Orange, Clockwork

I Think It's Beyond A Shadow Of Doubt

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These images were shot in late June this year, as I walked toward a city car park. It was early in the afternoon and there was a strong breeze tossing the thin branches of nearby saplings that had not quite lost all their foliage.

I stopped to admire the shadows dancing across the walls of a nearby building. Then, as I approached the car park, I realised the shadows etched an interesting motif across the bright orange tiles of the support pillars.


Doesn't matter if you’re in a hurry. When you see a sight that forces you to stop and admire it, you simply have to gets the lens cap off your camera and shoot the scene.

Light is capricious. Trust me. A great light effect you see today might not be there tomorrow or the day after.


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

Sign, Along The Dotted Line

The Concept Is Up In The Air

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These two shots weren't really planned. They were shot a couple of weeks ago when I was walking towards Southbank in the afternoon. I was squinting up at the bright sunshine, to see which way the cloudbanks were moving.

As I did so, I noticed that I was on the "wrong" side of this giant sign above the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, so of course I had to take a shot because the quirkiness of the lettering appealed to me.

And in case you're wondering, this is what the sign looks like if you're on the "right" side looking up at it.


For other participants in Dot’s concept, go to Sky Watch HQ.

Image Building

Hello Dali, Well, Hello Dali

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I reckon I've walked past this building dozens of times, but what caught my attention about five weeks ago, when I took these shots, was the interesting, moody sky reflected in the sharply segmented exterior glass of the structure.

It was a grey winter day with scattered patches of blue sky, and I stood there for a few seconds, enthralled by the wonderful reflection I could see. You see, this building is on the south side of the Yarra, but because of where I was standing, I could actually see the reflection of the Optus building and other offices on the other side of the river bank.

Then when I sat down at my computer later and examined the images, something caught my eye. See how the word "Optus" is reversed - as you'd expect in a mirror image?

Now look at the bottom image and have a look at the very dark flag (in the bottom left-hand corner) advertising the Salvador Dali exhibition. Well, here's the puzzle - the lettering is the right way round.

It took me at least a minute to figure it out. The flag was obviously flying the wrong way round in the crisp, cold breeze - but the reflection has inverted it to seem "normal".


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

The Magic Of Spangles

Yes, You Can Shoot The Shimmering Water

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I’ve never been a tripod sort of guy. Yes, there are many good reasons for using one, especially in low light, in darkness and when using long exposure times. But I have to admit, for a bloke who does a fair amount of low-light shooting, I haven’t felt a pressing need for one.

The only time I’ve come close to acknowledging it would be handy to have a tripod was on New Year’s Eve a few months ago. There were thousands of families (some official estimates put the figure at more than 100,000 people) on both banks of the Yarra to watch the fireworks, a great Melbourne tradition.


Complete darkness only cloaked the city at about 9.30, because December is a summer month for us topsy-turvy Australians. And shortly after, I walked down past the river bank to see what the crowds were like. That’s when I noticed the lights reflected in the rippling surface of the river. I took a couple of shots, but they weren’t great.

I was about to move on when a boat went slowly up the river towards the city centre. Of course, its wake created more movement across the surface and that started me thinking. Yes, I could find a handy post or railing and steady the camera to get the shot I wanted. Or I could go the other way instead ....


I could embrace the shimmering river and set a slower shutter speed to emphasise the movement and colour across the water. The results are fairly interesting, because the red and gold patterns look like spiral spangles. Just goes to show – never be afraid to experiment or to think outside the square.


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

Too Many (Captain) Cooks? Never!

Must Be Time To Play Statues

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Melbourne, with its long daylight hours, tourist culture and café lifestyle, is a haven for outdoor performers of all descriptions. Southbank, in particular, is right on the pulse for entertainers, buskers and artists of many persuasions, probably because of the proximity to the performing arts precinct.


This series of shots was taken on the afternoon of Australia Day, January 26. I noticed a crowd gathered by the riverfront and took the lens cap off my trusty Pentax because I knew that something was afoot.

Sure enough, that’s when I spotted this mime artist/ actor dressed in a wonderful costume, depicting Captain James Cook, regarded as one of the greatest explorers of the 18th century. The costume and makeup were beautifully matched to look like a statue and the man impersonating Captain Cook did a great job with his ultra-slow-motion movements and an unchanging expression on his face.


When one child gave him a miniature Australian flag, he accepted it with a grave nod and ever so slowly put the flag into his pocket. There was a period of four seconds between these two photos, so you can see how slowly he was moving his hand.

I was walking away when I noticed this shy little girl being propelled by her mother. Fortuitously, I was in the perfect position for these shots, because the real point of interest was not the expression on the entertainer’s face, but the excitement that shone on the girl’s features.


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

Hue And Try

Warm Wishes From Wintry Melbourne

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes I think the only place more beautiful than Melbourne by day is, well, Melbourne by night. The familiar sights and shapes and views take on such a different personality after the last of the day’s natural light has disappeared.

Because this city – like most villages built by our forefathers – is sited along a river, we are blessed with waterside views that most of us probably take for granted.

Last Thursday night the entire Authorblog clan was in the city’s business district for a special function and after it was over we walked in a leisurely manner to a restaurant for dinner. It was a very balmy evening for this time of year, with winter only five weeks away (and yes, the weather has turned since then, with snow already).

I wasn't using a tripod (I never do) so the clarity of the shot is a pretty good indication of a steady hand.

I took a couple of frames of the shimmering colours reflected across the Yarra’s surface when I noticed a person walking slowly past the waterfront. I didn’t want to be intrusive, so I shot the scene from where I stood, using the human figure as a counterpoint against the many hues on the water.

It was a truly mellow sight on a truly mellow evening.


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

A Tribute To Autumn

Scene And Unseen, On The Yarra's Surface

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This sequence was shot early on Thursday morning, as I walked across the pedestrian footbridge that connects Flinders Street Station to Southbank. The sun was still at a very shallow angle and because it was a cool morning, there was a bit of haze around.

Normally, I would not even have taken my camera out of the bag. But I had barely taken half a dozen steps across the bridge when I noticed that there was only a very gentle breeze, which is extremely unusual for Melbourne, especially around the water.


So I shot these four frames quickly, in less than 90 seconds. The object of the exercise was simply to show you that on a hazy day, a reflection is sometimes more intense and robust in colour quality than the original object itself. That, of course, is the opposite to normal weather conditions in clear light and a standard breeze, when a reflection can never match what is above the water.

Scroll back and take a look for yourself. In the first shot, the row of plane trees themselves are not quite as striking as their water-enhanced rendering. In each frame, the bottom area (or the reflection) is better quality than the top.


If you're wondering why the breeze played a part, here's the answer. The normal Melbourne breeze ruffles the surface of the water, leaving no discernible reflection at all on the Yarra River.

I was about to put the lens cap back on my camera when I noticed this red-clad jogger going past. Naturally, I had to take the shot - because I knew the two people in black (or dark blue) would not be visible on the water's surface, while the red jogger would stand out like a beacon.


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

Hands Christian Andersen

Yes, Time Really Does Stand Still Here

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It’s always interesting to present this weekly pictorial theme with a slight interpretative twist. As this week’s subject is Hands, I thought about several options, including shooting a few frames aboard a crowded train, with several sets of hands holding one of the horizontal stability bars.

Then as I was walking through the Southbank area I remembered that there is a strategically-located store where you can get just about anything, from a pair of shoelaces to getting your name engraved on a trophy or even having a spare key cut.

It’s one of those places where a single person behind the counter has a variety of skills and can solve a problem for you while you wait. Lost the heel on your shoe? He’ll fix it. Your watch battery has bitten the dust? He’ll open up the timepiece and not only replace the battery but clean the interior mechanism as well.

And there is a four-frame frieze painted on the exterior window, as you come up the stairs from the Langham Hotel. This is the first of the frames. Like they say: many hands make light work.


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

Gate Expectations

What The Dickens Is This?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These are, quite literally, the gates that never close. They are gates in name only, for they never swing shut on their huge metal hinges,

As you walk up the main stairwell at Southbank here in Melbourne, the overwhelming impression is that of a wide open space. In a brilliant architectural marriage of design and natural light, you are presented with a broad expanse in front of you, leading to a high glass atrium and an arcade which in turn takes you through to an open-air courtyard en route to some famous workplaces.

But I'm tipping that I could show these photographs to many people who work in the area or who visit it frequently - and a certain percentage of them would not recognise the unique figures in these images.


These are the famous Southbank gates and each is about a metre and a half long. They are located near the top of the stairwell, just where the walls are painted a rich ochre that is redolent of the Outback.

Just for the record, the gates are never closed. And precisely because of that, some folk never really pay attention to the little figures atop each spike on the gates. If they had to walk through or around these pieces of art, people would remember them. But because they are in the background, they more or less form a mural, rather than a potential barrier.

I don't know who created the gates or how he or she forged each figure. But rest assured that when I do, you'll be the first to know.


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

Here's A Fishy Character

Don't Can It, Just Wait For A Gannet

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It was just one of those warm Melbourne afternoons and I decided to walk along the river at Southbank when I noticed this bird sitting in the sunlight. He was in no hurry at all. He just sat there, so I decided to drop anchor and watch him for a few minutes.

I thought I might be able to get in a fortuitous shot, because if the bird was hungry, he might launch himself across the river to pick up a fish that ventured unwisely close to the surface. But nope, he wasn’t hungry – or maybe he just wasn’t energetic enough.


As the moments ticked by, I noticed that each time he blinked, you could actually see a green sheen across the single eye that I could see in profile. He was a long way away from me, but if I’d moved closer I would have been at a different angle, merely looking at his back. So I stayed where I was, hoping to react quick enough to catch him.

This was just a lucky shot. You could say it happened in the blink of an eye.


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

Milk Run

Time For A Freudian Slip

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this a few days ago, about head-height on the Exxon Mobil building here at Southbank, Melbourne. It’s just a simple depiction of two side-by-side fire hose connections mounted on an exterior wall.

But you wouldn’t believe how many people chuckle and say these images remind them of something else.


Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

A Touch Of Paris

Geraniums Make The World Go Round

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

One of the many things I remember about Paris was the beautiful window boxes in the many apartment buildings. The summer we were there, most of the window boxes were awash with red geraniums and the white variety as well.

It wasn't until we bought out first home that I realised how easy it is to grow geraniums. The other bonus, of course, is that they require little of no maintenance. In our present home, we have flowers of many varieties, but I have never planted geraniums although I have this inescapable thought that there are some large ceramic pots out the front which could do with some bright colour.


I reckon there's a fair chance there'll be some geraniums there in the next few days, to bolster the petunias that have been a blaze of colour since the first week of October.

These shots were taken on the huge main staircase at Southbank, here in Melbourne. I guess there's not many countries in the world where you see Christmas baubles and geraniums in the same place. But yes, it is summer here .... and now if you'll excuse me, I need to get my gardening gloves, my potting mix and put something out the front of the house.

Yeah, okay, so I've been inspired by these pictures. Gotta run.


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

Vote Yea Or Neigh

Thereby Hangs A Tail

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Late on Friday I was walking to Flinders Street Station when I noticed this unusual display outside EQ, a Southbank restaurant. You can see the petunias, right? You can see the eye-catching orange umbrella, right? You can see the lights, right?

But you're wondering where the critter is? Yes?

Okay, so let me take you to a different view of the scene. With the Melbourne Cup just around the corner (yes, it really is the race that stops a nation) here's some great advice scribbled on the board beside the display.


Now look at the last shot (below) which is another view of the scene, taken from further east. You can see the umbrella, right? You can see the petunias, right? You can see the board, right? And now you can see the horse as well! But go back to the first picture and you'll see it was there all along.

Did you see it in the first shot? Did you really? Let me know how observant you are ......


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