Glendale Auto Show -- Oct. 22

There was a car show in Glendale Town Center today.  The weather was sunny with a high in the mid-90s.  Car shows are always great to photograph with all the colors and customizing that are present.  I favor photographing the under-hood areas because of the amount of detail there.  It does present a challenge though, since there is such a range of dark and bright there -- especially in the bright sun with the shadows and glare.  That's why HDR photography is great in this case.  I take a series of 3 shots -- normal, underexposed, and overexposed and then combine them in a software program called Photomatix.  This usually gives a good tone balance to the final image.  I hand hold the camera and fire off 3 fast shots and the program combines them.  The only thing to worry about are the reflections in the bright chrome and the effect if someone in the picture is moving.

Here are some of my favorite photos taken today.

Sydney Farewell–Busses and Boats–Oct. 17

Since this was my last day in Sydney and Australia, I decided to see as much as possible.  So I bought a day transportation pass, which allowed me to travel as much as I wanted on the city’s busses, ferries, and trains.  I first took a ferry boat to Manly, which is an upscale beach community.  It was a pretty town with a central pedestrian area.  The water was cold so there were not any bathers, just a few surfers in their wet suits.  The ride did give a good view of the harbour area.

Then I took a bus to Bondi Beach.  This is probably the most famous beach in Australia.  It was a large sandy beach with large waves, but again a bit too cold for the bathers.  Just a few more surfers, and a motorcycle group touring the area.  I got off the bus in a few places on the way back just to see some of the local sights.

As a finish to my touring, I took another ferry boat to Darlington Harbour.  This is a large tourist area with a lot of restaurants and other attractions.  It also allowed for a good view of another section of the city’s skyline.  It also provided another viewpoint for the bridge in the late sun and at nite.

Well, that ended my 5 week tour of Australia.  I saw a lot and did a lot.  It was a great time but it will be good to get back home.  Now comes the fun in going through over 5000 photos I’ve taken to get rid of the duds and organize and edit the remainder.

Walking The Bridge–Oct. 16

I decided to walk across the Harbour Bridge today to see how Sydney looked from the other side.  Bridge walking is very popular, especially today as they had closed several lanes for a biking day and then there was also something called a Buddy Walk.  Then there were numerous joggers and also gawkers like yours truly who just admires the scenery and stops to take pictures and plugs up the walking traffic.  The view was great from the other side.  There was also an amusement park called Luna Park where the admission is free and just pay for the rides.

Walking back across the bridge seemed longer as there was more foot traffic and the sun was warmer.  I also noticed a group of bridge climbers who pay to go along the upper structure of the bridge, with their special uniforms and gear – I did not partake in that.

After a brief rest back at the hostel, I got on the free bus and took it to Paddy’s market, which is a HUGE flea market with hundreds of vendors near Chinatown.  I bought 2 nice looking Australian polo shirts.  Walking a bit, I went to Queen Victoria Building, an arcade-like shopping mall with interesting architectural features inside.  Then back on the bus back to the hostel.

I went out for a while at dusk.  There must have been a fire at the wharf restaurant where the cruise ship was parked yesterday.  There were numerous emergency vehicles around.  They were pumping water in the building and all the patrons and staff were all congregating out in the street.  Went back to the hostel and admired the waterfront in the dark from the outdoor terrace.  The opera house exterior was lit up.

Goodbye Hobart–Hello Sydney–Oct. 15

I left Hobart in the morning in the mist.  I went to a viewpoint overlooking the city and took my last shots.

Then on to Sydney.  The plane was delayed about an hour.  And the shuttle ride into the city was a long one.  I arrived at the Sydney Harbour YHA  shortly after 2 pm.  The hostel is first class and is just a short walk from the Circular Quay, which is in the center of all the action.  I am in a 4 person room with a private bath in it,  only problem is I got top bunk.  The hostel has a deck which overlooks the harbour as you can see from the pics.

There was a huge cruise ship parked in the harbour and the market was open for the weekend right below the hostel.  So there was a lot of activity going on.  As usual, there were scores of wedding pictures being taken around the scenic areas.  The cruise ship left port at dusk and I was there to get a few good shots of the harbour using my tripod.