Mike Country, Tis Of Thee I Sing

Never Mind The Area, Wot About Da Volume?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes you shoot one frame and you know, instinctively, that you've got it right. No, there's no arrogance in that statement; I'm not that sort of person. This shot was taken about six weeks ago, when I was photographing a jazz quartet called Mango Juice playing in a Glen Waverley cafe here in Melbourne. It was a warm, sunny afternoon and I suddenly realised the angle and the light were just right to shoot the microphone. The metallic tones just went perfectly with the shades in the background. To see other shots taken that afternoon, go to Everything You Want To Know About Sax and Everest Bass Camp.

Click here: Pentax K10D, Shutter 1/4o, F 4.5, ISO speed 400.

Everything You Want To Know About Sax

(But Were Afraid To Ask)

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

While I spent a few minutes photographing the jazz quartet Mango Juice in full swing (see post titled Everest Bass Camp) I spotted this saxophone sitting in a corner, in a kitbag. The first photograph you see here (above) is exactly how I saw the sax, because I never move an object to get a better view. Then I took the second shot (below) while standing above the instrument. I was pretty happy with this angle, because makes such an unusual shot. One colleague of mine said it reminded her of a swan, while another - who is also a musician - said he could just imagine the shot on an album cover. Maybe one day ....

Everest Bass Camp

The Timbre Depends On The Timber

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

What’s the first question you ask someone who plays a double bass? Eiji Takemoto just grins when I ask him (as you do) how he manages to carry the huge instrument around. He points to a trolley and says he wheels it out on that and sticks it in the ``back of the car’’. So I do some mental maths. The double bass stands taller than me, and I’m about 190 centimetres. Turns out Eiji has a station wagon, which makes sense! I ask him how old the bass is. He reckons the German-made instrument is probably 120 years old. Eiji plays in a quartet called Mango Juice and they can be heard on weekends, from 1pm-4pm at Shine, a café bar and lounge at 74-76 Kingsway in Glen Waverley. Watch this space for more pictures.