22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife Park 22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsymbio wildlife parkShareToday we went to the Symbio Wildlife park together with some of our friends. They don't have a lot of animals in the park, but the ones they have a pretty cool and it is a good spot to get some nice animal photos (It was especially nice to see that they had polished the glass surrounding some animals). It was also really cool to have Aiden and Sammi feed some of the more friendly animals.
22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Luke and Alexsandra's wedding 22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetluke and alexandra s weddingShareToday Luke and Alexsandra was married. She is from Serbia so the wedding itself was a beautiful traditional Serbian Orthodox wedding in a small church in Alexandria. The church was very darkly lit and I was shooting using natural light trying to be as discreet as possible using my old Nikon D50 camera (still waiting for the new D800) but by some miracle I was able to capture the above photos (by setting it to my max 1600 ISO and underexpose 2 stops and then push and noise reduce in post...would have loved to have one more stop). Luke has some Scotish ancestry so ourside the church there was a guy playing the bag pipe. Afterwards the reception was in Drumoyne with about 250 guests invited. Lots of very loud Serbian music and traditional Serbian line dancing (Not sure what the correct name is).
16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter show and EQ 16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeteaster show and eqShareSynday we took Dylan to the Easter show at Fox Studios. We had bought him a 5 hour pass as a reward for an assignment we gave him.Dylan tried a number of rides, but I think his favourite was a dodge'm'cars.While Dylan was queueing up we had a look around at the other entertainment.
15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments High Tea in Royal National Park 15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethigh tea in royal national parkShareToday we went to High Tea in Audley in the Royal National Park 30 minutes drive from where we live. Kim had bought a 2 for 1 deal and decided to try it.Verdict was that is wasn't anything special and even with the special deal it was a bit over priced.Afterwards we decided to go rowing up through the creek.Aiden was very keen to get to play with the water which was difficult in the rowing boat (next time we will get a Canoe).Afterwards we let him play a bit on land before heading back.
8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora Island Scenery 8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora bora island sceneryShareThe island itself is a beautiful place. I took a lot of photos of the lagoon and the beauty of Bora Bora....so many that it would be too many to have in the previous Bora Bora post. With the risk of creating a post full of Blue photos...I had to separate them out to prevent the other posts from getting too big. Here they are...I will let them speak for themselves...
6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays 6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsnorkeling with sharks and stingraysShareOne of the days at Bora Bora we went with a boat around the lagoon to go snorkeling and have lunch on one of the Motu's (Islands). Along the way we went snorkeling in spots where we also could see sharks and stingrays. Our first spot was a snorkeling spot with lots of coral and different fish. I Even saw a big fat murray eel. Kim also had a bit of a snorkel in the clear blue water even though the water was deep and there was a slight current. Aiden was facinated by the fish and wanted to join mummy in the water to say hello to the fish'ies... After this we went to a more shallow spot on the reef with lots of reef sharks. Yes, that is me in the water with 12 sharks circling around me (and no safety net in place).These sharks would come swimming towards me and then turn around within a meters reach. Click here to see a video I uploaded to Facebook with the Sharks getting close After lunch we stopped to feed the Stingrays in the lagoon. They are fairly harmless and I was feeding them dead fish. While doing so I was bitten by one of them that mistook the camera I was holding in my other hand as a fish.
5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora 5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora boraShare Bora Bora is a beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Kim and I had promised eachother that we one day we will go there. It is about an hours flight from Tahiti and along the way you pass a number of other Polynesian islands and atolls. When we landed we were met by the stunning blue lagoon and the very characteristic mountain which is an old extinct volcano. Aiden especially was mesmerised by the view going on the boat from the airport to our hotel. On arrival we were met by traditional Tahitian music and someone blowing a seashell. And Aiden immidiately got into the mocktails. Our hotel was on the main island itself and we had a small hut facing the lagoon and had a beautiful view every morning waking up. Every morning we had breakfast overlooking the lagoon where Aiden would stuff his face with fruits, bread and youghurt. We spent a lot of time at the small beach close to the hotel just swimming in the clear water of the lagoon. The locals were out on the lagoon showing off their skills. Aiden loved the calm clear water and the beach...it was a pleasant 27-28 degrees. Every time he saw water he would point at it and shout BoBo (Water)...and insist on going swimming. One evening I did a couple of sunset portraits. Aiden again insisted on going in the water. I also went for a swim after we finished the photos, which was absolutely magical as the light was surreal and the water was absolutely calm. Across the lagoon from the hotel we had a little island (Motu) with beautiful place to go snorkeling. First I went in the water and notices a small reef shark circling around the corals...being kinda shy. I mentioned it to Kim and as soon as she also spotted it later in the day she rushed out of the water (A couple of days later she had a similar experience with a large stingray at the beach). It was hard to leave all this beauty behind
4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Flowers of French Polynesia 4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetflowers of french polynesiaShareI took a lot of photos of flowers...enough to warrant a separate blog entry.. If you are not a flower person then just scroll down the page past these...lots of other good stuff there. Anyhow...I will let them speak for themselves...
3. April 2012 07:08 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tahiti 3. April 2012 07:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweettahitiShareThis Easter we decided to go to Tahiti and Bora Bora in French Polynesia in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We were supposed to have been going to Japan, but we decided that we instead wanted a more relaxing holiday and changed it to an Island holiday enjoying the sun, sand, water and sunsets. Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia and is not larger than it is possible to drive around the entire island in a couple of hours (appx 120 km). On one of the days we rented a car and did just that. We could have joined a day tour, but I am not very keen on the 5min photo stop kind of tours and much prefer to be able to travel independently and take time to see what we would like to see. It is reasonably easy to find your way around the island. There really is just one road and the entire road is marked by kilometer markers and we had the distances for most of the sights we wanted to see. We didn;t go too much into the interior because of time restraints and some of these roads are only accessible by 4WD. First we stopped at one of the old Tahitian temples which was interesting After that we headed to some large caves full of freshwater (would have been convenient in the old days)...very damp and very dark. After this we tried to find the road up to a lake and supposedly large waterfall. Some of the locals were very helpful with assisting us with directions but unfortunately the road was closed. Fortunately we did find the nearby gardens which Kim wanted to visit (I will do a separate flower blog posting). We did find some waterfallson the island (and saw several from a long distance away high on the mountains). After this we headed to Point Venus where Captain Cook in 1769 supposedly saw the passing of Venus ...now this houses the only lighthouse in French Polynesia.The next passing will be 6th June this year...243 years after the previos passing (can be seen as a shadow against the sun). We decided to skip the museums as we would rather experience the outsde rather than objects behind glass. The other days we spent around the hotel and the marina, just relaxing, swimming and dining. Aiden loved spending most of the time in the pool at the hotel. Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 10. June 2012 08:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden's 2yo Birthday with the Family 10. June 2012 08:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden birthday with the familyShareToday we celebrated Aidens birthday with the family. In the morning we all had Yum Cha and afterwards we took all the kids to Little Dynamos to play.In the evening we had the family over for steamboat and cake. Great opportunity to take a new family photo with the latest member of the family...Emma. 8. June 2012 11:00 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments One year 8. June 2012 11:00 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetone yearShareToday it was one year ago that my my Mum and Aidens Grandma passed away. I am still sad that Aiden never met her but I am hoping that he will get to know Bedstefar better as he is growing up. I am also glad that Aiden will have a brother to keep each other company and I hope the two of them will be close and grow old together.I still have a suitcase sitting here full of photos that I one day will get the courage tp go through...but not anytime soon. 7. June 2012 04:26 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden's 2 yo Birthday 7. June 2012 04:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden s 2 yo birthdayShareToday was Aidens second birthday...time flies! We had a Birthday cake for him with the family and sang Happy Birthday and let him blow out the candle. 6. June 2012 02:28 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Passing of Venus 6. June 2012 02:28 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetpassing of venusShareToday is a very unique day in that the planet Venus passed over the disc of the Sun. The next such passing wont happen for another 105 years.And it is even more interesting since we recently returned from Tahiti where Captain Cook observed the last passing several hundred years ago.Here in sydney it was a very cloudy day, but I did manage to snap a couple of photos using a very powerful lens covered with dark filters. It is a planet Venus at the 7 o'clock on the sun in the photo. 5. June 2012 07:50 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Camera returned for warranty 5. June 2012 07:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetcamera returned for warrantyShareBummer...I had to return the camera yesterday. It was driving me mad with back focusing...not what you would expect from a $3000 camera. Hopefully they will be able to fix the issue, but unfortunately they are saying that there is a 21 day turnaround. The focus was 5cm off which is critical especially then taking portraits.I did however manage to take a couple of photos that were ok and a bit of video with it on Sunday inside a very dark ten-pin bowling place (it was Kayla's birthday party) with all kinds of weird lighting. I was shooting at insanely high iso (12800) and I must say that I general I was pretty impressed. Especially impressed with how fast I could shoot with lots of kids running around. They are totally usable for my blog and online posting although I wouldn't enlarge them. There was a lot of noise at these high ISO's, but most of it could be managed to a certain degree in Lightroom.Later I was shooting with KC's camera at the lunch table...there was more light and I was strugling with taking photos using natural light. 31. May 2012 07:59 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments New camera - Nikon D800 31. May 2012 07:59 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetnew camera d800ShareToday I picked up my new camera. It is the new Nikon D800 and is currently one of the most sought after cameras on the market.I have been wanting to get a full frame camera for some time now and this was the one for me to get...the reviews are excellent. I pre-ordered it shortly after is was announced and has been waiting for over three months for it to arrive...but it is finally here.It will be a steep learning curve to get used to all the new features of the camera and it will be a sad goodbye to my almost 10 year old D50 entry level camera.I am now moving from 5 auto focus points to 51...from 6 Megapixels to 36 megapixels...max 1600 ISO to 25600 ISO...no bells and whistles to having features such as Video, Timelapse, HDR, face detection, live view, aparture preview...and the list goes on... The D50 has served me well, but it is definitely time to move on as the technology has advanced so much. Not sure what I do with the old camera...but I will most likely end up selling it. 14. May 2012 06:55 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Mothers day with Autumn colours in Mt Wilson 14. May 2012 06:55 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetmothers day with autumn colours in mt wilsonShare It is Autumn here in Sydney and today the forecast was for 19 degrees and sunny...the first cool'ish day here. In the morning we went with Kims family to the cemetry to visit Kims mum. After this we were planning to head up to the Blue Mountains to Mt Wilson to visit some of the private gardens to take photos of the Autumn colours and get some new family photos of Kim, Aiden and I. When we arrived it was really windy and only 7 degrees (later it dropped to 5 degrees). We had dressed for the cold, but Dylan who had joined us on the spur of the moment was a bit underdressed and cold so he borrowed a spare jumper I had with me. We immediately found a pile of leaves and they started having fun throwing them up in the air. We decided to visit the Yengo Sculpture garden and the owner came to greet us, tell us about the garden and charge for the entry. The garden was very nice and the colours were awesome. There were lots of sculptures hidden around the garden. Dylan got a bit upset because we had to scold him for running around (this was a private garden so deserved a bit of respect), throwing pebbles, thrashing my camera gear and keeping to run into the frame of the photo I was trying to take. I had also been trying to get a bit interested in what he is seeing around him to learn more things and asking him if he was interested in some of the lookouts to experience one of the most beautiful places in Australia, as well as look at the things in antique shops etc., but he was totally dis-interested..."you can drag the horse to the water, but you can force it to drink". After the garden Aiden was really tired and cold and we were getting hungry, so we decided to head back and stop along the way for lunch. It was good timing as it started to rain a little. I decided to drive on the great western highway as there were more options for food and I though it would be quicker getting back...turned out everyone else had the same idea so it was at a crawl. 12. May 2012 07:56 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments An Officer and a Gentleman 12. May 2012 07:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetan officer and a gentlemanShareToday Kim and I went to the Lyrics Theatre to see the 'An Officer and Gentleman' musical.It was a remake of the 1982 movie, but on the stage.It was ok but nothing special. The acting and singing was great, but the screenplay itself as well as the music/lyrics could have been more original and the stage setup was pretty basic. 7. May 2012 05:45 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Halfway there - Baby brother for Aiden 7. May 2012 05:45 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethalfway thereShareKim is pregnant again and we are now halfway there and on Monday we went for the halfway scans (due late September).Everything is on track and looking good so far (5 fingers and toes etc.). For the first time we were able to tell the gender of the baby and it turns out that we are expecting a little brother to Aiden.This means that Aiden very soon will have someone to play with here at home. 25. April 2012 03:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kurnell walk 25. April 2012 03:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetkurnell walkShareToday was Anzac day. We decided to use the day to explore some of the local area in the National Park on the other side of Botany bay near Kurnell.It was very windy (Aiden wasn't happy with the wind). The walk along the coast is easy an quite scenic. There is even a small lighthouse about a kilometer down the track and the rocks have cook textures. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...495051525354555657...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 Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 26. August 2013 10:35 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden in Fiji 26. August 2013 10:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden in fijiShareAiden is a bit of a worry...although he is a social kid he is quite scared of a lot of things and requires a lot of help doing things.Because he has been delayed on a lot of fronts including his comprehension he would like to play with the other kids but doesn't understand the games they are playing.This means that he in a lot of cases finds comfort just playing by himself rather than with the other kids.It does mean that whenever they have group games then he will require someone who can give him step by step instructions until he understands the game.Mind you when he does find someone who is interested in playing the games he does understand then it is great to see. 26. August 2013 09:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fiji 2013 26. August 2013 09:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfiji 2013ShareLast week we made the trip to Fiji with the kids.Kim is just about to finish her maternity leave and my work asked me to reduce my accumulated annual leave days by taking some time off so we decided to go away for a week.We stayed at the Hilton close to Nadi (we found it too far to travel with the kids to the coral coast). This is the view from our room.Aiden and Lucas had lots of fun playing on the balcony (Lucas enjoyed throwing toys off the balcony).And we did spend some time in the sand as well.And trying to teach Lucas to walk (he can almost stand by himself now).But all the swimming was done in the swimming pool at the hotel.We didn't venture out much, but on most of the evenings we would walk over to the local Marina to eat (the food was better and cheaper).One day we hired a nanny to look after Lucas (with little success as they were unable to feed him and settle him, so we still had to be there). 16. August 2013 07:57 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Centenial Park memorial 16. August 2013 07:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetcentenial park memorialShareThe other day I went for a walk in Centenial Park. For the first time I ventured into the memorial (normally there are lots of dogs and poo in this area so I generally avoid it).The ceiling of the memorial is quite pretty and I can see myself coming back to do some more photos at some stage. 16. August 2013 07:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Harbour walk with friends 16. August 2013 07:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetharbour walk with friendsShareLast weekend I went for a walk along the harbour with a couple of friends and Aiden (in my backpack).It was a beautiful winters day being sunny and 25 degrees.We started out at Waverton and walked almost across to Greenwich. It wasn't a long walk but very pleasant (especially since I also had Aiden to carry). 5. August 2013 09:17 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden and Lucas at the Beach 5. August 2013 09:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden and lucas at the beachShareThe other day we went to Maroubra beach to let the boys play in the sand and also to try and get some photos of them together. It is currently winter here in Sydney which sometimes provides this beautiful cool light.Lucas and Aiden are now really good at playing together...Lucas is doing his best to copy everything that Aiden does and at the same time tried to keep up, whic is difficult when you cant walk yet....And Aiden is good at sharing his toys and make sure that Lucas has something to play with. 5. August 2013 09:13 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Test Portrait shot 5. August 2013 09:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettest portrait shotShareThe other day I did a couple of test portrait shots...I wanted a portrait that was a bit more moody than usual.It is not easy getting the low key lighting right...much easier to do high key where you can pretty much blast the subject with light.I haven't had the time to experiment further to accomplish what I wanted...but here is what I did get after 10-15 minutes experimenting. 31. July 2013 06:53 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Clever boy 31. July 2013 06:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclever boyShareYesterday Kim caught Lucas grabbing her car keys and the trying to use the keys to unlock the front door...with a bit of practice and some extra height me might succeed one day.I think he just wanted to take the big red car outside for a spin... 30. July 2013 08:36 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Family picnic at the beach 30. July 2013 08:36 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfamily picnic at the beachShareOn the weekend we went to the beach for a little family picnic...ham and cheese sandwiches.we also wanted to get some photos of Lucas and Aiden playing together in the sand.We especially wanted to get one of them sitting together look at the waves. Normally Aiden is terrified of the waves, but because Lucas was there we were able to get him to sit still.It wasn't the best light in the middle of a sunny day but I love the cool winter light this time of the year. It is hard to describe...but the light has a less warm feel the during the summertime.Aiden and Lucas are now best of mates and having a lot of fun. Once Lucas learns to walk they will be big trouble and we will constantly have to chase after them. Aiden can sometimes get a bit rough, but Lucas is a tough little bundle of muscles and loves copying him. 30. July 2013 07:08 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Climbing on my birthday 30. July 2013 07:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclimbing on my birthdayShareOn my birthday this year I went climbing at Barrenjoey with some friends. It was the first time for over a year that I have done any climbing...let alone outdoors, but fortunately it was all top ropes.Barrenjoey is one of the most beautiful spots in Sydney.I am totally out of shape but still managed to get through the climbs we set up.We were supposed to have had a dinner the night before but most people were busy so we decided to cancel the dinner and the let me go climbing instead. I was supposed to have been taking Aiden with me (Barrenjoey is relatively safe for kids), but he was still a bit unwell from his hospital visit. I think I will start looking for a good climbing helmet for him so that we have it for next time.I had a great day out with friends and it was great to get back on the rock. 27. July 2013 05:02 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments A bit of a scare 27. July 2013 05:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeta bit of a scareShareLast night we had a bit of a scare when we suddenly had to rush Aiden to the hospital in an ambulance... He was over at grandads place most of the day playing and when he came back we noticed that he had a bit of a temperature and didn't want to eat, but otherwise ok and playful. We decided to give him a quick shower before giving him some panadol and then bedtime.In the shower he was playing as usual with water and his plastic cups when I left him to get dressed. When I came back a few minutes later to turn off the water and get him dressed I could tell that he was not his normal self and was shaking a bit. Thinking that he was cold I quickly took him out to get him dressed but could then tell that he was pretty bad...I couldn't get in contact with him and his breathing was irregular and shallow.I quickly called Kim and had her call an ambulance. While we were waiting he started having some muscle spasms and started throwing up. Fortunately we are close to the ambulance station so they arrived pretty quickly and took myself and Aiden to the children's hospital which is also close by.At the hospital he started responding again and the doctors there think that a spike in his fever caused it. They kept him there for most of the evening until his temperature had dropped and they were sure he was well hydrated which was around midnight.Good that all turned out ok...Aiden has been pretty happy today even though he hasn't eaten much and slept much of the day. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...383940414243444546...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 Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 17. November 2013 08:42 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments 5 years wedding anniversary 17. November 2013 08:42 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweet5 years wedding anniversaryShareKim and I just had our 5th wedding anniversary. She still looks as beautiful today as she did when I first met her.We celebrated by going out having dinner at Darling Harbour and watched the weekly fireworks. 12. November 2013 01:23 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments International Fleet Review 2013 12. November 2013 01:23 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetinternational fleet review 2013Share We recently had the international fleet review in Sydney with lots of navy ships from international countries visiting Sydney to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Australian fleet.This also meant that not only were there lots of sailors in town, but also lots of navy cadets. Aiden and I chose to visit the American USS Chosin and British HMS Daring. The US ship is an older class ship, and from the outside fairly unimpressive. but on closer inspection it had an impressive arsenal of missiles. As well as guns. The crew were very friendly and were happy to have their photo taken.The British vessel on the other hand is a very modern ship, again with a very impressive firepower.The crew again were happy to have their photos taken.After this Aiden was over the ships and when he spotted a firetruck he got very excited. Lucky the firemen were pretty bored so they were pretty happy to entertain him for a while and it also gave me a bit of a break from carrying Aiden in my backpack.After that he was hungry and wanted something to eat. 1. November 2013 02:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Halloween 2013 - Steampunk Vampire 1. November 2013 02:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethalloween 2013 steampunk vampireShareLast night was Halloween and we walked around with the kids (KC's and our kids) to do trick or treat.Aiden was a little sick with gastro but we did managed to get him along dressed in his spider man shirt.I was dressed up as a steam punk vampire.When we came back I did the photo above in my home studio. 14. October 2013 02:53 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas 1 year portrait 14. October 2013 02:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetlucas 1 year portraitShareI finally managed to take the 1 year portrait of Lucas that I had planned and it turned out really well I think.He is a big boy now and he is able to walk by himself (took his first unassisted steps just before his birthday). 13. October 2013 03:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas 1yo Centennial park photos 13. October 2013 03:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetlucas 1yo centennial park photosShareThe other day we went to Centennial park to take some 1yo photos of Lucas using a balloon.What we had in mind was to take the photo down a row of trees....but it was impossible to get both the balloon and Lucas to behave in the same photo and the light wasn't great anyway with patches of sun and shade in the middle of the day.We instead tried to be creative with other photos. 13. October 2013 02:57 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden on the bridge at Centennial Park 13. October 2013 02:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden on the bridge at centennial parkShareA couple of weeks ago we went to centennial park to take some photos of Lucas for his birthday (see separate post).I also took this photo of Aiden running across the bridge at Centennial park. 12. October 2013 06:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Test portraits of Lucas 12. October 2013 06:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettest portraits of lucasShareHere is some more test shots of Lucas...his facial expressions are priceless. 12. October 2013 03:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Self test portrait 12. October 2013 03:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetself test portraitShareThe other day I was setting up for a portrait using my new beauty dish strobe.I was using myself as a subject and this one turned out rather well. 12. October 2013 02:49 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sculptures by the sea 2013 12. October 2013 02:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsculptures by the sea 2013ShareSculptures by the sea is on again and Kim and I managed to find a couple of hours to go and have a look.I was carrying Lucas in my backpack and didn't bring my camera, so these photos are all shot with my phone...I seriously regret that I didn't bring my larger camera. 11. October 2013 05:24 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Working in the Sydney 11. October 2013 05:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetworking in the sydneyShareRecently I have been doing a lot of work with a client in the Governor Macquarie Tower in Sydney CBD.It has been great working in the city as the commute is a lot easier and more interesting in general.This is the building I have been working in. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...363738394041424344...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
10. June 2012 08:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden's 2yo Birthday with the Family 10. June 2012 08:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden birthday with the familyShareToday we celebrated Aidens birthday with the family. In the morning we all had Yum Cha and afterwards we took all the kids to Little Dynamos to play.In the evening we had the family over for steamboat and cake. Great opportunity to take a new family photo with the latest member of the family...Emma.
8. June 2012 11:00 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments One year 8. June 2012 11:00 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetone yearShareToday it was one year ago that my my Mum and Aidens Grandma passed away. I am still sad that Aiden never met her but I am hoping that he will get to know Bedstefar better as he is growing up. I am also glad that Aiden will have a brother to keep each other company and I hope the two of them will be close and grow old together.I still have a suitcase sitting here full of photos that I one day will get the courage tp go through...but not anytime soon.
7. June 2012 04:26 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden's 2 yo Birthday 7. June 2012 04:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden s 2 yo birthdayShareToday was Aidens second birthday...time flies! We had a Birthday cake for him with the family and sang Happy Birthday and let him blow out the candle.
6. June 2012 02:28 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Passing of Venus 6. June 2012 02:28 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetpassing of venusShareToday is a very unique day in that the planet Venus passed over the disc of the Sun. The next such passing wont happen for another 105 years.And it is even more interesting since we recently returned from Tahiti where Captain Cook observed the last passing several hundred years ago.Here in sydney it was a very cloudy day, but I did manage to snap a couple of photos using a very powerful lens covered with dark filters. It is a planet Venus at the 7 o'clock on the sun in the photo.
5. June 2012 07:50 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Camera returned for warranty 5. June 2012 07:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetcamera returned for warrantyShareBummer...I had to return the camera yesterday. It was driving me mad with back focusing...not what you would expect from a $3000 camera. Hopefully they will be able to fix the issue, but unfortunately they are saying that there is a 21 day turnaround. The focus was 5cm off which is critical especially then taking portraits.I did however manage to take a couple of photos that were ok and a bit of video with it on Sunday inside a very dark ten-pin bowling place (it was Kayla's birthday party) with all kinds of weird lighting. I was shooting at insanely high iso (12800) and I must say that I general I was pretty impressed. Especially impressed with how fast I could shoot with lots of kids running around. They are totally usable for my blog and online posting although I wouldn't enlarge them. There was a lot of noise at these high ISO's, but most of it could be managed to a certain degree in Lightroom.Later I was shooting with KC's camera at the lunch table...there was more light and I was strugling with taking photos using natural light.
31. May 2012 07:59 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments New camera - Nikon D800 31. May 2012 07:59 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetnew camera d800ShareToday I picked up my new camera. It is the new Nikon D800 and is currently one of the most sought after cameras on the market.I have been wanting to get a full frame camera for some time now and this was the one for me to get...the reviews are excellent. I pre-ordered it shortly after is was announced and has been waiting for over three months for it to arrive...but it is finally here.It will be a steep learning curve to get used to all the new features of the camera and it will be a sad goodbye to my almost 10 year old D50 entry level camera.I am now moving from 5 auto focus points to 51...from 6 Megapixels to 36 megapixels...max 1600 ISO to 25600 ISO...no bells and whistles to having features such as Video, Timelapse, HDR, face detection, live view, aparture preview...and the list goes on... The D50 has served me well, but it is definitely time to move on as the technology has advanced so much. Not sure what I do with the old camera...but I will most likely end up selling it.
14. May 2012 06:55 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Mothers day with Autumn colours in Mt Wilson 14. May 2012 06:55 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetmothers day with autumn colours in mt wilsonShare It is Autumn here in Sydney and today the forecast was for 19 degrees and sunny...the first cool'ish day here. In the morning we went with Kims family to the cemetry to visit Kims mum. After this we were planning to head up to the Blue Mountains to Mt Wilson to visit some of the private gardens to take photos of the Autumn colours and get some new family photos of Kim, Aiden and I. When we arrived it was really windy and only 7 degrees (later it dropped to 5 degrees). We had dressed for the cold, but Dylan who had joined us on the spur of the moment was a bit underdressed and cold so he borrowed a spare jumper I had with me. We immediately found a pile of leaves and they started having fun throwing them up in the air. We decided to visit the Yengo Sculpture garden and the owner came to greet us, tell us about the garden and charge for the entry. The garden was very nice and the colours were awesome. There were lots of sculptures hidden around the garden. Dylan got a bit upset because we had to scold him for running around (this was a private garden so deserved a bit of respect), throwing pebbles, thrashing my camera gear and keeping to run into the frame of the photo I was trying to take. I had also been trying to get a bit interested in what he is seeing around him to learn more things and asking him if he was interested in some of the lookouts to experience one of the most beautiful places in Australia, as well as look at the things in antique shops etc., but he was totally dis-interested..."you can drag the horse to the water, but you can force it to drink". After the garden Aiden was really tired and cold and we were getting hungry, so we decided to head back and stop along the way for lunch. It was good timing as it started to rain a little. I decided to drive on the great western highway as there were more options for food and I though it would be quicker getting back...turned out everyone else had the same idea so it was at a crawl.
12. May 2012 07:56 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments An Officer and a Gentleman 12. May 2012 07:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetan officer and a gentlemanShareToday Kim and I went to the Lyrics Theatre to see the 'An Officer and Gentleman' musical.It was a remake of the 1982 movie, but on the stage.It was ok but nothing special. The acting and singing was great, but the screenplay itself as well as the music/lyrics could have been more original and the stage setup was pretty basic.
7. May 2012 05:45 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Halfway there - Baby brother for Aiden 7. May 2012 05:45 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethalfway thereShareKim is pregnant again and we are now halfway there and on Monday we went for the halfway scans (due late September).Everything is on track and looking good so far (5 fingers and toes etc.). For the first time we were able to tell the gender of the baby and it turns out that we are expecting a little brother to Aiden.This means that Aiden very soon will have someone to play with here at home.
25. April 2012 03:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kurnell walk 25. April 2012 03:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetkurnell walkShareToday was Anzac day. We decided to use the day to explore some of the local area in the National Park on the other side of Botany bay near Kurnell.It was very windy (Aiden wasn't happy with the wind). The walk along the coast is easy an quite scenic. There is even a small lighthouse about a kilometer down the track and the rocks have cook textures.
26. August 2013 10:35 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden in Fiji 26. August 2013 10:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden in fijiShareAiden is a bit of a worry...although he is a social kid he is quite scared of a lot of things and requires a lot of help doing things.Because he has been delayed on a lot of fronts including his comprehension he would like to play with the other kids but doesn't understand the games they are playing.This means that he in a lot of cases finds comfort just playing by himself rather than with the other kids.It does mean that whenever they have group games then he will require someone who can give him step by step instructions until he understands the game.Mind you when he does find someone who is interested in playing the games he does understand then it is great to see.
26. August 2013 09:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fiji 2013 26. August 2013 09:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfiji 2013ShareLast week we made the trip to Fiji with the kids.Kim is just about to finish her maternity leave and my work asked me to reduce my accumulated annual leave days by taking some time off so we decided to go away for a week.We stayed at the Hilton close to Nadi (we found it too far to travel with the kids to the coral coast). This is the view from our room.Aiden and Lucas had lots of fun playing on the balcony (Lucas enjoyed throwing toys off the balcony).And we did spend some time in the sand as well.And trying to teach Lucas to walk (he can almost stand by himself now).But all the swimming was done in the swimming pool at the hotel.We didn't venture out much, but on most of the evenings we would walk over to the local Marina to eat (the food was better and cheaper).One day we hired a nanny to look after Lucas (with little success as they were unable to feed him and settle him, so we still had to be there).
16. August 2013 07:57 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Centenial Park memorial 16. August 2013 07:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetcentenial park memorialShareThe other day I went for a walk in Centenial Park. For the first time I ventured into the memorial (normally there are lots of dogs and poo in this area so I generally avoid it).The ceiling of the memorial is quite pretty and I can see myself coming back to do some more photos at some stage.
16. August 2013 07:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Harbour walk with friends 16. August 2013 07:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetharbour walk with friendsShareLast weekend I went for a walk along the harbour with a couple of friends and Aiden (in my backpack).It was a beautiful winters day being sunny and 25 degrees.We started out at Waverton and walked almost across to Greenwich. It wasn't a long walk but very pleasant (especially since I also had Aiden to carry).
5. August 2013 09:17 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden and Lucas at the Beach 5. August 2013 09:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden and lucas at the beachShareThe other day we went to Maroubra beach to let the boys play in the sand and also to try and get some photos of them together. It is currently winter here in Sydney which sometimes provides this beautiful cool light.Lucas and Aiden are now really good at playing together...Lucas is doing his best to copy everything that Aiden does and at the same time tried to keep up, whic is difficult when you cant walk yet....And Aiden is good at sharing his toys and make sure that Lucas has something to play with.
5. August 2013 09:13 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Test Portrait shot 5. August 2013 09:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettest portrait shotShareThe other day I did a couple of test portrait shots...I wanted a portrait that was a bit more moody than usual.It is not easy getting the low key lighting right...much easier to do high key where you can pretty much blast the subject with light.I haven't had the time to experiment further to accomplish what I wanted...but here is what I did get after 10-15 minutes experimenting.
31. July 2013 06:53 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Clever boy 31. July 2013 06:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclever boyShareYesterday Kim caught Lucas grabbing her car keys and the trying to use the keys to unlock the front door...with a bit of practice and some extra height me might succeed one day.I think he just wanted to take the big red car outside for a spin...
30. July 2013 08:36 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Family picnic at the beach 30. July 2013 08:36 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfamily picnic at the beachShareOn the weekend we went to the beach for a little family picnic...ham and cheese sandwiches.we also wanted to get some photos of Lucas and Aiden playing together in the sand.We especially wanted to get one of them sitting together look at the waves. Normally Aiden is terrified of the waves, but because Lucas was there we were able to get him to sit still.It wasn't the best light in the middle of a sunny day but I love the cool winter light this time of the year. It is hard to describe...but the light has a less warm feel the during the summertime.Aiden and Lucas are now best of mates and having a lot of fun. Once Lucas learns to walk they will be big trouble and we will constantly have to chase after them. Aiden can sometimes get a bit rough, but Lucas is a tough little bundle of muscles and loves copying him.
30. July 2013 07:08 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Climbing on my birthday 30. July 2013 07:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclimbing on my birthdayShareOn my birthday this year I went climbing at Barrenjoey with some friends. It was the first time for over a year that I have done any climbing...let alone outdoors, but fortunately it was all top ropes.Barrenjoey is one of the most beautiful spots in Sydney.I am totally out of shape but still managed to get through the climbs we set up.We were supposed to have had a dinner the night before but most people were busy so we decided to cancel the dinner and the let me go climbing instead. I was supposed to have been taking Aiden with me (Barrenjoey is relatively safe for kids), but he was still a bit unwell from his hospital visit. I think I will start looking for a good climbing helmet for him so that we have it for next time.I had a great day out with friends and it was great to get back on the rock.
27. July 2013 05:02 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments A bit of a scare 27. July 2013 05:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeta bit of a scareShareLast night we had a bit of a scare when we suddenly had to rush Aiden to the hospital in an ambulance... He was over at grandads place most of the day playing and when he came back we noticed that he had a bit of a temperature and didn't want to eat, but otherwise ok and playful. We decided to give him a quick shower before giving him some panadol and then bedtime.In the shower he was playing as usual with water and his plastic cups when I left him to get dressed. When I came back a few minutes later to turn off the water and get him dressed I could tell that he was not his normal self and was shaking a bit. Thinking that he was cold I quickly took him out to get him dressed but could then tell that he was pretty bad...I couldn't get in contact with him and his breathing was irregular and shallow.I quickly called Kim and had her call an ambulance. While we were waiting he started having some muscle spasms and started throwing up. Fortunately we are close to the ambulance station so they arrived pretty quickly and took myself and Aiden to the children's hospital which is also close by.At the hospital he started responding again and the doctors there think that a spike in his fever caused it. They kept him there for most of the evening until his temperature had dropped and they were sure he was well hydrated which was around midnight.Good that all turned out ok...Aiden has been pretty happy today even though he hasn't eaten much and slept much of the day.
17. November 2013 08:42 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments 5 years wedding anniversary 17. November 2013 08:42 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweet5 years wedding anniversaryShareKim and I just had our 5th wedding anniversary. She still looks as beautiful today as she did when I first met her.We celebrated by going out having dinner at Darling Harbour and watched the weekly fireworks.
12. November 2013 01:23 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments International Fleet Review 2013 12. November 2013 01:23 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetinternational fleet review 2013Share We recently had the international fleet review in Sydney with lots of navy ships from international countries visiting Sydney to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Australian fleet.This also meant that not only were there lots of sailors in town, but also lots of navy cadets. Aiden and I chose to visit the American USS Chosin and British HMS Daring. The US ship is an older class ship, and from the outside fairly unimpressive. but on closer inspection it had an impressive arsenal of missiles. As well as guns. The crew were very friendly and were happy to have their photo taken.The British vessel on the other hand is a very modern ship, again with a very impressive firepower.The crew again were happy to have their photos taken.After this Aiden was over the ships and when he spotted a firetruck he got very excited. Lucky the firemen were pretty bored so they were pretty happy to entertain him for a while and it also gave me a bit of a break from carrying Aiden in my backpack.After that he was hungry and wanted something to eat.
1. November 2013 02:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Halloween 2013 - Steampunk Vampire 1. November 2013 02:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethalloween 2013 steampunk vampireShareLast night was Halloween and we walked around with the kids (KC's and our kids) to do trick or treat.Aiden was a little sick with gastro but we did managed to get him along dressed in his spider man shirt.I was dressed up as a steam punk vampire.When we came back I did the photo above in my home studio.
14. October 2013 02:53 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas 1 year portrait 14. October 2013 02:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetlucas 1 year portraitShareI finally managed to take the 1 year portrait of Lucas that I had planned and it turned out really well I think.He is a big boy now and he is able to walk by himself (took his first unassisted steps just before his birthday).
13. October 2013 03:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas 1yo Centennial park photos 13. October 2013 03:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetlucas 1yo centennial park photosShareThe other day we went to Centennial park to take some 1yo photos of Lucas using a balloon.What we had in mind was to take the photo down a row of trees....but it was impossible to get both the balloon and Lucas to behave in the same photo and the light wasn't great anyway with patches of sun and shade in the middle of the day.We instead tried to be creative with other photos.
13. October 2013 02:57 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden on the bridge at Centennial Park 13. October 2013 02:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden on the bridge at centennial parkShareA couple of weeks ago we went to centennial park to take some photos of Lucas for his birthday (see separate post).I also took this photo of Aiden running across the bridge at Centennial park.
12. October 2013 06:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Test portraits of Lucas 12. October 2013 06:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettest portraits of lucasShareHere is some more test shots of Lucas...his facial expressions are priceless.
12. October 2013 03:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Self test portrait 12. October 2013 03:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetself test portraitShareThe other day I was setting up for a portrait using my new beauty dish strobe.I was using myself as a subject and this one turned out rather well.
12. October 2013 02:49 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sculptures by the sea 2013 12. October 2013 02:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsculptures by the sea 2013ShareSculptures by the sea is on again and Kim and I managed to find a couple of hours to go and have a look.I was carrying Lucas in my backpack and didn't bring my camera, so these photos are all shot with my phone...I seriously regret that I didn't bring my larger camera.
11. October 2013 05:24 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Working in the Sydney 11. October 2013 05:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetworking in the sydneyShareRecently I have been doing a lot of work with a client in the Governor Macquarie Tower in Sydney CBD.It has been great working in the city as the commute is a lot easier and more interesting in general.This is the building I have been working in.