Under the Harbour Bridge (north shore) there was a meeting of the Celtic Society and some guys re-enacting the old colonial soldier thing. Contax IIa and Sonnar.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Pneuma Accordeon Jazz: Funny Land, Luna Park
Politically incorrect band from the 1930s. Contax IIa and Sonnar
Sunday, January 29, 2006
View from Sirius Cove near Taronga: digital versus classic film camera
Camera: Contax IIa film camera (1950s vintage). And here's the same view taken with my modern digital Kodak DX7630 (digital). Which do you prefer?
View of Sydney from Taronga (Sirius Cove) - digital versus Contax
Just a few minutes walk from the Taronga ferry wharf.
Contax IIa with Sonnar (1950s vintage)
Kodak DX 7630 (digital)
Contax IIa with Sonnar (1950s vintage)
Kodak DX 7630 (digital)
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Beppi's restaurant, Sydney
Apparently this is the original "ethnic" restaurant that started the move away from Australia's Anglo Saxon meat and two veg dining culture to what it is today. Still run by the Polese family and still going strong since 1956?
Sign at Ben Buckler (Bondi) golf course
It's at the edge of a cliff! I stumbled upon this airy place on the day before my 43rd birthday, when I got off the 389 bus from Hyde Park to North Bondi. Interesting bus route - it went via the back streets of Paddington and Woolhara, giving me a glimpse of a hidden inner city world - very trendy - that I never suspected was there. When I got off the bus I climbed over this fence to check out the chimney and found myself at the top of a very high and unfenced cliff - scary! It was all part of the North Bondi golf course and probably private property but the Saturday arvo golfers didn't seem to mind me being there. Had a wander around and then down to the crowded beach (it's been raining all week so everyone wants to get out). I had my sandwich down beneath the cliffs at ben Buckler, with hardly anyone around, just huge waves breaking over the rocks. Very nice. And then back on the bus to mooch around Woolhara - more of that later.
(Photo by Leica R3 and Elmarit-R 35mm lens with a rubbish polaroid filter on which I wish I hadn't used).
Monday, January 23, 2006
Dimitri’s Rope Climbers, Ben Buckler, Bondi
Down at Ben Buckler on Saturday, I came across this group of meatheads who'd brought their own rope to shimmy up and down the overhanging cliff. All very macho jungle stuff. Me Tarzan ...
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Paul at drawing class
On Thursdays Paul and Andrew go to their drawing class with a Shanghai lady in Epping for the afternoon. They do some great works.
My new (old) Contax IIa
Just back from an overhaul by Harry Scherer - what a jewel of a camera this is. Made in 1950, it cost 160 quid then - equivalent to three month's pay. It's a "black dial" version.
Bridge view blocked by Harry Seidler's awful Blues Point Tower
What a horrible building. This grim tower block would be bad enough in Vienna - and is completely out of place in Sydney waterfront. I wonder how it ever got approved? "Yes Mr Seidler, you'd like to build what? A grey high rise? Right down on the waterfront at Blues Point? Yes it will blend in well with the new Opera House we're planning..."
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Making an IKEA promo video
They were filming a promo or something at the new IKEA at Rhodes when I went there last week for the umpteenth time to find yet another replacament screw. Why is it there's always one small thing in their assembly kits that needs replacing?
Pic taken with my digital Kodak DX7630 (Yes, I know, it's not a Leica, but it has a Schneider-Kreuznach lens ...).
IKEA video shoot
Taken with my digital Kodak DX7630 (OK it's not a Leica, but it has a Scneider-Kreuznach lens).
My lovely little old Leica IIIa (1937) with Summitar lens
Look carefully and you'll see a bit of lens separation on the front of the Summitar (at the bottom). It doesn't seem to affect the picture quality though, which is good as I only paid thirty bucks for the lens (whereas you can expect to pay $250 for one in good nick).
Monday, January 09, 2006
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Went for a stroll this weekend to test my new Summitar lens for the old Leica. I took a lot of snaps using it against my wider angle Elmar lens on the same camera. Most of these shots I've selected were taken with the Elmar - which shows that this is the lens I'll be using more. The Summitar seems to be better for "people" snaps rather than outdoo stuff.
I went down to the NSW Art Gallery, then down through Wooloomooloo, had a Tiger Chicken curry pie at Harry's, then up to Potts Point to explore Macleay St (just like London!). Then on via Kings Cross to have a coffee at Bar Coluzzi. And finally back to the Botanic Gardens and the NSW State Library where saw a great exhibition of photos by David Moore. He did some great photographs of Sydney in the forties and fifties - but something obviously went wrong after the 1960s.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Happy New Year from Sydney
This year for Christmas we went camping to "the Basin" at the northern most part of Sydney. It's part of Pittwater, where we've been in the past youth hostelling, and like before, you can only get there by ferry. The following pics come from our Christmas holidays there - and were mostly taken with my old Leica and a "new" Summitar lens from the 1950s.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Ferry from Palm Beach to The Basin, Pittwater, Sydney
Just spent a wonderful week up on Sydney's northernmost beaches at Pittwater. This year we went camping to "the Basin" - a beautiful bay that is cut off from the outside world except for a ferry service from the swanky millionaire enclave of palm Beach. So while all the big spenders sit there in their expensive houses we could sit in our tent at night and watch them - and all for $90 for the week! We saw wallabies, goanas, pelicans and kookabarras, did lots of swimming, a bit of fishing and I did a mad bushwalk to West Head in the blazing sun. Got burnt despite wearing a big hat and lots of sunscreen ...
Anyway, most of the pics (down to the second goana one) were taken with my Christmas pressie to myself of a Summitar lens with a bit of lens separation on a Leica IIIa.
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