Car light, Wellington parade, Melbourne

This was a vintage car I spotted in Wellington parade near CBD. South Eastern Corner of CBD.

Just like the look of this shot where it renders a feel of abstract art.

Shot by Olympus 150mm f2 SD

Sausage at Camberwell Market, Melbourne, Australia

Yeah, the sausage looks rather scary to eat. What I like from this view is the soft creamy bokeh from 150mm f2 ZD 

It seems this type of gourmet sausage is rather popular with a long queue waiting to buy this...

Prunus

Spring is coming. In studies, pink has the best calming effect as a colour on its own.

Sure it has soothed me for the day.

Taken by Pentax Fa 77mm f1.8 limited

Brunch before work

A quick snack never hurts :)

Taken by Canon 50mm f1.2 L

Wilson Promontory Sunset, Victoria, Australia

At tidal river, this image was taken towards the kiosk. This was quite an unexpected photo really.

Taken by Canon 135mm f2L

Graffiti mural, Melbourne, Australia - Part1

Graffiti can be artistic. Like this one. It was spotted in Richmond, Melbourne. The space to create this mural is within 30 cm wide alley for an artist to do this. Incredible, isn't it?

Taken by Pentax 31mm f1.8 limited.

Swanston Street, Melbourne, Australia

On Swanston street, there is always so much I could photograph. Everyone has a world of their own.

Taken by Canon 50mm f1.2L

Biker dominance in CBD, Melbourne, Australia

There is an increasing number of people riding bike to get physical. There was this special gathering where everyone looked very fit and healthy. On federation square, I can see this as a trend to replace all cars eventually.

Taken by Canon 135mm f2

Beetle in boutique shop, Flinders lane, Melbourne

This was a snap shot outside a boutique store in Flinders lane, Melbourne. The bokeh was all I am after here which showed up as neutral disc shaped. Still, it has that festive feel...

Taken by Canon 24mm f1.4

12 Arhat (Luohan) of Buddhism, Melbourne, Australia

These 12 Arhat statues were discovered in a temple I had visited. Arhats are the spiritual practitioners that have reached certain stages of attainment. Most of them have rid off foes of afflictions. Each individual of them have a gift of their own depicted in each of the statue.

There is a growing trend in the number of Buddhism temples in Melbourne. So far I had spotted quite a few in Dandenong, Sprinvale and Yarraville. 

All taken by Pentax 43mm.

Floating rocks, great ocean road, Australia

This is an image that I think black and white version would show the dynamic elements in the frame better. The rocks look like mushroom almost.

Taken by Pentax fa 31mm

Black Cod from Shoya - 1 hat restaurant in Melbourne CBD

It is really a busy day that it took me 4 hour to drive to Warrnambool then 4 hours driving back to Melbourne. Soooooooo tired...

This was the special dish ordered in Shoya where the moist juicy fish was roasted in miso paste. It tastes heavenly.

The restaurant is in this link http://www.shoya.com.au/ 

The photo was taken by Voigtlander 40mm f2 

Run to induce endogenous endorphin!

A good habit to run every morning. I wished I could do the same and keep it up. In the winter times. it is just hard to bare any skin to run. 

Running exerts 10 times more force on our bones comparing to normal day to day walking. That is called weight bearing exercises to keep our bones strong.

This was captured on south bank. With 50mm f1.2 lens.

Outside Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne, Australia

Outside Queen Victoria market, it was fun to capture this moment: one lady yawning so badly while a man was eating the sausage roll. What a glimpse of modern civilisation!

Taken by Canon 50mm f1.2 L

What is the purpose? Federation Square, Melbourne

He only managed to stay in the middle of no where for about 10 minutes. While I was drinking coffee, I saw him packing everything to leave the spot altogether... Why?

Taken by Pentax Da* 55mm f1.4

Lord of Ring experience?

On the Princess Bridge - south of Flinders station, Melbourne, he is a common sight. The music he played was often masked by the wheels... 

Still he added the colour to my trip to the city every time. :)

Squid in Bonito sauce

In one of the cafe located in QV, I had a Entree dish to taste.

It was a taste in heaven where the sauce was the concentrated dried skip-jack tuna fish (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito ). It was a good addition to a small glass of sake in deed.

QV is a significant location in Melbourne CBD. It is a redevelopment of historic Queen Victoria Women's hospital site. Now it is a popular commercial central to various food courts and fashion clothing stores.

The image was taken by Pentax 31mm ltd

Emblem in Temple, Yarraville, Melbourne

The colour turned out very vividly. The place seemed very enriched with energy. The atmosphere was something mood lifting after entering into the place. As if the burden of the day was cleansed.

Taken by Pentax Fa 43mm ltd

One leg up

Looks like a dog raising the hind leg to pee?

Taken by Voigtlander 125mm f2.5

Grilled Ocean Trout flooded in lemon juice

The special of the day from a restaurant on Glenferrie st in Hawthorn

A lot of posh looking ladies trying to eat similar dish in there. This plate is full of lemon!!! So sour that I want to cry

Creek with silky flow

From the recent post on over use of neutral density filters, this was another example of over use of 3 filters here. Funnily, the overuse of filters does contribute to severe vignetting. The correction of that rendered the photo a little unreal. Still, this image somewhat gave that air of inspiration and energy!!

The shot taken at Mt Baw Baw a while back. It was very dark, broodingly wet when I visited a random creek in the region. A shot out of curiosity turned out not so bad when I viewed some time later!

Taken by Pentax Da* 16-50mm f2.8 -> The zoom with dodgy reputation for hunting autofocus and bad quality control from Vietnam!

Creme Brulee

This desert was a great delight before I went to bed!

So wonderfully done

Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia

I recalled this place being really wonderful: the end of drive of great ocean road, Victoria, Australia. This is the nearest spot before reaching Warrnambool - the city that I might work in the following year. 

The water here looks so tranquil and peaceful. In fact, there is all deadly rifts underneath. Still with this wonderful cover of magic hour lighting.

Taken by Canon 50mm f1.2L

Really cyan blue everywhere I see. This was really a moment.

Taken by Canon 24mm f1.4L

Glass bokeh

This is a photograph of the handle at the front entrance of Gothic style cathedral near Melbourne CBD. Somehow the day light was dull and there were no many interesting themes in the city streets.

So f1.2 aperture wide open with Nikor 50mm. Surprisingly the rear bokeh is supposed to be harsh and ugly. The result was acceptable.

Confidence

Dont you wish to be as confident as she is being who she is? Spotted at good old Swanston Street

Captured by Pentax Da* 55mm ; not bad for a lens with unreliable autofocus lol

Lady Talbot Drive

Prior to the major bush fire at Marysville Victoria, Lady Talbot drive used  to be a photography safe heaven for me. The place was quiet, ambient and peaceful except some annoying mosquito at times. 

Of course, the creek was no longer there. The place had been turned into an arid rugged landscape with some left over burnt tree trunks.

Now I realised how precious these photographs meant to me ...

They were all shot with stacking of neutral density filters with Pentax k20d. Funny how people criticised this camera so much but I still could get many photographs done with reasonable quality.

I still recalled how my fellow photographer pals call me a bad dud to ruin the natural beauty by over use of neutral density filters. But this is a record of how experimental I was at the time  :)

Typical Australian landscape lighting condition: Terrible green with non reflecting surface of ferns. The high contrast background, awkward orientation of sunlight and the abundance of UV :(

Prayer

How often do we pray and we dont know we are being wishful thinking or just plain stupid?

After seeing some prayers at Rong Shang Temple, some faiths have their places in some people's hearts.

Flamingo

A little bit like a commercial for baby lotion or soft pillow?

She

Coarse and harsh light. Still, this photo grabs me.

I read an article (by Robert Adam) regarding how one chooses to do as a photographer. This image comes to my mind.

I look at her eyes and wonder what she is feeling right now.

Leica 50mm R f2 textures

Leica 50mm. The dream lens. 

The details in the shadow are recoverable. The texture on his skin is well preserved. The feel of pop is very prominent. A lens that is reliable and consistent for day to day snaps.

Banana man

Look at the skin texture and the hair on the arm.

Dont you just love 50mm :)

Shishamo BBQ

This photo was captured in the middle of Japan - Honshu where local vendor sells various local produce from the region.

I just want to make a note regarding a list of places I want to visit over the next few weeks in Melbourne.

1. Soft Tacos Chingon Cantina y Tanqueria - 413 Swan St, Richmond Ph 94295695

2. Meyer Lemon Tart - Albert St Food & Wine 382 Sydney rd Brunswick Ph 83546600

3. Aylesbury Duck Wayside Inn - 446 City Rd, South Melbourne Ph 9682 9199