Hello and welcome to my blog, where I write, ponder, and explore my life as a photographer, writer, partner, and parent. Oh, and I love all things Japan too! These days, I should probably swap that around a little to being a writer first and a photographer second. More on that later. I owe you my apologies as I haven’t written a new entry here since October 2024—shameful behaviour from someone who built his current career and lifestyle on blogging. The thing is, I have been so busy with writing (and reading) for work that by the time I remember to write something for here, I am all out of words. I know that’s a slim excuse, but it’s the truth. That and the fact that I have been in a bit of a creative funk probably since I last wrote in October. So I packed my laptop and headed to my local coffee house – Market Lane Coffee – to sit down and write something for here. Market Land Coffee is attached to the famous Prahran Market – just a few hundred meters from my home in South Yarra. It brews incredible coffee and sells beans and coffee-making paraphernalia galore. 

First and foremost, let’s talk about life at home with my family. None of the kids have moved out – STILL. We are a blended family of seven with two kids still in secondary school. Everyone is well and safe and living the life that works for them now. The Doctor and I have been busy towards the end of the year with finishing up work commitments and preparing for Christmas. We held Christmas Day at our home again this year. In Australia, we traditionally celebrate Christmas on the day and have a big lunch. However, the changing face of Australian diversity and culture means that we get to celebrate this time of year in many traditional ways. My family has always held a big Christmas lunch on the day and some of my earliest memories are of spending Christmas day at my Nan and Pop’s place, having a huge roast lunch around a tiny table. The Doctor and I held lunch at our place this year as we have a family of seven, no car, and didn’t want to consider how to get so many people to someone else’s house. Instead of the traditional roast, we put on a fine spread of deli meats, cold seafood, dips, cheeses, and enough bread to last a week. It was an amazing meal followed by ample Pavlova and berries. 

It is with great sadness and love that we had to say goodbye to one of my oldest friends in November of 2024. We said goodbye to our Labradoodle Yuki, who was almost 18. He had been gradually declining over 2024, but not in any medical way. He was old, tired, had slowed down quite a bit, and was very confused about what was happening around him. he found it hard to stay standing and often couldn’t get himself up out of his bed. He was nearly blind and deaf but always happy to say hello, have a cuddle, and steal any food left on the coffee table. Yuki was an amazing and emotionally intelligent pet and such a big part of our collective therapy after the passing of Isobel in 2013. Yuki welcomed, embraced, and loved the Doctor and her children as we became a blended family – he was so excited to have more people to be around.

On his last day with us, we took him to the local park and had a picnic where he enjoyed all the treats he was otherwise forbidden to have. Rather than take him to a small, cramped vet office (imagine fitting 7+ people in a tiny consult room), we organised for a vet to come to our home. We created a bed for Yuki in the middle of the loungeroom, where he spent the afternoon being cuddled. Each of the kids, family friends, and my sister had time with him to say their farewells. The vet did his thing and proved to be gentle and considerate towards our needs and experience. We all placed our hands on him at the time of his passing. It was a sad day but also one of relief and love for the bestest boy who loved nothing more than to be with his family at all times. I still miss him and often think I catch glimpses of him in the corner of my eye.

The last two months of 2024 were really busy for me. My work at Lucky Straps and Shotkit continues with increased responsibilities and workload. Aside from writing Shokit’s product reviews, education pieces, and buyer guides, I am also rewriting key articles that feature outdated gear. Another big task I have taken on is the daily writing of news articles to appear on the Shotkit news page. Daily news requires me to research all the first and third-party camera and lens brands to locate and report on any developments that would be of interest to readers. It’s actually quite fun as I enjoy the research element plus the fact-finding. As for Lucky Straps, I love my involvement with the Lucky team and especially our weekly The Camera Life Podcast live show. I spent the start of 2025 reaching out to dozens of Australian photographers and videographers, asking them to be guests on our show. The response has been amazing, and we are now booked up to the end of March 2025, with many more ready to take a spot in April. The show is incredibly fun to run, as Justin and I have a great working relationship and presence. We are also looking at boosting the TCL channel further with additional shows in the near future. 

I mentioned at the start of the blog that I have been doing more writing than photography. That’s partly due to the increased workload and partly due to my overall mood. I have been in a noticeable funk and have had no desire or inspiration to get out with my camera. I’ve used my cameras to take product shots for some of the reviews I have written. However, it’s not the same as getting out on the streets. Part of the issue is my continued challenges with my neck and associated nerve pain. Towards the end of last year, I had nerves at the back of my skull zapped to reset them in the hope of stopping the relentless headaches – at least for a while. Unfortunately, the nerve block only lasted a month or two, and now the headaches are back. My neck pain is still causing issues and limiting my capacity to sit and work or do much else. I’m working with a pain management consultant to address this, but I am also taking a firm stand on avoiding opioids or heavily addictive pain drugs. Once bitten…My biggest fear is that they will decide that I need additional surgery to rectify the ongoing issues. Not a fan of that solution but I may be left with little choice. We will see. 

So that’s been my end of 2024/start of 2025 experience. There is not much photography to speak of, but lots of writing. I know that it will come to me when the time is right. Until then, my work and family fulfill me in meaningful ways and I am incredibly lucky to have such a great work/life balance and be able to work from home while still supporting all the kids. It’s my life’s work to be the best parent possible and to give my kids the space to find who they are and navigate a world that’s quickly going mad. Until next time, be safe, be creative, be you.