On a free day in Cairns I met up with local model Shannon for a quick shoot by the ocean. With strong midday sun, it was key to find some nice open shade that would allow me to prevent harsh shadows on the face. Luckily, sun hats, shade and sunblock are keywords for a new generation of beachgoing Australians. A big thanks to Shannon for meeting up, and hope you love the pics.
Shannon – Palm Cove, Cairns
Kuranda Scenic Railway
The idyllic railway from Cairns to Kuranda winds it way up through the mountains, clinging precariously to cliff faces. An amazing feat of 19th Century engineering, but it was sobering that many of the men that worked on the project didn’t survive to see it open.
Kuranda Scenic Railway
Tjabukai Warrior
The Tjapukai are Australian Aboriginal People of the North Queensland Wet Tropics.
Tjapukai Medicine Woman
Tjapukai Warrior
Palm Cove – Paradise with a sting in the tail.
Crocodiles aren’t the only danger bathers in Cairns have to deal with. A far more common threat are poisonous jellyfish. There were warning signs up and down the beach. Swimming was restricted to a section that had lifeguards, and I presume the clear bottles beside their surfboards are filled with vinegar.
Marine Stingers – Palm Cove, Cairns
Marine Stingers – Palm Cove, Cairns
Marine Stingers – Palm Cove, Cairns
Palm Cove Lifeguard
Palm Cove Lifeguards
Palm Cove, Cairns, Australia
The cheapest way for me to get to Papua New Guinea was to first fly Jetstar to Cairns. As we are in typhoon season and there was the possibility flights might be delayed I gave myself a buffer of a few days in Cairns before catching my next flight for PNG.
Palm Cove, Cairns, Australia
Palm Cove just north of Cairns city center is an idyllic stretch of beach. I arrived just before dawn, but decided it was probably best not to go for an early morning swim.
Palm Cove, Cairns, Australia
Batteries charged, lenses cleaned, memory cards formatted.
This is going to be interesting…
Optimus Prime Transformer
A few shots from a series I’m doing on classic toys.
1964 GI Joe Action Figure
I actually had Optimus Prime, an “Action Man” and even a much later version of the Goldfinger DB5 when I was a kid. Unfortunately due to the nature of conflict (play) most sustained serious injuries. I’m pretty sure the enemy agent that ejects from Aston Martin was lost on Christmas Day. Action Man had a severe case of limb dislocation, and I believe the leader of the Autobots lost both his hands during an encounter with a hamster.
Corgi Toys Die-cast Model of James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger with ejector seat
Bear standing in as a three year old girl as I set up the studio lights for Jenna’s Toy Story. Used a medium size rectangular softbox as the main light and positioned it just above the camera.
Bear is now a 6 year old girl. She was not allowed on set during the shoot just in case she decided to (playfully) tear off Elmo’s head.
Jenna’s Toy Story
Fellow photographer Pete Leong popped around to the studio with his daughter Jenna. Took a few quick pics of her playing with Mario and Elmo before she began making decorative changes to the studio backdrop.
Jenna’s Toy Story
Jenna is super cute, and until a year ago looked like exactly like Boo from Monster’s Inc. She showed me how to draw a rainbow with a fistful of colored pencils.
Jenna’s Toy Story
Pig wearing Shades
A few porky pics, showing the love many Okinawans have for pigs. To be more precise, that love is usually when Miss Piggie is in a bowl of ramen, or a can of spam.
Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam…
I believe the owner of this truck sells “ham”burgers, but I would like to believe it is actually the vehicle of the Hogfather a superhero that saves pigs that are on their way to the Okinawa Ham factory.
Pig Mobile
Not sure what the police pig enforces, but I’ve heard he has no time for squealers, and he’s sometimes described as a bit of a boar.
Pig Police
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 