Group Photo Shoots

Join us at the Mental Health Foundation Australia Monthly Borderline Personality Disorder Support Group, held on the first Monday of each month at 10 Yarra Street, South Yarra. Please welcome Lenka as our current facilitator. Lenka brings extensive experience as a counsellor in the NDIS space and as a psychosocial coach. Come along and be with people who understand and share in your experiences. They may start out as strangers but they will quickly become friends. **Attendees do not require a referral but will need to be either formally diagnosed or going through the process of diagnosis.** To register your attendance please see: [https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/borderline-personality-disorder](https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/borderline-personality-disorder) For other MHFA support groups please see: [https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/](https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/) If you need any further information feel free to contact us at supportgroup@mhfa.org.au

**\*\*\*This is a pre-booking event. Please visit [artmasterclass.com.au](https://www.artmasterclass.com.au/) choose your cheeseboard and coaster, use the *MEETAMC10* coupon code, and make a reservation.\*\*\*** Unleash your creativity at our Resin Art Workshop in the heart of Melbourne! Join us for a fun and interactive session where you'll learn the art of resin pouring from expert instructors. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, this workshop is perfect for everyone. You'll create stunning, unique pieces to take home and enjoy, all while surrounded by like-minded creatives. Our workshops provide all the tools, materials, and guidance you'll need to bring your vision to life. Discover the mesmerizing flow of resin, explore vibrant pigments, and watch your art evolve into a glossy masterpiece. Each session is designed to be both educational and relaxing, making it the ideal activity to unwind, socialize, and spark inspiration. Spaces are limited, so book your spot today and dive into the colorful world of resin art with us!

Jewellers can hire a desk in our workshop to make or finish off their own pieces. This workshop is self run, you need to attend a health and safety induction before working daily unattended. Basic jewellery making tools are provided and some consumables such as flux, borax, tumbling polish, lathe polish and some drill bits. Aprons and safety glasses are provided, tie up loose hair, wear enclosed shoes. Please email claw.creative.studios@gmail.com for any questions or inquiries. Clara Carija, Director CLAW CREATIVE.

Play board games with around 20 people on 5+ tables in Elsternwick. Friendly. Inclusive. Free entry, Crunchy Euro and Thematic games. Close to public transport and free parking. Exclusive use of a function room with good lighting at the Caulfield RSL. Games are sometimes organised in advance on our WhatsApp group or in the Aftergame app: https://aftergame.app/groups/bayside-games-1853 However most games are organised following a brief discussion at the venue on the Monday night. Recently we have played the following games: Euros: Brass, Dune Imperium, Anachrony, Endeavor Deep Sea, Inis, On Mars, Ark Nova, Galactic Cruise, Viticulture, Scythe, Concordia, Terra Mystica, Gaia Project, Terraforming Mars, Castles of Burgundy, Lost Ruins of Arnak and Grand Austria Hotel, and Orleans Economic: Indonesia, Food Chain Magnate, Bus, Irish Gauge and Container. Thematic: Voidfall, Dune (Original), Root, Eclipse, Nemesis, Spirit Island, Undaunted, Chaos in the Old World, The Godfather, Spartacus and Dominant Species. **Arrive early** The best time to arrive is around 6:50pm as people discuss which games they would like to play before starting longer games at 7:00pm. Arrive early and we can ensure that you are included in a game. However, should you arrive after 7:00pm you may need to wait for games to finish to be included, or if people are playing long games, it might not be practical to start a new game. **Full bar and snacks available** The Caulfield RSL generously provide the venue free of charge. A selection of food and drinks are available for purchase at the bar. Note that only food or drink purchased at the RSL can be consumed at the venue. We look forward to seeing you!

Meet in the car park right at the end of Breen Drive at Dendy Park past the tennis courts. We’ll walk around Dendy Park, some do 1 lap, others 2. As the Dendy cafe is currently closed, we'll head to Rustica on Hampton st. for a coffee & chat Any concerns, don't hesitate to get in touch on 0409 219 524 - Gillian

***Applications for Cycle 1 close March 1. Submissions received after this date will be matched into the next cycle.*** **Participation in this 4-session cycle is paid. Full details are outlined below.** \*\*\* **📍 A closed, science-informed 4-session cycle for people who are done starting over** This is *not* a drop-in social event. This is a structured, closed cycle designed to help a **small group of 5–6 people** form a ***real friendship group***, not just exchange numbers and hope it survives. Instead of leaving with a single contact and a vague promise to “catch up sometime,” you leave with **a group that already exists.** **This is not a dating event. Please do not join with romantic expectations.** The intention is to form ***stable friendship groups.*** The kind of group you can: • invite to your home without it feeling strange • organise a dinner, barbecue, beach day, or birthday with • stay in touch with naturally, because you already share history 🔗 If you’re tired of meeting interesting people only to start from zero again the next week, this cycle was designed to end that pattern. ——— 🎯 **What Happens in Sessions** This isn’t sitting in a circle answering prompts. Sessions combine: • structured conversations • interactive activities • moments for humour, depth, and perspective You won’t just talk about who you are. You’ll experience each other across different situations: • how people **think** • how they **joke** • how they **react** • how they **collaborate** • how they **disagree** Brief moments of interaction beyond your pod add rhythm and perspective, then the structure brings you back grounded and more connected to your own group. It’s a ***360° way of knowing people***, not a 15–30 minute snapshot. ——— 🧩 **Commitment & Structure** This is a **closed cohort.** Once the cycle begins, no new participants are added. Pods are intentionally small and carefully curated, which means ***spots are limited by design.*** Before the cycle begins, participants are curated into pods based on **communication style and interpersonal fit**, not shared hobbies or demographic categories. *Personality data is used for matching, not discussion.* What you experience is ***not having to translate yourself.*** Once you're placed into your pod, you meet with the same group across the entire cycle. No rotating. No mingling. No restarting conversations. Each session builds naturally on the last. The result isn’t more socialising. It’s ***shared history and stronger belonging.*** ——— 🧠 **Why This Format Works** ⏳ **Time Creates Friendship** Research by Jeffrey A. Hall suggests: • \~50 hours moves strangers beyond acquaintance • \~90 hours builds casual friendship • \~200 hours creates close friendship Most adult social formats never accumulate that time with the same people. The Core Group includes **6 total hours of interaction across four 90-minute sessions, meeting once per week.** But because those hours are ***focused, repeated, and intentionally structured*** with the same people, **they condense what often takes months of scattered interaction to build.** The Core Group gives you the spark so you can turn it into a strong, lasting fire beyond the pod. ——— 🔗 **The Bonding Sequence** As adults, the environments that naturally create friendship disappear. What replaces them are social events built around *novelty, speed, and rotation.* That breaks the bonding sequence. This protocol restores the **four mechanisms that reliably give you the spark to create adult friendship, in the correct order:** **Psychological safety** (Edmondson) Clear structure and predictable boundaries reduce evaluation and performance → people relax and participate naturally ⬇️ **Repeated exposure** (Zajonc’s Mere Exposure Effect) Seeing the same people over time builds trust without effort → recognition replaces awkwardness ⬇️ **Shared attention and behavioural synchrony** (Wiltermuth & Heath) Doing things together, not just talking, increases closeness → connection forms through experience ⬇️ **Group identity through contrast** (Tajfel & Turner) Stable pods with brief external interaction → belonging strengthens when “your people” become clear Most meetups unintentionally break this chain. ***This cycle preserves it.*** ——— ⚖️ **Why There’s No Facilitator** There’s no facilitator running the room. Not because there’s no structure, but because the structure is strong enough to hold the group. Without an authority figure, people relax. There’s no one to impress, no sense of being evaluated. Sessions follow a clear, pre-designed protocol delivered via a simple QR guide. It quietly guides timing and transitions, so the group never feels directionless. When hierarchy is removed and structure remains, people show up more naturally, as they do in **real life.** ——— 🔎 **How It Works** **Step 1 — RSVP** RSVP expresses interest only. **Step 2 — Profile Details** After RSVPing, you’ll receive a private message requesting your MBTI result and profile responses. **Step 3 — Pod Formation** Pods are curated based on interaction dynamics, including communication energy, engagement style, and personality patterns. To be included in Cycle 1 matching, both your RSVP and profile details must be submitted by **March 1.** **Step 4 — Confirmation & Payment** If a suitable pod match is available for you, you’ll receive payment details and next steps. Final pricing will fall within the range of **AUD $160–$190** for the full 4-session cycle. Participation is confirmed once payment is received. 📍 Location: A curated cafe in Melbourne Specific venue confirmed prior to cycle start. This ensures groups are well-matched and the experience stays intentional. ——— 📌 **Practical Notes** • One ticket covers the entire cycle • Pods are intentionally small and limited **Continuity is non-negotiable. Full attendance across all sessions is required to preserve the group’s cohesion and experience. Please join only if you can commit to the entire cycle.** To protect the experience, minor pod adjustments may be made after Session 1 if it improves overall group fit. Please don’t join if you’re looking for: • speed-friending • networking • one-off social events • therapy This is for people who are ***done starting over*** and willing to stay long enough for something real to form. If you’ve been to many meetups and still end up back at square one, that’s not because something is wrong with you. It’s because the design was never built for real friendship. ***This one is.*** ——— 📝 **Refund & Disclaimer** Because pods are carefully curated and intentionally small, tickets are non-refundable once the cycle begins. If you need to cancel before Session 1, you may request: • a full refund up to 72 hours before the first session • a one-time transfer to a future cycle, subject to availability If the transferred spot is not attended, the ticket is forfeited. While this protocol is grounded in well-established social science, friendship is not a formula. Human connection is complex, contextual, and personal. No structure can guarantee outcomes. What this cycle does is ***deliberately design the strongest possible conditions*** for real friendship to form, based on established research.

In 2024, we had to cancel this event due to extreme heat. So this will be a great opportunity to run this event in 2026 and hopefully without any drama. ***Please check this page regularly in the event we need to cancel due to unpredictable weather conditions.*** Visit Steamrail Victoria and experience 135 Years of Melbourne's History at Newport Workshops & Railway Museum. See what the volunteers do behind the scenes and get up close and personal with heritage locomotives and carriages. This is a fun-filled and very photogenic event not to be missed. The link to this event - [https://www.steamrail.com.au/opendays](https://www.steamrail.com.au/opendays) #### **NEWPORT RAILWAY MUSEUM** The Newport Workshops Open Days are located over two sites. **Included with your ticket is free entry to the Newport Railway Museum.** Visit the 140 year old F176 or Victoria's largest locomotive, the famous **Heavy Harry**. Also open for viewing will be the heritage North Williamstown Signal Box, railway models and various suburban rail carriages dating from the 1888 'Swing Door' to the 1980 'Hitachi' and 1983 'Grey Ghost' carriages. #### **PRICES** **Adults - $35** - Adults Ticket (17 & Over) - Adults Tickets are at Seniors/Concession Prices. No further discounts are available. **Under 17 - $15** - Under 17 Ticket (Valid for 3 to 16 year old) **Draft Schedule** 9:45 to 10.00 Meet at the main gate of Newport Workshops (where the watertower is) on Champion Road, North Williamstown [https://goo.gl/maps/sP8BikCXRJ39RzWE6](https://goo.gl/maps/sP8BikCXRJ39RzWE6) 10.00 to 1.00 Explore the Newport Workshops and Steam Locomotives. 1.00 to 1.45 Lunch (there will be food trucks on site so we can catch up and eat around these). This will be our catch up point before the second half of the event. 1.45 to 4.00 Newport Railway Museum - 26 Champion Road, Newport [https://www.arhsvic.org.au/museum](https://www.arhsvic.org.au/museum) We can catch the shuttle bus from the Workshops to the Museum or walk there **Or** i**f you prefer you can continue exploring the main workshop site** 4.00pm Event ends. Look forward to having you join us! John and Rowan

The hilarious Birdman Rally is a long-held Moomba tradition that sees competitors hurtle themselves off a platform over the Yarra River to see who can fly the furthest before splashing down. The rally runs from 11 am to 1 pm on Sunday, 8th March, and the platform is usually on the North side/City side of the Yarra, so it's best photographed from the south side. Our meeting point will be behind the Alexandra Gardens Skate Park on Boathouse Drive at 10:30 am. The schedule for the Moomba Masters waterskiing has not yet been released. The Slalom and Jumps should be the best events to photograph. We will update the schedule closer to the date. Disclaimer & Waiver of Liability By attending this photography meetup, you acknowledge and agree to the following: • Participation is voluntary and at your own risk. • The organisers, hosts, and affiliated parties are not liable for any personal injury, property damage, loss, or theft that may occur during or as a result of this event. • You agree to hold harmless the organisers from any claims, liabilities, or expenses arising from your participation. • Attendees are responsible for their own equipment, belongings, and conduct throughout the event. • Photography activities may involve public spaces, varied terrain, or interaction with others; you are responsible for exercising caution and respecting local laws, regulations, and private property. • Any advice, demonstrations, or recommendations provided during the meetup are for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional instruction. • By joining, you consent to being in a public setting where photos or recordings may occur, and you release organisers from any claims related to such media use.

If you have been diagnosed with an Anxiety Disorder join us at 10 Yarra Street, South Yarra for the Mental Health Foundation Australia Face to Face Anxiety Support Group. Introducing John as our current facilitator, he is an experienced facilitator in many diagnoses including Anxiety. John is passionate about mental health and offering support to consumers. John is non judgmental and takes a compassionate approach to addressing mental health issues and engages participants to share in a positive and safe environment. **This support group is for those affected with a diagnosed anxiety disorder.** To register your attendance please see: [https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/anxiety-support-group](https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/anxiety-support-group) For other MHFA support groups please see: [https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/](https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/) If you need any further information feel free to contact us at supportgroup@mhfa.org.au

Girls Who Boss is a community dedicated to helping driven, kind women make new connections in Melbourne. Join us for a casual coffee catch-up on the weekend of International Women's Day, to meet new friends and raise funds for an important cause. All ticket sales from this event will go towards Share the Dignity. As always we are keeping our ticket price low to make it as accessible as possible, but if you'd like to make an extra donation to our fundraiser, you can do so here: https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/fundraisers/girlswhoboss **Share the Dignity** Share the Dignity works to make a real, on the ground difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or doing it tough. They distribute period products to those in need and work to end period poverty here in Australia. When someone is doing it tough, the last thing on their mind should be dealing with their period. They assist those in need by collecting thousands of period products each year through collection drives and campaigns and distribute them directly to charities across Australia.

Join us every **Wednesday at 5 PM** at the Emporium food court (located behind Grill’d Burger Restaurant in the CBD, not near Melbourne Station) for a dynamic networking event tailored for filmmakers, actors, and film enthusiasts. Afterward, we continue the evening with Happy Hour drinks at a nearby bar and a chance to grab dinner together. Understanding that schedules vary, feel free to join at any time that suits you. Rain or shine, our community has gathered every week for the past year, maintaining a consistent and welcoming environment. Our group has grown remarkably, with a **weekly turnout of over 50 participants**, blending newcomers with regulars to create a vibrant, diverse community. Feel free to bring friends interested in filmmaking; it’s a great way to introduce new faces to our expanding network. Whether you’re a writer, actor, animator, or independent filmmaker, come share your experiences, discuss current projects, or chat about favorite films. This event fosters connections among like-minded individuals, encourages friendships, and opens doors for collaboration. At **7 PM**, we move to The Carlton Club, a five-minute walk away, where we continue networking in a more formal rooftop setting over drinks and food. This change of venue offers an ideal environment to keep conversations flowing. **RSVP** to help us gauge attendance and become part of a growing network of film professionals and enthusiasts. Though the event begins in the afternoon, the relationships you build here can last well into the night and beyond. **What to Expect:** *Our Wednesday meetup is primarily a large networking event for industry professionals. There’s no set theme, workshop, or speaker. It’s a relaxed gathering where filmmakers, actors, and creatives can connect, discuss projects, share needs, and learn from each other. Conversations flow freely around the table, fostering an environment of growth and camaraderie. Beyond Wednesdays, we also host exclusive events such as table reads, cinematography workshops with Panasonic, member screenings, and more. Each week brings fresh dialogues—some participants discuss their weekend shoots, others exchange insights with seasoned producers and directors, and a few engage in filmmaking exercises. It’s a space designed for creative engagement without strict structure or formal oversight.* *Note: Our community emphasizes collaboration, friendship, and goodwill rather than promotional activities. If you wish to promote a workshop, course, screening, or similar event, please contact the organizers first. Promotional privileges are generally reserved for trusted, long-standing members.

**To Be Announced!**

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

**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

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!** 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