Y Is For Yellow

It’s Not What You Shoot, It’s HOW You Shoot It

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

One of the joys of individualism is the ability to see things differently, to have an independent opinion and to have a viewpoint while respecting the views of those around you.

Precisely because human beings are blessed with intelligence, no two people will ever share exactly the same perspective, whether it involves a description of an event, the artistic rendering of an object or scene, or the photographic depiction of any sight.

Show a brief film clip to a room full of people and each of them will notice different things about the clip. Play a soundtrack to them and each will have a different opinion on the harmony, the instrumentation or even the quality and delivery of the lyrics.

That’s the thing about viewpoint. Difference is good. It is a sign of an independent mind.

There is no correct way to bracket your art. What you interpret depends entirely on your brain. If you sent two dozen photographers to shoot the Sydney Opera House at exactly the same time, they’d all come back with different images.

I’ve probably said this before, but only you can define your art. Follow your instinct. Dare to depict things the way you see them, or the way in which they catch your eye. Unfetter your imagination.

And if you’re wondering what I’ve shot here, the answer is very simple. They’re not UFOs. They’re not mutant glow-worms. They’re ceiling lights at Freshwater Place, here in Melbourne.

For the home of ABC Wednesday, go to Mrs Nesbitt's Place.

Off With His Head

Time To Shoulder The Responsibility

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The more you carry a camera around, the more your brain starts to work through the viewfinder. So when I walked downriver at Southbank recently, I could see these two workers devoting their attention to the large outdoor carousel at Freshwater Place - but I only glanced at them and then flicked my gaze away to the myriad sights around me.

But as soon as I saw one of them climb a ladder and put his torso through an inspection hatch, I knew I had an unusual shot. I was still a long distance away from them, but I was lucky I had my 300 mm lens on the camera.

To me, the quality of the shot lies in simple body language. The very fact that the bloke's knees are flexed slightly and that his shoes are not entirely flat on the top rung of the ladder suggest that he is not perfectly balanced. Once you take that into account, you begin to understand why his colleague on the left has that open-mouthed look of concern.

It's the one time you wouldn't say to a bloke on a ladder, "Drop in any time".

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Alpha Mail

Is This A Witty 'Post' Title?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Anything unusual always catches my eye. Our mail boxes here are red for normal mail and yellow for express mail. They're always highly visible, but for practical purposes they are rectangular, with rounded tops.

So when I caught sight of these unique postboxes on the footpath at Freshwater Place, I had to go in to the Australia Post shop and ask permission to photograph them, even though they were in a public access area.

And no, I wasn't pushing the envelope!