Sky Watch Friday # 69 | Hurum | Klokkarstua

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia.

SkyWatch Friday - Gamlebyen i Fredrikstad

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia.

Sky Watch Friday # 67

Panorama image made by 3 shots.

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia.

Sky Watch Friday # 66

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia.

Sky Watch Friday # 66

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy, Louise and Sylvia.

Sky Watch Friday # 65

Breidalsvatnet - Oppland

Møre og Romsdal

Møre og Romsdal

Rauma - Møre og Romsdal

Dalsnibba - Geiranger - Møre og Romsdal - 1500m above see level

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy and Ivar.

Sky Watch Friday - Sunset at Öland # 64

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy and Ivar.

Sky Watch Friday - Bench of the week

Stavanger Harbor

For more benches - visit Rune at "Visual Norway".

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy and Ivar.

Standing Tall

High And Mighty, In The Last Hour Of Daylight

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It was just one of those days when you never know what the light is going to do next. It had started out as a fairly cold morning, no more than a chilly four degrees before sunrise. Then daylight took the sting out of the wind and by the time I got to the river’s edge late that evening, it was positively balmy.

There was only about half an hour between the time I shot the first image in this series and the last. Strangely enough (no, it wasn’t planned) the very first and last shots were taken within a few metres of each other.


To start with, I noticed that the sun, about forty-five minutes away from the horizon, had thrown some interesting light over the Rialto, the second-tallest building in Melbourne. That’s when I shot the first of these images. Then I meandered around the area of Flinders Street and Federation Square for about half an hour, before making my way back towards where my car was parked.

The sun was long gone, but the mottled sky had a few flashes of silvery-gold. I could not resist the chance to switch the camera back on and take one last image for the day.


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

Standing Tall

High And Mighty, In The Last Hour Of Daylight

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It was just one of those days when you never know what the light is going to do next. It had started out as a fairly cold morning, no more than a chilly four degrees before sunrise. Then daylight took the sting out of the wind and by the time I got to the river’s edge late that evening, it was positively balmy.

There was only about half an hour between the time I shot the first image in this series and the last. Strangely enough (no, it wasn’t planned) the very first and last shots were taken within a few metres of each other.


To start with, I noticed that the sun, about forty-five minutes away from the horizon, had thrown some interesting light over the Rialto, the second-tallest building in Melbourne. That’s when I shot the first of these images. Then I meandered around the area of Flinders Street and Federation Square for about half an hour, before making my way back towards where my car was parked.

The sun was long gone, but the mottled sky had a few flashes of silvery-gold. I could not resist the chance to switch the camera back on and take one last image for the day.


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

Tower Power

Just Keep Working Those Angles

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot these images early two weeks ago, in the city. There was a smattering of light cloud across a clear blue sky and even though it was only the fourth day of the Australian spring, the caress of the morning sun brought unaccustomed warmth.

I just happened to look up to gauge the cloud cover and this view just stopped me in my tracks. It might not have been the most arresting skyscape in terms of colour, but as far as perspective went, it was pretty special.

The silhouettes worked in my favour and the unmistakable lines of a couple of cranes on building site nearby just gave me a bit of extra reference. And just in case you were wondering, these are two separate buildings, on opposite sides of a street!


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

Tower Power

Just Keep Working Those Angles

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot these images early two weeks ago, in the city. There was a smattering of light cloud across a clear blue sky and even though it was only the fourth day of the Australian spring, the caress of the morning sun brought unaccustomed warmth.

I just happened to look up to gauge the cloud cover and this view just stopped me in my tracks. It might not have been the most arresting skyscape in terms of colour, but as far as perspective went, it was pretty special.

The silhouettes worked in my favour and the unmistakable lines of a couple of cranes on building site nearby just gave me a bit of extra reference. And just in case you were wondering, these are two separate buildings, on opposite sides of a street!


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

Up, Up And Away

I Feel The Need, The Need For Speed

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It was a very murky dusk when I shot this series of images of a US F/A-18 Hornet as part of a sequence at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon in March this year.

These are all uncropped images. Aviation photography can be very testing, because you seldom get a second chance for a shot. But in the top left-hand corner of the image below, you can see the slightest hint of a cloud wisp.


The bad light really tested me that evening, because the weather conditions deteriorated very quickly. The next day, however, it rained constantly, so I guess I was very lucky to get any shots at all!


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

Up, Up And Away

I Feel The Need, The Need For Speed

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It was a very murky dusk when I shot this series of images of a US F/A-18 Hornet as part of a sequence at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon in March this year.

These are all uncropped images. Aviation photography can be very testing, because you seldom get a second chance for a shot. But in the top left-hand corner of the image below, you can see the slightest hint of a cloud wisp.


The bad light really tested me that evening, because the weather conditions deteriorated very quickly. The next day, however, it rained constantly, so I guess I was very lucky to get any shots at all!


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

True Grid

John Wayne Might Have Liked To Ride Here

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this series of images under moody, sullen skies last weekend – the final weekend of the Australian winter. I was just in my shirtsleeves, but it was not a sensible dress code, because the wind bit into me as it whistled down this exposed valley.

But I wanted to shoot this serene paddock, used for grazing horses, against the backdrop of a familiar sight in any countryside – towering pylons and power lines. Why? Just because of the symmetry of the scene, and the symbolism of power supply across rolling green paddocks.

A few months ago, this area was hit hard by a sudden, fierce bushfire that raced through on a savagely hot day when the howling north wind carried burning embers several hundred metres ahead of the real firefront, igniting the crowns of towering gum trees that seemed to explode in sudden combustion.


The fire stopped just short of this valley, as the water-bombing helicopters flew endless missions in support of the ground crews. Just at the crest of this hill, there is still a scarred landscape, with burnt trees that have not grown back.

But from where I stood, just beyond the fringe of where the fire was finally conquered, there is no evidence of Nature’s savage fury on that day, 30 January.

Down here, it’s lush and green, with plenty of grass for the horses that roam these undulating paddocks. There’s bales of hay in the back of the ute – and lots of water in the trough. Sorry, did I say "trough"? I meant to say "old, discarded bath tub".

There’s no end to inventiveness and innovation in the bush!


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

True Grid

John Wayne Might Have Liked To Ride Here

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this series of images under moody, sullen skies last weekend – the final weekend of the Australian winter. I was just in my shirtsleeves, but it was not a sensible dress code, because the wind bit into me as it whistled down this exposed valley.

But I wanted to shoot this serene paddock, used for grazing horses, against the backdrop of a familiar sight in any countryside – towering pylons and power lines. Why? Just because of the symmetry of the scene, and the symbolism of power supply across rolling green paddocks.

A few months ago, this area was hit hard by a sudden, fierce bushfire that raced through on a savagely hot day when the howling north wind carried burning embers several hundred metres ahead of the real firefront, igniting the crowns of towering gum trees that seemed to explode in sudden combustion.


The fire stopped just short of this valley, as the water-bombing helicopters flew endless missions in support of the ground crews. Just at the crest of this hill, there is still a scarred landscape, with burnt trees that have not grown back.

But from where I stood, just beyond the fringe of where the fire was finally conquered, there is no evidence of Nature’s savage fury on that day, 30 January.

Down here, it’s lush and green, with plenty of grass for the horses that roam these undulating paddocks. There’s bales of hay in the back of the ute – and lots of water in the trough. Sorry, did I say "trough"? I meant to say "old, discarded bath tub".

There’s no end to inventiveness and innovation in the bush!


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

Blue Dawn In Muskoka

Pier Pressure? Nope, There's No Pressure Here

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Maybe it's because I'm curious. Maybe it's because I never want to miss anything. Maybe it's because I'm thorough. Maybe it's because I have this desire to size up every aspect of a situation before I judge it.

Or maybe it's just because Nature fascinates me.

The truth of the matter is, no matter what I'm photographing, whether it's a stunning sunrise or an amazing mountainside, I always make it a point to look all around me, just to make sure I haven't missed out on any sight that would otherwise escape my attention.

Sometimes you have to look away from your main subject to find unexpected beauty.

This shot was taken in September 2005, while I photographed sunrise at Canoe Lake in Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park in Muskoka, Ontario. I followed my own simple rule and looked left, right and behind me just to ensure I wasn’t missing out on Nature’s beauty – and I was rewarded with this tranquil scene that was positioned to my immediate right.

The silver-blue dominates the scene, even to the soft light playing across the wooden pier and on the hulls of the upturned boats on the lake’s bank on the right of the image.

Can you the slightest hint of red in this shot? It’s the red-and-white buoy which is barely discernible as it bobs just above the longest of the piers.

And in case you're wondering what exactly was the main focus of my attention that morning, it was simply a sunrise across the lake, as you can see below .....


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

Blue Dawn In Muskoka

Pier Pressure? Nope, There's No Pressure Here

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Maybe it's because I'm curious. Maybe it's because I never want to miss anything. Maybe it's because I'm thorough. Maybe it's because I have this desire to size up every aspect of a situation before I judge it.

Or maybe it's just because Nature fascinates me.

The truth of the matter is, no matter what I'm photographing, whether it's a stunning sunrise or an amazing mountainside, I always make it a point to look all around me, just to make sure I haven't missed out on any sight that would otherwise escape my attention.

Sometimes you have to look away from your main subject to find unexpected beauty.

This shot was taken in September 2005, while I photographed sunrise at Canoe Lake in Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park in Muskoka, Ontario. I followed my own simple rule and looked left, right and behind me just to ensure I wasn’t missing out on Nature’s beauty – and I was rewarded with this tranquil scene that was positioned to my immediate right.

The silver-blue dominates the scene, even to the soft light playing across the wooden pier and on the hulls of the upturned boats on the lake’s bank on the right of the image.

Can you the slightest hint of red in this shot? It’s the red-and-white buoy which is barely discernible as it bobs just above the longest of the piers.

And in case you're wondering what exactly was the main focus of my attention that morning, it was simply a sunrise across the lake, as you can see below .....


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

I'll Huff And I'll Puff

And I'll (Almost) Blow Your House Down

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken just after 7am last Sunday, during the storm that lashed Victoria, bringing down trees and taking roof tiles off houses. The state had been buffeted by gale-force winds for more than twelve hours and even after daylight arrived, there was no sign of conditions abating.

I had just realised that the tarpaulin cover for our backyard barbecue had been blown off, so I went out into the garden to try and replace it. But the storm made a mockery of my efforts. Even as I tried to replace the cover, the storm continued to lift it, so I just gave up, put the cover away and decided to come back to it later.

No big deal, you're thinking. Maybe not. But before Mrs Authorblog bought me this new barbecue, our old one had a heavy steel cover that snugly embraced the appliance. And during some storms, we'd find that the wind had picked up the cover and flung it around the back yard.

Storms that were nowhere near as savage as this one!

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