Articles Tagged with: queensland floods
Home / Blog Archives
Apr
13
Rebuilding after the 2011 Queensland Floods, Sal & Pat’s photos are now safe

Time is moving on since the Queensland Floods of 2011. The last 15 months or so has seen many homes rebuilt, people are moving back into their homes and resuming their lives. Sadly, some people are still battling insurance companies and red tape to rebuild and recover. Just as in previous floods, the emotional scars will be deep and be long lasting.

Was there a silver lining from the Brisbane flood of 2011? The “Mud Army” that mobilised and helped clean up our city was awe inspiring. I remember there was much discussion in the press and radio about the spirit of Brisbane people, especially the young. Like many others, our family got involved and helped as much as we could, seeing my son shovel mud till he was exhausted will remain a permanent memory for me.

Being surrounded by the mud, the stench and a families destroyed possessions and memories was heartbreaking. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be the home owner, the family, the loved one whose normal life was turned upside down and covered in mud. I can’t imagine the resilience needed to battle continuously for the most basic needs, to fight to have claims paid, to have the energy to rebuild.

One of the things I did to help out was to rescue precious photos from the mud. It was ironic really, Sal and Pat had a band of helpers cleaning up their house. Along with other random volunteers, an accountant was helping Sal sort wet financial documents, a food writer was co-ordinating feeding all the workers and me a photographer was salvaging precious photos. I found some clothes line, pegs and big buckets and set up a print washing and drying process.

You can never underestimate the value of photos, they are our memories and our history. Sal commented on our blog recently…

Hi John,

These images are so amazing…even a year and a half after the flood I am so choked up with emotion. The people that helped us that we knew and now looking at your pics again – the many that we didn’t. My photos are high and dry now – 10 meters above ground level and I love flicking through them regularly. As we have moved so much over the last year they have sat constantly beside my bed.
Thank you from us for preserving our past. sal

Sal and Pat, it’s great news that things are moving forward for you now as you rebuild, I am so happy I was able to help save the photos I could for you. All the very best to you both. John.

May
11
Mini Profile: 30 Seconds with “JR” (aka Brisbane Wedding Photographer John Reyment)

Meet John Reyment, founder and owner of Reyment Photographics. This mini profile means just 30 seconds to answer…

Favourite Food:

Italian.

Favourite travel destination:

France, I lived there with my family throughout 2009.

Camera you use?

Canon, have done so for more than 20 years, 5D MK2, and a heavy bag of L series lenses.

Silliest moment?

Falling off a Segway in Dijon, it wasn’t my fault, really!

What’s important to you?

Family, my wife and son are so precious to me.

Why are you a photographer?

Love telling stories with pictures, documenting people’s history.

Favourite sport?

V8 Supercars, I’m a Holden man, fingers crossed for Mark Webber this year too!

Want do you want to do more of in 2011?

Cook more, I am experimenting a lot more than I used to, am no longer afraid to have a go, my family are enjoying what I cook as well!

What is going on in the photo above?

The Queensland Floods hit Brisbane almost as bad as the infamous 74 flood. We were helping friends clean up their house in Fairfield, mud was everywhere. Some photo albums including the wedding album were found wet and covered in mud, I volunteered to clean them up. I strung up a line and with pegs that I found, we had a little photo lab going on, other volunteers would stop and look at the photos drying, I think it gave hope to everyone that all was not lost.

This year, I was judged 2011 Epson AIPP Queensland Runner Up Photographic Artist of the Year, my entry was based on the work I did to rescue photos form the mud.

Thanks John, our 30 seconds is up… have a great day!

No worries.

Apr
14
It’s AIPP Queensland photography award time & we won multiple awards!

The photographic talents of Queensland photographers was judged at the 2011 Epson AIPP Queensland Professional Photography Awards.

Judging was intense, entries a record number, winners were grinners, everyone was inspired. Entering photography awards where your work is judged by a panel of 5 top photographers is not for the faint hearted.

This year, I entered the Photographic Art category and am now the 2011 Epson AIPP Queensland Runner Up Photographic Artist of the Year. My entry was based on photo rescue work I did to help good friends during the Queensland floods. My entry was 3D, it included mud, gum boots, water buckets, a clothes line, pegs, four photos and the sound of gernying walls. I wanted the judges to experience with multiple senses what it was like cleaning up after the flood. The use of sound was a first for this category.

(A gallery of images showing clean up work and rescuing photos from the Queensland flood can be seen here on my blog.)

I also entered Wedding Album of the Year and received a Silver with Distinction Award for our album. This album has been a labour of love for us at the studio and our manufacturer: the album is now on display at the studio, it introduces a unique new concept for wedding albums.

I also received three silver awards for individual print entries.

All in all, what a fabulous weekend. Congratulations to all other award winners, best of luck to everyone for the Canon APPA’s.

all images © 2018 Reyment Photographics