Balmy Nights & Red Lanterns

Over the past few years Newcastles Hunter Street Mall has fallen on hard times as major retailers left the CBD to go seek their fortunes in the glitzy suburban mega malls that are become part of the urban landscape. As each retailer departed the CBD it left another vacant shop along what was once reputed to have been one of the longest main streets in the southern hemisphere. This was especially evident in the Hunter Mall area, where shop fronts had all the ambience of a gapped tooth smile and also being closed off to traffic, also made it look lifeless.

While some in the community stood around pointing fingers and looking for culprits to lay blame on, the Newcastle City Council (NCC) and some of the more civic minded citizens buckled down to come up with some workable solutions. One of the most controversial decisions made by the NCC was to spend $330,000 to reopen the Hunter Mall to vehicular traffic, which had been closed since 1981. Another step was the establishment of the Renew Newcastle group to reopen vacated shops by finding artists, cultural projects and community groups to use and maintain these buildings until they become commercially viable or were redeveloped. The third part of the revitalisation process was involving Newcastle Live Sites (a partnership between NCC, Hunter Development Corp. & Arts NSW) in bringing live entertainment into the Mall during the Xmas build up. 

free puppet show for the kids

As result for the past two years the Hunter Mall and Newcastle itself is being transformed into a vibrant arts orientated centre.with one of the main focal events being the Red Lantern Markets which are generally held late November through till mid December. While there are a lot of food, art and craft orientated speciality stalls to choose from, (over 70 this year alone!) some of the more savvy boutique shops in the Mall are also open to take advantage of the passing trade, making it a unique shopping experience. Another advantage is that you can usually talk to the person that made the item and find out some background to that special gift, something you can't do at K-Mart or Toys 'R' Us!

The Red Lantern Markets are also an urban photographers dream with so much colour, people and movement around, sometimes it hard to know when to frame a shot, but it is a vast landscape to choose from!

There are very few places on earth where you can drive down to the city (or catch a train, ferry or utilise the excellent bus service) have lunch at a 5 star restaurant (Honeysuckle or Darby St), walk to beach to have an afternoon swim (Newcastle, Nobbys or Newcastle Baths), then do your all christmas shopping in a relaxed market style atmosphere and then if the mood takes you, go and watch a latest release movie at the King Street theatre, all this within an easy half hour walk of the Newcastle CBD. 

No wonder Lonely  Planet Guide recently listed Newcastle in its top 10 of places to visit in 2011!     

The last Red Lantern Market for 2010 will be held on Saturday 11th December 4pm - 10pm  ... don't miss it!

When heavenly shades of night are falling

Ok, I know the title of this post is a clichéd rip off of that famous Platters song "Twilight Time", but it is the best way to describe the view of sunset on Lake Macquarie yesterday.

One of the best things about my job is that I'm always presented with different photographic opportunities every day. Not only are the locations and seasons varied, but also are the times of day that I'm out and about, including that most sort after photographic time, the 'Golden Hour' (the hour before and after sunrise/sunset).


This week I happened to be around the western shores of beautiful Lake Macquarie, from around 4pm - 5pm, so remembering some of the stunning sunsets from previous years, I made sure that my Sanyo S1275 was packed and fully charged to take advantage of any photographic opportunity that may present itself. Because time wasn't on my side (I was actually working), as I drove around on Monday and Tuesday I made mental notes on what locations would be suitable to quickly capture this wonderful painted landscape. My reconnaissance was done with almost military precision and execution, I call it guerrilla style photography, because as with a military style operation, you only have a few seconds to capture the shot. So you .. plan, stop, shoot and then evacuate.

Another factor in my favour this week is that it is winter and so that means that the air is very still, clean and crisp. In July/August the winds in Newcastle come predominately from the WSW, which pushes the moisture laden humid air out to sea, leaving the atmosphere almost pristine and allowing the even light to enhance the vivid sunsets without distortions of  humidity, which can be the curse of summer coastal photography.


So if you are ever on the western side of Lake Macquarie in winter, make sure you take your camera, upload into your iPod, 'Twilight Time - The Platters' and marvel at the stunning vista that is presented as the day slowly fades into night ... 

♫♫ Heavenly shades of night are falling

It's twilight time

Out of the mist your voice is calling

It's twilight time

When purple colored curtains

Mark the end of the day

I hear you my dear at twilight time ♪

♫♫ Deepening shadows gather splendor

As day is done

Fingers of night will soon surrender

The setting sun

I count the moments darling

Till you're here with me

Together at last at twilight time ♪

       

Working With The Tools You Got

Although this blog is primarily for pictures taken with my good friend, my Canon 400D, there has been occasions when I've been caught out without my trusty offsider to capture the photographic opportunities that present themselves. On these occasions I've always got my Nokia 6210 Classic with its 2 megapixel in-built camera, hardly a comparison, but it is still able to capture those unexpected moments.

These moments usually happen whilst I'm out on the road at work (the Westpac Rescue helicopter at Redhead bluff for instance) & where it is usually impracticable to have my 400D sitting in the van or truck. So last Wednesday afternoon was one of those 'you shoulda had ya camera' moments.

At the last moment I was taken of my rostered shift & asked to cover another one that basically covered the western side of Lake Macquarie. I had a bit of time before I commenced the run, so I wandered down to the lake, just to get out, stretch the legs & take in the views.

Well what I saw was stunning!

There was Wednesday afternoon yacht racing, kids playing in the park, people sitting on the jetty 'wetting a line' & the most gorgeous late afternoon reflections coming off the lake.

Yep, sometimes you just can't plan photographic opportunities & it is these times that you just have to work with the tools you got.