Bed Frame

Sometimes Ikea quality just won't do. I needed a new bed, and didn't fancy shelling out for something that probably wouldn't last my next change of address. This was a neat opportunity to get a bit more familiar with the process of bringing a product from CAD to prototype in a short time. 

I had to be able to completely disassemble the bed with a single tool for easy transport, and it needed to still be completely solid when reassembled.  I chose to build it out of Silky Oak, a readily available Australian hardwood capable of producing a beautiful finish, with clear Radiata pine for the slats. I used M8 galvanised cup-head bolts for the joints to create a rustic feel in harmony with the raw timber. In the end it took roughly a touch over a week of afternoons and spare moments from modelling in Solidworks to the finished product, a figure that could definitely be improved with some woodworking practice!

Building Cardboard Chairs with Heluva

On Sunday myself and a small group of enthusiastic volunteers had the pleasure of helping Heluva, a Brisbane based Industrial Design firm, create a set of cardboard chairs intended for festival use. A great day was had all round, and we look forward to seeing the chairs in action!

New Directions

I have no doubt that most of the people who view this blog will now be aware that I am home once again in Australia, after 8 months of travel in India, Norway and France. This would normally mean that the subject matter for a photography blog such as this has dried up. 

Not so.

From here on in, this blog will be dedicated to regular updates on any creative project in which I am involved, interspersed with photographs of the beautiful things I find along the way.

Slackwater

Marseilles Vieux-Port (Old Port)

Marseilles

Notre-Dame de la Garde

Looming above Marseilles on the highest natural point in the city area, the Notre-Dame de la Garde (Our Lady of the Guard) is a formidable landmark from both sea and land. Built on the foundations of a  15th century fort, the basilica was consecrated on the 5th of June, 1864. Architect Henri-Jacques Espérandieu designed the church in a Neo-Byzantine style, and the construction allowed parts of the original fort to remain visible at the base. 

Saltstraumen

Approximately 400 000 000 cubic metres of water flows through Saltstraumen, the 150 metre wide, 3 kilometre long strait connecting the Norwegian Sea to Skjerstadfjorden, every six hours. The currents can reach 22 knots, making it the strongest tidal current in the world. The water brought down from the fjord attracts many different types of fish such as cod, saithe and coalfish (pollock). These in turn attract many different types of birds, marine predators and anglers. 

Svolværgeita

Svolværgeita (far left in the image) is a 150 metre high pinnacle that looms above the town of Svolvær on Austvågøya, an island in the Lofoten Archipeligo. The first climb was in 1910, apparently to settle a bet with a local hotel owner. Since then, the peak has become something of a destination for climbers, many leaping over the 1.5 metre gap between the "horns" on top for an extra thrill before descending. 

Lofoten Fisheries

It is estimated that the oceans of the Lofoten Islands have provided inhabitants with fish for over 10000 years, and records of commercial fishing operations in the area go back to around 1000 AD. Atlantic Cod and Halibut form the bulk of the catch, producing cod liver oil, stockfish and fresh table fish for both domestic and international markets. Fishing operations in the islands appear for the most part to have resisted the great push of industrialised fishing, moving instead towards a link with tourism. Nowadays it is still more common to see plump little wooden boats operating from weathered seaside homes than the massive steel fishing machines found elsewhere. 

Some Lofoten Landscapes