DJ Paine

so my eldest son Drummond is now 5 1/2 years old and he is a Transformers freak. This was not by my choice. About a year ago – while he was still 4 years old – he was at “the cousins” place for the day {my brother Jamie’s -5 years & 5 days my junior a- and his wife Kylie’s place} – when he got back that night Drum was telling me all about Michael Bay’s first The Transformers film – now i was abit taken aback about this, that’s not a film i felt he was mature enough to see, and also i wasn’t a fan of that film. Then before you know he was over at my mum’s place and she had just bought the DVD of the movie! {she had seen the movie at the cinema and LOVED it} so of course Drummond and her watched it and once again i was bamboozled with my family, this time that my mum would show that to her little grandchild…
i was also a bit saddened that literally one week my son could not get enough of Pixar’s cars and then he wanted to be Optimus Prime…. sigh… they grow up so fast!
Anyway, i got a copy of the film on the computer and Drummond and i watched it together, and i was amazed by how petrified and INTO IT he was… he was on the edge of his seat and even covering his eyes in some parts of it. i asked him if he was ok and he was, but then over the next week he started having some “scary dreams”, when we talked about it i was expecting him to tell me about Megatron or Starscream freaking him out but no. he was scared by a 5 second scene in the film where a Mountain Dew machine came alive and fired some cans- here is the scene, slowed down from youtube:

That was what gave him nightmares.
A mountain dew machine transformer.

sigh…
i could inject some witty stuff about the evils of product placement etc, but i’ll continue with this history story:

i then knew what i had to do with Drummond, we sat and watched ALL the “making of” pieces on the Transformers DVD special features. i showed him the old cartoons and explained about movies and how they made them, special effects and what movies are. It totally worked. Drum laughed at what the week before had freaked him out, he even told me that one day he’d like to make a movie too.
He then went on to watch that movie two or three times a week for months and months, he got Transformer toys for christmas, birthday, had a transformers cake for his birthday… he played transformers ALL the time. But a part of me was saddened that my son had become “dull” to something that once had him ducking for cover because of the thrills and spills. Did i want him always freaking out? heart pounding? In wonder? or had i done the right thing in giving him the fruit from the tree of knowledge and opening his eyes?
Earlier this year i had to delete the movie off the computer and cut him off from it abit because his obsession was getting a little bit full on. But he was also happy because i showed him the trailers/previews of the upcoming Transformers 2 film that has just released here in Australia. {to some of the worst reviews ever} I never cease to be amazed at my son Drum’s ability to watch something 10 seconds long and he working out names and motivation for everything he has seen, his imagination is brilliant. BUT as the date came closer to the second Michael Bay Transformers film hitting our screens, reviews and critiques starting to pop up as Drum was counting down the days… i became worried that Michael Bay had really kicked me in the pants by upping the violence, language and “adult content”, then as people i trusted saw it all of those concerns were confirmed. i had to break the news to Drummond that we wouldn’t be seeing it at the movies… fathering at it’s best….

what could i do?
i hatched a plan….
{to be continued}

i’ve been busy. alot of stuff is happening. benita and i have three wonderful boys: drummond who is 4 and 1/2, galvin who is 2 and ??? who will be arriving in mid november…. benita works “night shifts” {4pm to 8pm} weekdays and my time is spent running or trying to run djp photography….
i just need to play catch up in my head and do a quick stock take of the past 44 days of so. bear with me… {all pictures are from my mobile phone}

tuesday 29th july – had “envirosaver” come and swap light bulbs. doctor’s appointment for the family. worked on a new wedding business idea with another local photographer: {who will be known as “PG”} registered some domain names and worked on some marketing ideas. also applied for a part time very casual job with World Vision.
wednesday 30th july – had an appointment with a financial advisor in the morning, bumped into a World Vision display at Australia Fair and joked with them to put a good word in for me for the job. spent the afternoon mowing my lawns and my parents lawns. got home and saw an email from World Vision that they received my application late, so too bad, so sad.

thursday 31st july – took the family out to helensvale westfield for some overdue clothes shopping, got a phone call from World Vision that the staff i spoke to Australia Fair did put a good word in for me and can i pop in for an interview? drummond’s tonsils are acting up again, we have him on the public hospital’s waiting list to get them out… spent alot of the afternoon processing images.
friday 1st august – take my mum to Ikea and we shop for shelves, cutlery and lighting for me and storage for her. have World Vision interview. benita has a big work meeting and a long shift.
saturday 2nd august drummond has swimming lesson. do some serious home fix its and stuff with the Ikea stuff. get in contact with old friend Bob Butler from www.publicimagephotography.com
sunday 3rd august – very busy cleaning day. tip runs and picked up bunk beds for the boys.

monday 4th august – benita and i’s anniversary. 7 years of wedded bliss? i meet up with PG and we head up to brissy for my first Brisbane Wedding Photographers Lunch Group meeting. interesting… meet two very cool people: John Reyment & Catherine Lowe. John slips everyone a note saying that they are looking for a new studio manager and photographer… hmmmm…. lot’s of brainstorming with PG about new wedding business ideas… meet benita at westfield for a anniversary milkshake before she starts work.
tuesday 5th august – gardening, major house renovations, and another doctor’s appointment for the boys.
wednesday 6th august – a full long day of training at World Vision HQ in South Brisbane.

thursday 7th august – built the bunk bed. studied up on the job going for Reyment Photographics.
friday 8th august – first day on the job with World Vision, do he morning shift with David at Australia Fair. had my first appointment with my Dietician. got a phone call at 1:30pm to photograph a wedding at 3:30pm at the beach. did the job.
saturday 9th august – World Vision AM shift again. That evening shoot a school formal with PG. The formal was at the same venue as a big Youth Alive event.
sunday 10th august – great day of just house cleaning and family time.
monday 11th august – emails, work on wedding business idea with PG, errands, got new logitech mouse. benita sick.

tuesday 12th august – World Vision AM shift in Nerang. Paint our “feature wall” green.
wednesday 13th august – got a work team in and did “stage one” of our gardens. all day -full on- job.
thursday 14th august – work work work and then do PM shift for World Vision in Nerang.
friday 15th august – had a morning coffee and muffin with fellow Gold Coast photographer Catherine Lowe for the first time. then interview no#1 with John & Karen Reyment of Reyment Photographics. 2 hour interview. went great.
saturday 16th august – catch up on work. benita took boys to two birthday parties.
sunday 17th august – family day. all the family come over to our place.
monday 18th august – do a massive email clean out. realise “professional” bloggers and “professional” blogs are all full of crap. with good intentions i sign up to host a adobe lightroom photo walk on the gold coast.
tuesday 19th august – PG {the dude i’ve been working on some new wedding ideas with} calls me and says he is retiring from photography. ok…. more email work.
wednesday 20th august – World Vision AM shift at Tweed Heads. email John & Karen Reyment thanking them for the interview. put drum to work on fixing my pownce. discover pixelpipe service.
thursday 21st august – work work work, benita flys out to Sydney for the weekend, and the World Vision at Tweed Heads PM shift, start coming down with some weird flu…

friday 22nd august – gardening, cleaning, painting final coat of green on the wall. meet with Adam the photographer, have first adult portrait session at our place. invite my parents for dinner, get the phone call that i have a second interview with John & Karen Reyment. Glavin sleeps out of the cot & drummond in the top bunk for the first time. totally cancel all my misguided involvement in the photo walk.
saturday 23rd august – me and the boys pick up my brother in law Shane and my nephew Wesly – work and look after boys. big family dinner at my parents.
sunday 24th august – work, boys, big clean out, and a second big family dinner at my folks.
monday 25th august – benita flys home from her sydney girls weekend. i start to prep for the Big 2nd interview.
tuesday 26th august – a lot of prep for the Big 2nd Interview.
wednesday 27th august – 9am is the 2nd Big Interview. i prepared everything on my iMac, so i took that and after a shaky start of me forgetting the iMac’s power cord, the 4 hour interview went awesome. as soon as i leave i feel like i am really coming down with something serious. i have a meeting with the owners of our house/property and a photo shoot of a naming ceremony down at the beach and by that night i am a feverish painful mess.
thursday 28th august – doctors quote “your head is FULL of infection”, get on some serious medication. start packing and preparing… and start the transfer over of my internet provider.
friday 29th august – very sick – prepare and pack the family up and we all fly out to Melbourne that evening. we will be staying with benita’s parents in Geelong for our time down south. eat a lot of Garlic.
saturday 30th august – galvin’s 2nd birthday party with lots of visitors at my in-laws. meet with wedding clients. drive to werribee and catch up with corey “corex” sleap one on one.
sunday 31st august – shoot Alanna & Nathan’s wedding and reception. over extend myself because the drugs are working. benita and i stay/ house sit at our land lord’s place in Ocean Grove.
monday 1st september – benita have a beautiful breakfast in Barwon Heads. chilled out day. faulmann family dinner at Ben & Becs. good talks.
*note* the entire time in Geelong people want to talk about our coming third boy’s name {we have no idea} and the job i interviewed for with Reyment Photographics.
tuesday 2nd september – sleep in and have a great time “talking shop” with my old cronies Vincenzo from Ggingi Photography & Chris Fawkes from Chris Fawkes photography. Afternoon tea with Kin & Glenn Thomas, dinner at Corex and Mels in werribee.
wednesday 3rd september – great day with my sister Megan & family at scienceworks – tim miller & fiance coffee & wedding chat – dinner at matt & kate jacoby’s – late nite chat with kirby.

thursday 4th september – try the Chrome browser, nice. me, b & boys take “the Ma’s” out to the new westfield in geelong. drive out to Anglesea to hang with Johnny ‘witness” Rama and family and then drive to Maude and have dinner with Rene & Corrie Inei at their amazing property… then Pizza Land dinner with Scotty Baker, Paulo & Stephen Carter and his new lady Rose.

friday 5th september – Breakfast with Rod Gear, have a couple of hours to myself, get THE PHONE CALL: i didn’t get the job with John & Karen Reyment: “this is not “No”, this is just “not yet” John Reyment. i feel totally peaceful and at ease about it. Lunch with Kirby at BurgerInc. Arvo coffee with David & Claire at GJ’s westsyde – Dinner with the beloved Kulic’s in Lara.
saturday 6th september – up early for a great Faulmann Family Breakfast at Cafe Go. awesome. Eastern Beach and look at the major wall work going on. Lunch and arvo with the beloved Bateys. Dinner up in werribee with Simon & Michelle {at the funklab}, Jolane & Laura, wedding client chat with Dave Tibben.
sunday 7th september – Father’s Day breakfast at Becka James & Jarrah Loe’s – wedding talk with them, take the boys to the morning service at South Valley Baptist church {which is always a trip} – quick lunch and then up to werribee where Jolane & Mistery and i did some work on Krosswerdz. had a good dinner with my man Mistery. can feel the tonsillitis rearing his ugly head again. get home to geelong late and pack.

monday 8th september – get up 4:30am to get to the plane in time. back on the Gold Coast by 10am. unpack. coming down sick again for sure.
tuesday 9th september – spent the day waiting for the doctor, i am sick again. car troubles, rejoin RACQ. we finally get our own World Vision sponsored child in the mail…
wednesday 10th september – try to catch up on work and rest at the same time… hard. call clients and explain sickness. come up with a new file back up system for my images etc…

thursday 11th september – today. paid for a boxed version of Apple’s Aperture at last. have my first lunch meeting with the Gold Coast World Vision team in Robina. answer emails, look after boys. feel sick. write this and clear my head.