Sentenced To Twenty Lashes

You Can’t Tell Me These Lashes Are For Real

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

You’ll never see larger artificial eyelashes than these. This is the giant face that forms the façade of Sydney’s Luna Park, the famous tourist attraction at Milsons Point, on the opposite side of the harbour from the Opera House.

We spent a balmy afternoon at the park in April this year and I shot this image as we walked away to wait for a ferry to take us across the harbour. I had initially hoped to be able to capture a great sunset with the famous symbols of Sydney as a backdrop, but that was not to be. It was grey and overcast and we didn’t even see the sun as it disappeared, nor was there any reflection on the clouds.

That’s probably why I concentrated on manmade structures instead, as the light faded and the illuminations were switched on at Luna Park. I guess you could say I had eyes for nothing else.

Visit TNChick's Photo Hunt. Today's theme: "Artificial''.

A View Of Paradise

I Guess It Depends On What You See

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The beautiful flower known as the bird of paradise has always fascinated me, not just because of its graceful structure and height, but also because of the striking dark blue, orange and white spanned on a single bloom.

When we were in Sydney last month, it was really interesting to see that the warmer climate in the New South Wales capital city brings a totally different growth cycle to plants that are no longer flowering here in Victoria.

This particular bloom was in a rather interesting spot. I was delighted to see it on a crowded holiday morning in a major tourist precinct. I framed the first shot very deliberately, so that the shape and colour of the flower would dominate the composition of the shot.

Then I took a second shot, in the same place, but this time with the focus reversed. Now the flower is completely out of focus and the famous, much-photographed building in the background dominated the shot.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present the Sydney Opera House.


Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

Thank You For Giving Me A Heads-Up

A Ferry-Tale Ending

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes you get thrown a curve ball and it turns out to be an unexpected bonus, rather than a hindrance. During our trip to Sydney a few days ago, I was with the Authorbloglets and close friends on the ferry from Milsons Point to Circular Quay.

It was dusk. The light was fading fast on a cloudy evening. I had my camera around my neck, but the ferry was very crowded with locals and Easter tourists and we had to take separate, far-flung seats under cover. I was in the middle of the main deck, with three or four people on my left.

In addition, there were others standing outside to get a better view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Just before the ferry docked, I could see the distinctive shape of the Opera House through the rectangular ferry porthole. Half-heartedly, I removed my lens cap and picked up my Pentax. Always on the lookout for an unusual perspective on a familiar sight, I realised I could shoot one aspect of the Opera House through the window frame of the ferry.

I lined up the shot, knowing the Opera House would slide out of view in about fifteen seconds. As I adjusted the focus ring, a woman sitting a couple of seats away suddenly leaned forward to speak to a friend.

With her head in the bottom-left quadrant of my frame, she obscured almost a quarter of my view. I hesitated for a split second. Then I hit the shutter anyway. Had I waited for her to move back out of the way, it would have still been an interesting rendition of the great Australian landmark through the thick glass of the porthole.

But by recognising the fact that this was a great opportunity, I was able to capture a frame that is not perfect, but one that certainly is a highly unusual view of a familiar and often-photographed symbol of the country I live in.

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

Opera House Cost More Than Three Tenners

Catch The Dying Light On Sydney Harbour

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It was late evening in Sydney and I only had about fifteen minutes to spare. I rushed down to Circular Quay with the light fading fast and I took this shot with a little four-megapixel Pentax Optio. Look carefully at the shot and you'll see that it's not a normal depiction of the harbour view. Yes, that's the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but what you see is actually the reflection of the bridge itself in a display board for the Opera House. The black-and-white square in the bottom right of the display board shows the stylised design of Jorn Utzon's most famous work, the Opera House, while the diagram directly above it shows a scale drawing of his building that practically symbolises Sydney.