Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 5

Another week, another batch of photos from around the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

For whatever reason, all the photos I took this week looked best when cropped at 16x9.

Also, I should point that while editing this whole series of northern-suburb photos, I seem to have fallen in love with Fujifilm’s Classic Neg. film simulation. A lot of the (literal) street photos I’ve taken over the last few weeks, I’ve edited using this film simulation.

Classic Neg. is based on Fujifilm’s Superia photo film stock from the 1990s which, in turn, makes photos look like they were taken in the 1960s. When you use this film simulation you get contrasty photos with a muted colour palette that leans slightly red, thereby making your photos look classic or “old timey”. For photos taken around residential areas, suburban parks, and local shopping strips, this style seems to work really well.

Anyway, here are this week’s photos.

Life, uh, finds a way

Close-up photo looking down at the exposed top-most brick of wall surrounding a garden. The brick, as part of its construction, has ten evenly-spaced holes in it. Green grass stalks and tiny green leaves are growing in these holes.

Curve in the combined walking/cycling path

Photo of a combined walking and cycling with a weathered and faded walking-and-cycling path sign painted on it. The path curves to the right as it disappears out of frame.

Double reminder of the new speed limit

Photo of a road sign along a residential street. The sign tells drivers that there is a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit from 8am to 4pm between Monday and Friday. A second, smaller sign attached to the same pole, just below the speed limit sign, reads, “new limit”. An identical pair of signs has been attached to an overhead wire pole on the other side of the street.

Flood retarding basin outlet tower

Photo of an octagonal cement tower with a hole at the top. This hole is protected by a wire fence surrounding it. The tower has been build at the corner of a large, grassy field that has been dug out and is at least one storey below street level. There are houses around retarding basin.

Shared bike path sign

Photo of a weathered and faded combined walking-and-cycling path sign painted on a path running along a road.

Flock of Australian white ibis in a flood retarding basin

Photo of a large, grassy field that has been dug out and is at least one storey below street level. This is a flood retarding basin, with a stepped water inlet at one side feeding water into a small creek that runs diagonally through the middle of the field. Several large, white birds with long, thin, black beaks are hanging about in the field.

Cemetery through the trees

Photo of several marble graves seen through a gap in some trees.

The northern suburbs of Melbourne say: Free Gaza

Photo of the side of a house along a residential street. Spray-painted on this brick wall in bright red/pink paint is the slogan, “Free Gaza”.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 4

I’ve started taking my camera with me every time I go out of the house –work, running errands, meeting friends, going for a walk, all of it.

To make things more fun, over the last few weeks I’ve only used a single lens: my (relatively new) TT Artisan AF 56mm F1.8 prime. That gives me a full-frame equivalent focal length of 85mm, which is great for picking out specific details in what I see around me.

Here are some of the photos I took this week.

The Pastry Boys are off the job (and I love their logo!)

Photo of a sky-blue coloured food trailer parked on a street. The trailer is not in use. It is not attached to a vehicle and all its windows are closed. On its side the logo for Pastry Boys: two dots for eyes and a croissant designed to look like a moustache.

Nobody said you had to keep left on the other side of the road

Photo of a small ‘keep left’ sign at the start of a divider in the middle of a street. Half of the sign – on the side that’s next to oncoming traffic – has been crumpled by a passing vehicle.

Old Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works pit cover for the local water supply control

Photo of a small, weathered, stamped-metal pit cover with a slit in the middle that allows it to be lifted with an appropriately shaped tool. The cover is square and is painted yellow, with a circular centre that is painted red. The letters MMBW have been stamped around the red section. These letters stand for Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, the agency that is now called just Melbourne Water. The paint on the metal has been stripped over time by weather and people walking over it. The cover is set in a square hole cut out of cemented pavement. Surrounding the cover is a yellow-coloured surface treatment – essentially, thick paint – that has cracked over many years, with chips of this lying around on the pavement.

Water carrier statue in a residential garden

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Good to know that S design is still in use today!

Photo of a tag and text written in black marker on a hexagonal utility pole. The message shows the tag followed by an arrow pointing to the phrase, “was here”. The tag is a stylised, backward, uppercase ‘S’ that was popular with rock bands in the 1980s and that kids used to draw on their Trapper Keepers and other hole-punched note paper binders.

Water tap and bird bath in a garden

Photo of a water tap at the edge of a residential garden, next to several bushes that have been planted along one side. Lying on the ground next to the tap is a ceramic bird bath full of water.

Spiderweb at sunset

Photo of a dense spiderweb constructed between the bars of a black, wrought-iron fence. The sun is setting off-camera so the spiderweb is illuminated by golden coloured light.

When the ground shifts, something has to give

Photo of a low brick wall at the front of a house, with a taller pillar that ends at the driveway. A white coloured, metal mailbox has been embedded into this two-brick-wide pillar. The ground beneath the house has shifted over time, so the pillar and some adjacent bricks have separated from the main wall, creating a crack.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 3

Some more photos from the various suburbs near where I live.

Sharp, straight lawn edging

Photo of a narrow strip of grass outside a residential fence that’s had its edges very carefully trimmed.

Reflective give-way sign

Close-up photo of a triangular give-way sign that’s mounted on a pole along a residential street.

Forgotten after play or awaiting hard rubbish collection

Photo of three, brightly coloured, plastic children’s toys lying on a residential nature strip.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 2

Thanks to a bout of post-viral fatigue, I didn’t take a single photo with my mirrorless camera in all of April.

It’s only now that we’re approaching the middle of May that I’ve had the energy to go (a) out anywhere and (b) take my camera with me – even if it’s just when I’m going for a walk, to the shops, or to a cafe in a nearby suburb.

So here are some more of my photos from around the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Baby Buddha sculpture in a front garden

Photo of a ceramic sculpture placed on a tall tree stump in the front garden of a weatherboard house. The sculpture is of a bald, large-headed baby – the child Buddha – hugging the back of a small elephant. The elephant’s trunk is reaching back to touch the crown of the Buddha’s head. The tree stump has a string of lights wound around it.

Brushing dirt off his guernsey at a local AFL game

Photo of a male AFL footballer standing in front of the goal posts at a local ground. The player is standing alongside a player from the opposing team and in front of an official. The player is pulling at his shirt so that he can brush some dirt off it.

A local AFL game

Photo of a AFL game being played on a local football ground, as seen through some trees are there to provide shade to spectators.

AKAI CRT television ready for hard rubbish collection

Photo of the back of a small, black, AKAI CRT television lying in the nature strip outside a house in a residential area, awaiting hard rubbish collection.

End of life for this AKAI CRT television that’s now ready for hard rubbish collection

Photo of a small, black, AKAI CRT television lying in the nature strip outside in a residential area, awaiting hard rubbish collection.

On final approach to Melbourne Airport

Photo of the front of a house with a jet airliner in the sky far behind it. Their airplane has its wheels down in preparation for landing at Melbourne Airport.

Residential roundabout

Photo of a small roundabout in a residential area. A tree and a few low bushes are growing out of the centre of the roundabout. Cut off by the right edge of the photo frame is a car that is waiting behind the line to enter the roundabout.

A relic of an older time, when satellite TV was bigger than streaming

Photo of a rusted, half-broken satellite dish mounted to the roof of a house.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne

I haven’t gone on a proper photo walk for a while, so here’s a bunch of photos I’ve taken over the last several weeks.

Tiny ‘road ahead’ sign for cyclists only

Photo showing a small traffic sign with a reflective, bright-yellow background and contrasting black text. The text reads, in all capital letters, “road ahead”. This sign is mounted on top of a metal pole that’s been installed next to a bicycle path. The bicycle path runs parallel to a two-way residential road. The sign is small and placed well away from the road so that motor vehicle drivers don't confuse it for a sign they need to pay attention to.

‘Slow down’ road surface sign on a bicycle path

Photo looking straight down at large, white text painted on the khaki-grey concrete of a bicycle path. The sign reads, in all capital letters, “slow down”. The photographer’s black sneakers are visible in the bottom edge of the frame.

Good spot to feed the birds

Photo of a bird eating some bird seed on a wide, painted, brick pillar that’s part of the front fence of a house.

Checking out the rest of the Sydney Road Street Party while waiting for its owners

Photo of a small, fluffy, brown dog sitting on the road while it waits for its owners who are at a market stall. The dog is looking over its shoulder at the rest of the people wandering around this market section of the street party.

A brick is still the best way to keep your gate closed

Photo of the bottom edge of a rusted, but still functional, gate at the bottom of a residential driveway. The gate is made of widely spaced iron bars that are covered with a layer of rust, their paint having peeled off likely years ago. One side of this swinging gate is kept shut with a large bolt that goes into a hole drilled into the driveway concrete. The other side is kept shut by a broken brick that has its two halves stacked on top of each other.

Bee and wasp warning at the cemetery

Photo of a portable, outdoor sign that’s been placed in front of a large tree. This sign and tree are in a cemetery, and many rows of gravestones are visible behind the tree. The bright yellow sign has black text that reads, in all capital letters, “warning, bees and wasps active in this area”. A large icon of a bee has also been drawn on the sign.

Australian white ibis taking flight over a duck pond

Photo of a medium-sized duck pond within a large parkland area. A large, while bird – an Australian white ibis – has just taken flight and is already halfway across the width of the pond.

A space for quiet contemplation

Photo of a wooden bench that’s been installed on the banks of a medium-sized duck pond within a large parkland area.

Nadia and I both have a pair of well-worn black sneakers

Photo looking straight down at the black sneakers of two people who are standing facing each other.

Black sneakers FTW!

Photo looking straight down at the black sneakers of two people who are standing facing each other.

Tunnel and alley in the CBD

I took a couple of photos while I was in the Melbourne CBD. The compositions had a lot of great light-and-dark contrast, so I figured they’d work well in black-and-white as well – which they do :)

Crossing under St Kilda Road (in black-and-white)

Black-and-white photo of a very wide and very tall pedestrian underpass beneath a major road. Most of the underpass is in shadow and there is a bright square of sunlight at the end of the tunnel, where you can see a fence, some trees, and some buildings. A man and a woman are walking through this tunnel and are about to come out the other side.

Crossing under St Kilda Road (in colour)

Photo of a very wide and very tall pedestrian underpass beneath a major road. Most of the underpass is in shadow and there is a bright square of sunlight at the end of the tunnel, where you can see a brightly-painted fence, some trees, and some buildings. A man and a woman are walking through this tunnel and are about to come out the other side.

Lingham Lane in the Central Business District (in black-and-white)

Black-and-white photo of a short, empty, and very clean alley in a central business district. The section near the photographer is in shadow, but the rest of the alley is brightly sunlit.

Lingham Lane in the Central Business District (in colour)

Photo of a short, empty, and very clean alley in a central business district. The section near the photographer is in shadow, but the rest of the alley is brightly sunlit.

[Photo walk] University of Melbourne #3

My first photo walk of the 2025 was a quick one on a bright, sunny day during summer break at the University of Melbourne.

John Medley Building East Tower

Wide angle photo looking up at the first four stories of a 1970s Brutalist-style university campus building with a light-brown brick facade. A sign above the entrance reads, “John Medley Building East Tower”. The photographer is standing under the third-storey walkway that connects to the west tower. Outside the building, on both sides of the entrance, there are several bicycle hoops, one of which has a bicycle locked to it.

John Medley Building West Tower

Wide angle photo looking up at the first four stories of a 1970s Brutalist-style university campus building with a light-brown brick facade. A sign above the entrance reads, “John Medley Building West Tower”. The photographer is standing under the third-storey walkway that connects to the east tower. Outside the building, on both sides of the entrance, there are several bicycle hoops, and there are four bicycles locked to these hoops.

Shaded seating on the Electrical Engineering Lawn

Photo of a long, wide lawn between two walkways on a university campus. There are several tall, old trees growing in a line along one side of this lawn. Some wrought iron outdoor tables and chairs have been placed the shade of some of these trees.

Quiet, solitary spot on the West Lawn

Photo of a single, yellow coloured, wrought iron outdoor chair lying in the shade of a line of trees alongside a lawn in a university campus. To the left of the photo is a wide walkway leading to a campus building.

Old Arts Building through the trees

Photo of one part of a 1920s Tudor-Gothic style building with a light-brown freestone facade, as seen through a gap in the branches of a tree.

Seating area outside the Old Arts Building

Photo of a small, brick courtyard surrounded by trees on three sides and, on the fourth side, a 1920s Tudor-Gothic style building with a light-brown freestone facade. In the courtyard are five wrought iron chairs arranged around a wrought iron table.

Bicycle hoops outside the Baillieu Library on a bright, sunny day

Photo looking through a long row of bicycle hoops installed in a brick walkway next to a garden.

Baillieu Library

Photo looking up at the windows of a five-storey, modernist, 1950s design, university building with floor-to-ceiling windows along the outside.

Photographer in an old lift

Photo of a man facing the mirror-wall of a 1970s, all-wood-panel elevator. The man is wearing olive green shorts, a black printed t-shirt, and a black cap. His t-shirt reads, in stylised bright yellow-and-orange text, “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” and, in all-capital letters, “don’t panic”. He is wearing glasses and has a short-cropped, salt-and-pepper beard. The man is holding a camera at stomach height and is taking a photograph of himself, as reflected in the lift's mirror.

[Photo walk] Along the Yarra River #4

It was a hot day in Melbourne today. But if you’re smart about it, you can stay mostly in the shade when you walk from my office to Flinders Street Station along the Yarra River :)

Black swan on the Yarra River

Photo looking down to the banks of an urban river where a black swan is floating, its red beak inside the water as it investigates something below the surface.

I’ve been spotted by the black swan!

Photo looking down to the banks of an urban river where a black swan is floating. The swan has noticed the photographer and is looking straight down the barrel of the camera lens.

GoBoat employee explaining something to boat renters on the Yarra River in Melbourne

Photo of an urban river framed by the underside of bridge that the photographer is standing under. The photo shows three adults and one child in a small, flat-bottomed, motorboat with a table affixed to the middle and bench seating around the sides. This is a rental boat, with the brand name GoBoat painted on its side. An employee of the rental company is standing on the pier from which this boat has just been launched. With one hand raised, the employee is explaining something to the renters inside the boat.

Flying to and from Brisbane

This is the last set of photos from my work trip to Brisbane. As an aviation geek I can’t not post photos from every time I visit an airport or fly anywhere :)

‘Melbourne’ sign at Melbourne International Airport (taken from a taxi at 5:30am)

Photo of a large parking structure and hotel next to an airport terminal. The photo has been taken from inside a taxi. A covered pedestrian walkway extends from the terminal (which is off-camera on the left) to the parking structure (which is on the right of the photo). Below this walkway, on the ground floor, is a large, all-caps, three-dimensional, illuminated sign that reads, ‘Melbourne’.

Refuelling and restocking a Qantas Airbus A330 at Melbourne Airport

Photo of the apron outside a domestic terminal at a large airport. An Airbus A330 aircraft in Qantas livery is parked outside one of the gates. An elevated cabin service cart is delivering food and drink items to the aircraft from the rear-left door. Below the left wing a fuel-pump truck is refuelling the aircraft.

Qantas Airbus A330 waiting at the gate at Melbourne Airport

Photo of the apron outside a domestic terminal at a large airport. An Airbus A330 aircraft in Qantas livery is parked outside one of the gates.

Qantas Airbus A330 pulling up to the gate at Brisbane Airport

Photo of the apron outside a domestic terminal at a large airport. An Airbus A330 aircraft in Qantas livery is taxiing up to one of the gates.

Work bus tour in Brisbane

This set of photos is from a bus tour of my work’s road assets in and around Brisbane.

Heading out on a bus tour in Brisbane

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. A person sitting in the front-most passenger seat is holding a microphone in her hand and is getting ready to speak to the people attending the tour.

On a work bus tour in Brisbane

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. A person sitting in the front-most passenger seat is holding a microphone in her hand and is speaking to the people attending the tour.

Police car waiting to turn left in the Brisbane central business district

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. The bus is stopped at a traffic light. Across the intersection, also stopped at this traffic light, is a Queensland Police Service car with its left-turn indicator on.

Driving through the M7 Clem Jones Tunnel (aka Clem7 tunnel)

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. The bus is driving through a three-lane tunnel with yellowish lighting.

Heading into the Airport Link tunnel

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. The bus is about to drive into a two-lane tunnel with yellowish lighting.

Heading up the Gateway Bridge

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. The bus is about to drive up a high, multi-lane bridge.

Driving up the Gateway Bridge

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. The bus is about to drive up a high, multi-lane bridge.

Waiting behind a Linfox truck in Brisbane

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. The bus is waiting at a turn behind a bright red-and-yellow Linfox truck.

Driving through the Legacy Way tunnel

Photo taken from inside a minibus, looking out the front windscreen. The bus is driving through a two-lane tunnel with yellowish lighting.

In and around the Transurban office in Kedron

Transurban’s Brisbane traffic control centre is located in the suburb of Kedron (you can find it on Google Maps), and there’s a whole office next to it that you can work out of.

So after getting a bus tour of our Brisbane road assets (photos in the next post), that’s the office I worked out of for a few hours. And we went to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

This office is literally an eight minute drive from Brisbane Airport, so it was a super convenient place to hang out before our late afternoon flight back to Melbourne.

Christmas lights at the Transurban Brisbane traffic control room

Photo of multicoloured string lights strung in rows in front of a large window that looks into a motorway traffic control room. The control room has a massive bank of screens set along the back wall. All the screens are showing traffic from CCTV cameras around the road network. In the foreground are several workstations at which traffic control room officers do their work.

Snack table at the traffic control room

Photo looking through a large window with multicoloured string lights hanging down its width. Through the window you can see a large, state-of-the-art motorway traffic control room. In the foreground is a small table on which there is a bowl of fruit with a mesh cover, a couple of baked-goods plastic containers, and a bucket with leftover Halloween candy. The control room has a massive bank of screens set along the back wall. All the screens are showing traffic from CCTV cameras around the road network. In the foreground are several workstations at which traffic control room officers do their work.

Snack table and Christmas tree at the traffic control room

Photo looking at a corner of an office with multicoloured string lights hanging down from a large interior window. In front of these windows is a plastic Christmas tree that has been decorated. There are several small presents lying underneath this tree. Closer to the photographer is a small table with snacks and a fruit bowl placed on it.

Outdoor seating and barbecue area at our Kedron office

Photo of a large, covered outdoor seating area with tables and chairs and lots of large potted plants. A large, eight-bladed ceiling fan is hanging above the seating area.

Pink and purple flowers (no idea what they’re called!)

Photo of two, large flowering bushes in a residential street. One bush has large pink flowers, the other has small purple ones.

Mangoes growing in a front yard

Close-up photo of three mangoes hanging from a tree.

Purple flowers on the sidewalk

Photo looking down at a sidewalk on which there are lots of fallen purple flowers. At the bottom of the photo you can see the photographer is wearing black jeans and white sneakers.

Photographer in a convex safety mirror

Photo of a large, convex safety mirror mounted on a pole. The photographer has stopped to take a photo of himself reflected in this mirror. The photographer is wearing white sneakers; black jeans; a loose, white shirt; and a grey hat.

At the department offsite

This set of Brisbane photos is from the department offsite that was held on the 26th floor of an office building in the CBD. (Not our office building, by the way. That’s on the other side of the CBD.)

Looking down at Kangaroo Point Bridge that spans Brisbane River

Photo looking down from a tall building at a white, single-mast, cable bridge that spans an urban river. This pedestrian and cyclist bridge is in its very final stages of construction, with workers on it finishing up some last-minute electrical fit-outs.

Looking down at Story Bridge that spans Brisbane River

Photo looking down from a tall building (and from between two neighbouring tall buildings) at a large, grey, cantilever bridge that spans an urban river.

Across the road from Level 26 of Admiralty Towers

Photo of the 24th–27th floors of a skyscraper taken from the 26th floor of a neighbouring skyscraper. The photo shows the windows in the walkway between apartments, as well as the balconies of the some of the apartments on these floors.

Ferries around Riverside Ferry Terminal

Photo looking down from a tall building at an urban river. Along one bank of the river is a ferry terminal. One large ferry is departing from this terminal, while another smaller one is approaching.

Keeping us hydrated at our all-day team offsite

Photo of a metal cold water canister with a tap and two very large metal bowls filled with ice and several glass bottles of fruit juice. Both the canister and bowls have a lot of condensation on the outside.

Cold fruit juice for our all-day team offsite

Close-up photo of two very large metal bowls filled with ice and several glass bottles of fruit juice.

Sugar and hydration from our all-day team offsite

Close-up photo of two very large metal bowls filled with ice and several glass bottles of fruit juice.

Underneath the Story Bridge in Brisbane

This third set of Brisbane photos is from our department’s Christmas party, which was held at a bar that’s underneath the Story Bridge.

We didn’t get “Sunny Queensland” while we were up in Brisbane. Instead, in rained almost the entire time we were there. Oh, and the temperature was 30 degrees C in the afternoon. *sigh*

Rainy day along the Brisbane River

Photo of a couple of restaurants built on a pier along an urban river. The restaurants are open to the outdoors and appear to be half full. Outside it is raining.

Rainwater falling from drainage pipes below the Story Bridge

Photo looking up at the underside of a large cantilever bridge. There are streams of rainwater pouring down from drainage pipes set at intervals along the span of the bridge.

Rainwater drainage underneath the Story Bridge

Photo looking up at the underside of a large cantilever bridge. There are streams of rainwater pouring down from drainage pipes set at intervals along the span of the bridge.

Rainy day in Brisbane underneath the Story Bridge

Photo looking up at the underside of a large cantilever bridge that spans an urban river. Visible against the dark underside of the bridge is the heavy rain that is falling.

Rainwater drainage pipe under the Story Bridge

Photo looking up at the underside of a large cantilever bridge. A stream of rainwater is pouring out of a drainage pipe set into one side of the bridge.

Rainy day to be ferrying up and down the Brisbane River

Photo of two ferries traveling up and down an urban river on a rainy day.

Lots of rain, even under the Story Bridge

Photo looking up at the underside of a large cantilever bridge that spans an urban river. Visible against the dark underside of the bridge is the heavy rain that is falling.

Ferries on the Brisbane River on a rainy day

Photo of two ferries traveling up and down an urban river on a rainy day.

Party boat on the Brisbane River on a rainy day

Photo of a party boat lit up with bright lights traveling down an urban river on a rainy day.

[Photo walk] Brisbane River

This second set of Brisbane photos is from when I walked along the banks of the Brisbane River.

The Prawnster and Princess Prawnster at the City Botanic Gardens RiverHub

Photo of two trawler boats moored next to each other at a pier on an urban river. The boats have been converted into seafood restaurants.

Kangaroo Point Bridge spanning the Brisbane River, a week before its official opening

Photo of a tall, white, single-mast, cable bridge for pedestrians and cyclists that spans an urban river.

Brisbane’s newest Bridge (Kangaroo Point Bridge) and one of its oldest (Story Bridge)

Wide-angle photo showing two bridges that span an urban river. The white, single-mast, cable bridge closer to the photographer is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that will open a week after this photo was taken. A massive, grey, cantilever bridge can be seen in the background, below the deck of the nearer bridge.

Jetski training

Photo of a several jetskis on floating plastic parking pads that are attached to a pier on an urban river. An instructor standing on the pier is talking to his three students who are sitting on two of the jetskis.

Final touches on the Kangaroo Point Bridge before it opens next week

Photo of a worker in safety gear (white hard hat and bright orange high-visibility clothing) standing on a scissor lift on top of a white bridge that spans an urban river.

Good ideas start with great coffee!

Photo of an outdoor flight of stairs leading up to a cafe. Painted on the riser between the third and fourth step is a painted, bright red sign with white, all-capitals text that reads, “Be amazing today! But first, coffee!”. And painted on the riser below the 12th and 13th step is a painted black sign with white text that reads, “Good ideas start with great coffee!”

Be amazing today! But first, coffee!

Close-up photo of an outdoor flight of stairs. Painted on the riser between the third and fourth step is a painted, bright red sign with white, all-capitals text that reads, “Be amazing today! But first, coffee!”.

Construction crew on the river

Photo of two construction crew members in white hard hats and bright orange high-visibility gear on a small motorboat making their way around a large transport boat from which items are being lifted via a tall, overhead crane.

Brisbane River from my hotel room window at 7pm

Photo looking down from a tall building at an urban river on an overcast night. Across the street is the large Queensland Performing Arts Centre building complex, the outside of which is bathed in red and green lights. Two bridges cross the river, one of which has its underside bathed in green and blue lights. There are a few boats making their way along the river.

Brisbane River from my hotel room window at 6am

Photo looking down from a tall building at an urban river on a rainy, overcast early morning. Across the street is the large Queensland Performing Arts Centre building complex. Two bridges span the river and there are some boats parked along the riverbank. An elevated motorway runs along the near side of the river with light traffic on it.

[Photo walk] Brisbane CBD

At work this year’s annual department offsite and Christmas party was held in Brisbane. I flew up early on the day so I could walk around and take some photos.

This first set is from the Brisbane central business district (CBD) where our office is.

Big sign on a very thick pole on George Street

Photo of an overhead directional road sign in a city centre with several tall buildings and moderate traffic. The sign shows lane markings and directional arrows for Toowong (via Coronation Drive), Gold Coast (via Riverside Expressway), and Roma Street.

Bank of New South Wales building (now the Westpac Bank Building)

Photo of a six-storey, neo-classical, commercial building completed in 1930. The facade is constructed from brown coloured stone. The front has four giant Ionic columns above which is written, in all capital letters, ‘Bank of New South Wales’.

Carindale Express bus exits the underground busway at William Street

Photo looking downwards at a blue-and-yellow bus exiting a bus-only tunnel that runs below the Brisbane central business district. A digital sign on the front of the bus reads, “Carindale Express via Cannon Hill” and the 215 bus number.

Layers of transport options along the Brisbane River near North Quay

Photo showing multiple layers of roads and pedestrian walkways running along an urban river, including a motorway, elevated expressway, bikeway, and walkway.

Nice and peaceful in the City Botanic Gardens

Photo looking over a wooden bench facing a large public garden with several massive trees around it. The bench itself has been set under the shade of several large trees.

No need to run the sprinkler at the City Botanic Gardens when its been raining

Close-up photo of a plant irrigation sprinkler mounted on a pole that has several small cobwebs all around it.

Bush stone-curlews chilling at the City Botanic Gardens

Close-up photo showing two bush stone-curlew birds sitting on some brown mulch in a public garden.

Weeping Fig Avenue at the City Botanic Gardens

Photo of a long, wooden walkway with long wooden benches running along its entire length. On either side of the walkway are very tall weeping fig trees.

Selfie on Weeping Fig Avenue at the City Botanic Gardens

Selfie of a man standing a long, wooden walkway with long wooden benches running along its entire length. On either side of the walkway are very tall weeping fig trees. The man is bald and has a short, mostly-white beard. He is wearing glasses, a black t-shirt, and a backpack.

Selfie among the weeping figs at the City Botanic Gardens

Selfie of a man looking down at his phone. Above him is the canopy of several tall weeping fig trees. The man is bald and has a short, mostly-white beard. He is wearing glasses, a black Pac-Man t-shirt, and a backpack.

Gold Tower (originally AMP Centre) in the Brisbane central business district

Photo of a skyscraper with gold-tinted, floor-to-ceiling windows along the outside.

On and off ramps at the end of Ann Street in Brisbane

Photo of three three vehicle on and off ramps in an urban city center. One of the elevated ramps curves so that it emerges from and disappears into the right side of the photo.

Free bike parking under the Pacific Motorway on-ramp in Brisbane

Photo of several motorcyles parked underneath an on-ramp in a city centre.

Waiting in line for his coffee at Brisbane Quarter

Photo of a man wearing business casual clothes waiting in line at a cafe in a shopping centre. The photo is through a large cut-out of a higher floor.

Reflections of a photographer in a massive Christmas bauble at Brisbane Quarter

Photo of a large, golden Christmas bauble hung from the ceiling in the foyer of an office building. The photographer is standing on the street outside the building and you can see his dull reflection in the bauble.

[Photo walk] Along Flinders Street #3

I took these photos on a quick walk along Flinders Lane and Flinders Street.

Clean your damn shoes

Photo of a glass-fronted store that’s named Sneaker Laundry. A neon sign on the window reads, in all capital letters, “clean your damn shoes”. A bright yellow sandwich board on the pavement outside the store reads, also in all capital letters, “slow down” and “clean your sneakers here”. A shop attendant on a laptop is visible through the storefront windows.

Be there in a Jiff

Photo of flat-bottom cargo skiff (a type of boat) named ‘Jiff’ being piloted along an urban river by a man with a neat beard and ponytail who is wearing a white t-shirt and sunglasses.

Chatting in the shade

Photo of a pedestrian bridge across an urban river. A walkway with a metal railing runs along the river and underneath this bridge. Directly underneath the bridge you can see the silhouette of a man leaning on the railing as he holds a phone up to his ear.

Boycott, Divest & Sanction, mate

Photo of a white sticker affixed to the top a dark green stairway banister. The reads, in large, all-caps text, “BSDM”. Below this is regular-sized text that reads, “Boycott, Divest & Sanction, mate” and the hashtag “free Palestine”.

Tower 2 at Collins Square, Melbourne

My office is in Tower 5 at Collins Square in Docklands, Melbourne.

At certain times of day, when the light is just right, the west-facing side of Tower 2 is really photogenic. (I’ve posted a photo of this before too.)

West side of Tower 2 at Collins Square

Photo looking down along the side of a tall office building with floor-to-ceiling windows. Visible through some of the windows are open office seating spaces and meeting rooms. The rest of the floors are obscured by reflections of the building opposite, which is out of frame of the photograph.

Collins Square Tower 2 on a bright, but overcast day in Melbourne

Photo looking down along the side of a tall office building with floor-to-ceiling windows. Visible through some of the windows are open office seating spaces and meeting rooms. The rest of the floors are obscured by reflections of the building opposite, which is out of frame of the photograph.

[Photo walk] Along Harbour Esplanade, Docklands #4

Since May this year, pretty much all the photos I’ve taken have been with the TTArtisan AF 27mm F2.8 (40mm full-frame equivalent) lens. And while this isn’t the a super high-quality lens, I’ve really enjoyed using it.

So when the TTArtisan AF 56mm F1.8 (85mm full-frame equivalent) lens went on sale a couple of weeks ago, I went ahead and bought it :)

Photo of a black camera lens. (Source)

Here are some of the photos I took during the only photo walk I’ve managed to take since buying this lens.

A bunch of these are repeats from earlier photo walks, but that’s fine because the main point of this walk was to practice using the new lens and composing all my shots at a fixed, 85mm focal length.

Good choice of corner furniture on the top floor

Black-and-white photo of a multi-storey office building with a sharp corner at one end. On the very top floor there is a small drinks table/trolley placed in the very corner of the building.

Five layers of buildings across three streets in one photo

A photo showing the gap between two tall-ish buildings. Behind the building on the left are four other building, each one getting successively taller.

Lovely meeting rooms in the NAB Building at 800 Bourke Street

Photo of a section of a colourful office building that’s jutting out from the main building. This multi-storey section, which itself is two storeys above ground level, has floor-to-ceiling windows on all three sides. Through the windows you can make out office tables and chairs arranged inside the rooms.

Cow Up a Tree — John Kelly (2000)

Photo looking up at a large bronze sculpture of a black-and-white square-ish cow with a tiny head that is stuck, upside-down, on top of a bare tree.

Reflections of a photographer on Harbour Esplanade

Photo of a large, convex, traffic safety mirror installed on a pole next to a construction site along a wide esplanade. The photographer has captured his own distorted reflection in this mirror.

Photographer in a convex traffic safety mirror on Harbour Esplanade

Close-up photo of a large, convex, traffic safety mirror installed on a pole next to a construction site along a wide esplanade. The photographer has captured his own distorted reflection in this mirror.

Top-floor mini balcony at the Federal Court of Australia building in Melbourne

Photo looking up at the top of a tall, light-brown and slate-grey building. A small balcony is jutting out from the top floor. The building is otherwise completely flat on this side.

A drastically different way of looking

40mm is my favourite focal length, so switching suddenly to 85mm was quite the challenge!

This difference in focal lengths is large enough that you can’t just “take a few steps backwards” to successfully capture the 40mm-friendly composition that initially popped into your head.

A fact that my creative brain completely forgot when I saw a woman walking two adorable dogs on my photo walk and, without thinking, I asked if I could take their photo. The woman said “yes” the instant the rational part of my brain remembered that I was too close to get an even halfway-decent shot with the lens I had on. *sigh*

I took the photo anyway, of course, but I barely even managed to get one of the two dogs in frame :) Oh well. At least that’s not a lesson I’ll forget anytime soon!

Photo of two small dogs on a split-leash, with one dog out of focus and the dog that is in focus facing the dog walker so you can only see the back of its head.

It’ll take a few more photo walks before I get the hang of this focal length. Especially when it comes to taking photos of people and animals.

The 85mm focal length is particularly good for shooting portraits because you can (a) isolate your subject in the frame and (b) get a nice blurry background behind them if you use an open enough aperture. This lens is capable of taking great portrait shots, it’s just me that needs the practice :)

So here’s to more photo walks and many more opportunities to use this focal length in the coming weeks and months.

Maggie in bed

Maggie doesn’t like to have her photo taken, so the best time to take a photo is when she’s asleep :)

Maggie asleep in her orange, fuzzy bed

Photo of a red/brown dog asleep in an orange coloured, large, round, fuzzy dog bed that's lying on a carpeted floor. The dog’s head is resting on the soft wall of this bed.

Maggie is very cozy in her orange, fuzzy bed

Photo of a red/brown dog asleep in an orange coloured, large, round, fuzzy dog bed that's lying on a carpeted floor. The dog’s head is resting on the soft wall of this bed.

Maggie is having a comfy afternoon in her downstairs bed

Photo of a red/brown dog asleep in a grey dog bed that’s on the carpeted floor of a living room. The dog is leaning its head against the wall of the dog bed.

Maggie is unimpressed with me taking a photo of her

Photo of a red/brown dog lying in a grey dog bed that’s on the carpeted floor of a living room. The dog was leaning its head against the wall of the dog bed, but has now raised it to blearily stare up at the photographer.

Buildings and statues

I had to run an errand in the city so I took some photos on the way back.

Chimera outside the ‘Gothic Bank’ building on Collins Street

Photo of a chimera sitting on a pedestal fixed to a wide column that’s part of a building with a gothic facade. A chimera is a fantastical or mythical figure depicting a combination of multiple animals carved from stone and fixed to the walls or roof of a building. This one is a lion with wings that is holding a shield.

Prince Alfred’s Tower at the Melbourne Town Hall on a bright, sunny day

Photo looking up at a tall clock tower that is flying the Australian flag. The photo is partly washed-out because of the bright sun that’s just out of frame.

Pigeon on the Captain Matthew Flinders Statue on Swanston Street

Photo of a tall bronze statue mounted on a large granite slab located outside a cathedral. The statue depicts Matthew Flinders in his Commander’s uniform, standing on the prow of a boat, braced against the wind, brought ashore by two seamen. A pigeon is standing on the statue’s head.