The life of Alan and Joan – a reportage with the Fuji X10

A few years ago, Alan and Joan spent a few days in our apartment in Paris. We promessed we would visit them whenever we would be in Australia. So after a ride through hilly landscapes, we finally stopped our campervan in Strathbogie, Victoria. Here is therefore a small reportage on their life in a small Australian rural town.

After a long life of hard work, Alan and Joan retired in the little town of Strathbogie. Town seems almost an exageration since about 100 settlers live there and kilometers separate each neighbour. As for retirement, it is probably just an official word, since Alan and Joan are still relentless workers. Their farm is bigger than a Swiss town and lamb wander aimelessly through the paddocks always in search of greener grass. A morning walk around the property take no less than 2 hours, and I found myself scrutinizing the top of the hills, expecting little Laura Ingalls to run down the slopesĀ  covered with flowers.

Life goes by slow in Strathbogie, and there aren’t that many activities. But everybody knows each other, and everybody seems to belong to the church’s choir. Coffes, tees, cakes rythm the peaceful day and when dinner times has come, a delicious lamb appears on the table. Luckily, it is not one of the little lamb we saw running all day, sheep here produce wool, not meat. Most of them at least. The shed built by Alan will have to wait patiently for the next season and we won’t witness how sheep turns naked in three minutes. In these times, I am sure that it would love the heating blanket that tops our beds, and will send us into the deepest sleep

Thank you Alan and Joan for two wonderful days !

All pictures taken with the Fuji X10, using all viewing methods (LCD, internal and external viewfinder) the full zoom range and ISO’s up to 1600. Pictures processed in Lightroom.

Fuji X10 at 35mm, F7.1, 1/1100, ISO100

Fuji X10 at 100mm, at F5.0, 1/220, ISO100

Fuji X10 at 28mm, at F3.2, 1/30, ISO1600

Fuji X10 at 28mm, at F2.8, 1/30, ISO640

Fuji X10 at 80mm, at F4.0, 1/60, ISO160

Fuji X10 at 45mm, at F7.1, 1/1600, ISO100

Fuji X10 at 80mm, at F5.6, 1/320, ISO100


Fuji X10 at 28mm, at F2.8, 1/30, ISO500


Fuji X10 at 50mm, at F11, 1/10, ISO1600

Fuji X10 at 112mm, at F2.8, 1/4000, ISO100

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