A Bright Day in Winter

A simple but evocative shot, looking down from the overlook towards Myponga Dam, in Adelaide’s southern hills. The bright sunshine gives the image a feeling of warmth, but it was a chilly day—scarves and woolly hats were needed against a strong sea breeze farther down the coast. The old dam is always a photogenic subject, with its great lake nestled in the green countryside. I took this shot during an expedition dpwn t the south coast in July 21^st, 2017. Image was minimally enhanced—contrast, colour and sharpness only. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike

 

New For Old

An interesting and unusual composition—a close up from dead astern of the Waco biplane operated by Adelaide Biplanes, from Aldinga Aerodrome, South Australia. The Waco is a modern-build of a classic 1930’s patent, this particular aircraft dating from 1992. The lines are most engaging, and this unusual aspect presented itself from the way the aircraft was parked near the airfield cafe! I grabbed this frame on January 11^th, 2023, and would love to go see the planes coming and going again! Image was minimally enhanced—contrast, colour and sharpness only. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike. (As it’s been two weeks since I posted, I’ll get something else up tomorrow, as well.)

Still Life?

This is a most interesting piece—Dale Chihuly’s chandelier for the rotunda of the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London. It was created in 2001 and I photographed it on November 1^st, 2010, during my third UK trip. It’s a confection of blown glass, drawing on the Murano techniques of Venice, according to the V&A’s website. It creates a flowing sense of motion in a still object and its towering, extended, pseudo-organic form puts one in the mind of life, though not of any recognisable form. This was a straight forward snapshot, one of several of this subject, using the background architecture to frame the glass confection. It makes a most futuristic picture, oddly juxtaposing the classical architecture of the building with the surreality of the art. The only adjustments were a touch of contrast and sharpness. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Geometric Futures

The built environment contrasts with the natural world in one cardinal way—the artificial follows geometry, straight lines, repeating patterns, while the natural, at all but fine scale, follows organic forms and random patterning. Juxtaposition of one with the other creates the appeal of well grown-in urban spaces. This, however, is pure geometry: this is the west-facing side of the experimental medicine building on North Terrace, Adelaide, Soth Australia—commonly known as “the cheese grater” for obvious reasons. Evening light catches the coated windows from the persepctive of the tram stop. The picture was captures on the evening of the 1^st of October, 2013, and was only slightly enhanced, with contrast, saturation and sharpness marginally adjusted. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Green Valleys in Spring

The hills of South Australia have a seasonal range of colour values, from a green so rich you’d think it was Ireland, in the wet months, to their characteristic yellow-grey in the harshest summer months. Depending on elevation and what sort of season we get, their nature can vary a lot at the same time of year. This is the stud farm at Hope Valley, in the southern hills, photographed on October 9^th, 2022, one of our three consecutive La Nina years. The landscape is still appreciably lush, though spring is well matured and what should be the hot weather is just around the corner. But in these times of strange weather patterns there seem no hard and fast rules any more. This is a medium telephoto shot, framing up the horses in their paddocks against the house on the hill for a very picturesque composition. Contrast, colour and sharpness were adjusted slightly. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

 

Aussie Skies

As I’ve mentioned a few times, Australia can turn on the most amazing skies. We live not far from the sea but can weather-up from almost any direction, and when storms roll in they can range from the merely spectacular to the downright scary. I captured this frame in my front street, looking north-west on September 2^nd, 2016 (one day after my first short story was published—what an ocean of water has gone under the bridge since then!) The palms add to the tropical feel—nothing is as exotic to a northerner born than the sight of great, fronded palms nodding in a breeze against dark and angry skies, with, nonetheless, sunshine in the foreground. The image is already very contrasty and the colours are true to the moment, so the only enhancement was a touch of sharpening. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

 

An Ancient Seaway

As so long elapsed prior to posting the last picture, I’ll post two on consecutive days to catch up.

I recorded this image during my expedition to Tynemouth Castle and Priory, Monday, November 15^th, 2010. I had caught the bus north from Sunderland, then taken the ferry across the Tyne and walked out to the headland, where the Medieval ruins are preserved as Scheduled Ancient Monuments. This has been a busy artery of trade since time immemorial, and remains a major maritime town to this day. The weather was perfect, sunny and mild, and the sea and river were perfect rippled reflectors. This view looks directly out into the North Sea, and the lighthouse is at the end of the north breakwater of the river mouth. I remember the day very well, and the photographic record forms a visual diary, with many excellent shots worth a look.

The image was adjustment slightly, gamma value, contrast, saturation and sharpness receiving minor tweaks. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

 

Long View

This is the view from the top of Mt Alma, South Australia, looking southwest toward an amazing Southern Ocean skyscape. I’ve been over that road many times, and one can never keep going without stopping to photograph the view. From farm lakes that make patches of sky in the landscape, to the rolling countryside and ever-changing cloudscape, it’s one of the best vantages around. Look south-east, you see to Lake Alexandrina, look west there are dark forests... I took this frame on July 1^st, 2018, on a family expedition around the southern vales--the country is wearing its winter green, such a change from the parched summer yellows. The image was enhanced a little, with increase in contrast and colour, decrease in gamma value and a little sharpening. I chose not to square up the skyline, as the angle of the road makes it a bit vertiginous at the best of times. Just a snap, but what a view! Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Misty Forest

Nature can turn on some amazing views, not all of them grand vistas of sea or sky. Some can only be glimpsed by being “inside” the weather, such as happened on this expedition, a drive through Adelaide’s southern hills on the 14^th of July, 2023. The weather was thick and clouds were hugging the hills, so when ascending from the low-lying vineyards of the McLaren Vale Wine Region into the grey overcast, one found oneself in the densest mist in a long time. An excellent opportunity for a shoot was found on a graded track near Range Road West, where the gnarled gums, frozen in their apparent writhing gesticulation in the hazy airs, created a distinctly primordial feeling. Minimal image processing was used. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Natural Spectacle

Australia can certainly turn on some ominous and imposing skyscapes. South Australia's major changes usually come from the southwest, big storms rolling in off the Southern Ocean, and they never disappoint when it comes to drama. This one was shot from a holiday camp at Normanville, South Australia, on the evening of February 17^th, 2023, looking west, as some very impressive things were occurring. Slight adjustments were made to gamma value, contrast, saturation and sharpness. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Neon Extravaganza

 

Sometimes things take you by surprise and you shoot almost automatically. This was such an occasion—this is the weather awning of the main entry to Heathrow Airport, west of London, and I was making my way back to Australia on the evening of Tuesday, November 16^th, 2010, having come down from Sunderland by train to King's Cross, passing through much fog on the way, then making my way through the metropolis as the sun went down and finally out to the airport by train from Paddington. Just as I was walking into the airport, they turned on the neon and the effect was stunning! It looks purple but I remember it being individual red and blue fluorescent tubes that together created the illusion of colour. I shot several frames to record it, having already photographed the night-time environs—the camera was in my hand as the lights came on. I could have squared up the image but it would have cut into the thematic material, so this time I'm posting it just as it came off the camera, other than a touch of sharpening, contrast and gamma correction. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Vines and Changing Weather

Here is an opportunistic shot, a high telephoto framing looking toward a hill with a storm sky. The view is northward on Foggo Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia, just over the road from Foggo Wines. The date was May 9^th, 2023, and the late afternoon was weathering up, a grateful end to the warmer season leaving the landscape rich in fall colours. This was the third of three frames capturing this scene, each at different degrees of zoom, and this one, closing in to register both landscape and the densest part of the cloudscape, burned in the best colour. It's a delightfully rustic scene in the modern idiom, the vines of the wine region I think of as “the green sea” under the sort of spectacular sky Australia so often provides. The image was sharpened slightly and the contrast was tweaked a touch. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.