Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk 2011

I had such a great time on Saturday taking part in this year’s photo walk.  Met some great friends and shared a lot of fun stories.  The city was eerily quiet, with few people not watching the AFL Grand Final.

We were worried we would be rained out, but the weather cleared up real well.  (This is Simon, our walk leader, keeping warm.)

Even the kids appreciated the peace and quiet of the city.

Night-time the city came alive with people celebrating (and mourning!)

Thanks to all who took part and to Simon, our walk leader for organising everything!

 

For more photos, click here.

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…

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!

The Yarra River

I really love walking along the river.  The light is always so interesting, especially near sunset.

I walked down to Docklands for the first time.  Quite a striking area, not what I was expecting.

Walking back, the sky really lit up over the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

The sky then turned purple in the last bits of light.

There was still enough light to capture people walking across the footbridge towards Flinders Street Station coming from Southbank.

I really love Melbourne!

Spring weather in Melbourne

Lately we have really had wild spring weather.  The most awesome cloud formation form in the sky and the clouds then race across the city.

I took these walking to class from Federation Square.  This is the spire on top of the Arts building on SouthBank.  The clouds are rolling in over the ocean.

 

There was still a lot of light though.  Lots of boats moored along the river.  That is the St Kilda rd bridge in the background.

It really looked like the city was in a pool of light surround by waves of clouds.

The river is usually very clean.   I only saw this one bottle on my walk.

Daylight savings in Melbourne

Since daylight savings has taken effect in Melbourne, I now arrive at class with the sun still high in the sky.

 

The rowers are practicing on the Yarra river every evening.  Here you can see the MCG in the background, behind the St Kilda rd bridge.

 

The weather is very changeable.  From sunny

 

to hail (I think – almost looked like fine snow)  within half an hour.

The Eureka building is across from class, so we all grabbed the chance to take a photo of this unusual type of rain.

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.

Summer sunset over the Yarra

The sun is setting later and the days are getting longer.  By the time I get to the city for class, it is nearly sunset, not dark anymore.

 

 

Ps after a few days’ battle, my blog isn’t classified as spam anymore, so I can post again with a bit more ease.

Early morning sunrise in Melbourne

I went on a weekend photography workshop.  That meant getting up early Saturday morning before the sun was even up.  As someone who really likes to sleep, this was rather hard!  I was rewarded with the most beautiful colours in the sky though.  The river looked magical.

I wasn’t the only one up so early.  Trams were running and people were walking around.

I will post more photos of the weekend as the week progresses.  I met some wonderful people.

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’”?