Blinkie Photography Blinkie Photography

Recently Andrew was invited to do a photo shoot with the Safety Beach Coast Guard here in Victoria. The coast guard is a voluntary based organisation doing search and rescue around the Mornington Peninsula. AVCGA Coast Guard Safety Beach Base shares its base with Safety Beach Yacht Club and is also a community centre, located near the tunnel at Martha Cove.  Andrews job was to capture the crew for there new PR poster and fund raising calendars for 2013. It was a hard few ours but the rsults were great as Andrew captured some wonderful images.

Safety Beach Coast GuardSafety Beach Search and Rescue Boat

The crew from Safety Beach Coast Guard

On a night shoot in the city Andrews friend was letting him know about the Seagulls flying over the top of the Melbourne Tennis Centre. Andrew likes a challenge and set up his Nikon D700 to take the birds in flight. Was not easy for Andrew but the end results was spectacular.

An amazing image of Seagulls flying over the Tennis Centre in Melbourne during the Australian open.

Andrew had an exciting night out with Eamon his Guide Dog and a good  friend to photograph what Andrew loves doing best. Night Photography is Andrews greatest passion as he captures some amazing and stunning images.

A mate walks through the frame with the water reflection in the background

A wonderful look at the board-walk.

Looking East from the board-walkLooking East from the board-walk.

Andrew is a unique photographer that captures the world as he knows it, and as how he would like to see it. With his Guide Dog, Eamon, a great partnership and passion for photography is expressed as hand in paw they explore Australia, and soon the world the world through the lens.

Andrew and Eamon are currently seeking support and funding for an overseas exchange trip to Edinburgh that will see him engage with an established network of Vision Impaired Photographers within the UK. It’s been a dream to visit Edinburgh for many years, and with degenerating vision, Andrew is set on visiting Edinburgh in  August 2012 to capture everything he can – this will also coincide with the annual Edinburgh Art Festival.

It is only through your support that Andrew can make this trip, not only financial support will be needed to enable Andrew to travel overseas and host his own exibition, but assistance will be needed for printing and supporting his trip while in Edinburgh. Your support will be rewarded through many different avenues – advertising, photographic prints, invitations to special events and more.

Andrew and Eamon would really appreciate if you could share this page with your friends and family – not only will it bring greater awareness to Andrew’s Edinburgh project, but in turn, you’re helping to raise awareness of a growing network of vision impaired and disabled artists in Australia.

If you would like to share your messages of support or provide Andrew assistance in achieving his dream, You can email Andrew atandrew@blinkiephotography.com.au. By Supporting Andrew and Eamon, You’re not only supporting a talented and wonderful person – you are supporting a life-long legacy.

Between Storms

Christmas day in Melbourne will go down as one of the worst storms that the city has ever had. It was a humid 30c degree day and by late afternoon the heavens open up with such force it created mayhem through the North West and North East of Melbourne. The storms came through in 3 waves, starting of with a thunderstorm, followed by a massive hail storm and then to finish up with a tropical thunderstorm down poor. The hail storm lasted a good 15 minutes as it tore through trees tearing down leaves and branches, blocking storm water drains. The hail stones cover the ground giving locals a white Christmas but before they could take it all in a tropical thunderstorm hit in the same areas creating a wall of water 3 feet high. Eltham was one of the hardest hit areas as housing is built on rolling hills. The drains were so blocked from the hail storm the massive tropical thunderstorm rain had nowhere to go but flood out homes and roads. Melbourne had over 3000 calls for help to the State Emergency Services as homes and shops were damaged from the rising waters and roofs damaged from the  tennis balls size hail stones pounding the area.

Steam from melting ice

One of the amazing sights Andrew saw was the effects of the hail hitting the hot roads, creating a steam of fog where visibility was very poor for car drivers as cars disappeared as Andrew continued to photograph the event. At the time Andrew didn’t notice the steam until he downloaded the images onto his computer. The photos below show how much water had fallen at the hight of the storms as the water levels rose up to 2  meters high at its peak.

CFA Truck Main Road Eltham

CFA truck hits the flood waters on Main Road Eltham

Rail line washed away, Main Rd Eltham.

At its deepest point, the flood waters reached 2 meters.

Read more …

Andrew Follows and his Guide Dog Eamon are raising funds to realise there dreams of going to Edinburgh Arts Festival in Scotland in August to present a photographic exhibition and run a series of workshops for sighted and low vision photographers. 

Andrew cannot cover all costs for this one of experience to show case his photographic skills, so Andrew is seeking help with sponsorship and assistance from interested partners both in Australia and Internationally. While in Edinburgh, Andrews aims to collaborate with established UK organisations for vision impaired photographers to learn so he can develop a similar network back in Australia so he can strengthen the relationships between Australia and the UK creative industries.

Photography by blind and vision impaired artists is fast developing into a new and somewhat special genre in the field of contemporary art, however in Australia there are very few opportunities for networking and training in the field of photography. Andrew is hoping to over come this gap by taking part in the Edinburgh Festival

In the UK, there is an established network for artists with disabilities and vision impaired photographers. Going to Scotland will afford Andrew the opportunity to work alongside other vision impaired photographers, thus contributing to his artistic development and establishing international networks for further development in this field of art. It will provide many opportunities for photographers from both countries to exchange their skills and knowledge in this limited and highly specialized field.

Andrew will be taking 20 selected works to show case his photography in an  exhibition as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival in August. Andrew will also use his time in Scotland to build a new body of works, which will be created for future exhibitions in Melbourne.

Andrew has been collaborating with Australian born Edinburgh based curator Kate Martin who says “I am delighted to assist Andrew with his ambitious residency and exhibition project. Andrew’s project will not only forge exciting new connections between the creative communities in Australia and Scotland, but also inspire people and challenge preconceived ideas about the abilities of blind and partially sighted people and their place within the arts sector. Working with Andrew so far has proved a very enjoyable and enlightening experience and I look forward to welcoming him to the Edinburgh community next year.”

If you wish to help Andrew and his Guide Dog Eamon to have an experience of a life time, please contact Andrew direct on his email, andrew@blinkiephotography.com.au

Andrew and Eamon his Guide Dog, teamed up with Martin Bonnici from Photography Made Easy  to photograph St Pauls Cathedral at its magical best. Setting up at Federation Square, Andrew and Martin started to photograph the special lighting projecting onto the Cathedral. There will many photographers capturing an a event that has never been done before. The end results for Andrew was fantastic as he viewed the nights images on his computer back at home where he could see the wonders of the colours and designs on this screen.

These 2 images below was a hard choice to pick, from over 50 plus photographs that Andrew captured on the night but they give a great representation on the end results.

St Pauls Melbourne

st Pauls Melbourne

Christmas is just around the corner and Blinkie Photography is proud to release a special calendar to help raise money for Andrews Edinburgh project for August 2012. All money raised from the sales of the calendars will go towards Andrew and Eamon, his guide dog, to take par in the 2012 Edinburgh Arts Festival. The calendar would make that ideal Christmas gift.

12 Images have been carefully selected to make up this wonderful high quallity limited edition colour calendar.

The cost of the calendars are $25 plus $5 postage. Thank you for your support  to ensure Andrews dream in attending the Edinburgh Arts Festival. On how to get this limited edition calendar, please contact us at, Email: blinkiephotography@iprimus.com.au

Special thanks to In House Press Melbourne for supporting Blinkie Photography

2012 Andrew Follows Night Photography Calendar

Night photography is one of Andrews main draw cards as he ventures out in his local area. Andrew has captured  the local train travelling over the old wooden rail bridge and the local rail crossing. Andrews goals for the night was to see what he could capture while the trains were travelling past at medium speeds. The end results are spectacular. Andrews D700 is working a treat under low light but also knowing how to set the camera up is vitally important to Andrew.

Eltham Rail Bridge at Night.

Train pasting through into Eltham