Favourite Photos - Intersection - Singapore - Sep 2009

Intersection - Central Boulevard/Raffles Quay - Singapore - Mon 28 Sep 2009 (picasa)
As with most of my Favourite Photos, it just comes down to colour and composition. The yellow lines of the intersection come together to form an apparent big yellow arrow. Like the effect of the painted over lines.

Reminds me of a scene that Jeffrey Smart might paint (examples). I enjoy his work and have a few of his books which have provided much inspiration, particularly while travelling. It is fun to make a photo with good composition and colour, from nothing. Will put up a selection of my favourite Jeffrey Smart influenced photos with time.

Found a couple quotes I liked about Smart's work ..

Indeed, Smart's conception of what he does is thus - "My only concern is putting the right shapes in the right colours in the right places. It is always geometry." [..]

Smart's subject matter is very urban and in many ways, mundane and often bleak, but he treats it in such a way as to make it almost special, using colour and light to make the urban landscapes/objects themselves scapes to be admired for their honesty.


Screenshot - Google Images - Jeffrey Smart Paintings

On Keeping With It - Jeffrey Smart (May 2005)

Untitled - George Street / Sydney (Tue 01 Sep 2015)

Jeffrey Smart on Keeping with It:

It is no use waiting about for inspiration. An artist has to work, work when he does not wish to work, and sometimes pursue and flog a dead painting, all the time knowing, it will be discarded. But he knows that by the act of painting, even in despair, he is placing himself in a position where something may turn up. It is the agony of creation. It takes some sort of mad persistence to go on being a painter.

via Jeffrey Smart (by Barry Pearce) by Jeffrey Smart.

On Ideas - Breaking Smart (Fri 13 Nov 2015)

Untitled - Alexandria (Wed 14 May 2014)

Breaking Smart on Ideas:

Ideas that occur at the beginning or end of a project are usually worthless. Ideas that occur in the middle of a project are priceless

via How Many Lightbulbs Does it Take to Change a Person? by Breaking Smart.

Too much time on my hands today. Catching up a little on some interesting posts over the last few weeks.

Favourite Photos: Tung Chung Intersection - Hong Kong - Jul 2010

Intersection - Tung Chung/Lantau Island/Hong Kong - Mon 26 Jul 2010
Seem to be drawn to Intersections, Pedestrian Crossings, Safey Barriers, Traffic Signs and Road Markings. Saw the above photo while waiting to catch the Cable Car (Ngong Ping 360) to see the Tian Tan Buddha. This is just one of many Intersection photos I have taken over the years. Very Smart like.

Study for 'Car Park at Night' - Jeffrey Smart - oil on canvas, 56 x 46cm - 1986

Favourite Photo - Bridge Work - Magdalene Street/Cambridge/UK (Thu 03 Sep 2009)

Magdalene Street Bridge Work - Cambridge/UK - Thu 3 Sep 2009 - (see picasa)
As mentioned earlier, I very much like the work of Jeffrey Smart. This is another photo that was inspired by his work.

We spent a day in Cambridge (UK) during our Europe 2009 Trip. Traveled by train for the day from London and had a really nice day exploring this historic university city. Was separated from the others for a while and was a little lost, but stumbled across this scene and still had time to capture this photo. Stood back a little and zoomed right in to effectively enlarge the background.

Enjoy the composition and colours (the reds, yellows, oranges, blues and whites) in this one. Also the white arrows on the blue signs work well and are definitely Smart inspired.

Finally, often a photo has something little to find and entertain. In this one I really like the bike (a signature element of the university city) which is elevated and chained to a post on the side wall of the middle of the Bridge (see upper left corner).

Coaching Observations - Physiology4Performance (Sun 01 Jun 2014)

Untitled - Langelinie promenade / Copenhagen (Fri 23 Aug 2013)
Physiology4Performance (*) writes On Coaching Observations (*):

After meeting and talking with some 700 DB coaches around the country, here are some common truths that keep cropping up:

• Every club struggles with numbers. Recruitment is key for every club. Recruit smart and relentlessly.


• People fall out and clubs split and create new clubs. It's painful but good for the sport. Most clubs I can think of started that way.


• The most effective coaches do it because they get great satisfaction from helping people develop, learn, achieve and become part of a club/family - not because they get their ego stroked. Most effective because they make decisions based on performance rather than their ego.


• Good coaches educate themselves and maximise the the time/effort that their team invests, by training their clubs smart and hard.


• The best clubs have two or more coaches that work together synergistically (i.e. their strengths and weaknesses compliment each other). It takes coaches with their ego's in check to work this way as they have to understand their own weaknesses and take a back seat to the other coaches in this area.


• Performance comes from the club culture as much as anything else. Culture is based on a set of values and ideals that is put in place and shaped by key members and taught to new members implicitly. Not everyone will fit in with it and that's OK.


• Some people see 'having fun' and 'being competitive' as two opposing concepts. The best clubs know that these things go hand in hand.

via Physiology4Performance Facebook (*) by Physiology4Performance (*).

Ridden into the Ground and Loving It - Drew Ginn (Wed 08 May 2007)

Another Favourite Blog Post by Drew Ginn.

A great way of thinking about a maximum effort in any endurance sport.

I have taken up RPM again for my cardio fitness and the great thing with RPM Indoor Bike Sessions is that I get a chance to explore all these feelings in every 45 minute session.

For me it is a great way of training the mind to Win the Workout.

Ridden into the Ground and Loving It - Drew Ginn (Wed 08 May 2007)

It is an extreme sensation to run out of gas on the bike.

It's a wonderfully strange feeling that is painful, magical and exciting.

The energy this morning as we rode ourselves into the ground was very cool.

Each challenge to dig deeper was meet with that fear of failure, of seizing up, of not being able to hang on.

It was think like a sea fog and could not be escaped.

If for one moment we were to back off it would be the end.

The only choice was to roll on and push again into that space of fatigue and sting.

The remarkable thing is each time I go into this place, into this zone I find something special, something new.

A freshness presented itself and as I pushed further.

I found that I couldn’t just stand and fight, punch myself out.

Be smart w[as] a statement I could hear like a whisper from an invisible friend.

Be smart, again it came into my awareness.

We swung round a corner and the pace quickened, the surge is extraordinary and it occurred outside and within.

If for a moment I was to hesitate I knew I would loose connection, so to drive again was the command.

The pleasure is in the relationship the lies within the range and scope of extremes.

The vastness of feelings marks a cycle.

Not just the one we ride but the one that is ever present inside us.

The burning grew and as it did I thought, "how can I maintain this effort?"

Then in one foul and almighty swoop we were away again.

The release was wonderful as I gained new energy to challenge and step.

Every stroke of the pedal was one closer to the end of our ride.

As we encountered a slight rise away from another bend it had become noticeably more difficult.

The build up of accumulated resistance was so filling and even the little climb was laughing at us.

We dug, I dug and before we realised we are over and off again.

The joy was like a chorus of celebration that burst and gradually it turned into new momentum.

The final stretch was into a strengthening wind.

The speed became hard to maintain and as I noticed my position matching the challenge.

Lower and lower I became, grinding away.

The pressure was had developed into a constant strain that would not let up until the end of the straight.

As we crossed an imaginary line we sat up like some proud animal in the wild after a kill.

Gasping for air we an evident sign of the effort require and expended.

The wry smiles told the story and we rolled into our coffee shop and embarked on a different journey.

One of reflection as we each shared our version of the morning’s events.

We were all exhausted, we had ridder ourselves into the ground and we loved it.

Bikes - Levento / Italy (Thu 11 Aug 2005)

Travel, Distance and Perspective - Ribbonfarm / Breaking Smart (Sat 04 Feb 2017)

on the road - Cooperabung / Pacific Highway (Sat 14 Jan 2017)

ribbonfarm on Perspective:

One of the benefits of travel and distance is perspective.

via Life in the Time of Choleric by ribbonfarm.

Thoughts on Being the Best by Vernon Gambetta (11 Nov 2008)

Thoughts on Being the Best by Coach Vernon Gambetta (11 Nov 2008). A repost to get this to come up on the Tampa 2011 Label. It is also worth having a look at some of the other posts I have collected here.

Control what you can, not what you can’t! Be Smart. Work on something specific each day. Have a plan! Train with a purpose. Improvement is incremental. Small steps lead to big steps.

• Pressure - Pressure is what you make it! Use the pressure to make you better, internalize it and use it as a positive influence.



• Belief – Think you are the best and you are on your way. Confidence, believe in yourself, your preparation and your support system.



• Routine – Great athletes doing the same thing, the same way, at the same time each day. Regularity. You can set a clock by the great ones.



• Work - Every one works. The great ones work smarter. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses objectively. Minimize your weaknesses and optimize your strengths. Bring your weaknesses up to the level of your strengths.



• Choices - It is always about choices. Make the choice to be the best. Life is constantly about choices.



• Improvement - Michael Jordan, as good as he was, got better every year he played! He would pick one aspect of his game each off-season and set out to improve that aspect with relentless determination.



• Perfection - The perfect game has yet to be played, in fact it will probably never be played. The perfect race has yet to be run. That does not mean we should not strive for perfection, it does mean that that we should strive for perfection but not be frustrated when we do not achieve perfection. Take chances, risk, try a new move in a game, take on a defender. Make things happen!



• Mental Toughness - Physical preparation gives mental strength. Push yourself, do not give in. Go the extra step and the extra mile.



• Effort - Performance may vary, but effort is a constant. You have control over your effort. Make it high energy, high level and purposeful. Consistent effort will level out the peaks and valleys in performance.



• Goals - It is about goal achievement not goal setting. Anyone can set goals, but few can achieve goals! Dreams are private. Goals are public. Share them. Find people to support you to achieve your goals. Be specific both in setting your goals and the means to achievement. Constantly visualize yourself achieving your goals!



• Focus - No rabbit ears! Program your inner voice to respond only to what you tell it. Only listen to your positive self-talk. Filter out the negatives.



• Evaluation - Self-assessment is a constant for those who chose to be great. Be objective. Look at the positives and the negatives. It is an ongoing process. Evaluation and self-assessment are a series of stepping-stones necessary to climb the staircase of success.

Be yourself and true to yourself. You are great and will get better!

A copy of a blog post that I always come back to. Learnt a lot from this and all of Vern's writing.

Geoff an Jim Farintosh Canadian Senior Mixed/Open Coach and Sweep - Racice Prague - Fri 29 Aug 2009
Always take the time to say hello to Jim Farintosh from Toronto. First met him at Sydney 2007 when he coached and swept the Canadian Senior Open and Mixed Teams. Next said hello in Penang in Aug 2008 where he coached and swept the Toronto area "Mayfair Predators". Decided in Prague to finally get a photo with him after the Senior Open's 200m medal presentation. A top coach and a person who is obviously highly regarded by his peers.

Subway Portrait - Evening Commute - Marunouchi Line / Tokyo (Thu 20 Sep 2012)

Subway Portrait - Evening Commute - Marunouchi Line / Tokyo (Thu 20 Sep 2012)
Most evening subway commuters use the time to sleep. All carriages are very quiet and those not sleeping are often engaged with reading or a game on their smart phone. Occasionally, you will see a couple of people engaging in a conversation which is always conducted in a quiet manner. Another one of my favourite photos from the trip away.

Photos: Intersection - Shanghai - May 2010

Intersection - Shanghai - May 2010
Just another intersection photo. Could say there are some Jeffrey Smart influences in seeing this photo. Was firstly, drawn in by the Red Car and Front Red Sign. Then was pleased to see the receding Red Signs as well as the Blue Signs. All came together nicely. The most complicated version of the colour theme photos I have posted so far.

Another and closer view ..

Intersection/Another view - Shanghai - May 2010

On Luck and Want (Garrison Keillor)

Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.

Garrison Keillor Lake Wobegon Days (1985), p. 337 (seen here)

On Creativity and Teamwork - Daniel Coyle (Wed 09 Apr 2014)

Pacific Dragons (*) - SIRC / Penrith (Sun 06 Apr 2014)
Daniel Coyle (*) writes on creativity (*) and teamwork (*):

Creativity (*), then, is not about finding one brilliant individual, but rather about creating effective patterns of interaction between a bunch of smart individuals. About arranging the right people in the right way, and letting them get to work with as few barriers and as much focus (*) as possible.

via How to Be More Creative (Step #1: Buy This Pixar Book) (*) by Daniel Coyle (*).

This might be abstracted from the Pixar (*) experience. Same can be said about any team based activity. Thanks for the photo Ali.

Thoughts on Being the Best by Vernon Gambetta (11 Nov 2008)

Thoughts on Being the Best by Coach Vernon Gambetta (11 Nov 2008).

Control what you can, not what you can’t! Be Smart. Work on something specific each day. Have a plan! Train with a purpose. Improvement is incremental. Small steps lead to big steps.

Pressure - Pressure is what you make it! Use the pressure to make you better, internalize it and use it as a positive influence.

Belief – Think you are the best and you are on your way. Confidence, believe in yourself, your preparation and your support system.

Routine – Great athletes doing the same thing, the same way, at the same time each day. Regularity. You can set a clock by the great ones.

Work - Every one works. The great ones work smarter. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses objectively. Minimize your weaknesses and optimize your strengths. Bring your weaknesses up to the level of your strengths.

Choices - It is always about choices. Make the choice to be the best. Life is constantly about choices.

Improvement - Michael Jordan, as good as he was, got better every year he played! He would pick one aspect of his game each off-season and set out to improve that aspect with relentless determination.

Perfection - The perfect game has yet to be played, in fact it will probably never be played. The perfect race has yet to be run. That does not mean we should not strive for perfection, it does mean that that we should strive for perfection but not be frustrated when we do not achieve perfection. Take chances, risk, try a new move in a game, take on a defender. Make things happen!

Mental Toughness - Physical preparation gives mental strength. Push yourself, do not give in. Go the extra step and the extra mile.

Effort - Performance may vary, but effort is a constant. You have control over your effort. Make it high energy, high level and purposeful. Consistent effort will level out the peaks and valleys in performance.

Goals - It is about goal achievement not goal setting. Anyone can set goals, but few can achieve goals! Dreams are private. Goals are public. Share them. Find people to support you to achieve your goals. Be specific both in setting your goals and the means to achievement. Constantly visualize yourself achieving your goals!

Focus - No rabbit ears! Program your inner voice to respond only to what you tell it. Only listen to your positive self-talk. Filter out the negatives.

Evaluation - Self-assessment is a constant for those who chose to be great. Be objective. Look at the positives and the negatives. It is an ongoing process. Evaluation and self-assessment are a series of stepping-stones necessary to climb the staircase of success.

Be yourself and true to yourself. You are great and will get better!

A copy of a blog post that I always come back to. Learnt a lot from this and all of Vern's writing.

Geoff an Jim Farintosh Canadian Senior Mixed/Open Coach and Sweep - Racice Prague - Fri 29 Aug 2009
Always take the time to say hello to Jim Farintosh from Toronto. First met him at Sydney 2007 when he coached and swept the Canadian Senior Open and Mixed Teams. Next said hello in Penang in Aug 2008 where he coached and swept the Toronto area "Mayfair Predators". Decided in Prague to finally get a photo with him after the Senior Open's 200m medal presentation. A top coach and a person who is obviously highly regarded by his peers.

Being the Best – Take Action Now by Vern Gambetta (Wed 06 Oct 2010)

Vern follows up on his post Thoughts on being the Best (11 Nov 2011) with the following:

Being the Best – Take Action Now (Wed 06 Oct 2010) ..

• Be Smart - Work on something specific each day. Have a plan! Train with a purpose. Improvement is incremental. Does not have to be big. Small steps lead to big steps.
  
  ACTION: ...



• Pressure is what you make it! Embrace it. Put yourself in pressure situations to learn. Use the pressure to make you better, internalize it and use it as a positive influence.
  
  ACTION: ...



• Belief – If you don’t believe in yourself who will? Think you are the best and you are on your way. Confidence, believe in yourself, your preparation and in your support system.
  
  ACTION: ...



• Routine – Great athletes do the same thing, the same way, at the same time each day. Regularity. You can set a clock by the routines of the great ones.
  
  ACTION: ...



• Work - Everyone works. The great ones work smarter with a sense of purpose. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses objectively. Then work to minimize your weaknesses and optimize your strengths. Bring your weaknesses up to the level of your strengths.
  
  ACTION: ...



• Choices - It is always about choices. Make the conscious choice to be the best. Life is constantly about choices.
  
  ACTION: ...

Without ACTION these are all just words. Take ACTION now!


He expands with the following:

In bold are the qualities with an explanation, but those are just qualities. Underneath each item you see the word ACTION. [..] Over the years I have learned it is too easy to set goals or to talk about being the best, unless those goals are followed up by specific actions it just is a very temporary feel good process. Each individual needs to take control and decide on the they action they will take. They must establish ownership. Do not recommend or assign an action for them.

As always, Vern has a great blog and it is always worth following his posts.


Jenny two weeks after liver resection - ERG Practice - Bank Street / Sydney (Sun 03 Jun 2007)
Jenny two weeks after liver resection - ERG Practice - Bank Street / Sydney (Sun 03 Jun 2007)
Jo ready to crack 400m for 2min - ERG Practice - Bank Street / Sydney (Sun 03 Jun 2007)
Joanne, Geoff and Jenny - Masters Men and Womens 500m Silver Medalists - IDBF World Championships / Sydney 2007 (Sun 23 Sep 2007)

On Carpark Spaces - Genoa (Sun 14 Aug 2005) / Shanghai (Thu 06 May 2010)

Parking Space - Genoa / Italy (Sun 14 Aug 2005)

Parking Space - Shanghai / China (Thu 06 May 2010)
Always question myself why I take these kind of photos and at times I say to myself:

What are you thinking? What are you seeing? What will others think?

When I look at it now, I can see and appreciate, just like Jeffrey Smart (specifically here):

the geometery, colour and lines

I am always surprised to see photos that are so far apart in time and space to be so similiar in intent and result. Makes me realise that my visual filter is consistent, strong and resilent in time. Afterall, they are just photos of a carpark spaces.

On the Surface - David Freedlander on Diane Arbus (Tue 12 Jul 2016)

"orange on the surface" - Wentworth Falls / Blue Mountains (Tue 12 Jul 2016)

David Freedlander on Surface:

the world is one of self-presentation and surfaces. You can try to go deeper if you want to, but the surface is where you have to start. If you are smart, it is where you will stay.

via Diane Arbus’s Strange and Surreal Visions of New York by David Freedlander.