Richard Gear

Who Killed Cog Robin?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes it pays to turn your camera onto unusual objects. There's a good shot everywhere, just waiting to be taken. This bike was standing in strong sunlight and I could see that the chain hadn't been oiled or greased in a while and that it was starting to rust.

I used the SMC Pentax-DA macro lens for this - and I have to say, not even in the days when I used to replace my own bike chain when it slipped off the sprocket and left me freewheeling, have I had my nose so close to a cogwheel.

I guess I'm just like any other guy. We all think we might have looked pretty cool in Grease.

Visit TNChick, creator of Photo Hunt. Today's theme: "Squeaky".

Sweet Nothings

Shall We Sashay To The Sachet?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken while I was eating lunch at the High Country Inn in Whitehorse, literally a few minutes after I completed a journey of more than 24 hours since I walked out of my own front door in Melbourne.

These sachets in front of me on the table caught my eye because of the range of colours and the strong, easily definable lines and individual angles and kinks of their respective edges.

I had two cameras in my shoulder bag, but I opted for my Pentax K100D because it had my favourite lens, the versatile 18-125mm Sigma lens on it. I only took one shot and later, when I looked at my images on my laptop that night, I was quite gratified with the clarity of the result.

What you're looking at here is simply a scaled-down, low-resolution version of the original, but on the high-res shot you can actually see the little details on the corner of the sachets. I was very pleased with this result, because it looks as though I've used a macro lens instead.

I guess I was lucky because the light was fairly good. But if you're keen on the details, I shot this at F8 and 1/90 of a second.

I guess this is also the best place to answer a question I got asked on Friday - how many shots do I take before I'm satisfied with an image? The answer to that is very simple. I shoot on instinct, just as I write my novels. So if I'm satisfied with the first shot, I don't hit the shutter a second time.

If I'm shooting a landscape and it's a wide vista and the light is changing, I'll shoot between two and four frames or more if the situation demands. I'll shoot half a dozen if I am trying to capture a scene from several angles.

But I am drawn to these unusual shots of everyday objects and maybe - just maybe - it says something about my approach to photography, because they are generally the result of a single frame.

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

Grass Roots Movement

It Ain't Easy Bein' Green In A Drought

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Judging by this shot of fresh green grass in our garden, you wouldn't think this country is still in drought. Melbourne's dams and catchment areas are hovering just above the 30 per cent mark, but the gardens and nature strips of this beautiful city are greener than they were three weeks ago, courtesy the rain we were blessed with just after Easter.

I took this shot a couple of hours ago because I was entranced by the late-evening autumnal light. These blades of grass are less than an inch high, but this SMC Pentax-DA 1:2.8mm macro lens really captures the smallest details with exceptional clarity.

You can actually see the shadows and the delicate variation of light on some blades in this frame. Even though this is only a low-resolution version of the original, you can see the last of the day's sunshine highlighting the delicate "fur" on the sides of a couple of shoots of grass.

This shot is for Anna Carson's Project Green - and when you consider the fact that the newly-mown grass is only the height of an SD memory card, you get some understanding of how good this lens is.

Now here's a question for all of you. Which of these versions do you prefer: the first shot or this one below?

Coca-Cooler

Bucks Fizz (Or is That Fizz Bucks?)

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I shot this series of photographs on Saturday afternoon. I just thought I'd take some shots of Coco-Cola being poured into a glass and then maybe some images from above the glass, of the Coke swirling among the ice cubes. So I put the SMC Pentax-DA 1:2.8mm Macro on my camera and got the experiment under way.

This first shot (above) was taken while I held a two-litre bottle of Coke in my left hand and poured it into the glass, while shooting the scene by holding the camera in my right hand. Let me tell you that required some co-ordination!


Then I noticed the beautiful colours swirling round the glass so I took this shot while holding the glass outdoors. Again, I held the glass in my left hand and shot with my right.

Then I noticed the iceberg effect (above) in the glass, with one-tenth of this ice cube above the surface of the Coca-Cola and the rest of it below the surface.


But this macro lens is so good that it'll capture crisp images while almost touching the object, so I went in even closer for this shot (above). You can see the effervescence clearly as the bubbles rise - and the lens is still good enough to capture the sheen on the underneath of the ice, as well as the gradations of colour across the liquid.


I quickly realised this was far more fun than shooting boring shots from the top of the glass. Then I saw something that took me back to my senior Science classes in Year 10 and 11, where my physics teacher - a brilliant man - explained the intricacies of surface tension and capillary action. Look at the surface of the Coca-Cola in this shot (above) and you'll see that it appears to be undulating around the ice cubes, a fact recorded with startling clarity by this macro lens.


So of course, I had to go closer for the last shot in this series. Then I rang a good friend of mine, to find out the scientific term for the concave surface of the liquid. Mr T, as I fondly refer to him, had the answer immediately. It's called a "meniscus", he said - and it comes from the Greek word meaning "crescent". The curve is produced by a molecular response to the surface of the glass, as well as the blocks of ice.

Regular visitors to my blog know that I never enhance my photographs in any way. But until now, I've never used a macro lens good enough to shoot a meniscus with this sort of clarity. I guess you'd all agree that this series of shots from the side of the glass was far more rewarding than shooting it from the top, as I had originally intended.

Ice Spy

Good Things Always Come In Freeze

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Beautiful warm afternoon. Back yard bathed in mellow sunshine. Pour some ice into a glass. Hang on a second, mate. Grab the camera. How about a macro shot or two? Yep, for sure.

Get the 300mm Sigma lens off the camera. Put the new macro lens on, the SMC Pentax-DA 1:2.8mm Macro Limited. Fire off three or four random frames. Like I said, random frames.

Much later, check the shots on the computer screen. Aaaaaaargh, can I kick myself. Why? Let me explain. Like I said, they were random shots to show the ice glinting in the sunlight like crystal shards.

Look closer at the ice block on the left. Look at the edge of the ice block. See the miniature crystal fence forming along the edge? No, you can't really see it here, because these are scaled-down, low-resolution versions of the original shot. So let me give you a closer look ....

Now you can see why I wanted to kick myself. Even though the "crystal fence" on the top edge of the ice block was too small to spot with the naked eye, I should have taken some close-in shots like I normally do. The rare sight was more priceless than a Swarovski beard on a crystal figure of Santa Claus.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to spend the next 24 hours wearing a hand-printed sign that says "Kick Me".

Which is a bit like Roberta Flack's big hit, "Kicking me softly with your song, kicking me softly ....."

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

Ant Hathaway

Time To Adjust The Ant-tenna

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Misty Dawn just told me about her Camera Critters challenge, where you have to post a shot of an animal each Sunday. This shot immediately came to mind. During the week I started using the brilliant new macro lens, the SMC Pentax-DA 1:2.8mm Macro Limited - and this was among the first shots I took with it.

I was out in the garden when I decided to experiment with some rosebuds. This rose is called First Love and the buds and blooms are smaller than many of the other roses in the back yard - so I figured it would be ideal for the new lens. I was bending over one of the branches when I noticed something black, deep in the interior folds of one of the buds.

I moved the camera aside and took a closer look, only to realise that there were not one but two ants wriggling around. My initial impulse was to get rid of the ants, but then my photography instincts took over. I immediately started shooting, but have you ever thought about how quickly ants wriggle? They just never stay still, so there I was contorting myself at various angles, trying to keep at least one of them in focus.

Bear in mind these are low-resolution versions, so a significant amount of clarity and detail have been lost. However, in the original high-resolution version, you can actually see the dark sheen on the little ant's body. But because I only had a split second to react and take this shot, I made a mistake. This cropped version (below) of the same frame is how I should have composed the shot.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

L Is For Levi's

The Day Denim Graced The Catwalk

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Credit must be given where credit is due, and 'tis the beautiful Mrs Authorblog who was a model during her university years, before becoming a flight attendant with an international airline. But I can now reveal my own modelling story - with a slight twist.

I was 21 years old when I got a call at my desk, in the Calcutta newspaper publishing group that employed me. The caller was a person I had met a couple of times and he wanted to know if I had any spare time. At the time I was fairly active in theatre and so I hesitated slightly. I was working full-time, often working late into the night and sometimes on weekends as well.

In addition, I also played several sports. I did not have any spare time. None at all. But before I could say that, the caller continued and so I quickly bit my tongue.

"We know you've done some modelling and we'd like to know if you're interested in some more work with a leading client."

At this point in time, a monetary contract was mentioned. It was a decent sum.

Funny how you can go in a split second from having no spare time at all to plenty of spare time.. I agreed - but I was told I had to attend an audition first, followed by a stringent selection process.

"What sort of campaign is it?" I asked.

"It's not a print media campaign. It's a fashion show. Catwalk modelling."

And so it started. The first evening was a meet-and-greet, getting to know the organisers and meeting the other models. I was given the nod. I was now a catwalk model.

Well, not quite. I had to learn how to walk. Y'know, the catwalk walk. It wasn't easy. At first I was told that I looked like a soldier marching on a parade ground. "Loosen up," I was told. So I did. But then I was too casual. "Smarten up," I was told. This modelling gig was a lot harder than I thought. Funny how the simple act of walking - something we do every day of our lives - suddenly takes on an aura of complication when you move from everyday life to a modelling rehearsal.

Somehow, they got me to walk like a model. They deserved a whole consignment of Olympic medals for schooling me so quickly.

Then things got tougher. They told us who the client was and informed the male models that we would be wearing suits. No casual clothes. No sports gear. Expensive suits. Tailored in such a manner that they would mould themselves to our bodies. With that information came a corollary. Because the client was such a large corporation, their executives wanted to inspect the models.

That afternoon it was carnage on the catwalk. Several times the execs said they did not like the look of models. Just before I walked on, one of the choreographers pulled me aside and said, in no uncertain terms, that I had to surpass everything I had done so far. They were already reeling from the thought of having to replace so many models. So I walked like never before. And I got the thumbs-up.

At this point, we were measured for our clothes. A few days later, the amazing fabrics were delivered and the promise was accurate - we had never worn clothes with so much class.

Then things went pear-shaped for me. About a week before the first big show, I had to fly to the southern Indian city of Bangalore to cover a five-day cricket Test match. I was going to be away for a week.

The show's organisers held a council of war and came up with a terrific compromise. If I could fly out of Bangalore immediately after the Test match ended, I would be back in Calcutta with about an hour to spare. I would then join the rest of the models, the choreographers and all the organisers and we would travel overnight to Siliguri, in the foothills of the Himalayas, for the first live show the next night.

But even the best-laid plans of mice and men can sometimes go astray.

On the appointed night in Bangalore, I had checked in for my Airbus A300 flight and I was in the airport restaurant, having dinner, when the announcement came over the PA system. Indian Airlines had cancelled my flight. All passengers with confirmed seats would be put on the next evening's flight.

There was no option. No alternative. This was in the days of a sole domestic airline. A Government-owned monopoly domestic airline. I was stranded. And because it was way past office closing time, I had no way of contacting the organisers of the fashion show.

Mobile phone? Nup. This was before mobile phones were commonplace.

So I gritted my teeth, waited twenty-four hours and caught the flight to Calcutta on Thursday night. Early on Friday morning, I rocked up at the Indian Airlines office and booked a flight to Bagdogra. This was familiar territory for me, because in my boarding school years, the school had flown us to Bagdogra each year before we made the three-hour journey up to our school in the stunningly beautiful Himalayan town of Darjeeling. I knew this part of the country like the back of my hand.

From Bagdogra, I caught a cab to Siliguri, and found the hotel where the rest of the crew were staying. They were delighted to see me, but there was one piece of bad news.

When I hadn't turned up as arranged, they thought I had chickened out or that I had been taken ill. So no one had brought my splendid suits to Siliguri. There I was, having flown halfway across the country - and I had no clothes to wear.

Kind of.

Someone found my shirts in a wardrobe. I was wearing a pair of Levi's. So on the night of the show, I made a couple of quick changes, wearing my jeans and sporting a change of shirt each time.

It was the only time denim took its place among the ritzy suits and gowns. And I walked better than ever before. Real casual, like.

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

(The photographs accompanying this post were taken with a new macro lens, the SMC Pentax-DA 1:2.8mm Macro Limited. Note the clarity and the great depth of field - and watch this blog for more shots with this lens.)

Drop In Any Time

I'd Almost Forgotten The Sound Of Rain

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Any idea what I've photographed here? While you're racking that nimble brain of yours, I'll get on with the post .... and I'll end with the answer.

Just when we'd given up on ever getting any rain here in Melbourne, the heavens opened up last Tuesday and we've had a shower or two every day since then. The timing could not have been better for many reasons, but this was a perfect opportunity to try out the macro on the new Pentax Optio S10 that I've been testing.

Like I said in an earlier post, it's an ultra-compact 10-megapixel camera with a 2.5 inch LCD screen. It's not much bigger than a credit card and is slimmer than a standard (empty) wallet. I often get asked by women bloggers if I could recommend a camera that would fit easily into a handbag. Men, on the other hand, ask about a camera that can slot into a pocket. Look no further than this little beauty. It retails for just under $300 here in Australia, which means it would be about $280 in the United States and about 150 quid in the United Kingdom.

Crazy Cath also asked me what the "SLR" stands for in camera-speak - it's an acronym for single lens reflex. She is on the lookout for a new camera in the $300 price range, so I would not hesitate to recommend the Pentax Optio S10. It has an on-screen editing function as well and is a very versatile piece of equipment. Also, in answer to Crazy Cath's second question about SLRs, yes, there are several digital SLR models around. And while the prices have dropped a fair bit, it's rare to find a decent brand SLR under $850-$900 - that's Australian dollars.

These pictures were all shot with the Pentax S10. I took each of these frames on "text mode" and the clarity of the individual raindrops gives you an idea of just how good this camera is. Looking for great value for money? This could be the camera for you - but take my perennial advice and always test a camera before you buy it, to make sure it's right for you.

Any questions, just let me know ....

ANSWER: The first two shots are of raindrops on an umbrella.

Look Down At The Ceiling

All Was Calm, All Was Bright

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I've posted a few pointers to macro shooting in the last few days, but I guess this would have to be one of my favourite macro shots. I was at work when I noticed I could see an almost perfect reflection of the ceiling - in my teacup. In the high-resolution version of this shot you can actually see the pitted pattern of the ceiling panels, and even in this low-resolution version you can see the fluorescent lights clearly. Luckily there was water in my teacup, because the shot would not have worked with anything else except maybe black tea or black coffee.

Cord On Blur

Who’s Got A Hang-up About Their Phone?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I decided it was time to challenge my photographic abilities. Yes, I’m attracted by strong colours. But would I be able to shoot something totally devoid of colour - and still produce an interesting image? So I decided I had to shoot something in monochrome. And it had to be no further than a radius of two metres from where I was sitting at my desk at work. I thought about the window blinds, but they were just outside the two-metre radius. Then my phone rang and I thought, ``Must untangle the cord’’. That’s when I realised I had the answer to my own challenge. This image might look like a nest of mutating aliens, but it’s only the tangled cord of my telephone. I shot it on macro, without the flash.