On Design - Amanda Talbot - Interview / The Design Files (Fri 02 Nov 2012)

suppose.jp (*) - page 51 - RETHINK: The Way you Live (*)
Amanda Talbot (*) says in Interview: Amanda Talbot - The Design Files (*):

Matching living trends with good design is no longer just about colour, function and aesthetics.

It is about creating a product, an idea, a space that can enhance our life and help us deal with what obstacles this changing world is throwing at us.

Our houses are no longer simply homes but where we work, study, socialise and shop.

We demand dwellings that celebrate the rituals of domestic life and allow for privacy and change of mood.

via Interview: Amanda Talbot (*). Some interesting thoughts to ponder. Function and form are important elements for me. I also know that one persons function is anothers disfunction - it makes the world interesting and varied.

Passageway - Alexandria (Sat 25 Feb 2012)

On Life - Spencer Lum / Ground Glass (Wed 28 Nov 2012)

Water [1] - Sapphire Pines / Brisbane (Sun 02 Sep 2012)
As always, another inspiring post from Spencer Lum (*) where he writes in Everyone gets the 15% (*):

When you look back at the end of it all, there’s really only one person you’ll have to answer to.

Yourself.

And if you never gave up, and you always kept pushing with the power of belief (*) behind the message you spread and the gift you shared, then you can hold your head high when you ask yourself what it was all for.

Because you’ll know you lived life. And life is a hell of a ride if you’re willing to get on.

[1] I was up early on the last day of camp. Went for a walk along where we trained. It was beautiful and calm and another water photo is added to my little collection (*). The early morning light was strong but even and the were ducks feeding amongst the reeds. A couple of fisherman were out with lures. They did not catch anything but I know they were just happy to be up early appreciating nature and the anticipation (*) of a bite. For me, as I walked and admired the view, there was the anticipation (*) of flying out, the next day, to the Busan (*) for the 2012 Asian Dragon Boat championships.

On Photography - Joel Meyerowitz / Vice Beta (Nov 2012)

Weathered Door - Mitchell Road / Alexandria (Wed 21 Nov 2012)
Joel Meyerowitz (*) reveals in The Young Gun Meets the Living Legend (*):

Every time you take a picture, you’re saying yes to what you see.

There should be a degree of consciousness about who you are in the world at that moment, a kind of integrated consciousness.

It’s not blind luck, so if one can find what it is that makes you conscious, what gives you the pleasure of being alive at that moment, I feel that is what leads you to your own identity.

Because in the long run, your individual identity will be revealed by the strength of the photographs you make in one year, ten years, 15 years—there’s a string.

They’re like little jewels on the string and they carry all the messages that you were excited by when the world spoke to you.

From an Interview (*) with Olivia Bee (*).

Pacific Dragons Santa Lineup - 2012 Santa Fest - Darling Harbour (Sat 24 Nov 2012)

Pacific Dragons Santa Lineup - 2012 Santa Fest - Darling Harbour (Sat 24 Nov 2012)
Will the real Santa please step forward!!

DRIZA-BONE - Red and Blue - Pitt Street / Sydney (Fri 23 Nov 2012)

DRIZA-BONE - Red and Blue - Pitt Street / Sydney (Fri 23 Nov 2012)
Was looking for a red and blue photo (*) that day, and this was the second. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Nippy's Riverland Citrus - Yellow and Blue - Alexandria (Fri 23 Nov 2012)

Nippy's Riverland Citrus - Yellow and Blue - Alexandria (Fri 23 Nov 2012)
Just liked the colours, textures and the composition of this banal scene and how my little Canon S95 rendered the scene.

With Eileen - Ealing / London (Thu 03 Sep 2009)

Eileen - Ealing / London (Thu 03 Sep 2009)

On Colour - Mental Preparation - Brad McGee / Cycling Tips (Thu 22 Nov 2012)

Red and Blue - Erskineville Road / Erskineville (Fri 23 Nov 2012)
Brad McGee (*) talks (*) about the depth and extent of his mental preparation:

If I needed firing up on the way to the start line, I’d look for cues like red colours, if I felt I needed calming down I’d look for blue…

via Brad McGee: Stealing that Time Back... (*) at Cycling Tips (*).

Green - Allen Lane / Alexandria (Mon 19 Nov 2012)

Green - Allen Lane / Alexandria (Mon 19 Nov 2012)
Nature and the built environment conspire to become partners in colour coordination.

Twin Lights #4 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2012)

Twin Lights #4 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2012)
The last of many. A softer rendition and more towards the IXUS from 2001.

Twin Lights #3 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2012)

Twin Lights #3 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2012)
One more to follow.

Fintan Magee - Paper Plains (Vimeo)

Fintan Magee (*) - Paper Plains [Vimeo (*)]

Twin Lights #2 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2012)

Twin Lights #2 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2012)

Twin Lights #1 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (7:51pm Wed 21 Nov 2012)

Twin Lights #1 - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (7:51pm Wed 21 Nov 2012)

Twin Lights - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (7:48pm Wed 21 Nov 2001)

Twin Lights - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (7:48pm Wed 21 Nov 2001)
11 years ago today. Must try to get a photo tonight on the way home from work.

Pasteup Portraits - Fintan Magee - Church Street / Newtown (Sat 17 Nov 2012)

Pasteups Portraits - Fintan Magee (*) - Church Street / Newtown (Sat 17 Nov 2012)
Pasteups - Fintan Magee (*) - Church Street / Newtown (Sat 17 Nov 2012)
Needless to say, but I think they are fantastic. More on Fintan Magee (*) here (*)

Red Sofa - Ferry Lane / Glebe (Mon 19 Nov 2012)

Red Sofa - Ferry Lane / Glebe (Mon 19 Nov 2012)

More Than the Rainbow - Matt Weber / Trailer (Vimeo)

More Than the Rainbow - Matt Weber - Trailer ( Vimeo [*)]
From the Trailer Blurb:

More Than the Rainbow (*) [..] chronicles the life and times of street photographer and former taxi driver Matt Weber (*), it becomes a vibrant conversation about the photographic medium, artistic expression, and New York City.

Via Radiate Magazine Tumblr (*).

Twin Lights - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Mon 19 Nov 2012)

Twin Lights - Then and Now - ATP / Redfern (Mon 19 Nov 2012)
A new Office Block dominates the skyline in the ATP.

Andrew - Cafe ism / Wilson Street / Newtown (Mon 19 Nov 2012)

Andrew - Cafe ism (*) / Wilson Street / Newtown (Mon 19 Nov 2012)
Met up with Andrew today, a long time friend and work colleague. Could not work out the last time we met since January 2010. It was nice to catch up and I could not help but make a few photos.

Pasteups - Church Street / Newtown (Sat 17 Nov 2012)

Pasteups - Church Street / Newtown (Sat 17 Nov 2012) Portraits - Pasteups - Church Street / Newtown (Sat 17 Nov 2012)
Spotted this lot from King Street and made a few moments to make some photos on my Canon S95 (to follow) and iPhone (those here).

Pacific Dragons - Masters Men - Five Islands Outrigger Canoe Regatta (Sun 11 Nov 2012)

Pacific Dragons - Masters Men - Five Islands Outrigger Canoe Regatta (Sun 11 Nov 2012) [Youtube (*)]
The final minute of a 14km race out and back into Wollongong's Boat Harbour. Much nicer conditions to that which experienced at the beginning of 2010 (*). From left to right - Nuku, Peter, Paul and that would be me at the back of the canoe. Thanks to Graeme for the great GoPro footage of the whole race. Will have to get myself one of these as it great to get some video feedback to help improve the technique.

On Photography - Joel Meyerowitz - Time Lightbox (Fri 02 Nov 2012)

On Approach to Busan [1] (Tue 04 Sep 2012)
From Taking His Time: A Look Back at 50 Years of Joel Meyerowitz’s Photographs, (*) Nate Rawlings (*) writes about Joel Meyerowitz (*):

When he is shooting on the street, there isn’t much time to contemplate each moment.

"Photography takes place in a fraction of a second"

Meyerowitz says.

"There isn't a lot of time to think about things. You have to hone your instinct. You learn to hone that skill and timing so you’re in the right place at the right time."

Although he has made images that have moved audiences for decades, that has never been his true motivation.

"I'm not out there to make another ‘great picture,"

he says.

I’m really out there to feel what it feels like to be alive and conscious in that moment. In a sense, the record of my photographs is a record of moments of consciousness and awareness that have come to me in my life"

[1] The light was just beautiful as the sun rose on our landing approach to Busan. Often just photograph a scene because of the good nature of the light. For me the scene has extra meaning as it represents the beginning of a long, challenging and, ultimately, rewarding trip to Busan, South Korea.

On Beauty and Photography - Davey Maclean aka Shot by Shooter / Glass Magazine (Tue 14 Nov 2012)

Mother, Son and Frog - Markets / Shanghai (Wed 20 Oct 2004)
Davey Mclean (*) aka Shot by Shooter (*) in Glass Magazine (*)

[On Beauty] I often photograph people who have a kind of fragile beauty [..]

[On Photography] I don't think that my photographs mean anything, they are just what someone sees in them – I think photography only has meaning when someone looks at it. They’re just snapshots.

I was able to give her a copy of an A4 print on my return to Shanghai a few weeks later. She was very excited.

Detail #1 - Mother and Son - Markets / Shanghai (Wed 20 Oct 2004)
Detail #2 (Hands) - The Frog - Markets / Shanghai (Wed 20 Oct 2004)

On Connections - Jo Rowling - Harvard Commencement Speech (Thu 05 Jun 2008)

Jo and Tokyo Students [1] - Gold Palace / Kyoto (Sat 15 Sep 2012)
In her 2008 Harvard Commencement Speech (*), Jo Rowling (*) quotes an Anceint Greek Historian and Writer by the of Plutarch (*):

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.

where she expands:

That is an astonishing statement and yet proven a thousand times every day of our lives.

It expresses, in part, our inescapable connection with the outside world, the fact that we touch other people's lives simply by existing.

[1] The students had just finished asking Joanne a number of questions for a school assignment testing their English. They were very nice to us and put smiles on our faces.

On Awareness - The Talent Code / Daniel Coyle (Mon 12 Nov 2012)

Jenny - Thredbo (Wed 08 Jan 2003)
Daniel Coyle (*) writes on How to Boost Awareness (*)

Know where you are, and know where you’re supposed to be. [..]

Know where you are. - What move are you making, exactly, right now? Are you tuned into the precise knowledge of your performance as it unfolds?

Know where you’re supposed to be. - Where are you in relation to the ideal move? If you could superimpose yourself over the ideal performance, where would you match, and where would you fall short?

This advice fits with our scientific picture of skill acquisition. [..] In a word, it’s about cultivating awareness - awareness of ourselves, and of the path to our target performance.

Definitely applies to photography as well.

Truro Blue - Truro / Cornwall (Sun 06 Sep 2012)

Truro Blue - Truro / Cornwall (Sun 06 Sep 2012)
Seem to have a liking for the colour blue (*) and the abstract (*). I like this very much and it is one of my best - all modesty aside - smiling to myself.

Introduction - Kung Fu TV Series (YouTube)

Introduction - Kung Fu TV Series [Youtube (*)]
A Random Recollection (*) ..

The last post On Focus (*) seemed to remind me of the Kung Fu TV series (*) from the early 70's. I remember the snatch the pebble from my hand (*) scenes where Master Khan tests the young Caine:

Quickly as you can, snatch the pebble from my hand.

[Young Caine tries to do so and fails]

When you can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave.

Must have too much time on my hands today.

On Focus - Bryan Formhals (Sun 11 Nov 2012)

Focus - ..but on what? the photography student said .. - Glebe (Sun 23 Sep 2012)
Bryan Formhals (*) writes in The Digest – 11 Nov 2012 (*):

I think the important thing is to focus on what brings you the most value.

It can be tough to block out the noise but you have to put in the effort otherwise you’ll go crazy.

On Photography - Then and Now

Sculpture - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)
Kirk Tuck (*) writes in Reaching back Thirty Three Years [..] (*)

I like to go back to stuff I did a long time ago and see how it compares to the stuff I'm doing now.

In many instances I'm disappointed with what I'm doing now when I see the images I made when I was [..] very new to the field of photography.

I know what Kirk means. I look back to these photos and I wonder whether I have really made any progress. In the end I think I have. I have learnt a lot about the medium of photography and it's history. So for that I am grateful.

Sculpture - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Flame Tree - Hyde Park / Sydney (Mon 10 Dec 2002)

Flame Tree - Hyde Park / Sydney (Mon 10 Dec 2002)
The Hyde Park Flame Trees are already in full blossom now. I can see them from my desk at work and I was reminded of this photo, which I have just dug out of the archives.

I remember that I had polarizing filter for my little IXUS. It was for a much larger lens and all I would do is place it over the IXUS lens and rotate it to get the maximum effect - usually that of turning up the contrast, which this photo effectively shows.

Twin Lights - Australian Technology Park / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2001)

Twin Lights - Australian Technology Park / Redfern (Wed 21 Nov 2001)
My little 2 MB Canon IXUS captured this scene (*) brilliantly. It was a first generation digital camera, but in many ways my favourite camera.

I saw differently in those days and in some ways feel I was a better photographer back then compared to now. More on this later under Then and Now (*).

Sculptures (2 of 2) - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Sculptures (2 of 2) - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Sculptures (1 of 2) - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Sculptures (1 of 2) - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Sculpture - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Sculpture - Sculptures by the Sea / Tamarama (Sat 03 Nov 2001)

Portraits - Burren St / Macdonaldtown (Sat 29 Sep 2012)

Portraits - Burren St / Macdonaldtown (Sat 29 Sep 2012)
From the gallery walls of the Macdonaldtown Railway Underpass.