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Film Diary / 15.05.2013

This was our last night shoot for the 2012/13 season and the 88th in the series. There wasn’t much doing. I filmed a Leaf-tailed Gecko with what seemed distinctive colouring (which viewing the footage will confirm or refute), a fine Stick Insect and an earth worm. I have been told that the rainforest earth worms are a different species to the garden variety.

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My Travels / 09.05.2013

Today I booked and paid for my flights to India and Burma, after initially opting to depart Brisbane on 28 October, only to receive an email from Vanessa a few days later with the exhibition dates. So I am now booked to leave Brisbane on 3 November. In India I shall stay with Maggie in Gurgaon and spend a few days In Kolkota catching up with my ex-wife’s family friends I haven’t seen in decades. I shall then spend 3 days visiting and viewing the temples at Bagan, overnighting in Rangoon (Yangon) on arrival and prior to returning home.

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Other / 09.05.2013

Vanessa, Kat and I met at the opening of Additions 4 at the eponymous gallery in West End, a lively Brisbane inner suburb. Our on again, off again October exhibition is on again, from 24 to 30 October. The Gallery has been attractively realised in a building of character. We discussed ideas over dinner, having met Nicole, Addition 6’s curator.

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Website / 09.05.2013

After 3 turbulent months, Henry Hardy proved incapable of completing the website. Today I accepted Andrew Nagy’s quote to repair the damage Henry had done to Ben Sinclair’s good work and complete the further changes required. Andrew, whom I have known for some time, lives and works on the mountain. He looks after my computer. Unfortunately I was only made aware of his web design work at the time I was commiting to Henry.

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Film Diary / 24.04.2013

Because of ex-cyclone Oswald, our options for night filming have been restricted to Joalah and the Knoll. Tonight it was the Knoll’s turn. What transformed a night of lean pickings into one of rich reward was the appearance of a Stephen’s Banded Snake. It was only our second sighting of the species. The first was also in the Knoll a few years ago. The snake was smaller than its predecessor, but its black and russet banding was similar. It too hung around for a good while; first on the path and then in nearby undergrowth. I was able to get some wide shots of the whole snake.

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Other / 03.04.2013

An email arrived from the local council Cultural Projects Officer, confirming the safe arrival of our latest RADF grant application and stating that it will shortly be distributed to the RADF committee.

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Film Diary / 31.03.2013

After I had obtained permission from the owner, Peter Hendry who identifies my moths, set up a screen for a trapping session on a beautiful mountain property with rainforest that adjoins Joalah National Park. Peter had hardly finished before it began to pour. Peter cannot trap and I cannot film in rain. For three hours we waited for the weather to clear. By 8.30 pm Peter was able to fix the lamp above the screen, crank up the generator and the night’s entertainment began. Peter was particularly interested in collecting rainforest moths. I filmed more moths at one location than I had ever filmed before, though the overhead lamp cast exaggerated shadows on the screen.  Peter wants to trap here again. Next time I will bring my spotlight to better illuminate the moths I film.

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Other / 22.03.2013

I needed a script (prescription), popped into the surgery and made an appointment to see my doctor within the half hour. He took my blood pressure, which was good and for the first time ever, weighed me and measured my height. I consider myself slightly over weight and this was confirmed. But the most astonishing information was that my height was 175cm, whereas on my passport and driving licence it has always been 178cm. Thinking about it, I believe I actually measured 177.5cm. Reader, I have shrunk. I didn’t want to believe it and questioned the accuracy of the doctor’s measurement. But of course people shrink as they get older, so my shortening was no surprise to him.

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Other / 12.03.2013

After deciding to apply for a RADF grant to create 100 + new flora and fauna videos of some 1 ½ to 2 minutes duration, I contacted Cynthia Parr, Chief Scientist at EOL, asking her to provide a Statement of Significance in support of my application. Following an exchange of emails, I today received the Statement, for which I am extremely grateful to Cyndy.

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Film Diary / 01.03.2013

I had a look at the moth footage I shot on 21 February which confirmed the feeling I had at the time of filming; that I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. I thought I was capturing the underside of the moth’s folded wings, but I was actually recording their outer surface. I had never seen such patterns on a moth. They resembled individual block prints on a textile or a pattern covered by a green glaze on a precious ceramic artefact.