See how the seagull goes...

So. Here it is. My first post. On my first blog. SWEET! Okay … it might be a little geeky … but I read recently that there’s like one blog for every three people on the planet ( or was that 30, or 300 or 3000?) … anyways, that’s not important. The thing is, if there’s that many people doing it … who cares.

Besides, it’s a good writing out for me, as I’ve just shifted from reporter/photographer to full-time photographer at The Advocate newspaper in down-town North-West Tasmania.

The picture here is in the running to become the Advocate’s Pic of the Week … and I like it for all sorts of reasons:

* It was taken on one of the rare sunny days in Tasmania at a kick-ass park in a place called Ulverstone. (I swear the thermometer busts past 20 degrees about six times a year, at best.) Laura and I were having a picnic and it was awesome.
* I like it because it was taken on our filthy sweet new compact camera called a Panasonic LX3. This thing rocks! It oozes rangefinder cool – is unassuming and takes stellar pictures. I have this camera on me more than my wallet lately … and we bought it with the proceeds of the gift money we were given at from our wedding. So Thankyou!!
* The seagull was damn plucky … barely a handspan away! He flapped and inched forward, squawked, back-tracked, then came in hard with wings up all-a-menace!! Pushed through the fear for the sandwich crumbs to join the ranks of the truly brave.

HOW WE DID IT: Throw down the sandwich chunk, pre-focus, hold that trigger halfway, and wait … wait … wait … CLICK!

We’ll know on Saturday morning when the paper hits the driveway if it makes the cut … there are some killer photogs at the Advocate and I’m new so we’ll have to wait and see.

(BTW – I know there’s a few bits I could’ve cloned out of the background, like the light pole, bits of brown grass et al, but as a newspaper guy I’m still kinda uneasy about all that. What do you guys reckon?)