Friday, August 10, 2007

Tickle Me Elm, Oh

Examine This Angle With Great Care

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON


Okey-dokey, so I can read your mind. believe me. Let me prove it. You're thinking, ``Dave's finally flipped. The Australian winter has got to him and he's posted this photograph the wrong way round.''

Come on, 'fess up. You were so thinking that, weren't you? But the human mind, wonderful computer that it is, just happens to be hard-wired to conditioned responses. So when we see a tree at an impossible angle, we think it should be vertical and not horizontal.

Let me assure you, this is the right way around. Look at the cloud. See, told ya. I deliberately took this shot down by Birrarung Marr on the north bank of the Yarra River, between Federation Square and the sports precinct here in Melbourne.

Now here's a bit of history - this is one of several historic elm trees, planted by the first settlers who were homesick for reminders of the Old Country. So it's been around a lot longer than I have!

FOOTNOTE: Remember the Aussie supermodel, Elm Macpherson?

16 comments:

b. said...

I was thinking you were lying on your back on the ground taking that shot. No, really. I did.

Ugh! Elm Macpherson?

eric1313 said...

Hi, David. I think they fixed it. Your page loaded in about ten seconds, still a while by normal standards, but not quite the five to ten minut ordeals of earlier today.

I saw the clouds right away, but I'm used to looking at art and first seing the whole composition before keying in on the details that normally grab people's attention. Like the photograph. It reminds of of Tennessee, where I was originally from. The hill behind the house I was born in had an immense oak that had fallen sideways but stayed that way for years, apperantly, and grew outward like those branches are.

Chertiozhnik said...

I noticed the clouds straight away too, but when I read "the wrong way round" I thought for a moment clouds in Australia went vertical. The mind plays strange tricks. Loops the loop sometimes, in my case.

Les Becker said...

Either I'm upside-down (which is possible, believe me) or it's that you're on the other side of the planet. That pic looks very normal to me.

I still think you're nuts, though.

david mcmahon said...

Hi B,

Okay, I apologise for the alleged witticism ``Elm Macpherson''. No, I really do!

I once lay on my back to take a shot in Queensland - much to the hilarity of all around me!

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

G'day Eric,

Very nice to hear from you. Yeah, great to see it's been fixed. I thought initially it just my blog, but then I noticed some chat about the problem and noticed a few other blogger sites had the same issue.

Phew!

Glad you liked the picture. Love the story of the oak and the way its branches grew.

Will check out your blog again. Do keep in touch.

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

Hi Chertmeister,

I did chuckle at that! Water swirls the other way in Oz, and our weather patterns are completely opposite to the rest of the world - so maybe the clouds will be vertical one day ....

I'll be waiting there with my camera, to capture the sight!

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

Hi Les,

You;ve been talking to my kids again, haven't you? They regularly tel me that I'm nuts.

I reckon you (and they) are right!!

Keep smiling

David

fuzzbert_1999@yahoo.com said...

I was never confused...my eyes went straight for the clouds and the blue of the sky.

david mcmahon said...

Ah, Mushy,

But you, my learned friend, have a PhD in Life Experience. So I knew you would go straight for the facts!

Keep smiling

David

karoline in the morning said...

it looks upsidedown cuz yer 'downunder'....

;)

Merisi said...

I dunno know. Maybe I don't get it. I saw nothing "wrong" with the picture. I grew up with clouds building towers on the horizon (are they peaking over from Downunder?).

FHB said...

I saw that right off. It's a tree limb. We got those here too. Sheeeesh! Purdy shot man. Keep it up.

david mcmahon said...

Hi Karoline,

Thank you for explaining the essence of life to me! I can relax now!

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

Hi Merisi,

It is your creative soul, quite honestly. That's why you saw the picture as completely natural.

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

G'day FHB,

Thanks for that comment. It was just the right shot at the right time.

I didn;t know you had elms in Texas.

Keep smiling

David