FITZROY (Melbourne’s first suburb)

Yesterday, I caught a bus, and then tram, over to an inner suburb I haven’t been to in many, many years.  I don’t know why (as it is renowned for its Street Art and one of Melbourne’s vibrant entertaining areas – very Bohemian in fact – great for artists, and………..photographers).

Superb weather and blue skies but I was overdressed and got so hot that I made it a pretty short walk (compared to my usual long stroll).  I spoke to one of the young local street artists taking a break in the shade of a building (opposite to the one he was working on).  He suggested I go to Rose Street, Fitzroy to see some great Street Art (which was some blocks away, a bit of a long walk for me in the heat of the bright sun).  But I made it.

Many shops were closed for the Christmas/New Year break, but there were many others, (including bars and restaurants), open.

Fitzroy was planned as Melbourne’s first suburb and is located about 2 kilometres north-east of Melbourne’s CBD.

Brunswick Street is one of the main streets in the area and has changed (or should I say revitalised) into a lively stretch of old (about mid to late 1800s) terraced shops, hotels and eateries with a sort of …………. Grungy, Quirky style that is irresistible to someone like me with an interest in history, cafe society and camera in hand.

I love the peeling paint and multi-layered posters curling up on some of the walls – quite a highlight of the exterior façade of many of the buildings.

I’ll go back another day and make some more photos for you.  My 50mm f1.4 prime lens was fabulous in this area, but in the narrow lanes I had to resort to my ‘wonky’ unreliable 18-200mm lens because I couldn’t get far enough back to capture the whole length of the murals I saw.

CHRISTMAS WISHES

Best Wishes for a Wonderful Christmas to all. Hope 2015 brings everything on your Wish List and a whole lot more.  Remember the best time of your life is Right Now……..This Very Moment……..Make the most of it (as it will never come again).

MORETON BAY FIG (Ficus macrophylla) – Treasury Gardens, Melbourne

I’ve never pretended to be a landscape photographer.

Partly because I say I rarely get to a location where I can take Landscape photos.  I seem to associate the word ‘Landscapes‘ with countryside or mountains.  The truth is that there are some landscape scenes within my inner city surroundings – I just don’t seem to see them.  I’m always looking at the small details around me (and rarely at the big picture).

When I walked through the long avenue of Moreton Bay Fig trees to my medical appointment yesterday, I was determined to try to capture the height of these enormous trees and the long avenue in these gardens.  Finally, after many attempts, I feel as though I got the composition right.  You really need people walking down the pathway to put the tree height in perspective.  These trees are massive and their root structure above the ground is often long like the tentacles of an octopus.  The Moreton Bay Fig trees are grown along the east coast of Australia….mainly in the northern states. These trees in the Treasury Gardens (just below the Treasure Buildings on the eastern edge of Melbourne’s CBD) were probably planted in the early 1860s to get to this height.

I wonder how tall they are in the wild?

COFFEE BREAK – Hosier Lane, Melbourne

STOP (I want my photo taken) – Hosier Lane, Melbourne

HOLE IN THE WALL – Hosier Lane, Melbourne