It seems like everything good happens at once. seriously.
I was having such a rotten week. Someone who was meant to come to Splendour pulled out, the accommodation is now going to cost me $350 (to stay at a fucking BACKPACKERS for 5 days), we need to move in a few weeks and don't have a place, or money for bond, blah de blah blah sooky sooky la la... I consider quitting the bside boys idea (I am not getting emails back and it's pissing me right off)...

karma switches on... and BANG.

I am confirmed to shoot Jimmy Barnes next week.
Tom C emails me and says he wants to model for BSB, and so does Chris S.
Adam Cousens (who I camped next to at Falls) tells me he's moved to Melbourne and wonders if I would be interested in a photoshoot? NICEST GUY IN THE WORLD. It's an honour that he thought of me then went to the trouble of contacting me!
I feel quite a bit better. .....
I wake up this morning and as always, check my email before I do my hair.
One of my photos has been short-listed for the 5th Melbourne Guide thing on Schmap.
I check the Falls Festival website from work, and see some of MY PHOTOS in the gallery (!!!)
I am confirmed to shoot The Faint in September (!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I am asked to be the official photographer for a friend's clothing line...
Caz tells me my next promo shoot is probably with MAMMAL. Holy fucking SHIT.
Trial Kennedy announce more tour dates, I'm on the door at Ding Dong.
MY WEBSITE IS UP! www.nadialouiseimages.com

and people think there's no such thing as fate???

BIG SAD FACE!

I'm pretty sure this is the most I've ever wanted to shoot ANYTHING.

So I'm back on the "omg photography" boat... it's come from having a twisted neck and being stuck on the couch all weekend, with nothing to do but sit on my laptop between cigarettes... I've been doing a bit of research into attaining all of the things on my shopping list, and the like... 

I've decided to write down 3 big goals that I want to have acheived in the next 12 months.

1. To have photos featured in the gallery of Triple J's website. I was always so jealous of Matt Booy and thought getting as good as him was entirely unacheivable. I now feel like I'm well and truly on the right track and when I've got all the gear I want, I can and will get there.

2. To shoot Big Day Out, regardless of how bad the festival has gotten. I'd always look at the photos in magazines and online and even when I didn't know that I could be a good photographer, I ached to capture that atmosphere and all those amazing bands. I wanted to have the day perfectly documented to look back on after I'd taken my tired feet and ringing ears home. To me, being there with a pass around my neck and a bag full of camera gear to play with is almost too fantastic to comprehend...

3. To have my photos in a published, printed magazine - on my own merit - not through a competition. That's not to say being in jmag wasn't BRILLIANT, but I want to have done it on my own.

And here is the shopping list, finalised...

Nikon D300 Body w/ battery grip
50mm f1.4 Lens
16mm fisheye
4GB memory card
80-200mm f2.8 Lens (drooling at the mere thought of owning this)

I made up a spreadsheet and everything. I worked out I can have it all for under $4,500.
COME ON, TAX RETURN!!!

Just thought I'd update with a list of fun things I'm shooting and everything photo-related between now and August, because I'm so excited!!!

• Guitar Hero Championships @ The Evelyn last night, bloody difficult to shoot. Bad lighting, all the players were obviously in deep concentration thus there was nothing to work with, and the crowd were quite stubborn when it came to not getting out of my way and insisting on crowding the table where my equipment was sitting with empty glasses and jugs of beer.
• Deep Roots Festival @ The Espy tomorrow night - TZU, The Red Eyes, Mia Dyson + Heaps more... REALLY looking forward to this one!!! Shooting for FasterLouder ... am beginning to think they like me!
• My very first b-side boys shoot on Saturday with the lovely young Blake... I'm quite nervous about it. I'm very nervous actually, but his amazing eyes should compensate for crap photos :P nah it should go okay.
• Spod @ The Old Bar 31/05/2008 - due to his ridiculous lack of shows in Melbourne I still haven't introduced Mr Nikon to a Spod show, it should be interesting. Plus he's fucking awesome and I can't wait to see him again after so long!
• Zombie Shuffle - a sort of "protest" being held in the city where everyone dresses up like a zombie and wanders around Melbourne chanting "What do we want? Brains! When do we want them? Brains!" - it should be hilarious and make for some interesting photos.
• Shihad @ The Hifi Bar 14/06/2008 - I don't have a pass for this but the Hifi is piss easy to shoot at. Will hopefully get better shots than I did when they played at The Corner Hotel.
• My wonderful writer friend Beth is interviewing me about b-side boys in a few weeks, possibly for the magazine Frankie... we'll see!
• Grinspoon @ The Hifi Bar 26/06/2008 - managed to get a pass for this one. I don't like their new stuff very much but I think it'll be cool to see them again after so long. I can't even remember seeing them, I just know I did because I went to a Big Day Out they played at and I was a fan then.
• And the last thing in my diary.... is the almighty..... Splendour in the Grass. I didn't get a pass but I did get a free weekend ticket and will be taking my old Fujifilm camera so I should still get some semi-decent photos, at least of the crowd and the antics.

I'm sure lots of things will come up between now and Splendour. My portfolio is just getting bigger and bigger! The desire to make money from it still hasn't hit either, I'm in it for the luuuurve. For now.

Oh I am so god damn tired. I was up at 5am for work yesterday, then was at the Guitar Hero gig all night and didn't get to bed until 1:30am. I've been having way too many late nights, argh, getting old...
I'm not exactly going to get time to rest this weekend, if I do find some spare time I'll be doing housework :( Damn housewife duties!

Anyway I best get back to these invoices... wheeeeyyyyy...

Nadia
xx

LOVE THESE GUYS.