JOURNO'S PLONK
Melbourne, Australia
Thursday 31 January 2013
Exploring the lovely laneways in Melbourne, I happened across this Vespa scooter and although brightly coloured in orange paint, it was the beautiful flowers in an old wine box on the back that caught my eye. The box says 'Print Shiraz' which seems a mixture of terms to me ... print implies newspapers or hard copies of my photos, not red wine! Perhaps it is wine that is intended for journalists, ie 'journo's plonk'.Let me know if you have an answer to my dilemma please. (492)
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HAMER HALL
Melbourne, Australia
Thursday 31 January 2013
Over the past year or so the Melbourne Arts Centre has undergone major redevelopment and has provided this spectacular entrance from the Southbank precinct and the Yarra River.The Arts Centre complex comprises Hamer Hall (a 2,661 seat concert hall), the State Theatre (2,077 seats), the Playhouse Theatre (822 seats), the Fairfax Studio (376 seat theatre) and a number of gallery spaces. The 162 metre high spire (not shown in this photo) is a Melbourne landmark and at night is illuminated with a fantastic light show. (491)
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FORMATION FLYING
Geelong, Australia
Wednesday 30 January 2013
Prior to the Australia Day fireworks in Geelong this year, the Airforce 'Roulettes' performed for the crowd on the foreshore. As a photographer, I find it hard to shoot moving targets like these very fast aircraft but I managed this one. (490)
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CHANGING DIRECTION TOGETHER
Geelong, Australia
Monday 29 January 2013
Dozens of boats call Western Beach home. They float at anchor, all pointing the same direction and as if by remote control, they all turn around and face the other way when the tide changes. It reminds of my childhood when I would visit Queenscliff and see the Pilot Ship at anchor just inside the entrance of Port Phillip Bay and it would also turn around within a few minutes and face the opposite direction on the change of the tide. The Pilot Ship has long gone, but the memory of learning how strong the tides could be has stayed with me! (489)
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BROWN WATER
Erskine River, Australia
Monday 28 January 2013
As rivers go, the Erskine River is small, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty! It winds its way through the Great Otway National Park and is lined by ferns and native trees. When the photo was taken, the water was brown from tannins washed down from the surrounding vegetation. (487)
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THE ROWERS
Melbourne, Australia
Sunday 27 January 2013
Today I visited Melbourne to see the Neo-Impressionist exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. What a great collection of late 1800's paintings, lithographs & drawings. The trip was made even better because it was shared with good friends. On the way back from the exhibit, we all walked across the Princes Bridge and spotted this view of the Yarra River with the Rowers passing under us. We topped the day off with lunch at Young and Jackson's Hotel under the gaze of 'Chloe' (Melbourne people will know what I mean!). (486)
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AUSTRALIA DAY FIREWORKS
Geelong, Australia
Saturday 26 January 2013
Tonight I went out with my best friends to the Geelong Waterfront where we had a picnic and of great food while we all waited for it to get dark and for the Australia Day fireworks to start. As always, there were thousands of people lined up along the Corio Bay shoreline with us. The fireworks were spectacular and appeared to be 'going off' right over the Cunningham Pier (from our vantage point). I don't know how you find shooting fireworks, but I find it is tricky and I'm not sure I have done the pyrotechnics justice, but here is my best shot from the night. (485)
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WOULDN'T BE DEAD FOR QUIDS
Clifton Springs, Australia
Saturday 26 January 2013
In Australia we have a saying that 'you wouldn't be dead for quids' which loosely translated means that you are happy to be alive. Well that is how I felt this morning out at Clifton Springs. The sea was calm, the sunrise was colourful, the clouds were perfect and I had the wooden piles from the old jetty to photograph. I hope you like this image as much as I liked shooting it! (484)
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COLOURED CLOUDS
Torquay, Australia
Friday 25 January 2013
I normally don't post photos from the same location two days in a week, but the shoot I did at Torquay keeps on producing my 'new favourite' photo and as you know, I hate sitting on great photos and not sharing them. So here is another from the Torquay Front Beach as the sun came up and produced the most wonderfully coloured clouds. (483)
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JETTY REFLECTIONS
Geelong, Australia
Friday 25 January 2013
The little jetty at the Western Beach Boat Club is small in comparison to it's neighbour, and almost insignificant when viewed from Cunningham Pier, but it serves its purpose and is so photogenic. A single light pole and steel steps at the end are the only metal fixtures. The day I took this image was very calm and the early morning light provided beautiful reflections of the jetty and the clouds overhead. (482)
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THANK YOU
Torquay, Australia
Thursday 24 January 2013
ANZAC Day is still a few months off, but this Saturday is Australia Day and it made me think about the men and women in our armed forces who are overseas at this time of the year and who will be missing Australia badly. With a son-in-law and soon to be a nephew in the forces, I would suggest we raise one of our beverages on Saturday to these brave people who are working hard on our behalf to keep Australia safe. (481)
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DESERTED BEACH
Torquay, Australia
Wednesday 23 January 2013
I took the short drive down to Torquay this morning with the hope of capturing a good sunrise. I was worried about running into hoards of tourists at this time of the year because (as you know) I prefer to take scenery 'human free'. I don't know what it is about tourists these days, but there wasn't a living sole on the beach to ruin my shot. Perhaps it was because of the time ... 6:30am or because kids these days would prefer to play computer games in their caravans and tents rather than scavenge along the beach, like in my day!! :-) (480)
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ITCHY SPOT
Drysdale, Australia
Tuesday 22 January 2013
On the weekend I was taken out for lunch to the Terindah Estate Winery by my best friends. In the gardens of the winery I spotted this steel sculpture of a horse on it's back, obviously scratching an itchy spot. The sculpture is made of individual metal rings that dissect the body and when put together make a fantastic life size horse. Worth a look if you are out that way (and the wines are great too!) (479)
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STEEL AND CONCRETE
Geelong, Australia
Sunday 20 January 2013
At the waterfront in Geelong, the City Council have provided a recreational area for skateboarders, basketball players and young people to congregate. It has these wonderful steel structures along with concrete 'ups and downs' (technical term!) for skaters to practice their moves.I spotted this view of Cunningham Pier through the steel and concrete and thought it made for an interesting vista. (478)
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A DRIFT OF DINGHY'S?
Geelong, Australia
Sunday 20 January 2013
I came across these dinghy's gathered around the end of a small jetty. They were waiting for their owners to either go fishing or to take them out to a larger yacht anchored along the Western Beach section of Geelong's waterfront. It got me thinking though, what is the collective noun for a group of dinghy's, a drove of dinghy's, a delight of dinghy's, a den of dinghy's or even a drift of dinghy's? I would appreciate your thoughts on this one because it is troubling me! :-) (477)
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CLOUDY REFLECTIONS
Geelong, Australia
Saturday 19 January 2013
We are incredibly fortunate, that is, the people of Geelong. We have a city that is located on a beautiful bay that is used for recreational and commercial activities and that provides pleasure for fishermen, sightseers and photographers alike! This morning I was lucky enough to see a wonderful sunrise with spectacular cloud formations that made lovely reflections in the water. (476)
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LIFESAVER
Point Lonsdale, Australia
Saturday 19 January 2013
The lovely lighthouse at Point Lonsdale keeps watch over one of the most treacherous waterways in the world, the entrance into Port Philip Bay. I wonder how may sailors owe their life to this light, particularly in the old days before radar and GPS? (475)
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DO YOU LIKE WATER?
Anglesea, Australia
Friday 18 January 2013
Why do you like photos of water? Out of all of my photos posted, it is the photos of water that get the most comments and likes/pluses. So that said, here is another photo from the Anglesea coast with the spectacular cliffs and the patchy green water. Please let me know what you think. (474)
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PAPARAZZI DOGS
Melbourne, Australia
Thursday 17 January 2013
"Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photographers who hunt and exploit athletes, celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people. Paparazzi tend to be independent contractors, unaffiliated with any mainstream media organization. Paparazzi photographers are often described as an unacceptable annoyance by celebrities." [Wikipedia]At the start of Trey Ratcliff's Melbourne Photowalk he stopped at this series of life-size sculptures by international award-winning artists Marc and Gillie Schattner in Federation Square, called 'Paparazzi Dogs'. It seemed fitting as there were another 400 or so cameras pointed at Trey by the other photowalkers. (473)
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TWELVE APOSTLES
Great Ocean Road, Australia
Thursday 17 January 2013
"The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction.The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 metres high. The site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922 (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow, and the smaller rock stacks were the Piglets); after which it was renamed to The Apostles for tourism purposes. The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks." [Wikipedia] (472)
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NO FLAMES TODAY
Melbourne, Australia
Tuesday 15 January 2013
This photo was taken when I escaped the huge throng of photographers who were following Trey Ratcliff on a photowalk. I walked part way across one of the Yarra Bridges and was taken by the sight of South Bank. Unfortunately it was a 'total fire ban' day so the towers that usually have flames coming out of the top every hour weren't working. (471)
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MAGNIFICENT GARDENS
Murdeduke, Australia
Tuesday 15 January 2013
The Murdeduke homestead & gardens were recently opened to the public with the proceeds being donated to the Winchelsea Hospital Building Appeal by the owners. This is often the way in small rural communities where everyone contributes what they have or do to benefit these types of important projects.The gardens were magnificent and the day went well with much needed funds raised. (470)
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A WHO'S WHO FOR GOOGLE PLUS
The Top 1500 Google Plus Users By Engagement
Monday 14 January 2013
Have you seen the list of top 1500 Google Plus users put together by +Euro Maestro and +The Best Circles on Google+ that ranks your engagement levels on G+?
I was shocked to see I was ranked at number 1,281 out more than 100 million active users of Google Plus! My Google Plus Statistics:
1281 Lynden Smith 16k followers with averages of 69 Edge, 3 comments, 2 shares & 43 plus ones.
Thank you to everyone that has followed me and and taken the time to comment and plus my photos, I'm very humbled and grateful.
You can see the complete list of all the top 1500 Google Plus users here
OUT ON IT'S OWN
Great Ocean Road, Australia
Monday 14 January 2013
Further along the Great Ocean Road you can see lots of ocean stacks, but at Anglesea this lone stack keeps guard by itself. The water at this point has wonderful green tones where the sand shows through the rocky ocean floor. In my opinion this spot is just a attractive as the Twelve Apostles! (469)
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WAITING FOR NIGHTFALL
Aireys Inlet, Australia
Sunday 13 January 2013
I think I've said it before, but I love the coast around Aireys Inlet and the Split Point Lighthouse seems to figure in all of my photos of this area. So, in honour of the lighthouse, this photo is only of it, no coast, no water, no beaches, only clouds! It certainly is majestic all painted in white with it's red hat on waiting for nightfall to beam a light out to passing ships and warn of the perils of the rocks below. (468)
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TWO FOR ONE
Sydney, Australia
Sunday 13 January 2013
It's not often that you can take a single photo and capture two iconic and easily recognised attractions. Sydney Harbour is a photographers dream with wonderful scenes at every turn of the busy waterway.I took this photo from the North Shore, next to Luna Park and looking back towards the city. (467)
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EARLY RISERS
Torquay, Australia
Saturday 12 January 2013
Some mornings it can be hard to get out of bed and head out to capture a sunrise. But images like this one make it all worthwhile. Luckily Torquay is only a short drive from my home and it is the beginning of the Great Ocean Road, so there are lots of photo opportunities for the photographer who doesn't mind waking early! (466)
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TREY RATCLIFF
Melbourne, Australia
Saturday 12 January 2013
Last night I was fortunate to have been able to meet Trey Ratcliff on the Google+ Melbourne Photowalk. I have been an admirer of Trey's work for a number of years and to meet him in person was an amazing experience. As a demonstration of his character, the photo walk was completely free as Trey shared his knowledge and time with 400 or more enthusiasts who followed him from Federation Square along Southbank.While Trey possibly doesn't remember me, here is a photo to prove that I did in fact meet him! (465)
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PINK REFLECTIONS
Port Fairy, Australia
Friday 11 January 2013
As a youngster I would go to Port Fairy for summer holidays. The beach there was great to swim at and it was so different to the inland life I lived. A recent visit back to the beach, this time with a camera and a passion for taking photos was rewarded with this beautiful sight of a storm approaching and the sun lighting up some of the higher clouds with a pink glow which is reflected onto the wet beach sand. (464)
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WISH I OWNED THIS HOUSE!
Aireys Inlet, Australia
Thursday 10 January 2013
The Spit Point Lighthouse is such an icon for this part of the Great Ocean Road. It can be seen from dozens of kilometres is all directions, which I guess is why it was placed there in 1891! I love this part of the coast and wish I owned one of the houses in this photo ... wouldn't get much work done though looking out the window all day! (463)
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END OF THE HARVEST
Birregurra, Australia
Thursday 10 January 2013
I was fortunate to be driving back home late one afternoon and witnessed a fantastic sunset. I stopped the car at a paddock that had just been harvested and had golden straw that stuck out of the ground like the hair on a spiked hair cut. The clouds turned a pretty pink as the sun set and the shadows cast in the straw provided great contrast to define the rows of the crop. (462)
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IT'S HUGE!
North Shore, Victoria, Australia
Wednesday 9 January 2013
Have you ever been alongside an ocean going oil rig? I was lucky enough to get the chance a while back when the 'Kan Tan IV' came into port for repairs. I can't begin to explain just how big it is and this photo doesn't do it justice, suffice to say the image is of one of the four huge rusty legs. You can see the orange life pods under the upper deck and on the right hands side you can just see one of the yellow cranes. (461)
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THE WHEELWRIGHT
Ballarat, Australia
Wednesday 9 January 2013
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of 'wheel' and the archaic word 'wright', which comes from the Old English word 'wryhta', meaning a worker or maker. This occupational name eventually became the English surname Wheelwright. [Wikipedia]I captured this image of the Wheelwright at the Sovereign Hill historic park and shows a dedicated tradesman at work. (460)
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EUROPE OR AUSTRALIA?
Eltham, Australia
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Montsalvat is an artist colony in Eltham, Victoria, Australia, established by Justus Jörgensen in 1934. It is home to over a dozen buildings, houses and halls set amongst richly established gardens on 48,562 m2 (12 acres) of land. The colony of Montsalvat has a detailed history that reflects the life of Jörgensen and his friends and family; there is also a legend behind its name, while its buildings and gardens are steeped in the art and culture of Melbourne and its surroundings.' [Wikipedia]What I like about this photo is the European feel, it certainly doesn't have the look of an Australian group of buildings. And visiting Montsalvat is peaceful and serene, not what you expect in a large urban city. (459)
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TIME FOR A NEW ROOF!
Montsalvat, Australia
Monday 7 January 2013
I'm not sure how I feel about this roof. One part of me thinks it looks great, has a charm of yesteryear and is a great photographic subject. The other part wants to call a roofer and tell them to replace it before there are leaks and the resulting water further deteriorates the old house. That's the problem when you have a split personality! :-) (458)
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TWO HORSE POWER
Churchill Island, Australia
Monday 7 January 2013
It is hard to imagine that this is the way we ploughed the soil just 100 years ago. Today's tractors are massive and can have more than 500 horse power engines. The drivers sit in air-conditioned cabins and can plough hundreds of acres a day.This demonstration of traditional ploughing methods showed just how difficult it would have been for the early farmers and their horses. ()
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WINNING SHOT?
Phillip Island, Australia
Sunday 6 January 2013
Long dry grass, a windmill and a wire fence … this could be the makings of a typical rural image! Add the golden tones of a setting sun and it might be a winner? (456)
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CONTINUAL CHANGE
Melbourne, Australia
Saturday 5 January 2013
Looking along the Yarra River towards Docklands, you can see the newly completed Hilton Hotel and Convention Centre. An unusual walking bridge crosses the river and the yellow lights of the freeway project into the sky creating a brown glow. Further development is still occurring with at least three construction cranes in distance, indicating that this view will continue to change.If you haven't visited Melbourne for a few years, it may be time to come and have a look and see what has changed! (454)
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ABANDONED SEAT
Peebles, Scotland
Saturday 5 January 2013
Australia is currently experiencing yet another heat wave with temperatures passing 40C, and it looks like next week will not be any better. So my usual practise in such heat is to bring out the winter photos from Scotland, to at least cool me down psychologically!This image is of the Tweed River with the walking track along the top of the bank and an abandoned seat covered in snow waiting for warmer weather to be used again. Not one of my better photos but at least I'm feeling a bit cooler. (454)
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WAVING GRASS
Derrinallum, Australia
Friday 4 January 2013
One of the thinks I like about summer in Australia is the golden grass in the paddocks, possibly a throw back to my childhood days living on the land. I also remember as a youngster the fear of coming across a snake in the long grass (which I did on several occasions), a fear that exist to this day!Anyway, fears aside I love this picture with the impending storm and the long grass waving in the wind, with a wheat crop on the side of the hill ready to harvest. (453)
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CBD REFLECTIONS
Melbourne, Australia
Thursday 3 January 2013
I was in the city of a meeting late one afternoon, so took my camera along and walked along Southbank when it was over. This photo is the result! The Yarra River looks great with the reflections of the CBD in it and the lights along the Southbank side provide an outline of the river bank. On the left of the shot is the old Sandridge Line railway bridge and in the distance you can just make out the Princes Bridge. (452)
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SURF BEACH
Torquay, Australia
Wednesday 2 January 2013
Torquay Beach was the site of the first malibu board demonstration in Australia, back in 1956. The Torquay Surf Life Saving Club, founded in 1945, has also hosted state, national and international surf lifesaving carnivals. Torquay Beach is 800 m long and faces south-east, with some protection provided toward the southern end by Rocky Point.' [beachsafe.org.au] (451)
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GREAT CATHEDRALS AND CHURCHES OF THE WORLD
Ballarat, Australia
Tuesday 1 January 2013
I've watched in awe at the beautiful photos of large European cathedrals and churches posted by hundreds of very talented photographers from around the world, and thought that it would be so nice to be able to emulate some of their masterpieces.
Alas, my contribution to the great cathedrals and churches of the world genre is this tiny little country church in Australia, which can seat 50 or so people and is so typical of hundreds of small rural churches that were built in the late 1800's and flourished in the first half of the twentieth century. Sadly, many of them are used infrequently now, or not at all. This one at Sovereign Hill is kept in pristine condition and is a reminder of a great Australian tradition. (450)
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