photos and other things…
An early start to get supplies for the week took me past Auckland’s Lake Pupuke. Standing on the eastern side, the sun was just entering the sky for another glorious day.
To take his chorus line, I found Lou Reed’s lyrics floating in my mind as I walked along the lake side:
Oh, it’s such a perfect day
I’m glad I spend it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on
More tomorrow
Silence is a source of great strength.
Lao Tzu
Back at Lake Pupuke for a walk with the Nex 5N and kit lens, I captured The PumpHouse up a little closer than I have before in a previous post. Once used, unsurprisingly, to pump water to the local suburbs, the PumpHouse is now home to a cafe, and hosts regular stage shows and art works.
Image wise, using Gimp, I played around with some of the film grain simulators. They are fairly customizable, and although nothing is real film grain, I think they can do a pretty good job if that is the look you are going for. I also applied a sharp filter and played with the levels a little until I got the look I was after.
Tomorrow morning is the Auckland Marathon. I’ll be in the half marathon, so don’t think I will get the opportunity to take any action shots, but will see if I can get something themed around it…assuming my low-to-no training allows me to walk after!
Its funny how animals have learnt that what they do, and aspects of human behaviour equates to reward. Frequently when visiting the beach or lakes, enjoying some lunch or dinner, the ducks, swans, pukeko and seagulls also know its lunch or dinner time. If they didn’t come flying and running, its unlikely we would end up throwing them 10% of our fish and chips.
They have yet to learn that someone who comes walking and sitting in aforementioned places with a camera does not necessarily come with reward. I took a stroll around part of Lake Pupuke, Sony Nex in hand (not food). At each point ducks, geese and swans would hurriedly come quacking on foot, through the water and air, only to be disappointed with a rewarding click of the camera. Not that their expressions change much, but some made me feel lousy that I didn’t bring them food!
Today’s image, just before sunset was of one such upset duck who flew from the other side of the park hoping to get some supper before bedtime. In Gimp I added a lomo filter which framed the incoming flyer well.
Some weeks go faster then others. This week didn’t particularly feel that way, so come Friday works end I was ready to unwind for the week. Taking a trip to Lake Pupuke in Takapuna I inadvertently took a wrong turn and came across a walking track I had not seen before. The heavy rain at various times over the last month had soaked the ground and my flat bottomed business shoes struggled to keep me upright on some of the more sloped sections, but it was a great track all the same. A nice finish to the working week.
Shot on the GRD IV, I spent some post time in Gimp softening and diffusing the original to get today’s image.
Today marked the shortest day for us down here in New Zealand. The sun arose late and set early. Otherwise known as winter solstice, it is also known in New Zealand as Maruaroa O Takurua – the beginning of the Maori new year (traditionally), which as well as being tied into legend, is identified by the Pleiades star cluster having its first appearance.
I liked todays image, as tied into the title, the fishermen are catching the last moment of sun as they hope to pull in ‘a big one’ from Lake Pupuke.
Aside from resizing, straight from the camera (GRD)
On my way home today I stopped for a wander on the local lake on Auckland’s North Shore, Lake Pupuke. The ‘Pump house’, featured in the photo, now a place to see small theatre, was in 1894 a functioning pump house supplying the lakes fresh water to residents on the North Shore. Local Maori legend tells of a couple who cursed the god of fire. In retribution for her, the god of earthquakes and volcanoes destroyed their home – the lake being the result. Todays its much more peaceful and used for various recreational activities from fishing to windsurfing.
Taken on my GRD IV and converted in Gimp to B&W with the contrast up a notch. Also resized to a similar aspect to the ‘Golden Ratio’
One more weekday to go!
MikeHawkey.com 