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.
I never shop where they don’t show the price in the window.
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:
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!
Photographed from various angles I hope you like my perspectives of this instantly recognizable landmark in Sydney.
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.
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.
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.
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 🙂
As I have been travelling for two days during this week I haven’t had the time to register for this challenge so I am putting together a post to meet the five themes introduced this week and at the same time introduce you to my new neighbourhood (albeit temporary).
Sydney, NSW, Australia is home to 4.576 million people and is the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. It is also home to my eldest son and family.
The Corso in Manly is one of Sydney’s more famous streets and runs from the harbour side at Manly Wharf to the ocean side at Manly Beach. In my image the focus is on the Victorian building on the left of the street with the palm trees and the people forming the background.
Sydneysiders are lucky to have many beautiful beaches on their doorstep. This is the surf at Dee Why, one of the northern beaches. Finding this odd iron piling along the beach I couldn’t decide whether a vertical or horizontal composition suits it best. Which version do you prefer?
This theme asks you to consider what the word bliss means. To me, today, bliss means that first cuddle with a new grandchild. Bliss to him was wearing his shades to block out the glare of that Australian sunshine.
The Manly Scenic Walkway at Shelly Beach. Today we are asked to consider placement of the subject in a photograph. My focus was on the bench, but I waited until a solitary figure appeared on the bend of the track and lined up the horizon with the metal railings to frame the sea from the sky. I was also rather pleased that the bench colour matched the sea and the lines were at a nice angle to the lines of the railings. Often a photo can look to be accidental, but I moved around quite a bit to get this deliberate shot.
An artfully executed minimalist photograph is anything but mundane. It illustrates a moment in time, or an artistic perspective, with simplicity and grace.
Sunlight shines through the breaks in the stratocumulus covering creating alternating light and dark sun rays slanting to the sea
The Crepuscular rays stream through the gaps as the storm cloud advances.
TRAVEL WORDS 