Black & white is alright ... right!

I remember as a kid growing up & all we had was a 22" (55cm) black & white television set, the new fangled Polaroids were black & white & all those you beaut family snaps were in ... yep you guessed it, black & white.

Up until 1975, we certainly lived in a black & white world!

However, although we now live in a colourized world, black & white photography still is able to capture the imagination by its use of contrast to give subjects a beauty that can escape the casual observer

"Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony"

Sunshine, Lollipops & Coalships

If Lesley Gore was living in Newcastle these days I'm sure she'd be tempted to re-write her 1965 hit song from 'Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows', to the title I have suggested above. Perhaps not as sugary as a song about teenage love, but still a catchy title!

You couldn't have asked for a more perfect Newcastle day, the sun was shining, the temperature was hovering around the high 20's, a light north easterly was keeping things pleasant on the sand, the water was bracing (not cold) & I was even able to park in the car park at Nobbys Beach (that is a feat in itself!). But the best thing was though, I had at least two of my favourite girls with me to share the absolute beauty of this picture perfect Newcastle day.

Jessica just loves the beach & also thankfully for me isn't the least bit camera shy & so I was able to get some great shots of her playing in the water & on the sand. it's great when you can capture kids having fun, without them having to pose, I think it just brings out their natural beauty!

As for coalships, well they just keep coming & going up & down the Hunter River, 24/7 to destinations around the world as they have done for over 200 years from the Newcastle Port. I hope Newcastle never loses its working harbour function & its coal operations. It maintains Newcastle's history & gives the city its 'real' character.

Although I'm sure environmentalists would beg to differ!

When Spring Is Reflective

There is nothing better than working in the vineyards in the early springtime, the days are warm enough for short sleeves, the winds are gone & the first hint of a new vintage are appearing on the vines. Yes indeed, the Hunter Vineyards are at their best at this time of year.

However, it is sobering to note that even in this time of renewal, some things must pass in order that the circle of life can continue & so it is, even in such a peaceful setting as the vineyards. So with a bit of time to spare, I decided to take a walk through a little ramshackle cemetery located next to Wine Country Drive Pokolbin. Armed with my trusty Canon 400D & a slowly setting sun, I took a walk through the distant memories of others.

What type lives did they lead, did they fulfil their dreams & were there many tears shed at their funeral?

I'll probably never know, but I do know that on one late sun filled September afternoon, the memory of Mr & Mrs Hungerford & the others that are laid to rest in that quiet place, were fleetingly bought back to consciousness.

Distance lends enchantment to the view

When Mark Twain, who was traveling around Australia in 1895, described Newcastle as “one long street, a graveyard at one end and, at the other, a gentleman’s club with no gentlemen in it.”, he was, as expected, not warmly received by locals at the time. As he left Newcastle. he may walked to the rear of the train as it departed & been inspired to record that memorable quote "distance lends enchantment to the view"

So for this little assignment, I decided to walk around Newcastle & instead of capturing the outstanding natural beauty of this wonderful town, I decided to cast my eye over some of the blemishes of a growing, thriving city such as ours.

Of course, one of our biggest problems, as wth most urban area's, is graffiti, which at times, seems to plague any available wall space in the city, from bus shelters to buses & anywhere where these visual terrorists can blot the landscape with their 'art'

Also Newcastle has a plethora of buildings that were only purchased for the anticipated rises in the real estate market & then left to decay when the speculators couldn’t offload them quickly for a juicy profit . This is sadly represented by the old Newcastle Post Office, once an icon of this town with its beautiful sandstone facade, now left to rot away, home only to pigeons & vandals.

Slowly but surely we are getting Newcastle, especially the west end, together & hopefully in a few years, the ugly gutted buildings along Hunter Street will only be a vague memory

As for Mark Twain, if he could return back to Newcastle today, I'm sure that his view of this wonderful city would be vastly different ..... we moved the graveyard!

Come Fly With Me

It was a cold, cold August day on Saturday & one that was better suited to more sedentary indoor activities. However, we were minding our grand-daughter Heidi & so, given that she is a 'speed freak', it was off to Fighter World, located at the Williamtown RAAF Base. Newcastle Airport is also co-located with the RAAF Base & so there is also a high level of commercial activity. One real big bonus is Fighter World is located within the boundary of the airport & has an excellent observation deck just a couple of hundred metres from the main runway & while we were there, we were lucky enough to observe a Virgin Blue 737 - 8BK (VH - VOB 'Matilda Blue') coming into land.

Heidi had such a ball, sitting in the cockpits pretending to fly & playing with the old radar panels. Once again I was thankful that my low light photography is now at an acceptable level & I'm not reliant on the flash to get great indoor shots (although I am still saving up for a proper hotshoe flash ... anyone got a spare $600!)

After a couple of hours wandering around the displays & watching the activity around Newcastle Airport, we decided to head to Stockton, to catch the ferry across to Newcastle & walk down to Nobby's Beach. Once again Newcastle Harbour provided a stunning backdrop to my photographs as I chased Heidi up & down The Foreshore. When we got to the beach, I experimented with taking 'portrait' shots from different angles , instead of the usual 'stand up & stare' shot. Out of all the shots I took, I just fell in love with the one below. Just a tip for photographers, always be alert, kids, sand & DSLR camera's, are not a real good combination.

View From A Truck

"Bottle of wine, fruit of the vine

When you gonna let me get sober,

Let me alone, Let me go home,

Let me go back and start over"

What do you get when you combine a Canon 400D camera, a truck & the picturesque Hunter Valley vineyards?

Yep, you guessed it, the opportunity to grab some great scenic photographs. However, as a twist, I tried to take every shot from window of the truck I was driving that day. I will admit there were times, when due to safety concerns, that I did actually have to safely park the truck & go back & complete the shot that I had previously seen.

"Ramblin' around this dirty old town

A-singin' for nickels and dimes

Times gettin' rough, I ain't got enough

To buy me a bottle of wine, yeah"

Now, I really love the Hunter wineries & although winter is not the best way to showcase it's beauty, there are still plenty of photographic opportunities for capturing the vines in their dormant state.

"Pain in my head, there's bugs in my bed,

My pants are so old that they shine,

Out on the street I tell the people I meet,

To buy me a bottle of wine"

So next time you hear the old Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs classic 'Bottle Of Wine', just think of the poor Aussie Post driver, working hard, picking up cartons of wine for customers from some of Australia's best boutique wineries.

"Bottle of wine, fruit of the vine,

When you gonna let me get sober,

Leave me alone, let me go home,

Let me go home and start over"

10 Minutes From Home

Where does a 10 minute drive get you these days?

Living at Warabrook a 10 minute drive will get you to the Lee Wharf precinct on Newcastle Harbour. Lee Wharf is currently under going a massive redevelopment & will soon complete the 'missing link' between Carrington & Honeysuckle. When that is completed Newcastle Harbour will be the best harbour in Australia, bar none, including the iconic Sydney Harbour!

Anyway, today after parking at Lee Wharf, I grabbed my trusty Canon 400D & decided to go for a walk up to the recently refurbished Fort Scratchley. It's an easy walk & today it was a real pleasure to soak up the late afternoon winter sunshine, although a light north westerly did keep the day brisk.

The construction of Fort Scratchley on what was known as Signal Hill, was commenced in 1881 & completed in 1882. The site has been, since 1866, the site of gun emplacements to protect the entrance to the harbour & earlier than that, the site of Australia's first coal mine. It was also the site from which, in 1942, the guns fired on Japanese submarine I-21, which makes the guns on Fort Scratchley the only guns on the Australian mainland to successfully engage the Japanese Navy during WW2! The Fort stayed under the control of the Australian Federal Government until June this year, then after refurbishment, which cost around $10 million, it was handed over to the Newcastle City Council.

Fort Scratchley is the perfect place to while away the hours, watching ships work the harbour, to observe the whales on their yearly migrations, to marvel at the sets rolling off the Pacific Ocean & the best best part ... its FREE.

Yes, 10 minutes from home can land you in a million dollar paradise .... that's Newcastle. Don't believe me, come & see for yourself one day.

Exif data:

Picture 1 - Eating Out - focal length 95mm, exposure 1/320 ,aperture f/8, ISO 100

Picture 2 - Leaving Nobbys - focal length 75mm, exposure 1/320, aperture f/8, ISO 100

Picture 3 - Afternoon Fair - focal length 75mm, exposure 1/200, aperture f/6.3, ISO 100