Jamie Nicolaou - The Master's Apprentice

The End of 2011

Jamie Nicolaou — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:48:13 +0000

Hi all, and yes, it’s the last day of 2011. Thought I’d get one more post on the blog. 2011 has been interesting to say the least, with photography taking a back seat while I pretty much took on the reigns looking after the farm whilst the oldies took a much earned back seat. The old boy’s still a terrible back seat driver though!! Golf has also got me back in, trying to get back to a single figure handicap. I have set myself a goal to get down to a 6 by next xmas.

2011 taught me some things, the number one being if you believe in something, stick to your guns, don’t back down just to give someone something for nothing, and a credit is only a credit, if it’s credited with $$$!!! So don’t work for nothing people. It’s also great to see some of the quality of work coming from a lot of guys out there in blog land. Two that stand out for me is Ben Clegg and Luke Austin, who continue to produce outstanding work. They don’t post a lot of photos, but what they do produce is quality. That’s not to take anything away from everyone else, as everyone is producing great stuff. This year has also been a year that has given me some great laughs, as some of the things I have read had me in disbelief that I was actually reading what I was reading, if that makes sense.

Anyway, heres a couple of pics taken around Bunbury last night with some pretty cool looking clouds around, nothing special but thought I’d put them up anyway, definitely not “Fine Art Photography”!!! These were processed on the laptop, so if they look weird that’s why!!

Hope everyone has had a successful and happy 2011 and here’s to a safe new year. Wishing everyone all the best. Stay safe and enjoy life.

Filed under: Landscapes, Random Dribble

Hay Season

Jamie Nicolaou — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:35:16 +0000

Well, haven’t done this for a while, trying to work my way around WordPress and new new subtle changes.
Thought with all that’s been going on with farming + weather at the moment, I would post a photo. Not a great photo, but just a photo.
We all know that on the back of a potentially great grain harvest and heavy hay crops, W.A has been hit with some uncharacteristic weather patterns. Deep troughs together with mid level disturbances has created some perfect condition for some pretty decent thunderstorms, and I don’t need to remind you of how much rain has fallen across the wheatbelt and south west of the state. Merv and Pete know only too well by how much rain has fallen around Northam.
It’s no different in the South West. We’ve had one of the best years for pasture and hay growth in a long time, one of the best I’ve seen here, but we’ve been getting probably too much follow up rain than we’d like. Yep, I’m a typical farmer, whinge when we’re not getting rain and whinge when we get too much!! It goes with the territory. Last week it was forecast for 10-20mm of rain on Thursday and Friday, so we were basically forced to cut a couple of our hay paddocks, otherwise they would’ve ended up laying flat on the ground anyway. For those that don’t know, rain isn’t bad for hay when it is still green, or freshly cut, but it’s not good when it’s dry, that’s when the mould and rot can be a problem.
Anyway, just got back from Bunbury and checked out the hay, which is looking pretty good, but the ominous signs of rain were approaching, so thought I might as well dust off the camera. I’ll post some pics after the hay is rolled.

Filed under: Landscapes, Random Dribble

Winter Rains.

Jamie Nicolaou — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:21:25 +0000

So it’s been wet down south, that’s no secret, but just how wet? I got home to the farm on Wednesday afternoon from a 10 day trip up North, we’d had a couple inches of rain while I’d been away. I’m always keeping an eye on the weather, and dad had told me that it was supposed to rain for the next week. Well it started about 6 pm on Wednesday, and has continued to rain everyday until this arvo, where there has just been a few showers. Up until this afternoon, I’d had 89 mm at my place. There has been water running everywhere. The dams are filling up, the rivers a flowing flat out, and our creek is overflowing so much the spillway can’t handle it. It did create a little photo opportunity with a view that only happens when it’s been raining flat out for days!!! Keep it coming, we need a lot more, and with August traditionally a wet month, we should be right. Throw in the transitional month of September, which is capable of throwing us 100 mm + for the month, and hopefully the season will finish off well for everyone in the agricultural regions.

Filed under: Landscapes

Jehi Willis – Indee 500 2011 Winner.

Jamie Nicolaou — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 07:00:30 +0000

The 2011 J & S Labour Hire Indee 500 is done and dusted, with 31 year old Victorian Jehi Willis taking out the outright win.

Willis was brought in to ride for Trailrider magazine. After an ordinary prologue by his standards, Willis fought his way through the dust on Saturday to be placed at the top end of the field, with an overall lead of about 14 minutes. Willis made the most of Sunday’s ride, riding virtually dust free and leading the rest of the field for the remaining 200 km. Willis laid down his fastest lap time on lap four, with a time of 1hr16mins for the 100 km loop.

Willis praised the event, going on to say how he loved the layed back and friendly nature of the whole weekend. He hopes to be back next year to defend his title.

Jehi presenting the trophy and number plate to Indee Station owners Colin and Betty Brierly.

Filed under: Random Dribble, Sport Tagged: Indee 500, Indee 500 2011, Indee 500 desert Race, Indee Station

Oxers Lookout – Karijini

Jamie Nicolaou — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Hey Merv, two posts in a day!!! As the title says……pretty cool spot!!

Filed under: Landscapes

Tanks – Port Hedland

Jamie Nicolaou — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:21:06 +0000

On our recent trip to Port Hedland, Tegan mentioned that she’d never been to Port Hedland, so thought I’d better take her there for a visit!! On the way in we came across these tanks which everyone has seen, and shot, so thought I’d do the same.

Filed under: Landscapes

Golfing…..

Jamie Nicolaou — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:35:51 +0000

Hi all, yep, I’m still here!! Haven’t gone anywhere, just been busy on the farm and working on my golf handicap!!

The golf bug has hit me again after being out of the game for about 8 years. With some new clubs and some revived enthusiasm to try and get back to a single figure handicap, I haven’t spent much time behind a camera. I’m off to Port Hedland for the annual Indee 500 Desert Race in a couple of weeks to shoot the event, something I’ve done for the last 4 years. But I guess I need to spend some time with the camera to get used to looking through glass again!!! The only thing I’ve taken a pic of lately is my new Mizuno MP-63 irons!!! Now if anyone here are golfers, you may get a little excited like I was when I picked them up. My last set, Maxfli FX-31′s, were awesome, but after 15 years it was time to upgrade. I had looked at the Mizuno’s before, but did some research, and decided on the forged irons. They are amazing, absolutely pure!!

If anyone is ever keen for a game, join me at the Manjimup Country Club, our little secret in the south west, one of the best country courses you will ever play golf on.

Filed under: Random Dribble, Sport

Insulted!!

Jamie Nicolaou — Tue, 31 May 2011 13:30:01 +0000

So, I’ve been having a bit of a whinge lately, if you don’t like it, I don’t apologize, because I’m trying to stand up for photographers.

As I’ve whinged about before, I’ve been banned from shooting my hometown motocross event this year, and I’d say in the future, simply because I wouldn’t agree to give the organisers “free” images to use for promotional use, even though I had agreed to it previously.

I’m not going to go on too much about it but I felt rather insulted after the organisers put out a request for flaggies for the weekend. Now if you don’t know what a flaggie is, they are the marshalls that are based on each jump on the track. If a riders falls, they wave yellow flags to notify oncoming traffic of the impending danger. Hell, I even put down my camera equipment last year to help out during the practice on the Friday of last years event. Now being a flaggie to be honest is shit, you get covered in shit and you don’t get to watch the race properly because you have to watch the backside of the jump in case someone falls, but, you can’t have a race without flaggies! Very important!!

Now, the insult to me comes in this form “Desperate for flaggies for Sat and Sunday-Free entry, food and drinks during the day and $50 and the best view of the event”. Are you for real!!…………Now I’m a farmer (apparently we’re not that bright!!) but say you need 20 flaggies – $50 fee + $30 free entry + lets say $20 for food and drinks. $100 per flaggie, that equals $2000!! Now a photographer rocks up with 25k worth of gear, spends 3 days there shooting, and is expected to do it for nothing??? Give me a break!!! Now you wonder why I’m having a whinge and feel I’ve been shafted. As well as losing jobs and money with the publications I deal with, you wonder why I’m fucked off!!!

Now this is a public forum, don’t be shy to voice your opinion as I have done, I do it all the time!!! Tell me if I’m a whinger (I expect a couple to!!), I have broad shoulders, I can handle criticism, but I’m just trying to stand up for photographers so they don’t get shafted like I have.

If you want to be a flaggie, you might be lucky enough to get your photo taken!!

Filed under: Random Dribble

Crisp Autumn Mornings.

Jamie Nicolaou — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:02:39 +0000

Why would one want to live in the country, and wake up to crisp, fresh, clean air every morning?? You have to be mad to want that everyday!!!

Filed under: Landscapes, Random Dribble

Chilly Morning

Jamie Nicolaou — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:11:21 +0000

This is another shot from the other morning I did for Merv.

This paddock was seeded just before the first rains this year, and look at it go!! If all goes well we should be strip feeding by the end of the month. I feel guilty in a way, as I know how many other farmers don’t even have a blade of grass on their property. I hope these systems this week will produce some solid rainfall which will spread though the whole farming region. We need La Nina’ to piss right off and give us our winter pattern back!!!

I know it’s not an exciting image, but that green to some people is like gold!!!

Filed under: Landscapes, Random Dribble