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Brisbane City Council hosts Diwali Festival of Light (Deepavali/Devali) 2011 in King George Square, City Hall.
For Hindus Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes.
Diwali (also spelled Devali or Deepavali in certain regions), popularly known as the “festival of lights,” is a festival celebrated on the one new moon night, between mid-October and mid-December for various reasons.
The festival starts with Dhanteras on which most Indian business communities begin their financial year. The second day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama.
Amavasya, the third day of Diwali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.
Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the Bali, and banished him to Patala.
It is on the fourth day of Diwali, Kartika Shudda Padyami, that Bali went to patala and took the reins of his new kingdom in there. The fifth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
Diwali marks the end of the harvest season in most of India. Farmers give thanks for the bounty of the year gone by, and pray for a good harvest for the year to come.
Traditionally this marked the closing of accounts for businesses dependent on the agrarian cycle, and is the last major celebration before winter. Lakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity, and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead.
There are two legends that associate the worship of Lakshmi on this day. According to the first legend, on this day, Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans, Samudra manthan.
The second legend (more popular in western India) relates to the Vamana avatar of the big three Vishnu, the incarnation he assumed to kill the demon king Bali. On this day, Vishnu came back to his abode the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi receive the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being.
I first learned of Albert Kahn by watching the acclaimed BBC4 television series, The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn.
As an idealist and an internationalist, Kahn believed that he could use the new autochrome process, the world’s first user-friendly, true-colour photographic system, to promote cross-cultural peace and understanding.
A sentiment I whole-heartedly agree with. 
Kahn used his vast fortune to send a group of intrepid photographers to more than fifty countries around the world, often at crucial junctures in their history, when age-old cultures were on the brink of being changed for ever by war and the march of twentieth-century globalization.
These privileged men documented in true colour the collapse of both the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires; the last traditional Celtic villages in Ireland, just a few years before they were demolished; and the soldiers of the First World War — in the trenches, and as they cooked their meals and laundered their uniforms behind the lines.
Amazingly, they took the earliest-known colour photographs in countries as far apart as Vietnam and Brazil, Mongolia and Norway, Benin and the United States.
Such pioneering feats make me green with envy and wishing I was born in an era when there was still so much of the world and technology to explore.
At the start of 1929 Kahn was still one of the richest men in Europe. Later that year the Wall Street Crash reduced his financial empire to rubble and in 1931 he was forced to bring his project to an end.
Kahn died in 1940.
His legacy, still kept at the Musée Albert-Kahn in the grounds of his estate near Paris, is now considered to be the most important collection of early colour photographs in the world.
Until recently, Kahn’s huge collection of 72,000 autochromes remained relatively unheard of; the vast majority of them unpublished. Now, a century after he launched his Archives of the Planet project, the BBC Book The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn, and the television series it accompanies, have helped bring Kahn’s inspiring imagery to a mass audience for the first time and putting colour into what we tend to think of as an entirely monochrome age.
Inspired by Albert Kahn – here is a sample of the faces I met on my travels through Cambodia.
The Australian Body Art Carnivale is Australia’s premier body art event, attracting artists and spectators from across Australia and overseas.
Amazing artworks and music are performed all weekend and along with a sensational Sunshine Coast Street Party, with multi-cultral food stalls and local produce and craft markets.
The Carnivale was a ‘A Festival of Colour’ centred around body art in its many and varied forms.
It is nothing short of phenomenal to watch the human canvases take shape during the competitions.
For artists the carnival presents an opportunity to showcase their creativity, experience the amazing atmosphere of the Carnivale and compete for over $16,000 in cash and prizes.
The Australian Body Art Carnivale is held annually in Eumundi, the dates for 2012 are from Saturday 12 May and Sunday 13 May.
The 2012 theme is “Under the Sea”, providing an absolute wealth of inspiration for artists.
There are no set rules or career path in the arts, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything you can do to improve your chances of achieving your dream career.
If there’s something to read, watch, listen to , see or otherwise participate in it’s got something to do with your chosen field, do it!
With the creation of WordPress, Facebook and Myspace it is so much cheaper and easier to establish your own profile online. Showcase your portfolio and join and “like” relevant groups through Facebook and Twitter.
It can be useful to have a mentor who has been there, done that. The relationship you ave with your mentor can be formal or informal, long-term or short-term, face-to-face or remote e.g. via email/skype, etc. What matters is that your mentor is someone with professional and personal integrity, who is happy to share their experience and doesn’t see you as competition.
Whether you like it or not, being an artisit is like being a small business. Once you’re a rock star you can probably get away wth turning up late and behaving badly, but while you’re on the way you need to be as professional as possible. If you get an opportunity, don’t blow it by thinking it’s cool to be a slacker. In the long term, getting your head around things like tax, marketing and managing a small business can save you time, money and hassle.
Whatever you want to call it, you need it. No-one ever got their record listened to/their painting exhibited/ the lead in that play by sitting around wishing it would happen. Know what you want to achieve and get on with it.
There will be bumps along the road, but stay focused and true to yourself.
It’s true; in the Art World – who you know is just as important as what you know. How many job ads have you seen in the papers that say “Major Label seeking New Artists for Recording Deal”? None, right?
You need to make sure people know who you are, what you can do and what you want to achieve.
If the idea of networking fills you with dread, try this technique:
Don’t hammer a new contact with info about you, instead, focus the conversation on them. Ask lots of questions about what they do and their interests. If it seems natural, ask them if it’s okay for you to have their contact details. If it seems appropriate, follow up a week or so later with a ‘nice chatting to you the other week, thought you might be interested in checking out my…..’ phone call or email.
Networking is a great way to build a support base of people who know and respect you and believe in what you’re trying to do.
Don’t forget to network, online. When you exchange details with a new contact – ask if they use social media. Connecting with them through outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. are great ways to learn more about their interest and for them to see yours.
Did you know that makeup artists who also have hairdressing skills get more work?
Education doesn’t finish when you leave school/college/uni. Actively seek out new learning experiences and keep your mind open to new ideas. What are some complimentary skills you could use in your toolbox?
Refine your craft and work on always improving what you do.
if you don’t believe in yourself, how are you going to convince other people to believe in you?
Confidence is key. Consider all you have already accomplished and how the skills you have and even the less successful experiences have equipped you with knowledge.
More important that who or what you know is HOW people know you. If they know you to be an exceptionally talented artist but a pain in the neck to work with, it may cost you more than you realize.
People like folk who are easy to get along with. If you had to decide between a really talented artist who is greta to work with nd an equally talented artist who is difficult to work with , who would you choose? Lose the attitude and don’t burn bridges. Building positive relationships is important. You never know which one of these annoying people in your drama class is going to end up as a famous festival director?!
Be nice to people on your way up, because on your way down you’re going to need their help.
The creative industries are ripe with opportunities to gain experience – volunteering, student placements, work experiences, extra-curricula activities and DIY are all great ways to develop your skills, meet and impress industry folk and enhance your CV. You wont get “discovered” by hoping, wishing and reaming but you WILL get discovered by getting out there and making stuff happen. Put on a gig, organise an exhibition, start an art show review blog. Activity creates opportunity. Don’t be scared about making mistakes – everyone does – just recognize the things that went wrong as feedback/advice/tips about the right way to do things in the future.
First impressions count, so ensure you present yourself and your portfolio professionally. If you are not confident creating your own website, and can not afford to pay a professional web designer you may be able to find a web designer or web developer who is just starting out themselves and would like to showcase their talents. This is a win-win situation as you can help promote the designer by building their portfolio while showcasing yours.
If you are a control-freak and/or just want to try your hand and let your online creative juices flow check out free platforms such as WordPress or Blogger. And don’t forget Youtube or Vimeo. Create your own FREE dedicated channel and consider the creative ways you can display your work and boost your online profile. Once you have uploaded your videos don’t forget to share them with your friends online through social media and post them on your website/Facebook Fanpages.
For more focused exposure take a look at forums such as Red Bubble or Flicker.
For real-life examples check out the following:
WORDPRESS
http://irem.com.au (A free wordpress.org site – only cost is the domain name registration and hosting. Can’t afford hosting and domain name registration? Establish your site with wordpress.com – the only downside is that your URL is not completely personalized)
YOUTUBE
http://www.youtube.com/user/IREMdotCOMdotAU
The Queensland floods have devastated many communities. This one is particularly close to my heart. I could not access the all-too-familiar grounds of the UQ campus, where I attended university, as the water was yet to recede.
It was heart breaking to see St. Lucia in this state.
These streets look very different to how I remember. The stinking grey wash is in absolute contrast to the vibrant colours of the trees, homes and buildings that normally, represent so much hope for the future.
It was amazing to see just how high the water level had risen. The distinct line of grey mud along the trees and bushes was the best indicator. As so many of the residents had managed to get in and start the clean-up of their homes.
It was obvious that the Australian Defence Force had played an integral part in the quick response. Thank you guys, you are doing an awesome job!
Please give generously http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate
Many communities have been devastated. Some families have lost everything.
You can help make a difference by donating to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.
http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate
While they are a little harder to come by these days, it is worth hunting around for a Nikon D40. That’s because within its price range ($400-$600) there is NOTHING that compares.
The most noticeable feature (and it is definitely a feature) from when you first pick up your D40, is its weight – or rather, lack of! Compared with its big brothers (Nikon D2/200, etc.) and even its competitors, it is as light as a feather.
My husband, Andrew recently bought me a new 10-24mm Wide Angle lens for my birthday. When I attached it to my D40 body I was reminded just how lightweight it really is. It is so easy to carry; I never leave home without it.
The D40 comes with an outstanding 18-55mm lens and sometimes you can even get a starter-kit, which comes with a bonus 55-200mm VR lens, which is great for getting up-close and personal from a distance.
Capturing Fast Detail from the Sidelines
The 18-55mm lens is my favourite mid-range zoom. It has outstanding optical performance and I can easily and precisely manage the zoom with just one finger. With a super close focus and far-reaching zoom my D40 provides great versatility in one lens shooting minute macro detail to wide open spaces. And again, it weighs almost nothing, which allows me to carry my D40 EVERYWHERE.
The D40 has a built-in flash but if you are going to get serious about flash, grab the SB-400 flash which provides beautiful soft light, especially when used in bounce mode, and adds little weight to the D40.
Since August 2008 I would have taken over 18,000 photos and my D40 and it still works just as it did the day I bought it.
The battery life is phenomenal! I bought a spare battery when I bought the camera. I always keep it charged and ready to go, but I have only needed it once – at an all-day/all-night wedding where I took over 2500 shots. It would be safe to say I consistently get 1000 images per battery charge.
I also bought a tripod with the camera. But hardly ever use that either, as my D40 gets such great hand-held results. Even at slow speeds my D40 has incredibly low shutter and mirror vibration.
My D40 has a brilliant, and when I say brilliant I mean Brilliant – big, bright, sharp rear LCD screen. It is excellent for quickly displaying large vivid images and navigating the very user-friendly menu.
The menu is straightforward and simple but still has some advanced editing options. The menu comprehensively guides you through various options and settings and even comes in a choice of colours.
So what’s bad about my Nikon D40?
Really the only thing bad I could say about my D40 is its’ lens compatibility.
My D40 only auto-focuses with the latest AF-S lenses, as well as older professional, AF-I lenses as it does not have an in-body focus motor and so requires a lens with an integrated auto-focus motor.
With traditional AF lenses you have to focus manually. Which then excludes older lenses, with a few exceptions such as macros, fisheyes and some ultra-wide angle lenses that you can easily manually focus.
However, the included kit lens and modern lenses out-perform older lenses you may have wished to use with the D40 chassis.
But it is only 6 Megapixels you say?
Well only 6.1 to be exact! And that’s the way I like it! Don’t buy into the mass buyer psychology that you have to have 10 Million pixels to get a good shot. More pixels do not help, but holding your camera still certainly does. You can enlarge prints from the D40 without limit. Some of my images, even macro, have been blown up to 4meters long (click here to view) with no noticeable distortion.
I love my Nikon D40 because it gave me the confidence to explore my talents and take my hobby to the next level.
I will carry my D40 with me even when I upgrade to a D300s because it is such a great lightweight camera to quickly capture special moments.
If you can’t get your hands on a Nikon D40 the next best thing would be a Nikon D5000 ($600-700) before moving up to the big boys.
Happy snapping.
Natalee-Jewel
http://irem.com.au
Owner/Principal Photographer
The world’s 5th-largest country has an astounding array of natural and cultural wonders. Like Australia, Brazil may just have everything you are looking for with soulful coastal cities, wildlife-filled rainforests and UNESCO World Heritage sites; Dali-esque national parks with sand-dune capes and crystal clear waters; historic North-Eastern cities that hum to the beat of Afro-Brazilian rhythms or get wet snorkeling through undersea wonders off reef-fringed islands; canoeing down the Amazon; admiring the awe-inspiring thunderous waterfalls, or the scenic Pantanal wetlands that resemble nowhere else on Earth.
Photograph by Andre Fagundes
With such diverse experiences and activities all via for your attention in the vast Brazilian landscape, it is proving difficult to plan and decide on a set itinerary.
Here are some highlights so far:
Po De Aucar, Rio De Janeiro
Seen from the peak of Po de Aucar (Sugarloaf Mountain), Rio is arguably the most beautiful city in the world. There are many good times to make the ascent, but sunset on a clear day is apparently the most rewarding.
A visit to Po de Aucar is a must, but if you can, avoid it from about 10am to 11am and 2pm to 3pm, when most tourist buses arrive. Avoid cloudy days as well. Two cable cars connect to the summit, 396m above Rio. The first ascends 220m to Morro da Urca. The second cable car goes up to Po de Aucar. The two-stage cable cars depart every 30 minutes.
Pantanal
Though the Amazon has the glamour, it is the Pantanal that is said to shine as Brazil’s top destination for wildlife-viewing and birdwatching. It makes up one of the most important and fragile ecosystems on the planet and is home to an impressive concentration of animals. Jaguars, caimans, anacondas, giant otters and capybaras are here in great numbers, as are seemingly endless collections of extraordinary birds, including macaws, toucans and jabiru storks.
The world’s largest wetland is some 210,000sq km. Less than 100,000sq km of this is in Bolivia and Paraguay; the rest is in Brazil.
Photograph by Raphael Macek
Iguazu Falls
My mother’s favourite place on earth, she has long told about the ultimate natural spectacle that is the Iguazu Falls. A total of 275 individual falls occupy an area more than 3km wide and 80m high, which makes them wider than Victoria, higher than Niagara and more beautiful than either.
Luring visitors with its first tier of cascades, it does not disappoint and continues to dazzle them with a seemingly endless theatre of tumbling water. The power and the splendour of Iguazu Falls have always earned the awe and admiration of travellers, from indigenous tribes to Jesuit missionaries to modern-day tourists. In 1986 UNESCO declared the region a World Heritage site.
Rio’s nightlife
No place quite captures the soul of Rio de Janeiro as does Lapa, Brazil’s most musically charged neighbourhood, with dozens of music clubs, bars and old-fashioned restaurants along its avenues.
On weekend nights, revellers pack the neighbourhood’s samba clubs, its streets and the wide plaza in front of the Arcos do Lapa, the neighbourhood’s prominent landmark. Mixing on the cracked sidewalks and battered back lanes are all sorts: rich and poor, straight and gay, pimps and prostitutes, malandros (con artists), musicians, artists, gringos and the sundry characters that have long called Lapa home.
Carnaval, Rio De Janeiro
One of the world’s largest parties, Carnaval is celebrated with verve in practically every town and city in Brazil. Although ostensibly just five days of revelry, from the Friday to the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, the festivities can begin weeks in advance as is the case in Rio.
I am sure you have heard by now, Rio throws an unrivaled party, with distinctly Brazilian rhythms and dancing filling the streets for days on end. The culmination of the festival is the brilliantly colourful parade through the Sambodromo, with giant mechanised floats, pounding drummers and whirling dancers.
For those seeking more than just the stadium experience, there’s lots of action in Rio’s many neighbourhoods, although be sure to read your travel warnings, try and party in small groups and be cautious of your personal items and safety.
Parque Nacional Da Chapada Dos Guimares
Only receiving national park status in 1989, the outstanding Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimares remains a tad under the radar in the context of Brazil’s most impressive national parks.
The two exceptional sights inside the park are the Veu de Noiva falls and the Cidade de Pedra (Stone City).
Hopefully, it will stay that way as its offerings are as spectacular as anything in Brazil, you usually won’t have to share them with anyone. There is a visitors centre at the park entrance, but note that access to the attractions is controlled to avoid congestion. Try to visit during the week when it is quietest.
The Pelourinho, Salvador
The Pelourinho (or Pelo) is the heart of Salvador’s nightlife and tourism, and a UNESCO World Heritage site of magnificent churches and colourful colonial buildings.
Wandering the narrow streets, stumbling over cobblestones and gazing up at the city’s oldest architecture, you’ll feel the ages of music; dance and capoeira shape the pastel-coloured 17th and 18th-century buildings.
Pelo has undergone major restoration work, which admittedly, has made it lose a lot of its old-world character but the area is now safer, better preserved and remains an architect’s wonderland, thanks to ongoing work funded by UNESCO since 1993.
Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto is the jewel in the crown, of all the exquisite colonial towns scattered around Minas Gerais. Built at the feet of the Serra do Espinhao, Ouro Preto’s colonial centre is larger and has steeper topography than any other historical town in Minas.
Navigating the vertiginous cobblestone slopes on foot can be exhausting, but the views of 23 churches spread out across the hilly panorama are spectacular.
Brazil’s 3rd most visited tourist destination, Ouro Preto was historically a centre of gold mining and government, and was the stage for Brazil’s first independence movement, the city remains vital in modern times as a centre for education and the arts.
Paraty
Set amid jutting peninsulas and secluded beaches, with a backdrop of steep, jungled mountains plunging into an island-studded bay, Paraty is one of Brazil’s most appealing and exquisitely preserved historical gems.
Paraty’s colonial centre holds abundant charm not only because of its centuries-old architecture but it has managed to minimize automobile traffic. The irregular cobblestone streets are closed to motor vehicles, making it a delightful place to explore on foot. Elegant white buildings adorned with fanciful multihued borders and latticed windows blend harmoniously with the natural beauty that envelops the town. Paraty is only a few hours away from dozens of pristine beaches that are accessible by boat or bus.
Lenois Maranhenses (Free admission)
The name of this national park refers to its immense expanses of dunes, which look like lenois (bed sheets) strewn across the landscape and stretch 70km along the coast and up to 50km inland. Halfway between So Luis and the Piaui border, the park also includes beaches, mangroves, lagoons and some interesting fauna, especially turtles and migratory birds.
The area’s designation as a national park in 1981 staved off potentially ruinous land and oil speculation. It’s spectacular, especially from March to September when rain that has filtered through the sand forms crystal-clear pools and lakes between the dunes.
Photographed by Salvatore Gebbia
Feel free to share your experiences and suggestions. Love to hear your suggestions!
