Charlie's WorldSydney
Posted on November 10, 2010
So, I got sent to Sydney.
I wonder, is that a bit like being sent to an Australian version of Coventry? – (which by the way, if you’re not familiar with the expression – being ‘sent to Coventry is an ‘old’ English expression which means to be sent somewhere bad).
All good fun you may think, I get to large it up on company expenses, stay out all night drinking and partying and can snore all night long in a hotel bed that gets made for me every morning.
Awesome.
Well, actually, not awesome.
The sad reality of being away from home and staying in a hotel on my own means meals for one, working late (*its 11:30pm and I’m still working) and eventually sending for mediocre (actually, I’ve just ordered butter chicken curry, and it’s not too bad) room service as I’ve kind run out of enthusiasm for yet another trip out to find food.
Joy.
The other think I don’t like is that the hotel I’m staying in is a good walk from the office. About 30 mins to be exact. And Sydney is very humid.
*Melt*
Anyway, its not all doom and gloom – well, actually, thats not true – its is all doom and gloom – its been terribly overcast here so far – thick cloud, heavy rain, thunderstorms etc. So I’ve been somewhat stunted in my ability to take any photos. Well, that and the long work hours.
I did get a few shots on my first day here, before the heavens opened and the mother of all storms rolled in – so, here, for your viewing pleasure are some photos 🙂
weird stormy skies from my hotel room
Apocalypse Sydney
incoming...
convention centre
morning skies from my hotel room
Darling Harbour at night
So, there you g0 – its either work or shots from my hotel – hopefully tomorrow it might be sunny and I can take some photos of a nice bright city…
The films, they are back!
Posted on July 21, 2010
I’ve been waiting eagerly for these ever since I got the call on Thursday to say they were ready and being posted back to me.
Well, they arrived yesterday and I’ve been scanning a few of the shots already and I’m pretty happy with them.
It was a bit of a camera combo this time
1 roll of 35mm from the (now dead) Supersampler
2 rolls of 35mm from the Olympus Trip 35
1 roll of 120 from the Holga
3 rolls of 120 from the Hasselblad
So, here’s a selection in the same order..
The Lomo Supersampler
The Supersampler has 4 lenses and no viewfinder – it simply takes one shot through each lens over the course of a second or so, making very interesting images. Sadly, our one has broken and the films get scratched and broken trying to get them out. These were taken in Melbourne and are relatively unscathed.
The Trip 35 – slide film cross processed like transparency film
Trip 35 – black and white
The Trip 35 ones were a little disappointing – there’s something a bit bland about the way the shots seem to come out and I’m pretty sure it’s not the lab or the scanning. The cross processed shots have very vivid colours – lomo-esque, but without the charm of the Holga’s lens distortions or the delicacy of the medium format film. I wonder what these would have been like if I’d got them processed correctly? Ah well.
The black and whites were very grey on the prints – I think the Trip tends to meter a little on the light side of the middle of a scene, which is okay I guess, but it can leave the pics a bit washed out. A quick push through photoshop for a little tweak of the curves and levels soon brought a little punch back, although not as much as I’d like. You live and learn I guess.
The Holga and Hasselblad shots I’ll save for another post.
Sydney part 2
Posted on May 16, 2010
So my trip to Sydney is done and I’m back home in a slightly chilly Perth.
The training course was pretty intense and by the last day my brain was not taking in any more information – was so glad to be heading home.
Interesting things about Sydney.
1. Double decker trains. brilliant idea – fit twice the number of people on the train. Perth, listen up.
2. On the trains, the seat backs could be moved so you can always sit in the direction of travel Another good idea.
3. The coffee was pretty good.
4. The harbour bridge is brown
5. The opera house was a bit smaller than I thought but looked lovely in the sunset
6. Darling harbour is pretty at night, but lacks character
7. You can’t buy a pint – only schooners, which are just over 1/2 a pint. meh!
8. The traffic was terrible
9. The taxi drivers are nuts.
Which leads me on to the ride from the airport to the hotel when I first got there.
The guy was a psycho. I should have realised he accelerated over the speed bumps and practically ran other cars off the road and that was before we left the ramp out of arrivals. He was basically full on the throttle until just before the point of a fatal crash when he hit the brakes as hard as he could. I think he hit the speed limit on the way out of the airport and then back outside the hotel – other than that, warp nine all the way
He drove like a madman, but I suspect, given his nationality (which I won’t mention), this may just be the way he was taught. How we got to the hotel without killing someone or dying in a fireball I will never know – I was so scared my hands were dripping with sweat. Ferrari would be wise to seek him out for next years Grand Prix season.
Anyway – work, beer, food, wine, train, rinse, repeat.
Except for one evening, where I popped out to get a pic of Darling Harbour all lit up.
Darling Harbour
Can’t wait to go back with the missus and a lot more time.
Charlie's World 