Chinatown Wander – Part 2

May 30, 2014 Sandra Graham Leave a comment

I wandered under Market City and into Paddy’s Markets. First, there were the bric-a-brac stalls. I liked this selection of hats. The Panama hat is cool again, it seems.

I was more attracted to the food stalls. This spice stall sold all kinds of goodies.

But most fascinating of all was the fruit and veg section. These days it’s dominated by Asian families.

Fruit and veg businesses are known for their long hours, but even though I passed by in the afternoon these ladies were still fast and efficient.

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Chinatown Wander – Part 1

May 29, 2014 Sandra Graham Leave a comment

It’s interesting how shooting a roll of film makes you think more about what you shoot. Black and white film and processing is so expensive these days that I didn’t want to waste too many shots if I could help it. I wanted to take some more interesting streetscapes, and inspired by Joan’s recent shots of the city, I headed into Chinatown.

The sights and smells certainly brought back memories. I went to university just around the corner and so frequently came down these streets in search of lunch. Although we certainly didn’t have Emperor’s Puff in my time.

The street corner was still busy with students.

This Irish salesman was a new addition though.

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Going Home

May 27, 2014 Sandra Graham Leave a comment

For Bridie Beagle, a car ride is almost as good as a walk as one of her favourite things. She particularly likes car rides, so she was raring to go on the trip back to Sydney from Somersby.

She liked the smells of the bush.

And going around corners.

She wasn’t too happy when we closed her window on the freeway.

And so was ecstatic when we came back into Sydney.

Even the traffic and skyscrapers didn’t faze her, as long as her window was open.

Ah, to be a beagle…

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A Bit of Autumn Colour

May 26, 2014 Sandra Graham Leave a comment

I did see a bit of autumn colour on the Central Coast, courtesy of a short drive up to the hinterland village of Somersby. There were a few trees turning by the roadside that warranted a few shots.

It has been a strange autumn and even though it’s still warm enough to wear shorts and t-shirt during the middle of the day, I dearly want to be able to break out the winter coats soon. I’ll just have to look at more of these photos and dream on.

Somersby was also a prime spot for Gymea lilies. Unfortunately, it seemed to be the end of the flowering season, but I found one that still had its bloom. At four or so metres tall, they’re truly spectacular flowers.

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Goin’ on an Easter Holiday – Part 2

May 25, 2014 Sandra Graham Leave a comment

There were plenty of dogs and their owners enjoying the beach in the off-leash area.

We saw dogs off all shapes and sizes – fluffy terriers.

Playful retrievers.

Obedient labradors.

Our beagle enjoyed the smells, the digs, and the socialising.

All in all, a lovely afternoon out.

Little did we know that this weather was to stick around for another month – perhaps even longer!

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Goin’ on an Easter Holiday – Part 1

May 24, 2014 Sandra Graham Leave a comment

The rain eventually cleared, and the temperature warmed up once again. When we went down to the beach, we weren’t too surprised to find it a bit busier than usual, although I suppose it was nothing compared to somewhere more touristy, like Terrigal. I loaded up old OM-2 film camera to capture the scenes.

The swell was up due to the storms, so there were lots of eager surfers heading to the water.

Surfers of all ages and genders, I was glad to see.

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Goin’ Fishin’

May 18, 2014 Sandra Graham Leave a comment

We were invited by a Central Coast friend to fish off his boat on Brisbane Waters during Easter. It was a calm, cloudy day. I particularly liked the calm bit as I get seasick pretty easily.

We anchored off the village of Davistown, which was supposed to be a good spot. I was a complete fishing novice, but Hubby and his mate L were pretty serious about getting a catch, with a tackle box filled with lures and sinkers, and three types of bait at the ready for every eventuality.

I did get my first catch – a bream – but it was so small that we had to throw it back. In the end, it was L’s son that got the biggest catch that session.

The rest of the time was spent fighting the seaweed that got caught on the line and prevented any significant fish from taking the bait. It didn’t matter to me that we didn’t get anything as there was still the reflections and delicate light to capture.