More China Photos

Here are a couple of shots of the Great Wall of China which I took in September when I visited Beijing. We chose to visit a less popular spot on the Wall at Mutianyu and had the great pleasure of being able to walk without crowds - on the day we went there were no more than a dozen people over a couple of kilometres. We took the chairlift to the Wall (the only way up) and then rode a 2.5km toboggan down the mountain. What fun!

Max Pam's Unique Journey

The Cover of Max Pam's Atlas Monographs

This year each freelance feature I've written for Pro Photo magazine has brought me in contact with the most inspirational, insightful, talented and generous artists. My December feature on Australian photographer Max Pam is no exception. Max was a delight to interview - intelligent, honest and somewhat eccentric, a state I think Max has happily inhabited all his life. His latest book, Atlas Monographs published by T&G Publishing in Sydney (a fantastic company dedicated to producing the highest quality art and photography books) features this photo on the cover. Max has spent decades documenting the melting pot that is Asia and Atlas Monographs charts his epic journeys from the early 1970's to the most recent photos taken in 2006. Look out for this story in Pro Photo December out early in the month.

Beijing

 If this panda could have fitted in my luggage he would be sitting on my bed now rather than the very cute stuffed panda from Beijing Zoo! I've just returned from a week in Beijing. It's an extraordinary city, a clash of cultures, the modern and the ancient, a city with a rich and complex history that sits side by side with the glass towers and modern architecture of the new China. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and came away with a newfound understanding of Chinese culture, albeit an abridged version. And some awesome photos of which this panda is just one. More photos will be uploaded in the days to come as I go through the hundreds of digital images that have captured my journey - the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, The Temple of Heaven, the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall. 

Max Pam is a legend

I had the pleasure of interviewing Max Pam today for my Pro Photo December profile feature. What a fantastic, interesting, articulate, wise and generous man. Now 60 years young, Max has carved an enviable career in visual arts with works in collections around the world.  We spoke about his latest book Atlas Monographs, his tenth publication, a book that takes you with him on journeys through China, Yemen, India and the Philippines. It is a beautifully produced book that does justice to his work and his obvious passion for the medium. And for the human condition. One of the best interviews of the year.

Sunday Morning

9am Sunday morning. The air is still the gales of yesterday subsiding to a cool, gentle sigh. Rain has cooled the ground, houses, the trees. From the high twenties we are now in the high teens, a drop of ten degrees. It is a welcome change. 

Today I head to the State Library of Victoria to undertake research into my next subject for my December Pro Photo feature, Australian photographer, Max Pam. Now in his sixties Max has an impressive body of work behind him. I am going to enjoy this project.

I have also started a novel and am halfway through another non-fiction book. The creativity is flowing.

This photo, below, is of the Yarra River at Southgate. It was taken on a Sunday around noon. Such a beautiful city.

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Melbourne Rain

One of the few wet days we have had this year. This photo was captured whilst sheltering from the rain on the steps of the Shrine of Remembrance in the city's botanical gardens. One moment the sun was shining and the next the sky had darkened and down came the rain in great pellets splashing on the ground before me. I raced up the steps keen to keep the rain off my new Olympus super zoom lens. I huddled against the stone wall as the rain was whipped up the steps by a cold southerly. And then the wind paused allowing me to take this shot.

Today there are spring showers. The sun shines through grey clouds and rain glistens on freshly washed leaves. Petals fall from newly budded flowers and there is jasmine lying on the ground. The scent of spring is in the air.

Ed Burtynsky Done and Dusted

Uranium Tailings No. 7,
Elliot Lake, Ontario 1995

It is a fantastic feeling when an article is finished, scrupulously polished, checked and re-checked and then "sent".  My interviews with Burtynsky, an extremely gracious and generous man, were entertaining and incredibly insightful. Listening to him talk about his work gave me a greater understanding of its messages, and of its artistic beauty. 

When photographs of open pit mines and the detritus of a resource dependent world become abstract works of art the gap between photography as a science and photography as art is truly bridged.

I post here a photograph taken by Edward Burtynsky in Ontario in 1995 of the uranium mining tailings.  And I thank Ed for sharing this, and his other works, with us.  

Look for my story - Edward Burtynsky - Redefining the Landscape - in the October issue of Pro Photo.

This City

Can't get enough of this city, Melbourne.  Spent Sunday out taking shots and then the evening working on them. Today I'm doing another photo shoot.  I am so in love with my camera, my Olympus E3.  Here are some shots from Sunday's exploration.

Ed Burtynsky Mark II

Interviewed Ed last week.  What an inspirational man.  His photography is so awesome and only matched by his dedication and persistence to get the shot.  I am now in the process of putting the feature together.  This is the part I love, creating the story . . .

Architecture

Last night I attended the HP Cityscape 2020 Awards in Melbourne.  My love of architecture, particularly as a focus for my photography, is obvious and so it was with great interest and pleasure that I got to see tomorrow's architects articulate their ideas for Australia in 2020.  

Tom Morgan's entry, an almost apocalyptic view of the future saved by an ingenious take on recreation won and deservedly so.  All of the entrants put in so much work and demonstrated passion and commitment.  

A selection of my Melbourne series of photos was also on display on large screens around the room.  It was so cool to see them at such a large scale.

And I met Tom Kovac, an architect I have followed with interest over the past few years.  A great night all round.

Venice

More photos .... Venice

    

  

The Cotswolds UK

More photos from my European Collection

The Cotswolds, UK
    

Barcelona

Photographs from Barcelona Hues Exhibition

Over two trips to Barcelona I spent days photographing Gaudi's extraordinary creations. Here are some photos from my homage to a great artist.  These images were exhibited at the Port Art Gallery.

     

     

Ed Burtynsky feature

Very excited. Interviewing Canadian photographer Ed Burtynsky tonight for a feature article in Pro Photo's October issue. Ed is renowned for his amazing industrial landscape shots. His new book, Australian Minescapes, has just been released. I met Ed last year at Foto Freo Festival in Perth. At that Festival I also met Paolo Pellegrin and Stephen Dupont, both photojournalists. I've written features on both Paolo and Stephen - in fact my story on Stephen made the cover of Pro Photo this month and spread over five pages. Foto Freo was a very fruitful experience and I made some fantastic contacts.

My Melbourne - Photos from my new collection

I'm working on a new collection of photos at present with Melbourne as the central theme. I started this project in January and every weekend am out taking new shots to add to the collection. Here are some of my favourites.

That Photo

I took the photo at the top of this blog in Venice in 2000. It was my first trip to what has become one of my fav cities in the world. This outdoor cafe was at the back of the hotel I was staying in, a 16th Century palace that had undergone what can only be termed as a classic Italian Fawlty Towers renovation! The cafe provided a quiet haven where I could sit and write in my journal. In fact it was very quiet as there was no service available as the cafe and bar were permanently closed. This photo became part of the collection of photos I exhibited at the Port Art Gallery a couple of years ago. Here's a few more photos from that trip.

Rock Chicks Released in UK

My latest book, Rock Chicks The Hottest Female Rockers from the 1960's to Now has just been released into the UK. Since its launch at the end of 2007 its been picked up by readers in the US, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. It was one of the coolest projects I've ever worked on and I am totally stoked that it is now selling in bookstores in the UK.

I'm asked all the time 'who is your favourite' rock chick. Out of the 27 chicks in the book, I'd have to say Patti Smith. She's one artist that has never compromised, never cared about what anyone else thinks of her art, and has always been true to herself. She's gutsy, tough, and doesn't like to be told no. And she's real. Stevie Nicks runs a pretty close second 'cos she's the embodiment of a rock star and has managed to hold onto that ethereal creature she introduced the world to with her hit Rhiannon. There are so many fantastic female musicians out there. I guess I'm just going to have to write a few more volumes to cover them all!

Last Night Queen came to Melbourne

Last night in Melbourne I saw the Queen tribute show, 'Queen it's a kinda magic' at Her Majesty's theatre. I don't usually go in for tribute shows as they are often poor imitations, but last night this show's lead singer, Craig Pesco, was channelling Freddie Mercury. Not just in voice or costume, but facial expressions, physical movements and Mercury's arresting stage presence. It was an awesome show and the audience was on its collective feet and dancing for the entire concert.

I chatted with Craig and the boys after the show. These guys have toured the world, received rave reviews in Barcelona, Paris, Toronto, Hong Kong and across the US. Everywhere they go they gather more loyal fans. At last night's show I talked with a fantastic couple, John and Aggie, who come to every show. And what's really cool about the band is they hang with their fans and show them how much they value their support. After they finish their current Australian tour they are off to South Africa. Check them out if you get a chance. Visit www.queen.itsakindamagic.com to see where they are playing. As a sidebar I saw Queen play in the seventies at Festival Hall in Melbourne. First live concert I ever attended. Been hooked ever since.