Positive thoughts

We think the car might have blown a gasket, so working hard to keep positive thoughts.  Christmas-things always put me in a good mood!  I just love the bokeh that Christmas lights make.

The lights create a really interesting reflection on the blinds.  I am thinking really hard about how I can make a portrait with it.

Last year on the sales, I managed to get a cute little nativity scene.  My younger son set it up.  We are reading a bit of the Christmas story to the kids every night.  They are loving it!

 

Christmas houses

So, we have moved in, though we are still drowning in boxes.  Our internet has also been connected, so I can post again!

Friday friends of ours specially came to fetch us to make a tour of some of the decorated houses in the area.  What an experience!  We had never seen houses decorated like this before.  The kids were mesmerised. 

Some families went for big and bold.  Lots of Santas, elves, reindeer and light.

 

Others just used lights to decorate and create a fairytale effect.  A whole street was done this way. 

One place had a massive display, just about every big light you could think of.  

My favourite was the musical house.  It must have taken forever to set everything up.  The lights flashed and changed to music being played.

The last house we visited had an interactive display.  You could walk amongst the lights.  The owner told us it had taken them four weeks to set everything up.  The kids absolutely loved it.  There were some really special displays that we had not seen anywhere else.

    

Thanks to the Erasmus family for a fabulous experience.

 

Lights on the water

My tram route has changed, so I am trying to find a different route to get home in the evenings that doesn’t take as long.  So coming back from class, I walked along the Yarra river.  The lights create surreal images on the water.

It definitely makes for a romantic spot I thought, watching a couple sitting at the water’s edge.  Truly a peaceful scene.

 

The city has so many colours at night.  This is Flinders street Station from South Bank.  The Yarra river is in the foreground.

Night lights in Melbourne

Walking back from class in the evenings, I have to pause often:  waiting for a light to change, my tram to come…  I love taking photos in those moments.  (I have missed the light changing a few times and have had to run for the tram!)

Playing around with long exposure, this photo is of a truck coming past.

I struggle to resist photographing the footbridge across the Yarra river.  The blue and the curves always draws  my eye.  Taking photos from the bridge is tricky, since it bounces whenever anyone else walks over it.

 

I saw a car about to make a u-turn on Flinder’s street and decided to try to capture it.  Makes for a funky light effect.

We have to take more panning shots for class, so I spent the next 15 minutes waiting for the tram playing around.

I didn’t really get the tram right, but the photo is a little spooky…

I think this one of a taxi didn’t come out too bad though.

Mist in Melbourne

On Wednesday evening, the clouds came down really low over the city.  It was absolutely awesome to see the buildings disappear into the clouds.  I have not seen the city look like this before.

The rowers were also out in force.  I was cold, but obviously the exercise was keeping them warm, since they were all wearing short sleeves.

 

They really move fast!  I just love this photo.  Because of low light, the exposure was a few seconds long.

Night time on the Yarra

This week the moon was full when I walked to class.  It was quite something to see the hazy moon peek between the clouds.

Walking back, everything was lit up really bright against the dark night sky.

Flinders Street Station is always so colourful.  There is so much life and energy in that building.

Waiting for the tram on the corner of Flinders' and Swanston is always fascinating.  Tons of cars and people streaming past.

Southbank and Crown Casino

On Saturday evening we went for an evening walk along Southbank.  The lights are really spectacular around that area.  All the trees have fairy lights and the reflections on the water is really colourful.

 

I really love the blues from the Melbourne Aquarium.

Walking back we went through the Crown building.  There are a lot of little fountains and waterfalls.  The fountains ‘perform’ to music playing in the background with the lights completing the display.

My daughter has turned into a real little girl.  We can’t go anywhere without the doll and the pram.