Saturday 18 July 2015

Day 199 2015: A leisurely pace...

Day 199: ...and a bit full on

I was explaining my weekend to a friend earlier in the week. 'Crikey', she said, 'how will you cope with retirement which is when we all get really busy...?' Well, yes. I imagine my retirement to be quiet days of philosophical writing, supported by coffee-based, engaging discussions with like-minded souls. And then there will be my 'leisure activities'. A bit like this weekend, when they've all managed to stack up. One - after - the - other...

There was a concert last night, for example. This morning, there was a photographic workshop (postponed from a few weeks ago), this afternoon a tai chi workshop and this evening a play (rescheduled because of the tai chi workshop today). And then there is tomorrow...a concert, but we'll worry about that tomorrow. 

Each of today's events had its highlights. But the focus of the day was the photo walk, 'Capturing Place' with Carl Warner and hosted by the Museum of Brisbane as part of the exhibition of photos of late 19th century Brisbane. 

Photography has been a hobby for many years. But like many things, you never fully 'learn' it, there is always something new, or a new focus (pun intended/not intended). Tai chi is going to be like that too...

I'll take any excuse to run about town with a view to taking pics and with my #project365 partner in pictorial parlance Susan, off we went with about 12 other people, starting under the Story Bridge and walking back around Kangaroo Point, Dockside, the dry dock and then onto...well, somewhere. It seems we got so caught up in photographic details, the others walked on ahead of us...somewhere. I'm sure they had fun too. 

Our guide, Carl Warner, has some masterful examples and a really nice context for his approach to photography. Just his 15 minute intro comments were packed with so much to think about...

As with all these workshops, if I can find one or two points to concentrate on then I am happy. Today, I gained some confidence in small aperture, long exposure pics...all in the f 26-32 vicinty. It has helped me understand a few more technicalities that I can experiment with. Beware, dear reader, there shall be more coming your way. 

But for today, from 100 pics, what shall I show? Here's a small sample. 

Where it all began

It's a sign, on the beach

Sea wall

SHore break, through the wire

Return to subject

Passers-by

In their wake

Propeller, detail

Gate to nowhere, locked

Photographers at work

Lines, leaves

Boardwalk

Colour

Screentime

Dry dock apartments

Floating

Kangaroo Point roof, CBD buildings

Return to subject

Take a seat

Last call

Along the way, Susan and I talked a little more about what we photograph. Sometimes our blog subjects coincide, sometimes they are completely different. Today would be a way to compare our interests, given we were in the same place with the same subjects before us. Susan is much more a 'people in place' photographer; on the other hand, I do like structure, urban landscape, detail, though we both like to take all sorts of things...I confessed I used to take more people but err on the side of public liability cautions. Perhaps I should be a bit braver...

Such a great morning's work, a leisurely day of leisure. I'm exhausted!

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 28-55mm, 75-300mm, 10.30am-12.55pm]