17. April 2014 06:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Open day photoshoot - Valerie Peovska 17. April 2014 06:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI did a couple of different sets with Valerie. Depending on the makeup she would look totally differShareI did a couple of different sets with Valerie. Depending on the makeup she would look totally different and unrecognisable.I call this my 'Get Lost' photo...bit of attitude.Model: Valerie PeovskaHair: Cara LeupuscekMakeup: Melisa TomicSet: Studio 1A Sydney
16. April 2014 16:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Open day photoshoot - Edyta Jedrzejowska 16. April 2014 16:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe last of the girls that I shot at the window set was Edyta.She has got a bit more of a rough lookShareThe last of the girls that I shot at the window set was Edyta.She has got a bit more of a rough look to her...a bit like Geena Davis in 'Long Kiss Goodnight'.Being at the window with soft light everywhere the tough look didn't work for me, but I did manage to get this photo which emotionally is a bit more on the lighter side.Model: Edyta JedrzejowskaHair: Cara LeupuscekMakeup: Melisa TomicSet: Studio 1A Sydney
16. April 2014 08:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Open Day photoshoot - Britney Williams 16. April 2014 08:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAnother Natural Light shoot that I did was with a girl called Britney.She has a very photogenic faceShareAnother Natural Light shoot that I did was with a girl called Britney.She has a very photogenic face if done right. I also did a couple of shots in one of the sets but I just couldn't make it work as well as with soft natural light.Again I was shooting with the Samyang but it was a bit later in the day so it was easier to control the light.Photographer: Rene PallesenModel: Britney Williams Hair: Cara Leupuscek Makeup: Melisa Tomic Sets: Studio 1A Sydney
15. April 2014 16:04 by Rene Pallesen 1 Comments Open day photoshoot - Sarah Lucien 15. April 2014 16:04 by Rene Pallesen | 1 Comments TweetOne of the model was a more mature girl by the name of Sarah.I had the pleasure of shooting her usinShareOne of the model was a more mature girl by the name of Sarah.I had the pleasure of shooting her using natural light next to one of the windows in the upstairs studio.The Look I was going for was a more soft Boudoir type look and I think I managed to capture that in this photo.I found it really hard shooting using natural light. I was using a new Samyang 85mm f/1.4 lens that I bought. The look I wanted required me to shoot it at 1.4 but the light at the window was fairly bright so I was constantly hitting the ceiling of how low the ISO could go and how high shutter speed I had.Model: Sarah LucienHair and Makeup: Carla VallelongaLights: Natural
15. April 2014 10:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Open day photoshoot - Taylia Lopez 15. April 2014 10:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI had a blast of a day this Sunday participating in a modelling workshop with Studio 1A...22 modelsShareI had a blast of a day this Sunday participating in a modelling workshop with Studio 1A...22 models, 10 makeup artists, 20 sets and lots of opportunity to take great photos. I was totally buggered after shooting for 5 hours but it was great for building experience. This was one of my favorite photos (many more to come) from the day.Model: Taylia Lopez Lighting & Set: Studio 1A Hair & Make-up: Kabuki Mee Designs
10. April 2014 10:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas with a snotty nose 10. April 2014 10:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA cute moment of Lucas attempting to draw and with a very snotty nose.This is a test shot using a neShareA cute moment of Lucas attempting to draw and with a very snotty nose.This is a test shot using a new Samyang 85mm f/1.4 lens that I recently bought.It is a manual focus lens so it is harder to use (especially with the kids), but this shot shows what beautiful results I am getting when shooting wide open.
10. April 2014 10:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden toilet training 10. April 2014 10:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetWe are training Aiden at the moment. The other day he did a big one on the toilet and as a reward weShareWe are training Aiden at the moment. The other day he did a big one on the toilet and as a reward we gave him the dinosaur that we had promised him.
2. April 2014 12:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aunty Irene in town 2. April 2014 12:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMy Aunty and her husband arrived to Australia a couple of days ago and will be traveling around the ShareMy Aunty and her husband arrived to Australia a couple of days ago and will be traveling around the country for the next 5 weeks.They asked if they could come over for dinner one evening to see where/how we live, so Saturday night we hosted them at our place. It is not often that I have relatives in this part of the world, so when it does happen then it is nice even if it is just for a short visit.The menu was Kims lemon pepper prawns for starters, Duck breast with home made bearnaise and raspberry creme brulee for desert (plus a lot of other goodies such as dips and cheese and wine).They were supposed to have arrived the night before but their flight was delayed so they arrived 6am in the morning going straight to their hotel and then straight onto a bicycle tour around Sydney. From there they went straight to our place...they must have been buggered...
1. April 2014 10:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Family Photo at La Perouse 1. April 2014 10:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend we went down to La Perouse to do some family photos as we needed some new ones. We deciShareLast weekend we went down to La Perouse to do some family photos as we needed some new ones. We decided to do some on the lawn in front of the tower. Lucas was not in the mood to have his photo taken and wanted to be held all the time so we decided to stick to using the picture frame that I had brought along.Aiden on the other hand was having a blast of a time running, climbing and playing.
21. March 2014 15:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments St Patricks Day Spike Hair 21. March 2014 15:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMonday it was St Patricks day (an Irish thing) and at daycare they were celebrating it by putting coShareMonday it was St Patricks day (an Irish thing) and at daycare they were celebrating it by putting colour and hairspray in the kids hair (Green is the Irish National colour).Aiden came back with very spiky hair and was his own cheeky self about it...
8. July 2015 09:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Muay Thai 8. July 2015 09:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne evening I went to see Thai boxing. I asked the rest of the family if anyone wanted to join me, bShareOne evening I went to see Thai boxing or Muay Thai as it is called locally. I asked the rest of the family if anyone wanted to join me, but they all said no (it is the national sport of Thailand). I had been once before long time ago in Bangkok and wanted to experience it again.I decided to pay the bit extra and get a VIP seat right next to the ring and that was definitely worth the extra money.There were 8 fights that evening. The first fight was between two kids around 11 years old. Especially the kid in black shorts was very strong and was dominating the fight throughout.The second fight was between two older teenagers. Again the kid in black was dominating the match.The third fight was between to women, a Canadian and a Thai. The canadian girl looked very relaxed and was definitely ready to fight. The Thai girl had no chance against her and the match ended in knockout.Before each fight they go through this unique dance ritual.I was privileged to sit next to one of the judges who has happy to talk, so between each round I could ask him questions about the scoring system which is rather confusing.The 4th match was between a French and a Thai. The foreigners are really dominating this sport now and the Thai's were generally struggling.As with all the fights wit foreigners this fight also ended in a knockout.The 5th fight was back to two Thais fighting.One of the last fights was between a brazilian and a Thai. When walking into the ring you could tell that the brazil was very strong.He started by kicking the Thai in the chest and then punched him in the face.The fight lasted less than a minute before a knockout.The last fight was more in the heavyweight class, again between a brazilian and a Thai.This fight was full of power and again it ended up in knockout.After the fights I happened see the winners lining up out the back. I managed to get a photo with a couple of them....yeah, I look really convincing there.This evening was definitely one of my highlights from the trip and if we were going back then I would probably go again. The atmosphere is amazing and if the fighters are good then the experience is phenomenal.
6. July 2015 07:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Island trip 6. July 2015 07:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne morning Kim booked a trip out to some of the smaller islands of Phuket.The trip was in a large sShareOne morning Kim booked a trip out to some of the smaller islands of Phuket.The trip was in a large speed boat and initially the family didn't want to go because they were worried about getting seasick, but eventually they changed their minds.The boys loved the experience and were very proud wearing their life jackets.On the island we could feed the fish from the beach.And there was time to play in the water for the boys (and a bit of snorkeling for me).It is also good to see that they are still using their long tail boats for traditional fishing.
5. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Baby elephant 5. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAfter visiting the big Buddha we stopped to feed a baby elephant.The kids were a little overwhelmed ShareAfter visiting the big Buddha we stopped to feed a baby elephant.The kids were a little overwhelmed by its trunk, but fun nevertheless.
4. July 2015 14:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Big Buddha 4. July 2015 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAfter Wat Chalong we went up to see the Big Buddha on top of a big hill.The Buddha itself is 45 metrShareAfter Wat Chalong we went up to see the Big Buddha on top of a big hill.The Buddha itself is 45 metres tall and is very impressive.They have been building there for the past 10 years and will probably be building for at least another 10.While there we also did a little prayer for Kim's mum.And Aiden being his cheeky self did the 3 monkeys pose.And they loved the big gongs (which you actually rub rather than gong).Surprisingly they also in a far corner of the compound had some indian gods, but maybe not so surprising since we were close to Myanmar with a large indian based population (lots of Myanmar people in Phuket).
3. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Wat Chalong 3. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne morning we ventured out to see one of the islands biggest temples, the Wat Chalong.It is a magniShareOne morning we ventured out to see one of the islands biggest temples, the Wat Chalong.It is a magnificent temple with lots to see and it was a pity that the rest of the family didn't want to join us.The temple contains what is said to be a bone fragment of buddha.And the temple itself is full of golden buddhas.Outside there are some elephant sculptures and across from that an areas where they fire of ceremonial fireworks which really scared the boys (as seen of Lucas face).
2. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Food 2. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe food in Thailand is delicious.There are so many variations that we cannot get at home and they dShareThe food in Thailand is delicious.There are so many variations that we cannot get at home and they don't add all that sugar.Lucas was a bit tired after a morning at the beach at this one.On KC's birthday we went to an ocean front seafood place.I don't think the family liked the food in Thailand much though, because they wanted to eat japanese and wanted air conditioned restaurants even though the evenings generally were a bit cooler.
1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Various 1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere are some various photos that I haven't posted earlier.Here is one of a jumpshot with Kim and I ShareHere are some various photos that I haven't posted earlier.Here is one of a jumpshot with Kim and I in front of the big Buddha.Down at the beach there was this artificial wave surfing centre.
1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Shopping 1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe family did lots of shopping.Kim's family had suits and shirts made and the girls bought lots of ShareThe family did lots of shopping.Kim's family had suits and shirts made and the girls bought lots of shoes.We also found some great tshirts for the kids.Although the kids were more interested in the ice cream.
1. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - fruits 1. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIt is fruit season at the moment so we bought lots of really delicious fruits such as Rambutans, manShareIt is fruit season at the moment so we bought lots of really delicious fruits such as Rambutans, mangosteens, mangoes, jack fruit etc.
30. June 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Street life 30. June 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe street life in Thailand is as it always have been with lots of food stalls and other shops.PetroShareThe street life in Thailand is as it always have been with lots of food stalls and other shops.Petrol for all the bikes is bought in these small shops as well.You can even get your feet cleaned by fish.And handicraft is created there as well (The large elephant piece took him 2 weeks to create).A new addition is the popup cocktail bars.It reminds me of the good old days of backpacking where nothing was arranged beforehand. I would just organise accommodation when I arrived to a new place. There is still plenty of accommodation options everywhere if you look for it.
29. February 2012 07:51 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden Walking 29. February 2012 07:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden walkingShareIt is the 29th February and the last day of the bet I had with Kim....and believe it or not, but Aiden started walking by himself today.We are very proud of him and I am double proud of him as he delivered the goods just in the nick of time...one day later and I would have been cleaning the house (lucky that this year is a leap year)!
19. February 2012 09:25 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden Standing by himself 19. February 2012 09:25 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden standing by himselfShareAiden is now able to stand up by himself.He is now 20 months and should have been walking ages ago, so he is a bit behind on that front. Hopefully I can get him to take one step before the end of next week...I have a bet with Kim going whether he will walk before the end of February.
5. February 2012 08:57 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Centennial Park - Feb 2012 5. February 2012 08:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetcentennial park feb 2012ShareToday we went to Centennial Park to take some family photos. I had been complaining that I didn't have enough (good) photos of myself and Aiden so Kim offered to take some.We found a nice spot in the park and managed to take a couple of shots before my camera ran out of battery...and unfortunately I had forgotten my spare at home.Kim just came back from a business trip to Singapore a couple of days ago and it is really nice to have her back. I missed her but I am not sure Aiden missed her as much as he is such a daddys boy. When she was back he just turned away and would rather stay with me.Also the little tiger is now 20 months and he is still not walking...what is going on?
29. January 2012 07:38 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ronan Keating Concert 29. January 2012 07:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetronan keating concertShareLast night Kim and I went to the Ronan Keating concert in State Theatre in Sydney.Kim is a long time fan of Ronan and really wanted to see him live. I am to be honest not really familiar with his music but had a good evening nonetheless.The warming up band was Sharon Corr (from The Corrs) and I really enjoyed her both playing and singing...she is pretty talented on the violin.
29. December 2011 10:24 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tomakin 2011 - Fishing 29. December 2011 10:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettomakin 2011 fishingShareChong brought his Tinny (Australian slang for boat) to Tomakin and every morning the guys went out fishing for a few hours (I only went out one morning because 1. I had to look after Aiden and 2. I am not a morning person).We caught lots of fish, but none of them were worth keeping as they were too small. Just as well we didn't keep any, because on one of the days the fishing inspection gave us a visit. In fact the only thing we caught that was above the size limit was this blue swimmer crab (and he was allowed to live another day). We also had a visit from two massive sting rays (about 1 meter in diameter).
28. December 2011 10:23 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tomakin 2011 - Table Tennis 28. December 2011 10:23 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettomakin 2011 table tennisShareThe house we stayed at had a table tennis table in the garage. We had enough people to form three double teams and we spent quite a few hours playing each other.Kims dad is 78 years old and is still going strong...he loves playing games.
27. December 2011 10:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tomakin 2011 - Evening Photos 27. December 2011 10:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettomakin 2011 evening photosShareOn the last couple of evenings we went to the beach to do some nice sunset photos. Tomaking is very onique in that it has some beaches that are facing west so you can use the nice light in the evening.We did some family photos (some of which are on the previous blog post) as well as some of just Kim, Aiden and I. Kim still looks as beautiful as the day I met her.I also did a rush job taking some long exposure shots of the ocean and the cliffs (not sure if I like the post processing...may have to come back to it some other day).
26. December 2011 09:59 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tomakin 2011 26. December 2011 09:59 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettomakin 2011ShareThis years christmas family trip went to Tomakin on the NSW south coast (about 5 hours drive south of Sydney).We rented a house with four bedrooms (for 9 adults and 5 kids) very close to the beach and fishing in the river. Fun with this large a group of people.As usual we spent some time at the beach and I was showing Aiden how to build sand castles again.He is still not walking so we had to hold his hands walking on the beach and in the water.Right next to the house there was a nice litte organic coffee shop serving really good coffee and scones.One morning we went to Mogo to have a look at the shops. There was a lot of art and crafts shop that Kim was interested in. The town had very conveniently created facilities for husbands as well.
25. December 2011 09:46 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Day 2011 - Bondi 25. December 2011 09:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetchristmas day 2011 bondiShareChristmas day we spent at Bondi Beach with Sacha and Mavis and their daughter. We met up at the kids pool at the end of the beach to let our kids have a splash in the water.Aiden couldn't get enough of walking around in the water with myself and Kim holding his hands (he still can't walk by himself), he is very fond of water.Sammi, Sacha and Mavis' daughter was wearing a flotation suit which was causing her a few problems as this photo series testifies.
24. December 2011 09:35 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Eve 2011 24. December 2011 09:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetchristmas eve 2011ShareChristmas Eve this year was celebrated with Kims family. Normally we do this on the 25th like all other Australians, but this year we decided to do it the day before like in Denmark to avoid a lot of leftover food before going down south on out family trip to Tomakin.Later in the day Santa Claus arrived to hand out presents for the kids.For the lunch I roasted two ducks and Kim baked a chocolate ganache and made a salad. Aiden was very excited and played with all Ethand and Kaylas toys.
16. April 2009 02:29 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Hunter Valley 2009 16. April 2009 02:29 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethunter valleyShareThis weekend we again drove up to the hunter valley about two hours drive North of Sydney. We left at 7am and met the other guys up there just after 9am. This time we went a big group of us but only three of us were tasting wine. The others were taking photos. Kim and I have spent a fair amount of time in the Hunter Valley and have a lot of favourite wines in the area. This time we decided to try some new and smaller places that we hadn't been to before. The challenge is still to find a sub $20 bottle of wine that is really good. It is pretty hard...but not impossible. In total we went to 9 vineyards to taske their wines. Some of the favourites this time was Gartelmann (The Wilhelm Shiraz is a good buy) and Peterson Estate (Kim loooved the sparkling desert wine). For lunch we went to a restaurant called The Verandah. They have a tapas style menu. The food was ok but a bit on the pricey side (but most of the . My favourite place in Hunter is a place called Mojo...but they are only open for dinner. Bimbadgen really let us down this time. They have some really good wines there, but the customer service was appalingly bad! They did not provide any assistance and were very rude (not just limited to one person there). I wanted to buy a couple of their wines but ended up walking away because there was no-one there to help.
6. April 2009 08:17 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ethans Birthday 2009 6. April 2009 08:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetethans birthdayShareThis weekend it was Ethans 8th Birthday and his parents had organised a Birthday party for all his friends. As the last couple of years Kim and I was asked if we could facepaint the kids (We are not really good at face painting but the kids really don't care). Most of the kids had some degree of autism so just getting them to stand still while we paint them is a challenge. The previous two years I was dressed up as a pirat but decided to do something something different this year. I wanted to come dressed as a monster (Ethan likes Monsters) but Kim though that I shouldn't scare the kids and that I should come as a joker instead. We bought a hat and some stripey tights...it looked really funny.One of the parent though I was a paid helper when we arrived and started issuing me orders regarding that I really should be watching the kids so that they wouldn't injure themselves in the jumping castle that they had hired...he must have found it really unprofessional when I brushed him off ignoring his orders (I have a strong belief that kids should be allowed to be kids and that we in this modern age is too cautious protecting them)...and he must have felt really silly when he realised that I was a member of the family.The rest of the day was spent playing games with the kids (They had good fun when I started spraying them with water with a water pistol...until I was told by the same parent that I should stop because the jumping castle was getting slippery).The 'Donkeys Tail' game was a bit of a non-event...all the kids cheated and placed the tail where you would expect the tail to be. All credit to the kids...at least they know where the tail goes on animals.After the party Kim wanted some alone time with me and we decided to go and watch a movie. There wasn't any good movies on that I wanted to watch so I let Kim decide...and we ended up watching a chick flick.
29. March 2009 09:26 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Guys and Dolls 29. March 2009 09:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetguys and dollsShareDolls are a Necessity...Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Capitol Theatre to see Guys and Dolls. This was my christmas present from Kim ('give me experiences instead of objects').It was really good...I think I prefer the lightheartedness of musicals to Operas. Capitol Theatre is one of the great theatres in Sydney. In inside decor is old and glamourous. The Dancing and the singing in the show was really good. Poor guys...the Dolls seem to have the upper hand in this story. In one of the roles was Kenny...from a famous Australian movie 'Kenny'. I have no idea what his real name is.
15. March 2009 10:56 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Climbing at Blue Bell (The Shire) 15. March 2009 10:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclimbing at blue bell the shireShareThis weekend Andy and I decided to explore a new climbing area in the Sydney Area (We are running out of places to climb within Sydney and sometime Sydney is too long a drive).This time we decided on a small area called Blue Bell in the Southern part of Sydney in the Heathcote National Park.Once we arrived we had to find the access to the cliffs. The carpark is almost on the top of the cliffs near houses, but the area doesn't get a lot of traffic so there is no good tracks. Eventually we found our way down with some a lot of bush bashing.We decided to start on a couple of easier climbs on the Mini Wall where there was some grade 16 climbs (and 10/11's). They were far from being grade 16. The first two climbs (Anika 16 and Nathan 16) were harder than what they were graded at. Both Andy and I were finding it hard and agreed that the climbing felt more like a 18 or 19...and we were both thinking "what the fu.. is wrong there!". We then looked at who had graded the climbs and it turned out to be the same person a Jason Lammers. We decided that this may be one very dangerous Wanker and decided to take other climbs that he'd graded with caution (Next day I found another website describing the climb as being a lot harder...this guy graded it as a 6a = 19).After this we moved to the main wall and did another climb at the same grade (Sparky 16) and this turned out to be really nice a cruisy and this would potentially be a good lear-to-lead climb for someone who is comfortable in the gym.After this we moved onto a bit harder climb (Heathcote 18) graded by the same idiot Jason Lammers. Someone who is only just comfortable at this grade would be in real trouble here. The top move is really delicate; in fact so delicate that Andy were totally unable to complete the move and bailed after a a number of attempts (and a lot of falls).I then tried the climb and eventually after a couple of falls managed to complete the move...and boy that is really balancy. You hand on to this slobing groove and then do a high stepup. you then balance your left hand up the wall until you reach a good hold up very high (as Andy put it: "A typical Rene move"). I would grade it as a 21 move...three grades harder that the wanker graded it.We had a look at the climb next to it (Screaming Cookatoos 18) and decided to do this on a top rope given that the top move looked dubious and that we hadn't had much luck with grades.Lucky that because the top move it really reachy and fairly thin. It would have taken a lot of commitment and knowing exactly where the only good hold is (which isn't great) to be able to complete it and then you still have to put a plate on the carrot bolt and clip it from this position before moving to the anchor. They really should have put a ring bolt here and they could have put the bolt a bit lover so it could be clipped from below protecting this move better.By the way this area is a weird mix of Ring bolts, fixed hangers, ringbolts, gear, chain anchors, ring bolt anchors and topouts....great job guys!!! Anyway we had a really good day but we didn't dare try any of the many 19, 20, 21's (which is my comfortable lead limit) in the area as most of them were graded by the same guy. Without including these climbs the area is too small to return to in the near future.
28. February 2009 08:13 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Magic Flute Opera 28. February 2009 08:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetmagic flute operaShareInstead of a christmas present Kim gave me tickets for the opera. This year for the Magic Flute by Mozart.It was different from most of the other operas I've seen in that no-one dies in it and it wasn't one of this big tragegies.She had gotten us some good seats with a good view of the stage...and we had a really nice evening out.
23. February 2009 08:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ceiling Insulation 23. February 2009 08:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetceiling insulationShareThe NSW government currently provides a rebate for anyone insulating their house ceilings.I had already considered doing it anyway as it does cool down the house during the summer and keeps it slightly warmer during the winter time.So I spent 5-6 evenings crawling around the roof cavity spreading out the insulation bats. Some of the ceiling was really hard to get to.
14. February 2009 08:02 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Valentines Day 14. February 2009 08:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetvalentines dayShareWhat can I say? I don't like going out on Valentines Day, but I still enjoy a romantic evening out...so this year we decided to celebrate Valentines day evening before (And I gave Kim flowers the day before that...and they were so fresh that they kept for two weeks). We went to a nice little restaurant at Balmoral Beach called the Watermark.The food was really nice, the scenery was really nice (slight drizzle), the Wine was fantastic (Canonbah Shiraz 'Drought Reserve' 2004)...and lastly my beautiful wife was gorgeous as always.
5. February 2009 08:35 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Summer 5. February 2009 08:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetsummerShareYeah...summer in Sydney. We have fantastic beaches here in Sydney and unfortunately we don't use them enough (Water is too cold). We did however manage to get to Maroubra beach a couple of afternoons this summer.
31. January 2009 08:24 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Opera in the Domain 31. January 2009 08:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetopera in the domainShareEvery year in Januar and February there is a big festival on in Sydney with different entertainment provided for free by the city and different sponsors. It is hard to make time to see everything, but we did have time to go and see the the Opera in the domain.We went there with Berry and his wife and had a nice evening.
26. January 2009 06:51 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Climbing Dam Cliffs Blue Mountains 26. January 2009 06:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclimbing dam cliffs blue mountainsShareThis weekend Andy and I were supposed to have been going to Nowra to climb Saturday and Sunday, but the Australian weather dictated otherwise with 42 degrees in the shade Saturday. Instead we changed the plans and went to Dams Cliffs in the Blue Mountains Sunday. This area is easily accessible, mainly in the shade and had got some great moderately graded climbs. This was great as May also could join us. She had a really uncomfortable climb in Nowra with some friends some months ago and was afraid of getting back leading climbs (from her own words she was afraid to die). Nowra cen be very different and intimidating to someone going there the first time. We had a 7.30am start and she was half asleep when we picked her up and slept most of the way in the car. When we got to the cliffs we decided to start on an easy warmup called"The Sisters of Fatima 16" and we asked May to do the first lead and she did a really good job. After this she seemed to have gotten over her fear. We then moved over to a more moderate climb called "Shadow of the Goat 19" where I did the first lead...pleasant enough. We continued to "Truancy Officer 20" which I also led but which we decided was far easier (probably a 17). After this we decided to stay in the 20+ territory and moved to a climb called "Vasco Pyjama 22" and Andy too the first lead. At the second bolt he reached the Crux (The most difficult section on a climb) and after a number of tries coming off every time he bailed. When he got down he said "This climb has got Rene written all over it, it is a move that is in your territory!', so I was up next. I got up to the same section, and had a look at it a saw 2-3 possible ways through the section, but decided to go for a very long and very balancy reach first and managed to stick the top hold in the first attempt without falling off. After this section the rest of the climb was easy. Both and and May then toproped the same climb (This is where the rope has already been placed on the top of the climb...which I had just done) and may cruised through the same section, but Andy still struggled. I honestly think that despite it being a long reach this is one of those climbs where it is an advantage being short. After this we could decided what to do next. I was keen on doing another climb next to it called "Friendly Fire 22" but was worried about getting stuck half way up and not being able to clean it. One of the women climbing in one of the other groups said that if I'd just climb the previous one then this would be a lot easier (Looked a lot harder to me) so I decided to give it a go and lead it. I was glad that I did, because the section that looked really difficult from the ground turned out to be sustained but now massively difficult once I got up there...this just proved that you should just jump on any climb that looks remotely climbable and is well protected regardless of its grade...they are just subjective numbers anyway. After this we decided it was time to head back to the Big Smoke even though we were still strong enough to do another climb....it was getting late! Download video of Rene Climbing at Dam Cliffs
15. September 2000 11:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments New Car in 2000 . . . 15. September 2000 11:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetnew car in 2000ShareIn September 2000, just after I returned from my trip to Borneo, I had to buy this new car because my girlfriend had written off my car whilst I was away! *smile* I did not look forward to hunting around for a new car, but I found a good buy locally. This car is a 1997 Ford Futura, with 4.0 litre, 6-cylinder, 220-horsepower, power-steering, central locking and electronic windows (I think I am starting to sound like a car advertisement...) It is pretty much the same colour as my old car, and it feels so nice to drive! As you can see, pretty similar, but I also really miss my old car! It had a lot of computerised features - from a digital odometer, to adjusting the internal temperature of the car. It was a pretty cool car and wished I could have kept it for another few more years. A huge contrast to my first car! It is a red hatchback that I bought early 1998, a few months after I arrived in Australia. But someone wrote it off a few months after I bought it. It was a pretty bad accident, but luckily I was alright. I was only covered by Third Party insurance, and to go through a lot of paperwork just to get reimbursement for the car!
15. August 2000 10:43 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Away from Headquarters . . . 15. August 2000 10:43 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaway from headquartersShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageAway from Headquarters . . .I managed to explore the villages at Silam. The people here wore this white stuff on their faces - I guess their form of sunscreen. These people were refugees from the Philippines. The kids were fighting to fit into the photo! The kids here were really cute.These kids here, had caught a monkey and was trying to sell it at the camp for 5 ringgit (AUD$2.50). No-one wanted to buy it because they knew if they bought it, and set it loose, the kids would just catch it again, and try to sell it. In general, there were lots of great photos at Silam village. One of the helicopter pilots was driving through the jungle roads, took a corner too fast, and had a minor mishap.We headed into Lahad Datu to get some seafood! An escape from camp food. Camp food was disgusting. There were live worms in the vegetables (yes, after cooked). Most of the food was not fresh, and was pretty boring. The seafood was fantastic here. Whenever we had the chance, we ate lots of seafood. Yum... Paul did not get to eat all of the crabs - all of us had a portion of it. Yummm... they were huge, but we did not eat them. They were too big for us to eat, pretty impressive though. They were the biggest lobsters I have seen in my life. We saw these at the same place we ate our seafood and frogs (below). We had this frog for dinner about 2 min after I took the photo. This was actually when I went out with Glen in Kota Kinabalu - he asked me to pick some food and to surprise him. I did not tell him till a year later that he ate frog meat. He asked me what it was, because he reckoned it tasted funny, but I did not tell him at the time. I think he will only eat it again. Only if he really had to. Petronis Towers - the tallest twin towers in the world. Actually, they are the tallest buildings in the world, followed by the Sears Towers in Chicago. The towers are joined by some sort pedestrian platform. These towers are located in Kuala Lumpur. I went to Kuala Lumpur to pick up my Permanent Residency for Australia. Woohoo!!! After 2 years of lots of paperwork, and correspondence back and forth with Berlin, I finally managed to get it! The inconvenience of it all, was that I actually had to leave Australia ie collect my PR before re-entering Australia. Below, is the only photo I have of the Lateral Linking Team that I worked with during the race. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Helicopters . . . 15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweethelicoptersShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageHelicopters . . .The radio communications team had to arrive a few days before that because we had to hand out over 2,000 pieces of radio equipment. We had problems getting the necessary approvals for helicopters so they were grounded! I ended having to hand out most of the equipment as Glen and Paul had to sort out our use of the helicopters. We had to fly all the equipment to Silam before the start of the race, and our team managed to fly to Silam the day before the race started. Do you believe that Paul managed to take a photo of me whilst I was flying the chopper? He was standing to the side of me, and took the photo at night time, with the door open ... Just kidding. A couple of days before the race started, I was at the airport most of the day. We had some problems with the radios in the helicopters... I must have been in and out of those helicopters at least 200 times. I did manage to get someone to take some photos of me in a helicopter, looking very much like the pilot! I had hoped that I had the time to explore Kota Kinabalue, but we were so busy, it had to wait. Here is the 212 or "Huey" - a twin-turbine Vietnam helicopter taking off. It is a hell a lot more powerful than some of the other helicopters we were using, which were 206s. Here are the medical guys practising abseiling out of the helicopters (Aussie style)! At the start of the race, I was sitting there listening to the first rescue on the radio. 3 hours after the start, four boats had capsized... helicopters and boats were very busy! The competitors were due to arrive at Silam (another checkpoint) the next day (21st Aug). For the first few days after the race started, I had to help organise to get the fuel to the top of the mountain. After that the helicopter came in useful. It brought up 100 litres of fuel on the 4th day so I did not have to ferry fuel anymore! At the end of the race, we had to sling-load the repeaters, to get them off the mountain. That means we had to strap them onto the helicopters, and pull them off the mountains that way - quite effective really. Repeater station finally airborne! You can see a pole in the right photo. My girlfriend asked me what it was for - it helps balance the load so that it does not keep swinging whilst airborne. Below, you will see some pretty good photos from the chopper. Towards the end of the race, we had to scan the rivers for the last competitors coming in - to make sure they had completed this section of the race course. It was low-altitude flying of the river-bed. The photo on the left shows the chopper approaching Silam Village. This village was located just outside of Silam HQ. Glen liked wanted to have a photo of the back of my head - and I ruined the photo by turning my head as he took it... Here's a sunset shot of the helicopters flying around. I had to put in this fantastic photo - the lighting gives a really nice feel to the photo. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments The Wildlife in Borneo . . . 15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetthe wildlife in borneoShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageThe Wildlife in Borneo . . .The jungles in Borneo are really dense, dark and humid. You will find that some of the photos look as though they have been over-exposed, but in reality, it is just the humidity in the air. I have a photo of this at home - Glen enlarged it for me, and framed it! Don't ask me why - I think I look rather wasted there. Glen and I tried to race through the jungle. The climb to the top of the mountain is rated as a 1.5 hour climb... Glen and I have done it in 26 minutes... actually I was confident that I could do it in less than 20 and so I did! I held the record of taking 17 minutes to race to the top of Mt Silam, covering a distance of approx 4 kilometres through the jungle, up a mountain. I was getting really fit (My girlfriend was proud of me). This photo shows how dense and dark the jungle can be. It was so humid there... no, not because I hadn't cleaned my lenses. You can see how muddy it is in the jungle - I became quite dirty after many trips into the jungle. I think these trees are just as big as the Californian Redwoods. They might not be as old, but definitely just as big. This was taken with a 300mm lens, from 1.5 metres. The most amazing thing about them, is when they are scared, the curl up into little "marbles". It looks like a small bug, but it is actually at least 7cm long, which is actually quite big. I noticed in Borneo, most of the insects there were huge. The wingspan of the brown moth was about 15cm wide - huge! They are mostly active at night, which is quite common for creatures in the jungle. A couple of the girls stationed in the jungles, was stationed here. Not a wise decision, considering these girls were paranoid about the insects. (Note: in the photo below, I still had conjunctivitis) I had the red eyes for most of the trip. Big and beautiful, don't you think? You can see how big the black moth is compared to the size of the telephone. These plants were kind of special because each branch split into two, so by the end of it, they formed a hexagonal pattern. Below, are plants known as the "pitcher" plant. The pitcher plants are meat-eating plants - you have watch out not to fall into them because they will swallow you whole. If you just believed that, you are very gullible! *laugh* The pitcher plant, like other carnivorous plants, feed on insects. They have sweet-smelling nectar that attract the unsuspecting insect to it. When the insect lands, it finds the surface slippery and fall straight into the “pitcher”, where the plants juices drowns it and is digested by the plant. You may have heard of other type of carnivorous plants such as the Venus Fly Trap, and the Sundew plants. Yes, you see me holding the snake with a leaf. It was a poisonous snake, and I was worried about it's venom getting on my skin. For example a puff adder, contact with the venom numbs the skin. I was not familiar with the snakes in Borneo, and was not about to risk it. The tarantella was sitting inside the catering tent hunting. Everyone was looking at it and admiring it, which was pretty amazing, considering I know many people who would willingly kill a spider in sight. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Repeater Stations . . . 15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetrepeater stationsShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageRepeater Stations . . .Here, you see Paul and I transporting some of the repeater stations by air. From Silam, we flew down to DFVC. We stayed there for three days before going back to Silam. I am at one of the repeater sites. Here, the top of one of the mountains was cleared, so we could safely land a helicopter there. Oh... did I forget to mention that I almost chopped one of my fingers in half at the repeater site? On top of my infected eye, I had another thing for the medical team to look at. The fingernail had been chopped in half and there was not much I could do about it except clean it up and try to avoid infections. The medical team was great there... they were extremely good. We had a few problems with some of the communications gear. Paul and Glen were handling it, and at times I tried to assist. The first few days had been really tough. The top of Silam is covered in clouds for most of the afternoons, so the solar panels are quite useless. A survey of the conditions made prior to the race was useless. If you ask any of the locals, they would have told us that the peak is always covered in clouds... but apparently no-one asked them!!! We had problems keeping the generators running - they were using more power than predicted and there was no sun on the top of Silam to recharge the batteries. The generator itself was a re-built petrol engine with a car alternator on it. We basically tried to use a system where we used a jerry can, cut holes into it, and relied on the force of gravity to transport the fuel to the generator. This design ended up working best for us. Our helicopter pilot sitting on the side there, just grinning... On the third day of the race, I hiked up the mountain three times. I was really tired and all I could think of was getting a bit of a rest and some food. I managed to get a bit once I got to Danum. In Danum I managed to get 6 hours sleep before someone woke me up and told me that the repeater had died in Silam... again all the cars had to leave in a convoy... so rush, rush to find my driver and managed (just) to get into the convoy! The road to Danum closes at 6.30pm and all the cars had to go in the convoy. The helicopter flew all of us to the top of the mountain, and waited there for us till we were finished. Glen quite often told the pilot, "You don't have to shut down, because we'll only be here for 5 minutes." Well... quite often, we were there for as long as an hour and half! (Don't worry, the pilot was sensible enough to shut down immediately... he got to know Glen very well.) I went up there often make sure that it was still running. It is much better getting a helicopter to fly me up there so that I can bring some fuel with me ! Glen has mostly been on top of the mountain getting the generator back online. We have to keep the generator running 24 hours per day until the end of the race. On the third night after the race started, one of the repeaters went dead. I had to hike up the mountain on the previous day as the generator had died. I did not leave the mountain until it was dark, so I had to climb down through the jungle in the dark! Fortunately I had my torch with me! Paul later gave me strict instructions to make sure that I leave the mountain so that I could be back at HQ while there was still light! I found out that I did not have any problems navigating at night... I even offered Paul to go back up when the repeater died! Anyhow, we ended up having to send the airborne repeater up! Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments The Competitors . . . 15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetthe competitorsShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageThe Competitors . . .The competitors did not rest... three of the teams were half way through the 600 kilometre course after only three days... pretty amazing! Two of the teams were Australian. 18 teams were out of the race. At least 10 of these were due to medical problems. Hardly any people around here get enough sleep... the place is active 24 hours per day because there are always competitors coming in! I was keen to find out how the Danish team would turn out. At the beginning of the race, they were not very sociable. But by the end of the race, I think the tension of the race had gone, and I managed to have a chat with them. By the third day, the Danes are doing pretty well... they had a 22nd place! This was the mountain-bike leg of the race. The guy you see being transported to hospital in the helicopter (photos below), was doing this part of the race. He was rounding a corner on his bike and rode straight into a large branch. We had a lot of medical urgencies... we almost lost a guy with a punctured lung ! I got some great photos and helped getting the guy into the mobile hospital. There was a lot publicity on the website and through the media about it. Fortunately, he was only 15 minutes away from HQ, so it was possible for us to get him to the helicopter very quickly, and to the nearest hospital. Another leg of the race involved rowing in these “sampans”, a Malay term for “boat”. At some point, the teams in the race had to also split up - some of them swimming, some of them rowing, to complete the water leg of the race. Below, the competitors had to use a flying fox to cross the canyons. I managed to have a go at it - compared to rock-climbing... well, I found it pretty boring *smile*. I imagine most people would find it quite fun though. There are no places to climb here. I had hoped to take one of the helicopters to Madai Caves to check out the 200 metre abseil. The road to the Madai Caves lead directly through the tiny village of Gua Madai - a small cluster of homes, their wood bleached grey. The town’s main sources of income are tourism and birds’ nests. The nests are found high up the walls of the cave, tucked away in cracks and crevasses, and can command thousands of dollars. They are harvested about three times a year. My girlfriend mentioned trying "bird's nest soup" whilst I was there. She said normally the bird's nest they use belong to the swallow. It is a delicacy to many Asians, and similar to shark's fin soup - that is if you have tried it. Normally the nests are made out of the birds' saliva. There was so much rain at Silam that HQ was often flooded. Many of the competitors took the opportunity to get some sleep and the slept on whatever they could find. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Silam and Jungle Ops . . . 15. August 2000 10:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsilam and jungle opsShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageSilam and Jungle Ops . . .It is so bloody hot in Silam! It must have been at least 40 degrees and 100% humidity! Silam was the overall headquarters, and Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC) was referred to as Jungle Ops. Jungle Ops controlled all radio communications and conducted the race through the the jungle. From Kota Kinabalu, we flew to Lahad Datu and drove the rest of the way to Silam. Silam was the site of one of the repeater stations. We had to set up a HQ a few kilometres from this station... heaps of opportunities for a few walks in the jungle. The operation at Silam was huge!... I had never seen such a busy place before. The place was crawling with energy. It was bigger than any military operation I had ever seen! You would be amazed to see the logistics involved in this project ! At the time I did not have the time to take a lot of photos. We had many army trucks transporting the competitors' equipment - very good cooperation from the military. They helped out with the preparation and set-up of HQ, and with the transportation of fuel. This is the headquarters on the left. The whole Ecochallenge race is governed from this office. The map in the background contains the position of all the checkpoints at which the competitors have to go through. Both of the above photos are aerial shots of HQ and were taken from a helicopter. I managed to get a nice aerial shot of Silam HQ. The big white patch in the middle is where the competitors stored all their equipment. Just to the left are the containers from where the race is controlled. The 4 'finger-like' white pads on the right are the heli-pads. The long rectangle to the left is the eating area, and just above it is the hospital. Approaching DVFC in helicopter. This is actually a research centre in the middle of the jungle - commonly known as DVFC (Danum Valley Field Centre). DVFC is not normally accessible the tourists and the general public, only to researchers. DVFC is concerned about contamination into the jungle. Outside Jungle Ops HQ. The green boxes contain bottled drinking water. By the time the race was over, most of this had been consumed - quite amazing really, considering there were really only 10 people at Jungle Ops. During the competitors were not allowed any help from us, and that included the provision of drinking water. Paul with some of the radio equipment at Silam. He is standing next to the HQ matrix, which contained all the communications equipment for headquarters. Paul is also standing next to the only 2 beds in the HQ building. These were used by the radio operators to nap in between shifts. Below, you see me sitting in the catering tent at Silam. I think it must have been a good day, to have been sitting there, smiling... I am just guessing here, because obviously I did not take the photo, and I cannot remerber the place. Bad hair day? I did not have a shower for a very long time, and to hold my hair in place, I adopted various techniques, such as the sunglasses-hairband... This place is a breathing ground for tropical diseases! As you can see, my right eye is really red. I somehow managed to get conjunctivitis and did not know it was contagious. I did not want to trouble the medics as they were pretty tied up with the competitors. When my vision on the left eye was getting blurry and I had problems seeing what was in front of me, I was ordered to get it checked. Just as well I did! In Kota Kinabalu, I had the same problem on the other eye... at one point both my eyes were infected. It started on my left eye on the way to Kota Kinabalu in the plane ! It then spread to my right eye. The nurse at Silam told me that I should be careful because it could re-infect to my left eye. It started to look and feel a lot better after using the eyedrops that they gave me. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:39 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Preparations at the Magellan Hotel 15. August 2000 10:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetpreparations at the magellan hotelShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillagePreparations at the Magellan Hotel ( Kota Kinabalu ) . . .All the Ecochallenge teams gathered together at the Magellan Hotel in anticipation of the race, which was due to start on 20th August. During our stay at Kota Kinabalu, we were staying at the most extravagant hotel - as pictured on the right. It is huge! It has 3 swimming pools, and takes us an hour to walk around the perimeter. The radio communications team had to arrive a few days before the start of the race because we had to hand out over 2,000 pieces of radio equipment. We had problems getting the necessary approvals for helicopters so I ended up having to hand out most of the equipment whilst Glen and Paul sorted out the issue of the helicopters. We had to get all the equipment and our team to Silam before the the race started. Glen and Paul checking all the equipment and re-programming some of the radios. Behind me are all the radio equipment, ready to be handed out. I am standing here waiting for the competitors to arrive as I have to sign out the equipment as I give them out. We had to improvise a lot of the furniture, using old crates to set up tables. After the race, Glen and I decided to make most of the luxury and just veg... aaahhh... bliss! Created: 7 Dec 2001 Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Grandparents and Great Grand parents 12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I aShareGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I am pretty sure that the little girl on the left is my Mum (So the photos must have been taken around 1943-1944) and the other two girls are her sisters (My Aunties) Eli on the right and Yrsa in the middle.I assume that the women in the back are their grand parents (my great grands) with the woman on the right being my grandmothers (mormor's) mum and the one on the right being grandad's (morfar'd) mum.Here is a family photo of what I assume is my grandmothers (mormor's) family. I think it is my grandma in the middle right behind my great grandmother.I assume this is my great grandparents, but I cannot be certain.This must be a birthday for my grandmother.This was taken outside the farm where my mum grew up. It is my grandad (morfar) in the middle on the right and it could be my grandmother (mormor) on the stairs with her mum. The farm is still there today owned by my uncle.This must be some of the family on my grandads (morfar's) side, so possibly some of his siblings. 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Comissioned work 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was hShareA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was happy to help and on a very rainy day we managed to get the the shoot done. This is the most corporatey of the lot. 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ring flash portrait 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following haShareI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following happy snap photo of Kim.We are planning a holiday and I am thinking that I might bring it along. 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kenya Camping 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we ShareIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we would sit around a camp fire and on more than one occasion were we visited by lions either wandering past or approaching the camp site at night.One night my mum woke up with a lion starring into the tent and we had paw prints on the car next to the tent. Some of the sights were truly amazing such as the extinct volcanoes.Or Lake paradise in Marsabit in the middle of the desert.Or lake Nakuru with all the flamingoes (and as I discovered, ancle deep poo).And the locals were always friendly. 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments France 1983 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad througShareWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad through France and through Avignon.We were camping on the opposite side of the river just where the half bridge would have met the other bank.One night there was a firework and we got showered in debris from the exploded rockets. 1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tender Embrace 1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on tShareLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on the mannequins. Two of the arms were placed on the floor perfectly for this tender embrace. 17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fox Easter family show 17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass foShareSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass for all of us. This mean that both Lucas and Aiden could do a lot of rides with bot Kim and I.Aiden was feeling a little sick but he didn't let that stop him and Lucas was a bit more hesitant and spend the first couple of hours refusing to go on any rides but once he got started he wasn't to be stopped.We went with a couple of friends and everyone had fun.Except he who had to take Aiden on all the rides that make me seasick.The also had a 1:1 size Lightning McQueen car and Mack truck, but Aiden wasn't in a mood to say hello or have his photo taken. 17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife park 17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to ShareOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to purchase some cheap tickets and it is a great place for small kids as they can pad and feed the animals. Aiden especially loves animals and is getting good at feeding them himself.Even Lucas who is normally terrified of animals eventually took courage to touch a Joey (baby kangaroo).But he was too scared to approach the larger ones.We also looked at some of the other animals there, such as the crocodiles.The Dingo's.The snakes.The EmuAnd the chameleons.And the red panda. 29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Le Noir - or The Dark and intimate side of Cirque du Soleil 29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a ShareThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a last minute decision day before as cheap tickets suddenly came up.It was really good with death dying stunts and great performances and rancy sexiness to enjoy. 18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bedstefar visiting 18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden ShareI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden was very excited to have him here and Lucas was initially a bit shy but eventually warmed up.My Dad brought all my old lego from Denmark, much to the amusement of especially Lucas who enjoys building things.Aiden eventually also wanted to join.They also spent time in the garden playing ball.One day we went to Darling harbour for the Chinese new year. We stopped for some coffee and chilled out.Afterwards we went to see the chinese decorations.And we also did a carousel ride.And we also stopped to get some photos of my dad with both the kids together...which is never easy. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...232425262728293031...9293Older posts SearchInclude comments in search Newsletter Get notified when a new post is published. Enter your e-mail Please enter an e-mail address Please enter a valid e-mail Thank you
12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Grandparents and Great Grand parents 12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I aShareGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I am pretty sure that the little girl on the left is my Mum (So the photos must have been taken around 1943-1944) and the other two girls are her sisters (My Aunties) Eli on the right and Yrsa in the middle.I assume that the women in the back are their grand parents (my great grands) with the woman on the right being my grandmothers (mormor's) mum and the one on the right being grandad's (morfar'd) mum.Here is a family photo of what I assume is my grandmothers (mormor's) family. I think it is my grandma in the middle right behind my great grandmother.I assume this is my great grandparents, but I cannot be certain.This must be a birthday for my grandmother.This was taken outside the farm where my mum grew up. It is my grandad (morfar) in the middle on the right and it could be my grandmother (mormor) on the stairs with her mum. The farm is still there today owned by my uncle.This must be some of the family on my grandads (morfar's) side, so possibly some of his siblings.
9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Comissioned work 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was hShareA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was happy to help and on a very rainy day we managed to get the the shoot done. This is the most corporatey of the lot.
9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ring flash portrait 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following haShareI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following happy snap photo of Kim.We are planning a holiday and I am thinking that I might bring it along.
4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kenya Camping 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we ShareIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we would sit around a camp fire and on more than one occasion were we visited by lions either wandering past or approaching the camp site at night.One night my mum woke up with a lion starring into the tent and we had paw prints on the car next to the tent. Some of the sights were truly amazing such as the extinct volcanoes.Or Lake paradise in Marsabit in the middle of the desert.Or lake Nakuru with all the flamingoes (and as I discovered, ancle deep poo).And the locals were always friendly.
4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments France 1983 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad througShareWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad through France and through Avignon.We were camping on the opposite side of the river just where the half bridge would have met the other bank.One night there was a firework and we got showered in debris from the exploded rockets.
1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tender Embrace 1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on tShareLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on the mannequins. Two of the arms were placed on the floor perfectly for this tender embrace.
17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fox Easter family show 17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass foShareSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass for all of us. This mean that both Lucas and Aiden could do a lot of rides with bot Kim and I.Aiden was feeling a little sick but he didn't let that stop him and Lucas was a bit more hesitant and spend the first couple of hours refusing to go on any rides but once he got started he wasn't to be stopped.We went with a couple of friends and everyone had fun.Except he who had to take Aiden on all the rides that make me seasick.The also had a 1:1 size Lightning McQueen car and Mack truck, but Aiden wasn't in a mood to say hello or have his photo taken.
17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife park 17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to ShareOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to purchase some cheap tickets and it is a great place for small kids as they can pad and feed the animals. Aiden especially loves animals and is getting good at feeding them himself.Even Lucas who is normally terrified of animals eventually took courage to touch a Joey (baby kangaroo).But he was too scared to approach the larger ones.We also looked at some of the other animals there, such as the crocodiles.The Dingo's.The snakes.The EmuAnd the chameleons.And the red panda.
29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Le Noir - or The Dark and intimate side of Cirque du Soleil 29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a ShareThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a last minute decision day before as cheap tickets suddenly came up.It was really good with death dying stunts and great performances and rancy sexiness to enjoy.
18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bedstefar visiting 18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden ShareI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden was very excited to have him here and Lucas was initially a bit shy but eventually warmed up.My Dad brought all my old lego from Denmark, much to the amusement of especially Lucas who enjoys building things.Aiden eventually also wanted to join.They also spent time in the garden playing ball.One day we went to Darling harbour for the Chinese new year. We stopped for some coffee and chilled out.Afterwards we went to see the chinese decorations.And we also did a carousel ride.And we also stopped to get some photos of my dad with both the kids together...which is never easy.