Melbourne

Photographer's Note

Last week I had the pleasure to meet Francesco when Santo, Klaudio and I went to Williamstown with him on a rather melancholy Sunday afternoon. I'm sure his friends in Sydney - Lisa, Peter and Ian - had already warned him about Melbourne's weather. We took many photos in the gloomy conditions, with the sun occasionally looking as though it might burst through, as it seems in this photo. But it never happened. Nevertheless, we passed the time in an enjoyable way, Francesco had some fish and chips, and Klaudio and Santo were able to talk to him in his mother tongue. I can see from the shots Francesco has uploaded that he likes to take shots of tall buildings. Well, they are present in this photo, although distant and dwarfed by the masts of the yachts in Hobson's Bay. I was lucky enough to catch the seaplane in this quickly taken photo; it's a wonder the camera was still enough for the shot to be sharp, even if I had had the foresight, or luck, to set a fast shutter!

Workshop photo shows Klaudio (dark glasses!) and Francesco, smiling in our Autumn weather.

adores, adores, snunney, AROBN54, holmertz, annjackman, Charo, skippy007, francio64, Budapestman, delpeoples, JCG, Kielia, adramad, josepmarin has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

daddo (18517) 2011-05-22 5:55

Ciao Andrea. Let me be the first to congratulate you in transforming a grey day into a luminous marvel. The sea looks like liquid mercury,alive and illuminated.Lovely clarity and a nice exercise in balanced composition with the buoy and the plane.trust you to see the plane. as Devi says, it's nothing to do with luck, one has to be alert. i think she was having a dig at me. Regards lucky man. Klaudio.

adores (28236) 2011-05-22 6:30

Hi Andrew!
You even got a plane here:)! A perfect moment - I like the atmosphere given by this sunlight reflecting on the water and boats with the dark clouds as background. The plane passing is a great detail!very good sharpness and dof!

Royaldevon (17791) 2011-05-22 6:54

Hello Andrew,

According to your notes, the day seems to have been a great success despite the poor weather.

We, in England, are used to having to deal with such conditions. It is a real bonus to have a bright blue sky and fluffy clouds. On a recent trip down the Manchester Ship Canal to Liverpool, it was clouds, clouds, clouds, all the way!
However, I think this is a fine shot. The clouds give a silvery tinge to the water, producing jut a hint of steel grey refections. A fine thirds composition, shows the vertical masts preparing for, and mirroring, the distant skyscrapers. The red buoy and the flying seaplane are both strongly positioned in the frame, balancing each other perfectly.

Have a good day,
Bev :-)

snunney (67394) 2011-05-22 7:05

Hello Andrew,
You have done very well to draw the light out of this rather grey day. I like the composition with the tall masts on the right nicely counterbalanced by the high rise buildings in the background and the little boats dotted about on the left. The passing seaplane is a plus, balanced by the red buoy.

AROBN54 (11067) 2011-05-22 7:56

Hi, Andrew,
it's kind of nice to see a change in weather in photos. This is gorgeous. I love those soft muted colors and the variations in the clouds with just hints of blue. Everything works here. Composition, (I like the red buoy in one corner and the plane in the opposite.) Very well balanced, nice detail, and I particularly like the quiet, calm atmosphere. You sure made good use of such a cloudy day. Well done! Many thanks and warmest wishes,
Shelly

holmertz (26980) 2011-05-22 8:26

Hello Andrew,
Possibly you didn't experience the weather that day as very pleasant, but the silvery greyness that you captured has amazingly many shades and tones. Apart from the different nuances of the clouds and the shining surface of the water, there are two little details that are just perfect for the composition. I am referring of course to the red buoy and the little airplane. They are small but so catchy.
Kind regards,
Gert
(I don't see any workshop)

annjackman (13227) 2011-05-22 12:40

Hello Andrew,
The grey day works well I think. The available light has given a beautiful silvery sheen to the water. In fact the whole picture has lovely grey/white tones with good detail throughout. The small splashes of colour enhance the composition further. I have never been to Melbourne (Sydney and Canberra only) but I have heard that the weather can be rather British!
Best wishes, Ann

SteveH (6155) 2011-05-22 16:01

Hi Andrew, Another grey day in Melbourne. But you've used it well creating this image, with the two diagonally opposite focal points (as others have noted). Sounds like an enjoyable day was had despite the weather. Shame I wasn't able to come along. cheers, Steve

npecanhuk (53913) 2011-05-22 16:11

Hi Andrew!
Beautiful picture with eye-catching skyline and composition with boats and masts! The presence of that airplane, on the top right corner, is a highlight too!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

Charo (51174) 2011-05-22 16:53

Hello Andrew,
I guess you're out there in late fall, near the winter. And saw a picture of Francesco in the day was also a lot of clouds.
Great perspective on the bay with the city in the background. The light is great and results in a sea of silver. Excellent depth and definition.
Best wishes,
Charo

skippy007 (12500) 2011-05-22 18:10

Hello Andrew, As usual a miserable day but the good thing is that it gave us the opportunity to socialise over lunch & coffee without feeling guilty because we were not up & about taking photos, it was a pleasant day spent in good company. I think you captured the sky pretty much as it was for most of the day, grey with a silver lining & a touch of blue ;)it's impossible not to mention, as others have, the sea plane & buoy at opposite ends of the frame. Nice one
Regards
Santo
PS wS not just posing for the camera, I'm sure they enjoyed each other's company.

francio64 (38188) 2011-05-23 4:00

Hi Andrew,
nonostante la brutta giornata, la foto è venuta abbastanza bene e ti ringrazio per avermela dedicata.
Bello il WS che vede me in compagnia di Klaudio.

Grazie per l'amicizia.
E' stato un vero piacere averti potuto incontrare.

Ciaoooooooooo!
L'Assessore :-))

lilito (3448) 2011-05-23 6:54

Bonjour Andrew
Belle image de mer, douce, tranquile, et surtout bien mise en scène
Lily

Budapestman (82620) 2011-05-23 10:42

Hi Andrew,
a beautiful atmosphere with dramatic sky and very nice soft lights, the depth of the photo is superb, great view, Tfs! Have a nice day! Kellemes napot kívánok!
György

abmdsudi (26295) 2011-05-23 11:01

Hi Andrew
A really glorious seascape even in the gloom, a very pleasing almost mono in tones. This works extremely well despite the unpromising moody atmosphere. Well composed, and lots of interest, the grey sky looks quite threatening though. By comparison, the foreground looks quite cheery. Love the silver tones on the calm water. The red bouy just adds that extra dimension, with the contrasting splash off colour just at the right spot drawing the eyes to the colored boats in the mid fg and thru the image. The timely shot aircraft is a bonus. This might has been a grey day but you have turned it into a great shot, a superb piece of workmanship. Congrats
Best regards

delpeoples (45006) 2011-05-23 21:13

Hi Andrew

Ahh well Francesco didn't get so much sunshine in Sydney either. The weather was horrendous for him the first few days, I never thought it would let up. And one thing about Victorian weather, there's always going to be a touch of drama to it. And the grey sky here made for some very dramatic photos from the looks of this. I love that silver effect on the water and how it contrasts so beautifully with that threatening sky. The skyscrapers in the BG are lovely, I'm sure our friend was impressed. I got to the stage of pulling out my hair when 150 year old St Mary's Cathedral was barely looked at but glass skyscraper c.2008 was obsessed over :) Horses for courses I suppose :) Nice Workshop too!

TFS and I wish you a lovely day
Lisa

MJR (3163) 2011-05-25 4:56

Andrew
I have never been to Australia, but the sky I would recognise from nearly anywhere in the UK ! The water and the sky all merge into a very pleasing silvery grey, the red highlight is always welcome, as is, in this case, the bonus of the overhead seaplane, which lifts the whole image. Those details are nearly, not quite exact diagonal opposites, a light crop would make them so ! The light frame is masterly.
( parenthetically; I always chuckle over the last sentence in your first paragraph of your intro, a mental image I easily identify with ! )
rgds
Martin

JCG (35129) 2011-05-25 7:14

Hello Andrew,

Apparently a good day with colleagues of TrekEarth... A nice view over the port of Melbourne, I love these conditons of lights that brings a special atmosphere in the image and promotes these nice silver reflections on the water surface. I also appreciate the balance of the image and its depth. Good glance, thank you Andrew.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles

patdeph (35738) 2011-05-25 11:51

hello Andrew
I love these fantastic harmonious tones of grey,where the brilliant water gives a beautiful brightness to the picture.The masts and the high buildings add an interesting graphism.Magnificent!
Regards
Pascale

siudzi (23939) 2011-05-26 2:20

Hi Andrew,
This is a great shot of this wonderful place. Like the elegant tones and interesting composition you have created here. Well seen and executed. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Malgorzata

Kielia (20467) 2011-05-27 12:07

Hi Andrew,
it is not only the interesting light that makes this impression of the boats very attractive, it is also the perspective. Very fascinating colors and a very kind dedication to your guest from Italy. This is what TE is for! And thanks for sharing!
Warm regards
Harriet

batalay (32864) 2011-05-30 2:08

Hi Andrew,

The seaplane does add additional drama to the photo. There is I believe a good deal of ultraviolet, and a UV-filter might have helped to reduced the glare in the center region. Nonetheless, it is a very good shot of the marina.

Warm regards,

Bulent

adramad (27556) 2011-05-31 7:41

Hi Andrew.
Very gray day is usually difficult to photograph, but in this case with much credit you've got a wonderful composition with all the boats anchored in the bay and city skyline in the background, nice graphics on the masts, which rise above the stormy sky, the dominant gray gives a great serenity to enjoy this beautiful image. Well done.
Best regards.
Luis.

bartekp (4200) 2011-06-12 4:54

Hi Abdrewn

Unusualy view on Melbourne. I like colors and sky. Well composed.

Have a nice evening

Bartek

josepmarin (55063) 2011-07-05 5:25

Hi Andrew,
The day was cloudy, grey and the light was weak, but in this capture you caught a beautiful image of the sailboats in the marina and the splendid architecture of the city in background, under a very interesting luminosity and with a few silver magnificent tones.
The WS shows us that it was a nice day, in your meeting.
Friendly regards,
Josep

adidas5nb (1131) 2012-10-30 20:18

just 1 word....WOW!