TRAVEL WORDS

WPC: Angular

Sydney

Whilst in the city last week I couldn’t help but be attracted to the angular shapes formed by the modern high-rise buildings in the CBD. Everywhere I looked, shapes and angles and colours and reflections beckoned. Not to mention the various angles I had to use to capture these images.

(please click on an image to scroll through and enlarge)

Feeling blue

Curved angles

Painted angles

Reflected angles

Angles taken at an angle

Tubular angles

Old vs New angles

Crisp angles

Wavy angles

Patterned angles

Crazy angles

Odd Angles

More curves

The edge

Oh, and can you have curved angles?

PhotoGRAPHy 101: Week 3

Pop of Colour

As you travel around the suburbs of Sydney at this time of year your eye is drawn to the pop of colour amongst the greenery. The beautiful Jacaranda tree is full of fragrant purple flowers during the spring-time. I fell in love with this tree on first sight in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg 40 years ago.

Architecture

Those who follow my blog will know that I am very keen on architecture. Old, new, entire buildings, small details – I love architectural images. So what to select from my week in Sydney? Something old? Something new? The challenge asks you consider shots that will translate well in black and white. I think these two shots do because a) the clock has such a striking pattern and b) the modern building is practically monotone anyway. See what you think.

Old

New

Moment

A couple of unexpected moments occurred this week whilst out walking. Although asked to experiment with blur and movement I had no time to do that with the wren as it just literally flew in front of me – I am surprised that there isn’t more blur! As for the kookaburra he was so still that I thought at first he wasn’t real, until he turned his head to look at me. Anyway, these were such special moments I wanted to share them with you.

A Superb Fairy-wren at Bondi Beach

Superb Fairy-wren

A Laughing Kookaburra at Barrenjoey Beach

Swarm

Today’s challenge is to look at things in a great number. As a rule I tend to avoid places where there are a lot of people, but the streets of Sydney’s CBD are pretty busy – pedestrians AND traffic! So far I haven’t been bothered by swarms of flies. The corks are working a treat 😉 So how about a swarm of little life-savers on the beach at Dee Why? Cute eh?

Landscape

A year or two ago I would not have classed myself as a landscape photographer. My main focus then was close-up shots of flowers with the odd bit of architecture thrown in. But I have been seeing the beauty of landscapes from other photographers whom I admire, so now and again I’ll have ‘a go’ especially when visiting the US National Parks which is where I first started to consider landscape photography.

This is Palm Beach – the location for the Aussie soap ‘Home and Away’ and the furthest most northern beach suburb of Sydney (it takes about 2 hours to reach here by bus). To get this view I had to climb up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse, 350 feet above sea level, on a rather warm day! I hope you all appreciate the efforts I go to to get a photograph! On your left is the Pacific Ocean and Palm Beach, on the right is Pittwater and Barrenjoey beach. The ocean side was very windy, the right was like bathing in bath water – well the first few feet were anyway. I wouldn’t mind living here 🙂

Well, that’s it for another week. A very warm week here I have to say, and some of my explorations have been cut short because of the extreme heat. This poor English rose has wilted badly!

A Walk in the Blue Mountains

Last week we took a train from Sydney up into the Blue Mountains Region. It didn’t look very promising as we set out from Central Station amidst grey skies and high humidity. As we passed the soulless western suburbs of the city seemingly full of business parks and car lots, it struck me how awful arriving in any city by train can be. After an hour though we started climbing and then went through the more picturesque suburbs of Emu Plains, Warrimoo and Bullaburra – you have to love the Australian names. Arriving in Katoomba we found the bus to take us to Echo Point and The Three Sisters lookout. As we stepped out of the bus the cloud broke and the sun pierced it’s way through and the full weight of the heat struck us.

Views

Scenic World

Bottlebrush

Blue haze

Three Sisters

After admiring the views for a while I decided to head off on one of the bush trails past Kedumba View which looks out over the Kedumba River to Mount Solitary. It was too hot already to contemplate the longer, more arduous boardwalk you can access from over at Scenic World, but I think you’ll find that even on a shortish walk (40 mins one way) there is a lot to see.

The trail to Kedumba View

Blossom – similar to our Blackthorn

A tree fern

The trail

Sky Train – can you spot it?

I continued along the trail which would lead to another viewpoint, before retracing my steps. The views were amazing, but I was also interested in the flora alongside the trail, much if looking like the fynbos found in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.

The path became muddier and less easy to traverse with short steps along the route, but the joy of discovering different things to see every few yards made me continue until I reached Lady Darley’s Lookout.

Steps and curves

French youngsters on the edge

Lady Darley Lookout

View to Echo Point

Echo Point

Bridging a cascade

Where I found the most wonderful views, and a group of French youngsters posing for photos on the edge of the overhang! What makes people do this? Do they not realise that one false step and they are over the edge? Looking at my options of either the ladder going down (and the steps in the distance to the next viewpoint at Katoomba Falls) and the steep staircase going up to the Cliff Drive, I decided that this would be my turnaround point. By now that sun was hot too!

Ladder down

The View

The next viewpoint

and more steps…

Returning

Lovely trees

Lady Darley Lookout – can you see the ladder?

and a final few photos of the flora…

Tree fern unfurling

Silver grey gums

The following day there were severe bush fires in the Blue Mountains – a common occurrence and one which must put fear in the hearts of those people who live in this vast ‘bushland’.

(Why are the Blue Mountains blue? The distinctive blue haze is always present. The phenomenon is known as ‘Rayleigh Scattering’ and caused by scattering rays of light coming into contact with the fine dust particles and droplets of oil dispersed from the eucalyptus trees in the valley.)

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.

Name Dropping in Sydney

Lingering over windows in Sydney has the effect of leaving you with your mouth open – so many expensive shops. I couldn’t help admire the gleaming window displays; less is more.

Gold Dress

I never shop where they don’t show the price in the window.

PhotoGRAPHy 101: Week 2

Round-up of week 2 of this challenge and more of my temporary abode. Wi-fi has been in short supply this week mostly due to the corrupt practice that large corporate hotel-chains have of charging exorbitant rates for a connection. Even though we paid for 24 hours in the room, that was restricted to one, yes you read that correctly, one device. I was able to have an hour free in the lobby with a weak connection. My best connection was in the Customs House library, a lovely place close to the Circular Quays, which was not only free, but also not time restricted. And, if you are wondering, you also get 45 mins or 300 Mb on the ferries. All of which leads into the first theme of the week:

Connect

It seemed appropriate to post an image of Sydney Harbour Bridge aka ‘The Coathanger’ because of its arch-based design, as this iconic bridge connects the north shore and the CBD.

More connections are made at the aforementioned Customs House Library and a rather lovely connection has been made with a fellow blogger, the irascible ( 😉 )Margaret Rose Stringer who very kindly provided me with a lovely lunch and a good old chin-wag on one of the hottest days in Sydney so far. Arriving hot, sweaty and red in the face she must have thought I was going to expire on her doorstep – blame it on the Pyrmont Bridge I say, which provides no shade whatsoever!

The lovely M-R

Connecting in the library

Landmark

Photographed from various angles I hope you like my perspectives of this instantly recognizable landmark in Sydney.

Sydney Opera House

The Natural World

A trip up to the Blue Mountains has provided the material for this theme, though I could have used any number of photos from this trip so far. As those of you who kindly read this blog will know, I love to play with angles, perspectives and composition as well as seeking out shapes, textures and strong horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. I have some super city shots that will find themselves in a post at some stage. Meanwhile here is the natural world.

Silver bark

View towards Echo Point

A winding path

Some kind of asteraceae

The Three Sisters

More images of the flora in Australia can be found on my Earth Laughs in Flowers blog where I am challenging my Aussie pals to identify the wonderful varieties they have there.

Warmth

Today we are asked to consider how photographers ‘draw with light’. Leaving Shelly Beach in Manly the early evening light cast a warm glow on these sea kayakers.

And I can’t resist a photo of another Eastern Water Dragon basking in the warmth of the sun on a rock in the Chinese Friendship Garden.

Mystery

And finally I leave you with a mysterious art installation in the centre of the CBD.

Hopefully next week I will have a more constant connection and be able to post and comment a bit more, in between finding new subjects to photograph, naturally 🙂