This Beetle owner thought big and bold! Spotted on Skiathos, Greece.
Weekly Photo Challenge: (Color)
This Beetle owner thought big and bold! Spotted on Skiathos, Greece.
Photograph
Interference
I was skimming through my early photos in Lightroom, and came across the first image I made with my first digital SLR (a Canon EOS 300D in 2004, for those who are interested).
The thing I remember most was the immediacy of the experience. No waiting to finish the film, no processing in a dark room smelling of chemicals. Click – and there it was, on the back of the camera.
The second thought that struck me was that the immediacy of digital can affect the experience in negative ways, as well as positive. There was a period when the ability to capture an image without consequence of cost or effort meant I didn’t think through what I was trying to achieve as much as I had with film.
We live and learn.
While I still shoot film for enjoyment sometimes (there is definitely a different feel to film, that no amount of digital post processing can accurately emulate), I wouldn’t want to go back.
Morning Smoke
I woke to a strong smell of smoke.
After an initial panic, I realised that the back-burning of fuel buildup in the forest around us must have started. The summer months are a time of caution in many parts of Australia. Many of the eucalyptus trees shed their bark annually, along with leaves, leading to a buildup of dry, tinder-like matter on the forest floor. Combine that with temperatures that have reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) this year and lightning strikes or careless people, and you have a recipe for serious fires.
The smoke plus the morning mist we get up here in the Blue Mountains, led to pretty low visibility as I made my way to the train station for work.
Mechanical stork
This crane rose amongst the Docklands offices, a reminder of the original use of the site. It made me think of a giant mechanical stork.
Cross that line
Weekly Photo Challenge: (Love)
On the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, lies the Heart of Midlothian.
From Wikipedia:-
Visitors to Edinburgh will often notice people spitting on the Heart. A tolbooth (prison) stood on the site, where executions used to take place. The heart marks its doorway: the point of public execution. Some people spit on the Heart. Although it now said to be done for good luck, it was originally done as a sign of disdain for the former prison. The spot lay directly outside the prison entrance, so the custom may have been begun by debtors on their release.
Song Dong: Waste Not
I attended an exhibition this week by Song Dong, as part of the Sydney Festival 2013:-
From his family home in Beijing, to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Waste Not is a transformative installation by one of China’s pre-eminent artists, Song Dong. Conceived by the artist following the death of his father, the work represents his mother’s process of mourning and remembrance. Consisting of the entire contents of her house, Waste Not reflects a journey of hardship and grief, resulting in a display of personal resilience and ultimately a celebration of life.
It was a memorable experience, and prompted me to think of how we remember those who have died, and how much we consume during our lifetime. Although the exhibition was almost entirely made up of manufactured goods that were anything but personal in isolation, when collected together they seemed to tell a unique story.
Riding The Wave
City Hall, London, England.
Mike Baker | Photography 