Kate Branch

Want a beautiful and spiritual trip for your family in Thailand. Well I am no expert, but am happy to share our amazing experience in Hua Hin.  Hua Hin (หัวหิน) is a seaside resort city in Thailand. It is popular with Thais, having become quite fashionable as a weekend getaway spot for Bangkok residents, as well with foreigners and as an ex-pat retirement or holiday home location.  Our Beautiful holiday in Hua Hin was inspiring. We are a family of four and love Thailand immensely. It has every thing you would like great food, family friendly fun, and beautiful spiritual adventures. The condo  we stayed in was amazing. Although Hua Hin is developing rapidly, there is a commitment by the local and provincial authorities to avoid the kind of overheated blight that has affected other beach resorts in Thailand. The tranquil fishing village was turned into a royal resort and consequently became pop...

This winter has bought some beautiful moody skies to Sydney which not only allows even light to fall on the model, but also allows for some cracker moodscapes. I had model Kristen Parlevliet come to Sydney from Melbourne and we created some great images. So first to the #moodscape! I was feeling sad as a creative project of mine had just finished due to the incorrect logistics forecasting (yes…not my strength, as a photographer). So I wanted to create an image that showed how I was feeling. This was a first for me as I usually would just create “beautiful images,” and not think through the mood I was in. However I was very aware of this and wanted to channel this sad feeling in my images. So this is the finished product: Kristen has the most AMAZING smile that makes anyone feel happy, just by being around it. So I also created some beautiful shots showing her great personality. I just waited until I was in a better mood ...

Stopping a creative project is very hard. You feel a sense of loss. I can only describe that in an image. This photo I created on Monday the same day I announced my creative project Chocumin was no longer. You can purchase a print at  Saatchi   Xx

Many years ago.....I look so serious! Wow. There has been quite allot of movement with my book "How to look good in photo's" Last month it hit the top 30 in lifestyle photography on Amazon. Glad to see you are all striking a pose! Here is a #flashback to my modelling days (long ago....before the I-phone!) Thanks Amazon for the amazing experience. I never thought I would write a book, but I had so many tips and tricks I wanted to share and how many workshops can a girl run! Xx

Okay lovelies, my artwork is being represented by  Saatchi Art.  I have a BA in Fine art from UNSW. This training fine tuned my creative skills. My fine art work has been exhibited at at TAP Gallery Darlinghurst, The Australian Affordable Art Fair, St Vincent's Private Hospital Darlinghurst, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Western Sydney. My photographic work remains in two permanent collections at two Sydney hotels, Cremorne Point Manor and Glenferrie Lodge Kirribilli. I am an avid traveller. I love capturing this amazing world we live in. Exhibitions 2015 A Sense of place, North Sydney Community Centre 2010 Art Sydney, East Sydney Australia 2010 Tap Gallery, East Sydney Australia 2010 City Fringe East Sydney NSW Australia 2009 Tap Gallery Sydney NSW Australia 2009 Sydney 09 Moore Park Sydney NSW Australia 2007 “Refreshed” Xavier Art Space Sydney Australia Selected Mixed Exhibitions 2007 UN affiliated Miss World Univ...

I was very lucky to stay at the beautiful Wolgan Valley. It is a resort located in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is centred on the Wolgan River and is located approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney. I also have reviwed where I stayed at Wolgan Valley if you are thinking of visiting  https://goo.gl/maps/9bmLGQa6odS2

Had a great time at the charity fundraiser for NSW Kids in Need in conjunction with the Royal Australian Navy . We went on an amazing tour of the HMAS Canberra. The HMAS Canberra is the lead ship of the Canberra-class landing helicopter dock in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It is the current flagship of the RAN fleet. Construction of the ship started in Spain in 2008, with the hull launched by Navantia in 2011. The hull was then transported to Australia in late 2012 for completion. It was an amazing experience and thank you to all the amazing women and men who protect our country

Thank you to all of our kickstarter supporters. Because of you a beautiful farmer Hoa Phan will be very happy. Because of you other Vietnamese people now have employment making chocolate that will ultimately make it to your letter box. We are doing everything we can to get our tasty curcumim chocolate to you as promised by May. My business partner Nhi comes from a family of restaurateurs and she is heading up the team. I have never tasted food so beautiful than when Nhi prepares it. Look out foodies- your about to have something special. I am pinching myself thinking I am so lucky to have a chocolate factory. Not only is it a childhood dream, but to be creative within a field you love in unexplainable. And to also know that you are supporting a community. A community I traveled to Vietnam to meet, eat, and laugh with. I cant describe the feeling. Love Kate Branch

My new project is to kickstart Chocumin and I am LOVING my work. What is Chocumin? Chocumin is superfood the food of your dreams. Or at least we hope so. Its Swiss style, milk, dark or white chocolate with 30% pure refined Curcumin from Turmeric which is the active ingredient. Each piece of delicious Chocumin contains the same amount of Curcumin as eating Sixty, 500mg capsules of turmeric. (30 grams, 1.05 oz) Not only is Chocumin good for you, it’s tasty. Eaten alone or with a warm beverage it’s the perfect healthy way to enjoy eating chocolate and obtaining 1mg of Curcumin in your diet. Why is this important? Multiple medical studies have shown that Curcumin refined from Turmeric has impressive and inflammatory properties. The problem is that most studies have been based on large amounts of Turmeric and we’ve shown that simply eating this amount of Turmeric is almost impossible in a normal diet. We have made this challenge a breeze by combining our love of chocola...

As a mother of two nothing is more important to me than our children. My husband Jean-Claude and I attended a fundraiser at Kirribilli house that raised money for five wonderful children charities. We were honoured to personally meet The Honourable Malcom Turnball, Prime Minister of Australia and his amazing wife Mrs Lucy Turnball.  Jean-Claude and I were also honoured to listen to the address of the Honourable Dame Marie Bashir who also supports these charities especially Central Coast Kids in Need. Once again her Excellency Dame Marie Bashir said that children are the most precious resource we have. And that is very true. We are very thankful to attend such an amazing evening. Below are the amazing charities that funds were raised for. http://www.bearcottage.chw.edu.au/   Bear Cottage is the only children’s hospice in NSW, one of only two in Australia, and the only one in the world affiliated with a children’s hospital.  We provide support, r...

I was very lucky to escape to Billabong Retreat. Overlooking a billabong, this all-inclusive wellness eco-resort is 5.4 km from Sheyville and 8 km from Scheyville National Park. What I liked most was meeting great likeminded people. First off if you are heading to a yoga retreat chances are you already into being a pleasant person. So unlike a Sydney dinner party it does not take to long to get past the "what do you do" conversations and into real enjoyable funny conversations. Then there is the daily yoga...........Ah yes I forgot I had those muscles. Its great to remind oneself! And the food. Beautiful healthy food. And good food is always the starter to great conversation. The best bit- no flights. Just a 45 minute Train journey away. So no flights to drain away the yoga love. Enjoy Love Kate X See my review on Trip Advisor , Google , or see the images at Wiki Commons .

We currently live in a world where the moment is being redefined.  We sit in front of a mysterious and beautiful temple we have travelled far to see, the monks are chanting and we know we are experiencing something special and we then capture it with our camera. And there is nothing wrong with wanting a memory of that. Even though as a photographer I sometimes missed a shot to really breathe in the experience. However imagine we are at a party. We are telling story about traveling to a far away land to see a temple. The story may resonate with some so much they one day visit that place and remember you, or they may forget your story in an instant. Either way your experience remains yours.  Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Buddha Could you imagine, after you tell the story you then go to each individual and ask….so do you like or dislike my story? The story then is in danger of being told for ‘likeability’ more than the amazing exper...

These images are from Wat Rong Khun in Chang Rai Thailand.   A place you must visit when in Chang Rai  Wat Rong Khun, perhaps better as the White Temple, is a contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province , Thailand . It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat , who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.  Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist from Chiang Rai, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money. The artist intends for the area adjacent to the temple to be a center of learning and meditation and for people to gain benefit from the Buddhist teachings. Kositpipat considers the temple to be an offering to Lord Buddha and believes the project will give him immortal life. Today the works are ongoing, but are not expected to be completed until 2070.

I have just returned from some amazing asian travels with my husband and children to Chiang Mai in Thailand. Chang Mai is a beautiful town in the North of Thailand. It dates to the 1200s. It steeped in history and culture and it home to many elaborate Buddhist temples. Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. In fact 93% of the Thai population follow the Theravada Buddhist religion. Its a beautiful religion and I was lucky enough to experience the temples, converse with monks about how they viewed life and even receive a Buddhist blessing. I Thank everyone who made my experience so amazing and rich. I was very lucky to get such a beautiful insight into a culture that seems worlds away physically and culturally from my hectic Sydney life. Even walking around and seeing the beautiful Buddhist shrines with their daily offerings of fresh flowers and coke bottles with a straw showed me how much the Thais integrate culture and religion into every day life. Qu...