Peace Fair

The International Day of Peace - Peace Fair celebrations, held in the Brisbane Square on the 21st September 2007 included a number of multicultural dancing and singing activities. Unfortunately I missed the introduction to this performance, however the kimono and fans suggest something Japanese. The movements were slow but stately, full of grace and I suspect extremely meaningful from a cultural perspective.

Nuclear? - No Thanks!

It isn't often one sees an elephant in the city at the best of times, thus I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to photograph this well behaved example which stood quietly in Queens Garden today. Part of a public awareness campaign organised by the Friends of the Earth in partnership with The Wilderness Society, to raise public awareness of the nuclear debate that of late has been touted by our politicians as a means of managing global warming and climate change.

I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree, "No Thanks!" One only has to look at the ongoing horrors as a result of Chernobyl. Can we really afford to take that risk? Let alone the issues around the disposal of spent uranium and its potential for conversion into weapons grade material.

The 2007 Ekka

Ask a local about the significance of August and as likely at least two things will be mentioned. The first is the presence of bitingly cold winds and the second would be “the Ekka”, (or as it is more officially reported, “The Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland - RNA”). For the most part this month, the cool wind has been remarkably absent, however the 2007 RNA Show, or Ekka as it is known by most kids, kicked off on Thursday last and will be in full swing until this coming Saturday.

Monday evening saw the brother-in-law’s and our family wandering around sideshow alley, looking at displays, buying sample bags and watching the fireworks, along with thousands of others. A good time was particularly had by our kids, now old enough to appreciate what’s going on around them. Colour imagery was the order of the day however one image, the “oh-so” typical shot of the Ferris Wheel, received a monochrome treatment that will enable me to finally post something to Monochrome Brisbane.

Dedicated to the memory of Anton Donkers 30/3/1930 – 16/08/2007.

Music Lesson

Music Lesson, originally uploaded by Martin~.

Wandering up to Brisbane Square, as I often do most lunch hours, I came across these gentlemen with what appeared to be an end blown flute. Having dabbled with Irish penny whistles and and an old school fife (circa 1970), curiosity got the better of me and I was politely informed that the instrument is a Turkish ney. Kindly consenting to be photographed during their music lesson I learned that the gentleman on the right was responsible for both crafting the instrument and was also providing his pupil (on the left) with instruction on its use. From what I could hear of the sound it reminded me of the lower range of notes my daughter produces on her traditional flute, low, haunting, but beautifully melodic.

At the time I thought this would be a tricky exposure given the dark coat worn by the subject in the foreground and the back lighting from the sky, thus the image was exposed by spot metering the subjects' hands. The original image has been mildly sharpened and converted to monochrome using a third party pseudo channels plug-in compatible with Photoshop Elements.

Book Signing

Book Signing, originally uploaded by Martin~

I can imagine that as an author it could be quite a daunting experience, attending to one's own book signing with what is likely to be a highly personal and significant piece of work. Answering the querying public's polite and possibly not so polite, sometimes inane and other times intelligent questions, concerning something into which one has poured heart and soul. This cheery author however expressed a quiet confidence in the timelessness of her message and its widespread applicability. Whilst initially cautious about being photographed, she readily consented after I explained my interest in street photography and desire to document her book signing.

FYI "Shafts of Light" by Elizabeth Weston is a fictional work and available through the Angus & Robertson bookstore in Post Office Square, Brisbane.

Tympani

Tympani, originally uploaded by Martin~.

The Warwick State High School band performed in the Queen Street mall today, and a highly polished performance it was too. Of all the instruments, on hand, I have to say that these beautiful kettle drums were the most impressive.

Rush Lounge

Rush Lounge, originally uploaded by Martin~.

At the same time as I was photographing "The End is Nigh" these very talented singers in period dress appeared along with a young woman handing out menus for the Rush Lounge, a restaurant located in Post Office Square. The Leica hasn't done a bad job metering given the backlit composition.

The End is Nigh

The End is Nigh, originally uploaded by Martin

It's sights like this that remind me to always sling a camera over my shoulder before my lunchtime walk, even if I'm feeling a bit jaded. People wearing sandwich-boards advertising anything are rare these days. But to see one proclaiming a message of such finality is very rare indeed. Very lucky for us mere mortals however that rather than the end of the world, this was a rather clever marketing ploy by a book store advertising the upcoming release of the final Harry Potter book.

Brisbane Arcade

Brisbane Arcade, originally uploaded by Martin~.

The Brisbane Arcade connects Queen Street with Adelaide Street and arguably contains some of the CBD's more upmarket fashion and jewellery boutiques. With retail spaces on two levels, the arcade is resplendent with beautifully stained wood panelling and has an antique charm well suited to the style of vendors it harbours.

This is the second occasion I have photographed the arcade from the same vantage point, (the first was a few years ago using a Canon 3000 SLR with Kodak BW C41 film). From memory I used the short end of a 35-70 mm zoom, which I though at the time could have been wider. That camera was sold a little while ago and on this occasion I used a recently purchased Leica Digilux 2 with a 28-90 mm (35mm equivalent) zoom, which allowed me to draw back even further.

The Leica was a bit of an impulse buy as I was originally looking for a small SLR style point and shoot digital camera to use exclusively for street photography. The Digilux is a bit like an M7 rangefinder on steroids, although I've never owned a Leica before and I'm not sure whether genuine Leica aficionados would regard the Digilux as a "real Leica", I can appreciate the hype surrounding these cameras. Andy Piper, a reviewer of this camera on photo-net The Leica Digilux 2 - A Review described the minimalist styling as "..basic Bauhaus 'form-follows-function' box, with a lens on one side and a light-sensitive surface on the other. Even Louis Daguerre
would recognize it as a camera." An apt comment, the camera is very cleanly designed, solid without being overly bulky with analogue controls that provide almost full manual control of the picture taking process without having to continually choose from menu driven selections. I am enjoying getting to know my new toy very much as I use it to take more and more photographs with which to grace this and the MB blog.

City Smart

City Smart, originally uploaded by Martin~.

Today saw the official start of the Brisbane City Council's CitySmart program, by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman.

The program is an amalgam of strategies designed to encourage the residents of Brisbane to self assess individual energy usage from a number of different perspectives. CitySmart also provides Information and links to practical advice concerning sustainability at the household level, according to the philosophy that encouragement to act locally will bring about changes globally.

Guages

Guages, originally uploaded by Martin~.

I am definitely a sucker for bright shiny colours and just couldn't resist the reds and yellows sharply contrasted against a dark background. I think that even the lens flare adds something to the composition. Although I must confess to boosting the contrast a little and applying some soft focus.

A picture of the mechanical workings of a fire engine used to deliver water to the seat of a blaze. This photograph came from a series that also generated the earlier False Alarm post

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week, originally uploaded by Martin~.

NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week 2007 is being celebrated from the 8th to the 15th of July. Some of the festivities took place in Musgrave Park behind Southbank. A great many of the tents and pavilions housed representatives from organisations supportive of ATSI culture and its needs. Not the least of which was the State Government Department of Emergency Services who provided the “Lil Squirt” fire engine for the amusement of the kids. Very popular it was too, providing rides around the park courtesy of its energetic and enthusiastic volunteer driver.

An interesting aside from earlier in the day, walking to work that morning with a monopod under my arm; I called in to the Daily Grind café located in my building to get a cup of coffee. Another customer, obviously a keen photographer himself asked me what I thought of the monopod and after I replied that I find it very useful for street photography, a general discussion ensued about taking candid photographs of strangers.

I got the impression that he was quite wary, even furtive of doing so because of the suspicion the general public sometimes attach to such activities these days. Well it was very interesting and as I am sometimes not backward about coming forward I took the opportunity suggest to him that in my opinion it was all to do with attitude. Not Joe Public’s mind you but his, mine, and every other street photographer’s out there. We are doing nothing wrong; we aren’t terrorists, deviates, thieves, weirdos etc. So my advice was to be positive, display confidence in what we are doing, ditch the nervousness and any outward display of furtiveness, act like we have every right to be there (we do), and nine times out of ten, people will respect us for what we are doing, give us space, and perhaps even encourage us. If people do seem to have a sixth sense concerning behaviour going on around them, I don’t believe we help our cause by miscuing people due to our nervousness or wavering surety about what we are doing.

So my advice was to get out there, act like you belong, (because you do) and generally people will openly or subconsciously acknowledge that you do belong.

Just my 2 cents.

State of Origin

As part of the preparation leading up to the final match of this year's State of origin series, (to be held at Lang Park, here in Brisbane), a number of the Maroons made themselves available in the mall at lunchtime to autograph fan paraphernalia; and generally acknowledge the support proffered by rugby league mad Queenslanders.
State of Origin, originally uploaded by Martin~.

From left to right; Brent Tate, Nate Miles, Justin Hodges, Carl Webb and Shaun Berrigan.

The complete line-up,left to right; Steven Price, Brent Tate, Darren Lockyer, Petero Civoniceva, Nate Miles, Justin Hodges, Carl Webb, Shaun Berrigan.

Human Battery Cage

Human Battery Cage, originally uploaded by Martin~.
An unusual protest conducted in the Brisbane Square today. A number of students highlighted the plight of battery hens by undertaking to be caged in a like manner. It was interesting that earlier in the week; the evening news reported definitional loopholes that result in more “organic” eggs being packaged and sold than growers are actually producing. Naturally the Australian Egg Corporation denies widespread egg substitution is occurring. (Not eggsactly good publicity).

It does make you wonder as a consumer though about the legitimacy of egg marketing generally. Are those eggs really from happy go-lucky free range or barn reared chooks?

Postcard From Jack

Postcard From Jack, originally uploaded by Martin~.
Hungry Jacks on the corner of Queen and Albert Streets is a very popular eatery, especially during the school holidays when like a magnet it seems to attract school kids from everywhere!I Whilst I tend not to frequent it myself, I have to admit to buying a bacon double cheeseburger from Jack from time to time.

This is another image taken with the Finepix S5600. The batteries gave out without warning just prior to to this shot, and whilst I normally use rechargeable NiMH (which last for ages), the fact that they are standard AA means I can get by for a while on easily purchased Evereadys.

False Alarm

False Alarm, originally uploaded by Martin~.

A very common site in the Brisbane central business district are fire-engines responding to false alarms. That they are false (malfunctioning) I think has to be a good thing, although in terms of the recurrent adrenal rushes, I don't suppose that it can be all that good health-wise for the firemen (and firewomen) who attend.

The observant will have noticed this is the third consecutive image I have posted in colour. I am having a lot of fun at the moment getting a feel for my wife's Finepix S5600. For the uninformed it is a pseudo SLR style 5.1MP digital camera, quite compact, and therefore very suitable for my small hands.

Mime Statue

Mime Statue, originally uploaded by Martin~.Spent an hour or so at lunchtime today wandering around the streets looking for interesting subjects, (people taking photographs). Initially I loitered at the new Brisbane Square, which has become a popular place for people eating their lunch, having a quiet cigarette or just basking in the winter sun. The square still attracts a high number of passerby’s who photograph family/friends using the sculptured balls as backdrops; although the environment isn’t really conducive to getting close to people taking images without appearing as if one might be up to no good! Wandering further afield did not prove fruitful and it wasn't until returning to the mall that I came across a busking “mime” statue and was able to stand quite close to the action to snap this image.

It's a Gas!

It's a Gas!, originally uploaded by Martin~.
In a flurry of publicity, the Brisbane City Council recently showcased one of its newly built natural gas powered articulated buses. In addition to a number of officials, there were several journalists and camera persons shooting footage of the new bus. Whilst I am not exactly a fan of buses, I thought I would use this as another opportunity to take pictures of people taking pictures.

This is also the first "street" photograph I have posted in colour, although I have desaturated the image somewhat to the point where I think the hues add to the image without overwhelming it.

Mr XXXX

A friendly wave from a local most Brisbanites would be familiar with. This is the Castlemaine XXXX brewery on Milton Road. This image was originally taken as part of a project involving a recognisable silhouette of a Brisbane landmark. Can't be absolutely sure but I bet few would disagree that this qualifies.

Mr XXXX, originally uploaded by Martin~.

General Post Office

This image was taken during the week using my F80 and a 24 exposure roll of Ilford Delta 100. When I can get the shorter rolls (24), I much prefer them over the longer 36 exposure version. I find the longer rolls generally inconvenient; too long to use on a single project, too short for a good cross section of shots over multiple themes. In any case I'm usually eager to develop a film after one session and whilst I don't really have a problem wasting unexposed frames, it starts to become costly after a while. Also, if ever a film jams whilst loading it onto a developing reel, it's the (36 exposure) long ones!

Experimenting with a different drying technique at the moment. After the final rinse and dunking in a wetting agent, I leave the film on the spiral, holding it so the film plane is vertical (to expedite run-off) whilst using a hair dryer to blow warm air through it. Remaining in the spiral as it does, the tightly coiled format means that the entire film surface is gently dried at once. Just have to give the reel a few gentle taps at the outset to dislodge any drops in the film track. So far I am very pleased with the result, no watermarks, dust or greasy fingerprints on the emulsion whatsoever.

Ship's Prow

This is an exterior photograph of the library space depicted in Spaceship Earth, and in fact, the two "viewing ports" in the top left quarter I think are reconcilable with those visible in the earlier image. The smooth hard chines of of the external fascia and angular join are very reminiscent of the view of a ship's bow as it cuts through the ocean. In this instance the ocean represented by the vastness of... space, the final frontier, these are the voyages...

Oops! (postscript 15th May) After making the comment about the above windows I was rather perplexed and confused that on closer inspection they do not appear to be the same as those depicted in the interior shot. In fact the window on the RHS of this exterior shot is slanting the opposite way to what I thought was its compliment in the interior shot.

Well after revisiting both locations I have finally realised that the exterior shot is from the same "box" section but is a different corner!

US Seventh Fleet Band

A military invasion of a peaceful kind, the US Seventh Fleet Band performing live in the Queen Street Mall. The music (at least whilst I was listening) was I think a mixture of jazz and swing and was beautifully accompanied by their very capable vocalist.

Push

This image was an unplanned candid grabbed as I was standing around trying to figure out a half decent viewpoint from which to photograph the exterior of the new Brisbane Square building. These two individuals gleefully photographed each other trying to move the immovable. As a result, I'm seriously contemplating a project involving taking photographs of people taking photographs, (they just seem to do it so well).

Spaceship Earth

The futuristic interior of the Brisbane City Council's newly completed flagship library (Brisbane Square), boasts a decor that always suggests to me the passenger lounge of an intergalactic spaceliner. The floor to ceiling viewing ports (windows) canted at odd angles and unusual use of coloured internal lighting are just the passenger comforts I'd expect, hurtling as it were to a distant star, (whilst whiling away the time with some Heinlein).

Alternative Music

This image is so called because of the young man's expression of interest in creating a Brisbane based alternative music magazine focusing on local bands and trends. No stranger to photography himself, he showed me his new Pentax *istDS that he had recently purchased to take images for his new rag.

Billy Boil

Taken at the top end of Ann Street (near the intersection of George St), this sculpture is situated outside the DPI building adjacent to the footpath. I took a number of shots, deliberately waiting for passers by to walk into the frame created by two of the sculpted pieces.

Skate-Away

The skate shop in lower Albert Street is a favourite hangout for pavement surfers. The shutter speed was sufficiently slow such that a passing pedestrian recorded only as a blur.

Silent Vigil

Evangelism in a busy city can take many forms. Despite the passive manner in which these Quakers make their point, their stance and quiet determination exude a strength that suggest such a thing might just be possible.

Shopfront Reflection

An unused, and rather cheeky image from the recent Monochrome Brisbane "reflections" project. At times, the Myer window dressers can be quite creative in their artistry.