Post Of The Day

Today's joint winners are Leslie with My Heart Bleeds; MamaGeek with Who You Calling Ugly? and Old Tom Wigley with Hay Making. The other top contenders were Old Man Lincoln with Pileated Woodpecker; Lisa Milton with Stay At Home Mom - That's A Good One; Kimberly with Oooooo, Shiny; The Pea Green Boat with To Trust Or Not To Trust - That Is The Question; DumDad with My Name’s Bond, Premium Bond; Sandy Carlson with Coffee Dreams; Pappy’s Balderdash with Lessons From The Past; My Five Men with Bookplates and Fishing Guy with Favourite Restaurant. Do pay them a visit and leave a comment if you have time.

You can nominate a post too. Just leave a comment here with the URL or link - and tell us the name of the blogger you are nominating. Righty-o, then, it's over to you.

Dawn Syndrome

Just A Simple Salute To Nature's Power

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Early on Wednesday morning, I looked through the kitchen window to see whether I needed to take my umbrella to work. To my delight, I saw a tinge of pink in the east. It didn’t solve the problem of whether it would rain or not, but I knew I had to keep an eye on the colours.

There was a strong breeze, so I knew either of two things would happen just before the sun rose. Either the colour was dissipate very quickly as the cloud cover broke up, or it would rapidly intensify.

My camera is always within arm’s reach, so I took it into the garden and shot this series of frames. There was not more than two minutes between the first shot and the last - and a minute after I went back indoors, the colours had vanished completely.

Nature paints some amazing images for us early risers, but even then we have to react quickly to capture them.

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

Quick, Capture That Glow

Sometimes The Winter Sky Is A Great Surprise

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

On my way home last night, I was driving in fairly heavy rain and marvelling at the angle of an almost-vertical rainbow that appeared majestically as I crested the top of a hill. I knew I'd be home in a couple of minutes and I figured the rainbow in the east would still be visible.

In the brief time it took me to get home, the rainbow had started to fade, but there was a sudden dramatic glow in the west, so of course I had to train my camera on the sky. I was lucky that the plane trees on our property are completely bereft of any foliage at this point in winter.

This being the case, I was able to use the upward curve of the branches as a great foil to accentuate the dramatic colour. Yes, it disappeared as quickly as it showed up. From start to finish, I estimate it lasted no longer than four minutes.

And yes, I was using my camera in the rain. That's just par for the course.

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

Nice Steeple, Jack

Receiving You Cloud And Clear

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

When I was a kid and I was being taught the rudiments of photography, I was always told to a) make sure the sun was always behind me when I was photographing anything and b) to make sure there was enough natural light and c) never to deviate from either of these basic rules.

But while handling a progression of cameras, I have always enjoyed flouting those rules. I revel in using a camera in low-light situations. And quite honestly, I never look to see where the sun is. If I see something I want to photograph, even if it means pointing my camera directly into the sun, I don’t think twice, I just do it. The great thing to remember is if you are hitting the trigger in bad light or heavy cloud, you get to use everyday objects as great silhouettes.

I took these shots some weeks ago, while walking across a pedestrian crossing opposite Flinders Street Station here in central Melbourne. It was almost dusk and my gaze swung towards the steeple of St Paul’s Cathedral on the left of the frame. Naturally enough, I slowed down and I simply had to swing my camera up to take the shot.

Then the pedestrian light began flashing red and of course I had to take a vertical shot to include the street sign, with the red of the pedestrian warning sign providing the only real colour in the frame. And yes, I completed my walk across the crossing in complete safety!


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

Once Bitten, Twice Sky

There's Always An Opportunity On The Horizon

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

There's nothing better than combining a Sky Watch Friday post with some advice on landscape photography. I've been asked a couple of times if it's better to wait for a clear blue sky - and my answer is always to photograph what you see, rather than waiting for the weather to change.

A moody, grey sky can be great to work into a landscape shot. But I always reckon the best colours in a sky are those just before dawn and just after dusk. Why? Because the light from the sun below the horizon always reflects off clouds, producing a brilliant kaleidoscope of hues. Yes, cloudless blue skies are great - but you might have to wait a while for the right weather.

In essence, why wait? Just get your camera out and start shooting. This series of frames was shot about four weeks ago, late on a sunny autumn evening when there was a bit of light haze. I've published all three shots here to give you an idea of how to look for little extras that endow a shot with a bit more character.


In the first shot, I've simply captured a couple of office buildings and their shimmering reflection. But in the second (above) you'll see that I've moved a few yards down the river bank to get some branches into the shot. Same scene, different perspective - and it works a bit more cohesively.

Finally, the last shot (below) is a horizontal frame to provide a wider reference point. Again, the scene is a simple one and while the haze works over the main focal points, the silhouettes provide a softer touch. Never be afraid to experiment. Don't concentrate on one single viewpoint. You'll be amazed at the results.

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

Seeking Flame And Fortune

What A Great Way To Start The Day

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's always good to keep an eye on the sky - because you never know when you'll get a dramatic sight. And the thing about photographing a great sky is that you have to be really quick, because the subtleties of light change so swiftly.

Last weekend I was up early and noticed some scattered cloud across the east. The sky was lightening and it was still several minutes from sunrise, so I made myself a cup of tea and savoured it. You can take the boy from Darjeeling but you can't take Darjeeling from the boy - I always drink normal tea, rather than the blended tea flavours that are so popular.

After I put the cup down, I picked up my camera, put on a jacket (this is our winter, remember?) and walked outside. Sure enough, in a few minutes, it was as if someone had daubed the freezing winter sky with a flamethrower.

I always like getting a few silhouettes into a sky shot, because I find they provide great value. Rather than detracting from the overall image, I always find they add something to the shot because they give you some idea of perspective. I used a roof line and trees to frame these shots and in about five minutes, the colours had vanished completely.

The rest of the day was grey and cloudy and gusty - but I was so very privileged to see the way it started out.

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

Homage To Heavenly Bodies

Yes, I Really Am A Morning Person

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's not every day that you get an opportunity like this, with the waning moon on your right and the dawning sun on your left. I shot these frames last week. My attention was first caught by the moon, sitting regally above a scattered band of cloud in the west.

It was a really interesting sky and the effect is double the value when you look at the surface of the river, with the gentle variations of blue mingling with the dark shadows under the bridge. Looking beyond the office buildings, some in shadow and some bathed in light, you can even see the construction work in the Docklands area.

This second shot (below) was taken a few seconds later. Looking to the other side of the bridge, the rising sun was reflected in the windows of the Victorian Arts Centre, rendering it as a golden fireball and casting some warmth across the winter morning.


There are plane trees planted all along Southbank and it's been a few weeks since they dropped their huge maple-like leaves. Less than two minutes after I shot the frame of the moon, I was able to use the bare branches of this plane tree to emphasise the beautiful hues of the sky. I angled the shot really carefully, to get about five trees into the shot, all of them looking like a row of stark, silent sentinels.

I was about to walk away when I figured I could go right up close to the nearest tree and use not just its branches but also utilise its trunk as well to provide an interesting - but not overwhelming - effect across the shot.

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

Sun Spot

Every Photographer Needs A Little Luck

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes, you just get lucky. You can have a great camera. You can have a great eye for composition. You can have lots of spare capacity on your memory card. You can have plenty of mileage in your rechargeable batteries. You can have great light. You can have great vistas. You can have a great city spread out before you. But it helps to have a little luck.

I shot this sequence yesterday morning, while it was still Wednesday in Europe, Canada and the United States – but it clearly surpasses the other photographs I was ready to post for Sky Watch Friday.

I took an earlier train than normal into the city and watched the greys and pinks and mauves of a classic Melbourne sky. I gritted my teeth when I could not get a shot of the dome of a Coptic church silhouetted against the brilliant dawn. But I didn’t realise that I would soon be richly compensated for my disappointment.

At this stage, I must point out something that my regular readers are aware of - I do not digitally manipulate my images in any way. No Photoshop. No fancy effects. What you see here is exactly what I shoot.

Shortly after 7.30, I crossed the footbridge between Flinders Street Station and Southbank. The clarity of dawn had given way to a narrow band of fog that obscured the light towers of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Then, probably because I’m curious by nature, I looked back over my shoulder – and there was the sun.

But it shone big and ponderous and low on the horizon – and it was shining a ghostly shimmering white, because of the fog.

I had my 18-125 Sigma lens on the camera, but I also had my 300mm lens in the bag as well. But there was no time to waste. I stopped in the middle of the bridge, crossed to the railing and started shooting the scene as commuters rushed past. In the space of two minutes, the sun was obscured. Such a narrow window of opportunity – and I was just in the right place at the right time.

If I had caught my normal train, I would have missed the sight completely. And if I had changed at Richmond as I always do, to get a direct train to Flinders Street instead of staying on the train (because it was crowded) through the entire City Loop, I would have been too early to capture these scenes.

Most importantly, did you actually spot the sun in the first frame? Really? Let me know!


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

Ice Age

The Photographs Are Cold Comfort

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

So I can be a little bit slow sometimes, okay? But I’m a bloke, and it comes with the territory. So don’t shake your head and click your tongue when I tell you that I missed all the clues yesterday. Yup, every single clue.

It was cold when I got up. Missed clue #1. It was a cloudless sky. Missed clue #2. I could see smoke-vapour billowing gracefully from the roof heating vent of my neighbour across the road. Missed clue #3.

So, clad in my grey suit and my maroon-and-silver tie and nothing warm except my sense of humour, out I strode through the front door – to find both cars covered with ice. Ice? We’re still a week away from winter but yes, it was cold. And yes, the car doors were frozen shut as well.

But an icy Melbourne night means a cloudless Melbourne day and a blue Melbourne sky, so when I got to the station there was a beautiful crystal-clear sky daubed with pink and blue.

I did the right thing and ignored my train so that I could take these shots of the early-morning moon hanging over the station. Which of these four compositions do you like best?

I guess Friday morning is as good a time as any to moon all of you!


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

Reach For The Sky

Photographers Are Going Great Guns

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I had a Sky Watch Friday post ready to auto-publish, when I scrapped it after having a lunchtime wander with my camera yesterday. While most of you are gearing up for summer, we're only a fortnight away from winter. Despite that, the sky has been a startling blue most of the week, with daytime temperatures around 20 Celsius.

The blue of an unsullied Australian sky is really something to feast your eyes on. So while I'm sure you have plenty of wide blue skies above you at the moment, I thought I'd give you a taste of what Melbourne looked like at lunchtime yesterday. This shot (above) was taken down at Southbank, looking across the Yarra River at the central business district. I had taken a few shots of the ferries when I looked at the clock tower of Flinders Street Station.

Realising it was almost one o'clock, I looked straight into the sun, shielded my eyes and reached for my camera. There's nothing better than shooting straight into the afternoon sun to produce a great effect across a camera lens, with lots of light flare across the frame.

Then I shot this frame (above) to prove that you can take a sky shot indoors! I was standing on the central stairwell at Southbank, shooting upwards. Not only can you see the clear sky through the glass atrium, the composition also provides an interesting combination of geometrical patterns - there is the graceful arc of the balcony and the handrail above it, as well as the sharp white triangles formed by the roof struts.

Finally, this shot (above) depicts a royal-blue sky above the gentle silhouette of a graceful metallic awning. For the next couple of days we'll have rain and hail and cloudy skies, but yesterday our sky looked like a giant blue riband under which we are privileged to live.

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

Wedding Belles

Yes, I Have My Head In The Clouds

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

We were at a family wedding at the Hungarian Ev-Lutheran Church last weekend and of course I had my trusty Pentax slung over my shoulder. No, I wasn’t the official photographer, but I still shot 250 frames which the bride and groom enjoyed looking at yesterday.

This shot (above) was taken just after the service ended. I raced outside to get some shots of the couple as they walked out and while I waited, I happened to look up and realised this scene was just waiting to be photographed.

The sky was really interesting, with light cloud interspersed with patches of blue, highlighting the silhouette of the steeple. I had deliberately chosen to use my 18-125mm lens that afternoon, so I had the flexibility to frame the shot exactly as I wanted, making the most of the trees on either side of the bell tower.

I guess one of the things I really like about the shot of the bell tower and the sky is that it is completely asymmetrical - and yet it works well, precisely because of that. Do you agree?


This shot (above) was taken in the church car park. It has a slightly quirky quality because I guess it makes you look twice. Only when you look closely do you realise what I’ve shot. It’s the external chrome headlamp of a vintage car – and the sky is reflected in its convex surface.

I had to work like Mister Bendy to achieve this shot without getting my own reflection in the chrome, but I didn’t succeed entirely. You can see an elongated reflection – like one of those novelty fairground mirrors - on the right hand side of the frame.

I have to say the church itself is beautiful, with great stained glass windows and a timber cathedral-style ceiling with amazing beams and struts.

Later, when I had finished taking photographs, I walked around the side of the church and found a beautiful war memorial. The shadows had gone and the autumn sun had long since set, but of course I had to get out my camera for one last sky shot.

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

My Big Fat Creek Heading

Silver Water Glistens Under A Rising Sun

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

A couple of weeks ago, when I shot this series of photographs, I could see we were in for a great sunrise. Crisp morning. Clear blue sky. Smattering of white cloud low on the horizon.


So I drove to a nearby creek to try and capture a uniquely Australian perspective across a flat dry land.


I was intrigued by this scene (above) with the range of light across the sky, followed by the utter darkness across the barren landscape in the middle of the frame and finally the beautiful reflection in the still water of the creek, at the very bottom of the frame.


For this series, I chose the 70-300mm lens rather than the 18-125mm lens because I didn't want to keep changing lenses throughout the shoot. While I walked closer to the creek bed, I realised that the best colour range was being played out in the sky, so I swung my camera upwards again.


These shots were all taken with a focal length of 70mm - and only six minutes elapsed between the first frame and the last one. As always, I felt privileged to explore (and to share with you) the dramatic manner in which light conditions change rapidly and a landscape can change complexion several time in a few minutes.

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

Splashing Colour Across The Sky

If Only I Could Paint Like This

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I've always thought photographers and painters are richly blessed in this country, where vibrant hues are so often taken for granted. This sunset, with its flaming skyshow, was photographed about a month ago. I was standing on top of a hill in Narre Warren, in Melbourne's southeast, near the bike track of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

I shot about two dozen frames very quickly, using different focal lengths and several variations of compositions to try and capture the colours as they spread and morphed across a wide expanse of sky. Looking at these shots, you wouldn't think I had power lines right across the scene in front of me. Sometimes the lines themselves can add to the perspective, but only half the shots I took that day have the power lines across them.

I was using a 300mm Sigma lens on my Pentax K100D - and it's always interesting to see the incredible amount of detail and clarity that the lens picks up. I was concentrating totally on the colours and the framing of each shot, but when I got home and looked at the images on my computer, I was intrigued to see what looks like a tiny purple ship on the right-hand side of the horizon.

If you look carefully, you can even see it on these low-res versions of the original shots. Could it perhaps be a 21st century version of the famous ghost ship, the Mary Celeste? Naaaaah, I don't think so.

In actual fact, I think the "ship" is really the office buildings of Melbourne's central business district - but I need to return to this hill and take some more shots to check this out.

I've shot sunsets from this point before, because it gives me wonderful access across a gentle but dramatic valley - and I ain't never noticed the tall buildings of the city from this vantage point. At this stage I should point out that the city is at least 35 kilometres away from Narre Warren, as the crow flies. No, I’m not kidding. It’s 35 kilometres – or almost 22 miles. Amazing, isn’t it?

So stand by and we'll solve this mystery together. Soon.

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