A Realm Beyond

Newborn Special

2008-05-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the impending birth of my second son I thought I'd have a special! Why not!
Until 12th May all presets are available for $39usd.

Paypal: $39usd to gemma[at]iriscreationsphotography.com

For more information on presets, please visit : www.flickr.com/groups/579523@N22/

Please indicate as to which set you would like: Lightoom or ACR.
Presets will be sent to the email address registered with paypal, please indicate if you would like them sent to another email address.

Please allow up to 72 hours for delivery, just in case bub arrives early!
If time lapses and they still haven't arrived, check your spam folder, or leave a comment here or email - I might just be in hospital :)

Jaden Rice - BMX Champion

2008-05-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

(Click on image to view larger)

Jaden Rice is 7 years old and about to embark on the trip of a lifetime!

To compete in the 2008 BMX World Championships in CHINA!

The Championships are to be held in Taiyuan from the 27 May - 2 June.

To help support Jaden on his quest, the Commonwealth Bank in Yarraville has set up a Trust account. If you would like to help support Jaden, please feel free to contact Gemma for details on how to do so, and help this beautiful family send Jaden to the Championships :)

gemma[at]iriscreationsphotography.com

okay okay okay

2008-05-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

So I've been told I have to update.... and even been given an excuse to :P

I've been tagged by Amanda.

Firstly, the rules:
Link the person who tagged you
Mention the rules on your blog
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers blogs letting them know they have been tagged.

1. I hate been pregnant. Stupid cause I love taking photos of it, and other women. I love the pregnant form, but I just hate it on me! haha. Don't get me wrong, I love the movement, the outcome (ok so not the labour part) but yeah.... maybe if it wasn't a WHOLE DRAWN OUT 9 MONTHS!

2. I'm NOT a morning person. Although, if I have guests, I appear to be. So most friends think I'm lying. I guess I'm like a child and get excited that they are here so get up. Ok that wears off after one morning... hahaha

3. I'm REALLY picky about music. If i don't like something - I DON"T LIKE IT. If i love something - I LOVE IT. But my fav styles are blues & roots, and harder rock. I also love choral/orchestral rock. But that is my most picky style of music...

4. I am a tad obsessed with my photography. I swear every spare second is spent on it or the net or something to do with photography. I think it actually keeps me sane... although sometimes makes me insane...

5. I tend to contradict myself... anyone noticed???

6. I'm insanely loyal to my friends... if I give trust, it's a big thing. If I tell a secret... it's a big thing. I don't hand out my heart often.. and if you hurt it... look out (haha that's scary ha!!)

And I tag:

Janet
Mully (and like Amanda said to me - it's damn time you updated chicky!)
Jess
Leigh
Julie
Sheila

And lastly, this blog gets a little neglected until there is news about realm beyond related STUFF. SOOOOO I invite you here.
http://www.iriscreations.blogspot.com
Please update your bookmarks ;)
It's a more exciting read (or visual feast???)

New Price on Presets :)

2008-03-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

From March 2008, all three sets are now available for the one price of $49usd.

That includes the ever-popular B+W kit, Colour and Vintage sets.
(please ask me about group buys!)

Coming soon is the Realm Beyond Website!

Stay tuned for updates :)

xx

SPECIAL! SALE!

2008-01-29T19:33:00.001-08:00

Simply paypal $39usd to gemma@iriscreationsphotography.com

please allow up to 24 hours for presets to be delivered. They will be delivered to your paypal email address unless specified in the paypal message.

This special includes all THREE sets (b+w, vintage and colour) and will also have a few BONUS presets.

They are available for ACR and Lightroom.

Take advantage of this special TODAY! :)

Day's 3,4,5

2008-01-19T20:50:00.001-08:00

(in case your not a flickr person:)

Day Three: Ok so I got better stuff from today, but they weren't of the "everyday" so this is it instead. My Day three. Being hormonal and uncomfortable.

not wanting to look anyone in the eye in fear that I might cry for NO REASON. Gotta love the hormonal part of pregnancy!

Day 4: Be'be wanted maccas (so not me craving - of course) so here is E having his first (and second) bite of a Big Mac.

Such a wonderfully technically brilliant photograph (NOT) but that's the joy of this project, they don't HAVE to be :)

Day 5: For being such a good boy while he was out with Mummy & Aunty Megs, E got a balloon, in the colour of his choice. The only colour he could kinda make out was BLUE. he was running around the house with it, pulling it. Finally caught it on the floor and what happened??

Yep, it popped.
He still had fun and didn't get scared by the noise!

Not to mention that it was the first of many photos to come from the new 50mm 1.8 that the oh-so-beautiful-generous-Blake gave me! I'm a spoilt girl!
It's nice to shoot with a 50mm again. I've so missed it.
(FYI - my 50mm 1.8 doesn't work on the 5d {have no idea why} so was sent to Europe with my 300d with a friend, and my 50mm 1.4 was broken at a session)

And now, some other shots!

The oh-so-beautiful Julia (the most photogenic person in b+w)

And the beautiful couple. Cannot WAIT for October 2009... you'll be seeing HEAPS of wedding images :D :D :D :D

Day One & Day Two

2008-01-17T02:19:00.001-08:00

Day One:

Day Two: Okay so unlike what I said in the previous post, I managed to take a photo of the "everyday" - so I made it! WOOHOO!

Rambling

2008-01-17T00:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was all inspired to do a 366 days thing.. Not self portraits but just daily things.
yeah well the camera didn't get touched today, and the images from yesterday are still on the camera.
OOPS
I'm terribly hormonal at the moment, for NO reason whatsoever (well maybe there are reasons but I wont go into it) and just feel BLAH.

Still waiting on developments to get my new website started and while sort of everything is ready, I've hit the "I don't like any of my images" stage.
Does everyone go thru this when putting together a new site?

I seriously want a break.. HAHA yes I can hear you call saying "So do I". Travel should be cheaper, rent/house repayments should be cheaper so we could afford to save a dime a week to maybe thing about having a holiday.... See I'm full of pregnant hormonal ramblings today.
And need to vent so your all coping it.

Sorry!

Even my new yarn isn't making me smile like it did on Saturday... I have this expensive Rowan and nothing to do with it as it's SOOOO thick i have no idea what to do with it... any ideas will be happily accepted.
The other stuff just needs to be balled up and a project to jump at me, and the other, well the 12mm needles didn't have the effort I was looking for so am going to have to get some 15mm's, and I have come to the conclusion that I HATE large needles. I feel so unco-ordinated with them!

Anyway here's the pics of some yarn...

Hopefully I'll be in a better mood tomorrow and I'll have a happy post xx

Joys of girlies in the house :)

2008-01-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a little bit of brainstorming idea help from my dear friend Amanda, I have been SNAPPING away the last few days.

I had all these unreal ideas to do when my friends baby was here... but then when they arrived - I had NONE.
But then the ideas started to flow. And even 5 minutes before they were leaving for the airport, I suddenly saw the embroidered butterfly on her jeans and remembered a pink hat I had. So there I am, telling mum to "shut up you wont miss your flight - this is SOOOOO much more important"
HAHAHA (they are now on the way to the airport :( )

So here is a few of super model Maddie

And then.....

... after three attempts I finally got this today... OMG so excited :D

Beach Days

2008-01-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

Okay so I found a good thing about being on "bed rest". Catching up on proofing.. or actually being able to proof the things you want to, when you want to!
haha
So last week we took our mates to the beach. Emerson's only been a handful of times. And because he's so much older, I think there was so much more to take in.

It actually stopped me to think - Wonder what his little head much be thinking and trying to digest. This would seems like a bloody BIG BATH!
haha

Telling the waves off for moving up and down!
"No!!!"
it was very funny...

xxx

Pain

2008-01-05T00:36:00.001-08:00

After days of annoying PAIN, I spoke to my midwife at 11pm last night and she has a theory. Which makes sense. So I went to Emergency today and lay there for 4 hours while I was prodded and poked and finally given some pain relief. I wasn't in early labour (thank God) and the pain relief worked.
So the current theory is this. I have a hyper-sensitive uterus.
I've always had chronic "monthly times", and apparently my uterus simply doesn't like being pregnant, or struggles being pregnant.

But all is good, be'be is healthy & happy, it's just poor mummy that isn't!

So ordered to {close to} bed rest and pain relief when i need it.

So this is my version of a diary-type image to describe it all.

Okay, Okay... I'll reveal all!

2008-01-01T15:23:00.001-08:00

I was gonna wait til I'd done another self portrait of the belly. But I can't seem to be all that bothered. And really still can't be. So here is come some AWFUL self maternity pics. LOL

OKAY so you wanna know the sex of the bun in the oven?

Think of that annoying song by Eiffel 65 a few years ago... don't get it???
Okay.. IT'S A BOY!

And to leave you a cute one of Emerson "learning" to share with Maddie....

Nappy Free time

2007-12-29T01:27:00.000-08:00

So we have some guests from New Zealand here, our good friends Sam & Julz, and their beautiful little girl Maddie, who's 7 months old.
It's bloody hot here in Melbourne. Today it was 39 degrees (C) which is about 100 F or more... anyway. So it was bloody hot!
Today we decided to extend the "nappy free time" before bathtime a little longer, simply because The Little Mermaid was on, and us mummies really wanted to watch it. Kids were not very interested BTW. We have floorboards so the occasional accidents are ok because they can be cleaned fairly easily. Well by the time the movie had, what, ten minutes left, they'd each had two of them. NO, i lie. Three. But this was fine, the movie was almost over, dinner had been had, and the bath was about to be filled.
I was holding little Maddie and as I dared to open my mouth and say "no more accidents, esspecially on my lap" Something happened... from the other end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No sooner was mum taking her off my hands, my trackies being pulled off (curtains were drawn btw) that Emerson, standing up at his little table and chairs started CRYING. Not whinging but CRYING. He was standing in a HUGE MESS!!!!!!!!!!!

At the same time. Can you believe that?
I swear you could ask for that kind of timing...
So lots of wipes later, a bucket of nappysan, and a BIG SOAPY bath later we are all clean.

So that's our funny story for today.

And finally here's some images of Miss Maddie asleep & then awake because while Emerson can't stand being in front of the camera, he cannot stand anyone else in the limelight and had to come chatting away into the studio. Waking my beautifully, sleeping, (kinda) curly baby.

(see he wouldn't even have a photo!)
xxx
P.S oh and who wants to know if Emerson is getting a little brother or sister???

Slackness (with Excuses) and images from Sydney

2007-12-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

Ok so I've been rather slack. Nov 24th was my last post. OVER a month ago!
OOPS.

But it's been a HUGE two months. As you know we dashed off to New Zealand, then I came home and in three days photographed a wedding, two charity sessions, two other sessions and had about ten hours sleep.
Then packed little Emerson up to fly an hour on a plane (again!) to go to Sydney!
Sydney was unreal. Fantastic little break from reality for me. Busy - but still a break.

Caught up with Amanda & Bec and had some fun photographing away from the usual lines of business. Not that I complain about business - but it was great soul food to finally photograph things that I wanted to do for ME. If you know what I mean!

(is it totally old-fashioned and unexceptionable to arrange marriages at 15 & 20 months old?? Cause I'd like to think that in this case it's ok.. What you think Amanda? Lilly Sears??!!!!)

Came home to dad having MAJOR surgery and struggled with Emerson and being stuck in the house, with pains coming back like my first pregnancy. How tiring are second pregnancies? Can't imagine at the moment what they must be like with more than one child.. How do you do it?!

Having been readmitted to hospital with a major infection, dad is recovering well. ALMOST got admitted AGAIN on Christmas eve, but thankfully the painkillers they gave him kicked in well (I think the glass or two of Red wine he had might have also helped :) ) He was able to spend Christmas at home.

We had a wonderful day - kids were up at 6am (and we were expecting 4am)
Santa had arrived, and there were HUNDREDS of pressies under the tree (so many that for me that contained chocolate WOOHOO!)

And now it's boxing day and I'm patiently waiting for Blu Domain to unveil their new site so I can decide which one I want. DAMN DIFFERENT TIME ZONES!
I've been slaving away at my business's "new look" for weeks and now that I'm on "holidays" from business - can spend the time to do it. And hopefully catch up on personal images.

We have our BIG 20 week ultrasound tomorrow (not half excited) and will hopefully find out the sex of the baby. (YAY) but will also find out what a sus little lump is which appeared a few days ago (why do weird things appear on public holidays???) So I have been "taking it easy" and not allowed to lift more than food to my face (haha)
Hopefully nothing major but still a little scared..

Tonight our dear friends from New Zealand arrive with their 7 month old baby girl! YAY!
Went to stock up on baby supplies this morning. Had forgotten how expensive it can be when your buying nappies, formula, baby food, teething rusks, wipes etc all at once. My gosh I'm glad the cupboard wasn't empty as well, I would have been sent broke!

Anyway I think that is enough of my yipper-yapper!!

I hope everyone had an AMAZING Christmas/holiday season and hope everyone was spoilt.
I will be back with some more images soon..

xx promise xx

Trip to New Zealand - Part one

2007-11-24T04:38:00.001-08:00

so this will be another one of those annoying PART I-II-III type blogs...
Sorry!!
Been a week since we've been back but then I disappeared from home again (more about that later :) )

So here is Emerson absolutely LOVING the airport. Flying with a toddler is not an easy thing.. The plane trip in the air may only take 3 1/2 hours, but being international flights, check-in, customs etc takes ages and it's a long process. He was a real tropper.
Finally fell asleep on the plane for a while.. allowing mummy here to watch 30 minutes of "knocked-up"...
Garrison in a "dream-like state". Not common that he looks so.. umm, how to put it.. angelic? usually I get "rock star" poses!

(as you can see!)

till next post.. xxx

Missing

2007-11-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

Maybe someday you’ll have woken up,
And, barely conscious, you’ll say to no one:
"isn’t something missing? "
You won’t cry for my absence, I know -

Though I’d die to know you love me,
I’m all alone - Isn’t someone missing me?

And if I sleep just to dream of you
And wake without you there,

Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t something...

(Missing - Evanescence)

BUZZ BUZZ

2007-11-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

WOW crazy crazy times!!

Due to a illness in the family I will be in New Zealand from tomorrow (yes tomorrow nothing like a last minute holiday) until the end of next week!!

I'll have internet access but not sure *HOW* reliable it will be :)

Have a great weekend and week and I'll fill you in on my travels when I get back

For those purchasing presets, I will do my very very best to get them to you asap, but if it's not within the usual 48 hours please please forgive me - You will get them I wont forget about you!!

Thanks guys! :D
xxx

Jumping the gun (knitting)

2007-11-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

So this is my first totally blog entry totally decicaded to knitting! LOL
Since I was 5, or so, I've been one of 'those' knitters... you know the kind that knitted scarves and hats on the round... and made things up..
So lately it's been my mission to learn to follow patterns. Mum was going to "teach" me but we haven't really had time..
So I bought a couple from spotlight (eek) and tried to read them. Started to understand.
Then the first pattern I "followed" was given by a friend (wink wink) and I kinda followed it.
And i was proud.

Then I was ORDERED by Amanda to make some of the cutest booties known to mankind and succeeded - but need to get some yummy yarn to really make them ;)

THEN! I finally spoke to mum about one pattern that I had for a baby cardi. And finally "got it".
I found a yummy yummy yarn store close to me that means I will no longer hold 'shares' in spotlight and actually get some decent yarn (happy dance)

So I wanted to make this cardi in a beautiful stone colour, but they only had two balls, and I needed three.. SIGH.

But as much as I wanted to go against hte norm and NOT make this cardi in the usual newborn colours - I decided there is a time and a place for newborn colours and got some yummy Debbie Bliss yarn in baby cashmerino in Olive-y green...

AND OMG!! Ive successfully divided the piece and finished the first front left side! (and btw our power in our area went out last night so the last three rows were done by candelight (how very medieval!)

I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!

hehe

so now I have to save this post and go take a picture.

So fellow knitters, what do you think?!
I'm patiently (actually not patiently) waiting for my Debbie Bliss baby knit books to arrive (from the UK (would you believe it was cheaper to get them directly from the UK with postage and the exchange rate - then to buy from my local store... and for less than the stores price, I'm getting TWO books :D)
then I'm going to have SOOOOOOO many projects on the go... GRIN

So in other news, we had a prediction done on what sex the baby is (but not going to tell until the scan - just in case :D) but I'm EXCITED! We even got a personality prediction - and a future reading for Emerson, so put it in this way in 26 years I'll tell you if she was correct LOL

AND - I managed to sneak in the 5D to a Shihad gig on Monday night!
WOOHOO! They are Garrison's FAV band from New Zealand. (some of you may know of them as Pacifier)
Got some UNREAL pics, but they are for another post as this one is DEDICATED to knitting :)

So I have 4 sessions + Shihad to proof, about 6 orders of prints to assemble and no energy cause I haven't slept in two nights... EEEK

And November is going to be a GREAT month - I'm so excited... but can't tell you why (aren't I mean????)

So that's it. Hopefully some more pics for you soon :D
xxx love to all :)

A lil church in St Kilda

2007-10-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, Bec came to visit for a few days so I had to use my brain (ha ha) to think of some locations to go photo taking... there is this cute little church in St Kilda with lots and lots of ivy which I've been meaning to go to for ages, but having a visitor gave me the excuse! Turns out it's not a church anymore but someones house! It's part of a little apartment complex now... but no one seemed to care that we were there!

Emerson looking for the fishies... wish I could show you his face when he demonstrates what a fishes "says" - too cute.. cracks me up on a daily basis...

(black + white for good measure)

Since we took him a few days ago to another church in the city, he walks up to doors and says "nok nok" with his little hand... too cute.. glad no one was actually home thou.. might have been kicked out! ha ha...

With Bec in his pjs.. was very concerned about her arm... Well Bec left last night.. and Gemma here turned into a real 'mother' packing her a packed dinner... first we made two sandwiches... peanut butter & Vegemite (yes for you Americans who know, that disgusting black stuff us Aussies seem to love! ha ha) then some biscuits and cut up cheese.... two teabags, some milk in a baby food jar, measured out sugar, four dipping biscuits, an apple and three strawberries.

And cause their could have been screaming children on board, 4 panadol, a pillow, a blanket and a face washer, which could come in very handy.... Ok either I went really overboard, or I'm just too caring. LOL

She arrived home safely... and enjoyed the lunch (or so she says)

So back to work... got orders to prep, orders to package, orders to send, a coffee table book to send back as they STUFFED it up... and a baby cardi to knit...

oh oh speaking of knitting, i have prettttyyyyyyyy yarn... Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino.. in a limy/olivey green... it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice to work with, I'm loving it...
and then (and this is a funny story)

I went into an old little backpack nappy bag I have to use on Sunday, and guess what I found!?? My birthday card from my grandmother with $50 in it!!! I mean who forgets about a birthday card with money?? CRAZY!
So what did I do... SPEND IT! And of course on something she would be VERY proud of...
Two baby knit pattern books.. he he
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino 2 & the Baby knits for beginners... I found it super cheaper on EBAY from an English store, in fact less than half price what I almost paid in a yarn store... YAY!

anyway I' m sure you sick of my babbling so I'll go now :)

SPECIAL ON PRESETS

2007-10-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

Because it's Halloween, I'm having a special on the preset kits!

$us49 for all three kits! That's nearly $40 off!!!

So jump on it! :D

paypal $us49 to gemma@iriscreationsphotography.com

with a valid email address!!

More images coming soon!!

Testing, & me...

2007-10-29T16:09:00.001-07:00

Playing with Amanda's new actions...

And lil me.... 11 weeks...

Nothing else really to report :)

Excursions into Melbourne

2007-10-29T04:05:00.001-07:00

Bec has invaded Melbourne! Help us all please!
Naa kidding... took a little trip into the city for some images, and to "hunt some red doors"... don't ask - we found them thou..
and no I dont have images of the doors.. but instead...

and of course an excursion would not be complete without a model:
and little Mr. I-hate-the-camera-I-refuse-to-look-at-it-or-do-what-mummy-says"!
is getting better and was quite a good little model!!

Presets

2007-10-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well the trials have gone brilliantly, and now they have been released!

B+W Kit: $39 usd
Colour Kit: $25 usd
Vintage Kit: $25 usd
All Three kits: $75 usd (saving of $14!)

These kits are perfect for proofing entire photographic sessions and exposures can be tweaked to suit your photograph. Obviously they can also be individualised within photoshop for your own unique look.

To purchase simply paypal the dollar amount (USD) to gemma@iriscreationsphotography.com indicating which set/s you are purchasing. Please include a valid email address for delivery. Purchased sets will be delivered within 48 hours, and due to the electronic nature of presets, strictly no refunds!!

See what other photographers are doing: by visiting the flickr group HERE

Presets for Camera Raw

2007-10-22T02:04:00.000-07:00

I've been working on these for AGES, and finally it is all coming together - but good things take time!
Here's a slight preview of some of the presets that are currently being tested and will be available soon!

These have been also processed using Amanda's Texture actions - which are available here

examples of what will be coming out...
B+W
(Set includes B+w, b+w light, b+w dark, b+w blue tint, b+w brown tint, b+w warm tint, b+w high contrast, b+w dream & b+w sleeping newborn)

I will post some more examples soon! In the meantime, a new group has been set up on flickr..

Remember When...

2007-10-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

I found out I was getting my 5d + L series + 50mm f1.4??

Well that wasn't the only news:

EXCITEMENT!!!
We are ten weeks pregnant with a strong heartbeat! All systems go! So does that explain the need to make hundreds of cupcakes?? LOL

I'm so happy and excited (even if I'm having one of those weeks of - I feel fat & ugly LOL)
I'm going to get my hair done today - that will make me feel better!
Been a bit more nauseated this time.. In the evenings!

So like I mentioned EXTREMELY EXCITED! And have been DYING to annouce it and decided I couldn't wait any longer!
So there is my news & secret everyone!
xxx