Laughing in the Rain :

the rain is back …

everything a-wash in a minute !

There must be an old proverb that says “He/she who rides fastest in the rain gets the wettest bum”, or so it seemed, as I was passed by lots of riders with sporty G.T. stripes up their backs today.

I always bless my mudguards on such days, as I tootle merrily along on the wet track…

my trusty speedwell

wetter the better ?

 

Just as in a car – if you go too fast, you can miss things:

today on the harbour

a picture waiting to be taken …

 

I am also grateful for hub/coaster brakes in the rain as the spongy rim brakes do their “zero G” thingy. What luxury – on this bike I have both !

Disc brakes ? Too complicated, leave them on cars, thanks…

a rain-foresty fernleigh track 

Anyway rainy+cloudy+sunny days are often great for landscape photography, even if there aren’t many lovely bikes around.

a friendly dude at the beach

 

three on a misty lens

Is there some kind of message here ?

 

Today was something of a fluoro safety vest day, and don’t those boring things just spoil good bike photos ? The tunnel, however, always has something to offer …

hand in the air

and a dark ghost who walks in the sodium glare

All pics were taken today.

 

 

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Some Autumn Happy Snaps :

My bike re-cycling activities have gone somewhat quiet lately, due to work commitments and such – not to mention that I now have far too many bikes already to add any more – sigh … however, there are some re-recyclings of (and additions to) my existing bicycles being planned. In the meantime, here are some recent “Out and About” shots taken on local cycling forays :

gazelle and pelicans – swansea

fishing – belmont south

young cyclist – newcastle harbour

red trike – blacksmiths

tuggerah cycle path

from swansea bridge

in jesmond park

moving rider (bloggie lo-lite) – newastle harbour

‘Til next time …

 

 

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Fernleigh Impressions :

Late afternoon “bloggie” photos on Fernleigh track – letting the low-light blur create its own atmosphere, as I am inclined to do:

an invitation to rest

child’s play

daydreaming at speed

overtaken

 

 

 

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From Night into Day :

a bloggie lo-lite shot

gull wings

it’s getting there

a street cleaner

a lonely buoy

 

solar rays

gold and grey – a kind of beauty

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Fernleigh Favourites :

A few recent shots of Fernleigh Track folk :

downhill to adamstown

a head full of light

stopped for a moment

hey !

in pink

who's walking who ?

heading home

 

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Impressions – Bicycle Dreaming :

Taken on a misty morning commute today …

broadmeadow rail

verandah (impression)

kooragang

branches

toward orica

wreck

the high level bridge

road king

Was I awake ?

 

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Morningrise :

Awoke to stars, left under clouds …. racing from the dark and rain — only a couple of hardy ones on the track this morning. Light reflecting puddles in the city — I missed the worst and found the best, on a starry-cloudy morning :

harbour icon #1

harbour icon #2

the sky is falling

morning rise

shared path

into the trees

orica in grey

dreaming blur

Here’s to underwater sunlight.

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Bloggie Lo-lite in Fernleigh Tunnel #2 :

I had some errands to run today, so I took the Fernleigh Track from Belmont to Burwood Road at Kahibah, then Kahibah road to Charlestown and to Kotara via the pleasant Raspberry Gully and Kullaiba Reserves, returning via the Track. There wasn’t much time for photos as the day was becoming unpleasantly hot, but I did click off a “lo-lite” sequence in the tunnel to see how the restored Malvern Star would look :

Perhaps a little indulgent, but fun to do ! The Sony Bloggie is the older model with the swivelling lens.

I am rediscovering the magic of single speed riding and though I do love my gears,  I only had to push up a few hills today and didn’t think the ride was any slower than on my geared bikes. There is a certain joy in responding to undulating terrain with varying cadence and effort. Fernleigh Track in particular is gradual, and doesn’t really need low gears at all to be enjoyed.

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“Bloggie Lo-lite” in Fernleigh Tunnel :

I like bicycling and photography, especially when I can do them both together !   In the Fernleigh Tunnel on the cycle track near Adamstown there is a long row (c. 250metres) of sodium lights that casts a yellow-orange glow to the eye.

This magically shifts toward red on a long exposure in my Sony “bloggie” camera. To make use of this effect I use a moving subject that is travelling approximately the same speed as  the camera ( my bike, usually, or a cyclist in front of me )

This gives a distorted but recognisable image, compared with the near tunnel walls or ground that are blurred by the long exposure – usually 1-5 seconds as the camera tries to gather enough light to make the exposure. In the middle of the tunnel the redness is strongest, while near each end it is mixed with the daylight.

The process should work with any digital camera with “flash off”, and any bike with a bit of shine -  my favourite bike for this is my Gazelle because it has lots of shiny bits and a distinctively shaped front end :

This technique works well with self portraits too if you have a camera with lens and display on the same side, such as the “bloggie”. The strip “header” image of this blog was also made in the tunnel.

Here is a more abstract view of my old speedwell, to finish – I will add that I am careful to see that there is nothing coming in the opposite direction when doing “bloggie lo-lite” photography ! :

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