Merry merry king of the bush is he

When I referred to a series of pictures of birds up stuff, I thought I'd already posted this one from the Otways.

Some of the artier pics from the weekend

While taking these pictures I had a very pleasant double-take moment that says, 'Blimey, I live in Australia.'

It's hard not to think of Yoda when watching Koalas.

Really like this picture. The colours and the light worked out very nicely. Gotta love long lenses. And the subject was very accommodating, and, I might add, tufty of ear. (Yes, it is on the main blog too.)

Just try not to think of the theme tune for Johnny Briggs.

The latest entry in my oft-visited category of 'birds up things'.

Sleepy Leo Peo. Shh!

Edits welcome

P.S. If anyone has a mind to crop, recolour etc. any of these shots, be my guest - always open for ideas how to take better pics.

Melbourne shots

My favourite supposedly arty photos since arriving in Melbourne. Again, all have appeared on the blog before.

Favourite photos from our time in Sydney

In no particular order, previously posted blog pictures collected here for being ones I like. I make no apology for my love affair with the SOH. I miss it.

NB: All are clickable to get the full-size version.

OK, version one it is

Yeah, I think that's my preference too. I like the other glasses being in focus in the second picture, but the full glass really needs to be in focus, I guess. In hindsight I think I would have arranged the middle glass to overlap a bit more with the full one.

But thanks for the authentic-sounding crit, though, Dr G. To think I had chiaroscuro elements and shades of Bonnard. My favourite bit is the blurry speechmaker. Sort of coherent, innit. Replete.

So, er, what do you think about the other ones? Be cruel.

I like the ladders one. 'Ladders', you see, plural innit, cos there's, like, a LADDER, then there's like, a SHADOW of a ladder, then - and this is the REALLY clever bit - there's like, bricks, and they look a BIT LIKE A LADDER. Eh? Eh? See?

I like the 'crop circles' one cos it's got foreground and midground (sort of) and background, and there are circles everywhere (clever eh?). I don't know why that's nice but I find it so. It needs somethingr, I can see that, but I'm not sure what.

I also like the shadows and textures on 'number five' (that would make a nice painting), the personality and composition of 'look at me', and the way I've caught the people in the various tractor shots. (Apologies for the preeminence of tractors here. There were a lot about, and I was in a photo mood. Unavoidable.) 'Tractor jam' would be better if I'd caught the left and rightmost men's faces. It's about them, that one.

Also they look better in their big versions. Particularly 'Six Eight'. The colours could be better on that one but I like the fag man on his tiny tractor, with the other one in front. I'm going through a depth of field phase, as also evinced on 'Breather'. Just an interesting-looking bloke, hat on, foot up, kicking back.

"The Speeches"

Be interested to hear from anyone who cares which of these they think is better. You know, artistically and stuff. 'Neither' is a perfectly good answer.

South Wales, mid-August 2006

A cave. (Not that good a picture, but it was gorgeous inside. So to speak.)

"Ladders"

"Look at me!"

"Number Five"

Steam Fair, nr Hastings, Aug 6th 2006

"Six Eight"

"Tractor Jam"

"Crop Circles"

"Workings"

"Breather"