Jailbird

Up above King Edward Park are these old, resting, military installations. Late afternoon sun, long shadows, creative model, you can't go wrong...

Man's Best Friend

Again a couple of snaps of some of the puppies I have met on my travels. These guys are hanging about protecting their homes. One cranky lil' snapper and these other two sad looking fellows locked in with the deception that they own the place.

Everyones Best Friend

I have a friend who loves dogs. She fosters neglected dogs at her home and when a new owner comes along, with a tear in her eye she farewells her four legged friend. She does this selflessly and totally out of love for an often forgotten minority.

Spending more and more time making images on the coast, particularly around the ocean baths of Newcastle I started to pick up on the number of dogs that were out taking people for a walk. Starting to watch the dogs as they passed I realised that they were already sussing me.

I began to note that there was a fearless eye contact being made by almost every dog I passed. Whereas it's often difficult to engage a fellow human eye to eye, the humble K9 is totally up for it. As the human cruises coolly by, trailing haplessly behind and sticking to the correct side of the path, the dog is making full eye contact as it passes by. It's almost a staring contest, and they never blink first.

I decided to start responding to their gaze and snap some images. They are truly the perfect subject. Completely relaxed under the stare of the lens. Humble and unselfconscious. Full of emotional responses and comfortable with the display of any emotion they happen to be feeling from moment to moment, love or rage, joy or sorrow.

Carved in Stone and Stuff

There was no limit to the beautiful things we found during our travels in Japan. I think that everything of beauty had the intent at it's heart to be something of beauty.
It was not necessary to go to a gallery to find art. Is it ever?

(Hey and please don't get me wrong and think I am comparing a Japanese art gallery to a toire, I'm just saying that art is where you find it)

Unburied Treasure

Some treasures I found on the way to the beach today. Beautiful day, blue sky, shining sun, glistening water, pair of underpants, crushed can, burnt out car, general household rubbish.

Thanks for providing me with a surplus of interesting things to photograph with new camera, new lens (though not really mine) and new attitude to the whole photography thing.

Digging in for the long haul now...

Urban Features

It feels as though I've started collecting new things. But I haven't. I've just noticed that I've been collecting these things all of this time, and just not realised. I've called these things 'urban features' because that's what they are. They are the furniture (literally sometimes) that we live with.

I continue to watch the world around me, and I was going to say, crumble away. I don't mean that as a bad thing. Another quote from a young Woody Allen, "I read in the paper that all matter is decaying" Young Woody was trying to use this as an excuse not to do his homework, "What's the point" (Annie Hall)

It's interesting the amount of things that people want and then don't want. The cycle of life and death, decay and recomposition. The things I am drawn to are myriad. I know I'll never have the time to survey them all, but I'm on holidays right now so I'm going to give it a red hot go.