Day 243 2015: A visit...

Day 243: ...and a long wait

Mum came to visit today, which was excellent. She had some things to do here in Brisbane which included going to the large local shopping centre with her to do various things. One of which was Telstra...new phone...two and a half hours later...

We also ate at the new Asian-market-style food court. Okonomiyaki, described variously as Japanese pancake, Japanese pizza etc. It's just okonomiyaki, one of my favourites since my very early days in Japan. 

I also had to dash across town for perhaps my last chance to pick up my photos from the Ekka, so nice to get them back and see the sticker on the back 'accepted for exhibition'. It's small, but it is such a thrill. All four in the colour section were selected this year. Now, to aim for 'highly commended' in 2016...

So the day didn't leave much to do pic-wise, except I was just looking at the late setting sun on the wall and reflecting that given my work, I don't see it often. And light and shade are the things I like about photography. Light and shade. 

Cast in the shadow

Is it light? Is it shadow?

Crow on the fly

 And the stunning light of the setting sun on the callistemon out the front. It just caught my eye...

Sun ... light

New ... light

Tomorrow is another day. Mum has her new phone and I have more work to do.

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 75-300mm, 4.51pm-5.02pm]

Day 242.5 2015: Zzzooooming in and out...

Day 242.5: ... on my city

You might recall, dear reader, a few weeks ago I played around with an old camera technique I learnt at high school: zooming the telephoto zoom lens in and/or out while on long exposure. I zoomed in and out on the pelican in the lake...

Well, tonight, just before I left the mountain lookout (see Day 242), the Story Bridge just jumped out as a possible candidate for the trick...

Without a tripod, totally hand-held...

City Scribbles 1

City Scribbles 2

Then rested on a platform...

City lights on zoom 1

City lights on zoom 2

And a little bit on the tripod...

Story Bridge zooming 1

Story Bridge zooming 2

I don't know...felt like my very own fireworks show in the end. Quite a bit of fun really. 

We just might do it again sometime. 

[Camera : Canon 60D, 75-300mm, zooming, 6.45pm-6.49pm]

Day 242 2015: The sun always sets...

Day 242: ...on a short weekend

So yes, how quickly the weekend goes when you spend half of it at work. Oh well, occupational hazard I guess. 

This morning I went off to help out some friends get started on twitter and begin the long road to promoting their cause...peace. A lovely start to the day. 

Back home to think of all the things I might need to do...the washing, the cleaning, the clearing...the sleeping catch up too, which happened, briefly. And on such a clear, sunny day and clear skies after the rain last night, I figured a quick jaunt out to Manly or closer to home, a hop up the local mountain lookout (recently refurbished), to capture what I figured might be a stunning sun set...

Waving the sun goodbye... (^_^)/

Clouds, trees, sundown

Sky meets mountain

The bridge emerges through the twilight

Planes land

Twinkle, twinkle little city

Long exposure city lights, tail lights, plane lights, star

...in anticipation of a lovely full moon rise. 

Through the clouds

Clouds disperse

Cloud-free

Always a lovely way to see out a weekend and bring on the working week*. 

[Camera : Canon 60D, 75-300mm, 18-55mm, 5.34pm-6.39pm]

*And have a look at Day 242.5 for a little bit of fun I had with the zooooom.

Day 241 2015: A long day...

Day 241: ...turns to '7 deadly sins'

We left off yesterday with a full day at work, with only half the required work done and a concert to be performed. By the end of the night it was looking increasingly like the only way to get through the work was to get back to the office today. A Saturday. Yes, Saturday. 

So off I went. And did the work. 

Midway through the day, I thought I ought to stretch the legs, take a stroll, work the cam. Can't stay indoors all day on a weekend. So I did. And it turns out that life around the lake and water reticulation pond is pretty much the same on a Friday, a Tuesday, and, now we know, a Saturday...

Yoohoo, peek-a-boo...

Oi you, go your own way...

Ducks on patrol...

The family Duck. Safely on dry land...

A-ha...all gone

Narcissus's cousin

Oh, you here again...

And on a Saturday too, eh?

So there you go. Thus demonstrating that the local fauna probably doesn't recognise the Sunday to Saturday elements of the time phases. Perhaps. I'm sure, dear reader, that is of enormous interest to you. 

And given that more than once I have been told I am a glutton for punishment with my workload, it was probably appropriate that I went to see Expressions Dance Company's production of 7 Deadly Sins. Now there's a project I'm envious to photograph. And it is hardly slothful to want to relax after a long day's work. Perfect way to end a long, otherwise ordinary, day at the office, really, if that's not too greedy of me. 

[Camera : Canon 60D, 75-300mm, 2.18pm-2.51pm]

Day 240 2015: End of days...

Day 240: ...painting with clouds

Friday. There are never enough hours in a Friday to get all the things done you need to do before the weekend 'starts'. It is that time of our semester where all the work is piling up and academics can hit the 100-hour working week just to keep on top of all the demands: student, administrative, management, engagement, research and teaching. Let's not forget the teaching. 

Friday. It doesn't actually mean the start of the weekend. It just signals work shall carry on elsewhere, like home, or perhaps another run to campus to access the necessary websites and databases. 

Friday. And today, unusually, the orchestra had to perform in a concert, a fundraiser. So instead of staying back and getting my work finished, I had to leave at a time that would get me to the church on time. Literally. That's where we were playing. At a church. 

That left me with five minutes, literally, to get some pics before I hit the road. A bit dark for the birds at that stage but the sky, the clouds, the light, all combined to present those lovely 'sky-cloud-paintings' I'd like to be able to paint, if I could paint. But I can't. So I take photos instead. 

And there was some real movement in the sky this evening: 

Cloudscape A

Cloudscape B

Cloudscape C

Cloudscape D

Cumulus 1 with bird bombs

Cumulus 1 sans bird bombs

And then the sun set behind the tree, to the west...

'Sumi-e' (Ink painting with sun set and gum tree)

And then, it was shake my tail feather...

off we went

...if I was going to have any chance of getting to the church on the northside of Bris in time for 'instruments up'.

For tomorrow there shall be more work because I dared to go outside the work paradigm, ever so briefly. 

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 75-300mm, 5.24pm-5.31pm]

Day 239 2015: Some days, the prize seems a distance away...

Day 239: ...or right before your eyes

When I first started driving up the Coast to work, somewhat closer to the beginning of the century, I could count on the trip taking about 70 minutes (and about 78c/l petrol...). In the intervening years, the trip is getting longer and longer and the traffic increases daily (and the petrol has about doubled in price).

On some occasions then, I get to work a few minutes, well several minutes, later than anticipated and the car park I choose is about nine minutes walk to the building (I keep thinking 'exercise'). So in the mornings, I don't always have the time I'd like to check out the flora and fauna around the lake.

Take this morning, for example. As I pulled up, I noticed the red fairy wren in the distance. Decison: I have a meeting minus three minutes vs getting a pic of my favourite bird, OK, one of my favourite birds. Bit of a distance, but the 300mm got an impression...

In the distance (cropped)

The prize was a little too far away today...buy a bigger lens. Now there's a metaphor for life.

But the younger or female wren (I think, could be a thornbill) was a bit closer. 

Gripping

And in the spare minute I had, quite literally, that was all I managed today. On the other hand, it is a while since this *(one) photo a day blog* stuck to its guns with just one (or two) pics. So there is that.

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 75-300mm, 10.05pm-10.06pm]

Day 238 2015: Galahs at work...

Day 238: ...no really, actual galahs

I know, I know dear reader, it is a tad precarious to be running the words 'galah' and 'work' in the same heading...especially given I work in an extended, complex, labyrinthine, hierarchical organisation, formerly known as 'the university'...

Plus, it is, er, was Wednesday, the long, long day whereupon around 4.00pm I venture out for a bit of a walk before I take on the evening shift. I figured there would probably be something out by the lake. But a protective drake almost stopped me mid-stroll, with a bit of a hiss and charge as he protected his singular duckling.

On I went anyway. I had caught the Pacific Baza early in the morning so I had some shots just in case but there had to be something at the lake, surely.

Whad'ya mean, you've got *other* pics?

And we had some interesting things to look at...the usual ibis, attempting an extended, complex, labyrinthine, hierarchical organisation, also known as 'their tree'...

Reach the top, and then...

And there was the pelican...

Still in search of the buoy

And the moon, with the wattle, caught my eye and I started thinking haiku for some reason.

Then we see the moon,
the wattle striking in bloom,
And work seemed serene

Haiku-in-the-making

And then, they landed. In the wattle. Galahs in the wattle. Now that, in an extended, complex, labyrinthine, hierarchical organisation, formerly known as 'the university'...was really just the pic of the day...

On the wing

Oh, did we block your moon?

Well, you know we eat wattle now

Back to work you...I am the supreme galah

Galahs in the wattle. I tell you, nothing else could have cheered me up more today.

[Camera : Canon 60D, 75-300mm, 7.58am, 3.57pm-4.17pm]

Day 237 2015: When the day starts...

Day 237: ...oh, differently

Yesterday started with a bit of a hiccup, as discussed. Today started, well, differently. I don't mind fog-bound mornings (so long as I'm not at an airport) and this morning didn't start fog-bound as such but rather it crept in while we weren't really watching. I noticed that intriguing sight of sunshine, blue sky, light clouds and...fog. I know, sounds like the lyrics to a disappointing song but there you go. What was one to do but try and capture it, as you do...

Fog-bound trees; blue sky & clouds

Confusing perhaps, but not as stressed as the kooka this morning, fending off the noisy miners. Now I was grateful for the presence of the miners on Sunday (see Day 235...) I'll admit. But today was their more dis-stressing behaviour. And the poor old kooka. Of all the pics I've taken of the kookas over the years, I'm yet to capture one quite so tense as this pic conveys. Poor thing. 

Go, just go!
(I'm sure that's what was being said.)

Here, there, everywhere

Perhaps the kookas at home need to meet the kangas at work. Seriously, these guys...no matter how stressed, how bad, how confused, how differently, the day might start off, you can't help but chillax in their presence. 

Relax guys.

Especially this growing bub, just mimicking his old man 'roo, just sitting (lying) behind him. When the day starts like this, well...aaah. 

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 75-300mm, 6.33am, 6.47am, 10.00am]