Standing Tall

High And Mighty, In The Last Hour Of Daylight

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It was just one of those days when you never know what the light is going to do next. It had started out as a fairly cold morning, no more than a chilly four degrees before sunrise. Then daylight took the sting out of the wind and by the time I got to the river’s edge late that evening, it was positively balmy.

There was only about half an hour between the time I shot the first image in this series and the last. Strangely enough (no, it wasn’t planned) the very first and last shots were taken within a few metres of each other.


To start with, I noticed that the sun, about forty-five minutes away from the horizon, had thrown some interesting light over the Rialto, the second-tallest building in Melbourne. That’s when I shot the first of these images. Then I meandered around the area of Flinders Street and Federation Square for about half an hour, before making my way back towards where my car was parked.

The sun was long gone, but the mottled sky had a few flashes of silvery-gold. I could not resist the chance to switch the camera back on and take one last image for the day.


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Pomp And Splendour

A Taste Of History (Right Here On Our Streets)

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It’s not often I get to photograph a door that is actually in rapid motion!

I was walking across Princes Bridge, looking across the river, just to ensure I wasn’t missing any great sights, when I heard the familiar rumble of an approaching tram. Normally I wouldn’t have given any form of public transport a second glance, but the unusually dark colour caught my eye.

I immediately realised it was a tram that was specially painted to advertise the Pompeii exhibition that has been extremely popular here in Melbourne for the past few months.

Taking a shot, you might think, was no big deal. But there was traffic on both sides, there were cyclists, there were skateboarders, there were pedestrians. And it seemed as if they had all descended on the scene at precisely the time I wanted to photograph the tram for The Doors meme.

For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

Standing Tall

The Grace Of Architectural Contrasts

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These two minarets stand proud and tall atop the old Forum Theatre. I shot this on Wednesday evening, as the clouds started to build up at dusk.

I had my long lens on, so I could have framed a tighter shot, but I wanted to include a contrast in styles and shapes. The spire in the distance is part of St Paul’s Cathedral.

St Paul's had a recent facelift, but the Forum, which is such a part of Melbourne's heritage and history, is suddenly starting (from the outside, at least) to look its age. Maybe there is a refurbishment plan around the corner ....

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It's The Fort That Counts

We're Starting To See A Pattern Here

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It might look like faux military-style camouflage, but it ain’t. It might look like the door-and-window façade of some old fort, but it ain’t.

It’s just a view of Hosier Lane in Melbourne’s CBD. It's simply a narrow laneway, but it’s acquiring something of an international reputation because of the rich street art that has sprouted on the walls.

If you look carefully at the bottom right-hand corner of this image, you’ll actually see a segment of the footpath. That’s simply because the laneway is on an incline, and I shot this image dead straight to give you an idea of horizontal orientation.

That figure on the left, in the doorway, isn’t painted on the door’s glass surface. It’s actually the reflection of a real person. It was rainy, cold and windy when I shot this image, but there were at least half a dozen tourists and local students braving the weather and trying to shield their cameras from the rain.

That's the real attraction of street art. There's nowhere to hide - for the artist, or for the viewer.

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I Promise To Tell The Tooth

The Whole Tooth - And Nuthin' But The Tooth

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shot depicts the entrance (no, I'm not kidding) of Luna Park, in the bayside Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. I shot these images about three years ago, on a late-winter afternoon when the wild breeze carried more of a hint of spring than ever before.

The first image shows the famous open-mouth entrance, through which generations of enthusiasts have walked into the amusement park. So, yes, as an entrance I figure it qualifies for this weekly theme.

And the shot below shows some of the amusement park rides clearly visible through the entrance. The teeth? Yup, they need a bit of attention, I reckon. Maybe the dentist was standing right behind me, waiting to get at them!


For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

In The Driver’s Seat

Some People Are So Well Trained

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

So there I was, just standing on the platform about 10 days ago, wondering what I should photograph just to provide a slight variation on this weekly theme.

And while I stood there pondering the possibilities, my gaze moved to a Connex suburban train that stood on a nearby platform. Strong colours. Good light, even though it was fairly cloudy. Then the penny dropped – that’s just what I needed for the theme.

I did have my long lens (a Sigma 70-300mm) with me, but my normal everyday lens, a Sigma 18-125mm, was more than adequate for the tight frame that I wanted.

It was only when I shot this that I realised train drivers have to have doors on both sides of the carriage!

For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

Which Pokemon Are You?

And Why Are You Guarding This Doorway?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Doesn't this artwork remind you of the famous Pokemons? Remember the pocket monsters that took over the world a few years ago?

This is not really one of them. The image was shot in Hosier Lane, in Melbourne's central business district, about a fortnight ago. It's a narrow thoroughfare dating back to Melbourne's early development, but it has been transformed by urban art into what I call "a street of a million images".

Just when you think you've seen the most striking piece of art, another one forces you to re-evaluate.

If you look really carefully at this image you'll actually notice that this is actually a doorway and you can see a small silvery lock in the dead-centre of my frame. And do you see the lettering that says "CTCV" on the top left?

Interesting story, that .... the graffiti actually says "Sod CTCV". Well, okay, so it doesn't really say "Sod"; it uses a four-letter synonym. And whoever scrawled the message must have meant to write "CCTV" for closed-circuit television, instead.

For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

A Fishy Tale

Angling For An Introduction

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was one of a series that I took in Melbourne's most vibrant thoroughfare, Hosier Lane. The narrow laneway, off Flinders Street, is well known for its wall art and murals. It's probably only 300 metres long, but the art is stunning, bold, colourful, intricate and generally very classy.

I spent about ten minutes in the laneway on Thursday afternoon, shortly after heavy rain. A few hours earlier, I had received an email from an old friend who lives overseas, asking me if I'd ever shot images in the lane. Yes, I had, but it was high time I re-visited the place.

It began to drizzle as soon as I walked into the laneway - and this time I noticed there were about seven or eight other people there, each with cameras, walking up and down and shooting scenes along the walls and doorways.

I know you're going to ask me a simple question. You want to know the dimensions of the fish, right? I'm guessing here - but it was more than two metres high. Lucky it wasn't the one that got away.

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

Pier Pressure

On The Boardwalk, Without Roy Orbison

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's funny how slightly different compositions can emphasise different aspects of the same scene. These shots were taken about ten days ago, late on a winter afternoon here in Melbourne. I was really shooting a couple of tight frames to capture the gunmetal-grey of the metal framework as well as the (unusually grey) wooden pier slats.

But when I looked at them on the camera's LCD screen after I had taken the shots, I noticed the subtle difference in the way the water is depicted.

In the first shot, you hardly notice the gentle ripples of the river in the background. Whereas in the second, the horizontal composition (below) seems to lead the eye to the subtle reflections on the river's surface.


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Booth Hill

Get Into Rugby Mode This Winter

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Now that we’re right into winter here in Melbourne and the days get continually shorter, the sport of choice is Australian Rules football. But these photos prove that Melbourne, the sporting capital of this nation, embraces just about any sport.

Rugby union is about to take my city by storm – as you can see by the larger-than-life mural at this Visitor Centre on the Bourke Street Mall. There is already a fair bit of talk about this month’s two-Test series, when the Qantas Wallabies take on Italy in the 2009 Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series.

How big are the murals? Like most rugby players, they are high and wide. This next shot, with a passer-by in the frame, should put it all into context for you.


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Welcoming Winter

Hi Lily, Hi Lily, Hi-Lo

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Today is the first day of winter here in Australia, so I thought I’d give you an idea of how flowers can be used to brighten our horizons.

Melburnians love their gardens, although the last few years have been tough going, with the prolonged drought and the progressively tougher water restrictions. But this display of flowers, shot outside the GPO in central Melbourne, shows just how important flowers really are to Melburnians.


The first shot was taken as I walked down Bourke Street, then I decided to go a little closer. So I walked up the first couple of stairs to get a good look at the vibrant gerberas, freshly cut and wrapped to carry away.

Next, my eye was drawn to the lily buds and the graceful manner in which they pointed to all quadrants of the compass.

It could be a long, cold season, but I’ll be doing some maintenance and recovery in the garden at Casa Authorblog, to ensure our own tribute to winter colour.


Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.

Take It At Faith Value

A Judicious Mix Of Old And New

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

We’ve had some strange weather in the last week, highly unseasonal for the last week of the Australian autumn. We’ve had some heavy fogs and comparatively warm nights with no frost, but once the fog has burned away, we’ve had cloudless days with temperatures about five degrees above normal.

This shot was taken about 11.30 in the morning last Friday, as I walked across the pedestrian footbridge that connects Southbank to the central business district. The fog had pretty much gone, but there was a slight haze in the sky.

Naturally I had to stop and find a way to portray it. The beautiful steeple of St Paul’s Cathedral, a prominent landmark across the river on Flinders Street, was what I chose. By composing a tight frame, I was able to get the steeple as an interesting counterpoint to two office buildings just behind it.

You can have a great city, you can have reliable commerce, you can have wonderful landmarks, but if you don’t have faith, there is something crucial missing. Works in every aspect of life, don’t you think?

For other participants in Dot’s concept, go to Sky Watch HQ.

Green Lobby

Foliage In The Last Fortnight Of Autumn

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

At this time of year, with winter just a fortnight away, the light is softer, the shadows are longer and Melbourne’s gardeners are busy raking up leaves. I took these shots last weekend, when I noticed the sunlight striking one side of a street even while the other side was in shadow.

I waited about 45 minutes to take these shots, because I wanted the light to get a bit stronger so that the difference between the nearby green leaves on one side of the street and the bronzed leaves on the other side would be in sharper contrast.

Fortunately I had my long lens with me, so I was able to substitute my 18-125mm lens with my 70-300mm lens at my leisure. The trees in these shots are plane trees, which are very common around Melbourne and are the cause – at this time of year – of beautiful footpaths covered in a carpet of golden leaves.

Even though I’m over six foot, I needed a particular angle to take these shots, so I actually had to utilise something close by, standing on it to give myself an extra couple of feet in added height.

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Waratah, Waratah Everywhere

But Not A Drop To Drink

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

If you’re looking for a cut flower that looks amazing in a vase and lasts for a very long time, you can’t go past a waratah. This Australian native plant is actually the floral symbol of New South Wales, our neighbouring state.

The conical flower heads are huge – these ones were just average size, about 15 centimetres (six inches) across, although they can grow much larger. They can be grown from seeds and cuttings alike and I was once told that they show re-growth remarkably quickly after a bushfire.

I’ve only ever seen red waratahs, but a little diligent research has shown me that there are other colours too – mainly pink or white. One of the things that has struck me about waratahs is that, like camellias, they have distinctive leaves that add a lot of character to any floral arrangement.

Of course, the leaves of the waratah are very different from those of the camellia. The latter are small but high in sheen, adding a lot of character to a vase. But waratah leaves are much tougher and longer and surround each bloom like a protective circle, with each leaf about 15 centimetres long.

During the 2006 Commonwealth Games, staged here in my hometown of Melbourne, waratahs took pride of place in the bouquets that were handed to each medal winner. So if you watched the Games on TV and wondered what the huge flowers were, now you know!

Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.

Clown Prints

That's What I Call Tress Sense

Clown's wig, shot at a Melbourne fairground. March 2009

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Bench Press

Throw Some Light On The Matter

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

What’s silver and red and dotted around the business district? The answer is very simple - benches.

I often walk past these benches during the day and of course, all I see is the moulded silver strips that comprise their form. But four or five weeks ago, we were walking past them on a long summer evening - and I suddenly noticed another aspect.


As dusk advanced, there was a soft red tone to them, emanating from lights switched on automatically under the benches (see photo above) bathing them in a glow that evoked some space-age invention. Even the most mundane sights can look transformed if you take the time to view them differently.

(Extra, extra, read all about it: I've been interviewed here. Thank you to all those who have followed this link and checked out the interview. There have been so many wonderful comments that I've tried to reply to each one personally - but you're setting a cracking pace. My humble and heartfelt thanks to all of you for the wonderful tributes and thoughts you have shared on the interview.)


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Silent Might, Holy Might

If It Please Your Worship

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This image was shot a few weeks before I started this weekly series devoted simply to doors from around the world. The metalwork on the wooden door caught my eye before Christmas and since all of you have probably guessed it is a church door, let me assure you that you’re correct in that assumption.

It is the side entrance to St Paul’s Cathedral here in central Melbourne and while the church has side entrances leading into the central courtyard, this is on Swanston Street, just past the Flinders Street intersection.

Given the fascinating history of this Anglican cathedral, the metal would date back to the nineteenth century. Today’s beautiful building, with its stunning spires, stands on the very spot where Dr Alexander Thomson conducted the new colony’s first open-air services in 1836. This area then became a market until the site was consecrated in 1852.

Its location is deliberate, placing the beautiful place of worship at one of the city’s foremost intersections, literally opposite the main entrance and hall of Flinders Street Station.

I’m guessing the metal design on this door probably dates back to the late 1880s. Just one (or maybe two) sets of hands created this piece of art, but thousands more have touched them in the generations since.


For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.

The Fall Collection

Autumn Comes Far Too Early To Melbourne

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Three weeks ago, as Melbourne’s record-breaking hot, dry spell began, I noticed that the huge plane trees on our property were starting to shed their leaves, much earlier than normal.

Then we had that terrible run of consecutive days where the mercury hovered in the 115-degree zone, barely cooling down at night. The plane trees were quickly stripped of their leaves, more than semi-denuded not just in the suburbs but in the city centre as well.


I took these shots late on Friday evening, on a pathway in our garden. I keep an old pair of Nikes outdoors at all times and these are my gardening footwear. But as you can see from this shot, the swirling leaves, borne on the hot northerly winds that have fanned our bushfires, have swamped the Nikes.

This blue watering can is a miniature version of my huge watering can nearby. But despite my best efforts, this heatwave, the worst in my memory, has claimed more plants than I think I can save. (And at this point I should mention that none of these objects were moved for better photographic effect, because I simply shoot things where they are, in the existing light.)


It’s strange to think that we are in a hot zone ringed by bushfires, yet Queensland in the north is struggling with terrible flooding. Maybe some of their rain will find its way down here. Fingers crossed …..

Maybe one day this watering can will be filled with rainwater instead of leaves. Maybe I could find some success as a water diviner. Stick around while I try ...


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Bushfires On Our Doorstep

Did You Tell Me To Go To Blazes?

12.35 pm, Friday 30th January. Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

On Friday morning, things started to go wrong very early in the morning. It was the third successive day with temperatures peaking around 45 Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit - Melbourne's hottest spell in a century.

At 7.30 am I rang my boss to say my car was overheating and the warning chimes on my instrument panel were sounding like a Brahms concerto. Being the good man that he is, he advised me to take the day off and sort the car out before anything else.

About three hours later, I got a call to say that the problem - an errant fan - had been fixed. As I left the house to pick up the car, I noticed a pall of thick smoke. I knew instantly it was a bushfire. I took the shot that you can see at the top of this post and then left to pick up the car. It was 12.35 am.

As I collected the car, I noticed that the smoke was suddenly much thicker and had taken on a menacing orange tinge. It was also very close. The service manager, the person who had fixed the fan problem, told me his colleagues were monitoring the CFA (Country Fire Authority) website - just in case.

I'm not fond of hot weather, but I went home and grabbed just two things. One was my camera. The other was my media ID - just in case. What follows is a series of shots taken in quick succession.

12.50 pm, Friday 30th January.

I'm looking down the valley and judging by the smoke it seems the CFA firefighters, assisted by heli-tankers, have the situation under control. The orange tinge has vanished. The smoke is thinning out. There is more grey smoke than black.

12.54 pm, Friday 30th January.

Dramatically, the situation changes. Only four minutes later, the smoke is thicker. I can see a brief tongue of flame. The bush, I know, is tinder-dry. The fire is in Churchill National Park and now I can see it is on the move up a valley. Quickly.

I know the area well. There is so much fuel there for a bushfire, after the long, hot, dry summer we've had. Every twig, every fallen branch, every square metre of parched underbrush will act as voracious accelerant.

12.58 pm, Friday 30th January.

The wind is blowing embers ahead of the fire front. There are several black blasts of smoke, thick and gusting. I know each is caused by the fire accelerating rapidly up the valley, consuming everything in its path and travelling swiftly up to the crowns of the tall gums and eucalypts.

12.59 pm, Friday 30th January.

Only a minute later, there is another tongue of flame. It's almost like watching a Hollywood disaster movie. It's only nine minutes since I shot the first frame - and already the bushfire has raced a couple of hundred metres up the valley.

I reach for my cell phone to call my wife. But now the flames are gathering strength. Halfway through dialling her number with my left hand, I stop. I raise my camera in my right hand and shoot as the fire moves rapidly toward the roof in the shot.

1.01 pm, Friday 30th January.

It's a minute past one o'cock. Only 11 minutes have elapsed since my first shot. The breeze carries a hint of menace. I put my camera down. I dial my wife's number and tell her I am dropping everything. I tell her there has been a quick change of plans. We face no immediate danger, but the rapid advance of the fire will soon threaten our youngest child's school.

Do I turn around and take the short cut to the school? I opt for the longer route, knowing there will be less traffic. It is a wise decision. The shorter route has several vehicles parked on either side. The media have taken up vantage spots, members of the public are watching the situation carefully before making up their own minds whether to evacuate or not, and there is a command post there as well.

For years, we've been warned that bushfires don't just take place in the bush. The CFA has continually stressed that even those of us who live in the burbs need to be bushfire-savvy and to have a contingency plan. What happened on this day was the perfect validation of their campaign. This time, though, we were lucky. It was just a wake-up call.

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