Cool and Lush

 

A temperate woodland—Europe? North America? This is the redwood plantation (Sequoia sempervirens) at Belair National Park, east of Adelaide, photographed on July 12^th, 2017. These trees were planted in 1966, the last mass planting of an exotic species to ever occur in the park, and have a long way to go to reach their full size. They towering trunks and fern ground cover create a distinctly north-temperate feeling to the hills above a very Australian eucalypt forest, and the wind in the coniferous needles is an unusual sound in these surroundings. Nothing fancy on this shot, just some minor enhancements. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Geometry and Light

The play of light and shade amongst geometric architecture has always captured my eye, and this view seemed served up to me by the very hand of fate. I took this shot on November 2^nd, 2010, during a visit to the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd., London. This is the annex or vestibule connecting the traditional museum to the super-modern, organic-architecture research wing, and the afternoon light through plate glass and girders creates a very futuristic effect. What you see is exactly as the picture came off the camera, I've done nothing with it. I could have sharpened it, added contrast, turned up the colour, the usual round, but I decided to leave this one alone. The murky feel of the light is mysterious, and the geometry created by the sunrays and steps is a hard artificiality contrasted by the natural light source. The institution serves to explore nature—the artificial contemplating the natural, if you will—and this picture creates an interesting, abstract, salute to the concept. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Changeable Weather

 

This is the view from Brighton (South Australia) jetty, looking south. The storm front was coming up from the south-west, making a spectacular grey background to a sunlit beach and sea. Looking north everything was blue and summery, so Brighton and suburbs immediately south were on the edge of the change. I took this shot on the afternoon of November 24^th, 2014, after having a business lunch at a local cafe with a client looking for a museum-quality display build, which I pursued through the Palaeo Lab at the university—I had the pleasure of being project lead on that one! Image is adjusted slightly, with increases in contrast, sharpness and colour saturation. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

A Tangle of Life

 

A simple image but it epitomises the “be there and catch it” serendipity of photography. Just this association of trees, just that display of clouds, the light at just that angle, coming together to make a visual maze of stems and leaves, with the depth of the rich blue beyond. This shot was taken at Belair National Park on August 13^th, 2017, beside Playfiord Lake. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

The New and the Old

 

Here is a classic juxtaposition such as could be found in any city, the soaring architecture of the 21^st century and the solid, classical style of previous epochs, cheek by jowl. This is King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, photographed on June 11^th, 2020, from the simple vantage of a bus stop on my way home. The new residential tower rises to 25 storeys, way above the already-imposing Bank of South Australia next door, though still dwarfed by the State Bank building behind. The bright winter's day demanded no photographic cleverness, just point and shoot, and the vanishing point symmetry of the buildings does the rest. Smartphone shot—Leagoo M9. Image by Mike.

A Magical Valley

This is a simple roadside snapshot looking over the eastern end of the Piccadilly Valley, South Australia. This whole area is one of the most picturesque and fertile spots in the ranges, a high valley lying east of Mt Lofty, and in its western parts, over toward Summertown and Uraidla, home to market gardens and vineyards. This photo was taken in the late afternoon of June 3^rd, 2018, and one might be forgiven for thinking this was Europe, rather than the Antipodes. Imported northern species mingle with the native flora in the cool of altitude and the damp of early winter, creating a spot with an undeniable magic. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Ancient Places

 

Here is a photo I lined up to use way back in 2009 before the blog went on the back burner. This photo looks and is a simple one, it's strength lies more in what it is, and where it is. This is a view across the Wiltshire countryside to the town of Salisbury, denoted by the Medieval cathedral which has always marked out the town. The view is from the ramparts of Old Sarum hill fort—and that's where it gets doubly interesting. Old Sarum was a fortified hilltop from ancient times, and was castellated by the Normans. Little remains of it, and what there is was reworked in modern times to suggest some sort of order to tourists passing through, The cesspits are recognisable, as are the foundations of the chamber in which Henry II slept—the last king recorded as ever spending a night at Old Sarum. I visited on my road trip westward from London in the early winter of 2006, my first overseas trip, and can remember even now the sharp chill of the day. From the sun angle, you can see it's late in the day, about the last stop before the coach headed back east. The soft, almost milky quality to the light seen here was pretty much what it looked like on the day, The image has been straightened up, contrast and colour balanced, and sharpened a touch. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Framing the Sunset

Sunsets have an enduring appeal and every one is subtly different, which makes them perpetual fodder for the photographer on the lookout. This is part of a set taken at Flinders University, looking west to the sea, on the evening of February 13^th, 2005—I was on my way home, walking down from the ridges to get the bus, and this magnificent cloudscape just begged to be photographed. The framing is simple but exploits the juxtaposition of the linear, built environment with the organic expression of nature—the trees, yes, but the sunset itself is nature at its most aloof to human doings. This part of the university no longer exists, it was redeveloped many years ago, which makes such images something of a time capsule. The image is squared up a little with custom rotation, and slightly balanced for colour and contrast. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

City Panorama

Last year I had hard drive troubles and needed to use a data recovery service, which took me for the first and only time into Adelaide's tallest building, the old Westfield tower (formerly the State Bank building), soon to be eclipsed by new developments, I believe. The company had offices on the 31^st floor, pretty much at the top, and when dropping off my hard drive for forwarding to the workshop I had the chance to see the city from up there. This was shot through plate glass, and was one of only two frames to avoid major reflections. The view is directly westward, and the time was late morning. April 7^th, 2022; smartphone shot—Leagoo M9. Photo by Mike.

Reflections in a Tranquil Pond

After thirteen and a half years, “Digital Kosmos” is alive and well. New posts will be appearing irregularly, so check back for a wealth of photography from Australia and overseas!

Here we see one of Adelaide's best-kept secrets, Himeji Gardens, on South Terrace, part of the South Parklands. Adelaide is twinned with many cities around the world, including Himeji, Japan, and these gardens celebrate that relationship with a traditional Japanese water garden, including a dry Zen garden, a bridge over the pond, bamboo wall architecture, and many imported species. One can enjoy quiet moments here, as the surroundings encourage a contemplative spirit, and a half hour on an airy afternoon is known to recharge one's batteries for coping city life once more. I took this image on the 9^th June, 2012. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

A Winter's Afternoon

Click image to view at 1000 pixels wide



The low sun tells you how far north Stockton, Cleveland, UK, is: this was early afternoon and the sun is behind the trees of Ropner Park, whose skeletal boughs reflect the early December date and the fact they will be covered with snow very soon. It was a raw day in winter, 2006, filled with dramatic light and colour, the sort of photographic opportunities that are perhaps rarer in Australia. Sharpened and contrast-balanced, and, stark as this image is, extra colour was added. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Big Feller Tree

This massive eucalypt was photographed in September, 2009, at Arbury Park, a special ecological school in the Adelaide Hills. It was early in the morning and the low sun made amazing textures of light and shade on the rugose bark, while the dramatic angle up the trunk made the most of the tree's amazing height. It was a simple composition shot, and was enhanced with sharpening only. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.