Friday, December 14, 2007

Streets Ahead

The Sun's Over The Yardarm

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON



This shot was one of a series I shot in September 2006. I happened to be driving through a south-east Melboune suburb when I drove past this street. I caught a glimpse of an amazing sunset, but I didn't have my camera with me. So the next day, I made sure I was there at the same time to capture the scene. Fortunately, the weather was exactly the same and it was a fairly clear sky. This picture was the first in a sequence of 20.

Because I was so intent on the sun itself, I didn't appreciate the fact that the end of the street was bathed in a soft orange light, while the sky was almost lilac. Only when I viewed this image on my computer screen did I fully appreciate the value of this photograph. Remember when we were kids and we were always told to ensure we had the sun behind us when using a camera? I still chuckle at that, because I've lost count of the number of times I've pointed my camera directly at the sun.

34 comments:

  1. Beautiful!


    We have mutch better cameras now than when we were cids...

    Have a nice weekend :)

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  2. Anonymous9:24 PM

    Beautiful capture and contrast

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  3. That's so right, Marie.

    Thank goodness for technology!

    Cheers

    David

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  4. Good shot. I must agree with you about the value of pictures taken against the light, but you sure need 20 captures (and good lenses!) before you are satisfied.

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  5. Hi Evlahos,

    Thank you.

    Cheers

    David

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  6. Hu Runee,

    Yes, I agree with thath - and you need a bit of luck as well. Everything seemed to go just perfectly that evening.

    Cheers

    David

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  7. Hi David, thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog, and thus leading me to yours! it's great! hope to stay in touch!

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  8. Anonymous10:11 PM

    An interesting photo. I like it. My Photography

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  9. G'day Lara,

    No worries at all. Would be great to stay in touch.

    Cheers

    David

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  10. G'day OML,

    On the road at the moment, in Singapore. Took about 500 shots today!

    Say a big hello to Melissa, Audrey and your wife for me.

    Cheers

    David

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  11. The lilac sky is lovely and warm, David. And the sun--really can be a shameless flirt in front of a camera.

    I remember that photography rule, too. I wonder if it makes a difference using film rather than digital?

    I can't think of all the well-below-zero days I my trusty Minolta X-370 in the car and no evil befell it! All those precautions...!

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  12. Sunset are the best. Everyday they are different. You get to see all the different colors. They are truly amazing to me. I am always pointing them out to my kids. Great photo.

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  13. What an amazing photograph.

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  14. very pretty ! Ive always liked silhouettes - recently I was in Mahabalipuram and I tried shooting a sunset in the same way ..of course, yours is spectacular !

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  15. You are a professional and I am not even an amatuer. I am not in your league!

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  16. Anonymous12:18 AM

    I think it's fascinating finding the hidden beauty in a shot, however obscure - like the odd geometrical symmetry in the power lines, even though on the day to day we see them as a visual blight!

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  17. Lovely post, David and a very lovely photo. Take care and have a good weekend. Kellan

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  18. A photographer at heart will always attempt to catch the beautiful things.... I would say you did just that!

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  19. I love all the regular stuff in this beautiful shot (versus the typical water and/or mountains), and I love when we can appreciate what we didn't see the first time...

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  20. Beautiful! I remember those days and I was also taught to hold my breath when I snapped. I always forget tho.

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  21. Amazing waht can happen sometimes when you point the camera straight at the sun. I did it with Rochester Castle one time, and it came out as a dark green silhouette. VERY spooky!

    BTW- results in- got a distinction!

    "WA-HEYY" as a certain small ursine would say...

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  22. Thanks for bringing this out of the archives to share with all us sunless folk around the world.

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  23. Thanks for the comment on my blog. Yours is fantastic. I also tend to point my camera directly at the sun...even at high noon. I love the effects I can get from it.

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  24. I like pointing my camera at the sun, too. I like the idea of Sky Watch Friday. I'm participating for the first time today.

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  25. Super. My camera won 't do this i think.

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  26. Stunning shot! Makes me want to take my camera out at sunset to see what I can capture. How fortunate to find identical conditions the 2nd day.
    Hugs and blessings,

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  27. What a nice photo, i love deep rich colors.

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  28. A beautiful sunset. The colors are awesome!

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  29. Beautiful,I've lost count how many times I've done that, too! :)

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  30. what I love about this shot is that the bushes form a circle around the sun, so it almost looks like a baseball cupped in a mitt

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  31. Great shot....Enjoy Singapore!

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  32. The first one i often the best one. This is very nice.

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  33. Wonderful picture! Glad you went back to get it. It wouldn't be fun to drive home up that week every evening! Beautiful to see, though.

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  34. Hi,
    Beautiful photo and I'm glad I'm not the only one who dares to point my camera at the sun!

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