First Light Of The Day

That's A Mighty Fine Spire, Squire

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was heading out with my camera to take some shots of the city skyline last week when I noticed that the view from Southbank was perfect. Blue sky. Silhouettes on both sides and above me. Dark dawn cloud, tinged delicately with early morning brush strokes.

But regular readers of this blog would remember that one of my cardinal rules is always to look away from the obvious photo opportunity to see if there is a better angle or view elsewhere. This time, instead of looking east, I found this reflection (above) on the west. It was the same cloud as rendered in the (very dusty) window of a travel agent's office. I framed this shot meticulously, so if you look on the right you can see the reflection of the beautiful bell from historic St John's Church.

The blue of the sky was startling - and rather unusual, because the sun had not yet risen. So as I walked along the river bank, I made the most of this graceful silhouette (above). This shows the form of one of the many old lamps from the city's colonial beginnings. They tower over Princes Bridge and have featured in millions of tourists' photographs. This shot gives you an idea of how majestic they are, even in low-light conditions.