My walk this morning - nothing too exciting, sorry.

[Richard G]

I had meant to switch to the high contrast Elmarit 28 2.8 ASPH, but I suspect the sharpness will be overshadowed (sorry) by the contrast. Next time, maybe very early the contrast will be welcome.

 

[robert blu]

You have a good wise son! Nice photos, but...I'm scared by yours deadly insects and animals! In Italy there is only one quite rare dangerous spider called Ragno Violino and only vipers in the Alps.
Please keep your morning walk photos coming, love them.

 

[Richard G]

Thanks Robert. He is now a chemical engineer but also, wise or not, a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Artillery. In practice we lead ridiculously safe lives here compared to the rest of the world. Traffic accidents and alcohol take a toll. Smoking has been reduced to very low levels, compared to many parts of Europe. Skin cancer is worse here than most other countries. A Queensland Pastor was killed by a shark yesterday while spear fishing, but that’s the first fatal shark mauling in Queensland for years. We are an island continent with so many of its inhabitants enjoying a fool’s naivety, knowing too little about the more complex world on the othe side of two oceans and the equator.

 

[Richard G]

I took the 35mm Summilux this morning. Mine is useless wide open but it is a nice small sharp lens stopped down. I had it at f2.8 and f4 only this morning.

I liked this almost ghost of a tree shrouded in the darker foliage closer, a slight puzzle in itself. Look at the large bough coming off to the right....




That's an Eastern Water Dragon. (lntellagama lesueurii lesueurii) Harmless. They have chameleon-like skills, like many reptiles. And they can turn it on very quickly. In one of my shots of a larger one, already clocking me and on his way to the river, he assumed the livery of the fallen leaves for his tail and hindlegs, and of the distant greenery and dark trunks of the trees above the river, to where he was headed, which camoflagued his raised head and neck, a characteristic posture when alert. This was a clear indication of him knowing what he looked like from my vantage point. Amazing.

200% crop and contrast increased

 

[Richard G]

Here is the large water dragon form 100m along the path, mentioned in the post above. He may be the resident of the pond of the neighbouring apartment complex. He is a very mature adult. And this was in the heat of the day after lunch. (Hasselblad on tripod and 150 Sonnar on Ektar 100)



Eastern Water Dragon (Australian Water Dragon) by Richard, on Flickr

 

[Richard G]

The little dragons have predators along here, chiefly the Currawongs and perhaps the Butcherbirds. I don't see many Currawongs in the mornings, but in the evenings they gather in trees, half a dozen, calling to each other, a very particular ringing repetitive echoing call, all combined to make a wonderful chorus. One evening in a particular three quarter circle of trees in the park adjoining this river trail I saw them in a coordinated harvest of insects swarming. One to two Currawongs would set off on a brief sortie to the middle for their feed, retreat to the branches and another few would take their turn. This went on for fifteen minutes.

Currawong by the river walk:



I have rarely got close to a Butcherbird. Only when walking with my son, or my oldest friend. Otherwise their most beautiful call, bell like and complex, not quite as complex as a Blackbird's, is all I hear, from the top of a tree or aerial, usually on the other side of the river. It's as if they know my interest. Lately they have been in my street and I see them through binoculars. If I take binocluars I usually don't take a camera. The Butcherbird has a beautiful white breast. I am not likely to ever snap my own picture of one at the rate I'm going.

The other very clever bird with a complex call, I can warn Robert if he ventures down here, is not entirely benign, the Australian Magpie, and when they have young they can attack and blind one eye of a cyclist in particular. Many cyclists will have cable tie ends protruding from their helmets to defend against swooping attack. Unlike the European magpie they too have a beautiful complex call. I had three in the tree in the back garden here give a star performance. The three contraltos I called them. One gave a magnificent song, head back at the top of of his lungs. When he'd finished the second sidled up the bough to take the centre stage and gave his version. Then, after a brief interval, the third would not be outdone and he too moved up the bough and gave his all as well. They sat, the three together, quite satisfied, and soon exited, stage left one after the other. I caught this on video on my iPhone. Quite wonderful.

Magpie, in the park next to the river walk:

 

[Richard G]

This morning I did finally put on the 28 2.8 ASPH and of course it is sharper. Which doesn't matter so much. And it's faster so I shot mostly at f4.

I could call this shot of the pale tree in previous posts, not "Shadow, No 3", but rather, "Shadow of Number 3". I was out earlier than usual. And the days are already shortening of course.

 

[Richard G]

And indeed the increased conrast of this very modern lens is not harmful even with some sunlight in it, so early in the day, so much so that one might not be sure there is sunlight on the cruciate tree.

 

[Richard G]

The increased sharpness across the field is evident and again the contrast not harmful really this early in the day.

 

[Richard G]

This morning I thought I would look for the little water dragon on the tree from #24. The sun is barely on the tree at that early hour. There was no pale reptile on the bough, or the trunk. Ten full seconds I looked at the tree, its branches, its trunk. There was a long black marking on the trunk that had perhaps a reptilian shape, maybe, and my mind wandered to cyanotype prints and 8x10 contact prints etc etc, wondering if a water dragon, fresh from the river might leave such a wet mark, and all my other chemical and solarisation thoughts were ridiculous and completely untenable, and slowly I began to see that the little guy had managed to ape the black marking on the tree to his right and that what I was looking at was no trace of the Water Dragon but the very Water Dragon himself. One step closer and he darted off. This was left behind:

 

[Richard G]

Recovering from an operation I can only carry the tiny 28 Summaron M on my M9 but I am back by the river. Yesterday I was too early, and this morning on the way out to the boat sheds I looked at this tree very carefully and my little dragon was not there. Eight weeks on I worried he might have fallen prey to the Currawong. But on the way back, here he is. He's grown. I needed to up the ISO to 640 to get a sharper picture at 1/250s, and with the 28 I wanted to get closer, so I crept down to the water's edge, carefully looking for snakes and making sure not to fall in the water. I had everything covered. But I didn't notice this rowing coach drift into the frame. This a significant crop. Next week I might be able to take the 90 and the monopod.

 

[lynnb]

Wishing you all the best for your recovery, Richard.

 

[robert blu]

Nice photo, wish you to recover well.

 

[Richard G]

Thanks guys. A river walk led recovery...

Since early January a whole lot of mulch has been put about, to stop erosion perhaps, and keep in any moisture form rain to protect the trees from the incredible hot weather this summer Further along towards the boat sheds, there are brown ghosts of oak leaves on the gravel path, an indication of heat stress. That oaks were ever planted here is typical of the history of Melbourne. We have lots of elms in parks, and plane trees lining streets. After 25 years living here I was finally informed by my wife a few weeks ago that the park at the bottom of the hill is actually a designated nature reserve. That explains the attention lavished on it by our council.

 

[Richard G]

First walk for a week or more, but fit enough to carry the M9 and the ZM 25mm 2.8 Biogon, an extremely sharp lens. Whether mine had the Zeiss wobble I am not sure but as well as some slight play in the focus mechanism, it got stiffer in an eccentric way. The Imaging by Design expert even wondered about something being out of round. It was never dropped. Anyway, a clean and regrease of the helicoid seemed to restore it to new. It has not been used much for 15 years. I remember it was used for some photographs on my 50th birthday.

Here is a familiar tree and its discarded bark, around 9am.




And a ghost tree under a canopy.




and one more.



I don't see my water dragon along here now. Hope he's OK. Midday today will be the time to look again, at 35˚ C.

 

[lynnb]

Thank you for the quiet beauty of these photographs Richard.

 

[Archiver]

The little dragons have predators along here, chiefly the Currawongs and perhaps the Butcherbirds. I don't see many Currawongs in the mornings, but in the evenings they gather in trees, half a dozen, calling to each other, a very particular ringing repetitive echoing call, all combined to make a wonderful chorus. One evening in a particular three quarter circle of trees in the park adjoining this river trail I saw them in a coordinated harvest of insects swarming. One to two Currawongs would set off on a brief sortie to the middle for their feed, retreat to the branches and another few would take their turn. This went on for fifteen minutes.

Currawong by the river walk:

View attachment 4852663

I have rarely got close to a Butcherbird. Only when walking with my son, or my oldest friend. Otherwise their most beautiful call, bell like and complex, not quite as complex as a Blackbird's, is all I hear, from the top of a tree or aerial, usually on the other side of the river. It's as if they know my interest. Lately they have been in my street and I see them through binoculars. If I take binocluars I usually don't take a camera. The Butcherbird has a beautiful white breast. I am not likely to ever snap my own picture of one at the rate I'm going.

The other very clever bird with a complex call, I can warn Robert if he ventures down here, is not entirely benign, the Australian Magpie, and when they have young they can attack and blind one eye of a cyclist in particular. Many cyclists will have cable tie ends protruding from their helmets to defend against swooping attack. Unlike the European magpie they too have a beautiful complex call. I had three in the tree in the back garden here give a star performance. The three contraltos I called them. One gave a magnificent song, head back at the top of of his lungs. When he'd finished the second sidled up the bough to take the centre stage and gave his version. Then, after a brief interval, the third would not be outdone and he too moved up the bough and gave his all as well. They sat, the three together, quite satisfied, and soon exited, stage left one after the other. I caught this on video on my iPhone. Quite wonderful.

Magpie, in the park next to the river walk:

View attachment 4852664

The first time I saw a butcher bird was after years of hearing its song. I looked out the window as it was particularly loud one day, and saw one sitting on the roof gutter, making that beautiful melodious warble. The second time I saw one was not that long after: it had a dead mouse hanging from its beak!

 

[Richard G]

The first time I saw a butcher bird was after years of hearing its song. I looked out the window as it was particularly loud one day, and saw one sitting on the roof gutter, making that beautiful melodious warble. The second time I saw one was not that long after: it had a dead mouse hanging from its beak!

There's a couple of composers who have composed music based on recorded Butcherbird calls, Hollis Taylor and John Williamson. I thought I'd remember one particular call I heard to see how it sounded on the piano. I'd forgotten it by the time I was home. I'll record with the iPhone next time.

 

[Richard G]

This evening...

 

[Archiver]

@Richard G Morning and evening light coming through the trees is always a joy to see and shoot.