Australian Magpie
I have several Australian Magpies that come to receive snacks each day – prime grade minced beef with Insectivore added – and this young one will now sit on my shoulder, wrist, head, or today, the 400mm lens of my camera as I was a bit slow in producing the goodies! Have not yet given her a name……..suggestions welcome.
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge – Beginnings
Taken a week or so ago, sunrise in Central Victoria.
Click on any image for a larger version and slideshow
WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot Two ways
I can hardly believe it is nearly a month since I posted here – I guess that reflects the dreadful winter of endless days of cold and rain this area has been experiencing. Today however we had sunshine, so I ventured out to try and meet this week’s challenge. It was to find a likely scene or view, and decide whether landscape or portrait orientation made the best shot. Look here for the article from photographer Jeff Sinon who discusses how he makes his choice.
Here are a few images taken at the local park this morning.
Hard to choose? I think it depends on the effect you are seeking……..or the subject…….or……….???
Frosty Morning
There have been heavy frosts for the last few nights, with beautiful clear mornings and stunning sunrises. I was out early yesterday hoping to take some interesting shots, but came home with only a few worth keeping. These Alpacas were sporting frozen dreadlocks, but seemed not to notice – they were just briefly curious about the stranger who stopped to look at them. The light coloured on had the most amazing blue eyes.
Blue Mount Cemetery
This cemetery has not been used for decades, and is now quite overgrown by bushland. There are probably many graves of timber cutters and families who lived in the area in the 1900’s, but the only ones still visible are of local families who are well known in the town of Trentham. Dominated by a huge Camphor Laurel tree, it is a quiet and peaceful spot near the top of the mountain, somewhere that will never be disturbed.
Blue Mount
Blue Mountain is 837 metres high, and close by the town where I live. Today my weekend visitors and I went to the top, which is only accessible by a four wheel drive vehicle or on foot. We drove up the very steep and bumpy dirt track to the top where there is a watch tower used in summertime to spot fires in the Wombat Forest. It was a beautiful place with amazing views across the countryside to Melbourne in the distance.
Early Morning Lakeside…..
Most of today was spent preparing three entries for a local photo exhibition that will be held in a couple of weeks, and the theme was “Our Town”. I unearthed this as one of the three, taken last year when we had a pair of black swans on the town lake. I used a slice of this image for a header some months back, so here it is in it’s entirety.
The Wombat Forest Exhibition.
There is going to be a small photography exhibition in town from tomorrow evening until May 9th. This is being staged by the local Wombat Forest Care Group and promises to have a great group of images of this precious place. This was one of a couple I submitted.
Dicksonia antartica – Soft Tree Fern
Dicksonia antartica – Soft Tree Fern, an evergreen tree fern native to Australia.
Who needs sunshine?
Mid-winter …….cold, raining, overcast, soggy underfoot, everything dripping from above, confined to home, with the wood-fire burning 24/7, and cabin fever coming on! It’s probably not really conducive to photography, but one tries anyway. As I ventured out, it became more and more misty…..but I clicked away, thinking I was shooting clever, atmospheric, artistic shots that would look brilliant and I would be proud to share. Dull, foggy, noisy photos, wet feet with even the ducks and horses looking bedraggled – the results were less than I had hoped for!
Who needs sunshine? I do!
