Photography

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH so **IT'S DRAWING NIGHT AT SQUISHFACE** Join us at Squishface's studio space in South Melbourne: Studio Hall, on the grounds of St Kilda South Port Uniting Church on Dorcas St. There are FOUR TRAMS you can catch from the city. **58, 96, 12** or the **1!** It is even walkable from the city. Bring your sketch books, bring your pens, bring a friend. It's not a class - it's a drawing hang out. All skill levels welcome. Always lots of regulars, always newies. Be socially awkward, be confident as heck. This is informal, it's just a free drawing session. Go ahead and bring snacks. But no nuts please! Our venue is wheelchair accessible, as are the very toilets. Minors are welcome but will need an accompanying adult. Contact us on 0422509144 if any issues or you get lost. Please follow us both on instagram, for comic and zine related news and events. 👉 [Squishface Studio](http://www.instagram.com/Squishfacestudio) Here's an [instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4J5GiOPLxc/) showing where Studio Hall is. You simply enter from the street, walk up toward the big bluestone church, then go left to the car park and you will find Studio Hall!

**You are invited to our men's conversation group, the Men Being Well program** run by Relationships Australia Victoria and Life Is Foundation. This free program is for men to meet, discuss and explore wellbeing through **connection**, **reflection** and **peer support**. **IN-PERSON Men's Gathering on Wed 25th FEBRUARY at 7 to 9 PM** Men Being Well hosts monthly Men’s Gatherings or conversation groups and several all-day Men’s Retreats throughout the year. Our events are aimed at positive mental health and wellbeing for men and include regular discussion about life issues and challenges. The relaxed format is welcoming and a safe place to reflect on your personal journey. We hope you can join us in Canterbury, Melbourne and look forward to relaxed and thoughtful discussion. *Please contact us via email (or message us on Meetup) for address details and a brief chat if you are coming along for the first time.* Please email us and join our mailing list as well: **menbeingwell@rav.org.au** Visit our webpage for more dates and information about the Men Being Well program: [www.relationshipsvictoria.org.au/relationships-wellbeing-courses/men-being-well/](https://www.relationshipsvictoria.org.au/relationships-wellbeing-courses/men-being-well/) Regards from your Men Being Well Program Facilitators

**PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING DETAILS:** This group is suitable for an intermediate/advanced type player. You need to be able to play a good level of tennis to participate. Beginners should participate in the Monday program. **YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER AND PAY VIA THE ATTACHED LINK TO SECURE YOUR SPOT:** https://play.tennis.com.au/RoyalParkTennisClub/Coaching **Players who just register their interest on Meetup, do not have their spots secured and may miss out.** **Registration Opens:** 6 Days in advance at 9am **Registration Closes:** Close 6pm the day *before* the event. This is to finalise player numbers and organise a playing roster. **Social Tennis Structure:** * Location: Royal Park Tennis Club (333 The Avenue, Parkville, Melbourne) * Day: Wednesday * Time: 7.00pm-9.00pm Cost: $18 for Non-Members, $12 for Members. * Participants will play 3 sets of tennis: emphasis on having a good hit of tennis, getting some exercise and making friends. * After each set, participants will rotate around. * Balls are provided each week. * Racquets are available for hire if required. * Some refreshments are available for purchase. * Please remember to wear shoes suitable for tennis! * Maximum of 16 spots for each session.

This course, facilitated by Wendy Dixon, explores the concepts and exercises in Wallace Slater’s book *A Simplified Course of Raja Yoga*, which follows the Yoga Sutras or Aphorisms of Patanjali. We meet online every Wednesday night and follow the 10-lesson structure created by Slater, allowing a month for each lesson. We will thoroughly explore each step, with time for discussion and practice. Each session contains material on one or more of the eight limbs of yoga, so named by Patanjali - self-restraint (yama), self-discipline (niyama), posture (āsana), control of breath (prānayāma), control of the sense (pratyāhāra), concentration (dhāranā), meditation (dhyāna) and contemplation (samādhi). Additional material is sourced from I. K. Taimni, Swami Vivekananda, H. P. Blavatsky and contemporary Raja Yoga books. We begin and close each session with sitting meditations. **This is an ongoing course that you can join at any time.** **COURSE LINK** Please click on this link to join: [https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86376822389](https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86376822389) Meeting ID: 863 7682 2389 Passcode: 251130 **Admission by Donation:** A suggested donation of $5 or more per session assists Blavatsky Lodge to continue to offer online Theosophical courses. Please donate via PayPal here: [https://tinyurl.com/blavatskylodgedonation](https://tinyurl.com/blavatskylodgedonation) or email info@tssydney.org.au for other payment options. The course is run by **Wendy Dixon**, a National Lecturer for the Theosophical Society in Australia. She has been a member of the Theosophical Society for over 53 years, attending the youth group for at least 4 years prior to joining the TS at the age of 16 years. The works of Blavatsky, Hodson, Krishnamurti, Taimni, Besant, Leadbeater and the Dalai Lama are the cornerstone of her ever-continuing studies.

**PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING DETAILS:** This group is suitable for an intermediate type player. You need to be able to play a good level of tennis to participate. Beginners should participate in the Monday program. **YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER AND PAY VIA THE ATTACHED LINK TO SECURE YOUR SPOT:** https://play.tennis.com.au/RoyalParkTennisClub/Coaching **Players who just register their interest on Meetup, do not have their spots secured and may miss out.** **Registration Opens:** 6 Days in advance at 9am **Registration Closes:** Close 6pm the day *before* the event. This is to finalise player numbers and organise a playing roster. **Social Tennis Structure:** * Location: Royal Park Tennis Club (333 The Avenue, Parkville, Melbourne) * Day: Thursday * Time: 10.00am-12.00noon Cost: $10 for Non-Members, $0 for Members. * Participants will play 3 sets of tennis: emphasis on having a good hit of tennis, getting some exercise and making friends. * After each set, participants will rotate around. * Balls are provided each week. * Racquets are available for hire if required. * Some refreshments are available for purchase. * Please remember to wear shoes suitable for tennis! * Maximum of 12 spots for each session.

**"TechWalking" - Networking + Walking** Are you a tech professional looking to network beyond the screen? Look no further than my upcoming #TechWalking event! ‍♀️ Join us for a refreshing Yarra River Short City Loop. It’s the perfect chance to connect with industry peers while getting in some steps! I know many of you have been tuning in to my online events, but we've never had the opportunity to meet in person. Let's change that! Check out the video from the last event: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z955MaRHSqI We'll kick things off at **5.30 pm sharp** at Federation Square. Please, don't be late! We're hitting the trail around the river as soon as we gather. And trust me, you won't want to miss it – unless you're up for a bit of a sprint to catch up! (we're going clockwise) Meeting point: Mamas Gozleme, 14 Birrarung Marr Walk, Melbourne VIC 3000 https://maps.app.goo.gl/wDruvccNUzSWkV8y5 This event is pet and kid-friendly, as long as your little ones and furry friends can manage a 3 km walk, they're more than welcome to join. Looking forward to meeting you all in real life! *** Subscribe to YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ITCareerinAustralia Follow me on LinkedIn for more information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yana-martens/ Just moved to Australia? Grab your FREE guide to land your tech job! [https://yanamartens.com/first-tech-job-in-australia/](https://yanamartens.com/first-tech-job-in-australia/) Need more support? Join our 8-week program! https://www.meetup.com/it-career-in-australia/events/312469499/

Spice up your Wednesday night with a **FREE Salsa class** at **600 Little Collins St, Melbourne**! No experience or partner needed — just show up, and we’ll teach you everything from the first step to your first spin. You’ll laugh, move, and meet a great mix of new people who are all starting just like you. ✨ **Here’s what you’ll get:** * Step-by-step basics that anyone can learn * Fun, relaxed environment with great music * Meet new friends and feel amazing doing it! 📍 **Location:** The Salsa Foundation — 600 Little Collins St, Melbourne 🕕 **Time:** Wednesday 6 PM (arrive 5–10 mins early to check in) 🎟️ **Cost:** FREE — bookings are essential (spots fill fast!)

This is a 2.5-hour outdoor walk/workshop to give you confidence in using your speedlight flash on-camera. I'll teach you the basic principles and some cool flash tricks. There's so much more to flash lighting than ugly pop-up flash... At first glance, flash lighting appears to break some of the rules of exposing a photo. This session explains why flash is different and covers the basic tricks that make flash a fascinating creative tool for a photographer. Topics covered: • TTL metering and flash exposure compensation • camera sync speed • basic principles: use of aperture and shutter speed • blending flash and ambient light sources • using flash with movement • creative flash effects • using speedlight zoom control • bouncing flash off surfaces - indoor and outdoor I will take a couple of minutes to explain each concept and then give you a specific exercise with suggested camera settings so that you can try it for yourself. As with my "available light" ( http://photos.gilliver.net/teaching/workshops/night-portraits ) walk, you'll be pairing up to take photos of each other. This is the first in a series of 3 sessions on lighting with flash. This walk has been designed for photographers who have a speedlight-style flash (eg. Canon 430EX/580EX/600EX, Nikon SB700/800/900/910/5000, Godox TT685/V860/V1 etc) that you "bolt on" to the top of your camera. A number of the set exercises can be done with pop-up flash but some are speedlight-specific. The concepts taught apply to both DSLR and mirrorless camera systems. The main flash features required are the ability to control the flash power level manually and the ability to swivel the flash head in different directions. Tripods, light stands, umbrellas and remote triggering systems are not required on this walk - this session does not discuss off-camera flash. I recommend bringing a general purpose zoom lens for this session. For example, a 24-70mm, 17-55mm, 24-105mm etc. Please ensure that both your camera and flash have freshly charged batteries and your camera has a blank memory card. You won't need a tripod. This session is best suited to photographers who are comfortable with camera concepts such as film speed/ISO, shutter speed, aperture and white balance but have no understanding of their flash beyond knowing how to turn it on/off. As this event is outdoors after dark, please ensure you have warm clothing and if rain is forecast, bring an umbrella (although the session runs mostly undercover if rain is about). If you are interested in this walk but are not able to attend this date, feel free to leave a comment with your preferred time/date. If you are having difficulties making payment via Meetup, you can go direct to Paypal ( https://www.paypal.com.au ) and make payment to "david@gilliver.net". Make sure you include a note indicating which session you're making payment for so that I can set your RSVP correctly. Payment in advance is preferred for my sessions. -- Some feedback from previous sessions... "It was one of the best training educational sessions I have been to for a long time - simply presented, indepth, but well pitched. I had a lot of fun and learnt so much!" - Sean, April 2021 "Thank you so much David. What an eye opener. Taught me so much about flash photography in 2 1/2 hours. Highly recommend the class." - David, March 2018 "This is an amazing course, packed with lots of valuable technical information, David took the time to explain every single concept and demonstrate it with a practical exercise, this is a must do course for whoever wants to start with flash photograph !!! Really worth it." - Oscar, October 2016 "I'm studying a Diploma of Photo Imaging and was struggling to grasp flash. Until yesterday's session. David explained things in a way that made sense. The exercises clearly demonstrated why and how flash works. David made sure I understood each concept before we moved on to the next. He provided notes to reinforce the message after the session and even had spare batteries for power-hungry flash units. I was lucky enough to be the only person in his session last night and was grateful for the one-to-one tuition. Thanks David!" - Emma, January 2016 "This is the best value photography course I've ever done (and I've done plenty online and in real life)! David was incredibly professional and is actually an excellent teacher ... a skill that is hard to come by. He presented each new concept in a structured way before building on what had just been learned. The whole night was full of practical examples in a beautiful location overlooking the city lights. I went back to work the following week full of confidence to take excellent pictures to use on the company website. I cannot recommend David highly enough! Thank you David - I'll be back for another course soon." - Michelle, June 2015

Attend free Sydney Rd Street Party that kicks off the Brunswick Music Festival! This festival will run along Sydney Road from Brunswick Street up to Victoria Street and feature 4 main stages , roving acts and pop up acoustic sets and spontaneous dance parties. Enjoy the sounds and action of music ranging from classical Turkish, South African Jazz Pasifika songs all the way to surfpunk- and all of its free! Stages: Albert Street Music from 12-5pm Glenlyon Road Music 12-5pm Youth Stage Weston Street 12-3.50 pm Street Performances at Victoria Street Also : Skating Action at YMCA Skate Park, set up at intersection Wilson St and Sydney Road 2pm Skate Jam event This festival is quite wide ranging and scattered so we will include only 2 meeting points to catch up with other members. Food and drink will be available all along Sydney Road and a quiet space has been set up at Brunswick Town Hall at Counihan Gallery - chill out zone ! Schedule : Meeting Point 1 12 noon Brunswick Town Hall, corner of Dawson Street and Sydney Road. Meeting Point 2 Brunswick Town Hall 1.30 pm

Please join us this Sunday as we discuss work, labour, machines and the good life. Ilya will be leading this session. It's a big topic and we are likely to continue talking about it next Sunday. **We will meet at the Queensberry Hotel, 593 Swanston Street, Carlton (100m north of previous location) at 2pm for a 2:15pm start sharp.** **We kindly ask attendees to pay $5 to attend to help with MeetUp costs & venue costs. This is not mandatory, but if you are a regular member it would be appreciated. Any extra moneys will go towards buying food and drinks for the table. The venue also expects us to spend money as a group, so grateful if everyone could buy a drink from the venue.** There is no pre-requisite preparation necessary, nor a philosophical background, all that is required is a curious mind. These discussions are both a Socrates Cafe style discussion and lively metaphysical dojo, in the spirit of learning and friendly debate, so please feel free to challenge assumptions and be prepared to have your own assumptions challenged. Find below some questions to consider, however these are free-ranging events and the below serve as a springboard for the discussion: **Why we work** 1\. If there was no economic necessity – would you still choose to work? 2\. Would you do similar work to what you currently do or something else? 3\. What is “work” as opposed to leisure or other activity? 4\. Is doing work essential to living a ‘Good Life’? 5\. Do you feel guilty when not working? 6\. Is becoming competent at a profession important for identity formation? **Paradox of productivity** 7\. Why is it that no matter how much the economy is industrialised and automated\, there have always been enough new jobs created to keep unemployment low? 8\. In 1930\, the prominent economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that within 100 years technological improvements would result in a 15\-hour work week\. Why hasn’t this happened? 9\. We live in a society where much has been simplified to ‘a click of a button’\, yet why do we feel busier than ever? 10\. Has the removal of bottlenecks caused us to live at a more frenetic pace? 11\. Does difficulty and friction create meaning? Do resistance and constraint force us to slow down and better appreciate life? **Work in my backyard** 12\. To what degree does work \(and associated competition\) function as a necessary ‘sorting mechanism’ for status and resources? 13\. Competition for many jobs – especially those that are prestigious \- is increasingly global\. Has it become harder for people who want a ‘normal’ job \(and the good life\)? 14\. How does the globalisation of work affect how we see the ‘relevant moral community’\, such as between Australia and developing nations? 15\. Is globalised work a trend towards greater justice or injustice? **Augmented Indolence?** 16\. While the advent of every technology introduced thus far has not reduced human labour in aggregate\, with AI will it finally be different this time? 17\. If AI replaces numerous types of jobs wholesale\, what new work may be created \(or greatly expanded\) for humans to do? 18\. If aggregate human labour was drastically reduced\, is it more likely that people will feel liberated from economic necessity\, or beset by a crisis of meaning? 19\. What is worse – a life of constant work\, or no work at all? Hope to see you there!

Hi there 😊 This is my first event! Namatjira park is a lovely place to go for a walk around a beautiful lake. If you’d like to grab a coffee on the way I recommend Dolce which is very close by! I usually bring my two dogs (it’s an off leash dog area) and they have loads of fun. Hope to see you there!

Hello everyone ✨ For 2026 my regular Saturday location will be Balam Balam Place in Brunswick 🏡 Bring any art supplies you like and a picnic blanket or chair. We will just be sat on the grass outside the building sketching together. If you aren’t sure what to draw the club has a weekly drawing theme, just ask me what the prompt is 😊 There is also a small cafe inside the building for those who want a drink while they draw ☕️ ✏️ We welcome all artists of any skill level or medium, Whether you’re a beginner or pro, traditional or digital, absolutely anyone can join. ⚠️IMPORTANT⚠️ Please do not attend if you are sick. I have multiple chronic illnesses so my immune system is extremely weak. keep everyone safe by staying home if you are unwell ☔️ If the weather changes there is a small cafe inside we can move into —————————————————— Check out our instagram @shypeoplesdrawingclub to see more about our awesome group. We also have a Discord group for online events if you would like to join and chat with more artists. ✨

Join Edward Sinclair as we read, explore, reflect and study together some fascinating Theosophical texts. This session we will be reading from a theosophical text titled: **Theosophy: An Introductory Study Course** by John Algeo *‘Have you ever wondered about the “big” questions of* *life?* *Who am I really?* *Why is the world the way it is?* *Where did I come from?* *What am I doing here?* *What comes next?* *When will I find out all these things?’* This book covers many fascinating topics such as karma, reincarnation, life after death, and the purpose of life to name a few. This is an introductory book but is a fascinating exploration for all. Open to TS members and non-members - all are welcome. For persons wishing to find out about membership of the The Melbourne Theosophical Society, we invite you to attend this study group, after the session there will be an opportunity to ask questions concerning membership. Non Members $5 Entry, T.S. Members Complimentary.

TOPIC (Getting Ready for Spring Macro Photography): Insects are hatching, and flowers are blooming soon. Join us for a presentation on Spring Macro photography and get primed for the photographic season ahead. Meeting Schedule: 1. 6:00 - Introduction, Meet New Members 2. 6:10 - Old Business 3. 6:20 - New Business 4. 6:30 - Pre-Shoot Briefing/Education 5. 7:15 - Break 6. 7:30 - Image Critique 7. 8:00 - Adjourn Pre-Shoot Brief/Education: NIK Collection 8 Image Critique: Previous Photoshoot Images (iPhone images and Christmas Cards). If anyone has images they would like critiqued, please provide them at the beginning of the meeting. Providing Images for Critique: For now, I will collect images at the beginning of the meeting on a USB memory stick. My computer has USB-C ports, so a USB-C memory stick or one with dual (USB-C / USB-A) ports will be needed. Images should follow these format rules: JPG - 80% quality or higher 132 dpi resolution 2048 pixels across the long edge Embedded colorspace - sRGB

Okay, so here's another one by request... **"An Evening with Topaz Labs"** The Topaz Labs tools are regarded as some of the finest photo editing plug-ins that you can add to your photo editing workflow. From noise reduction to resizing to sharpening, the results of these plugins are highly regarded and well reviewed in industry editing blogs. Join us for the evening and I will give you a preview of the most popular Topaz Lab tools and show you how I have used them in my digitial editing workflow. Meeting Schedule: 1. 6:00 - Introduction, Meet New Members 2. 6:10 - Old Business 3. 6:20 - New Business 4. 6:30 - Pre-Shoot Briefing/Education 5. 7:15 - Break 6. 7:30 - Image Critique 7. 8:00 - Adjourn Pre-Shoot Brief/Education: Topaz Labs Image Critique: Previous Photoshoot Images (TBD). If anyone has images they would like critiqued, please provide them at the beginning of the meeting. Providing Images for Critique: For now, I will collect images at the beginning of the meeting on a USB memory stick. My computer has USB-C ports, so a USB-C memory stick or one with dual (USB-C / USB-A) ports will be needed. Images should follow these format rules: JPG - 80% quality or higher 132 dpi resolution 2048 pixels across the long edge Embedded colorspace - sRGB

**Back By Popular Request!** Spend an evening exploring the ins and outs of flash photography and off-camera lighting techniques. We will be in the studio for this meeting and will learn how to use supplemental lighting to improve our images! **Meeting Schedule:** 1. 4:00 - Introduction, Meet New Members 2. 4:10 - Old Business 3. 4:20 - New Business 4. 4:30 - Pre-Shoot Briefing/Education 5. 6:00 - Break 6. 6:05 - Continue Presentation 7. 7:00 - Adjourn

TBA...

**Back By Popular Request!** Once you have spent an evening in the studio, you need some refreshments. Join us at Local Cantina in Bridge Park to recharge your energy! **Meeting Schedule:** 1. 7:10 - Chips and Salsa

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