Verse and worse

Doctor Perkin and the redoubtable Nurse Firkin

Found a defribilator that just wasn’t workin’

So they ripped out the paddles and called Doctor Carter

To see if they’d substitute his Bentley’s self-starter

Homage to a World War II airman

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 125-7670)

These two images are part of a series I shot while talking to a gentleman who served as a gunner in the RAAF during World War II. We spoke for a few minutes at Southbank, Melbourne, just before the Anzac Day parade on Sunday April 25 this year.

He wore his service medals anchored to the zipper pocket of the dark blue civilian jacket he wore - and he spoke about his time in the Pacific theatre of war. At the time, the telemovie "The Pacific", co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, had just begun screening on Australian television - and we spoke about the accuracy of its depiction.

His chest proudly bore  the Pacific Star, among other wartime ribbons. It is the second medal from the left, in the first of these images. I thanked him for being so generous with his time - and when we shook hands before he walked on, I thanked him for his service, too.

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 125-7670)

Verse and worse

Vincent van Gogh once painted a crow

Its plumage was white as the purest snow

And when Warhol returned from far-off Guadeloupe

He brought ten crates of canned Campbell's Soupe

We three kings of Orient are

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: Malaysia2010-3463)

Appearances can sometimes be deceptive. This might look as if it were shot in some fine theatre, with all the trappings of art and culture. However, it was shot in the basement of a shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.

It was mid-January this year, but the pre-Chinese New Year festivities had already begun. All the street decorations were ablaze and every major intersection carried a colourful reminder of the auspicious time that was fast approaching.

When this play began, I was on the fringe of the crowd of onlookers. Anxious to find out whether I could use my camera, I caught the eye of a security guard, pointed to the camera around my neck and was delighted when he gave me a big thumbs-up. The light wasn't great, because it was not a true theatrical setting - but I was pretty pleased with the way some of the shots turned out.

Verse and worse

My first cousin Trent hitch-hiked to Kent

Leaving size 16 footprints wherever he went

He was sponsored by Kumar and well shod by Puma

And regaled the drivers with his great sense of humour

That ain't how you clock off

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON. (Image ID: 129-5731)

It's not a movie set. It's not a theatre rehearsal. It's not even a real person, so you can relax! This lifelike figure is suspended high above the entrance to the Pancake Parlour at the Jam Factory, in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Prahran.

The figure clings to the hands of the clock - and I was immediately caught up by the challenge of finding the best angle and the most suitable focal length to capture it. From memory, I shot about five or six frames before deciding this one was the most dramatic.

Verse and worse

Before he embarks on each roller-coaster ride

Pastor Mullally must be firmly hog-tied

Or else he'll chant and invoke the heavens

While he continues to rant at young Pastor Evans

Please don't shut me out

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: SingaporeA2007-1603)

I shot this at Clarke Quay, Singapore, in mid-December 2007, during a brief stopover on my way to India. The quay is a lodestone for photographers, not just because of its range of colours, but also for the way it preserves the city-state's colonial past.

While trying to take in the huge range of colours, I suddenly spotted this muted scene - a simple facade with monochromatic windows closed against the tropical heat and humidity, flanked by the dark foliage of a large tree. The simplicity of it all had to be captured, right?

Verse and worse

My next-door neighbour, Mr Algernon Boyd

Was told by his shrink that he lived in a void

So now he tap-dances all the way down the streets

And tips his top hat to each lady he meets

Whose hairstyle is better, buddy?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: USA2010-01July-0472)

When I first saw this mural in Manhattan, I was only mildly interested - but when a passer-by appeared, I knew I had an extra perspective. I had to work quickly to take the shot, because as you know, New York can get very crowded and a clear field of vision can swiftly change.

From memory, this was shot in the vicinity of the Empire State Building. It was fairly late in the evening, but because we were there in summer, the light was still strong enough for me. Only just strong enough!

Verse and worse

So Obama's in "neutral" and the House has changed hands

The voters have spoken, amid shifting sands

Even Arnie's departed, with a brave "See you later"

And Jerry's moved in, to replace Terminator

Star shows up for a jam session

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 129-5738)

Okay, so it's not a real star - but you can understand why I saw the resemblance. This unusual ceiling is part of the Jam Factory here in Melbourne.

Definitely one of the places to be in the uber-trendy suburb of Prahran, it comprises a shopping mall, cinema and restaurant complex. And do you know where it gets its name from? Simple - it was once (you guessed it) a jam factory.

Verse and worse

Way out in space, it’s a special occasion

A decade of humans aboard the space station

The crew can’t play football, or bring home fresh prawns

But there’s no noisy neighbours, or mowing of lawns

Soft embrace of silk and timber

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 129-5811)

The silky fabric of these miniature Chinese souvenirs caught my eye because of the bright colours, and also because of the yellow script on their surface.

They were for a wedding and this was shot indoors, in soft morning light, so the colours really worked well against the Asian timber. I shot about five or six frames, with slightly different angles, but the depth of field seemed to work best on this shot.

Verse and worse

No mood is more bellicose
Than Rear-Admiral Jellicoe's
He ordered the fleet from New York to Crete
With no thought of danger, or fear of defeat

No Big Bang, but is it a starburst?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 131-6722)

As soon as I saw these plants in our local nursery, I snapped them up - and now they grace the garden at Casa Authorblog. They burst into bloom at the start of spring and are extremely sun-sensitive, so they close up at night and in cloudy conditions.

The plants are called "osteospermum" – the white variety in the foreground is called Afrikaan pearl and the deep pink one in the background is called Afrikaan crystal.

Verse and worse

A little dry-cleaner on Netherby Road

Claimed to have found the lost nuclear code

He said he discovered it near a row of old bowsers

With a notice that said: ``Press with Bill Clinton's trousers''.

Sole survivors

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: Malaysia2010-3456)

So you're wondering what on earth I've shot here? They're just rubber beach sandals, displayed on a rack at a store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

By shooting really close up and by concentrating on the colours and shapes, there is a semi-abstract quality to the image. Hopefully it's the kind of composition that makes you look closer!

Verse and worse

Devils and wraiths and witches and warlocks
Dastardly demons that tug at their forelocks
Are they netherworld dwellers ever so keen?
No, they're just children, enjoying Halloween

Classic art can be such a pipe dream

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID:131-6570)

Sometimes you see Renaissance-style art in the strangest places. This mural brought me to a halt as I walked down Lygon Street in central Melbourne about three weeks ago. It's not a huge wall, more like a small rectangle tucked into an inconspicuous spot beside the cafes that line the famous stretch of road.

But look carefully at the mural and you'll see that the exterior pipes have obviously been there for years. This in turn would suggest that the mural is fairly recent, and has been painted around the pipes.

Look at the image below and you'll also notice a clue that Lygon Street is famous for its cafes and multicultural cuisine. Can you see the glass that someone has left on the low parapet on the left? And there's something else there too, that I didn't notice until I reviewed these images on my computer screen - the artist has left his mobile (or cell phone) number under the dials on the bottom left-hand side of the image.

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID:131-6570)