A head sculptured by Alan Somerville, the artist that created the WWI ANZAC Digger on the ANZAC Bridge.

I often wonder why I take pictures, I stand there and think "what's the point, I see it now why not just be happy with that."

Then I raise camera to eye and begin exploring anyway, after some time I come out with a set of pictures of things I didn't really see until I let go and started clicking.

Morning light is playful but enjoys a rest from time to time.

I have taken up hill sprinting recently, a part of trying to be active and healthy. My job requires me to spend the whole day at a PC writing code or designing boards, I enjoy it but really like to move around as well.

Hills sprints take up a lot less time than jogging around the block and lack of time seems to be the standard excuse for not exercising so this seemed like the natural thing to do. Glad I have taken it up as it burns off a lot of nervous energy and I can get back to work or photography quickly.

This morning, after a sprint, I was thinking how this I might be able to relate this to photography. What quick burst of visual exercise would keep me visually fit the way a hill sprint keeps your body fit. After a while I realised that the answer was with me already.

I nearly always have a camera with me, it may be in another room, it maybe in the car or my notebook bag, but I'm never far from one. My family is used to me dashing off and grabbing a camera then coming back and spending time (who knows how long sometimes) playing with taking pictures of the light coming through curtains, shadows or spots of light on walls.

My visual hill sprints are those times I play with the camera at home, I can always find a few minutes for taking pictures at home. If I only took pictures when I went out to specific locations I'd rarely take pictures at all.

Where the garbage goes.

The other night I watched another episode of Chopping Block, for those not in Australia or not watching this is a show that pits 2 failing restaurants against each other, the winner receiving $20000.

A leading Australian chef, Matt Moran, is brought in to help each kitchen create foods that will help their chances of winning. A food critic will then come in and judge food, service and appeal of the restaurant. All clean prime TV time stuff where, in my opinion, both restaurants end up winning by having a much improved service and food.

One thing that comes up constantly in each weekly episode is Matt telling the competing chefs to simplify, let the flavour of the (good) ingredients speak for themselves. Don't add to many ingredients, two or three flavours is enough. Also bring some love and passion into what you are doing, don't just go through the motions of making food.

Not bad advice for photographers either, don't add to many ingredients to your pictures, keep it simple and let the good ingredients speak for themselves. That can be said for over photoshopped pictures as well, if I notice the photoshop work then the subject matter is being drowned or wasn't good to start with.

I've been meaning to write about this book for a while but as usual other things always seem more important.

The book is a hardcover book with generous page sizes of 28cm x 28 inches, the well printed pages have a B&W picture per page of which there are just over 100 and each being 24cm along the longest edge. The book is just edging on the slightly to large size to hold comfortably while seated on the lounge but just right to have on the kitchen table, our kitchen table having more even lighting anyway so the place of choice for my picture book viewing.

As a part of a highschool project David and Peter took pictures, using one camera between the 2, of Mclellan Street and managed to capture a friendly neighbourhood, a place where friends play in the streets, neighbours swap gossip and live life through all of its sunny and rainy days.

There are many pictures of people that seem to have a relationship with the photographers even so David and Peter did not live in this neighborhood. Evidence of the comfortable relationship the brothers had with the people livin in the street is that pictures have been taken in front yards, inside peoples homes and from their upper windows of the street below.

While this book is about people living in a poor area it is not a book about poverty. The pictures show happy groups of people just getting on with life. If you are interested in pictures of people, pictures of life in public places (the street) this book should not be passed by.

As Mike Johnston has written, this is a book that every young photographers should take a look at.

Take a look

I can't say I am getting better at this but I feel the same peace of mind, the same thought processes involved as I do when out taking pictures with the camera.

Paul Butzi has been writing about his finding peace of mind while spending time on his driveway taking pictures. I find this peace of mind when drawing, out taking pictures and sometimes, although rarely, when writing.

The writing is more difficult especially when using the keyboard, the flow of ideas is stifled by having to look up at the screen to make sure I have not changed screen and started deleting or renaming files (that's right, I can't type properly). This is why now when I write my ideas and longer narratives down I do it with a pencil and writing pad.

Maybe I should learn to type without having to look at the keyboard, my lack of technique on ht ekeyboard gets in the way of my ideas. That can be said of not knowing your camera as well.