2014

Branch in Black and White

| cjlevinson

Branch Against the Sky

We are all branches on
The tree of life;
We blow with
The winds of change

This is from a tree just outside my flat. It’s quite a small tree with very fragile, spindly branches and I noticed it blowing madly in the wind a few days ago while taking some sunset photos. I really liked the silhouette it made against the sky and thought it would make an interesting black and white image. I find it quite striking in a minimalist kind of way.

Photo details: Olympus OM-D E-M1 + 40-150mm f/4-5.6
1/1000 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2014

Sunrise 31/07/2014

| cjlevinson

Sunrise 31/7/2014

Goodbye grandmother
Thank you for your love
And laughter;
We will miss you

Beautiful sunrise this morning. My mother and I stayed with my grandfather last night and I took this from his balcony.

My grandmother passed away on Tuesday morning. It was a big shock to all of us and very sad but it is a bit of a blessing as well as she had terrible dementia and we’ve found some solace knowing that she is finally at peace.

She was cremated this morning. She would have loved this sunrise.

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2014

The Black Swan

| cjlevinson

Black Swan

Oh! To be like
A swan on the water
And let time
Just drift away

I was in Sydney for a couple of days this past weekend and took this in Centennial Park while I was there. I’ve always loved swans; they’re such graceful creatures and I enjoy photographing them. One of my very first photographs was of a black swan in fact. It’s nice to still be able to find new ways to photograph them after all these years.

Photo details: Olympus OM-D E-M1 + 17mm f/1.8
1/8 sec @ f/13, ISO 100

Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2014

Moonrise Reflections

| cjlevinson

Moonrise Over Jesmond

The moon hangs over
Houses, trees, grass –
I am home
But feel far away

The Moon

A couple of shots of the moon from my back veranda.

I took the first photo yesterday evening as the moon rose and the sun set; I loved the colours and the way the birds were beginning to nest. I was lucky to catch a couple of them in flight.

The second photo I took this evening. It’s fairly heavily cropped as I don’t have a long enough lens to do this kind of thing properly (hopefully one day!) but still came out reasonably well I think.

After being here for eight months, this place is starting to feel more like home now. I’m starting to get to know my way around Newcastle and once you get used to the noise, it’s not too bad.

Some days I still really miss Sydney though, particularly my friends – one of my best friends just got engaged and I’m sad I’m not there to share it with her -, and I guess that’s what the haiqua was about… how sometimes even when you feel at home, your heart can still be far away.

Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2014

Belmont Wharf in Black and White

| cjlevinson

Belmont Wharf

Dark skies hang
Over the ocean;
I dream of home
And a warm embrace

Looking across a very wet and cold Belmont wharf yesterday afternoon.

It was a miserable day yesterday and I had a medical appointment in Belmont, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have gone out in the rain. But I did anyway – only to walk straight into a tree, which broke my umbrella and my pride, and I ended up getting thoroughly soaked.

As I was wet anyway I decided to brave the wharf to take a few photos. I only had my little Olympus E-P3 with me which isn’t waterproof but luckily I managed to kept it relatively dry.

I was going for an old-fashioned, grainy black and white look with the photos. Think they came out pretty well in the end.

Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2014

Bronte Beach Sunset

| cjlevinson

Bronte Beach Sunset

Two birds fly
Over the ocean
As the sun sets
On another day

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago while I was in Sydney for a couple of days. These two beautiful multicoloured birds came out of nowhere and circled the beach for several minutes. Everyone just stopped what they were doing and stared at them. I managed to get a quick shot before they disappeared.

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2014