Let’s do lunch?

Brought to you by Olympus.

*Winners announced at bottom of this post*

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I wrote a little post last week about falling in love with photography again. I fell hard.

If you know me, online or off, you know I’m into photography. I think the whole Photo A Day thing gives it away. I take photos with my iPhone everyday. I’m into Apps, and taking quick and easy snaps of anything and everything. But shooting with your phone is very different to shooting with a proper camera. I didn’t realise until last week when I started playing around again.

I was given the Olympus OM-D E-M10 camera to play with for a little bit. {You’ll love it’s old school look, I shared a pic here}. With anything technology-like I get overwhelmed and don’t tackle it very well. I drive Hubby insane with it. I had a new laptop ready to use and it took me 5 months to even start the thing up. I had the camera for a couple of weeks and didn’t touch it for the same reason too. But on Easter Sunday I took it out with me to the beach and had a play, and then I pretty much just took photos of everything for a whole day. I meant it when I said I fell hard.

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I got that fire in my belly. Those butterflies of excitement that you get when you’re doing something that your soul loves. I get it when I’m creating, be it writing a beautiful story, creating an artwork, dreaming up something amazing, and exploring photography.

With photography it’s about chasing the perfect light. It’s the magical softness that you comes in the early morning or just before the sun sets. These were taken inside just before the sun was setting.

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So, I know this is a sponsored post, but don’t tell the team, after trying this camera I would have raved about it to you all anyway. I’m in love with it. Why? It’s easy to carry around {not as bulky as my other DSLR and only slightly bigger than my iPhone}, it’s really easy to use {you can change the settings depending on how clever you are – I’m self-taught so I do half manual/half automatic. You can also use the screen to shoot your subject – just tap your subject to focus on it and snap the photo}, and it has lots of other clever functions that I haven’t even mastered yet. It has a Wi-Fi feature so you can send your photos to your smartphone and upload to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc. It can also do video and it has filters to add over your photos too. SO. MUCH. STUFF. {Also, for those wondering I used the 45mm f1.8 lens on my photos}.

I’m pretty much not giving the camera back. Olympus people, are you reading this? You might have to send security up to pry it from my eager little hands. Just kidding. Don’t send the big guys. I’ll give it back. Eventually.

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♥ ♥ ♥

Photography is one of the things that gets that fire in my belly. That excitement that just won’t quit, and I kinda don’t want it to either. The lovely people at Olympus are hosting a lunch for myself and 10 of you readers so that we can talk photography, eat yummy food {a 3 course meal at Otto Ristorante in Woolloomooloo from noon to 3pm} and basically have a delicious little gas-bag {chat}. So if you’re in Sydney {or able to get there}, and available for a little lunching on May 26th – leave a comment and let me know below – tell me what puts that fire in your belly. If you don’t know what gets that fire in your belly, that’s OK too. Tell me about why you’d like to discover that feeling.

{boring bits}
One entry per person
All transport to and from the event will be covered by each winning reader
Reader must be available on Monday May 26th for lunch
Entries close 8th May 11:59pm

If you’re having trouble leaving a comment {because Disqus is playing up} please just email your entry to me: fatmumslim@bigpond.com

Thank you so much for so many AWESOME entries. There were lots via email as well. It was so hard to select! The ladies who’ll be lunching are:

Jackie B
Joanne B
Lisa Jane H
Tessa W
Leanne A
Lara F
Kylie P
Carina
Trish G
Samantha C

Looking forward to meeting everyone! If anyone can’t make it – I’ll select another person ASAP.

78 thoughts on “Let’s do lunch?”

  1. Photography and light put fire in my belly! I love to capture light and the Olympus sounds so cool

  2. Capturing the unnoticed details puts fire in my belly! I love photography and spend a great majority of my time with camera in hand! Lunch on the 26th sounds like fun!

  3. Love to photograph nature then turn the photos into art work. Books, placemats or other stuff. Xx

  4. Since having my second baby 14 months ago I’ve become an avid babywearer – to start with out of convenience, I needed my hands free to chase my toddler, but it has since developed into quite a passion for all things babywearing! I get that fire in my belly by being an active part of the babywearing community in Sydney and providing advice and info to help other mums learn about the joys of keeping your baby close. I also love photography, babywearing is a community full of babywearing selfies, and I’m always trying to find the perfect light to get true to life colours in photographs of beautiful wraps!

  5. I find myself taking photos of my tiny little babies at random moments, often. They amaze me and I love to capture their pure innocence and love in thier eyes. It just makes me really happy.
    I’m not a photographer but I love photos and I love to document all things to do with my family. I will look back at all those memories that have been captured and treasure them forever.

  6. What puts fire in my belly is photography as well, every aspect if it! Even though I’m not a great photographer I enjoy trying to take a great photo and the way it makes me look at the world in a more creative way. I also love looking at photos, other peoples and my own. Looking at other peoples gives me inspiration and ideas to take better photos myself and looking at my own takes me back to the memories of that time and I love reminiscing.

  7. Running puts fire in my belly. I was never a runner. I couldn’t even run for a bus a few years ago. It’s something I only got into in my late thirties, and although I’m not great at it, I love it! I never get bored of it. Going for a run turns some glowing embers into a roaring fire in my belly and I just can’t get enough. I love big runs, little runs, running in sunshine, running in the rain and running morning, noon and night. It makes me feel so alive! Would love nothing more than to have lunch with you Sydney side, or failing that, why don’t you pop over after lunch for a cuppa and a slice of cake?

  8. I’m with you Chantelle. When it’s just me and my camera I get lost in time. What a wonderful way to spend a day – talking cameras and photography.

  9. Coffee is my passion & having a customer tell me the coffee I have just made them is the best they have drunk in eons is what puts the fire in my belly….From the liquid gold of a perfect extracted shot to the silky smooth milk it’s topped with…Pure love.

    • Wow! I bet you make the best coffee.
      I love a nice coffee, but the prospect of bad coffee scares me off. I do maintain that the best coffee is made not just with skill, but with love.

      • Thank you, According to my customers I do. It can be so hit & miss I too get scared when drinking coffee:-D en I’m away from home. After getting positive feedback from customers I often tell them it tastes so good because it’s full of love…lol. I have a saying that when I grow up all I want to be is a mother, a lover & a barista. Simple as that. 😀

  10. Writing and acting get that fire in my belly. There’s actually nothing else. Even though I blog for a living most of my time is spent promoting posts, doing social media stuff, liasing with brands. My dream day is getting all that stuff out of the way, spending the morning writing blog posts and spending the afternoon/evening with my best mate writing and then performing in a show for our theatre company.

  11. Oh my I would LOVE to join you. I have recently just got a new camera too (a DSLR – sorry Olympus) but I just can’t stop taking pictures of EVERYTHING!! Some of them are just so beautiful (especially after using just an iphone) that I can’t believe I took them. I think I might be starting to drive my kids a bit mad though. xxx

  12. Wow what a clever-sounding camera! I know nothing about cameras, but take heaps of iPhone photos. Having just started a blog I’m thinking I might need to do a bit better photography-wise. You have helped make that a bit less daunting so thank you!

    A bit out of left field, but today the fire is in my belly from the prospect of teaching ethics at my daughter’s school. I’m hoping to be selected as a volunteer teacher to help get this new subject off the ground and, after reading the curriculum yesterday and discovering its incredible awesomeness, I am absolutely pumped about it and keeping everything crossed that they pick me.

  13. I read this and it’s sounded wonderful….both the camera and the luncheon opportunity. The Olympus camera sounds amazing and my three eldest daughters have a real passion for photography at the moment (you can check out some of their latest photos on their new blog at sistersunited.com.au if you like!) so I would absolutely love to learn more about the camera…and the ease of transferring photos sounds perfect for someone like me who is always losing the USB cable!!!!
    The luncheon..OMG too good to be true! Whilst it sounds absolutely amazing all my crazy doubts would probably stop me from attending…like how I probably wouldn’t like the food being such a fussy eater and I’d have to move it all around to look like I ate more than I did, then of course I have nothing to wear that is suitable for an outing with real adults coz deep down I know that leggings aren’t pants, and I think I’ve lost all of my ability to communicate with intelligent people…haha and that’s just the start of it…!!
    I hope whomever gets to go has a wonderful time!!!!

  14. Buggar! I work Mondays otherwise I’d be putting in an entry, I couldn’t think of anything better than a lunch revolving around a photography discussion! And I would love to have a look at that camera. I am impressed! Glad to see you finding your love of photography again. Now you have two beautiful subjects to place your lens on! xx

  15. Stunning photos Telle. I like the idea of it having wifi to send them to your phone. That’s really cool. I’m always transferring bundles of photos from the camera to the laptop to the editor to dropbox to my phone. Loooong process. 😉

  16. I’d love to do lunch with you!

    What beautiful light you got in those photos! And Miss L too.

    The camera sounds awesome!

  17. I would love to join you and others for lunch. I have always loved taking photos and looking at photos. Finishing a film in the old days, and waiting with anticipation put fire in my belly. I still get photos printed and love seeing them and holding them in my hands. FMS PAD has added to the fire and love I have for photography. I have grown so much as a photographer and loved when I found the super macro function on my Olympus SP-600UZ!. Unfortunately the screen got a couple of back spots which turned into black blobs. It still took great photos but I decided to upgrade to an Olympus SP-620UZ

  18. …bugger… hadn.t finished my comment… (still only one entry 😉 ) I live in western Sydney and have organised a few get togethers with the “FMS PAD” girls and have loved meeting new friends so thank you Chantelle. I.m so glad this wasn.t a ’25 words or less’ competition! 😉

  19. I’d love to join you. Your photo a day inspires me no end.
    I get really excited when I discover I’ve captured a beautiful photographic moment of one of my toddlers when I thought I’d missed it!

  20. Photography puts that fire in my belly too!! I love that I can share my view of the world with others, I can capture what I see and how I see it, which is generally a quirky and ‘out of the box’ view of everything!! I’m very quiet and introverted…a thinker.., but using photography to tell a story is so much fun, it allows me to have a big voice and impact without challenging my comfort zones too much!! xox

  21. I’ve just started my own freelancing business – last week I sent out a story (accompanied by a photo I had taken) to my local newspaper and they printed it and used my photo. When I saw it published was like YEAH! FIST PUMP! Seeing something in print that I really worked hard for – total fire in my belly 🙂 I love to take photos too and like you I love that moment when the light is just so right it almost feels like a secret – like it’s there just for you and your camera.

  22. Creating things!
    Might be beautiful photographs, vignettes around the house, redecorating my daughter’s bedroom, making Christmas craft, a cross stitch cushion. Making invitations, decorations, and all the bits and pieces for my daughter’s birthday party each year makes me happy for weeks! (Yes, I let her help too.)
    I go from project to project, but I love making beautiful things. Especially if other people can enjoy them too, like a soft doll for a new baby or a first birthday.
    All that definitely puts a fire in my belly!

  23. I love photography. Always have. My Grandfather gave me my first camera when I was 8, haven’t let go of it since. I have a mini collection of cameras at home too. I must say though, since the iPhone came about, I haven’t really played with my camera’s too much, which make me sad. I have days where I go out just to take photos, I end up and places I have never been and just click – which I tend to get the best shots from – hundreds of them! I tend to get a little snap happy 🙂

  24. You know this is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately, I’ve been feeling a little lost and need to find something that excites me, photography is definately one of those things, I love taking photos of my kids , especially my cheeky 1.5 year old. I wish I could find something else that I love to do but at the moment my crazy busy life doesn’t leave much time for me…… Do love you pics of luella how fast is she growing!!!

  25. I recently got back on a horse after a 20 year hiatus,the feeling of exquisite freedom reignited an old flame buried deep within my responsible mothering soul.

  26. Just like yourself, I get the fire in my belly when I take a great shot. I was at the beach the other day and snapped some amazing shots with my iPhone. I couldn’t believe how perfect they were. I’d love to lunch with you 😉

  27. Recently I’ve started crafting gift tags, mini bunting, occasion cards, pretty much anything gift wrapping related. Firstly it started one day when I was really bored at being home all the time (on maternity leave) and once I started I loved it. When I think of something new to create I get excited and that feeling of fire in my belly to want to keep creating. I love it!

  28. Crafting normally excites me, but at the moment it is bike riding. This year I decided I needed to lose some weight so have take up bike riding, I love getting out and going for a ride. When I don’t get to do it for a while I really miss it.

  29. Challenges excite me, competition gives me a fire in my belly, not to beat anyone else but my own fear and doubt that I can achieve what I am trying to achieve. Conversations with like minded people are often a driving force so I would love to chat photography with you. I am pretty sure it would make me pull out my SLR a bit more on the weekend.. do I get to meet your other lover too? I need to see this Olympus Guy.. he sounds too good to be true!

  30. When you have a young family it can be hard to find fire in your belly so for years I didn’t really have one. I got lost in my family somewhere.

    Now my wonderful daughter is 21 and I’m still young (41) so I’m discovering heaps of sparks everywhere. They don’t always stick (some are try before you buy sparks) but that’s what life is all about, right? Experiences.

    Right now this is my fire: I’ve booked a flight to Italy and I’m going to photograph and blog (and eat) my way through my first solo international holiday as a grown up independent woman. One month, me, Italy and my camera. I’m very excited 🙂

  31. Oh definitely photography! But if anything food! I love creating meals for people. Give me some ingredients and a kitchen and I am in my element. What I love best is seeing people enjoy my food. It makes all the time and effort so worth it.

  32. Capturing the moments that I just want to last forever with my camera or my phone, much like yourself this is the hobby that I have discovered to be a true reflection of me!

    At the moment I am creating a new blog/passion project – connecting with others who share my passion for kindness and making a difference – THIS really lights me up and I feel it deep in my belly as I create a new space for this 🙂

    Otto is a very special place, what a beautiful idea for a lunch shared with like minded people from within your lovely community xx

  33. Blogging puts a fire in my belly. I gave it up because of health / family but am just at a point that I think I could take it back up again. Meeting one of my blogging idols would definitely be great inspiration! 😉

  34. I wanna have lunch with you ! That would put FIMB especially with a beautiful lunch. How decadent? Lunch , photography, playing hookey and you?

  35. I would love to join you for lunch! I’m already in Sydney…

    Creative outlets – such as photography, writing, creating, puts fire in my belly, and so does knowing I am helping/supporting people be their very best. I love connecting people, and knowing I have somehow help in someway to make a better world – that is what inspires me and drives me and influences my creativity deeply.

  36. What really puts a fire in my belly is baking. Cakes, muffins, cupcakes, I love it all! And I am loving trying to expand my decorating skills, hoping one day I can be really good at it 🙂 I love taking photos, but I feel like I’m not as good at it as I wish I was!
    I would love the chance to meet you, I love all your posts/ photos etc. I can honestly say I’ve gotten lost in your blog for an hour or few on more than one occasion 😛

  37. Photographing beauty puts fire in my belly. Since my partner and I got the Olympus Pen (we bought one to share and then found the arguments ensued so now each have one) we often go on day trips taking snaps of gorgeous things. We live in Newtown so often get captivated by the street art and vibrant culture of King st, though I do equally love going into nature and capturing Mother Nature’s handy work. We keep a record of what we do and see at http://www.lambnco.com – a recent trip to a sculpture garden in the UK is a favourite post

  38. It’s the little things in life that really are the big things… photography lets you capture those moments… throw in some awesome food and inspiring company, my kind of FIMB! I’d love to hang out and shoot the creative breeze with you and nine others.

  39. Would love to catch up for lunch (even tho I am one of the quiet…take everything in types lol). ATM Fire in my belly is hard…a working mum to three with the youngest being a super clingy, almost walking, 14 month old. The best I can do is….enjoy a good coffee, take some awesome pics (what really gets me going is…freeze-that-moment-so-I-never-forget-it-photography) and craft when I can 🙂

  40. Hey Telle. I wanna have lunch with you just cause we tried to organise it 6 years ago when Elliott and Lacey were bubs but it never happened! xx

  41. My dad is a photographer and uses Olympus, he loves it!

    I’d LOVE to do lunch with you, would be great to have a gas bag and leave my girl with her Granma for the arvo. As for the fire in my belly, well it’s many things… parenting, blogging, creating recipes, and helping others. They all give me that feeling you talked about <3

  42. What’s getting a fire in my belly atm is being excited about organising a trip later this year to Rwanda to work in a local school I’ve been involved with for 5 years. This will be my 5th trip and this year my photographer friend is coming to teach the kids photography! Last year an art teacher came and taught the kids how to draw and some of them had such natural talent it was amazing. She also showed a teacher how to mix colours, it was the first time anyone had showed her anything like that. It fires me up so much to be able to equip these people.

  43. I am passionate about food, writing, photography and design. I recently wrote and illustrated a recipe book, because I was afraid my food photos wouldn’t be good enough. I am absolutely dying to learn how to professionally take photos of the food I love to cook with a great camera. A ticket to this lunch would be a perfect place to start and I would be so grateful for the opportunity. I currently work in Sydney and have already cleared it with my boss (she suggested I enter). Many thanks, Carina

  44. I’ve just come back from Cambodia, and having seen how their tourism (restaurants, tours, markets and shows) is built into helping and rebuilding the country, I’m inspired to start doing the same to make this country (and the world) a better place. No more throwing my hands but and doing nothing. Change can be made by one person.

  45. I would love this opportunity to have lunch with you and 9 others! I have always been passionate about photography, and now I love capturing my kids everyday, whether it’s on my iPhone or my DSLR or even on my Olympus micro four thirds! I get inspired from your wonderful Word of the Day lists and find that in general, there’s so much to learn in photography! And it’s so much fun! My other passion is more recent and it’s cake decorating. I first got into this about 5 years ago, and it’s pretty addictive. Like photography, it’s very creative and I really enjoy creating these edible works of sugar art. Even though it’s long hours and lots of work (mainly late nights after the kids have gone to bed), what really gets me going is the excitement and joy the recipients show upon presentation of their delectable cakes. By the way, that white chocolate violet crumble cake from your sister’s wedding sounds absolutely amazing !

  46. Anything creative has always put a fire in my belly. I got my first camera at age 10 and have been obsessed ever since. But then life happened and I felt like I needed to put my passions aside and so I’ve spent 10 years working in the book industry (which is also a passion). The thing is, after 2 babies and achieving everything in my job that I had set out to do, I realised at the beginning of the year that what I really wanted to do was photography and graphic design. It’s what excites me, I live and breath it when I’m not working or looking after kids (and to be honest, I’m still doing it even then!) and I’ve taken a leap this year and decided to just go for it and see if I can do it, and make a go of design & photography. I’ve enrolled in a graphic design course at tafe and I hope to combine that with more photography and work for myself. It’s ridiculously scary but exhilarating at the same time but it’s so nice to feel like I’m finally starting my life again and ding something for me and something that I love. So that’s what gets the fire in my belly, photography and design, and pushing myself out of my comfort zone and making what I love work for me.

  47. A lovely lunch and time away from the kids – what bliss. I love taking photos – am a bit snap happy – have dilemnas in deleting photos and only printing out the better ones. I am totally in love with scrapbooking and showing off/displaying my photos over the year in albums. I go scrapbooking once a month for a day and my family is always at me when I get home to see what photos I have captured on the pages with them in it. I totally love sitting down with my kids and watching their faces light up when they see photos of themselves & the memories on the page – it is priceless in a way.

  48. Delicious little gas bags… these are what get a fire in my belly! A good conversation inspires me.. talking to my husband about our dreams for the future when all is quiet in our usually very noisy & boisterous abode (two little minions usually dominate the daytime air time!)… moments of silence when I have ME TIME & talk to myself about what makes ME happy & setting aside time to make sure I include one of these each and every day… meeting new people with different knowledge & perspectives which oftens ignites light bulb moments or new areas of interest. Dreaming, doing & feeling inspired.. the fire is lit! Would love to join you at Otto and meet like minded mummies for what we do best: chat, eat & share. Fingers crossed x

  49. Travel is what gets me all fired up and excited. I do my best to capture the fabulous places that I have been lucky enough to visit, however I definitely need some help in that department unfortunately.

  50. Whether it’s Reading her blog from fat mum slim.
    Or rereading my favourite magazine stories (australian country style, but I don’t know if I’m allowed to say that?) from long ago.
    These are a few of my favourite things…
    Unfortunately being a full time working mum, the fire in this belly only rises late at night on weekends to do this. Lol
    Not to mention the fact that I’ve been reading your blog for so long I feel like I know you, so lunch with “an old friend” and amazing food… What more could a girl want?

  51. I recently trialed a Canon EOS 1200D and would love the opportunity to trial a Olympus.
    As a struggling young family, it would be a godsend to win one. If I’m not lucky enough to win one, i’d appreciate the opportunity to trial different camera’s before spending our savings on one. Since using a DSLR it has relit the fire of passion i have for photography, and it is all i want to do, provided my 3 little models sit still long enough 😉
    Thank you so much for the opportunity to meet you as well!

  52. Right now – creativity is mine. I am loving the process of making things with my hands. I especially love taking photos, and when they turn out exactly as I envisioned them. It doesn’t always happen but when they do, there is just something magical that I can’t put into words!

  53. Oh Chantelle just catching up with all your news as I have been away in beautiful Bali – have to enter this competition – how fabulous would this be to talk about that fire of photography and blogging oh yes and of course celebrations and probably Bali as well as I am so obsessed with that place! Hope you are well xxx

  54. We have an OM-D also. I LOVE it! Totally agree with what you said – takes great DSLR quality photos, has those manual options, and isn’t too big!!

    Watching kids learn gets that fire in my belly. Particularly learning about food (where it comes from mostly) and cooking. Lior is 2 and I just love it so much when he goes and collects eggs with his daddy and brings them to me so we can cook up breakfast. 🙂

  55. Chantelle,
    Where did you get the little camera’s you had at your luncheon? Those look pretty cute

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