Hey,
Well yesterday I came upto Auckland (a three hour drive + an hour extra of other chores we had to do) with the family. I was so exhausted when we arrived then I heard the word wireless internet & I’m like what? where? me? now? okay.. GO! lol 
so yeah. I haven’t been up to too much, but yeah. I’ll tell you about the most interesting, educational, amazing day I’ve had for a while.
Thursday 19th July 2008: I spent the day with a well-known Kiwi Photographer Called Andy Belcher. I definitely look upto him in his work and what he has accomplished, and I hope one day someone looks upto me in the way I do to him.
When I arrived he had this lovely, sturdy, motorbike out.. Now, I have never been on a motorbike before, so to say the least I was anxious. lol. We talked a little and then he told me that we are going to the Redwood Forest in Rotorua (45-minute drive from Maketu – where he lives).
I was excited. He then asked me the question I was dreading.. “Have you ever been on a motorbike?” I faithfully answered, “No…” he replied “Are you anxious about it?” I nodded and said “Yes”. Then comes the next best thing, “Well in that case we will take the car”. Now I’m thinking okay its a car..
He goes outside puts away the motorbike, then opens up… *suspense music* the car. Now not any ORDINARY car.. the one, the only(not really but stick with me here lol) BMW M3 2008 edition, in the shade of COLBOT BLUE.. 2 door, v8 engine can go from 0 to 98 km p/h in 4.8 seconds!! What can you do in 4.8 seconds? hmm well I can wipe the drool from my chin and pick my jaw from the ground and put it back in neutral position. LOL!!
This was and is (in my mind anyway) the most amazing, safe, colourful, cute, speedy, fast, posh, fanciest car I have ever been in. ever. Now as soon as you sit in this.. this BEAST you are in style.. (thankfully I decided I would wear my new clothes and look stylish – for once LOL, so I didn’t look too out of place sitting in the passenger seat!?) So as I said earlier, it takes about 45-minutes to where we are going, we did it in 30mins 
lol.. but it didn’t feel like we were going fast, but I knew we were because I HAD to lean against the back of the seat lol.. and I glanced at the speedometer and it was averaging at 120 – 130 km p/h.. lol now for someone like me who does NOT like going fast lol.. It was rather hard concentrating on anything but the fact we were going too fast for my comfort.. So instead I listened to Andy and what he was saying. So because of that I now know the main aperture settings. f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22. *big proud smile* and I know and actually understand shutter speed and also ISO & HDR.
We spent about an hour n half in the forest taking the most amazing photos. I’m serious it was amazing. We then returned back to his office (over looking the settlement of Maketu, Papamoa, The Mount & on really clear days apparently he can see the Coromandel Peninsula too :O. He showed me his amazing Editing software and how he does what he does.. (which is extraordinarily cool)
Then I got picked up and off we went back home..
- the end of the coolest day I’ve had for a while -
So today yeah.. not much I’ve just kinda hung around and gone with the flow..
I ate too much ketchup ( I LOVE KETCHUP <3 ) and I had like half a cup of it lol
now I kinda feel a lil bit sick lol.. well anyway.
I’m gonna have a rest.
Signing off.
A.
