend days with and around him. Cheers, bro!
"Third Umpire" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Another cricket action shot. Here, Gaston looks like he's just played a beautiful shot down the ground. But, in reality, he's just been bowled - you can still see the ball right there, just rebounding from the garbage bin. Sorry, Gaston. ;)
"Juxtaposition" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Oooh, I'm using big fancy English Advanced words! Jimbo would be so proud. I think John accidently whacked Nguyen with his table tennis bat. But the final image simply has "Juxtaposition" written all over it.
"Victory" [ Large Rainbow Version ] A small group of us play table tennis for rec sport. We set up each Wednesday in the canteen and play our hearts out. Now, it so happens that Ramesh bags out John at every available opportunity. Table tennis is one of those opportunities. Ramesh insists that John is terrible at playing (claims that are, of course, completely unfounded). I... I, umm, remain neutral to the situation.
"Demented Apple" [ Large Rainbow Version ] I must say, this one wasn't entirely my idea. Here is a photo of one of Nguyen's apples which is a touch stranger than usual - with Ramesh looking on in confusion. I'm uhh, sure we'll look back at this photo in a few years' time and we'll definitely have, ummm, fond memories.
"Ashwin STYLE" [ Large Rainbow Version ] What is this, some kind of fad? Here is Ashwin strutting his stuff in typical Year 11 Drama style. We love you, Mr. Nair!
"Clash Of The Titans" [ Large Rainbow Version ] Here are the boys in a classic match of Gaston & Nguyen versus Ramesh & John. There are five of us from the group down in front of the lecture theatre, and we interchange at the end of each game. Incidentally, wierd things happen when me and Nguyen play singles table tennis - we do all these funky shots and serves and they actually go in. Mad fun!
"Cricket Pedantics" [ Large Rainbow Version ] In our five-year history, we've had some pretty funny (and big) arguments over details in the cricket. How many no-balls, what the umpires were like, batting order, strike bowlers and all. We've become very good at sorting out all the info. Maybe we'll all become cricket commentators some day.
"Armageddon" [ Large Rainbow Version ] A fitting way to end this gallery: this shot really came out looking like it was Jesus' Second Coming. In reality, John, Anupam and Vikas are trying to catch a ball falling off the lecture theatre roof.
