Through the Grass

Through the Grass

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”
—Dorothea Lange

I took this shot on the weekend near the 16s in Belmont. It was just before sunset and I really liked the way the light was reflecting off the water and falling on the grass. There was a nice breeze too and the whole scene felt very warm and peaceful.

In editing it I wanted the photo to have a bit of a vintage, filmic feel as I thought it really leant itself to that style and my landscapes seem to have been moving more towards that lately. I guess it’s normal for our tastes to change and I feel a bit nostalgic for film as well sometimes. Maybe I’ll have to pick up a film camera second-hand to play with.

Photo © CJ Levinson 2018

Looking Across Warners Bay

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” — Ansel Adams

I took these photos a couple of days ago at Warners Bay. It’s a beautiful area, one of my favourite places to sit and take some photos as the sun goes down, although unfortunately on this day it was a bit clouded over. The clouds gave the scene a nice atmosphere though and the light was very soft and even.

I was in two minds about going originally as I thought it might rain but I decided to risk it as I hadn’t been to the foreshore in a while and I really wanted to get a shot with this sculpture that was installed there recently.

The sculpture is called Soloist by Alex Seton and it’s a very interesting piece, definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. Ironically it was actually an accident that it ended up on the foreshore at all – Seton had been commissioned to do another work by the Lake Macquarie City Council for its Creative Lake Art Trail but the piece wasn’t ready in time, so Seton lent Soloist in its place until the other work could be installed. But the sculpture created a lot of interest and debate and it’s now staying permanently.

I really like it and I think it suits the landscape perfectly. There is something very meditative about it and it makes me think of the importance of finding your peace in our hectic world, of allowing yourself a moment to just sit still and be. I guess that was the feeling I wanted to try to capture in the photos. I think they came out quite well in the end.

Photos © CJ Levinson 2018

Mr Percival

Mr Percival the Pelican

Nature’s prime favourites were the Pelicans;
High-fed, long-lived, and sociable and free.
~ James Montgomery

The weather has been pretty wet and ordinary around Lake Macquarie lately, not the best for taking photos, although given how bad the drought is in NSW I don’t think anyone minds the rain. It was nice today though, sunny with a bit of a breeze, so I thought I’d go for a walk by the lake to stretch my legs and take a few shots.

I got a new camera the other day, a Sony A6500, and I’d been looking forward to putting it through its paces. So I was very happy when I came across Mr Percival the Pelican here as he made a very good model and seemed more than happy to pose for me! I guess the fame from Storm Boy has gone to his head.

The light around sunset was beautiful and I really like how the shot came out. Simple but sometimes that’s all you need.

Thank you, Mr Percival. You can pose for me any time. 😉

Photo © CJ Levinson 2018

Marble Birthday Cake

Marble Birthday Cake
“A birthday—and now a day that rose
With much of hope, with meaning rife—
A thoughtful day from dawn to close:
The middle day of human life.”
Jean Ingelow

I turned 27 today. I’ve never been that big on birthdays so I’ve just had a quiet day at home with my family today. I spent the afternoon looking through some old photos and keepsakes as well which was nice. It’s become a bit of a birthday tradition over the years.

My father bought this cake from Michel’s Patisserie earlier today as well as a birthday treat. It’s a mix of milk chocolate and white chocolate mud cake with just a hit of rum. It was delicious and almost too pretty to eat! Almost. 😉