Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Spirits in the Todd

 It was wonderful to stay in the very centre of Alice Springs, during my trip to the 17th Beaniefest. It meant that I could visit the Todd River as the sun rose. The first two mornings were cloudy, after some overnight drizzle. I just love the trees and the Eastern Macdonel Range catching the light.
 The first morning, after walking down toward the bridge, I returned to just adjacent to the hotel, and found this very ancient tree, that caught my interest, purely because of the size of the original trunk, curving out over the dry riverbed.
 The second morning, after another morning walk, I met Jo Nixon down at a local car hire, to become a 'signed in' driver for this little car.
 Thursday morning and after an early morning phone call, I was back out at the Araluen Cultural Centre, to be interviewed by the ABC, after Jo.(seen here glowing about one of her favourites in the exhibition. 'Friends Meet in the Lily Pond'
 This is one of my competition/exhibition beanies 'The Spirit Within - Narradjinii' or as I heard many people referring to it 'Piccininni'..... when she comes home to me, I feel I have more detail to add around the back.
 This is my second entry, 'Family EterniTea' a Tea Cosy created out of my very first ever wet-felted hat, with needle-felting. Many people feel I have channelled my Elders, seeing my mother's face in the woman. It can still be worn as a hat.

 After the cloudy and therefore, warmer weather, Beaniefest Friday dawned clear and blue. The night before had the temperatures dropping, as the cloud dissipated away. I attended the Sustainable Couture fashion parade in the Aviation Museum, and due to my early start, while it was still cloudy, I thought not to over dress again. Luckily I had just enough with me, 'tho I was starting to get a bit chilled, using my wrap to sit on the cold metal chair. The fashions made from re-claimed fabrics were modelled by a bunch of fun and expressive people, and I felt completely at home wearing my turquoise blanket coat, made by Corinabel, here in the northern rivers.

With the clear skies, I headed out to the Todd River again when it got light, and after taking some more photos of the ancient tree, I walked out across the sand of the dry river, taking photos up and downstream.
When I turned back, I saw the old tree from a new vantage spot, and when I got closer, took another photo. The automatic flash activated, and when the captured image showed on the screen, I thought something was wrong with the camera, half the screen showing white. I took two more with the automatic flash on, and the whole screen turned white, then 3 without the flash, trying to hold the camera still for the low light, then 3 more with the flash. The last three, were normal 'darkish' due to flash and low light.
 Back in my room, downloading on to laptop, Gay from next door, in for breakfast, spotted the figure running thru the first pic.
Above is totally as captured, below has had the White Balance auto adjusted.

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