Verse and worse

Jack fell down and broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after

The lawyer’s face revealed a frown

As he sued for a broken rafter

So they roped you in as well?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: Sydney2010-7235)

It's not your normal view of a retired naval cruiser, but who wants a normal view for any photographic image? I stopped to admire the symmetry of the vessel's graceful bow, accentuated by the curvature of the number 11 on either side.

Really the only thing that was not symmetrical was the jetty rope - but that didn't worry me. This was shot at the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Verse and worse

The master builder taught his daughter

How to lay bricks and prepare the mortar

Her skills and talents could not be finer

Now she's cloning the Great Wall of China

Identify this mystery object

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 7323)

OK, so it's not the most common viewpoint. That's because I stood with my back to the object, bent over as far as I could, and shot it upwards to get the most unconventional angle. Yes, I must have looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame in reverse!

But can you guess what I've shot? Feel free to post your guesses as comments - and yes, you can guess as many times as you want. I'll reveal the answer in 24 hours, but if you just cannot wait that long, you can check the high-resolution image here on my Red Bubble site to see what the answer is.

Verse and worse

The new lighthouse keeper

Is such a heavy sleeper

That he sets eight alarms to rise every morning

And take on his duties even while he's still yawning

Dune not disturb

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 122-3368)

I love a decent abstract as much as the next photographer, so I found this simple sight really arresting. Why? Simply because of the strong shapes and the bold colours - and I guess the unusual view as well.

This was a temporary outdoor stall at Melbourne's Docklands precinct, shot on a very warm summer's day on 10 January this year. The central pole swept the canvas upwards sharply, which was perfect for the way I "saw" the image, contrasting that bright yellow against the strong shadow and the flawless blue Australian sky.

Verse and worse

William Spode bought "Abbey Road"

But his credit card began to implode

Downloading the Beatles brought him so much delight

That he logged into iTunes right through the night

Never yawn, from dusk to morn

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: USA2010-8530)

It's not often you get to photograph dusk over your own country and then, scant hours later, dawn over the Pacific. But here's the tricky bit, right? The first image shows dusk on 23rd June 2010 and the next one shows dawn on - that's right, the same day!

The shot above was taken a couple of hours into the long haul from Sydney to San Francisco aboard a United Boeing 747. Then some hours later, I gazed through my window as I tried to sleep - and sat there transfixed by the colours that began to develop on the horizon, from my vantage point more than 30,000 feet up.

I was really tired, but I got to my feet, walked back a couple of rows, took my camera from the overhead locker - and then made my way to the rear of the plane, to shoot some frames through the tiny observation porthole in the last emergency door.

It was well worth the effort. I can now claim to have photographed dawn AFTER shooting dusk on the same day.

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: USA2010-8533)

Verse and worse

It was terribly sad to see Angus McCracken

Get his new grey trousers ripped by the bracken

So he patched the holes and sold them for a shilling

To Raggedy Fred, who was ever so willing

Some drivers are so ... pig-headed

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID:USA2010-Long Island-8645)

We were in a hurry, catching up with close friends for dinner in Long Island. It was late evening and the light was fading quickly. But after we'd parked and were on our way to the restaurant (Smokin Al's, a rib joint) I noticed this mural on a wall.

I didn't even need to tell Mrs Authorblog and the Authorbloglets that I was stopping to take the photo. They had seen the mural too - and turned around because they kinda KNEW what I was going to do next.

By the way, during the meal, one of our friends, whom we've known for many years, told me that she used to read my blog regularly and asked why I had suddenly shut it down. Now that I've resumed the blog, I'd better get in touch with her so that she resumes her reading habit ....

Verse and worse

Great-uncle Bryce was addicted to dice

He'd gamble his wages without thinking twice

He'd look for a contest when he went for his stroll

But he won lots of gold - he was always on a roll

Wiggypedia gets a facelift

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 124-6129)

This might look like a page out of the French Revolution or from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but it was nothing as dramatic as either of those options. It was simply a performer at the Moomba street parade, shot in March this year.

I used a 70-300mm lens for the duration of the parade, because the focal range gave me a variety of options. From memory, this was shot at 300mm. The performers were twirling and moving constantly - but this great costume really caught my eye.

From memory, I shot about three or four frames very quickly, but this one is the best in terms of clarity. No, there was no one doing red carpet interviews! Or even green carpet interviews ....

Verse and worse

Henry Moloney was ever so bony

So he ate fried mushrooms laced with baloney

He began to work out, now he's sinew and muscles

And the women all love him in faraway Brussels

Yup, the pizza dough was ... light

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: USA2010-LongIsland-8590)

So there we were, the entire Authorblog clan, dining out with close friends at Bertucci's in Long Island. It was late in the evening, we'd all had a long day, but we reckoned we could all fit in some pizza (most of us) or pasta (some of us).

As always, I had my trusty camera beside me. (Yes, like Mary's little lamb in the nursery rhyme, it went everywhere with me in NYC, as it always does.) And when I noticed the reflections in the interior of this lamp above our table, I had to ask permission to use my camera. Just as you would have, too.

And the pizza? A big thumbs up. Yes, I'd go back.

Verse and worse

Alas, the frustrations of Scientist Jones

His experiments failed to produce any clones

But all he could say was "By gosh and by golly"

When he saw reports of a sheep called Dolly

Mall things bright and beautiful

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: USA2010-Long Island-8626)

This was shot at a large shopping mall in Long Island in June this year. The geometrical precision of the huge cupola above our heads had me standing there, looking upwards as though I were taking in some metallic equivalent of the Sistine Chapel. Oh well, you get my drift, right?

But I didn't just want a shot of the dome. So I found an angle from which I could include a tall indoor tree just to introduce an extra point of interest. Not an easy angle to shoot, but quite a rewarding one to look back on.

Verse and worse

Miss Harlequin Bunning

Looked ever so stunning

In a gown of laced pearls

Before emp'rors and earls

Bold as brass

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID: 124-6111)

Shooting images during street parades can be really difficult. On the plus side, you are outdoors, so you have good light, and bright colours to work with. But people are constantly moving in front of you (even if you are over six foot tall and standing on tiptoe) and those who are part of the parade are constantly in motion.

But I shot this during the Moomba parade here in Melbourne in March. Beautiful day. Plenty of sunshine. And I decided to use the longer of my two lenses, replacing my 18-125mm lens with a 70-300mm lens. This gave me great depth of field as I zoomed in on this tuba player.

Did you notice the reflection on his brass instrument, showing the city skyline behind him - and the crowds lining St Kilda Road in front of him? If you want to see the original high-res version of this shot on my Red Bubble site, just click here.

Verse and worse

``Whatever,'' mused the oracle, ``would rhyme with `tumbler'?''

``I know,'' said his pupil, ``why don't you try `bumbler'?''

And so on they did joust, with such mental alacrity

That they tied in a contest, for Rhyme King Of The Ditty

Wonder why he looks so familiar

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON (Image ID:122-4401)

With these strong colours, you might think this was shot on Caribbean soil, but it wasn't. I was striding down Flinders Street in central Melbourne on a Friday afternoon in January this year when I noticed this vivid evocation of Steve Wonder.

It wasn't the only one on the wall of a store that opened up onto the busy street. There were many famous musicians depicted in an amazing mural. I was in a hurry that afternoon, so I only shot two or three frames, but I reckon it's high time I went back there to find out who painted these great images.