new topographics Archives - s2z Photography Blog

Wordless Wednesday #2023-11-08 | 004

urban landscape in black and white of the space near the Ted Whitten Bridge in Avondale heights — Rail bridge in urban landscape circa 2013

Drossscape in flux

Some time after 2005, I photographed this caravan park that was being remodelled into something more modern.

As I work my way though my colour negative archive I’m rediscovering work. Long forgotten and seen now with fresh eyes, having seemingly more impact.

I may have even photographed around the park before its remodelling.

It’s rare that I get so many “keepers” from one or two rolls of film, of course not having looked at the images for more than a decade might have something to do with it.

Flowers cling on desperately while all around is chaos

More plant life hanging on for grim life

The original admin building with the silos in the background

Here’s a digital image made near the caravan park before demolition had begun. Taken in 2005. Look closely at the background and you’ll see several vans still in place and part of the fence.

A open field in sunshine with a disused telegraph pole in the foreground. a dramaitic sky and an old abandoned caravan park n the background. Taken in October 2005 — A drosscape in Sunshine, former caravan park seen in the background.

New Group Show ‘Sheet’ at XYZ Photogallery

I currently have some work exhibited at XYZphotogallery.

The show entitled ‘Sheet’ is a collection of work by photographers who use sheet film to make images.

XYZPhotogallery is open Winter time (standard) Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday 1:00-5:00pm (last entry) and is at 312/757 Bourke St Docklands 3008 Vic [Entry on Batmans Hill Drive

An urban bush scene in Merri Creek Thornbury, natural chaos infused with gorgeous light all in black and white. A contact print from 5 x 4 film. — Northcote #001

A contact print from 5 x 4 film. Urban landscape, of the ring road in western Melbourne. Undulating grass and a soft sky Fram a large freight train rail bridge in the background. — Avondale Heights

A contact print from 5 x 4 film. A suburban rail bridge framed by a regenerated bush scene in the inner suburb of Northcote. — Northcote #002

A contact print from 5 x 4 film. A transient area of land adjacent to the West Melbourne Yards with the CBD in the background. — West Melbourne #001

A contact print from 5 x 4 film. The West Melbourne Yards from a pedestrian bridge overlooking them in early morning light. The North Melbourne skyline dominates the background. — West Melbourne #004

A contact print from 5 x 4 film. Strong concrete forms, lit by early morning winter light with the Moonee Pads creek running though the scene still and probably stagnant. — West Melbourne #005

A contact print from 5 x 4 film. Infrastructure works frame the city skyline in West Melbourne. — West Melbourne #003

A contact print from 5 x 4 film. Marshalling yards near the Moonee Ponds creek. — West Melbourne #005

Other exhibiting Artists include:-

Zo Damage
David Patterson
Hody Hong
Ali Choudhry
Andrew Green
Mark Darragh
Ellie Young
Lachan Fysh,
Kurt Baldonado
Avner Ben-Arieh
Kevin Xue
Shea Kirk,
Mat Hughes
Keria Hudson
Charles Li
Garrie Maguire

I recently had the good fortune to stay overnight in a suburb called Frankston. While not that distant from where I live, it is far enough away to be out of the way. I haven’t walked the streets of this shopping precinct in Frankston for more years than I can remember. I in fact I may have never walked this part of Frankston. But I spent an hour or two wandering the CBD of this bayside suburb.

To say I was pleasantly surprised would be putting it mildly. I only have vague recollections of the shopping centre. It is now serviced by all the major food chains and there was lot s of pedestrian friendly “open” space.

I have to admit it’s rare that I feel a tourist in Melbourne, but here I was in Frankston feeling completely foreign; like the proverbial ‘fish out of water’. Nonetheless I could not help myself and wander about and grab a few images that caught my eye. As is often the case I found the small laneways and backstreets the most compelling.

Here’s a series of pictures I thought looked interesting.

a collection of dumped or abandoned chairs in a laneway in Frankston

Backs of older buildings often have more interesting things to see.

Murals everywhere, is it street art though?

The train station precinct in Frankston, surprisingly quiet for 8:00am on a Tuesday.

A red sign indicating the direction of the beach amongst the pedestrianised area south of the Train station.

When these pictures make it to flickr, they will be titled with their exact time, and include geotag coordinates.

Some Black and White Images From a 1998 Road Trip

I have uncovered the negs that I shot while on my big 1998 road trip. All 5×4 inch film, I’m surprised at how little of it I shot?

5x4 film shot of Port Augusta circa 1998 showing the dock and some factories on the horizon — 5×4 film shot of Port Augusta circa 1998

Desert and scrub somewhere between Whyalla and Broken Hill circa 1998

Whyalla Steelworks with the bay in the background circa 1998

Whyalla has a tennis court sport complex, circa 1998

Reset Landscape somewhere between Whyalla and Broken Hill, circa 1998 — Desert Landscape somewhere between Whyalla and Broken Hill, circa 1998

Twenty Pictures From a 1998 Road Trip

A salt lake somewhere in South Australia

Bush reserve somewhere in South Australia

tennis courts near Whyalla, South Australia — Near the sporting complex Whyalla

A nature reserve somwhere west of Whyalla

Some black and white work.

Scanning and the archive

Screen grab of scans from a 1998 trip to Whyalla — Screen grab of scans from a trip to Whyalla circa 1998

In 1998, as part of a larger and very personal quest I flew to Whyalla, in South Australia. I carried a lot of camera gear with me, so much so I was charged excess baggage on the return flight home. I flew all the way to Whyalla via Adelaide and collected a rental car there. I spent a few days exploring the area, and shot a lot of colour negative film. I remember the skies really being dramatic. I tried, in vain to capture this. I used a caravan park in Whyalla as a base and would spend all day out driving and exploring the area. I believe I got as far south as Franklin Harbour.

As I begin scanning my archive I was reminded of this trip. It was the era before the internet burst into the public consciousness. So no blogging, cloud based notes or smartphone to jot down pictorial notes. I vaguely recall borrowing a laptop from work, to write with I assume, but at this stage can only find meagre scribblings in my journals of the era.

It seems I shot about 22 rolls of 120 film on this journey, I’ve yet to count or find the black and white, either 5×4 or roll film. Of these I have edited down to about 20. Despite the problems I encountered processing the film there are still a a handful of images that resonate with me. I have yet to find the 5×4 film I shot on this trip and the one preceding it, in or about 1996 or 1997.

I plan on uploading a gallery of the colour images soon.

Wordless Wednesday #9 2022

Suburban house that is almost surreal in its grey and white colour scheme — Suburban McMansion 2022-08-30 14:08:00

Reflecting

The Changing Face of Melbourne

Last weekend I walked from a small carpark west of the CBD to the Yarra river at Spencer Street. A distance of about 2.6 kilometres one way. All up 5.1 kms return.

Upon my return I noticed an electricity tower was partially dismantled. I returned 5 days later and it has been completely removed. This view of the western edge of the CBD now clearly visible from the edge of the Moonee Ponds Creek, only because of the removed tower. I have other pictures in my archive on digital and film from this location.

Category: new topographics