The iPhone camera has an HDR setting, which I have used here for this image of the old yards at the Oonoonba DPI Station in Townsville, where I work. It's so good to get away from Sydney!
Friday, 26 November 2010
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
iPhone day 1
Monday, 1 November 2010
racks of bikes - nobody riding
I spent a couple of days in Brisbane last week. There is a scheme there to hire bikes in the city. One accesses the bike using a swipe card and use of the bike is free for up to 30 minutes. Seems like a great idea. But I saw rack after rack with not a single bike missing. I never saw a soul riding one. What's wrong? Is it the roads? I believe it is illegal to drive on the footpath - and though there are bike lanes on the roads they are very close to busses and heavy traffic.. I heard that one problem is that the law requires bike riders to wear a helmet yet health regulations prohibit the renting of a helmet with the bike. So anyone who wants to use the scheme must carry a bike helmet all day. A bad piece of planning...
Friday, 17 September 2010
Bach Cello Suites, Casales, Rumi, madness...
When I started to learn Hindustani classical music my one of the first ragas I learnt was Yaman. I say one of the first because actually from memory I think he first was Khamaj. One of my teachers. Michael Junius, told me that Yaman was the raga one should start with. It was auspicious and would ensure that one's musical learning would progress well. Maybe that is why mine did not...
Another of my teachers, Nikhil Ghosh, once told me that Allauddin Khan used to say that he could have played Yaman all his long life and still "not plumbed its depths".
I think Bach is like this... One can listen to Bach again and a again and it is always new, always re-inventing itself somehow.
I've been listening to Bach cello suites all week. I have several recordings.
Yo Yo Ma's is my least favourite - his playing is lifeless to my ears. He lacks something and I can't say quite what... perhaps gravitas.
Maurice Gendron is marvellously strong and perfectly paced. Bach would have liked his playing I think.
Pablo Casales plays like a madman - his interpretations of Bach sound like Stravinsky at times... I think he is my favourite. I'm a big fan of madmen (and women)
Better to be ignorant of worldly concerns,
better to be mad and flee from self-interest,
better to drink poison and spill the water of life,
better to revile those who praise you,
and lend both the capital and the interest to
the poor, forgo safety and make a home in danger.
Sacrifice your reputation and become notorious.
I have tried caution and forethought;
from now on I will make myself mad.
-Rumi
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Voting in Wulguru (Dawson)
Despite being a southern suburb of Townsville, Wulguru, where I live, is part of the Dawson electorate, which is centred on Mackay, some 400km south. I don't understand why we are not part of Herbert, which is centred on Townsville, the city to which we belong.
That said, I got up this morning and took the short walk down to the local school to vote. I took these photos as I wandered home.
See larger version fo photos on my flickr.
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Glass plate negatives - 3
Apart from the obvious damage to these glass plates (they were stored for many years in sheds in humid subtropical conditions), the detail in these pictures is stunning. Go to the larger image on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/hojucandy/4781235371/ and look at the saddles hanging on a rail outside the saddler. Photography has not come far since the 19th Century...
Saturday, 10 July 2010
Glass plate negatives - continued...
Finally I am starting to scan some of the glass plate negatives that Gary lent me last year. Explanation here - http://jayavant.posterous.com/glass-plate-negatives The pictures are very sharp and detailed, despite the poor condition of the negatives. Many are wrapped in paper as shown in the pictures. The paper appears to be a police document from "The Colony of Queensland". This would place them pre-federation - so in the 19th Century. This one seems to be taken in Clermont, Central Queensland. A larger version of the picture can be seen on my flickr site - http://www.flickr.com/photos/hojucandy/4779962328/
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Not a soccer fan #worldcup 2002
In 2002 I lived in South Korea. That year Korea played host to the World Cup soccer matches and there was general hysteria in abundance. On the afternoon of June 22nd, Korea played a quarter-final match against Spain. I happened to be in Seoul that day and was treated to the eery experience of walking around largely empty streets - everyone was either indoors glued to a TV or at one of the large public squares where huge screens had been set up to watch the games. Being no soccer fan myself, I caught a train home. These trains are usually packed - standing room only. I never saw so few people on the Seoul subway.
When I got home I was invited to join some Korean men who were sitting out on the footpath with a TV watching the game and drinking. People were unusually friendly during the World Cup.
When I got home I was invited to join some Korean men who were sitting out on the footpath with a TV watching the game and drinking. People were unusually friendly during the World Cup.
The game ended in a draw - 0:0. That's one reason I don't like soccer.... nothing happens....
Monday, 3 May 2010
When is a snake not a snake? When it's an excitable delma (Delma tincta)
via cms.jcu.edu.au
I walked from home to my office today, a distance of about 6km. No hills and fairly easy walk though it was fiercely hot for most of the way - no shade and reflective ground.But the wind was at my back and I feel good for the walk.
ON the way I saw what I thought was a small snake on the road. I picked it up so it would not be run over. It was certainly excitable - leaping around throwing its body into arches so only 2 or 3 points touched the ground at a time. I thought it was a golden crown snake or something similar - a harmless small elapid.
Examining it I noticed not only that its vent was about 1/4 of the way along its body, but also that it had tiny external ear-holes. It was not a snake at all - it was a legless lizard or pygopod. Unlike snakes they have an external ear aperture.
I found him a nice place under some bushes, with plenty of leaf litter and let him go.
Before I left home I debated whether to take a camera. I didn't. Bad decision. Got a phone camera shot of him but it's blurry.
On another note - I did take my iPod, but only listened to half a song. It was so nice walking and just listening to the sounds around me. I find I use my iPod very rarely these days...
Here is where I walked - http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2406686#
Monday, 6 April 2009
changes
We are moving....
I am finding my posterous blog does everything I need at the moment so have decided to cease using blogger altogether.
And Bill's main blog is at wordpress. I'll be contributing there regularly too.
........
I am finding my posterous blog does everything I need at the moment so have decided to cease using blogger altogether.
And Bill's main blog is at wordpress. I'll be contributing there regularly too.
........
Sunday, 5 April 2009
8x10 portraits, or the boredom of the large format photography model
Last weekend Kim and Nikhilā visited and I decided to try and take their portraits with the 8x10.
I took Nikhi's picture out on our front porch using existing light. The light was failing and I had to spend a long time focussing on the very dim ground glass of the old camera. Depth of field is very limited with these cameras - which lends a special character to portraiture, but makes setting up the shot difficult. Nikhi was very patient but as the series of photos shows, it was a trial for her I'm sure. The final image is a full scan of the negative - with edges visible.
I shot Kim's portrait indoors. He was reading contentedly so the situation was ideal. "Just sit there", I said. The light was even dimmer indoors and I had a lot of difficulty focussing. I pulled out an old maggy-lamp to give some more light, and rigged up a reflector to cut the shadows a bit. That gave me an extra couple of stops. In the end it was an 8 second exposure. Got a little motion blur but it's only noticeable in larger sizes. The final image is a crop.
Kali, Nikhi's bearded dragon, watched on with interest. Helen took the colour photos.
Difficulties I have with 8x10 are mostly related to focussing. The ground glass on this camera is dim, and in low light my eyes are really struggling to tell what is blurry and what is sharp.
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