Day 212: Water...colour...

Day 212: ...equals art?

I've had a busy day today. Almost didn't get around to taking a photo...so I whipped up a watercolour instead...

Flamin' tree

No, not really. The first part of that statement is true. It was busy. Friends returning from overseas, a morning at university participating in a roundtable discussion. Buses stuck in traffic, tai chi, groceries. And, I almost didn't get around to taking a photo or two. 

But the feature photo today is in fact, a photo, with the fruit phone. No editing. It is actually just a reflection of the eucalypt when the wind was blowing. I was surprised by, and loved the (very accidental) effect. 

These other photos show its origins. 

This photo is a slightly wider angle of the rainwater tank overflow bucket, which is all it is, without the wind. 

Water still

And here are the leaves taken in real life, a little more conventionally. 

Straight leaves and sky

All done as I raced home and ducked out again. Sometimes, being pressed for time creates unanticipated opportunities. And that's not a bad thing.

[Camera : iPhone 4S, 4.47pm, 4.49pm, 4.50pm]

Day 211: The remains of the day...

Day 211: ...where the sun always sets

I can make no apologies, dear reader, I enjoy the challenge of the light of the sun. Yesterday on the twitters, the good burghers of Sydney came in for some flak when they showed off their glorious sunset. Spectacular colours: from a photographic point of view, I didn't blame them for all the photos. 

This afternoon, I found myself at a friend's place around sunset which offered a slightly different perspective on the sunset view. The special light isn't always directly with the sun. For example, in the branches of trees, you can see the remains of the day...

Branching out...

 But it is in the hills that we see the best of Brisbane sunsets...

Elton John comes to mind
1/3200, f5.6, ISO200 

The lines work, I think
1/2000, f5.6, ISO200 (just in case you wanted to know)

And then the moon (and you know what that means dear reader...guess what's on the way)

This line doesn't really work..

"Full Moon"...you saw me standing alone...(Alright, not quite, but you know what I mean.)

Today, it might have been otherwise, but it was all about the light. 

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 300mm, 5.14pm, 5.16pm, 5.17pm [that quick] and 5.42pm]

Day 210: Bad hair day? ...

Day 210: ...then don't ruffle my feathers

The end of July is fast approaching...I have about a year's worth of work left to do before year's end. Fairly typical for many of us I guess. 

While I was reading up for a roundtable discussion later in the week, one of the regular pigeons settled on a nearby branch...

Chillin'...

Hmm...

Meh...

Still, the ruffles didn't bother it too much. It stayed around for a while. A lesson in calm really.

There's probably something in that for all of us.

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, at 300mm, 11.59am, 12noon; some cropping)

Day 209: Good morning...

Day 209: ...sunshine

It's not that Classic Clarinets "on tour" makes one tired, but two days bussing and musicking and being treated to country hospitality...well, we've got to get up on Monday morning and go to work, such is the life of an amateur musician. 

And so it was this morning as I got underway for another day, first day of the new semester and although I'm not teaching and due to go on long service leave, there have been some unanticipated changes to my schedule...which means I may end up teaching yet. Certainly, I have a month of work to do before my long service leave kicks in when I take off to do some research because...it's the only time I get to do it and the university doesn't want to fund it.

So much more fun being an amateur musician.

Anyway, I was thinking all these things as the sun burst through the eucalyptus this morning...

Sunshine through the leaves

There was a brightness about it that stood out. 

Then the quiet was broken by several noisy miners going ten to one against the half a dozen or so kookaburras which decided to insert themselves into the morning. More than a photo, dear listener, here is a little experiment, a new adventure for the blog, a short video:

Because no photo quite captures that kooka feeling like the sound, actual sound, of their laughter.  

It was indeed, metaphor for the coming month on so many, many levels...you've go to laugh, or else.

[Camera : iPhone 4S, 9.24am, video: 11.02am)

Day 208.5: Mary Poppins town...

Day 208.5: and a bluesky mood or two

Sometimes, dear reader, my 'pic of the day' just overflows with riches. Occasionally, a .5 day will be some little photography learnings...a study I have done to try one technique or another...

At other times, I've been lucky enough to be somewhere where there were (too many ...ere words here) sights to see, images to capture, times to imagine. 

With 35 minutes free time between leaving the motel (see Day 208) and getting on with the business of the day (clarinet concert at the Brolga Theatre and associated activities), we had a moment to stroll through the original heritage area of Maryborough, including Cherry Tree Lane and the bank building where PL Travers, 'Mary Poppins', was born and raised before her bank manager father was transferred to near Warwick.

Here's just a small sample of the walk...

Statue (detail)

The old bank building (detail)

PL looking down the street

Cherry Tree Lane installation (after Mary Poppins)

Cherry Tree Lane installation 2 (after Mary Poppins)

Parasol with sunlight

Streetscape detail 1

Streetscape detail 2

PO Hotel, every township has/had one
(homage to J Smart...if you look carefully)

Cherry Tree Lane building

Bluesky building (a military museum now)

A lovely stroll by the Heritage Centre

Flood markings
(1893...got me thinking about my mate Watanabe)

Chalk art, in the park

Sunday morning in the park

A most awe-inspiring tree

Cloud and....soldiers' memorial

On to our lunch venue...

Girl Guides hut

Ant

Flora

And our concert venue: The Brolga Theatre...

From the river side

Mary River, in reflection, before the concert

Mary River, after the concert

Over, out and on our way

A lovely day. I have eaten way too much thanks to country hospitality. 
Playing in a clarinet choir does have its advantages.

And now it is back to work. 

[Camera : iPhone 4S, starting at 10.12am through until post-concert 4.39pm]

Day 208: On the road...

Day 208: ...with the Clarinet Choir [Part 2]

We made it. Stayed overnight in one of those country motels with associated pub, at which we ate a pub-style dinner. Noisy. It is one of those things you do when the band goes on tour. 

When we have to travel 'light', I am always conflicted about whether or not to take the big cam. Since I play one of the larger instruments, a bass clarinet, and space on board is limited, I generally have to satisfy myself with the convenience of the fruitfone cam. It's OK. 

There was a piercing view of the sun rising over the car park, through a haze which might have been smoke from a fire, might have been fog. I was on my way to a country-style motel continental breakfast...you already know the drill. They're all the same.

Maryborough dawn

Pre-concert we had a bit of a stroll around ye olde Maryborough town which I've documented on Day 208.5...just too many marvellous bluesky scenes to ignore. 

But this pic, as the bus hit the Bruce southbound, on the way home, is probably my favourite pic of the trip. Passing some cane fields just south of Maryborough and just that moment I looked out and saw the shadow of the bus (and trailer)...

On the road and in the canefields.

Just magic. And an excellent big day out too with the local choral society at the Brolga Theatre.

[Camera : iPhone 4S, 6.48am, 4.58pm]

*Tweepsters were able to follow a live tweet event of the the bus trip home...but I guess you had to be there.
Teehee. 

Day 207: On the road...

Day 207: ...with the clarinet choir [Part 1]

You might recall, dear reader, I play in an orchestra. A community orchestra, non-professional, but a lot of fun. I also play in an ensemble of clarinettists, a clarinet choir--26 clarinets which actually sound better than you are probably thinking right now. 

Generally, we rehearse once a fortnight and play out on request at retirement villages, nursing homes and so on. Occasionally, we'll be invited to join another group for their concerts. Once or twice a year, we venture beyond Brisbane's outermost boundaries. This weekend was one of those...

It started with a spray of colour...

The day begins...

Another view of the morning too...

Dawn light (Canon EOS 60D, 6.36am; no filter)

And amidst the Glasgow Commonwealth Games fever, look who we came across when the bus stopped for a pitstop. 

Matilda!

This service station is at Gympie, on the Bruce Highway northbound, on the way to Maryborough, our final destination for this weekend's trip. Anyone who was in Brisbane in 1982 will have certain memories of this one...and she still winks. 

On to Maryborough.

[Camera : iPhone 4S, 6.30am, 2.03pm]

Day 206.5: Cloud spotting...

Day 206.5: ...bluesky, wisps, colours and ... big jet planes

Although we have a tendency to marvel at the cumulus group of clouds, there is much to equally marvel at in the cirrus elements. This afternoon, the bluesky canvas was awash with the soft strokes of cirrus cloud, there's a delicate wispy feel about them which I quite like. 

Light brushstrokes
1/500, f4.5, ISO100, 4.16pm

A bit of a smudge
1/500, f4.5, ISO100, 4.17pm

W~i~s~p...
1/640, f5.6, ISO100, 4.19pm

Now, clearly, these were lining up for a bit of a special sunset canvas I reckoned. And so, the following pics show that progression from light to dusk (+/- cheeky exposure times...).

And so it begins...
1/40, f7.1, ISO100, 5.23pm

On its way...
1/60, f5.6, ISO100, 5.25pm

Watch those wisps...
1/60, f5.6, ISO100, 5.28pm

A little more...
1/60, f5.6, ISO100, 5.30pm

There goes the sun, here comes the colour...
1/60, f5.6, ISO100, 5.31pm

Almost worthy of a painting...
1/40, f5.6, ISO100, 5.32pm

Treetop.
1/40, f5.6, ISO100, 5.33pm

Colour changes again...
1/40, f5.6, ISO100, 5.33pm

The show continues...
1/40, f5.6, ISO100, 5.34pm

Colour intensity...
1/40, f5.6, ISO100, 5.35:45pm

Lasts a little longer...
1/15, f5.6, ISO100, 5.35:53pm

So those last two, taken within seconds of each other, just the difference in shutter speed: 1/40 v 1/15. I'm getting the hang of the creativity in the shutter speed...much to learn, still. 

Q: How many planes did you spot by the way? 

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 18-55mm]



{Answer: Four}