Green Lobby

Foliage In The Last Fortnight Of Autumn

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

At this time of year, with winter just a fortnight away, the light is softer, the shadows are longer and Melbourne’s gardeners are busy raking up leaves. I took these shots last weekend, when I noticed the sunlight striking one side of a street even while the other side was in shadow.

I waited about 45 minutes to take these shots, because I wanted the light to get a bit stronger so that the difference between the nearby green leaves on one side of the street and the bronzed leaves on the other side would be in sharper contrast.

Fortunately I had my long lens with me, so I was able to substitute my 18-125mm lens with my 70-300mm lens at my leisure. The trees in these shots are plane trees, which are very common around Melbourne and are the cause – at this time of year – of beautiful footpaths covered in a carpet of golden leaves.

Even though I’m over six foot, I needed a particular angle to take these shots, so I actually had to utilise something close by, standing on it to give myself an extra couple of feet in added height.

Visit the creative team behind That's My World Tuesday.

A Tribute To Autumn

Scene And Unseen, On The Yarra's Surface

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This sequence was shot early on Thursday morning, as I walked across the pedestrian footbridge that connects Flinders Street Station to Southbank. The sun was still at a very shallow angle and because it was a cool morning, there was a bit of haze around.

Normally, I would not even have taken my camera out of the bag. But I had barely taken half a dozen steps across the bridge when I noticed that there was only a very gentle breeze, which is extremely unusual for Melbourne, especially around the water.


So I shot these four frames quickly, in less than 90 seconds. The object of the exercise was simply to show you that on a hazy day, a reflection is sometimes more intense and robust in colour quality than the original object itself. That, of course, is the opposite to normal weather conditions in clear light and a standard breeze, when a reflection can never match what is above the water.

Scroll back and take a look for yourself. In the first shot, the row of plane trees themselves are not quite as striking as their water-enhanced rendering. In each frame, the bottom area (or the reflection) is better quality than the top.


If you're wondering why the breeze played a part, here's the answer. The normal Melbourne breeze ruffles the surface of the water, leaving no discernible reflection at all on the Yarra River.

I was about to put the lens cap back on my camera when I noticed this red-clad jogger going past. Naturally, I had to take the shot - because I knew the two people in black (or dark blue) would not be visible on the water's surface, while the red jogger would stand out like a beacon.


Visit the creative team behind That's My World Tuesday.

The Fall Collection

Autumn Comes Far Too Early To Melbourne

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Three weeks ago, as Melbourne’s record-breaking hot, dry spell began, I noticed that the huge plane trees on our property were starting to shed their leaves, much earlier than normal.

Then we had that terrible run of consecutive days where the mercury hovered in the 115-degree zone, barely cooling down at night. The plane trees were quickly stripped of their leaves, more than semi-denuded not just in the suburbs but in the city centre as well.


I took these shots late on Friday evening, on a pathway in our garden. I keep an old pair of Nikes outdoors at all times and these are my gardening footwear. But as you can see from this shot, the swirling leaves, borne on the hot northerly winds that have fanned our bushfires, have swamped the Nikes.

This blue watering can is a miniature version of my huge watering can nearby. But despite my best efforts, this heatwave, the worst in my memory, has claimed more plants than I think I can save. (And at this point I should mention that none of these objects were moved for better photographic effect, because I simply shoot things where they are, in the existing light.)


It’s strange to think that we are in a hot zone ringed by bushfires, yet Queensland in the north is struggling with terrible flooding. Maybe some of their rain will find its way down here. Fingers crossed …..

Maybe one day this watering can will be filled with rainwater instead of leaves. Maybe I could find some success as a water diviner. Stick around while I try ...


Visit the creative team behind That's MyWorld Tuesday.

Grass Roots Movement

It Ain't Easy Bein' Green In A Drought

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Judging by this shot of fresh green grass in our garden, you wouldn't think this country is still in drought. Melbourne's dams and catchment areas are hovering just above the 30 per cent mark, but the gardens and nature strips of this beautiful city are greener than they were three weeks ago, courtesy the rain we were blessed with just after Easter.

I took this shot a couple of hours ago because I was entranced by the late-evening autumnal light. These blades of grass are less than an inch high, but this SMC Pentax-DA 1:2.8mm macro lens really captures the smallest details with exceptional clarity.

You can actually see the shadows and the delicate variation of light on some blades in this frame. Even though this is only a low-resolution version of the original, you can see the last of the day's sunshine highlighting the delicate "fur" on the sides of a couple of shoots of grass.

This shot is for Anna Carson's Project Green - and when you consider the fact that the newly-mown grass is only the height of an SD memory card, you get some understanding of how good this lens is.

Now here's a question for all of you. Which of these versions do you prefer: the first shot or this one below?

Two's Company, Three's A Cloud

It's Not A Volcano, Just Our Autumn Sky

Photographs: DAVID McMAHON

I shot these pictures on Thursday, when Melbourne had a sudden return to squally weather. The wind was brisk, so the clouds were shifting very quickly and there was only a lapse of about a minute and a half between the first shot (above) and the second (below).

Great Bare

Down Under, We Have Upside-Down Trees

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Okay, just kidding. We don’t really have upside-down trees. But a couple of weeks ago I caught sight of this pale winter dusk and a bare plane tree, reflected in this car bonnet (or hood, depending on where you live). The photograph below is taken in exactly the same spot, in the Australian autumn a few months ago, while the tree still had about half its leaves. Interesting difference between the two shots, don’t you think?

Take A Bough

Mr Leaf Erikson, I Presume?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Yet another perfect late-autumn afternoon in Melbourne. A top temperature of 20 Celsius today - much warmer than normal. I took this shot on Waverley Road, to combine the striking autumn foliage with the crisp blue sky.

Haze Tack

Grey Sky To My Right; Blue Sky To My Left

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Today was one of the classic late-autumn mornings. Early haze, with the sun struggling to emerge from low shroud. But Melbourne being Melbourne, you can have haze and grey sky on one side - and flawless, clear blue sky on the other. These two shots, taken about 90 minutes ago, give you an idea of the unique weather patterns to which we are so accustomed. The two frames were shot six minutes apart - and when I took the second shot, I was only 25 metres away from where I took the first.

Colour Schemer

After A Big Night On The Tiles

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's a fortnight since daylight saving ended and even though darkness now closes in quicker, the autumn weather is finally milder. Some of the nights have been fairly cool, with a bit of dew on the grass in the morning, although daytime temperatures are still warm, in the mid-20s Celsius range. And of course the sky at this time of year is just spectacular, so blue that it sometimes seems improbable. We had a cloudless afternoon today and I wanted to take a shot that would show you a striking contrast of colours. All I needed was to find a house with red roof tiles - not such an easy task, as it turned out.

Show Me The Monet

Looks Like Someone Painted Our Sky Today

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken about ten minutes ago. The vagaries of Melbourne's unpredictable weather mean that you never know what sort of sunset you're going to get. It was a grey autumn day today (yes, it is autumn here) with drizzle patches and very little breeze. But look at the sunset we were treated to, with more colours than an Impressionist's palate.

On Cloud Nine

The Sky's The Limit On An Autumn Evening

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

At dusk yesterday, I suddenly looked outside and saw streaks of pink across the sky. I grabbed my camera and rushed out, thinking I would get in the car and drive to a nearby hilltop vantage point. Quick mathematical calculation. Three minutes' driving time. Hmmm. Sky palette changing rapidly. Hmmm. Not good. So I abandoned the plan to drive. Instead, I stood on the street and shot rapidly as the colours ebbed and flowed. I took these frames about fifteen metres from my front door, taking care to utilise a roofline and a couple of trees to get some stark silhouettes into the spectacular sky. Not bad for the first week of autumn. And of course, regular readers of this blog would know that I do not manipulate my images in any way, electronically or otherwise. What you see here is what I shoot. In this case, God provided the artwork. I just lined up the lens and captured the scene.