My old GF1 on the left, my newly acquired GF1 (from eBay) in the middle and my new GF6 on the right.

Got to work today and there were lots of goodies on my desk. Of note my brand new GF6, and also another GF1 which I bought on eBay for a steal (it came with a very strange 15mm Olympic lens which I’ll most likely not finda use for at all, but I’m not complaining!).

I’ve since put my old 20mm pancake lens on the GF6, which doesn’t look anywhere near as bad as I thought it would. I actually think it looks quite retro cool and it’s a fair bit smaller and lighter too. I’m not digging the massive flip out screen on the back, when extended off the camera body it feels flimsy. I’m pretty sure it would be the first thing to break ifg I ever dropped the camera, and if I broke that the entire camera might not work as it’s a touch screen now.

Anyways, happy days shooting ahead! I’m psyched!

About a month ago I bought this e-cigarette in an attempt to quit smoking. Wasn’t too impressed for the first week, really hated the taste of the tobacco flavour that I bought with the unit and I just felt embarrassed to smoke it in public, but a few weeks in I scabbed a cigarette off someone and I actually hated the taste so bad. Another weekend at Zen I scabbed another cigarette and halfway through it I realised I subconsciously took out my e-cigarette and started puffing that with the other hand! IE: It’s working and it’s been a lot easier than going cold turkey which I’ve managed to do a billion times before, but have always fallen back into social smoking.

The thing is, there’s a difference this time around. I’m determined more than ever to not be a smoker and to quit smoking for life and the e-cigarette is what’s making this difference. It’s letting me down easy, it’s giving me an alternative.

The other night I was at a bucks party. We were in a pub and a few beers in I really craved a smoke. I ended up going outside to smoke my e-cigarette despite being embarrassed about it, and hey you know what? I did it and it was a topic of conversation with a smoker outside, who ended up chain smoking his 2nd cigarette just to keep talking to me about it (I thought it was gross that he lit up another right after finishing the first).

So now our government wants to ban e-cigarettes. They’ve just banned them in WA and raided a business selling them (raiding them in a dramatic fashion like they would raid any other illegal drug operation). This is ridiculous. Consider how much money our government puts into trying to get people to stop smoking. Consider all those people who have given up smoking and are now vaping. I can’t help but think that this is all about the money. I’m shouting conspiracy.

On a side note: I do think the government could step in on (and tax for cash) the nicotine liquids, that’s fair enough and warrants a health warning, but the fun flavours without nicotine? Makes no sense at all.

Caught up with Jess today, who’s just gotten back from her 2 week break overseas. Jess is awesome at suggesting new places for me to eat at! This time we checked out Daisy’s Milkbar in Petersham (funnily just across the road from the Oxford Tavern which I was at last night for my friend Garth’s bucks party!). Food was delish, really cute place too.

Cute, right?!

We were served milk bottle lollies whilst waiting for a seat (it’s a really small cafe!).

Right across the road was Michael Jackson impersonator Richard Blackie’s old toy shop. A really sad and eerie reminder (I remember visiting his shop with friends a long time ago). In 2006, Richard was found dead in this shop, his death attributed to suicide.

I went for the Reuben and it was awesome! Jess went for the pulled pork, also awesome!

Feeling satisfied we headed off to Carriageworks and spotted this American Beauty on route.

Perhaps the most intense installation I’ve ever seen. Tehching Hsieh punched a time clock in his studio, every hour on the hour, twenty-four hours a day, for an entire year. Beyond insane!

Hsieh’s statement.

How he looked when he started.

And how he looked at the end.

A projector showing all the images taken on the hour from 1980-1981.

We also checked out the Biennale, which we both thought was better than all the Biennale stuff at Cockatoo Island.

Romance Was Born, an installation by duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales. Visually stunning but could really have done with some music to set the mood in my opinion.

Outside there was a huge mirrorball. Couldn’t help but take a few abstract snaps!

OK, so I took all the foxes off my tumblr (it was always a stupid idea anyways) and I’ve uploaded a whole lotta shots of the lovely girls I’ve taken with my GF1. RIP GF1, you were amazing.

Check out: http://justinfox.tumblr.com

Such a sad way to start the day. Dropped in to catch up with Nanami before work this morning, who wanted me to shoot a couple of shots of her for an upcoming piece, and bam! Dead camera. It’s been playing up lately, ever since I dropped it last (has been dropped a couple of times). Initially I thought it might have been the battery, but chucking in a fresh battery confirms she’s finally gone.

It’s so sad to think of upgrading, and knowing that there will be many more years of new (and obviously very different) photos not taken on my GF1. It’s like life is forcing me to start a new life, can’t quite explain it… I’m upset!

I instantly started hunting down a second hand GF1 (again, that would make it my 3rd as I lost my first one on a bender one night!), but I started seeing advertisements for the GF6, which led me to google up on comarissons between the GF1 and the new GF6, and also very in depth reviews of the GF6. I absolutely HATE the way the new GF6 looks, it’s not designed for professionals, it looks to be a camera for the masses with WiFi, instagram style filters, a massive flippable touch screen etc. but the more I read into the specs the more I realise it’s going to produce MUCH better pictures than my trusty old GF1. It starts up way faster, it’s lighter, smaller and most importantly it’ll still take my 20mm pancake lens (which I love so much).

The stubborn fucker in me wants to stick with buying another GF1 and the hipster in me would love one of those new retro looking cameras, but I’ve just pulled the trigger on the new GF6 (I smashed that buy it now button!). I hope I, and my subjects can get over how ugly the new GF6 looks, only time will tell!

Was washing up a mug at Zen last night. Handle broke off (too much power lol) and copped this nasty cut. It shocked me a little as I’ve not had a cut deep enough to warrant stitches since I was a kid.

Luckily for me Zen has a First Aid Kit. I’ve never opened one before, damn they’re baffling!!! SO much content, all of which looks the same (little white packages of stuff!). Rob was there to help me out but (thanks Rob!). I’m going to try and avoid going to the hospital for stitches, cut is in a bad place but it’s my right hand so I should be able to keep the wound closed easily enough.

Officially started planning my September Japan trip yesterday. Found this Lonely Planets guide on my bookshelf, it’s old, but still great for all the old world stuff I want to go and see!