F Is For Federation Square

Does This Shot Remind You Of The Moon?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It might look like an invocation of Pink Floyd’s lyrics, but it ain’t really the dark side of the moon.

It’s a tight shot of the floodlit facade of Federation Square, here in the heart of Melbourne. There are different planes here, hence the gradation in light – but have a close look at the precision of those triangles.

Euclid himself would have been so proud of the precision shown by the architects and the builders!

The image above was shot on New Year's Eve 2008, just after the first of the evening's fireworks displays and literally a couple of hours before the clocks ticked over into 2009. As I located the image to upload for this post, I remembered shooting a similar frame a couple of years earlier.

In a neat display of synchronicity, the image below actually shows the same facade, from a slightly different viewpoint.

You can even see the silhouette of the single floodlamp that gives the building its beautiful glow. And even more synchronously, the second image was taken exactly two years earlier, on New Year's Eve 2006. Yup, just after the first fireworks display.


For the home of ABC Wednesday, go to Mrs Nesbitt's Place.

Heart Starter

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken just over a fortnight ago, as I walked past Flinders Street Station. I noticed there were new posters affixed to the tram shelter between the station and Federation Square.

And I also realised that if I really walked quickly, I'd be able to get a clear shot of the poster through the traffic - with a tram in the background. I wasn't quite quick enough, because the tram was actually moving when I hit the trigger for this shot.

And in case you're wondering what the sticker says up the top of the glass of the tram shelter, it is: "No smoking in covered areas."

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

Street Smart

Gotta Show Some Flair For A Flare

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Someone asked me a fascinating question recently – whether I look through my viewfinder when I shoot, or whether I look at the LCD screen instead. I actually had to stop and think about that one, because I was about to answer that I look through the viewfinder every time.

Then I realised that there is a subtle distinction. Yes, when I use my Pentax digital SLR, I always look through the viewfinder, but when I use a compact camera (which is not that often) I view the composition on the LCD screen instead.

Which in turn begs the question: when I use my Pentax DSLR, how often do I shoot a frame and immediately check the result on my LCD screen? In all fairness, I’d have to say maybe one in about ten frames, which to the mathematically minded among you, equates to only 10 per cent of the time.

I shot this frame on New Year’s Eve, when we were in the city to watch the fireworks display that has become a Melbourne tradition. This was purely a random shot, simply taken because I had Federation Square to the left of the frame and traffic coming down Russell Street in front of me.

Like I said, just a throwaway shot, probably occasioned by the fact that I was capturing the last of the dusk sky, a deep blue against the skyscrapers. Because the first fireworks display began at 9pm, this would have been taken a few minutes before.

But had I taken the time to look at my LCD screen, I would have noticed the light halo and the rainbow effect just left of centre. Had I seen that, I would have immediately shot the same scene, using a vertical perspective to emphasise the halo.

The image below is simply a cropped version of the original shot, but I reckon it works better because it emphasizes the light flare. Sometimes self-analysis can even teach an old dog new tricks.


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

A Touch Of Glass

Some Days He's Up, Some Days He's Down

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

What’s yellow and black and seldom stays still - but is not an advertising gimmick for Bee Movie? Here’s a clue - it only travels up and down. Not sideways. Not diagonally.

It has doors that open and close, and it covers a lot of ground every day, yet it never moves from where it is located.

Okay, so it’s a lift at Federation Square, here in Melbourne. But because it’s got glass on all four sides, it looks a bit different from the norm.

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

When Harry Met Sully

Shall We Vote Fur Or Against?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Remember how, when we were kids, we were always told to confront our monsters? Well, the advice worked for me then and I guess it works for me now.

This shot was taken in 2006, when I took the Authorbloglets to the wonderful "Pixar: 20 Years of Animation" interactive show at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (or ACMI, as it's better known) at Federation Square. I might add that it is really hard to tell who enjoyed it more, my kids or me.

And when I came face-to-face with this lifesize representation of Sully, I swear I felt no fear. So first I confronted him, then I did what any paparazzi photographer would do when confronted by a Hollywood star - I took his photo.

I've always been a big fan of Pixar Animation Studios and Sully of course was a central character in "Monsters, Inc.", their 2001 computer animated comedy film.

Just for the record, the character was voiced by John Goodman in the Oscar-winning film, but can you remember what Sully's real name was? If not, see below for the answer.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

ANSWER: Sully's real name was James P. Sullivan.

Lemony Snicket

We Wish You A Merry Citrus

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

A few days ago, I was photographing the giant advent calendar at Federation Square when I noticed this sight to my left. I had to be very quick to take this shot – and I’ll explain why in a few seconds.

What do I reckon I’ve photographed here? An advertising billboard, perhaps? An office, maybe? A shop facade? The front of a house?

No, it’s a tram. Look carefully at the left of the second frame (below) and you’ll see the doors of the tram, as well as the Stop sign that is activated when passengers are disembarking.

The first shot was taken while the tram was moving – which is why I had to be so quick. The second (below) was taken while the tram was at a traffic intersection. I knew I had to react fairly quickly and decisively if I had to frame a shot without pedestrians and other traffic.


Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

Alexander Graham Bell(y)

The Hip Bone’s Connected To The, Um, Gold Discs

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

When you come face-to-face with a belly dancer, what’s the first thing you do? Emulate her moves? Naaah. You try and work out the best angle to take a photograph.

She was part of a celebration at Federation Square, here in Melbourne and it was a leisurely lunchtime when the light was great. I was struck by the vivid colours of her costume and of course by the row of miniature gold discs around her entire waist.

I wasn’t using a long lens, so I walked up and asked her if I could stand beside her and take some shots of the wonderful colours around her hips. She thought it was a hoot and told me to go ahead and take as many shots as I wanted.

One small problem. She figured that I wanted her to do her signature belly dance while I took the shots. Er, no. I wanted no movement at all, so I could get a shot without the discs shimmering and jingling in rapid motion.

I reckon I took half a dozen shots before I got this one of the discs as close to sharp focus as possible. Not so much a case of disc jockey, as a clear example of disc jerky.

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

Witch Hunt

Thank Goodness I Know How To Spell

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

A couple of weeks ago I was taking some shots of St Paul's Cathedral here in central Melbourne and had just wrapped up. I was walking out of the church and had already put the lens cap on my camera and placed it back in its bag.

That's when I caught sight of this huge hoarding across the street, advertising the musical "Wicked". It was emblazoned across a wall at Federation Square and so I guess I couldn't fail to notice it. But it was a busy time, with tourists all round the city and office workers on their lunch break - and I was determined to get a shot from across the street, without anyone else in the frame.

Naturally, I had to wait a while. So I framed the shot I wanted, zooming in close on the striking colour combination - and simply waiting for the crowds to clear.

I guess I was just spellbound.

Dark Vader

Never Be Afraid To Experiment With A Camera

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

More than three years ago, I was testing out a little Pentax Optio LF33, a very handy four-megapixel camera. At the time, I was strictly committed to using film and I had a brand-new Canon EOS 3000. But looking back on it now, it was the humble little Pentax that opened my eyes to the many benefits of using digital cameras.

I woke up long before dawn on a Saturday morning and drove into the city, because I wanted to check out how the camera performed in very low light. I had already earmarked several locations around the city, from where I would be able to shoot the first light of the day - literally. As I drove down the freeway, I was delighted to see that the weather forecast was accurate and that there was a lot of cloud.

I shot the city skyline in the dark, without using a tripod. Then I got back in the car and drove to a nearby bridge. From there I photographed the scudding black clouds across the sky - and their reflection in the surface of the Yarra River.

Then I shot scenes around the city, finally ending up on Flinders Street. I took a few shots of the station, with its distinctive dome, then I turned around and saw the first real splash of orange in the sky, low on the horizon.

Here was the dilemma. I was about a minute's sprint from my car. Even if I ran to the car and drove a couple of blocks, the light would have changed swiftly. So I bit the bullet and decided to take the shot, even though I wasn't in the best spot. The frame I shot is the one I've published with this post - and apart from the glow in the sky, you can see the distinctive shape of Federation Square.

It's not often I take a shot with almost half the frame in darkness - but I reckon it worked in this case.

Visit TNChick, the creator of Photo Hunt.

Daisy, Daisy, Give Me Your Dancer, Do

I'm Half Crazy, All For The Love Of A View

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I often get asked, "How do you decide what to photograph?'' It's a complex question, because there is no single answer. I photograph things that catch my attention, or things that are quirky, or unusual angles, or uncommon sights, or simply sights that make me look twice. Where I see art may not be where anyone else sees art - but that is the joy of individuality.

Sometimes you see something and you can almost hear the sight calling out to you: "Photograph me". This was one of those occasions. I was walking past Federation Square on Friday, when the place was set up for The Great Australian Sunny Sizzle, which celebrates all abilities.

As I walked over, I saw this plastic flower in a pot, surrounded by blue and yellow tarpaulin and "beach sand". And yes, while you were reading this post, you DID notice the legs of the deckchair, didn't you?

Photography teaches me many things. I reckon I'm a fairly observant sort of bloke, but I could have sworn there was no breeze that day. The river was hardly rippling. But the petals on this "plant" were rotating steadily but silently in the gentle breeze on that grey afternoon. I just had to stop and shoot the scene. I'm a sucker for petal pushers.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Tall Story

Eureka, I Think I've Got It

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

As a proud photographer, a proud Melburnian and a proud Australian, it is my very great pleasure to be able to share a unique subject with you today, in response to the Photo Hunt theme of "High". Our very own Eureka Tower here at Southbank, beside the Yarra River in Melbourne, is the tallest apartment building in the world. How tall? Make that 300 meters tall, comprising 92 storeys, with the amazing Skydeck established as a major tourist attraction.

This first shot (above) was taken with a little Pentax Optio 33LF, back in June 2005. I was walking down Flinders Street, early on a Saturday morning. I started shooting a city-based sequence long before dawn and by the time I got to this spot, the sun was just starting to cast a glow through heavy cloud in the east. To the west, the cloud was fragmented and the sky was a delicate range of colours.

I shot this from the northern pavement of Flinders Street. As you can see, construction of Eureka Tower was still in progress. To the right is the silhouette of the famous dome of Flinders Street Station and to the left is the perimeter wall of Federation Square, built to commemorate the centenary of Federation, which took place in 1901. The perimeter wall, interestingly enough, brings a touch of parallax to the scene. And yes, that's a bird in flight above the brown building to the right of Eureka.

This shot (above) was taken when heavy fog blanketed Melbourne in July 2007 - which is slap-bang in the middle of our winter. I shot two frames that morning, one horizontal and one vertical. The horizontal shot is a striking image, but I felt then (as I still do) that this vertical frame is more compelling.

To the left is the IBM building, to the right is the Langham Hotel, formerly the Sheraton. And disappearing into the thick fog is Eureka, the tallest symbol of the city I live in. There is something that is "just right" about this image, for which I was bent like a wannabe contortionist. This, and all the other photographs in this sequence, were taken with my Pentax K100D.

I shot this image (above) last October, just after five o'clock in the morning, on Sturt Street in south Melbourne. The colours of the sky were just right for this sort of skyline shot. And then I had a stroke of luck. The floodlights on the angular sculpture in the foreground are normally a range of pink and orange. But they suddenly turned yellow, probably in a final sequence before shutdown as dawn approached. I published a vertical frame from this series of shots the day I took them, but this horizontal frame captures more nuances of all-round colour and perspective. Yes, the colours are natural - and no, none of these images have been edited, cropped or digitally enhanced. That ain't my style.

This shot (above) was taken in mid-2007. I was walking towards Southbank and shot this on a whim, without even breaking stride. Why? Because it just seemed a fitting way to capture the solitary splendour of the towering landmark.

This shot was taken (and published on this blog) in September 2006, from the footbridge conecting Southbank to the northern side of the city. I was actually shooting Princes Bridge across the water when I noticed a billiant patch of blue sky above Eureka Tower. I shot this frame exactly where I stood, using the metal arch of the footbridge as a natural prop.

Remember the famous motorcycle sequence in the Nicolas Cage movie "Ghost Rider"? That scene was shot on the same arch in this photograph. I shot this using a versatile 18-125mm Sigma lens. The focal length of this shot was a mid-range 58mm.

This final shot (above) in the sequence was taken about a month ago, the first day I was experimenting with my new 70-300mm Sigma lens. It was lunchtime on a warm Melbourne afternoon and this was one of the first frames I shot using the full focal length of 300mm. The top of the gigantic apartment building seemed so close that I felt I could almost touch it.

And if you're wondering, yes, Eureka Tower will turn off all lights for Earth Hour later today. That's not a tall story.

Great Way To Start The Day

It Was Just A Snap Decision

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

While you're reading this, I'm on a flight from Singapore to Melbourne, but I had to post this anyway! One of the best decisions I made when I got this Pentax K100D, my first digital SLR, was that I would have the camera with me at all times when I was out of the house. It's a decision that has earned me some amazing photographs. I guess that's why they're called "snapshots" - because they're taken on a whim, in an instant, on the spur of the moment.

I was walking across from Flinders Street station when I noticed the beautiful hues in the sky. I could have composed a frame with just the sky colours, but I always prefer to have my surroundings in the shot, to give it more than just one point of reference. In this case, the illuminated T is a sign from the nearby Transit restaurant and the traffic sign is from a pedestrian crossing to Federation Square.

Follow The Star

Anyone Seen The Three Wise Men?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this frame in late September last year. I had just got the Pentax, my first digital SLR, and I was walking around the city getting accustomed to it. I liked the camera immediately, because of its wonderful balance - and I've probably shot thousands of frames on it in three different countries since then.

This shot was taken looking across Federation Square. I have photographed the spires of St Paul's Cathedral several times, but this time the silhouette was a really arresting sight. It looks like dusk but have a look at the position of the sun and you'll see it was actually mid-afternoon. The angle of the sun allowed me a striking composition and the overhead wires with the subtle lighting of the Square gave me an unusual criss-cross pattern against a clear sky.

How many frames did I shoot of this scene? Just one. That wasn't arrogance, either. Just satisfaction. I knew I had the best shot of the day. And you know the really uncanny thing? When I shot this, I didn't realise how symbolic it was. I guess it could be a Christmas card.

Shhhhhh ..... if we're very quiet, we might be able to hear or see the shepherds as they watch their flocks.

At The Tail End Of The Day

You Callin' Me A Back Seat Deriver?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Horse-and-carriage rides are very popular here in Melbourne, just as they are in Montreal and Quebec City. The comforting sound of horses' hooves is as much a part of the central business district as it is on any Outback property. This shot was taken on the run outside Flinders Street Station, about three weeks ago. I composed the frame as tight as possible, but I still couldn't avoid the young man with the backpack on the left.

There's something I should explain here - and then you'll understand why I like this photograph. The area around Federation Square and Flinders Street Station is extremely colourful. However, the noon shadows were so strong on this bright, sunny day, that there are dominant grey, white and black tones to this shot. There are a few splashes of red on the seat of the carriage, the horses' plumes and the driver's jacket. Apart from that, there is an abbreviated touch of horizontal green behind the carriage.

I could try replicating this shot several times over the next few months - but I doubt I'd be fortunate enough to capture an image like this. How lucky can a guy get!

Saddled With This Artwork

See Your Doctor If Paint Persists

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Oh, no, it looks like some mad artist has been running around the city stables, daubing paint on all the thoroughbreds. Maybe it's Vincent van Stop'n'Go. Is it time to hit the panic button and try and capture this person who daubs our best horses with oil paintings of horse racing scenes?

No, mate, you can relax. Have a look at the photo below. The horse and the foal aren't real. They're just life-size models at Federation Square, outside the Australian Racing Museum.

FOOTNOTE: Must have been April Foals Day.

Think Outside The Square

It's High Time You Saw The Light

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This is Federation Square here in Melbourne. It was built to commemorate the centenary of Federation, which took place in 1901. Melburnians call it Fed Square and it is many things to many people, a multi-faceted place of many moods and many faces. I guess it has become the centre of the city, in many ways. I love photographing it, because there are so many nuances at different times of the day, at different seasons around the calendar. This was shot around dawn, just before the sun started to climb. I wanted some colour in the sky, but I also wanted the warm autumnal colours cast across the remarkable scene.

Why Must I Always Do The Dishes?

I'm Really Getting Mixed Signals

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot of the three rooftop satellite dishes was taken at Federation Square, here in the heart of Melbourne. Built on the site of the old Gas and Fuel towers, Fed Square (as Melburnians refer to it) literally commemorates the centenary of Federation. The Commonwealth of Australia was inaugurated on 1 January 1901, after a decade of planning and consultation. Fed Square, a huge tourist attraction, is always a great sight, but after dark it develops a magical aura. To me, the beautifully lit nooks and crannies hold as much fascination as the subtle overhead lighting, almost star-like in its presence.