Scull And Crossbones

Don’t Pull Out The Hot Cross Bung

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Want to see Olympic medallists in training? Then your best chance is to rise before dawn and stand in the cold and the dark beside the Yarra, the river on which Melbourne was founded. Among the school and university-level crews that scythe silently through the inky water are also the elite sportsmen and women who bring back medals of every colour from international sports meets. This shot was taken just before dawn, using the 18-125 lens on my Pentax K100D, because this quad sculls crew was across the river, near the north bank. It was taken without a tripod, as the crew sped past. I must have done something right, because the frame stands up well, even at A4 size.