The Gift Of A Voice

That’s Not A Disability, That’s A Real Ability

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this about a week ago, on one of those interesting Melbourne days when you’re not quite sure what the weather is going to do next. Spring was not yet a week old, but the sky was patchy, blue in one area and moody grey in others.

When the sun shone unimpeded, the caress of its rays was balmy. But when the sun slid behind cloud cover, it seemed as if the temperature dived substantially. I was shooting some images across the river when I heard someone singing Simon and Garfunkel tunes.

I looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. It took me a few seconds to work it out. Then I spotted them - there were two blokes positioned in a corner of the pedestrian footbridge that spans the Yarra River.

The guitarist was able-bodied. The vocalist accompanying him was in a wheelchair. Were they related? I don’t know. But they sure knew how to harmonise.

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The Gift Of A Voice

That’s Not A Disability, That’s A Real Ability

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this about a week ago, on one of those interesting Melbourne days when you’re not quite sure what the weather is going to do next. Spring was not yet a week old, but the sky was patchy, blue in one area and moody grey in others.

When the sun shone unimpeded, the caress of its rays was balmy. But when the sun slid behind cloud cover, it seemed as if the temperature dived substantially. I was shooting some images across the river when I heard someone singing Simon and Garfunkel tunes.

I looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. It took me a few seconds to work it out. Then I spotted them - there were two blokes positioned in a corner of the pedestrian footbridge that spans the Yarra River.

The guitarist was able-bodied. The vocalist accompanying him was in a wheelchair. Were they related? I don’t know. But they sure knew how to harmonise.

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Frosty, Is That Really You?

You've Grown Into Such A Well-Rounded Character

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

About ten days ago, I was walking down Elizabeth Street in the city, when I thought I saw a snowman. So I stopped. Blinked. Rubbed my eyes. Looked again. It was still there. And yes, it was most definitely a snowman.

But of course it wasn't real. It wasn't made out of genuine snow. I thought about crossing the street to get a closer look, and then I figured I'd be able to depict it more accurately from where I stood, several metres away on the opposite pavement.

So I shot a couple of frames from where I stood, with the late-afternoon sunlight angled across the board near Frosty's arms. With my zoom lens, I could pick out the words "Snow Report" on the whiteboard, along with the date, Friday 4 September.

And yes, it was more fun taking photographs than being on the ski slopes.


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Frosty, Is That Really You?

You've Grown Into Such A Well-Rounded Character

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

About ten days ago, I was walking down Elizabeth Street in the city, when I thought I saw a snowman. So I stopped. Blinked. Rubbed my eyes. Looked again. It was still there. And yes, it was most definitely a snowman.

But of course it wasn't real. It wasn't made out of genuine snow. I thought about crossing the street to get a closer look, and then I figured I'd be able to depict it more accurately from where I stood, several metres away on the opposite pavement.

So I shot a couple of frames from where I stood, with the late-afternoon sunlight angled across the board near Frosty's arms. With my zoom lens, I could pick out the words "Snow Report" on the whiteboard, along with the date, Friday 4 September.

And yes, it was more fun taking photographs than being on the ski slopes.


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Hats Off To Her

This Could Be A Scene From A Pre-War Movie

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was walking down a café zone in Melbourne about six weeks ago when I noticed a woman walking several metres ahead of me. It was a cold afternoon, with low cloud, a bit of drizzle and a testing wind.

She had on a hat and full-length coat and for a split second I wondered of there was a film or documentary crew somewhere, shooting her as she walked down the well-known lane in the central business district.

I had my camera around my neck, so I just sprinted a few yards and shot a quick frame, composing the shot instinctively to tried an exclude any extraneous elements and simply concentrate on a head-and-shoulders-from-behind shot that placed her in the context of the street, against colours that complemented the red-and-black ensemble she was wearing.

Yes, I know it’s not the sharpest image I’ve shot, but it’s here on my blog because it’s a real depiction of a shot taken literally while I was at full stride. A few seconds later, I realised she was not an actress, and that there was no film crew.

But I caught up with her anyway, introduced myself and said I’d taken a couple of shots as she walked ahead of me. I offered to show her the images on the LCD screen of my camera and said I’d delete them if she had any reservations about being photographed, albeit in a way that did not identify her.

But she told me she had no objections. So this is the story of that shot …


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Hats Off To Her

This Could Be A Scene From A Pre-War Movie

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was walking down a café zone in Melbourne about six weeks ago when I noticed a woman walking several metres ahead of me. It was a cold afternoon, with low cloud, a bit of drizzle and a testing wind.

She had on a hat and full-length coat and for a split second I wondered of there was a film or documentary crew somewhere, shooting her as she walked down the well-known lane in the central business district.

I had my camera around my neck, so I just sprinted a few yards and shot a quick frame, composing the shot instinctively to tried an exclude any extraneous elements and simply concentrate on a head-and-shoulders-from-behind shot that placed her in the context of the street, against colours that complemented the red-and-black ensemble she was wearing.

Yes, I know it’s not the sharpest image I’ve shot, but it’s here on my blog because it’s a real depiction of a shot taken literally while I was at full stride. A few seconds later, I realised she was not an actress, and that there was no film crew.

But I caught up with her anyway, introduced myself and said I’d taken a couple of shots as she walked ahead of me. I offered to show her the images on the LCD screen of my camera and said I’d delete them if she had any reservations about being photographed, albeit in a way that did not identify her.

But she told me she had no objections. So this is the story of that shot …


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It's The Fort That Counts

We're Starting To See A Pattern Here

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It might look like faux military-style camouflage, but it ain’t. It might look like the door-and-window façade of some old fort, but it ain’t.

It’s just a view of Hosier Lane in Melbourne’s CBD. It's simply a narrow laneway, but it’s acquiring something of an international reputation because of the rich street art that has sprouted on the walls.

If you look carefully at the bottom right-hand corner of this image, you’ll actually see a segment of the footpath. That’s simply because the laneway is on an incline, and I shot this image dead straight to give you an idea of horizontal orientation.

That figure on the left, in the doorway, isn’t painted on the door’s glass surface. It’s actually the reflection of a real person. It was rainy, cold and windy when I shot this image, but there were at least half a dozen tourists and local students braving the weather and trying to shield their cameras from the rain.

That's the real attraction of street art. There's nowhere to hide - for the artist, or for the viewer.

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It's The Fort That Counts

We're Starting To See A Pattern Here

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It might look like faux military-style camouflage, but it ain’t. It might look like the door-and-window façade of some old fort, but it ain’t.

It’s just a view of Hosier Lane in Melbourne’s CBD. It's simply a narrow laneway, but it’s acquiring something of an international reputation because of the rich street art that has sprouted on the walls.

If you look carefully at the bottom right-hand corner of this image, you’ll actually see a segment of the footpath. That’s simply because the laneway is on an incline, and I shot this image dead straight to give you an idea of horizontal orientation.

That figure on the left, in the doorway, isn’t painted on the door’s glass surface. It’s actually the reflection of a real person. It was rainy, cold and windy when I shot this image, but there were at least half a dozen tourists and local students braving the weather and trying to shield their cameras from the rain.

That's the real attraction of street art. There's nowhere to hide - for the artist, or for the viewer.

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

Contrasts In Style And Grace

Two Faces Of Melbourne’s Architectural History

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken while I was walking towards Flinders Street Station recently, on an afternoon when the wind was biting but the sky turned brilliant blue for a short while.

As I walked, just soaking up the atmosphere of this beautiful city, I suddenly realised that if I found the precise angle, I could capture an interesting shot of the city.

So amid the crowds, I waited until I could find just the right spot in front of the city’s main station. I used my long lens for this sequence, because I wanted a really tight frame that encompassed two different styles and two very different eras in the city’s rich history.

In the foreground is the graceful Victorian-style façade of Flinders Street Station, just to the right of the central dome above the main entrance. In the background is Eureka Tower, the highest residential structure in the southern hemisphere.

The station is redolent of nineteenth century grace, while the super-skyscraper that redefines Melbourne’s skyline has only been officially open since October 2006.

So there you have it. A single frame that presents both ends of the spectrum of Melbourne’s most recognisable buildings.


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Contrasts In Style And Grace

Two Faces Of Melbourne’s Architectural History

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken while I was walking towards Flinders Street Station recently, on an afternoon when the wind was biting but the sky turned brilliant blue for a short while.

As I walked, just soaking up the atmosphere of this beautiful city, I suddenly realised that if I found the precise angle, I could capture an interesting shot of the city.

So amid the crowds, I waited until I could find just the right spot in front of the city’s main station. I used my long lens for this sequence, because I wanted a really tight frame that encompassed two different styles and two very different eras in the city’s rich history.

In the foreground is the graceful Victorian-style façade of Flinders Street Station, just to the right of the central dome above the main entrance. In the background is Eureka Tower, the highest residential structure in the southern hemisphere.

The station is redolent of nineteenth century grace, while the super-skyscraper that redefines Melbourne’s skyline has only been officially open since October 2006.

So there you have it. A single frame that presents both ends of the spectrum of Melbourne’s most recognisable buildings.


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Taking Steps

Long Winter Shadows On A Melbourne Afternoon

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Even though it's winter here, the afternoon sun can sometimes produce great shadows. About ten days ago, I was going to take a straight-on shot of these steps. Then I thought it would be far more interesting to wait a few minutes and actually try and get a shot of feet on the steps as someone walked past.

I was standing on the Yarra side of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and you'd reckon there'd be a lot of people walking past. But no, I had to wait a few minutes and I was determined to shoot the first person, without asking them to walk at a particular angle or at a certain pace.

It's an interesting task, because you don't know whether the person is going to walk straight, diagonally, up the stairs or down them.

Luckily this person strode along the top of the walkway and I was able to get a perfectly candid, unposed shot of his shoes - and a clearly defined shadow.

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Taking Steps

Long Winter Shadows On A Melbourne Afternoon

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Even though it's winter here, the afternoon sun can sometimes produce great shadows. About ten days ago, I was going to take a straight-on shot of these steps. Then I thought it would be far more interesting to wait a few minutes and actually try and get a shot of feet on the steps as someone walked past.

I was standing on the Yarra side of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and you'd reckon there'd be a lot of people walking past. But no, I had to wait a few minutes and I was determined to shoot the first person, without asking them to walk at a particular angle or at a certain pace.

It's an interesting task, because you don't know whether the person is going to walk straight, diagonally, up the stairs or down them.

Luckily this person strode along the top of the walkway and I was able to get a perfectly candid, unposed shot of his shoes - and a clearly defined shadow.

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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".


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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".


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The Best Little Oar House In Texas

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The Yarra River is more than just the waterway on which Melbourne’s founding fathers decided to build the city. It is an integral part of the city’s sporting culture, and on its banks are English elms (rather than Australian native trees) which were planted by English colonists who hankered for familiar foliage.

This shot was taken just before dawn last Friday, when the river took on an interesting silver-pink hue as it reflected the clouds high above. I was walking across Princes Bridge when I looked down and saw this crew rowing towards the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Naturally, I had to stop to take the shot. I took two frames, unsure of whether my reactions would actually be quick enough to capture the concentric pools of water left by the passage of each oar.

Looks like the result wasn't too shabby. The thing I really like about this low-light, quick-motion shot is that you can still see the swirls and eddies left by the previous dip of the oars into the water. Fast swirls. And also, er, fast eddies.

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The Best Little Oar House In Texas

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The Yarra River is more than just the waterway on which Melbourne’s founding fathers decided to build the city. It is an integral part of the city’s sporting culture, and on its banks are English elms (rather than Australian native trees) which were planted by English colonists who hankered for familiar foliage.

This shot was taken just before dawn last Friday, when the river took on an interesting silver-pink hue as it reflected the clouds high above. I was walking across Princes Bridge when I looked down and saw this crew rowing towards the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Naturally, I had to stop to take the shot. I took two frames, unsure of whether my reactions would actually be quick enough to capture the concentric pools of water left by the passage of each oar.

Looks like the result wasn't too shabby. The thing I really like about this low-light, quick-motion shot is that you can still see the swirls and eddies left by the previous dip of the oars into the water. Fast swirls. And also, er, fast eddies.

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Heart Starter

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken just over a fortnight ago, as I walked past Flinders Street Station. I noticed there were new posters affixed to the tram shelter between the station and Federation Square.

And I also realised that if I really walked quickly, I'd be able to get a clear shot of the poster through the traffic - with a tram in the background. I wasn't quite quick enough, because the tram was actually moving when I hit the trigger for this shot.

And in case you're wondering what the sticker says up the top of the glass of the tram shelter, it is: "No smoking in covered areas."

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Heart Starter

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken just over a fortnight ago, as I walked past Flinders Street Station. I noticed there were new posters affixed to the tram shelter between the station and Federation Square.

And I also realised that if I really walked quickly, I'd be able to get a clear shot of the poster through the traffic - with a tram in the background. I wasn't quite quick enough, because the tram was actually moving when I hit the trigger for this shot.

And in case you're wondering what the sticker says up the top of the glass of the tram shelter, it is: "No smoking in covered areas."

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Ageless Art

A City's Tribute To Unsung Artisans

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Last week I was walking towards Bourke Street when I decided to walk under the portico of the Melbourne Town Hall - always a visual treat by itself.

There are two of these huge arches with their distinctive colonial-era wrought iron work on either end. Because I was walking towards the business district, one of the high archways gave me a view of the upper facade of the Town Hall, while the other (the one I've photographed here) looked skywards.

As I shot the image, I wondered about the craftsman or the team of craftsmen who created this beautifully symmetrical piece of art. Did they first sketch the pattern on paper and then modify it until it had met everyone's approval, before starting what would have been a painstaking, laborious process to recreate it in metal?

It would be difficult enough to create something this ornate on paper, let alone to try and forge each individual element in metal and then weld each segment together. It is almost heresy for someone in the twenty-first century to walk past and capture it with a single press of a camera shutter.

But it's also a way of honouring their art - and sharing it with a wider audience.

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Ageless Art

A City's Tribute To Unsung Artisans

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Last week I was walking towards Bourke Street when I decided to walk under the portico of the Melbourne Town Hall - always a visual treat by itself.

There are two of these huge arches with their distinctive colonial-era wrought iron work on either end. Because I was walking towards the business district, one of the high archways gave me a view of the upper facade of the Town Hall, while the other (the one I've photographed here) looked skywards.

As I shot the image, I wondered about the craftsman or the team of craftsmen who created this beautifully symmetrical piece of art. Did they first sketch the pattern on paper and then modify it until it had met everyone's approval, before starting what would have been a painstaking, laborious process to recreate it in metal?

It would be difficult enough to create something this ornate on paper, let alone to try and forge each individual element in metal and then weld each segment together. It is almost heresy for someone in the twenty-first century to walk past and capture it with a single press of a camera shutter.

But it's also a way of honouring their art - and sharing it with a wider audience.

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