Shark-Infested Waters

It's The Fin Edge Of The Wedge

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Some "wildlife" shots are tame in comparison with others! So I have to admit that I did not go swimming with the sharks to take this shot. It's just part of a mural here in Melbourne. The nature of the artwork is marine life, as you can see below ....


And while it's the sort of artwork that evokes images of "Finding Nemo", I have to tell you quite categorically that there is nothing fishy about the quality of the images.


Lucky it's all decent quality, although I could not spot a signature on the huge mural. You're going to ask me what size it is, right? I'm thinking about three metres tall by five metres wide. And no, there were no damp squibs, although there were a few damp squids!

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U Is For Unusual

Gold, Er, Cold Prospector

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

One of the things I really appreciate about photography is that it has always enhanced my avid interest in everything around me. I was wrapping up a week in the Yukon in the first week of September last year, but could not bring myself to put my camera down.

There was just too much to see. Every street, every corner held a chance to shoot another image.

I had just finished a late lunch at Whitehorse and had about ninety minutes to kill before I left for the airport. Rather than sit down and spend a lazy spell, I opted to walk around and photograph as many scenes as I could.

I reckon I shot more than 100 frames in that time. The weather was beautiful, it was a sunny autumn afternoon and I was walking around a car park when this sight caught my eye.

A huge mural was painted on the side of a building. If the first photograph looks like a painting, it’s simply because of the way I’ve framed it. It’s the tightest of the six frames I shot very quickly, and I did that because I wanted the external pipe and the "No Standing" sign to be subtle clues without destroying the surprise.


If you look only at the first frame, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s an oil painting. It’s only when you start running your eye over the other images on this post that you realise how clever the artwork is and how beautifully the artist has incorporated the many irregular surfaces on the building’s façade.

It’s an intriguing piece of giant art, but I have no idea who actually painted it. I could not find a plaque with the artist’s name, but I have to conclude that the project was either organised or endorsed by the authorities of Whitehorse.

For a region that is famous for its gold rush folklore, history and culture, this rendering of a prospector would have to be a fitting tribute to a memorable period of Klondike history.


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Don't Dampen Your Spirit

Closed Encounters Of The Third Kind

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These were not the easiest shots to take, because I had the sun coming strongly at my lens from about thirty degrees to my left. But a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do, right? So I cupped my left hand around my lens hood and did the best I could do in the circumstances.

It’s a great door, isn’t it? Double door, really. Wooden surface. Painted yellow. Great stonemasonry surrounding it. But what sort of door is it? And how do you get to it?

Here’s an interesting piece of information. You can’t just walk up to it. Not so easy, mate. Why? You want to know why? Here’s why ….


It’s got about 10 metres of water in front of it. But yes, there is access. Let me explain. This is part of a side wall at a major Melbourne swimming centre with four pools. This is one of the smallest pools and yes, there is a walkway leading to the yellow door, but you can barely see it because of the angle of these shots.

It’s simply a door that leads to a storage area. But someone with a flair for design has endowed it with a special character all of its own. The aquatic mural is, of course, painted. And the stonemasonry? Yep, that’s painted on the wall as well.


For earlier posts in this series, check out The Doors Archive.