Veterans Instameet #34

/
0 Comments

 



Get your asses out of bed and come and join us for a sunrise shoot on the southern end of the Gold Coast for one last sneaky Veterans Instameet for 2022. 

This Veterans Instameet will be held on Friday 23rd December 2022.

We will be meeting in the carpark at Snapper Rocks at 0430 (QLD time) or 0530 (NSW time) from there we'll venture around and see what we can capture. 

There is no formality of this one, no need to register for the event, just give me a heads up via Facebook or Insagram and feel free to bring friends along. 

Once we feel we're done, we'll go grab brekkie together.

I'd love to see more Gold Coast based veterans, the families and supporters out together.

Any questions let me know!

Mathew Bell - 0409 241 419








 Who is the Veterans Instameet?
We are a veterans photography group called the Veterans Instameet. Initially set up in 2014 by myself, Mathew Bell and a ex-engineer, Warrick Eady. We had both just come back from service in Afghanistan and found common ground through photography. After discharge we both felt completely disconnected from the defence community and found there was no photography outlets or groups veteran based.  We felt that having this shared interest, we could get other like minded veterans together with photography as the basis and have fun and keep the connections to members post discharge. We soon expanded the group to include families of defence members and then the emergency services. We we
lcomed Andrew Judson on as one of the event coordinators, with his 10 years in defence, a background in personal training and budding outdoorsman.

We have since run 33 events in and around Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast.

We are comprised of former ADF members, current serving members, children of veterans, the emergency services, SES and a number of non serving civilians who support us and what we've been through.

As most of the events are outdoors, there is always a physical element. Most events require a walk from the carpark to the area of interest or a more 
strenuous trek. The majority of events are mobile, meaning we're constantly on the move while shooting. The important aspect to us is the psychological well being that comes from a day. The aim is for everyone to have fun and make connections to other people with shared backgrounds. Photography is in the background most of the time, we have the aim for everyone to chat, laugh and shoot photos. 

Each event carries risk and by registering and attending the event, each participant agrees to take responsibility for their own safety. Safety is everyone's responsibility and if in doubt, or if anyone feels unsafe it is the individual’s responsibility to sit out the event or highlight it to the other members.  Each participant assumes all risk associated with any activity whilst with the Veterans Instameet. Each participant assumes full responsibility for themselves, their choices, their actions and their equipment. 

Read More »

Veterans Instameet #33

/
0 Comments

 



This Veterans Instameet is going to see us hit the road and spend the day in Canberra!
We are heading south to see two key exhibitions, Point & Shoot & ScaleACT-22 on Sunday 6th November 2022.


 Our plan meet at 10:00am to see the Point & Shoot Exhibition, a collection of photographs and accompanying stories from Australian veterans. Covering service from WW2 onwards, Point & Shoot commemorates a range of modern conflicts, peace operations and service.  The exhibit features 60 veterans images taken within Australia or on overseas operations, including that of our own MRyan Photography.


At around 12:30pm we will head over to ScaleACT-22. An exhibition of works from the scale modelling community, the show will have a variety of scale models, ranging from military to fantasy. Our very own Juddo will have a stall and pieces on display. This will be a great insight for us all into Juddo's other passion away from photography, scale modelling.


From there we will grab lunch. The team at Saltwater Veterans is getting on-board as part of the 2022 Veterans Health week. For DVA Veterans Health Week Saltwater Veterans are kick-starting healthier alternatives for food on the go, sailing away from the norm of high sugar, fatty type foods & alcohol. What's the catch you ask? You have to eat healthy! No hot chippies, coke and a Mars bar this Veterans Instameet. We're not asking you to give up ya snitty, just swap out your chips for a salad and switch your coke for a water! They are challenging us to eat better during our next Veterans Instameet and they'll throw some merch your way!





LOCATIONS  - 

The Point & Shoot Exhibition is located at:
34 Geelong St, Fyshwick, Canberra ACT
There is plenty of street parking along the road.




Lunch will be confirmed closer to the date once we have more set numbers of attendees. 



 ScaleACT-22
 is located at:
University of Canberra High School Kaleen
140 Baldwin Drive, Kaleen, ACT
There is some parking within the school but there is also street parking along Birie Place behind the school
.










Read More »

Veterans Instameet #32

/
0 Comments



Come and join the Veterans Instameet crew on Thursday 2nd June 2022 in Circular Quay to shoot Vivid! After two years of cancellations, the light show is finally back!

We will be meeting at 6pm outside the Museum of Contemporary Art on the lawn. From there we will walk my favorite route to capture the Opera House and city.

Come for a few hours or all night, the choice is yours! Comfortable shoes and warm clothes are a must!

Register via the link below and let me know if you have any questions?

Mat - 0409 241 419
Juddo - 0425 244 597





Location:

Meet here at 6pm


Read More »

Veterans Instameet #31

/
0 Comments

 




This Veterans Instameet is going to be EPIC!
We are off to one of our most remote locations yet, Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains.

The route from the carpark follows the Burramoko Ridge Trail, a 6km unsealed track. It is a 1.5 hour walk or a 45 minute bike ride. We are looking to have both options open to participants. 
Juddo will lead the team hiking in, while Mat will lead the mounted group.

 Our plan meet at the carpark for a 2:30pm step off. We will make our way with the aim of arriving at the cliffs around 4pm, giving us time to recover from the trek before shooting the sunset then into astro, for those that wish to stay into the night.

We are looking at over night options close by, let me know if you are interested in staying, numbers will be limited so it's a first in best dressed situation.

If you're not interested in staying for the astro or over night, be sure to bring a torch for the walk back. The track is safe, it is about 6 feet wide and only has a few hills, nothing major.

Be sure to pack warm gear, plenty of water, snacks and sturdy footwear. 





LOCATION  - 

Getting to the carpark is easy via car. If you put "Hanging Rock, Blue Mountains" into your GPS you will get as far as the gate where the cars will be parked. Once you leave the Great Western Highway and turn right onto Ridgewell Road, the road becomes unsealed and has a few pot holes, take your time travelling the 750m until you reach the closed gate, this is where we will meet at 2:15pm.




SPONSORS - 

We are very grateful for both On Track Meals and Survival First Aid for coming on board as our sponsors for this Veterans Instameet. On Track Meals will be feeding us and Survival First Aid will be donating a medical kit to keep us equipped for any emergencies! 





Let us know if you have any questions?

Mat - 0409 241 419

Juddo - 0425 244 597

Read More »

Veterans Instameet #30

/
0 Comments

Grab the kids, grab your partner and pack the car for an afternoon with the family and the Veterans Instameet crew.


On Sunday 20th February 2022 we will meet at 1:30pm at the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre. We will need to pay entry into the park, so bring some money, water and comfortable shoes as we'll do some walking out to the waterfalls.

Our aim is to do our usual Instameet style shoot but incorporate some family photos along the way.



Numbers are limited, so it's a case of first in best dressed with the registrations





If you need anything on the day or are running late give me a call:

0409 241 419


The Address is:

345 Minnamurra Falls Road, Jamberoo, NSW, 2533






Read More »