Why
I was asking myself this question when I saw this eclectic collection of books and plants on an alley near Reservoir St Surry Hills.
Australian kestrel in flight towards me
After having a barking owl flying directly at me, I was delighted to have a pretty little Australian kestrel flying towards me, but these little raptors don’t fly in straight lines.
It was a heavily overcast day, and somewhat windy. These images were all shot with a Sony 70-200mm GM II lens at 200mm, at ISO 500, f/2.8, 1/2000.
Here is the sequence in a gallery that you can click on to see the details – these are 24 consecutive images, shot at 20 frames per second, so you are seeing just over 1 second of flight here. None of these frames have been cropped.
Yes, those last three frames clip the bird’s wing. I was doing my best to track the bird’s flight, but the images above are just over one second of flight. I had expected the bird to fly to camera right. You can see the strange way it moved to head towards me. If you keep an eye on the fence post launching point, you can see how much I had to pan. As I looked through these images, I was impressed at how tightly the eyes were glued on me, and how well the A1’s eye AF worked.
Portal
This feels like a steampunk portal into a different universe or dimension. It is actually a children’s playground, part of the Albert Sloss Reserve.
Lazing on a Sunday afternoon…
Summer has started a little hesitantly where I live, but the first Sunday in December was a lovely day, barely a hint of a cloud, bright sunshine, but not too hot. The reflection in the water is pristine, so there’s not a breath of wind. It’s a good time to relax, soak in the sunshine, and maybe listen to Queen’s song.
Shot with the new Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II on a Sony A1. The shot above was take at 111mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 200 (due to auto-ISO). The image is uncropped.
To demonstrate that it wasn’t just the hippos taking a leisurely approach to the day, here are a couple of lions luxuriating in the warmth. The younger of the two clearly thinks the older makes a good footrest.
This shot was taken at 148mm, but all the other settings are the same.
The Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS mark II is proving to be a very pleasant lens to use.
Wynyard Station
This is the new entrance to Wynyard Station from George St, Sydney, after refurbishment. The building containing this entrance has been renamed Brookfield Place.
Forgotten Songs
This is an installation of 110 empty birdcages in 2009 by artist Michael Thomas Hill.
Watch for Cyclists
I found this brightly painted car parking entrance with lots of warnings about cyclists. I wonder if this is a response to a prior incident.
Centrepoint
Black and white photo of Sydney Tower (formerly called Centrepoint Tower) flanked between the Myer and Gowings buildings, taken from the Queen Victoria Building.
Tree of Life
Woman about to walk past chalk drawing of tree with Climate Jobs Guarantee supporters in the background.
Flower Boxes
This set of flower boxes are located in front of the Sydney Town Hall and faces into the light rail at George St, Sydney.
Emden Gun
Located in the south-east corner of Hyde Park facing Whitlam Square, this mounted, four-inch gun was recovered from the German ship SMS Emden.
Lemur against the light
I visited the zoo at lunchtime, and caught this lemur sitting in the shadow, avoiding the harsh sunlight that we can see in the background. I like how much detail I captured in the shadow, and the separation of the lemur’s muzzle. The A1 managed to focus on the lemur’s eyes, despite the significant difference in brightness between the lemur and the background.
This image was shot with the Sony 200-600mm G lens at 312mm on a Sony A1, at f/6.3 1/2000 ISO 1250 (on auto ISO). The image is uncropped – thought you’d like to see the whole frame, including the lemur’s fingers.
Patterned shadows
The sun passes through the awnings of the Surry Hills hotel and creates an interesting set of shadows on the footpath.
Royal Exhibition Hotel
This is the Light Rail track running past the historic Royal Exhibition Hotel in Sydney, located next to Prince Alfred Park and Central Station.
Rainbow walk
This is the 90m rainbow path in Prince Alfred Park located next to Equality Green. The path commemorates the November 2017 decision to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia.
Masonic temple
What rituals have been held here? Who were the members? This building is located on Regent St next to the Mortuary Station.
Memories of a fishing pole
I have no doubt that one day the fisherman will return and wonder what has been caught.