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.

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.

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.