Nice Steeple, Jack

Receiving You Cloud And Clear

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

When I was a kid and I was being taught the rudiments of photography, I was always told to a) make sure the sun was always behind me when I was photographing anything and b) to make sure there was enough natural light and c) never to deviate from either of these basic rules.

But while handling a progression of cameras, I have always enjoyed flouting those rules. I revel in using a camera in low-light situations. And quite honestly, I never look to see where the sun is. If I see something I want to photograph, even if it means pointing my camera directly into the sun, I don’t think twice, I just do it. The great thing to remember is if you are hitting the trigger in bad light or heavy cloud, you get to use everyday objects as great silhouettes.

I took these shots some weeks ago, while walking across a pedestrian crossing opposite Flinders Street Station here in central Melbourne. It was almost dusk and my gaze swung towards the steeple of St Paul’s Cathedral on the left of the frame. Naturally enough, I slowed down and I simply had to swing my camera up to take the shot.

Then the pedestrian light began flashing red and of course I had to take a vertical shot to include the street sign, with the red of the pedestrian warning sign providing the only real colour in the frame. And yes, I completed my walk across the crossing in complete safety!


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