[Photo walk] University of Melbourne #3

I took a few photos at Melbourne Uni when I was there for an evening event.

Study nook at Arts West

Photo taken from a higher floor looking down at a corner space in a large building. There is a grey, square study table with an electrical power board in its centre. Blue, plastic chairs have been placed around this table.

Research lounge in Arts West

Photo of an armchair, coffee table, and reading lamp surrounded by fully stocked bookshelves in a cozy library space.

Study table in Arts West breakout space

Photo looking straight down at a long study table installed along one wall. The table has an orange, padded bench running along one long end and an office chair placed on the other side. The table has a large, orange lamp clamped to one end. A television screen and another orange lamp are mounted on the wall at the other side of the table.

Thursday night at the Baillieu Library

Photo taken from the outside of a large, four-storey university library with floor-to-ceiling windows. The inside of the library is brightly lit, while the area outside is relatively dark.

[Photo walk] Seafarers Bridge

I had some time before an all-day work offsite along South Wharf, so I took some photos around Seafarers Bridge.

It was a clear, bright, winter morning and the sky was so blue that some of the photos almost look fake!

Bright winter morning in Melbourne

Photo of several tall buildings with an urban river in the foreground. There is also a Ferris wheel on the other side of the river.

The Polly Woodside as seen from the Seafarers Bridge

Photo of a historic, iron-hulled, three-masted ship (called a barque) permanently berthed on an urban river.

The structure of the Seafarers Bridge almost looks fake against the bright blue sky!

Photo looking up at the white-painted steel arches and support cables that are holding up a bridge. The arches are streaked with dirt from the rain and wind. The photo almost looks fake because of the bright blue sky in the background.

Looking up at the arch-shaped structure and steel cables of the Seafarers Bridge

Photo looking up at the white-painted steel arches and support cables that are holding up a bridge. The arches are streaked with dirt from the rain and wind. The photo almost looks fake because of the bright blue sky in the background.

Traffic safety mirror along South Wharf Promenade on the Yarra River

Photo of a large, convex, traffic safety mirror installed on a pole in a blind curve along a cycling and walking path next to an urban river. The photographer has captured his own distorted reflection in this mirror.

Photographer in a convex traffic safety mirror

Close-up photo of a large, convex, traffic safety mirror installed on a pole in a blind curve along a cycling and walking path next to an urban river. The photographer has captured his own distorted reflection in this mirror.

Seafarers Bridge spanning the Yarra River

Photo taken on a bright, sunny morning of a concrete, steel, and glass pedestrian and cycling bridge spanning an urban river. This suspension bridge is held up by asymmetrical arches supported by steel cables - all of which are painted white. The bridge deck is made of steel and concrete, and has clear glass balustrades running along its length. A few people are crossing the bridge. There are several tall buildings on the other side of the river from the photographer.

[Photo walk] Webb Bridge and surrounds

This is the third of three photo sets from my walk between South Melbourne and Docklands.

Scooting onto the Webb Bridge

Photo of a man in blue leather boots, light khaki pants, navy blue jacket, and black helmet riding a stand-up electric scooter. The scooter has a carrier in which there is a small dog that is also wearing a navy blue jacket. The man is about to ride the scooter up the incline of a pedestrian and cycle bridge that crosses and urban river.

Corner seat at Hooks At The Yarra

Photo of the corner of a building with floor-to-ceiling windows. This floor of the building is a restaurant with several tables and chairs, all of which are currently unoccupied.

A little litter goes a long way

Close-up photo of a Bandalong litter trap installed on the banks of an urban river. This trap has collected a large amount of litter floating down this river. A sign affixed to this trap reads, “A little litter goes a long way. Keep the Yarra River clean. Bin your litter.”

Almost ready to press record

Photo of two people, a man and a woman, standing on the cemented banks of an urban river. The man is a camera operator and is manipulating a DSLR camera attached to a sturdy tripod. The woman, who is about to be filmed, is looking down as she composes herself for the recording take. The two are standing near the intersection of two cycle paths. In the foreground of the photo is a series of small directional signs mounted on a pole. These point to the three directions that cyclists can go in.

Crossing the Webb Bridge to Docklands

Photo of several people and cyclists crossing a bridge that spans an urban river. The bridge looks like a grey metal pipe that has been cut in half lengthwise.

Cleaning our rivers

Close-up photo of a Bandalong litter trap installed on the banks of an urban river. This trap has collected a large amount of litter floating down this river. A sign affixed to this trap reads, “Cleaning our rivers”

Heading up the Webb Bridge from Docklands

Photo taken along the length of a pedestrian and cycle bridge that spans an urban river. The bridge has several rings going around it at regularly spaced intervals.

Fishing along the Yarra River

Photograph of three people fishing along the banks of an urban river. On the other side of the river there are several large and small boats tied to their berths.

The Webb Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of people walking along a curved bridge that spans a river in the middle of a metropolitan city. This bridge, the Webb Bridge, is modelled after a Koorie fishing trap used to catch eels. It is curved on one end, and this curved portion is covered (like a tube) by an organic, irregular net design made out of metal beams.

Cycling down the Webb Bridge

Photo of a cyclist heading down a curved bridge that spans a river in the middle of a metropolitan city. This bridge, the Webb Bridge, is modelled after a Koorie fishing trap used to catch eels. It is curved on one end, and this curved portion is covered (like a tube) by an organic, irregular net design made out of metal beams.

[Photo walk] South Melbourne, Docklands infrastructure and cars

This is the second of three photo sets from my walk between South Melbourne and Docklands.

Looking through to Yarra’s Edge buildings with a zoom lens

Black-and-white photo of two tall, residential buildings as seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

Queueing for the Power Street exit on CityLink

Photo taken from between two elevated roadways of a large, overhead LED sign that shows icons of cars queueing. There is text on the sign that is cut-off by one of the elevated roadways, however you can make out the words ‘queueing’ and ‘power’.

Caution: queueing for the Power Street exit on CityLink

Photo taken from between two elevated roadways of a large, overhead LED sign that reads, in all capital letters, “Caution: Queueing traffic at Power St exit”.

Happy graffiti on the Charles Grimes Bridge Road off-ramp

Photo of a bright white graffiti spray painted onto perforated, black coloured metal sheets that line the underside of a road. The graffiti is a of a classic smiley face.

You can see a lot with a big zoom lens (this is a 31 storey tall building)

Zoomed-in photo of the very top of a 31 storey building with the green Linkt logo affixed to one side.

Portal across the West Gate Freeway

Black and white photo taken from ground level of several elevated roadways. A large concrete archway structure has been constructed around one of these elevated roadways. This otherwise-rectangular structure (called a portal) has been built with a slight rotation, so it looks like it is twisting clockwise.

Cars for sale at City Mazda

Photo taken along the back of several Mazda cars parked in a line at an outdoor car sales lot.

[Photo walk] Bolte Bridge

I repeated my earlier ‘South Melbourne and Docklands’ photo walk a week later because my car needed some additional repair. This time, however, I took my long lens with me and got a bunch of interesting photos along the way.

These are the photos I took of the Bolte Bridge, and there are two more photo sets to come.

Morning traffic across the Bolte Bridge

Photo taken along the length of an urban river that shows two bridges crossing this river. In the foreground is the Webb Bridge, a curved cyclist and pedestrian bridge. In the background is the Bolte Bridge, a large road bridge. The Bolte (as it is known) is a large, twin cantilever road bridge with two 140m tall towers that hold up the roadway that spans the width of the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour.

Busy morning on the Bolte Bridge

Photo taken along the length of an urban river of a large road bridge and the shipping dock in the background. There is bumper-to-bumper road traffic on the bridge and behind the bridge a large container ship is docked at one of the berths. The bridge is a large, twin cantilever road bridge with two 140m tall towers that hold up the roadway that spans the width of the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour.

Bolte Bridge just before sunset

Photo taken just before sunset along the length of an urban river that opens up into a sea port. There are tall buildings on both banks of the river and crossing the river is a large road bridge with two tall towers at the centre. There are several shipping berths along the length of the river.

Bolte Bridge stretches across the Yarra River at sunset

Photo taken at sunset along the length of an urban river that opens up into a sea port. There are tall buildings on both banks of the river and crossing the river is a large road bridge with two tall towers at the centre. There are several shipping berths along the length of the river.

Bolte Bridge silhouette at sunset

Photo taken at sunset along the length of an urban river that opens up into a sea port. Crossing this river is a large road bridge with two tall towers at the centre.

Food motivated

What can I say? Maggie loves to eat!

VERY interested in a dog food delivery we spotted on our walk

Photo of a red/brown dog on a red leash outside a black residential fence. The dog is excitedly sniffing two Lyka brand dog food cartons that a deliver driver has left outside the fence.

Riveted by Nadia chopping beef on the kitchen counter

Photo of a red/brown dog standing in a dining room with wooden floor tiles. In the background of the photo are they dog’s food and water bowls. The dog is looking up, very attentively, at someone off camera.

[Photo walk] South Melbourne and Docklands - follow-up

I haven’t focused much on black-and-white photography.

The only times I think in black-and-white (especially when taking photos) are when:

  • I want to capture a texture that lends itself to a monochromatic look,

  • I find myself in a scene in which the colours are a distraction, or

  • I’m at a location where there’s strong light-and-dark contrast.

Three of my recent photos fit the bill, so I converted them to black-and-white to see how they would look.

West Gate Freeway drainage overflow pipes

Black-and-white photo taken from underneath an elevated roadway out of which two wide draining pipes are emerging.

Looking through to Yarra’s Edge buildings

Black-and-white photo of two tall, residential buildings as seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

West Gate Bridge sign under the West Gate Bridge Freeway

Black-and-white photo of the back of a large overhead road sign affixed to an elevated motorway. The sign is seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

I think they turned out pretty well :)

Here’s a side-by-side comparison. I actually think I prefer the black-and-white versions of all three! Though maybe the middle one (the buildings through the gap in the concrete) works both ways.

[Photo walk] South Melbourne and Docklands

I get my car serviced at a dealership in South Melbourne that’s a short walk across the Yarra River from where my office is in Docklands.

Naturally, I take a bunch of photos every time I take this walk – usually super early in the morning and then just returning before sunset (in winter).

Here are the most recent photos I took.

Early morning coffee in the shadow of Charles Grimes Bridge

Photo of a woman stepping out from around the corner of a building with floor-to-ceiling windows. The second storey of the building is bathed in warm sunlight from the rising sun, while the lower section is in cool blue shadow. The woman is wearing a long, grey overcoat and is carrying a disposable coffee cup in her hand.

Early morning traffic and tram

Photo of an intersection with a line of cars going through and several cars waiting. In the foreground of the photo is a green-and-yellow tram running on a set of tracks parallel to one of the roads. The photo is slightly washed out because of the bright glare of the early morning sun coming off a reflective office building.

Waving to the tram driver

Photo of a green-and-yellow tram driving through an area with several trees and bushes that is otherwise surrounded by tall office buildings. The tram driver is waving his hand at the photographer.

If it’s on the street, it ends up in the river

Photo of a Bandalong litter trap installed to one side of an urban river. This trap has collected a large amount of litter floating down this river. A sign affixed to this trap reads “It it’s on the street, it ends up in the river. Keep the Yarra River clean. Bin your litter.” In the middleground of the photo a wide footbridge (the Webb Bridge) spans this river (the Yarra River). In the background of the photo, on the other side of the river, are several tall residential buildings.

Sunset seating outside Hooks at the Yarra

Photo of outdoor cafe tables and chairs arranged next to a grid of very tall trees that are set into raised beds in an otherwise paved area. The tables are unoccupied and the whole place is lit with warm sunlight coming from the setting sun.

West Gate Freeway drainage overflow pipes

Photo taken from underneath an elevated roadway out of which two wide draining pipes are emerging.

Jaunty portal, serious hotel #2

Photo taken from ground level of a large concrete archway structure constructed around an elevated roadway. This otherwise-rectangular archway structure has been built with a slight rotation, so it looks like it is twisting anticlockwise. Behind the portal is the tall, thin building of the Novotel Melbourne South Wharf hotel. There is traffic stopped at a red light below the elevated roadway.

Layers of traffic where the West Gate Freeway meets Montague Street

Photo of an intersection above which there are two elevated roadways of different heights. A sight at ground level reads, “West Gate Br / Geelong”. A bright yellow DHL delivery truck is crossing the intersection at ground level while a refrigerated truck drives along the middle roadway.

Looking through to Yarra’s Edge buildings

Photo of two tall, residential buildings as seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

West Gate Bridge sign under the West Gate Bridge Freeway

Photo of the back of a large overhead road sign affixed to an elevated motorway. The sign is seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

This year I had only my 27mm TTArtisan prime lens with me (42mm full-frame equivalent) and the photos turned out really well. Though, to be fair, the gorgeous golden-hour light – both ways! – had a lot to do with that.

Last year I took photos with my 18-55mm Fujifilm zoom lens and it was a dreary, overcast day. Those photos look little different :)

[Photo walk] University of Melbourne #2

I’m on leave this week so I picked Nadia up from her office at the University of Melbourne. While I was there, I took a couple of photos.

End of the day at Dr Dax Kitchen

Photo taken from the outside of a nearly-empty cafe. A barista is making coffee behind the counter and there are two people sitting at the only occupied table.

Nadia on Royal Parade

Photo of a smiling woman walking towards the photographer. The woman is wearing loose pants with pink and yellow butterfly designs on it, a red top, and a gold necklace with a sunflower pendant.

Positive potato

Photo of several items on a shelf in a large wooden bookcase. The items are an intersectional pride flag set in transparent resin, a large blue-and-yellow mug, a crochet potato, a Newton’s cradle, and several books. The crochet potato has an eyes and a mouth, and it is holding up a sign that reads: “Positive potato. I might be a tiny potato, but I believe in you. Go do your thing!”

Back of the Howard Florey Institute building

Photo of the back of a large university building with floor-to-ceiling windows through which you can see a series of walkways, balconies, and office doors.

[Photo walk] Lygon Street #4

First I was unwell and then I was super busy at work, so it’s been over three months since my last photo walk. It’s good to be back.

Today’s walk was a quick one down Lygon Street in Carlton. It was lovely, sunny Saturday afternoon and it’s nice to be heading towards the end of winter in Melbourne.

All these photos were taken with my (relatively) new TTArtisan 27mm pancake lens (42mm full-frame equivalent).

Performance space at Argyle Square, Carlton

Black-and-white photo taken from behind and to the side of a large, high-ceiling, covered outdoor stage in a large public park.

Brand new ‘Sapphire by the Gardens’ building complex

Photo of two tall buildings framed by bushes and trees in the foreground. The two luxury towers are connected by a large, multi-storey skybridge. https://sapphirebythegardens.com.au/

The brand new ‘Sapphire by the Gardens’ building complex – as seen from Lygon Street

Photo of two tall buildings framed by bushes and trees in the foreground. The two luxury towers are connected by a large, multi-storey sky bridge. https://sapphirebythegardens.com.au/

Beaded friendship bracelets in a car

Photo of two brightly-coloured beaded friendship bracelets (or maybe necklaces?) hanging behind the rearview mirror of a parked car.

Bicycle loops on Lygon Street

Black-and-white photo taken from ground level looking up at several metal bicycle-parking loops installed on a sidewalk. One bicycle has been locked to the loop farthest from the photographer.

Post-lunch service emptiness

Photo of the covered outdoor seating areas of several restaurants along a road. All the tables in the photo are currently unoccupied.

Gluten free pasta and pizza on Lygon Street

Photo of a sandwich board on a sidewalk with text written in blue and pink chalk on a black background. The list on items on the chalkboard reads lamb shanks, tomahawk steaks, Atlantic salmon, arancini balls, barramundi, and gluten free pasta + pizza.

Photographer reflections

Photo of a closed glass door set in a bluestone alcove. The glass is very reflective on this sunny day. In the reflection you can see a commercial street with cars parked on it. The main subject of the reflection is a man wearing white sneakers, black jeans, a bright orange jacket, and a dark driver's cap. The man is holding up a camera at chin height and is taking a photo of his own reflection in the glass door.

It's pronounced ah-sigh-eeh

Photo of the entrance of The Acai Company. Text in a speech bubble below the company logo reads “pronounced ah-sigh-eeh, not ay-chay!!!”.

Pizza oven on Lygon Street

Photo of a large, currently-empty, wood fired pizza over through the window of a pizzeria.

[Photo walk] Around Southern Cross Station #2

I left work a little after lunchtime and took a quick walk around Southern Cross railway station to take a few photos.

I’m starting to get the hang of my new, budget TTArtisan 27mm pancake lens (42mm full-frame equivalent) and I’m enjoying seeing its colour rendering in various lighting scenarios. Some of its colours are halfway to Classic Chrome, for example.

I’m also enjoying taking photos with a prime lens instead of my usual Fujifilm 18-55mm zoom lens.

Looking down Collins Street, Docklands

Photo looking down the street in the central business district of a metropolitan city on a clear afternoon. There are tall buildings on both sides of the street and two pairs of tram tracks runs down the middle. There are no trams on these tracks right now and so a man is jaywalking across them.

Waiting for his bus outside Southern Cross Railway Station

Photo of a man wearing jeans and a hoodie leaning against a wide pole next to the curb of a city street on a sunny afternoon. Behind the man is his luggage, which is a large carpet bag / roller suitcase hybrid, with its handle extended.

Furiosa marketing campaign in full swing at Southern Cross Station

Photo of one of the main entrances to a large, urban train station. There are three escalators and a very wide set of stairs taking travellers to the upper levels. The sides of each step is painted with a slice of the main Furiosa movie poster, so that when you look at it head-on, you can see the whole poster. Hanging down from the station’s high ceiling are several, extremely long Furiosa banners, each featuring either the main protagonist or the main antagonist.

Looking up at Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne

Photo looking up from the ground of a very tall, blue-glass covered building. The building has rounded edges and two large curves along its length, making it look somewhat like a fancy water bottle.

Bourke Street entrance to Southern Cross Station

Photo of an extremely wide staircase at the entrance of an urban train station. The staircase has several banisters running along the steps so people can ascend or descend safely. On the left side of the photo is a large way finding sign with headings for Metropolitan Trains, Regional Trains, and Coach Terminal.

Walking up the stairs at Southern Cross Station

Photo of an extremely wide staircase at the entrance of an urban train station. The staircase has several banisters running along the steps so people can ascend or descend safely. A woman wearing black pants and a dark mango coloured jacket is walking up the stairs.

Train tracks heading into Southern Cross Station - moody version

Photo of four train tracks and three train platforms in an urban, outdoor train station. The photo has been taken through a clear plexiglass safety barrier that used to have an opaque covering, parts of which have since been peeled off. The photo is desaturated and moody.

Train tracks heading into Southern Cross Station - negative version

Photo of four train tracks and three train platforms in an urban, outdoor train station. The photo has been taken through a clear plexiglass safety barrier that used to have an opaque covering, parts of which have since been peeled off. The photo is high-contrast, with the bright, beige, half-removed covering in the foreground standing out sharply against the tracks and platform, which are darker shaded.

Scratched-off opaque shading on a plexiglass barrier

Photo of a tall plexiglass safety barrier that has been erected along the side of a bridge that spans a dozen train tracks. Some panels of plexiglass have advertising on them. The one in focus has a plain, beige covering that provides shade from sun. About a third of this opaque covering has been scratched off so people are able to look through the plexiglass at the trains running underneath.

Cranbourne train heading into Southern Cross Station

Photo taken from a bridge, looking down at the front of a modern, blue, silver, and yellow train running along its track. A digital sign above front windscreen reads ‘Cranbourne’.

Flinders Street train heading into Southern Cross Station

Photo taken from a bridge, looking down at the front of a blue, silver, and yellow train running along its track. The photo has been taken through the holes of a perforated metal sound-and-safety barrier erected along the side of the bridge that the photographer is standing on.

107M heading into Southern Cross Station

Photo taken from a bridge, looking down at the front of a blue, silver, and yellow train running along its track. The lead carriage is numbered 107M. The photo has been taken through the holes of a perforated metal sound-and-safety barrier erected along the side of the bridge that the photographer is standing on.

Old desktop wallpapers

I was going through my old files recently when I came across the first computer desktop wallpaper I made with my own photos.

This collage features Rufus, our Labrador retriever, and I took these photos in 2006.

When I took the first photo I’d called down to Rufus but he hadn’t yet figured out where I was calling from. The second photo shows him figuring it out. And the third photo is his reaction upon seeing me.

Collage of three vertically-sliced photos, each taken moments apart, of a yellow Labrador retriever dog sitting on a patch of dirt and looking up at the photographer. In the first photo the dog looks puzzled as it tries to figure out where the photographer is calling him from. In the middle photo he looks up and sees the photographer. In the third photo his tail starts wagging and he is happy to see the photographer.

The collage above is a 1024×768 pixel image, so you can tell how long ago I made it!

The only other photos of mine of I’ve used as wallpapers are these ones from a trip to Alice Springs, Uluru, and Kata Tjuta in 2010.

Photo of Kata Tjuta, a group of domed rock formations in a desert that has red sand and patchy green flora (shrubs and trees) that gets denser the closer you get to the rocks.

These photos are 1920×1080 pixels in size, so you can tell I’d upgraded my monitor in the intervening years :)

Photo looking down at several footprints in red/brown desert sand.

I do love a good computer wallpaper, and I’ve collected dozens, if not hundreds, of excellent images over the years.

I’ve never used any of my other photos as wallpapers though. There’s no need to, when there are so many other excellent options out there – some of which I’ve been very happy to for, like the ones from Vlad Studio.

The monitor I’m working on now is an ultrawide 3840×1600 pixels, by the way, and this is my current wallpaper.

Close-up photo of hundreds of rounded pebbles in many dark shades of black and red.

Testing out my new 40mm lens

I bought a new camera lens!

It’s a TTArtisan AF 27mm F2.8 – which means it has autofocus, a 27mm focal length (40mm full-frame equivalent), and its lowest f-stop is 2.8. ‘TTArtisan’ stands for ‘The Thinking Artisan’, by the way.

I bought this lens for three reasons:

  1. Size: I wanted a pancake lens that would make it easier for me to carry my mirrorless camera around everywhere.

  2. Focal length: I wanted a 40mm full-frame equivalent prime lens because 27mm and 40mm are the two focal lengths I am most comfortable shooting at (which are 18mm and 27mm on my mirrorless, APS-C camera, by the way). I even did a whole ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise last year to figure this out.

  3. Availability: The Fujifilm XF27mm F2.8 R WR lens that I actually wanted has been out of stock since the end of last year.

This TTArtisan lens is one-third the price of its Fujifilm counterpart, so it’s not as good. But I didn’t want to wait any longer and I was willing to deal with whatever shortcomings it had.

The plan with my most recent photo walk, then, was to try out the new lens to see how it performs. And you know what? It does pretty well.

Yes, it has issues dealing with strong light sources: bright lights get overly glow-ey and, if you face the sun, your whole photo gets washed out. But these are things you can work around.

And yes, it has vignetting that gets worse the wider-open you shoot it. But (a) I rarely shoot wide open and (b) that vignetting is ridiculously easy to fix in post.

Finally yes, it has some interesting colour and contrast characteristics: its colours a little muted and its contrast is slightly soft. But that is what you would call the character of the lens.

I didn’t have time to do a long photo walk yesterday, so these are the only decent photos I managed to take. I think they came out quite well :)

Half-open train door at Southern Cross Station

Road expansion joint in Collins Street, Docklands

St. Brew Dining area on Friday afternoon (when this cafe is closed)

Roast meats in the window at China Bar on Elizabeth Street

Coop’s Shot Tower inside the Melbourne Central complex at sunset

My initial thoughts about this lens are that I quite like it. It’s less pancake-sized and more scone-sized, but it’s still much smaller than all my other lenses.

The photos I took with it weren’t brilliant right out of the box, but it took only a little tweaking to get them to where I wanted. And frankly that’s to be expected with a lens that costs a little as this one did!

So I’m very happy I bought this and I’m looking forward to talking lots more photos with it.

[Photo walk] Around Flinders Street Station

I got the chance to take a couple of photos around Flinders Street Station this morning. And because I’m still considering buying a pancake lens, I restricted myself to shooting at only the 40mm focal length (which is 27mm on my APSC camera).

Haircut and free whisky from $40

Photo of a chalkboard sign outside a barber shop that reads (in pink and green chalk), “Haircut + free whisky from $40” above the ‘hair guys aus’ Instagram handle and the text “Walk ins welcome”.

Next Yarra River cruise is at 12:15pm

Photo of a small whiteboard on a small counter that's been placed outside an exterior door. Written on the whiteboard in red and black marker is, “Next cruise 12:15. 1 hour cruise sightseeing”. A tall blackboard attached to the wall behind this reads, ‘Yarra River Cruises’, lists cruise times for the day, and also reads, “Bar on board, free coffee/tea, free Wi-Fi, live commentary, and luxury seating”.

Photographer getting her clients ready for their newlyweds photoshoot

Photo of a photographer laughing as she talks to a newlywed couple who are standing on the steps of a train station in the middle of the city. The photographer is posing them before she photographs them.

[Photo walk] Along the Yarra River #2

On this week’s photo walk I decided to use only my long lens (50-230mm APSC, which is 77-352mm full-frame). This let me really zoom-in and isolate my subjects in the frame, which can be challenging, but is fun to do.

Parks VIC boat and runabout on the Yarra River

Photo of a green-and-cream, flat-bottom boat towing a runabout next to it as it makes its way down an urban river. The boat is about to pass underneath an eight-lane road bridge.

Bicycle hoops in Docklands, Melbourne

Black-and-white photo of maybe twenty metal bicycle hoops installed in a covered area outside an office building. There is one bicycle locked to a hoop about two-thirds of the way down.

Collins, Bourke, and La Trobe Street crossings over Wurundjeri Way and Southern Cross train lines

Photo that shows three vehicle and pedestrian bridges across a road and several train lines.

I don’t do drama, I do nails

Photo of an advertising chalkboard placed outside a nail salon that reads, in bright, stylised, chalk colours, “I don’t do drama, I do nails”.

Frankston train crossing the Melbourne Aquarium building

Close-up photo of a yellow-and-blue train train travelling down an elevated train line next to a blue building.

Let them out!!!

Photo of a sign on a building that reads, “Melbourne SEALIFE Aquarium” below which someone has graffitied, in all capital letters, “let them out!!!”.

Guiding boat renters back to the dock

Photo of a woman standing at the end of a short dock on an urban river. The woman is talking to some people on a boat that’s just off-camera.

Getting new boat renters on their way

Photo of a man standing at the end of a short dock on an urban river. The man is talking to some people on a boat that’s just off-camera. In the foreground are four people sitting on a small boat that has a large table build into the middle of it. This and several other identical rental boat are docked along the river.

Go-Boat ‘GOBO’ docked along the Yarra River

Photo of a motorboat docked on its own alongside a short dock on an urban river.

Checking her phone while heading slowly down the Yarra River

Photo of a woman piloting a motorboat down the middle of an urban river. The woman is looking down at the phone she is holding in her hand.

Killing time while waiting for friends

Photo of a man sitting in a river-viewing area next to some trees. The man is looking down at the phone in his hands.

Chatting on the Evan Walker Bridge across the Yarra River

Photo of a man and woman standing on a pedestrian bridge across an urban river, chatting with each other. The man is leaning back onto the railing. Another man, wearing earphones and looking at his phone, is walking along the bridge near them.

Sweep rowing training on the Yarra River

Close-up photo of two sets of sweep rowers (in which each person holds only one oar with both hands) from the Australian national team rowing along an urban river.

Sweep rowers on the Yarra River

Photo of two sets of sweep rowers (in which each person holds only one oar with both hands) from the Australian national team rowing along an urban river. In the background, and parked along the farther bank, is a low, flat, blue-and-white, river cruise boat with a ‘Melbourne River Cruises’ sign painted on it.

Guiding the sweep rowers on the Yarra River

Photo of a motorboat with three rowing coaches/trainers making their way along an urban river.

Piloting the Yarra Duchess along the Yarra River in Melbourne

Photo of a man piloting a blue-and-white coloured, flat-bottomed, river cruise boat along an urban river.

Barista at AFLOAT pouring a beer from the tap

Photo of a barista at AFLOAT, a floating bar and restaurant on the Yarra River in Melbourne, pouring a beer while chatting to one of the servers.

Don't forget life.

Photo of a postcard-sized, zine-like, printed poem stuck with tape to the pillar of a green-coloured outdoor stairway. The poem reads, “Life is frantic chaos. But there are still roses for you to stop and smell. Don’t forget life”. It is signed @jaidynpoetry.

Family cats

Growing up in Lahore in the 1970s and 80s we had both cats and dogs as pets – with dogs in the front yard and cats (all of them adopted strays) in the back yard.

These days Nadia and I are the only siblings with a dog while most everyone else has cats. Nadia and I would love to get a cat as well, it’s just that Nadia is allergic to them.

On our recent trip back home I got the chance to spend some time with some of our family cats and, of course, take lots of photos of them :)

Toffee

My younger sister’s orange tabby cat. Very friendly. Loves to sleep on the corner table in the living room.

Toffee portrait

Photo of an orange tabby cat standing at the edge of a balcony, looking down the lens of the photographer's camera.

Toffee is not impressed with my photography

Photo of an orange tabby cat standing at the edge of a balcony, looking at the photographer behind the camera.

Henry

My younger sister’s white cat with blue/yellow odd coloured eyes. Not very friendly, but very happy for you to open the door to let him in and out of the room.

Henry eating his kibble

Photo of a white cat eating kibble out a bowl that's lying on a counter.

Henry interrupted

Photo of a white cat interrupted by the photographer while eating it was eating its kibble out a bowl that's lying on a counter. The cat has one blue and one yellow eye.

Henry at rest

Photo of a white cat with blue/yellow odd coloured eyes stretched out on a window seat in the sun.

Uloo

My older sister’s orange, black, and white calico cat. Very friendly, curious, and quite demanding when she wants pats and scratches.

Uloo is very interested in something off camera

Close-up photo of an orange, black, and white calico cat looking at something off camera.

Uloo at rest

Photo of an orange, black, and white calico cat sitting half on a marble floor and half on a little rug.

Nunu

My older sister’s black cat. Not particularly friendly with non-family members, so not easy to get photos of. But she is a lovely looking cat.

Nunu keeping an eye on things

Photo of a black cat sitting on a marble floor, next to a chair.

Billi/Billy

My aunt’s medium-haired tabby, a friendly adopted stray who hangs around the garden. I didn’t get to spend any time with her/him, but she/he very much wanted to spend time with us while we were visiting.

Billi/Billy wants to be let inside the house (or for us to come out and play!)

Photo of a medium-haired tabby cat sitting prettily on the verandah of a house, looking in through a sliding glass door.

Vintage Car Show Karachi 2024

I happened to be in Karachi for this year’s Vintage Car Show so I brought along my camera and took a few photos.

These are my two favourites. The rest I’ve included in galleries below, which means you’ll have to click each one to see its full, non-square-cropped version.

Favourites

Headlamp

Close-up photo of a headlamp of a silver coloured classic car.

Rolls Royce tyre and visitors

Photo of the front-left tyre of a classic Rolls Royce car. In the background of the photos are two preteen children looking at the various cars on display at this car show.

Cars

Hood ornaments and logos

Zooming in on details

Location and visitors

Trip to Pakistan 2024: places

I’m an aviation geek. That means I don’t just take photos of people, I also take photos of the places I go to. Or, well, go through :)

Melbourne Airport

Ground staff member waiting for the luggage containers to turn up

Photo of an airport apron that has a wide-body aircraft parked on it. The aircraft is in the process of being loaded with catering supplies. A roller ramp has been parked to the side of the aircraft. A member of the ground staff is sitting on the corner of this roller ramp, waiting for the luggage containers to arrive so they can be loaded into the aircraft hold.

The Etihad Boeing 777 that flew us from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi

Wide-angle photo of a wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft parked at the gate of an airport terminal.

Abu Dhabi Airport

This corner of Terminal A at Abu Dhabi Airport is quite empty at 2am

Wide-angle photo of large, high-ceiling, shiny, brand new airport terminal building. One one side of the building are windows that go from the ground to the fourth floor. From the angle the photo is taken you can see parts of all four floors, all of which are connected by escalators and elevators.

Waiting at at empty departure gate at Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A

Photo of a large, heigh-ceiling, mostly empty airport departure gate. This section of the building is at least two storeys high, with a wide, elevated walkway running through the centre. In the departure are are several round-backed single-seater sofas for waiting passengers to sit on.

Walnut crescent cookie shaped lights at Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A departure gates

Wide-angle photo looking up at a large, crescent shaped, white-and-cream coloured light fixture. This light fixture is mounted on a tall pillar along a first-floor walkway in a high-ceiling airport terminal building.

Walnut crescent cookie shaped lights at the new Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A

Photo looking up at a large, crescent shaped, white-and-cream coloured light fixture. This light fixture is mounted on a tall pillar along a first-floor walkway in a high-ceiling airport terminal building.

Etihad Airways Airbus A320 aircraft taxiing to its gate at Abu Dhabi Airport

This was the Airbus A320 that flew us from Abu Dhabi to Karachi.

Photo of a narrow-body Airbus A320 aircraft in Etihad Airways livery taxiing to its gate.

Airbus A320 approaching Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A gate 640

Photo of a narrow-body Airbus A320 aircraft in Etihad Airways livery slowly approaching a terminal boarding gate.

Airbus A320 getting settled at Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A gate 640

Photo of a narrow-body Airbus A320 aircraft in Etihad Airways livery parked at a terminal boarding gate. The passenger boarding bridge (aka air bridge) from the terminal is in the process of being extended towards the front-left door of the aircraft and there are several ground operations team members walking around below the aircraft. And ‘Airside Operations Leader’ car is parked in front of the gate at which this aircraft has parked.

The Boeing 787 that took us from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne

Photo taken through large floor-to-ceiling windows of an airport terminal building of a wide-body aircraft in Etihad Airways livery parked at a gate. In the background you can see the airport’s weather radar and control tower.

The Boeing 787 that took us from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne

Photo of a wide-body aircraft parked at an airport gate. It is connected from its left side to the terminal building via a passenger boarding bridge (aka air bridge). On its right side luggage is being loaded onto it. In the background are the other terminal buildings of Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A.

Karachi Airport

Heading from Karachi to Islamabad

Photo of an airport apron taken from inside a passenger boarding bridge (aka air bridge). The gate next to this one is empty.

Islamabad Airport

The Fly Jinnah Airbus A320 that took us from Islamabad to Karachi

Photo of a narrow-body Airbus A320 aircraft in Fly Jinnah livery parked on the apron at an airport. Several ground staff are walking around the aircraft, getting it ready to start deplaning its passengers and cargo.

Trip to Pakistan 2024: people

Nadia and I took three weeks off to go visit friends and family in Pakistan. Naturally I took several photos as we travelled from one place to the next :)

Selfie at Melbourne Airport before heading off on our holiday

We had an almost-10pm flight out of Melbourne, so we had dinner at Melbourne Airport right after we checked-in.

Selfie of a man and woman, both wearing black t-shirts, backpacks, and face masks, standing in an airport terminal.

All set to fly from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi

Neither of us minds having seats near the bathroom and neither of us minds sitting right at the back of the plane, so we picked seats in the second-last row of this Boeing 777 since that row has just two seats on the window side :)

Selfie of a man and woman, both wearing black t-shirts and face masks, seated in an aircraft. The two are giving a thumbs-up to the camera.

Selfie along the C-gates arm at Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A

Abu Dhabi Airport’s brand new Terminal A is quite roomy (having been built for future growth) and is a surprisingly comfortable place to hang out for a ten-hour layover.

Selfie of a man wearing a bright orange jacket standing in the middle of a long terminal corridor, between gates C28 and C29.

Selfie to celebrate our arrival at Karachi Airport

Yay Karachi!

Selfie of a man and a woman, both wearing black t-shirts and face masks, standing next to their luggage at the international arrivals gate of an airport.

Ready for the first of our three flights back to Melbourne, this one from Islamabad to Karachi

It took us almost forty hours to get back from Islamabad to Melbourne (via Karachi and Abu Dhabi). This was the start of our first leg.

Selfie of a man and a woman, both wearing black t-shirts and face masks, seated inside an aircraft cabin during boarding.

Ready for the second of our three flights back to Melbourne, this one from Karachi to Abu Dhabi

This was the start of our second leg, waiting in the international departure lounge.

Selfie of a man and a woman, both wearing black t-shirts and face masks, seated in a departure lounge at an airport.

Waiting for breakfast at Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A

This is towards the end of our twelve hour layover in Abu Dhabi.

Photo of a woman, wearing a black hoodie and face mask, leaning on a restaurant table in an airport. Behind her is a floor-to-ceiling window that looks out onto and airport terminal apron.

Selfie before boarding our flight to Melbourne

We’re making sure to stretch our legs and stand as much as we can before our non-stop, thirteen hour flight to Melbourne.

Selfie of a man and a woman, both wearing black tops and face masks, standing in a departure lounge at an airport.

Ready for the third of our three flights back to Melbourne, this one from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne

All aboard and ready to boogie (aka sleep) on this lovely Boeing 787 (yay!).

Selfie of a man and a woman, both wearing black t-shirts and face masks, seated inside an aircraft cabin during boarding.

We hadn’t been back to Pakistan since late 2019, so this trip was very much overdue and it was a great way to start the year.

One year with a mirrorless camera

Here’s what I’ve learned after owning a mirrorless, interchangeable-lens camera for just over one year. (I got my camera on Boxing Day 2022 but didn’t start taking any decent photos will it till at least the middle of January 2023.)

This is based on the 438 share-worthy photos I uploaded to Flickr in 2023.

Photos I like taking

Aside from typical life and event/travel photos, I seem to like taking photos that tell micro stories of people and places. I do this mainly through three types of photos…

Interesting everyday

These are photos looking up, down, and around at things you stop noticing when you live somewhere for a long time. These are architectural photos, photos of objects, or photos of people going about their lives doing things I find interesting.

Looking up along light tower 5 at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Photo looking straight up along the side of a large, white, stadium light tower on a partly cloudy day.

Questions about people

These are photos that make you wonder what the person/people in the photo are doing, thinking, or talking about.

Tourists checking out Melbourne’s office-building architecture. Photo of a couple standing on the other side of the road from the photographer. They have their arms around each other and are looking up at the top of a building across the street from them. A green-and-white tram is about to cross in front of them.

Atmosphere

These are photos that (hopefully) communicate the vibe of the place in which I took the photo or maybe what I was feeling when I took it.

I want to touch the nose again! (Avalon Airshow 2023). Photo of a man at an airshow carrying a little boy in his lap (presumably his son). The man is standing next to the nose of a military transport aircraft. Next to the man is a little girl (presumably his daughter) who wants to be picked up so she can touch the nose of the aircraft again.

Most frequently used focal lengths

When I wasn’t doing my ‘one focal length at a time exercise’, my favourite focal lengths were 27mm, 85mm, and 345mm. These represent both extremes of my two zoom lenses: 27-85mm for my main lens and 80-345mm for my second lens. The 85mm bar in the chart below covers the 80-85mm range where my two lenses overlap, and so that’s why this bar is the longest.

Graphic titled ‘Focal length usage 2023 (full-frame equivalent)’. Below this is a chart titled ‘Normal zoom-lens usage’ that shows a bar chart with bars ranging from 27mm to 300-345mm. The three longest bars in this chart are for 85mm (28% of all photos), 27mm (23%), and 300-345mm (11%).

What have I learned from this?

  • 27mm end: I like taking architectural photos (the wide angle helps you capture more of the building/location) and I often like taking photos that capture the context around my primary subject (eg their location or where they’re headed). Also, in the early days I was still getting used to composing good shots with my new camera, so I would do a looser composition while taking the photo and then crop-in later during editing.

  • The other ends: I like to zoom in on specific parts of architecture (like the tops of buildings) and I like to simplify my photographs by isolating my subjects within the frame (so it’s easier to focus on the specific object or the person I’m photographing).

Part of the point of the ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise I did over October-December 2023 was to force me to get away from these extremes and try the most popular intermediate focal lengths instead.

Graphic titled ‘Focal length usage 2023 (full-frame equivalent)’. Below this is a chart titled “‘One focal length at a time’ exercise” that shows a bar chart with bars ranging from 27mm to 85mm. The two longest bars in this chart are for 27mm and 40mm (both at 27%). This is followed by 50mm (19%), 85mm (18%), and 35mm (9%).

Aside from all the creative learning I did during my ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise, I learned that 27mm and 40mm are the focal lengths at which I am the most successful (and comfortable shooting). That’s why, when I do buy an everyday-carry prime lens, those are the two I’ll get first (starting with 40mm).

Where to from here?

The end of the year is a good time for reflection and learning, and it’s been fun going through all the photos I’ve taken this year. Importantly, I noted how I improved as a photographer over the last twelve months and what I still need to get better at.

In 2024 I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing right now: taking regular photo walks in and around Melbourne and photographing life, events, and travel. I have a lot of experience to gain and still plenty of incremental improvement to do before I start to plateau both creatively and skill-wise.

So here’s to another fun year of photography!