Growth Potential

Turning Over A New Leaf

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this image a few days ago, but I thought it would be perfect to publish on New Year's Day. Yes, it's already past midnight here, for my first post of 2009. I guess it's appropriate that this image shows not just a new dawn, but nascent Nature at its best as well.

I was walking down a suburban street just after dawn, intent on photographing something else, when I noticed the strong light on the perimeter fence of this property. Then, as I walked past, with my mind on other things, I noticed the shadow of the sturdy plane tree, which I estimate would not be more than 15 years old.

As I lifted my camera to my eyes, I spotted the single green leaf sprouting from the camouflage-like surface of the bark. The angle of the sun and the strength of the light were perfect to allow me to capture not just the tree and the solitary leaf, but their reflections as well on a fance that looked for all the world as if it were lit by theatre stage lights.

From my family to yours, a very Happy New Year to everyone.

Once In A Blue Moon

Wane, Gretsky

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes, stark images can work just as effectively as those with vivid colours or arresting shapes. I was up very early on Saturday morning and shortly before the sun came up, I was struck by the position of the moon just above this bare tree.

Should my point of focus be the moon, or should I instead concentrate on the bare branches?

I opted for a composition that highlighted the branches, stripped of their leaves, against a clear, cold blue sky highlighted by the waning moon. The conditions were perfect to use the slender silhouettes of the branches against the chilly sky - and quite frankly I don't think the shot would have been effective if the tree had summery foliage on it.

This is a plane tree. They're very common in Melbourne and they have huge leaves that are shaped like maple leaves, but they don't have the striking burgundy hues of maple in autumn.

By the way, you did notice the birds, didn't you? (They're the two dark shapes just to the right of the frame.)

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?

So, Who Rose To The Challenge?

How I Went To The Wall For This Shot

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

How best to depict the fickle nature of the weather in this fair city? Three days ago we were in T-shirts and shorts, now we're gearing up for snow in the Victorian Alps. So I thought I'd give you an image that captured it perfectly. This was taken in our garden - in the foreground is a rose, a hardy synbol of summer; while in the background is a plane tree, with the russet hues of late autumn. Not an easy picture to take, because the rose is up against a wall, so I had to manoevure myself fairly awkwardly - but hey, I'm ready to suffer for my art! Incidentally, the plane tree is one of the few that has not shed most of its leaves.