Showing posts with label Dawn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dawn. Show all posts

Friday, October 31, 2008

Heavens Above

Dawn Displays Her Pink Ribbons

Photographs copyright: DAVID MCMAHON


This sequence of shots was just a lucky result. They were taken last Friday, literally a few minutes after I had entered my link on this site for last week’s Sky Watch post.

I switched the computer on and I walked into the kitchen, as I always do each morning. The sun had not yet risen, but I could see some interesting bands of thick grey cloud across the horizon. I knew there was a chance that there would be some arresting colours to shoot a few minutes later.


After I’d done a few things on the computer and around the house, I checked the sky again from the kitchen window. This time I could see faint daubs of pink across the bottom of each cloud band. I knew that in a few minutes there would be a dramatic display of colours, but I also knew that it was one of those windy mornings when the hues would disappear rapidly.

About five minutes later, the pink started to intensify, so I picked up my camera and walked out into the back yard, where I shot four frames. Then I decided to walk to the front of the house for a different aspect and perhaps a wider range of colours.

I was outside for less than three minutes. All up, I took eight shots and when I walked around to the back door, the colours had gone completely and all that was left was grey cloud patterns. That’s the thing with Nature - you sometimes have to be very quick to capture its greatest beauty.

For other participants in Dot’s concept, go to Sky Watch HQ.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Post Of The Day

Today's joint winners are Katherine with Embedded; Dawn with Deconstructing My Past and Mama Geek with Buzzed. The other top contenders were Colleen with What's In A Name; House of Lime with Short Skirt, Long Jacket; Kathryn with Thursday Thirteen; Blog This Mom with Observing Force; Quilldancer with The Courageous Dragon Hunter; Hilary with Neighbourhood Hippiefest; The Goat’s Lunch Pail with Almost Done; Daryl with Thursday’s In The Hood; Almost There with Nature Lover; Ramblings Around Texas with Double Rainbow and Miss Understood with Great News. Do pay them a visit and leave a comment if you have time.

You can nominate a post too. Just leave a comment here with the URL or link - and tell us the name of the blogger you are nominating. Righty-o, then, it's over to you ....

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

First Light Of The Day

That's A Mighty Fine Spire, Squire

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was heading out with my camera to take some shots of the city skyline last week when I noticed that the view from Southbank was perfect. Blue sky. Silhouettes on both sides and above me. Dark dawn cloud, tinged delicately with early morning brush strokes.


But regular readers of this blog would remember that one of my cardinal rules is always to look away from the obvious photo opportunity to see if there is a better angle or view elsewhere. This time, instead of looking east, I found this reflection (above) on the west. It was the same cloud as rendered in the (very dusty) window of a travel agent's office. I framed this shot meticulously, so if you look on the right you can see the reflection of the beautiful bell from historic St John's Church.

The blue of the sky was startling - and rather unusual, because the sun had not yet risen. So as I walked along the river bank, I made the most of this graceful silhouette (above). This shows the form of one of the many old lamps from the city's colonial beginnings. They tower over Princes Bridge and have featured in millions of tourists' photographs. This shot gives you an idea of how majestic they are, even in low-light conditions.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Post Of The Day

When was the last time you saw humour while following a vehicle whose driver wasn't quite sure what he/she was doing? Can't remember? No worries, just go to Dawn's short, sharp post Chevy Chase and laugh with her as she explains her predicament. And Ms Creek has shared a remarkable piece of artwork, by her father-in-law, on a post called Dick's Latest Pastel.
If you'd like to nominate a post, leave me a comment with the url.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Sweet And Shower Sauce

India To Tap New Talent With `Bathroom Singer'

Stand aside, buddy, let me through. An Indian television channel is introducing "Bathroom Singer", a new singing contest on the Filmy entertainment channel. I was still chuckling at the post Too Much Info on US-based Dawn's blog, when I came across this news story. Yep, it's true - Indian producers are looking for untrained performer who can sing in the shower and enthral viewers at the same time. According to Shailesh Kapoor, Filmy's content and marketing boss, contestants have to be 18 and over and will exercise their vocal cords in a studio set that replicates a bathroom with tiled walls, showers and taps. Worried? No, you can keep your clothes on.

Monday, March 12, 2007

It's A Wing-Wing Situation

I Guess It Just Dawned On Me

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

My project a couple of days ago was to try and shoot a seagull at dawn, against the backdrop of a Melbourne landmark. Not so easy. You try working out which way a seagull is going to fly! I had about six to eight attempts and came up with nothing tangible. Either the gull would fly too low, or too high, or it would wheel around, or it would not fly in the vicinity of the dawn colours. I was just about to pack up when I spotted this gull. He was about 70 metres away, so I unwound the 18-125 lens, tried to guess where he was going, tracked the camera in front of him and fired off this shot - just as he flew into the frame. On the right is the Rialto, which was until recently Melbourne's tallest building, easily identifiable by its blue glass exterior.