Gondolas on the Yarra

Time is a bit on short supply here at the moment.  My mother is visiting from overseas, so the blogging ended up being pushed down on the priority list.  By next week I should be posting more regularly again.

I was late for class last night, because my train got cancelled and I had to wait for the next one.  Running over the bridge on the Yarra, I had to stop to capture the gondola coming past.  It just looked so awesome!

Can you imagine floating serenely down the river watching the lights of the city?

So at the end of class it was time to run back to Flinders Street Station

And wait for my train…

Coming home late

I haven’t taken any late night city shots in a while.  Decided last night to try to capture one or two. 

The trick is though to find a spot that all your fellow students won’t be coming past! (You would think, as photography students, they would know to freeze on slow shutter speed! :D)  These three are part of the awesome bunch I study with.  I think that is part of why the classes are so great.  They all see things so much differently than I do.  I learn as much from them as from the lecturers.

The moon was full last night, creating  a lot of light.  The bridge was covered with people trying to photograph it.

Then came the long wait at Flinders Street Station for the train.  At least I am not the only one out late…

Back to school

With the start of school, my evening classes have started again.  I travel by train now that we stay further out of the city.  It was my first trip on my own.

The building inside Flinders Street Station is still old, which I love.  I have a 20 minute wait for my train, so I had a little time to explore and take some photos.

Leaving class, it was just after sunset.  I got the most gorgeous reward.  The sky was just amazing!

 

Scary to think that in winter, sunset is when I arrive at class, three hours earlier…  Daylight savings gets me confused!

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.

Protests and musicals

Tuesday night on my way to class, I came across a student protest at Flinders Street Station.  The students were protesting about the amalgamation of the VCA (Victoria College of the Arts) with another institution.  (I think…)  They were really working very hard to get people’s attention and to get support.

 

I walked across the bridge just as the sun went down.  I so love this view down the river.

These steps go down to the river and Southbank.

On the way back from class I captured this view of the pedestrian bridge towards Southbank.

 

Turning around, I noticed this couple chatting next to the Yarra river.  I hope I never stop appreciating the fact that you can walk and sit and just be around the city at night without fear.

 

Waiting for the tram, I couldn’t resist taking a shot of these stockings.  My husband’s first comment, on seeing the photo, was “Did she just come from ‘Wicked’”?

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.

A Melbourne Sunset

Summer seems to be coming closer with the sun setting later in the evenings.  Last night, walking to class, I got to see the last of the colours over the city buildings.

 

Flinders street station, the cathedral and the Yarra river in the foreground.  The sun is setting to the left of this photo, creating a wonderful glow on the buildings.

   

These posts haven’t been very regular lately.  With guests, a sick family and just about everything else happening at once, my life had been a little chaotic.  With life slightly more (our definition of) normal, the posts and photos should come more regularly again.

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.