Festival of the Solstice

The ocean heals my spirit, it is where I find peace. If I am away from it for too long I feel agitated. My father taught me to love the ocean. From the time we came to Australia he had boats, not big flash ones, just something to get him away from the every day and out where freedom and happiness lies. I wanted to scatter his ashes into the ocean but he told mum not to and I had to respect that. But I will always associate him with  being on the water.

Visit City Daily Photo's Festival of the Solstice page.

Theme Day - The Creative Artisan

To see more theme day entries visit the City Daily Photo May Theme Day page.

Theme Day - Pedestrians Crossing

Probably the city's busiest crossing, the scrambled crossing at Town Hall.

To see other participants from around the world visit the City Daily Photo Theme Day.

Theme Day - Cafe Chairs

No-one said they had to be in a cafe.

For more chairs, visit City Daily Photo's March Theme Day.

Waitangi Day

Kiwi shoe polish was developed in Australia and is now part of the Sara Lee Corporation, so no connection to New Zealand there. Then I found this:

In 1906, William Ramsay had developed an unusually fine boot polish to which he gave the name ‘KIWI’. The choice of the name KIWI as a trademark was a tribute to William’s wife who was a native of New Zealand, home of the KIWI bird and New Zealand's national emblem. During Ramsay's visit to New Zealand he had noticed the quaint, wingless birds with their crisp, glossy plumage. The kiwi bird design looked good on the small round tin, and the name was easy to see and attractive to look at.

Happy Waitangi Day, Kiwis.

Visit the City Daily Photo Waitangi Day page.

Did it

This is what I wanted to do for the last theme day. Not quite right, but getting there and at least I figured out how to do it.

Australia Day

Australia's convict past at Port Arthur in Tasmania.

Visit the City Daily Photo National Day - Australia Day theme page.

Theme Day - Festival of the Belly Button

This is one of the photos from my very first City Daily Photo post on this blog on 10 May 2008.  This was taken with a little, red, Olympus point and shoot camera without manual mode. I also had a Canon 400D but was only using that on the "P" setting. I could still get lucky and take a good photo but I didn't know why it worked.

Since then I have learnt to use a camera, taken various courses in different aspects of photography (I know what makes a good photo even if  I can't always do it) and upgraded the Olympus to a Canon S90 which is pocket size but has full manual operation (and is due for a further upgrade), and the 400D to a 60D. I have also gained the confidence to photograph people, particularly street photography, and love playing with black and white conversion, particularly learning what will and won't work. 

For more belly button gazing visit City Daily Photo's Theme Day.

Theme Day - Water's Edge

To dip your toes at the water's edge around the world visit the City Daily Photo November Theme Day.

Theme Day - Silhouetttes

You can get some interesting effects when you get your camera wet and the lens keeps fogging up. Thankfully it was the little one, not the SLR.

Theme Day - People Watching

For more people watching visit the City Daily Photo September Theme Day page.

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White. 

Theme Day - Numbers

You should be able to find more Theme Day numbers on the City Daily Photo Facebook page

Theme Day - Chimneys

A selection of chimneys, industrial and domestic, some I've shown before some I haven't.

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White. 

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Theme Day - Tranquility

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Theme Day - Cobblestones/Monochrome Weekend

This is the entry to the yard of Old Kent House in Kent Street (looking from the yard to the street), one of the few remaining "cart and courtyard" warehouses, common in the city's western precinct during the late 19th century. This information came from my 2008 post on this building however, a search through the Heritage Register indicates that its most likely the Guide House and adjoining buildings, its the only entry I can find that mentions the steel tracks.

For more cobblestones please visit the relocated April City Daily Photo Theme Day which, thanks to Julie at Sydney Eye is a temporary solution to the hacking of CDP for those of us with withdrawal symptoms.

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White. 

Theme Day - Electricity

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Theme Day - Animals

No idea where it came from, or where it went, but it was there in the evening in the same spot for a few nights late last year.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Photo of the Year 2011

Here are some of my favourites from the past year.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR!!!

Theme Day - Fences

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Theme Day - Mystery Object

Its a shoe. But what's it doing there?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants