Sunday was not only the birthday of my brother (the auspicious 21) and my partner’s brother (25).
But it was also the wedding day of my cousin.
Although I was not the offical photographer, I simply couldn’t resist taking a few candid pics of the day.
To capture the energy, as my gift to them.
Congratulations guys. You’re a beautiful couple. May you have many joyous years ahead.
More photos here.
It was in a sunday night and I wanted to have a bit of fun light-painting.
After a hectic week at work, it was supposed to be relaxing few hours up on the knoll of Kings Park.
Painting on a canvas of blackness with palette of light.
But unlike the beach, there are
1) lots of people
2) light spill from the city
3) murderous hordes of mozzies
4) lumpy grass that makes sticking a tripod to it ludicrously hard
5) murderous hordes of mozzies
6) candles that can’t fight the wind
7) and hunger pangs for hot chocolate at The Moon.
So I guess it didn’t work like how I intended.
Light painting fail.
But thank-you for all that were involved. You know who you were.
As life would have it, when I want to ramp up more of the fun things, I get the things that I’d rather not have. A roster crammed with work, more consulting roles, more tastings, and less time to do it all in.
So you could say this is a form of apology for all the readers seeking small bar information. I’ll endeavour to visit more in the next few weeks.
But as for now, I’m a little anxious over a wedding that a friend of mine has shanghaied me into photographing. She ’strongly insisted’ that I do the photography for her, this being the first ever paid gig.
Ah well, she loved the pre-wedding shoot, and I’m sure it can’t be that bad. They’re an electric couple and capturing that energy won’t be hard.
And to the bride and groom, I wish you the best of what life has to offer.
Fingers crossed.
It would only be natural that when there is a severe weather event people turn their heads up to the sky.
Those forlon clouds bearing down over the small speck of city. It’s kind of intimidating. And so we watch them, hoping trees are the only things bent against their will.
I have always had an interest in what goes on above my head because you can be anywhere in the world and observe something different. Sky watching is an active practice for an idle body.
You observe the coulds which can mean fair weather, clear skies or rain in the next few days. Our ancestors had to use this information to eke a living, and somewhere along the line we turned our heads down and forgot endless display above us.
Look above and learn your clouds. It’s an endless fascinating flick-book.
The below cloud is a Pyrocumulus which happens when a large fire intensely creates an updraft enough to form a cumulonimbus. Though it’s created by fire, the moisture condenses and will fall back as rain sometimes extinguishing the fire that it created. Lightning caused by the electrostatic charges by the particle updraft starts fires over again. Another fascinating circle of energy balanced perfectly by nature.
It was 9c. I was running late for projections and I though would be smart and ‘kill two birds with one stone’ and quickly nip into the Borders to get a MOLESKINE for my creative writing needs, after all it was only 8pm. Of couse you don’t consider that blissfully driving into the city, then to content with no parking and a light smattering of rain, I made it half way to Borders but fruitlessly without what I had intended to get. For that is why I was late. I’m sorry Jerrem!
OK. Aside from that, the projection night (1st Aug 2008) was pretty groovy with plenty of new inquisitive faces poking around like curious rabbits. We had some total randoms come by and say pretty much WTF is this!? They had a go with stylus in hand, drawing whatever took their fancy. As a stop gap measure to a lack of power, we ran the whole show from Jerrem (trusty) car. It provided all the juice needed, and it did open up new wormholes in to mobile projection and guerilla movie screenings. I just can’t wait for them to happen…
It was time again to brave the elements, don on your cold weather gear and grapple with artistic expression on the side of Perth buildings. V.30 saw the introduction of alphabet board inspired by fridge magnets and cool 3D modeling over cars and bikes kodus to Daniel. Just like fridge magnets you only have the 26 letters of which to play with, so you have to be a little creative. Aside from that again, we had curious onlookers this time mainly cleaners disposing garbage a few more random people and an overzelous security gurad. It’s kind of cool meeting new people projecting having only linked up in the virtual world of facebook or blogosphere.
All in all the night carried a sub polar chill (thanks to a strong easterly), so crowds kept to huddled circles jittering to keep warm. Those energetic enough provided the artistic inspiration, a few cool displays from randoms and well familiar faces. A pity, the site’s lighting was a little too dark so most photos are blurred, but some on tripods fared well. I could have used my newest lens addition (Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM) if only it wasn’t 1 day late. Till next projections, we’ll have to wait. A big thanks to Jerrem for facilitaing this event once again.
Living in a country with no native deciduous trees (except Tasmanian Beech), it’s quite a novelty this time of the year when we get treated with spectacular colours of ’Fall’. Most notable of all cases, Liquid Amber aka American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) appears to ignite into flames of yellow, orange, red then deep purple.
Its a commonly planted tree in the many Shires, adapting to the Mediterranean climes of Perth from it’s homeland in warm temperate America. One in full bloom is a awesome sight to behold, but as transient as this display is, announcing the shorter colder days of winter, is soon gone leaving a bare frame behind. Take in the free things in life; the beauty of nature.
The Friday 9th May was a beautifully misting morning sans the haze that blew in from a bushfire from Ellenbrook. Everything was covered with a lovely shroud of dew. I couldn’t resist walking on my way into Subiaco for few macro shots. It’s the simple (and free- yes I believe this is in the true essence- free) things in life we miss rushing off to work that can really make your day, as this did.
Enjoy.
If you would like the file for desktop wall paper let me know and I’ll e-mail it to you.
For the last 3 nights I have wandered the streets Perth with Jerrem in search of good points to ‘plug in’ to the power grid, of course for free power, but like all things in this world, it aint free. We could not avoid glances from suspicious eyes as I trotted round the city with a camera bag attached; complete with tripod sticking out, and Jerrem wheeling a trundling tool box of projections paraphernalia. (Mind you an intimidating glance from a scary man holding what looked like a Hasselblad H series!?! Why would anyone want to mug a thug clutching a $30,000+ camera I have no idea).
We were in search of the improbable if not impossible. A 240V power point, unalarmed, free into- the-grid-and-decent-adjacent-building-to-project-onto site. By decent I mean, generally white in colour, no windows and a greater than 2meters and less than 10 stories height, as you know if you live in Perth you would know , our options are rather limited. Also working with the current lens that I do have (Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L-series IS USM) it’s not the best for night shots though the Image Stabilization does help a fraction when you have the ISO bumped way up- sans tripod. We found many sites and fewer power points that always happened to be flanked either side with inappropriate canvas space.
All in all though we found 2 sites both in Northbridge, both 5min walk from each other. The first one lies on the vacant lot next to Mustang Bar. This location belies the ‘stumbling into’ nature of street projection, for passersby anyway that we are trying initiate. People perhaps are uninquisitive enough to walk 30meters into a vacant quasi-construction site into a group of shadowed youths brandishing laser pointers and Wii remotes. But I remain hopeful- for those that will be constructive to our cause.
The other is a cracker of a site protected by a 2m colour bond fence complete with dissuading bougainvillea thickets. The plot of land actually forms what appears to be the car park for community newspapers; nice little plot very spacious and topped off with big brother-esque camera. A perfect canvas towers to the west, windowless in a terracotta if-not-mistaken peachy tone. Nonetheless perfect for our needs and after a night of trawling the streets, and a comming down with a sore throat that I wanted the world to know about, it was ended at newely refurbished cafe-come-lounge Greens’s and Co. in Leederville for some soothing icecream and tea.
Check out Jerrem’s link for upcoming locations, events.
