Photographing action and Celebrating International Women's Day

 Hi everyone, I hope you and yours are going well. 

Yesterday, 8 March was International Women's Day. And whilst I didn't do anything specifically to celebrate yesterday, I decided to share a few photos of women I have taken over the last month at some events where I was taking photos. 

The first was on the 16th February where I, and other members of the Photography Group of Bunbury were asked by the Bunbury Triathlon Club to take photos at the Bunbury City Classic Triathlon. We have done this for the last few years. It was a hot morning, and I was lucky to get myself a spot under the shade of Norfolk Pines on the road into Bunbury. 

Competitors were young, old, the very fit and the newbies. All having a go. 

I took all my photos on sports mode on my camera. I really need to practise panning. Sports mode seemed to freeze the action - which was good - but also the background - which I really wanted blurred.  However my panning shots were all blur. Definitely a skill to practise. 

The next event was 22 February where I again went down with the Photography Group of Bunbury to photograph the South West Multicultural Festival in Bunbury. This is a wonderful yearly event of music, dance, food, and culture. I have been going to this festival for a number of years. I have even danced there in the past with Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company. Unfortunately they didn't dance there this year. The first time ever I think. 

South West Multicultural night under the stars 2016

I really enjoyed the Roztiazhka Ukranian Cossak Dancers with their vibrancy and smiles, and the Narthanalaya School of Indian Classical Dance was elegant. The Taiko On Japanese Drumming were fantastic. This lady you see below here was amazing. 

Unfortunately none of my photos of the Ngaru Pou Maori Haka and Cultural Dance Group turned out, but this young group, who are on their way to a competition in the Pacific were fantastic. It was evening by then and I needed to use a different setting for low light on my camera. I will try to remember next time to boost the ISO. 

On Saturday afternoon 8 March my husband and I were on-water-control-safety boat at the Forza Dragon Boat Club annual match-racing twilight regatta in Bunbury. Our family has been involved with dragon boat racing in Bunbury since in the first regatta in 1990 and our two sons still compete.  Being in a boat on the water put in in an ideal place to take photos. Below here you can see some of the women's racing - 20 paddlers plus a drummer on front and a sweep at the back steering the boat. The pink team you see is Amazons Dragons Abreast Perth - part of an Australian and international organisation for women who have had breast cancer and their survivors. Truly Amazon women. 

Forza Dragon Boat regatta 2022

International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission

There have been many biographies and books written about remarkable women. I would also like to recommend a couple I have read in the last 12 months of so. 

The Librarians of Rue de Picardie - by Janet Skeslien Charles - based on the true story of the CARDS (American Committee for Devastated France), and in particular Jessie (Kit) Carson (1876-1959), who came from the New York Public Library to Blerancourt in war torn France in 1918, to help rebuild devastated French communities just miles from the front lines. Jessie turns ambulances into bookmobiles to reach isolated villages and trains the first French female librarians and revolutionisers French libraries by welcoming in women and children, not just scholars. The story also tells of the aspiring writer Wendy Peterson in 1987 who becomes consumed researching Jessie and the CARDS.   www.jskesliencharles-behind the book and American Libraries Magazine - Remembering the American Librarians of post WW1 France. 

Also published as - Miss Morgan's Book Brigade. 

• The Art of Breaking Ice - by Rachael Mead -  This fictional novel is based around the true story of the Antartic adventure of Nel Law - artist and wife of Antartic expedition leader Phillip Law, Rachel pulls together what little is known at Nel Law to write this fictional account of Nel's trip to Antartica - the first Australian woman to set foot on Antartica in an age when the lives of wives were defined by their husbands. Mead says she was inspired by Nel Law’s courage in defying expectations and gender stereotypes, and the constant scrutiny of the men.  Some characters were created - ie Dr Harris McCallum who commissioned her to draw penguins for his research paper.    wikipedia.org/wiki/Nel_Law 

Thank you so much for stopping by. Did you do anything for International Women's Day? Here are four previous posts you might enjoy  - 

International Womens Day 2018 - Identity and Transition

Celebrating International Women's Day and Ageing with Attitude - The Granny Grommets, Albany Western Australia  - 2016

International Womens Day 2017

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
   

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Travel Tuesday

Talking About It Tuesdays @ Slices of Life

ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

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