Weekend Wanderings – Royal Botanical Gardens, Cranbourne

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Recently Miss Rosanna mentioned that I should try going out to Cranbourne, to the Royal Botanical Gardens there.  I had never heard of the place.  I knew there were Botanical Gardens in the city, but not out in Cranbourne.  So I googled it, found the website and decided to see if my new photography buddy wanted to go along. So last Monday we went to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Cranbourne.

CRBG 1This desert garden is one of the first things you see.  It is quite incredible and is meant, I believe to represent the Australian Outback.  This garden is the Australian section of the Royal Botanical Gardens.  Cranbourne is all Australian, from what I can make out.   The Royal Botanical Gardens in the city have more exotic and foreign plants.

The weather was not great when we went, but it did mean we got some fantastic skies.  The clouds were spectacular, but it did make photographing some of this stuff really hard.

CRBG 2There are a lot of water features all around the gardens.  This is the biggest landscaped garden I’ve ever seen.  The area above had flags at either end saying you could paddle in here, as long as it was between the flags.  I took my camera and tripod out onto the areas with no water to take this image, then came back.  Just after I got back, the water was turned up and a lot of those areas that have no water were covered in it, including the place I was standing.  Lucky I got the shot when I did.

CRBG 3Here is another water area.  I loved this image, I loved the sky in it.  There seems to be so much mood in it.  Does that make sense?  It is moody.  I took quite a few images from this place, which I am going to include in a gallery.

We spent a few hours here, we did have to run for cover once when it started raining.   That was okay, we just had an early lunch.  The sun didn’t come out a lot, so while I was there, I tried to use the clouds as much as possible in my images.  I don’t think it made the day bad.  In fact, it was nice to not have to worry about the sun and getting sunburnt.

Taking photos didn’t seem to be a problem.  I used a tripod quite a bit, and no one told me to stop.   We did stand on some seats to get up a little higher to take some photos.  I don’t think it is strictly allowed, so probably best not to do it.

I will include the above images and many more in a gallery for you now.

Entry is free to the gardens, and it is open almost every day of the year.  There was a link at the top of the page to the gardens, so you can get more information there.  One thing that was disappointing was that there weren’t a lot of flowers out, but hardly surprising when you consider we are heading into winter.  We think we might have to go back in Spring.

ReWorking Graffiti

Tags

, , , , , ,

OriginalThis image was taken over twelve months ago.  I did it as a 3 image HDR in Photomatix.  It was in my early attempts of HDR and it is way to saturated.  The bins blend in too much with the background.  So as I have been going though old HDR’s I thought, I might try doing this one, and another one again.

ReworkI think this is better, but still not great.  I tried to darken the background a bit, and lighten the bins.  I don’t think it worked.  I do think the colours in this are much nicer and not so bright.  I know a lot of you are going to like the first image more, but think about how over saturated they are.  The colours are not natural, if you can say that about graffiti.

Original

I thought this one was also too saturated.

Rework

So with this one, the colours are not as saturated.  It is a darker image, but not in the mirror, and it is the mirror where you are meant to look.  I like what is happening in the mirror.  The mirror shows us that the graffiti just keeps going on and on.

ReworkI have called this a rework, but technically it isn’t, it is the first time you have seen it, and I only did it this morning.  Just shows a different view from the same mirror.  I did it because I thought this one was the same as the original.  Anyway, extra image.

I hope this post makes sense.  I have just got back from the city where I spent all day taking photos and teaching a new client how to use her camera and how to take photos.  It was exhausting, but so rewarding.  I had the best time.  I completely filled my memory card, and had to delete photos, so I could take more.  I hope she also had a great time.  I know she is feeling confused now, but with time she will start to understand what we were talking about.

Please excuse me today, I need a cup of tea and to put my feet up.

 

I Had a Dream Last Night

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

I don’t know if it was a dream or a nightmare, but I did mention that I’ve been learning some new things with Photoshop and my just swims at night.  Then early this morning I had a dream and I woke up so inspired to try something.  After I got up, I couldn’t get the image of what I was trying to do out of my head, so, while I couldn’t do what was in my head, it was a scene from Sydney, I decided to try something different.

Elizabeth StreetI took this image on the same day as the image on Tuesday.  It was taken very early in the morning.  It is a HDR image processed in Photomatix Pro and beyond that,  I haven’t done a lot to this, I just got rid of all the people, a couple of cars, you know that sort of thing.

I just loved those Victorian building all in a row.  I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with this image, but then, you know, I had the dream, and well, things had to change.  Could I turn this image into a deserted city?

Elizabeth Street Long AfterSo I played around with 3 images.  I don’t think it is perfect, but I like it.  It is always great when an idea starts to come together.  The foreground came from an image I took up in the mallee, as did the sheep.  I had to make the sheep a lot smaller, and they probably should have been made even smaller.

I had to do a bit to the image to get it to look abandoned.  My skills are getting better, but I still need to do some more learning.  It would’ve been good to have made some windows broken, or things falling down.  Maybe some cracked paint.  This is definitely a direction I want to go in.  The image is probably too dark, but I like to think the world would be dark without us, maybe that is a dream too.

Elizabeth Street Long After with a textureThis is the same image, only I added some textures to it.  Well, one really, it was a granite, I think.  I am not sure about it, but thought I would give you the option.

It is an interesting thing to do.  The sheep are there because my husband thought they should be in the shot.  He thought it added to the effect, and of course he likes to take the credit.

My daughter got her drivers license the other day, so I may never see the car again, so I guess that means I can spend lots of time on the computer, because it doesn’t look like I will be going anywhere.  LOL  Not quite true, I have a one on one session tomorrow in the city, so that should be exciting.  I am really looking forward to spending a whole day taking photos in the city.  What could be better?

Before They Lay Me Down to Sleep

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Last weekend up ended up very busy, and I didn’t get a chance to head over to the Bluestone that belongs to Deaf Children Australia.  I am hoping this weekend I will get a better chance.  So today I have more images for you from the inside.  Today I thought we might have a look at the boys dormitory.

The View Out the WindowImagine standing up next to your bed and looking out the window.  This is one of the views out of the window.  It would be a silent view, no birds would be heard or rustle of leaves.  Imagine being deaf, standing at this window looking out and dreaming you were out there.  No noises would affect you, the sounds of what was going on around you wouldn’t be a problem, you wouldn’t be able to hear them.  Nothing to disturb your thoughts.

I like this view, it gives you a nice look of the outside of the building.

Staring Up the CeilingI know this is a strange image, but I tried to do it from the point of view of lying in the bed, well, if there was a bed there.  Imagine lying on the bed and staring straight up.

To make this image seem as real as possible, as it would have for the boys that slept looking up at this ceiling, I have removed all signs of technology.  There were electric lights, sprinklers and other things in the ceiling.  Boys sleeping in this room over 100 years ago would not have had any of those things to look at.

Boys Dormitory

This is part of the boys dormitory as well.  From my position you would have been able to see some beds, but you also would have been able to see out into that corridor.  In that corridor were some offices, I believe, of the people looking after the children.  Also, though to the other end was the girls dormitory.  How many boys stood here, or around here, trying to work out how to get to the girls.

You can tell from this image that you can’t see straight into the girls dormitory, their door was around the corner.  Interesting, the separation of the sexes.

Stories, Tales, Poetry

After my post last week quite a few suggested the idea of doing some fairy tales, or writing short stories to go with the images.  I am also open to the idea of poems as well.  I know that a lot of writers follow my blog, so how about you go through the photos that I have posted from the bluestone that belongs to Deaf Children Australia and write something in response to what you see?

I will put them or links to them on my Wednesday posts for others to see.  Just let me know.

If you would just like to see the building being restored then you can donate money toward the restoration by Donating Here.

City of Melbourne For Lease

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Our internet has been down most of the day, actually it hasn’t been good for the last couple of days. Hopefully it is working a lot better now.  Though, I still struggled with an image for you today.  I need to go out and get more images.  What a day.  On top of all that it is freezing, well, it is the coldest day we have had for a long time.

For LeaseI love this building.  I have no idea when it was built, oh I have the internet back, I can check it out, hang on a minute.  Okay, I’m back, it was built in 1888.  It is such a distinctive building.  Though I don’t think the City of Melbourne Building Society have anything to do with it any more, actually I’m not sure they even exist anymore.  It sits on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Little Collins Street.  It’s quite a landmark and most people who live in Melbourne would be aware of this building.

To process it, I did a HDR image with Photomatix Pro, and then it went through Camera Raw in Photoshop.  There were a few people walking on the street so I removed them.  I also removed the signs on the awning that covers the street.  I didn’t want the signage to take over the image.  I also replaced the sky.  I have done some blurring, but not a lot.  I just tried to bring out some of the details in the building.

I am not really happy with how the image came out.  I think part of the problem is that I snapped it early one morning, and it was, possibly, the wrong time.  I took some images of it another time, but they were in the afternoon, and were with Black and White film.  They were a lot better, the sun was shining on the building and gave it more definition.

There is something about the building sitting on the corner with the For Lease sign, the city of Melbourne is for Lease, interesting idea.

Awards

As today’s post is a short one, I am going to put up some nominations I’ve received for  various awards.

So I have been nominated for the following awards by the following people.

The Versatile Blogger Award

Dancing in the Storm

EdMooneyPhotography

LIVING WITH MY ANCESTORS

My Life Through Glass

Oil Pastels by Mary

 Epically Awesome Award of Epic Awesomeness Nomination!

elizabeth thomas photography of cape cod

Colline’s Blog

WordPress Family Blog Award

Mission Possible! 1st stop – Nicaragua

Living and Lovin

The Sunshine Award

CREATEDBYRCW

Lightfollowers

Clumsyfool

Curious Mother

Through The Lens

Super Sweet Blogging Award

Ajaytao2010

HOTEL BABBLE-ON

Lucy Williams

The Best Moment Award

THE PALLADIAN TRAVELER

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

MEMORY CATCHER

shlehora

363PHOTOS

HOWDOYOUSAYTACOINSPANISH

The Bouquet of Three Award

soulfoodwords

I know people may think that I get too many or I don’t appreciate them, but I still feel really honoured when people think of giving me one.  So thank you to everyone above.

Please, everyone, check out their blogs and what they have been up to.

Infuencing Me – Robert Doisneau

Tags

, , , , , , ,

The name of the photographer is one I recognise, but I don’t recall the work.

Then:

doisneau_kissI see this image, and I recognise it instantly.  Though, I don’t put the name of the artist with the image.  Who doesn’t know this image?

This is one of the most iconic images of the 20th century.  A kiss, a moment.  Though, I have been told that it was actually set up, but then I think, who cares, it is a great image.  A kiss taken in Paris, in the city of love, or as it was.

Robert Doisneau was a French photographer. In the 1930s he used a Leica on the streets of Paris. He and Henri Cartier-Bresson were pioneers of photojournalism.

That is from Wikipedia.

Don’t ask me why street photographers, or those sort of photographers keep making it on my influencing me pages.  I don’t know why, really.  I think it is the idea of that iconic image that you go down in history for.  I could handle people not knowing my name, but remembering a certain image that I took, I could handle that, a lot.  Of course, having people know both would be the best.

Robert Doisneau File7947There is something about the moment that he seems to capture, a way of life in Paris in the 1930′s.  In some ways him and Vivien Maier were similar, in that they caught glimpses of a life that is gone now.  I think that is why we are so enamored by them now, they talk about a time in our history that was almost innocent, a time before the second world war and before so much changed.

med_robert-doisneau-jacques-prevert-au-gueridon-1955-jpgIt is amazing to think how these images must have been taken quickly, yet the camera he was using would have required some time to set up.  It is a shame to think that this sort of photography is dying out, as more and more laws are passed to stop it.  We lose these snatches of time, that are unique to the time they were taken.

It is something we have to consider when we think about the rules that are being forced on us about taking photos.  I think it is important to remember photographers like Doisneau and what they were allowed to do and what they accomplished.

I have a number of images for you to look at and I hope you enjoy these images.

The images are sourced from quite a few places on the internet.

http://www.photoicon.com/modern_masters/46/

http://www.iphotocentral.com/showcase/detail.php/8/0/74/1/1/0/15058

http://www.classic-photographers.com/robert-doisneau/

Weekend Wanderings – Sometimes a Massive Fail

Tags

, , , , , , ,

The idea of doing these weekend posts of place to go and photograph Melbourne, or Victoria, have been really well received, and you seem to be enjoying them.  One of the problems I am having with them, is what if I can’t get out and take photos, or what if when I do, the weather is bad, or the images aren’t very good?  So today, I get to find out what you think about that.

I haven’t been able to get out and take photos.  I am starting to realise that I will have to make more of an effort, though, it just isn’t always possible.  So I have been through all my archives and I found some photos that I have never shown before, well except for one photo.  This one.

Dwight Falls 1This image was taken in an old pump shed at Dwight Falls.  The falls is part of the Yarra River, which is the main river travelling through Melbourne.  It is near Abbotsford and the Eastern Freeway, in fact you can see the freeway in one of the photos.  I don’t really know why there is a falls there, though, it is not a huge one, it is very small.  Not really a water fall at all.

I have seen some beautiful photos of this area, but I had never photographed it before.  Last year when a friend from Sydney came down, we went there to take some photos of it.  It was overcast and a really horrible day, so I never showed the photos because they weren’t great.  They still aren’t great, but I guess it shows how sometimes, things don’t always go right for us photographers.

Dwight Falls 2One of the first things we realised when we got there, was how big the river was.  It isn’t normally this big, and doesn’t normally flow this fast.  We had had a lot of rain and the river was so full, I had never seen it this full before.  Dwight Falls, you might be able to see in there, is very small and the usual sort of photo you would get here wasn’t possible.

Dwight Falls 3This was taken further up river, and you can see how wide it is.  Believe me, it isn’t normally that big.  We spoke to some people who lived in the area and they were saying that it isn’t normally up that high.

Dwight Falls 4This is looking further up river through a tree in the river.  I am sure the tree is normally out of the water, but there were many trees in the water along the edge.  It was quite strange.

Dwight Falls 5This is an offshoot of the river.  I don’t know where it goes, and I don’t know if there is normally this much water in it.  There was a lot of work going on in the area as well, I don’t know what they were doing.  The overpasses you can see are for the Eastern Freeway.

Dwight Falls 6The Pump Shed again.  You can see, and tell, that it is no longer used, and it now covered in graffiti, though not the street art type.  You have to climb up a structure to get in here, it isn’t really obvious how to get down there.

Dwight Falls 7The view out of the pump shed, a lot of mud.  In the distance you can see part of the work that was going on.  I hope that normally there is a lot more water in there.  The water that is in there would have been from all the rain.

They aren’t great photos, and I wish every time I went out to take photos they were great, but it doesn’t always happen.  Sometimes you can fix them up on the computer, and sometimes, well, you just have to look at them and say, nothing is going to help.  Put it down to experience and plan another trip.

If you want to go somewhere like Dwight Falls, probably best to go on a good day, or a nice day.  Perhaps sun out, or perhaps sunset.   It would have been better to go on a day when the river wasn’t full to almost overflowing.  Dwight Falls is a quiet place, in my mind, and good for times when the river is also quiet.

I suppose the reason behind this post is to show that it doesn’t always work and no matter how much planning you do, you can’t always get what you want.  I don’t really like these photos at all.  It was disappointing and I haven’t been back since, though I should find a day with nice weather and visit it again.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 15,959 other followers