Social distancing
With a camera in my hand:
The world seems simpler
Beautiful sunset over the lake earlier this evening. It was a lovely way to end the day.
Haiku and photos © CJ Levinson 2020
Sunset 23/04/2020
poem
Sunset 17/12/19
A bright sun descends
From an orange sky,
A portent
Of things to come
Watching the sun go down from the lookout at Green Point Reserve. After the weeks of smoke in the air from the bushfires, it was nice seeing the sun and a clear sky again, even if it’s probably not going to last for long unfortunately.
Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2019
Sunset at Pelican
The sky catches fire:
My eyes search the horizon
For your gentle face
The photo group I run met at Pelican last Sunday. I was excited for the shoot as it’s one of my very favourite spots to shoot around Lake Macquarie and not many people had shot there before. When the conditions are right it can be a real gem.
So I was hoping we’d get a beautiful sunset and it didn’t disappoint! Once the sun had just dipped below the horizon, the sky became this incredible canvas of blue, orange, yellow and purple. We all got some nice shots and I was very happy with how these long exposures came out.
There was also a beautiful crescent moon which I managed to get a shot of afterwards. I don’t tend to shoot the moon when it’s not full, this reminded me I should do it more often. The slither of light against the darkness is quite striking.
Photos and haiku © CJ Levinson 2019
Pelicans at Pelican
Pelicans glide
On the water
As the sun sets
On another day
Pelicans on the water at Pelican. The dusk light was beautiful. The perfect way to end the day.
Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2019
The Obelisk
The Obelisk
For one hundred and seventy years
I have stood high atop this hill
A lone sentry watching over
The ever-changing skyline below
This place changes constantly
The boundaries always shifting
As the water meets the city
And the city meets the bush
Yet through all the changes
Still I remain
Standing tall
Surveying the world below
I was built as a guide for the mariners
A beacon on the hill
Where the old windmill used to stand
In my heyday I was magnificent
A gleaming monument
Visible for miles along the coast
During storms and calm seas alike
I would point you towards
The port of Newcastle
With its promise of safe harbour,
A hot meal, a warm bed,
And work in its growing industries
But now I am older
And the world I knew has changed
I have lived through great wars
And seen times of depression and despair
I have seen the birth of Federation
And watched the rise and fall of kings
I have been burnt by lightning
Broken by earthquakes
Desecrated by vandals
Surrounded by weeds
Oh the stories I could tell
But no one wants to listen
And so after almost two centuries
Still I stand here
Atop this hill
Watching the world go by
And I find myself wondering,
Will I still be here in another century
Or will I have been replaced
By something new?
Something more like the buildings below
That have replaced the green trees
That were once my friends
But now are only memories from long ago
Poem and photo © CJ Levinson 2018
Boats on the Belmont Foreshore
Grey skies
And deep waters
Hold many secrets
But I keep none from you
Just a simple shot from a few weeks ago. It feels very calm and peaceful and I really like how the colours contrast with the grey water and sky.
I gave it a bit of a subtle, vintage-style edit as well. I like it, it reminds me a little of the Kodak film I used to shoot with years ago.
Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018
Ghosts on the Sand
Wet feet
Childish laughter
Footprints in the sand:
Memories to cherish
I took this shot at Nobby’s Beach in Newcastle earlier this afternoon. It was a bit of a tricky shot as while I liked the way the light was falling on the headland and how it contrasted with the water and the rocks, there was an ugly wire fence in the way and none of the compositions I tried seemed to work very well.
I finally managed to find this composition by pushing the camera through a small space in the fence and just as I was ready to take the shot, a couple of children wandered into the bottom left of the frame. They had lots of fun running up to the water and jumping in, then squealing and rushing back the other way as the tide suddenly came back in.
I thought I’d try to capture some of that in the photo so I set up for a longer exposure. This was the result, I really like it… the motion blur’s almost made them look like ghosts playing on the sand. It captures the scene quite nicely.
Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018
The Lake at Night
In the dark night
The world looks similar
But different;
I walk on
I took these photos along the Belmont lakefront last night. It was a lovely clear night and I thought it was a good chance to see how my new camera performed at night as well as to stretch my legs.
I used to do quite a bit of night photography in Sydney but it’s not something I’ve done as much of lately. I’ll have to do more of it. Night shots can look quite unique, particularly street photography, and I like how it can give a new perspective to subjects you’ve photographed before as well.
Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018
Seagulls by the Lake
A cold wind blows
As I sit and watch
The sun set
And the seagulls swarm
I took this down by the lake in Belmont this afternoon. The light was beautiful as the sun started to go down but it was bitterly cold, particularly in the wind. It made for some nice choppy waves on the water though.
The seagulls were everywhere too. Unfortunately I didn’t have any chips for them but these two were kind enough to pose for me anyway. 😉
Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018