Open Sesame

Bright As A Button

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

You think I’ve gone mad, don’t you? You think I’ve finally flipped my lid? You think I’ve forgotten how to use a camera, right?

You think this can’t possibly be a door. Ah, but it is. And not just any door.

This, dear readers, is the inside view of the driver’s door of a Rolls-Royce Phantom. I shot this a couple of years ago and it shows (see image below) the buttons for the power windows.

It’s a pity that James Bond never drove one of these. If he had, I’m sure Q would have included a lot more gizmos, switches and buttons.


For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

All Roads Lead To Chrome

I Think We're On A Roll

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It’s not every day you get to drive – or photograph – one of these. Recognise the workmanship? It’s a Rolls-Royce Phantom - and yes, those are the doors of the luxury car.

About a year and a half ago, I shot this as I was given special permission to photograph not one but two Rolls-Royces in a showroom and you can see some of the shots at Phantom Menace and Opera Of The Phantom.

I guess I spent about twenty minutes there, photographing the cars from every conceivable angle. So I thought this solitary frame would be ideal for today’s theme. The object in soft focus in the foreground is the wing mirror, while the sleek chrome door handles are in sharp focus in mid-frame.

Yes, I was given permission to shoot the pristine engine bay under the hood and yes, I did open the doors (reverently) to get in and take some shots of the interior.

But no, I didn’t drive it. Why? Because I was wearing a T-shirt and faded jeans. That would have been heresy.

For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

Verse And Worse

Random Wit, Errant Rhyme. Not A Literary Crime

I went for a drive with my great-aunt Joyce
So regal at the wheel of her pink Rolls-Royce
But when the cops stopped her and listed her faults
I made sure to pass her the smelling salts

Hood Winked

Street Reflection On A Showroom Rolls-Royce

Melbourne, 2007. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Lilo And Stitches

Sew, A Needle Pulling Thread

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

With this week's theme being "Skinny", I reviewed a lot of my images. There was a photograph showing the graceful, slender Rolls-Royce hood ornament called the Spirit of Ecstacy; there was an early morning reflection of a slim tree on the still waters of a pond; there was even a shot of a group of mannequins.

But I figured there are not many things that are skinnier than the needle of an old-fashioned Singer sewing machine. These pictures were shot in an arcade in Singapore and as you can see from the image below, I was equally fascinated by the beautiful material that was being used. And just for the record, I'd like to point out that the "seamstress" was a man, who was more than happy to talk to me about the delicate work he was performing - and his love for the ancient machine.

Black Is Beautiful

T Is For Typestar

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

When I bought it in London 22 years ago, it was pretty hi-tech. Canon had just updated their Typestar range and the Canon Typestar 5 was as hi-tech as you could get. I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning as I walked into Debenham's in London to buy it.

If you were in line behind me, I do apologise for the delay. It was as if I was buying a Rolls-Royce. But hey, to a journalist, the Typestar was pretty much the Rolls-Royce of gadgets anyway.

Did I want gold, the salesperson asked. I recoiled. Nope. Too flashy. Not me. So not me. Did I want black? Yep, that would do me just fine. Classy and understated was what I was after. And d'you know what? After I'd paid for it, I probably spent an hour in the electronics area of Debenham's, working my way through every function on that beautiful typewriter.

In reality, it wasn't black. It was sort of a slate grey. But so classy. And it was so slick and easy to use. It had a battery pack, or you could run it off mains power. Weren't happy with either of those options? Well, pardner, you could run it on four batteries as well. I walked out of there with a grin that was broader than the Rio Grande.

Over the next two and a half years, I took it on more international assignments to cover cricket and tennis events than I can remember. It was with me on every flight I took. As soon as the seat belt sign went off, I would get it out and start work. Back then, it was a complete novelty and so it always drew curious glances and the inevitable question: ``What is that?’’

It was the ultimate accoutrement for sportswriters.

It was about the size of a laptop and not much heavier, so I was able to work silently and efficiently on the many domestic and international flights I took during my time as a sportswriter. My colleagues would be sitting there sifting laboriously through hand-written notes, while I watched my reports unfold on the beautiful white thermal paper that scrolled so smoothly and whisper-efficiently through its slender casing.

Back in the days when computers were a luxury rather than a necessity, the Typestar was a sleek beast. You would let your fingers glide over the quiet keyboard, read what you’d written on the display screen and – if you didn’t need to edit or correct it – hit the print button.

At a time when a Walkman was seriously cool, the Typestar was the ultimate in cred.

About a month after I bought it, India pulled off an upset Davis Cup win against Sweden, who had Mats Wilander, Wimbledon semi-finalist Anders Jarryd and a young Stefan Edberg in their ranks. On the flight home, I used the Typestar to write my report and a lengthy feature article. By the time I landed, it was all done. Clean print. Easy typeface. No corrections. No worries at all.

I’ve never thrown the Typestar out. It sits in my study, a few feet away from where I write this post.

Gun-metal grey. And it’s still so cool. Even for an antique.

Phantom Menace

Presenting One Of The All-Time Classics

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Today's theme for Photo Hunt is ``Classic'' and I thought about it for a long time before I decided on these shots. I guess there is nothing that defines the theme better than a Rolls-Royce. This 2006 Phantom was in a showroom and I simply rocked up there and asked if I could take some photographs. The hood ornament is called the Spirit of Ecstasy and it has been the focal point of every Rolls-Royce built since 1911. I took several shots of it close up and I suddenly noticed that it was perfectly positioned in relation to two of the recessed lights in the ceiling, so I had to take the shot above.

Then, I figured it's not every day a guy gets to photograph a Roller, so I asked if they could put the hood up for me. Hey, come on, when was the last time you saw a photograph of a Rolls-Royce with its hood up? Think about it .....

So I asked and then I watched, intrigued, as one of the showroom staff took several attempts before finally popping the hood. Then I took this frame (below) with the engine as the point of focus - and I was immediately intrigued at how the hood ornament was portrayed. Have a close look and it seems to be made up of a series of silvery-gold bubbles.

Telling Write From Wrong (Part 3)

Don't Drive Yourself Too Hard

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

One of my friends who is writing a novel is the blogger It's The Little Things and she left a very interesting comment here a few hours ago. ``David,'' she wrote, ``I've learned to write just a portion of a chapter if that is where my inspiration stops. I do not choose to feel guilty if it isn't 'there' on a particular day or two. The days I can't write, I write by hand in my notebook, adding ideas that I need to go back into the typed manuscript to add.''

Today's tip: Recognise when to stop and take a break.

I have always encouraged writers to acknowledge inspiration and take the hard step of getting started, but it is equally important to know when to take a break. Because of the pace of life, especially for parents, it is not always possible to sit down at a computer when inspiration strikes. If an idea occurs to me, I write it down - because there is nothing worse than having a brilliant idea and then losing it forever in the mental fog of a myriad daily chores.

Recognise a moment of inspiration. Write it down. And when you are back at your computer, allow it to guide you. Sometimes these ideas ``write'' themselves, but sometimes they need a lot of sweat and toil to translate into words on a computer screen.

There are times, too, when ideas ebb and flow. But we're human beings, we're not machines, which means that some days our output will be prodigious and on other days it will simply be a trickle of words.

A friend of mine who is a very good writer once told me she was constantly frustrated because she used to get bogged down with her writing. Turned out that she was writing very late at night and would often spend a couple of hours just writing a few paragraphs, getting progressively slower and slower and crankier and crankier. I suggested that she try writing in the afternoon or evening - fitting in with her busy schedule - when her mind was fresher. It worked. She wrote quicker, with more clarity, and found she wasn't propelling herself inexorably towards writer's block.

Treat your brain like a Rolls-Royce engine. Don't blow a gasket!

Opera Of The Phantom

Spending Time With The High Rollers

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

There's an air of reverence when you get the chance to photograph not one but two Rolls-Royces in a showroom. I rang Dennis Meehan, general sales manager at Trivett Classic Aston Martin, and asked if I could possibly rock up with my camera and spend some time shooting both beauties. Absolutely, he said. These are just two of the shots I took. Watch out for more over the next couple of days. By the way, they even popped the hood for me to get my head around the engine as well.