Footprints made and left behind

Dreams made flesh of great and evil minds

Muffled echoes in an endless stream

Nostalgic memories of what mankind has seen

Metal fused with flesh, man and machine now as one

Confusion prevails though like water knowledge runs

Bitter fruit grows from dark seeds long sewn

And from the deep terra mater threatens fire and brimstone.

Stephen Britten, President of the Breakfast Point Rotary Club

Stephen Britten shares a quiet joke with Austen at a morning tea held on Sunday in the St Paul’s Burwood Church Hall. 

Stephen Britten enjoys a glass of wine and has a laugh during lunch at the Armory Cafe situated on the Parramatta River at Newington.

Tired from a busy day of Rotary functions, Stephen Britten relaxes in an arm chair at home in front of the television to watch the last half hour of Dancing With the Stars.

Stephen Britten on a Monday morning before work in his office preparing the Breakfast Rotary Cub Bulletin which is sent out weekly in order to keep members up to date with Rotary International policy changes and the latest club news.

Stephen Britten during a meeting in his office on Monday Morning carefully considers suggestions put to him.

Stephen Britten on Monday morning leaving Rotary concerns behind and concentrates on his occupational role as Penrith City Council’s Legal and Governance Manager and in house solicitor.

A trembling cornerstone,
A tryst bemoaned,

Of a silent ruse,
For a disquieting muse,

In a shattered priory,
In tempest fiery,

For man was born free,
Unbound by destiny.

Sydney Exposed: The Sydney Morning Herald puts the city on display

The pressure of a university photojournalism course looming over our heads sent us searching for a bit of inspiration and we found it at the Sydney Morning Herald’s 1440 exhibition.


Named appropriately after the number of minutes in a day, the exhibition held at the State Library as part of Canon’s EOS Festival of Photography, displayed the very best published and unpublished work by Fairfax photographers.


It became clear that the true test of a good photojournalist is not the perfect angle, shutter speed or lighting, but the ability to develop an intimate knowledge of the subject, to tell a story and to capture the more human, vulnerable and perhaps rare moments of a subject matter.


Admittedly the exhibition in regards to size was underwhelming, it seemed the organisers were seeking quality not quantity. It was also stated by the organisers that the exhibition was a “lighter alternative to the sometimes distressing international images.”


The photos reflected this sentiment very well but unfortunately it did, however leave you wanting something with a little more substance, something that would make you think, feel or even react.


It perhaps was an oversight by the organisers to keep the theme so whimsical particularly, as some of the best Fairfax photography has captured the not so lovely elements of the city.

The political photographs were extremely clever, particularly an image where across Peter Garrett’s considerable forehead was reflected the word “tension” as the minister awaited the fate of the emissions trading legislation in 2009.

Some were emotion charged such as the image of a mother swimming with her child beneath the water.

Others were simply fascinating and daring, in particular the close up image of a Funnel Web spider being milked of venom at the Australian Reptile Park.

What the exhibition did do is spark our enthusiasm to make our own efforts to capture elements of the city and its people just as the Fairfax Photographers had done.

It was a reminder that extraordinary journalism pieces are more often than not a case of good research, interacting with the ordinary person and if all else fails, a bit of good old fashioned luck.