It's All About Perspective

Yes, We Sometimes Find It In Unexpected Places

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Just about the last place you'd expect to see bright colours and an interesting message would be - let me think - a building site, right? But while I was shooting some amazing Christmas decorations along Orchard Road, Singapore, in mid-December 2007, I suddenly looked behind me.

There was a building site that was a hive of activity. But the site was cordoned off from the general public with metal fencing that sported this beautiful paintwork - and a great set of words.

The beautiful green tropical plants are not painted on - they're real. And d'you know what - that tree might look as if it was cleverly rendered into the painting, but no, it is genuine too. Yes, it's a real tree and part of the interesting perspective of the scene is the fact that the tree's contour has been integrated into the metal.

Someone has very carefully cut a hole in the metal sheeting so as not to disturb the tree in the slightest way. Construction work that does not disturb the environment in any way? Yup, that's perspective for me.

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Ha, Ha Monica

For Me, This Performance Struck A Poignant Note

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes a face just stops you in your tracks. Then, despite the fact that you have a camera around your neck and media credentials in your wallet, the debate begins. Do you have the right to intrude? I always ask the person if it’s all right to photograph them. Always.

When I photographed a harp player in Quebec City, it was with his permission. When I photographed a pavement piano player in Melbourne, it was with his permission. When I photographed a costumed belly dancer, it was with her permission. When I photographed a blind busker, it was with his permission.

So when I saw this street performer in Singapore two years ago, I asked if I could take some shots of him and he nodded his assent.

Just for the record, I wasn't in his face when I shot these images. My normal lens is a Sigma 18-125mm, so I always have plenty of options. Both these images were shot at the maximum focal length, so I wasn't even within touching distance when I photographed him.

If only I’d had an interpreter, I would have asked many questions.

I really wanted to know how old he was and why there was such depth of emotion in his eyes. Yes, he had a funky haircut. Yes, he had a great shirt. But I wanted to know why he sat there in the tropical heat, apparently without any teeth, playing the harmonica as if it were his only outlet for creativity.


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Trash Talk

The Way To A Conservationist’s Heart, Er, Art

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I have to admit it’s not often that we get to train our cameras on garbage bins, but this week’s theme really had me thinking. Yes, I’ve got some shots of huge dumpsters; yes, I’ve got some shots of festival trash. But did I really want to publish them? I racked my brain to try and think if there was anything from left field.

That’s when I remembered these shots taken on Orchard Road, the main shopping area in Singapore. Luckily I catalogue all my images in a logical manner, so it only took me a few seconds to track down the image.


I clearly remember walking briskly down Orchard Road and pretty much stopping in my tracks when I saw these brightly coloured bins.

Of course I had to shoot the sight immediately. Not just because of the bright colours, but mainly because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a trash can decorated with so much vibrant art.


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

O Is For Oddity

It Figures, Doesn’t It?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

When you have a camera in your hand, don’t you always feel compelled to look everywhere, to all points of the compass, just to ensure you don’t miss anything that might make an unusual photograph?

This was taken on a hot, humid December afternoon in Singapore. I only spent a day and a half there and I had an eastbound flight to catch very soon. But I simply had to cover as many miles on foot as possible, just to ensure that I hadn’t missed anything in a city that has captivated me since I was in primary school.

With the clock ticking down, I was on my way to the famous Raffles Hotel and took a short cut, hurrying (legally) across the stepping stones of a fairly large water feature in parkland. A long way to my left, I saw what seemed to be people in fancy dress, sitting on a bench.

No, I didn’t have any time to spare. I wasn't going to miss my flight, no matter what happened. But when you’re in a situation like this, you simply have to investigate it, don’t you? You can’t just pretend you didn’t see it. You can’t just walk away, a slave to time that ticks inexorably away, and always wonder what it was that you were never able to determine.

So I checked it out. I jogged a little closer until I realised that the figures were actually an art installation in the grounds of the Singapore Art Museum, housed in a sprawling colonial-era building. Luckily I had my 18-125mm lens on the camera, so I was able to shoot the scene from across the wide thoroughfare.

The interesting aspect, in my mind, was that all five heads were at different angles, as if emphasising that there are many ways to look at any situation. Just before I walked on, I composed a slightly different shot because I wanted to include the old-fashioned street light and the blue-and-white sign.

And as soon as I had the shot composed, I realised there was another neat (but unintended) facet to the shot. Look carefully and you'll see there are five of the high colonial archways, so common in tropical climates, in the shot. In other words, one archway for each of the figures.

It’s not every day you get a chance to shoot a figure of speech. Or five figures of speech.


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

G Is For Ganesh

Wishing You Prosperity, Through The Elephant God

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

At first glance, I guess this photograph of Ganesh, the Hindu god of prosperity, looks as if it has captured four carved figures, placed back-to-back. But it's actually only two figures with a mirror behind them. Naturally, I had to compose the shot just as I saw it.

This series was shot on a hot, humid afternoon in Singapore. I had spent a couple of hours walking the streets, shooting as many scenes as I could - and some of that time had been spent sheltering in arcades as thunderstorms lashed the area and cleared, only to return with torrential downpours through the afternoon.

I grew up in Calcutta, and even though I am a Christian, I was always fascinated by the quality of work produced by the city’s clay artisans, who were famous for producing thousands of images of the Hindu gods. Probably the most famous of them all were the artisans of an area known as Kumartuli - and the next time I return to the city of my birth, I’ll take my camera there to try and capture their amazing work.


These shots were taken on Clive Street, near Singapore’s Little India zone. These beautiful figures were displayed on the footpath and the owner of the shop readily gave me permission to photograph them.

I didn’t get a chance to meet the craftsmen who actually created these figures, but if I’d had more time, I would have waited there to watch them at work. Some years ago, I photographed wood carvers in Bali, Indonesia - and was fascinated to see works of art appear, as if by magic, from the stunning way in which they wielded their chisels.


Ganesh or Ganesha, the Hindu deity with the head of an elephant and the body of a human, is the lord of success as well as the conqueror of evil. Easily identifiable, he is the son of Shiva and Parvati and is regarded as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. The size of Ganesha’s ears is central to his connection to those who worship him, because they denote his ability to hear the petitions of all his worshippers.

I wish I'd had the opportunity to meet the artisans, because I would have asked if these were custom-made figures. If you look closely at these shots, you’ll notice that the Ganesh replicas do not include the customary broken tusk - regarded by Hindus as a symbol of sacrifice - held in one of his hands.

This final frame (below) includes some of the equipment used by the craftsmen. If I hadn't been so pressed for time, I would have enjoyed sitting down and watching them at work. There is no greater privilege than watching a true artisan at work.


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

Concert For Bangles Desh

Someone's Been In Glittering Form

Singapore, December 2007. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

One-Horse Race

Yes, I Had To Jockey For Position

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken late at night in Singapore in December 2007, when I spent a day and a half in transit on my way to northern India. It was a very short, rushed trip and I covered a lot of mileage in the week that I was away from home, I had four flights and two all-day road trips in that time - but I returned with about 2,500 images on my camera.

On this hot humid day in Singapore - a city I have visited many times since I was eleven years old - I had walked for miles and was reluctant to put my camera away. Every step of the way, there was a unique sight for me to photograph.

Then I saw this shop selling handicrafts. I was so struck by the quality of the work (and I instantly recognised that most of the goods on display had been imported from India) that I stepped in and asked the manager if I could quickly shoot some frames on his premises.


He smiled and waved me into the shop and these were among the first half-dozen that I shot. The hand-made horses are a familiar sight in India and the colours summed my attention in a magical, magnetic way.

The light was very challenging, but I reckon the results are often better when we human beings have to ponder the best way through a situation, rather than just doing what we do in an automatic fashion.

I honestly can’t say which horse was the winner, but I have to admit that if I were a betting men (I’m not) my money would have been on the dark blue horse.

Especially in a local derby.

Extra, extra, read all about it: I've been interviewed here. Thank you to all those who have checked out the interview and voted as well.


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Mirror Image

Welcome To Back-To-Front Alley

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken on a humid afternoon in Singapore, just over a year ago. I was in the vicinity of Mosque Street, keeping my eyes peeled for unusual sights to photograph. I have a theory that what I call the "camera-brain'' in each human is another sense in addition to sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

It's just that some of us never flip the switch to activate the "camera-brain''. This phrase simply refers to the ability to look at something differently when you have a camera in your hand, to recognise that something small or inconsequential can produce a striking image.

That afternoon in Singapore, as I crossed a narrow lane, I saw a weather-beaten motorcycle parked opposite me. In front of the motorcycle was a dun-coloured wall. I had no reason to walk across, but I did. That's when I saw that the dusty rear-view mirror on the right handlebar was reflecting a street view from behind me.

Like any mirror image, it was laterally inverted, or reversed. But because the dun-coloured wall is the only background, it's a perfectly static anchor for the image. I think the eye is drawn to this image because it looks as if something is wrong - and then the brain works out that it's not ``wrong'', just unusual.

If you have time, let me know what you think of this shot. And don't forget to switch on your camera-brain. It's easy. Trust me.

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Symphony In Orange

Vivid Colours In A Tropical Paradise

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I'd be delighted if some expert could tell me what these flowers are called. The first two images was shot in Singapore in December 2007, as I walked around the island city-nation. A tropical thunderstorm had just passed through the area and I was making sure that I was never too far from an arcade or some form of shelter.


There was sound logic behind this. Just in case the heavens opened again, I would be able to do a quick sprint to the nearest point of shelter to protect my precious camera.

The flowers were simply growing by the side of the footpath, in that wonderfully landscaped environment that has been a part of my earliest Singapore memories, ever since my first visit there as an eleven-year-old.


It was not just the formation of the plant that attracted my attention, but the way the vivid orange stood out against the green foliage in the background. So too the graceful manner in which the leaves seemed to echo the intricate grace of a Thai or an Indian classical dancer.


This shot (above) was actually taken in Langkawi, Malaysia, last year. We were walking around the vast hotel property when I noticed this, but couldn't find anyone to tell me what it was called.


This frame (above) was shot in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. We'd been sitting by the pool at our hotel for a few minutes when of course I had to do my customary "what's-in-the-vicinity-for-me-to-photograph" survey and lo and behold, I saw the same plant a few metres away.


After I'd shot a couple of frames of the blooms themselves, I also noticed that the long, narrow stems made an interesting sight with their contrasting colours and gentle angular orientation. So, quite naturally, I had to shoot a frame of that unusual view as well.

Obviously it was the same species of plant, but I couldn't find an amateur horticulturalist to tell me what it was called. I guess I'll just have to go back there to find out .....

(Extra, extra, read all about it: I've been interviewed here. Thank you to all those who have followed this link and checked out the interview. There have been so many wonderful comments that I've tried to reply to each one personally - but you're setting a cracking pace. My humble and heartfelt thanks to all of you for the wonderful tributes and thoughts you have shared on the interview.)

Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.

The Mane Event

Chorus: There Is Nothing Like A Tame

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

No, I didn't run away and join the circus. But I simply could not resist shooting this scene in Singapore's Chinatown area just a few days before Christmas 2007.

As a kid, I was always in awe of lion tamers in the circus and the confident manner in which they would make the big cats perform. Of course, it's been decades since I've seen a circus with lions and tigers among the live acts - so this sight really brought back memories.

And for those who like a bit of rock trivia, can anyone recall the hit track by The Eagles that begins with the following lines:

City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile

Your first clue is that the song was written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey. You second clue is that the track was recorded in 1975. Your third clue is contained in the photo in this post.

The answer: Lion Eyes, er, sorry, I meant to say Lyin' Eyes.

(Extra, extra, read all about it: I've been interviewed here. Thank you to all those who have followed this link and checked out the interview. There have been so many wonderful comments that I've tried to reply to each one personally - but you're setting a cracking pace. My humble and heartfelt thanks to all of you for the wonderful tributes and thoughts you have shared on the interview.)

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

Star Light, Star Bright

First Star I See Tonight

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

We were walking down Bourke Street in the city centre recently, showing the Christmas illuminations to overseas visitors. The seasonal decorations may not be on the grand scale of Hong Kong or Singapore, but they are always a big attraction, especially now that the summer evenings are so long.

I was on the other side of the street when I noticed this single star in a store window. We were on our way back to the car, but I knew I had to sprint across to take the shot.

I guess the thing that really caught my attention was not just the elongated shape of the star, but a couple of other factors as well. For one thing, it was the soft colours and shades in the window. And of course the clincher was that there was nothing else in the window, just the single star.

It was the perfect example of solitary beauty.

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W Is For Wreath

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I’ve never seen wreaths as elaborate as these, photographed at the famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore exactly a year ago. I had an eastbound flight to catch but I was determined to cover as much ground as possible – on foot – around the city before picking up my bags and heading to the airport.

I had already made up my mind that I would call a halt when I reached Raffles, one of the most historic buildings in the former British colony. Time was really ticking away and I didn’t realise how heavy the pre-Christmas traffic would be and that I would lose precious minutes on my way to the airport.


But I found the time to shoot these wreaths in a courtyard at the hotel. The stained glass in the shot above had me fascinated, for it threw an interesting range of colours into the mix as well.

It was early afternoon and there was the feeling of so much history on these flagstones as I tried to get as many photographs as possible. I knew that time was ticking away, but I tried not to think about it.

Eventually I made my way round to the hotel’s main entrance, where I made another pit stop to take photographs. Eventually, I knew I had run out of time and hailed a cab. But just as I was about to get in and tell the driver where to take me, I spotted this huge Christmas ribbon on a light pole. If you want to figure out how large it is, take a look at the huge palm fronds to the left – and that’ll give you a fair idea of its dimensions.

Yes, I caught my flight. But a good friend of mine, who knows how punctual I am, couldn’t believe her eyes when I arrived a few minutes late to meet her at the Singapore Airlines check-in desk.


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Crowning Glory

Santa, I Think You Left Your Hat Behind

Orchard Road, Singapore. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Christmas Angels In The Sky

Maybe Yule Be Touched By This Message

Singapore, December 2007. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Could I take a minute to tell you about the most amazing Christmas gift I ever received? It didn't have a price tag on it, yet in many ways it was the most priceless gift I could have wished for.

It wasn't gift-wrapped. It wasn't bought in a store. Yet I carry it with me wherever I go.

It was a gift I would like to pass on to all of you. It was a gift I received from a remarkable woman who taught me and my brothers that the most important Christmas attribute is to give, not to receive.

She had so little as a child. She was raised in a Bangalore orphanage, then was looked after by English nuns in a convent in Pune. That school was her only home; the nuns were her surrogate parents. She had nowhere else to go. She never had a home to go to until she married. Yet she never had a chip on her shoulder.

Instead of seeking therapy, she sought only to spread great love to all children. Generations of kids at St Thomas' School in Kidderpore, Calcutta, loved her like their own mother. They hugged her and kissed her - and four decades later they still tell me how much she meant to them. They called her, simply, and with such love, "Aunty Mac".

I know just how much she meant to them. Her name was Phyllis McMahon. She was my mother.

If you'd like to share her gift, please take the time to read my feature article The Great Christmas Surprise at Terry Fletcher's portal. If it makes you laugh, if it makes you think, if it makes you appreciate this season, indeed if it touches you in the slightest way, please send the link to friends and family and ask them to do the same. It is the least we can do at Christmas.

My mother would have liked that, too.


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Washing Tonne

Anything For A Clean Reputation

Laundry poles, Singapore. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Oxford's Collar

High On A Hill Lived A Lonely Coat-Herd

Singapore, December 2007. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Cotton Pickin'

Reel-Life Situations Can Be Fun To Photograph

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I guess you have to thank the UK-based blogger Maggie May for this post, because it was inspired by a comment she left on my blog a few days ago.

Perceptive as ever, she was the first (but not the last) to ask me whether I ever get lost when I'm overseas, due to my habit of wandering down strange streets, camera in hand, simply looking for great sights to photograph.

It's a very interesting question. The answer, quite truthfully, is no. I have never got lost overseas, perhaps because I keep a close eye on my bearings and on cross-streets. But let's just say when I'm driving here in Melbourne and I don't have Mrs Authorblog navigating, I have a reputation for, um, not finding the quickest way to my destination.

Let's just leave it at that. If you want any clarifications on this situation, you will simply have to ask Mrs Authorblog. I refuse to enter into any debate on this question!

This shot was taken in Singapore, ten months ago. I was just wandering around the nooks and crannies of Little India, fascinated by the visual treasures in each shop. And no, I didn't get lost.

But there's always a first time, hey?

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