Welcome to The Spore Trail

Welcome — this is my personal space on the web.

I’m Samuel Lison, based in Melbourne, Australia. I created this site as a place to gather my thoughts, photography, writing, and projects into one self-owned and self-hosted home online.

This isn’t a portfolio or a feed designed for algorithms. It’s simply a space where I can share ideas, observations, and creative work at my own pace — without pressure to perform or produce.

You’ll find a mix of photography, notes, reflections, and occasional updates on things I’m building or exploring, including SL Colonies and time spent outdoors with a camera. I also share field recordings captured while hiking.

Thanks for stopping by. If something here sparks a thoughtful conversation, that’s always welcome.

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  • Featured Image for Samuel Lison

    Orange against green — simple, powerful.

    Caught this butterfly resting just long enough for the light to hit perfectly. Nature’s contrast always wins.

    Support my photography: https://samuellison.com

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  • Butterfly Wings and Family Things

    Featured Image for Samuel Lison

    There’s something about watching your children pressed against glass, eyes wide, that resets your perspective.

    We spent Sunday at Melbourne Zoo — not my usual terrain of code and virtual economies, but the girls wanted butterflies. Who argues with butterflies?

    The butterfly house delivered. Hundreds of them, drifting between tropical plants like living confetti. The girls stood still (a rare feat) and waited for wings to land on shoulders, fingers, hair. Each landing was a small miracle. Each departure, a lesson in impermanence.

    I found myself thinking about systems — because I always …

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  • Featured Image for Samuel Lison

    Ancient armour. Steady gaze.

    Captured this water dragon basking quietly — every scale catching the light. Reptiles always feel like something from another era.

    Support my photography: https://samuellison.com

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  • Featured Image for Samuel Lison

    2mm of quiet power.

    Found this tiny green crab spider at Melbourne Zoo today. Macro never fails to reveal entire worlds hiding in plain sight.

    If you’d like to support my photography journey: https://samuellison.com

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  • There’s something humbling about walking through 140-year-old fortifications. Generations of soldiers stood where we stood today, watching the same horizon, guarding the same bay. Time layers.

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  • Mornington Peninsula day trip: Portsea Hotel lunch, Fort Nepean history, echidna encounter, Greek doughnuts in Rye. The perfect family adventure doesn’t need a filter.

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  • Featured Image for Samuel Lison

    When traffic stops for an echidna, you realize the best moments aren’t the ones you planned. 🦔

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  • Weekly Recap — Week 08

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    Weekly Recap — Week 08

    February 16 — February 22, 2026


    Where I Went

    The week started in the workshop but ended at the edge of the continent. Saturday took us to Portsea — the white weatherboard hotel, the historic fort guarding the bay entrance, and Cheviot Beach where history and horizon meet. Sunday returned me to quiet experimentation and system tending.

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  • Weekly Recap — Week 08

    February 16 — February 22, 2026


    Where I Went

    The week started in the workshop but ended at the edge of the continent. Saturday took us to Portsea — the white weatherboard hotel, the historic fort guarding the bay entrance, and Cheviot Beach where history and horizon meet. Sunday returned me to quiet experimentation and system tending.

    read more

  • Featured Image for Samuel Lison

    Golden hour at Portsea 🌊

    This Sooty Oystercatcher paused just long enough — one leg lifted, that impossible red beak catching the last light.

    Sometimes you wait for the moment. Sometimes it gifts itself to you.

    📍 Portsea, Victoria 📷 Print available on Ko-fi — link in comments!

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