Black - Darlinghurst Road / Darlinghurst (Fri 09 Mar 2012)
KEEP THE WALL C - Darlinghurst (Fri 09 Mar 2012)
Decided to enter these two photos into 2012 Sydney Life (*). They have appeared here before (*) and have been cropped to conform to the required 35mm equivalent aspect ratio.
They were taken about 20 minutes apart after I had been to the Stills Gallery (*) to view Trent Parke's (*) Minutes to Midnight Photo Exhibition (*). I had hoped to purchase a copy of his book (*) with same name as the Exhibition, but it had not been published at the time (now due for mid-Aug release and I have a few copies on pre-order from Amazon).
Back to the photos. Have always been intrigued by photos that are predominately black. There is actually a lot of detail in the dark centre of this one and there is a lot to explore, There is a tension associated with the opposing brighter focal points to the left and right of the frames. They draw you away from the center, but I always seem to want to come back to explore the dark centre, A 3x2m canvas print would definitely do it justice.
The 2nd photo is just about colour and a few other things, Also a study in motion and the motion blur oddly enough seems to work, as well as the left foot just above the ground and it's associated shadow. The C is for Clean.
Both photos are worth a try at entering, for me at least.
John: What I look for is a forward angle on the catch. 99% of people are going to reach and look exactly like this (Danny on ERG in perfect setup) before they take a stroke. But what they are going to do is come 8, 9 or 10 inches before they hit the water. And another 2 or 3 inches before they sink the blade.
So the idea is to set that blade we you reach it.
I hear all the time that "I hit the front iako" in the canoe. Well if you are hitting the front iako, but your putting in the paddle a foot back. So why not just put the paddle in there?
The idea is to reach the paddle to the point you are going to put in. If you can only put the full blade in at this point. Then start there. Don't reach out here and then come back 5, 6 or 7 inches before you set the blade. It's a wasted motion. If you can get in here at this angle, then eventually over time as you get more comfortable then you start moving a half inch further forward, and then move another half inch farther forward.
So forward angle on the catch is the first thing I look for.
I look for a triangle. The bottom of the blade is here is one point. Your top hand is the second point and the back of your hip is your third.
So if you body has this triangle motion and you set the blade there and then you start to use your larger efficient muscles (???).
I will let Danny do some talking as he is good at this.
Danny: As Johny said, the biggest thing is to get your blade to set in the water. It doesn't count if the tip just touches the water and it does not count if it is up in the air. The entire blade has to be set.
Johnny actually showed me a drill that is really hard to do but is surprisingly sounds really easy. You literally just set up, set you blade in the water at forward angle, don't pull and then take it out. Amazing how many people setup in the air start back to pull and it surprisingly simple. All you do is set up the blade and you just set blade in the water, take it out, set it again. This kind of gets you use to knowing where your catch is.
Some people have really long arms that are great for putting the paddle up here. Some people have little short arms. It's kind whatever you can reach comfortably because if you get this point (over extended). You can't pull from here, You can't be really efficient from here. You need to find that extension where you have a forward angle and you setting the whole blade in the under water (at a positive angle).
99% of paddlers get here, start there stroke and it is buried here and this is where the stroke starts (short).
You have a great picture of you and the paddle in the air and this great reach and everything is perfect. But you are not starting your stroke until here. (short)
Johnny: That's why every likes pictures of them paddling in the air, because it looks great. And you get a six man team and everyone looks awesome and then a lot of times with the video you go stroke by stroke.
If you can get someone to take a video of you and you think about that forward angle on the catch and where you are setting your catch. If you go frame by frame, you see each frame as go come back farther and farther until the blade gets in the water.
A lot of times, by the time you set that blade in, a lot of people have this angle (negative) on the shaft.
You have lost your whole load at the front. The reason you are paddling up front is that you are using leverage instead of muscle and that is how I kind of look at it.
[By example] If you are reaching out really far and setting it in, you are using lats, legs, stomach and core muscles. You know if you are in here and bending your arm, and this is where it feels heavy (during the pull). A lot people think I am doing a lot of work, I am really strong and this is working out. Well that's not it. The reason is that it feels heavy is that you no longer have leverage. Out here feels (extended) easy because you ahve leverage. It should feel like you are out in front and you have set the blade and you literally grab onto mud or concrete.
OK I always say, that if a door is closed shut and it is nailed closed. What you are going to do is put your foot one the wall and you ging to have your arm out and you are going to pull on it this way (at 4:25 sec mark - effectively shows leg drive also).
It's the same thing when you are paddling. You are never going to go up to that door and go half way up to it, and give it good yank, because there is no leverage.
Any questions? That is just the first part.
Danny: You will know when you get out and set the blade on forward angle, because it feels heavier and it is actually harder. Once you get going, that's going to help you out just to keep your speed. (???)
When you get out here. Once you set the blade, it feels a lot heavier, then if you are going to pull back and set here (short).
Johnny: That's where the one man technique comes in so handy in canoe paddling. A lot people just paddle 6 mans and not one mans (??). If you have your own boat, you can get out there and see where you are putting the paddle in. No timing to keep up with, nobody is racing you, you are not in the competiiton mode. You just sit there relax and go. OK:
can I put that paddle in up front?
Did I have a forward angle?
Did I set the whole blade?
If you can get that blade set at a forward angle at the front, then half you battle is over.
RPM 35 was my first RPM Release. This is Track 3 - a hill track from that release. This is not the actual song/mix used for the RPM 35 Release (they never are, as extended mixes are used instead of the originals). In 2008 there were a few more youtube video's available of various mixes of this song. I really enjoy the variations one can find for various songs. Shows a lot of creativity. Will try to find them and put them up here. Actually just found my favourite now (see below). Love the animation, I can feel the motion in this video. Also the song has a bit more intensity in the mix.
RPM 35 (Q207) 1 Mas Que Nada feat.The Black Eyed Peas Sergio Mendes 2 Only One Too (Lenny B Club Mix) Jewel 3 Riding on the Wings (Motiv8 Airplay Extended Mix) Motiv8 4 You're All I Have Snow Patrol 5 Paradise City Guns N' Roses 6 Sunchyme Dario G 7 Rhythm Is a Dancer 2004 (CJ Stone Club Remix) Snap! 8 Crazy Gnarls Barkley 9 Waiting on the World to Change
A great clip from the soon to be released movie In The Same Boat featuring Kamini Jain and the False Creek River Canoe Club (FCRCC).
I have another video coming that features Kamini talking about the stroke that you see in this clip (just follow the Kamini Jain tag to find the technique video).
Definitely worth looking at this clip in slow motion to see what is going on - watch for the Hinge, Rotation and the top hand position through the stroke. Over the last 12 months, my club has adopted some aspects of the stroke, so this is a great way to visualise the stroke. Lots to learn here.
Not sure when the film will be released, but there is a Facebook page which seems to be active as well as a blog and a twitter account (not so active). The catch cry for the film ..
In life and in sport, we paddle hard - young or old, warm or cold, rain or shine to the finish line, because we are, all of us, IN THE SAME BOAT.
A pretty random post, but it has put a smile on my face and was fun to put together.
Heard this song on the radio on the way to training yesterday evening. It's a song you will often hear on the radio on a stormy afternoon or evening.
The storm clouds were looming as we got closer to Bank Street and it had started to lightly rain. The wind came up and the air became colder, and in combination with the songs haunting lyrics, driving beat of the bass and drums, and the memories it evoked, it made me tingle and I was covered in goose bumps.
The music and lyrics seem to capture the feelings and mental images that I carry with me, to be and feel Australian.
I guess that's all reasonably vague, but feelings for me are difficult to describe - much in the same way Dennis Denuto demonstrates so passionately, yet unconvincingly, in the classic Australian Movie The Castle:
It's the vibe of the thing, your Honour.
The vibe or the gist are terms I use a lot to cover for my inability to express my feelings or what I am thinking :-) Dennis is my hero. Here he is at his definitive best:
The Castle - in the Federal and High Courts (youtube)
Some random memories. The song goes back to 1982, which would have been my last year of full-time uni. I did see The Flowers (Iva Davies predecessor to Icehouse) at the University Union in the 2nd Term of 1980 and then a few weeks later back in Wagga Wagga for the University Holidays. Was excited to have some friends, from my school days in Wagga Wagga, to be the local supporting act. For some reason I asked Jenny whether we could have the song played at our Wedding Reception. She liked it and it was played during the night and as a filler as we said our farewells at the end of the evening. It was put on repeat as I we took a lot longer than we had planned.
Great Southern Land Lyrics
Standing at the limit of an endless ocean Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea City on a rainy day, down in the harbor Watching as the gray clouds shadow the bay
Looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you This is not the way that I remember it here Anyone will tell you, it's a prisoner island Hidden in the summer for a million years
Great southern land Burned you black
So you look into the land and it will tell you a story Story 'bout a journey ended long ago If you listen to the motion of the wind in the mountains Maybe you can hear them talking like I do "They're gonna betray you, they're gonna forget you Are you gonna let them take you over that way"
Great southern land, great southern land You walk alone like a primitive man And they make it work with sticks and bones See their hungry eyes, it's a hungry home
I hear the sound of the stranger's voices I see their hungry eyes, their hungry eyes Great southern land, great southern land They burned you black, black against the ground
Standing at the limit of an endless ocean Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea City on a rainy day, down in the harbor Watching as the gray clouds shadow the bay
Looking everywhere 'cause I had to find you This is not the way that I remember it here Anyone will tell you, it's a prisoner island Hidden in the summer for a million years
Great southern land, in the sleeping sun You walk alone with the ghost of time They then burned you black, black against the ground And they make it work with rocks and sand
I hear the sound of the stranger's voices I see their hungry eyes, their hungry eyes Great southern land, great southern land You walk alone, like a primitive man
You walk alone with the ghost of time And they burned you black Yeah, they burned you black Great southern land Great southern land Great southern land Great southern land
You might be able to guess why I picked this particular youtube clip of Great Southern Land. Two weeks to Nationals. Canberra here we come .. really looking forward to the racing with my team mates and catching up with all our friends from right across Australia.
Lake Burley Griffin Sunset - Black - Canberra (02 Aug 2002 *)
A Moment - Before, During and After - Racice / Czech Republic (Sat 29 Aug 2009)
For a Moment .. You think, you dream, you are inspired and you decide to go for the Team. You plan, you flex, you push, you pull, you metal, you shuffle, you kettle, you stand and paddle, and jump a few hurdles, and suddenly, you've made the Team, the first stage of a dream. You smile for a while, but you know it is only the first mile. You train, you strain, you pain, you drain, you gain, you laugh, you try, you cry, you learn, you create capacity and experiences, and build motion, connections and emotions for a Moment that seems so far off. You desire, you aspire, you perspire, time transpires and suddenly the Moment is there just in front of you, just there waiting for you to decide and respond as only you know how to. May you seize this Moment just ahead. It is just there .. waiting .. yes, just there. Where? It's there, just there, you know it. Grasp it with both hands. Fight for the inches, they are hard to find but they are there. And given an inch, take a mile, no mercy. What lies ahead is a mystery and shortly it will be history, to become your few threads in the rich tapestry that became before you. Be in and saviour this Moment, it is there waiting for you to move into and through, just like a door, to shape you and to become your memories with friends for a lifetime. Forever. As Jenny would say, "Don't Wonder 'What If?'". Go Australia!! Go the Auroras!!
