Welcome!

Welcome to my “Photography Blog” … the place for information and updates on my photography and other projects/hobbies or travels, browse my online shops from here, read some articles I have written. Please feel free to visit anytime – this blog will replace some of my email news updates.

My 2009 in brief

January 2009

- Hot days, some in the 40s! A visit to a Rodeo for some great action photography: http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/rodeo

February 2009

- Victoria’s bushfire disaster. My photography sales to help bushfire victims - see my bushfire sales blog entry to the right! All proceeds from Feb sales will go to help my friends and other bushfire victims!

- A quick trip away saw us enjoying the wilds and wildlife of far east Gippsland. Browse the photos: http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/east_gippsland_2009

- My younger brother got married. Congrats to Matt and Brooke!

March/April 2009

- Autumn is here, some much needed cooler days and a thing called ‘rain’. A couple days spent in the south west of Victoria, a return visit to the Gannet colony at Point Danger. Browse the photos here: http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/australasian_gannets

- Visits to Kinglake/St Andrews bushfire area, took “aftermath” photos.

- Easter was quiet, we did not get away as Ive been unwell.

- Rosie’s daughter Freya won “Best of Breed” at Sydney Royal Show.

May 2009

- Quick getaway to north east Victoria  for AMAZING Autumn colours! http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/autumn_in_victoria

June/July 2009

- Sold our 1968 Morris Mini as we werent finding the time to restore it

- On the road for 8 days to visit the Wimmera, Outback and Riverland:  http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/roadtrip winter 2009

 August 2009

- Some time out for me and lessening my involvement with some computer stuff.  Please email me if you have design or photography work requests and I will let you know where I am at.  Thanks!

- Now 6 months since Black Saturday bushfires, I have put together a photo tribute to Barreges Pyreneans featuring bushfire aftermath photos and images I took of their dogs: http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/barreges_pyreneans

September/early October 2009

- Continuing to pace myself especially with computer based things.  Currently shopping for a new computer. Headed out for a nature photography outing as its been a couple of months. Spring is here – yay!

November 2009

-  back from quick trip over the Vic/SA border, visiting the Penola Show:   http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/penola_show_weekend_2009

- Special sale. Some items available direct from me until sold out. Includes wildlife and scenic photographic prints, blank greeting cards and more. Limited quantity, some are one off!  http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/direct_sales

- Release of my new 2010 calendar “Flying Free”:  http://www.redbubble.com/people/chezzydesigns/calendars/3761720-15-flying-free

- on leave from 21st Nov – 21st Dec 2009. Expect delays with orders and design/photography work requests during this period.

 

My 2008 in brief

March 2008 -  had a trip to Tasmania to pick up a Mini (car) we found on eBay! Spent 4 days touring Tassie in the Mini, quite an adventure with wonderful photo opportunities. Browse the photos here: http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/tasmania_2008

April 2008 – my Grandmother in South Australia passed away

May 2008 – 10 years of being on eBay. Smooth Collie “Cherry” joins our extended family (Gerard’s folks). I show my dog “Rosie” (first time for me) at a Scottish dog breeds match and win a blue ribbon.

June 2008 – announcement of the MDBA Master Dog Breeders and Associates  “2007 Dog Owners Choice Awards”

Best Dog Photographer – Cheryl Ridge/chezzy designs!

Thankyou to the MDBA and those who nominated me!

August 2008 – my birthday, and presented with my diamond engagement pendant. For us this is practical and non traditional   On 31st August Rosie’s puppies turned ONE year old!

September 2008 – Rosie’s daughter Freya wins “Best of Breed” at Adelaide Royal and gets her title, now to be known as “Aust Champion Carluke Flirtwth Noskirt” (love that name!). Pena (Rosie’s ‘husband’ and Freya’s Dad) won it at Adelaide Royal the previous year.

October 2008 – wonderful roadtrip to the riverland and mallee – 10 days and almost 3000km. Browse the photos here: http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/mallee_and_riverland_trip_2008

November/December 2008 – saw me busy behind-the-scenes working on various projects and chipping away at a ‘backlog’.  Rosie’s son Angus, up in Queensland,  gets his title…now to be known as “Aust Champion Carluke Storm Tinseltwn”!!

My Grandfather in South Australia passed away 3/12/08

A fairly quiet Christmas – we did not get away camping.

On to the new year…

Feb may see a short trip to Far North Queensland, my little brother getting married, a new sister-in-law for us. My partner is due for Long Service Leave this year but we have not made any plans yet.

Experiencing the Wilds and Wildlife of East Gippsland

Parts of Victoria had been ravaged by bush fires, the heat and smoke was oppressive, our minds numb from the constant news updates and worrying. I needed to switch off for a few days and experience some clean air as the smoke-filled air had been giving me bad head aches.

East Gippsland was to be the destination, atleast it didn’t appear to be under any threat of fire. It would bring new scenery for us, and the bonus of possibly seeing and photographing some of its wildlife. Having made a couple of enquiries I drew up a rough list of places to visit and things to see in our limited time of 4 days.

Nicholson is a small community not far from Bairnsdale. We spent our first night at the Nicholson backwater area and celebrated Valentines Day morning with a cooked breakfast, followed by a stroll along the river. A picturesque spot for boating, fishing and bird watching.

Our destination was in fact Mallacoota but we broke up the journey with several quick stops for sight seeing, short beach or bush walks, a spot of bird watching or refuelling purposes. A brief stop at Lakes Entrance, to admire the picture postcard views from the lookout and a quick walk around the Marina area before continuing on our mini road trip.

At Cape Conran we enjoyed exploring around the rocks that were bathed in that golden late afternoon sunlight. A newly married couple arrived and had photos done there. Looking at the sky I didn’t think the sunset would be too promising so we motored on to our second night’s accommodation at a motel in Orbost.

Keen to get to Mallacoota we continued on the Princes Hwy, with a couple small deviations to look for certain birds. Mallacoota seemed smaller than I imagined, seems it would be a great place for fishing and boating. Our interest was in nature though and we booked ourselves onto a late afternoon cruise on which we were lucky to get great views of Sea Eagles!

Discovering an intriguing place called Adobe Mudbrick Flats near Mallacoota, we made it our base for 2 nights. Almost like being on a Hollywood film set with wildlife on cue, I was overwhelmed by nature all around me.

From tiny finches and colourful parrots fossicking at feeders, to Bower birds collecting anything blue, to flighty Lyrebirds and huge Goannas strolling down to the dam. And falling asleep to the sound of Sugar Gliders.

The Mallacoota area deserved more time spent than the 2 days we had. With its inlet/waterways, forests and proximity to Croajingalong National Park it is a great area for a nature getaway or family holiday. One can enjoy numerous walks, boat cruises, the coast and the wilderness. We barely scraped the surface and we are keen to visit again!

The day we were returning to Melbourne we took a drive to nearby Shipwreck Creek which is known for Goannas (Lace Monitors) around its campground area and sure enough we weren’t disappointed with a couple of them basking in the sun or climbing trees. That and a nice walk through the heathland to get nice views of the wilderness coast – it was a fitting finish to our visit.

I have to mention the one little downside to our trip. On our way back to Melbourne we discovered we had a couple of ‘hitchhikers’ – a tick attached to my shoulder and my partner found one inside his shirt.

With all our walking it is no wonder we got a couple of them and one really needs to be alert, especially if you are taking dogs into the area. Take the proper precautions with repellents and so on. That way you can take home wonderful memories and hopefully no horrible little souvenirs.

To see more images from my East Gippsland trip, please visit my online photo galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/east_gippsland_2009

Article and photos © Cheryl Ridge

bushfire sales

BLACK SATURDAY – 7  FEBRUARY 2009

February Dragon awakened                                                            by Cheryl Ridge

Australian author, Colin Thiele, wrote about it – the bushfires that bring tragedy to innocent victims every year. Right now, in  2009, Victoria – in fact Australia - has experienced its worst bushfire disaster ever.

Victoria cooked for a week with temperatures in the high 30s through 40s. A day in February was Victoria’s hottest day ever – 46.4 degrees (that is 115f +). With conditions hotter and windier than Ash Wednesday, the dragon was awakened.

At the time of first writing this more than 170 people had died, hundreds of homes lost and fires continued to rage out of control. The death toll has beaten Black Friday in 1939 and Ash Wednesday in 1983.

Like many others I was constantly being overwhelmed with updates and stories being broadcast on the TV, radio and internet. Probably more so this time because internet wasn’t part of my life in the days of Ash Wednesday. It seems so many people know someone somewhere who is a victim – who has lost their home, animals, possessions or even human lives!

I PERSONALLY KNOW BUSHFIRE VICTIMS

I received the shocking news that Vivienne and David James had lost their dogs and home and they were being treated for burns and shock. Mostly I felt numb, wandering around in a daze, other times I just cried and felt helpless. Like many I just wanted this nightmare to be over but for some it won’t be for a long time as people try to come to grips with the devastation, loss and carnage. People will slowly try to rebuild their lives the best they can with the help of people donating time, money, goods and skills or just offering a shoulder for people to cry on.

Vivienne and David James are folks we know at St Andrews Victoria, the Kinglake National Park is literally on their doorstep. Their place with rolling hills, the Australian bush, old world charm, big white fluffy dogs, horses, goats and a lot of visiting Australian wildlife. All appealing to the nature/animal lover and artist in me.

I had met Vivienne through the dog world, she a long time breeder of Pyrenean Mountain Dogs (Barreges Pyreneans). I could not pass up the opportunities to photograph “chocolate box puppies”. Any thoughts of quick structured photo sessions soon went out the window and we would end up staying hours, sometimes until the sun went down. ‘Wasting’ glorious days in the sun playing with pups, chatting, eating and soaking in the views and sounds of nature.

Vivienne used to enjoy mentioning the wildlife that would come to visit, knowing I had an interest in photographing Australian Wildlife. Mobs of Gang Gang Cockatoos would visit their home to drink she would tell me. Or they would spot an Echidna, or something else. It seemed obvious we would need to plan a ‘camping’ trip to their place just so I could fully appreciate this piece of Australian bush paradise they called home.

BUSHFIRE PHOTOGRAPHY SALES

I felt compelled to use my photography and art to raise some funds to help bushfire victims and I would like to continue to do this at my discretion. You might like to purchase some of the blank greeting cards featuring gorgeous Pyrenean Mountain Dog puppies. Or cards/prints featuring Australian birds and animals I have photographed in the wild – some have been photographed in areas now ravaged by bushfires. A chance to help a good cause and get something to keep as a memento or give to someone as a gift.

There are some items you can purchase directly from me (limited quantities!):
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/direct_sales

You can browse my Redbubble range of cards, prints and tshirts:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/chezzydesigns

Or browse my Cafepress USA range:
http://www.cafepress.com/chezzydesigns

TREASURING THE PAST, EMBRACING THE FUTURE
August 2009 – it is now 6 months since the Black Saturday bushfires. One of my desires was to put together a photo gallery – a tribute to Barreges Pyreneans. It includes bushfire aftermath photos as well as photos of some of the beautiful Pyreneans, including my little models – the puppies. Please visit:
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/barreges_pyreneans

Yummy things

I would normally leave the cooking to my clever sisters-in-law and my Mum’s good old fashioned home cooking. But I thought I would share a couple of interesting/yummy things I have tried in recent times!

 Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

This is a recipe you can improvise on. Mine had a pudding consistency and would serve 2 people.  Tabsp = tablespoon.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake photo © Cheryl Ridge

4 tabsp flour, 1 tabsp sugar,  4 tabsp Cadbury Drinking Chocolate

3 tabsp milk, 3 tabsp melted margarine or butter,  splash of Vanilla

Add dry ingredients to a large drinking or soup mug and mix well, add egg, pour in milk/oil/vanilla and mix well. Microwave for about 2 minutes, 20 seconds. Give it a few seconds longer if you feel necessary. Serve with cream, sprinkle with icing sugar.

ethics and anecdotes

Some musings….by Cheryl Ridge

WHAT IS TRUE IS I LOVE WHAT IS NATURAL

Someone used the term “purist” – I guess that is how they perceived me and my style of photography. And apparently I don’t “photoshop the crap out of my images”. These perceptions amuse me but I guess at the end of the day I do have my own style and ‘morals’.

What is true is I love what is natural. I love seeing what is produced by other
photographers too where they have natural beautiful compositions that are not mainly “photoshopped”. I do enjoy some of the foreign photography magazines that still seem to cater for naturally beautiful landscapes and imagery. I have a growing pile of local mags which sadly (for me) lean more toward digital editing tutorials that I don’t have the time or inclination to read *sigh*. Time to cancel some subscriptions I think.

Wildlife is something I like to keep as natural as possible, from the location
(I don’t like to visit zoos to take caged “nature” shots) to the image processing. Cropping, exposure adjustments and resizing is generally all I like to do before adding images to my online galleries (unless its an image montage or card design which requires some extra work). Keeping things minimal is also my preference – this stems from when I have been interested in entering photo competitions. Often in “Nature” categories of competitions and exhibitions image editing is actually frowned upon or simply not allowed.

When it comes to things like dog photography there are certain things I won’t do. I do not like to change an animal’s structure and I am not afraid to say no to requests I feel uncomfortable (morally) with. I won’t fix toplines and I won’t digitally reposition legs etc. Sometimes flies, litter or eye goo need to be removed, am quite used to these kinds of things. Even wet/dirty coats I can help with sometimes. Photo shoots do not always go to plan, these are dogs and not all are robots. I am more than happy to repeat a photo session if I feel it is best and if it can avoid a moral dilemma.

PHOTOSHOP – LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP

In this day and age where ‘photoshop’ is just about a household name I prefer
to not become too embroilled in the world of image manipulation. Photoshop can be a useful tool certainly but much of the program is wasted on me – I would be able to count on my hand the number of functions I use.

You can acquire the software either by spending the money or someone slipping you a pirate copy and the world is your oyster – you can do just about anything and wow the masses.

Bells, whistles, new looks, fads, plugins, actions – not really my cup of tea. Some I like, until everyone and their dog starts doing it. And getting caught up with that or having to keep up simply means I would have to spend even more time on the computer getting a sorer toosh, more eye strain and more neck ache.

I would prefer spending the time with my cameras outdoors getting puppy lick smears over my lenses, me getting grass stains on my clothes, and cobwebs in my hair (I didn’t enjoy the bull ants running up my legs, the bees caught in my hair or nearly walking backwards into a Tiger snake).

In defence though, image editing programs are very handy when it comes to graphic design aspects of my work, putting together composites and drafting some ad layouts. And it often saves me having to run other resource hogging programs on the computer.

 

Wildlife Photography

To me there are few things more satisfying than travelling and exploring
the great outdoors then finding new species to photograph.

Australia has such an amazing variety of native birds and wildlife!

© Cheryl Ridge/chezzydesigns

I have found wildlife photography to be fascinating and challenging. As I don’t use binoculars I am often reliant on my eyes to do the locating and then my feet to do the zooming.

Camping trips further afield often enable us to see species that are not found near our home in Melbourne. Our travels have included wetlands, coastal areas, mallee scrub, riverland, woodland and forests.

In the last few years I have found and photographed (in the wild) more than 200 species of Australian wildlife. Visit my Australian wildlife photo galleries:

http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/australian_wildlife

As an extention to my photography, my online stores contain some merchandise featuring my wildlife photography and designs. Gift ideas for bird watchers, twitchers or simply those that have a love for Australia and its wildlife. 

I will be donating a portion of sales to animal/wildlife conservation or welfare.

For enquiries regarding my photography, designs, products, publisher enquiries or photo sessions

please email: chezzyr@yahoo.com

Snap, Crackle…Woof!

memories of the humble plastic cereal toy…                         By Cheryl Ridge

I was sorting through some old junk including a bag of plastic farm toys from my childhood. From amongst the clump of “cheapie” but well loved and fondly remembered animals, out fell a colourful little critter with a hollow tummy. With bright colouring he was different to the others and then I remembered.

I put the other animals back in the bag and carefully carried the little critter inside like he was a prized antique. As I thought long and hard the memories came flooding back – unopened boxes of breakfast cereal. Parents that would not allow the box to be opened until the other one had finished. Childhood memories! Hand diving down into the cornflakes, eagerly, greedily and blindly searching for a crisp little cellophane packet. Once in a while a box would come along that contained a treat.

It would seem to take forever to get through a box of cereal, which was unfortunate for me, because these common grocery items contained a much sort after little treasure – a cereal toy!

During the 1950s to 1970s kids normally received toys only at birthdays or Christmas time. So to be able to obtain a new toy, for free, from a cereal packet was something pretty special. Plastic toys have been a popular cereal box insert since the 1950s and even these days collectors are reliving their childhood by collecting the cereal toy premiums they remember best from their past. For me it was the cereal toy dogs during the 1970s. Following is a listing of dog series that were released in Australia:

Favourite Dogs - 1960 Kellogg
Found in Sugar Frosties in Australia, and later also Rice Krispies in the United Kingdom. Nine different dogs: *Dachshund, *Pembroke*Corgi, *Miniature Poodle, *Wire-haired Terrier, *Cocker Spaniel, *Scottish Terrier, Labrador, Greyhound and Boxer. Size range: 3cm to 4.5cm. Notes: the UK set consisted of six dogs indicated with asterix. Toys were issued in a cellophane packet.

 

Favourite Dogs (cereal toy dogs) Kellogg 1960

 

 

Day in a Dog’s Life - 1969 Kellogg
Found in Coco Pops, Sugar Frosties, Honey Smacks, and Froot Loops. Nine different dogs: Labrador, Wire Hair Terrier, Greyhound, Bulldog, Corgi, French Poodle, Australian Terrier, Collie and Dachshund. Size range: 3cm to 4.5cm. Notes: solid moulded set in various colours including – white, black, red, orange, yellow, blue and brown. This series is recognisable by each figure having two small circular imprints (mould marks) on their bodies – one on neck and one near back leg. The cereal boxes to this series had back panel cutouts to make a 3-D scene for each dog.

 

day in a dogs life (cereal toy dogs) Kellogg 1969

 

 

The Brave Breeds - 1971 Sanitarium
Found in Puffed Wheat, Weeta Puffs, Honey Weets, and Ricies. Twelve different dogs: Spaniel, Boxer, Greyhound, Kelpie, Bulldog, Collie, Scottish Terrier, German Shepherd, Australian Terrier, Dachshund, Basset, Beagle. Size range: 2cm to 4cm. Notes: these dogs were released in more “earthy” colours of tan, grey/green, dark brown and black. The Scottish Terrier is almost identical to the one in the other series only it is half a cm shorter. The dogs in this series all seem to have a small swirl or bump (from moulding) on their backs which can differentiate them from other dog series.

 

The Brave Breeds (cereal toy dogs) Sanitarium 1971

 

 

Brave Breeds (Hollow) - 1975 Sanitarium
Found in Weeta Puffs, Puffed Wheat, Skippy Cornflakes, Popped Rice, Caramel Ricies, Mini Weet-bix, and Honey Weets. Ten different dogs: Dalmatian, Irish Setter, Great Dane, St Bernard, French Poodle, Samoyed, Wire Haired Fox Terrier, Afghan, Cocker Spaniel and Border Collie. Size range: 2.5cm to 4cm. At least 18 different colours exist: cream, flesh, light pink, medium pink, bright pink, red (2 shades), orange, yellow (2 shades), light green, dark green, light blue, dark blue, light purple, dark purple, gold, silver, brown. These are the standard colours not including “in between” or “odd ball” specimens. Notes: these toys are hollow underneath as opposed to the solid toys from the earlier series. Diehard collectors, not satisfied with a “basic” set of ten dogs will collect any and all colours. Therefore, ten different breeds in say, 15 different colours make for a set of at least 150 different specimens!

 

Brave Breeds (cereal toy dogs) Sanitarium 1975

 

For those who would like to try hunting for their cereal dogs, try looking at markets, collectors fairs, garage sales or thrift shops. Or ask relatives who might remember them from their past. Best of luck.

I have placed my own “want lists” online, at the following link:

http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/items_wanted

A World of Miniature Horses

By Cheryl Ridge

Imagine owning the most exquisite horses, yet never having to worry about vet bills, feeding costs or hauling them to shows far away. There is another world of horses enticing adults and children alike – that of model horses.

Plastic, porcelain, china, resin. Collectively known as model horses, they capture and preserve the essence and beauty of the horse, representing various breeds, colours and poses. An inspiring hobby which has captured the imagination of children and adults alike. The world of miniature horses brings horse lovers together regardless of whether they own real horses or not.

A customised model horse complete with miniature accessories

Popular and frequently collected model horses are those from companies such as Breyer or Peter Stone in America. They are made from a moulded high grade plastic (ie cellulose acetate) but are realistic, proportional and handpainted. Sizes range from miniature (1-2 inches) up to the popular ‘traditional’ size models averaging 9-10 inches in height. For realism, versatility and durability I preferred and mainly collected these plastic horses. Despite often being marketed as toys, these horses have wide appeal.

Other horse figurines have been produced, including ones I refer to as “breakables”. Beautiful, exquisite but very fragile. Some have been represented in my collection including Royal Doulton, Beswick, Franklin Mint, Hagen Renaker, Border Fine Arts, Northlight plus a sprinkling of Artist Resins and sculptures.

 

Cheval Ceramics pony

Original Finish models (OF) are those in original factory finish condition – and haven’t been altered. Customised models (custom or CM) include those that have been touched up, repaired, etched, repainted or repostioned – some are incredibly life like in appearance. Customising models is a good way to resurrect and recycle a damaged OF model, and in the hands of a skilled artist, a beautifully realistic one-of-a-kind model can be produced. The horse of your dreams – or a memento of that special horse in your life perhaps.

The more serious hobbyists don’t just keep the horses on a shelf, but like to enter them in ‘photo shows’ (mail-in and online) and in sociable ‘live shows’ – where like-minded people gather to show off their favorite horses in classes/events/scenes similar to those seen in the real horse world. Here the emphasis is on realism, but in a miniature scale and accessories commonly used include doll ‘riders’, saddles, bridles, costumes, props or settings for photos.

 

 

 

A customised Peter Stone model horse

 A somewhat addictive hobby, but with therapeutic value too, people have  opportunites to become involved in various pursuits such as – showing, photography, customizing (painting, etching, reshaping, sculpting etc), making props or accessories, hand crafting miniature tack and costumes or setting up scenes. Collectors take great pride in creating or using realistic accessories as well as customizing model horses into different colours, finishes or poses from their original factory finish.

Call it a hobby, playing with toys or collecting art – people are collecting model horses for various reasons and these wonderful miniature horses are adorning people’s shelves and mantlepieces the world over.

Cheryl has created merchandise with the model horse collector in mind

 “Too many horses. Not enough shelves”…

T-shirts and gift ideas for the model horse lover! To see the range please visit:

http://www.cafepress.com/chezzydesigns/1043099

http://www.redbubble.com/people/chezzydesigns

and to view some of the beautiful horses in my personal collection, please visit:

http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/model_horses

                                                                                         ~ Cheryl Ridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dog Photography News

Over the last few years I have had the pleasure of photographing more than 60 different dog breeds! Including a wide range of beautiful show dogs, cute puppies as well as a few beloved rescues of unknown parentage. I also have experience with show and pet photography, ad design, photo art pet portraits and supplying photos/layouts for publication.

© Cheryl Ridge/chezzydesigns

 

Using my original images and designs I have also created a range of dog breed gifts and dog themed merchandise – gift ideas for the dog lover including dog breed t-shirts. Visit my online stores!

My Cafepress shop features 60+ purebred dog breeds:
http://www.cafepress.com/chezzydesigns

My Redbubble (Australia) range – has quality blank greeting cards and prints:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/chezzydesigns

To see a range of dog breeds, dog action shots, elegant dog head studies, fun doggy candids and samples of my published work, please be sure visit my online photo galleries  http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr

IMPORTANT UPDATE

What a wonderful compliment to be nominated and then named Best Dog Photographer in the MDBA Dog Owners Choice Awards. These were announced during 2008 and I received a lovely plaque and certificate!

Due to my various projects and desire to free up weekends for me and “family time” I am stepping back from dog shows. I will still visit occasionally, to catch up with friends, do some casual shots or requests. I just won’t be able to make big time commitments in advance or do formal event coverage at this time. Private shoots still an option!

For enquiries re my photography, designs, products, publisher enquiries or private photo sessions

please email: chezzyr@yahoo.com

                                                                                                    ~ Cheryl Ridge

MDBA Best Dog Photographer

Credits and Awards

A summary of my published work (not in chronological order)

To see scans/samples of my published work, please visit:
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/published

AWARDS/COMPETITIONS

- Master Dog Breeders and Associates “Dog Owners Choice Awards”
  Best Dog Photographer – Cheryl Ridge/chezzy designs  (2007).

- APS (Australian Photographic Society) approved exhibitions -
  Various acceptances in digital and print categories.

- Wins/places is various photo comps in magazines or online.

- Kodak “My Country” wall calendar competition – finalist and one of the calendar pages with a Melbourne hot air balloon image I took.

BOOKS

- Horse by Kelly Klein, Rizzoli New York – 1 image supplied http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/image/115051280 

- Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 13 – images supplied

- Collie Handbook (International and Australian) – ad designs/images

- The History of Boxers in Victoria – cover image

- The Ultimate History of the Corvette  – 1 image supplied

- The Arabian Horse in Australia – several images supplied

CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION

- bird images used in 2 presentations given by Holly Parsons at Birds Australia Discovery Centre and at an Ecological Society of Australia Annual Conference.

- bird images used in presentations given by Anastasia Dalziell to Australian National University and the Canberra Ornithologists Club.

MAGAZINES

- The Pet Directory – 2 page article/interview with images
   http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/image/79467734

- National Dog magazine – cover image, montages, ad designs/images

- VicDog magazine – cover images, ad designs/images, editorial images

- Puppies and Dogs Annual – cereal toy dogs article and images

- Horsepower magazine -  two articles/photos about model horses

- Horse Hub magazine – Equitana Asia Pacific photographic montage

- Arabian Horse Express – Equitana Asia Pacific images

- Fineprint magazine – Equitana Asia Pacific images

- Arabian Horse News – model horse article/various images

- The Australian Arabian Horse Yearbook – images supplied

- Arabian Studs and Stallions – images supplied

- Australian Photography – article and photos  “Ignoratia Photographica”

- Australian Camera  – content opener  image “Reflections in Venice” 

 OTHER PUBLICATIONS

- misc desktop publishing projects including logo design, basic website design,
  cd cover and insert booklet design, magazine/newsletter ads, calendars

- Nature Vet “Joint Guard” marketing material/brochures/flyer/poster -
  ‘flying dog’ image (Rosie)

- RTA brochure F3 Freeway to Branxton link project – 1 image supplied

- Victorian Canine Association/Royal Canin calendar 2007 (July page)

- Dogzonline website – numerous dog profile images supplied

- Tommy Turvey’s “Equine Extremist” website – some images supplied

- Ad layout, photography and event coverage for dog breeders and clubs – catalogues, magazines, breed club newsletters, books, diaries and websites

- Hobby publications (model horses, toys, teddy bears) – cover designs, ad  layouts, articles, artwork

- ABC Cards – images and artwork supplied for greeting cards, gift wrap

- Royal Melbourne Show (Showguide) – cover image, various inside images
 

To see scans/samples of my published work, please visit:
http://www.pbase.com/chezzyr/published