Victoria

In the window of an art shop in Fitzroy, the bohemian neighborhood. I did a double take at this one. The use of biological images and styles in putting this together is what really impresses me the most. It also speaks to me about how similar people are and the ridiculous nature of division and discrimination.

The building is the tallest in Melbourne and has the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere on the 88th story. It is slender black glass and sharp lines. The building just reeks of modern cool and seems like it would be at home in Singapore or Hong Kong. And then there are giant golden bees over the entrance. Totally incongruous.

On the north side of the Yarra River are the historical buildings and churches. On the south side are the modern high rises and the casino. The south side has a row of stone pillars that shoot fire in a show every hour at night. They don't come out great in photos. The north side has this response, old mythology creatures that seem somehow boat-y to me. These were taken right after a fire show.

Marco and Alex playing air hockey in a bowling alley in the casino. This place was simultaneously enthralling and appalling. It was a lot quieter than a Dave and Busters which I really appreciated. But it still had the same level of money-stealing, ticket-dispensing games so people could save up for a rice cooker or an iphone case. We wandered around for an hour just gawking.

Outside the Botanical Gardens, which are allegedly some of the best in the world. They are certainly pretty. I really like the composition of the shot, but the lighting isn't right and the picture didn't come out like I saw it. I want a cooler sky in the background for the shot, or something to give it a little more impact, but I'll have to sacrifice the shadows to get that.

This flower looks like a tropical bird. The shot isn't great, but it gives that impression at least. This was the first cool plant we came across at the BG. Marco and Alex got out their cameras too, and from that point on we were a band of three caffeinated photo-taking tourists.

Pretty flowers! A whole big bush of them! And so I played around with the pinhole camera setting on my point and shoot. It tries to turn my digital into a Holga. It does a good job on the shading, but the focus is still solid all the way out which isn't right. I do like the sort of haunting feeling the effect gives me, even on pretty happy things.

I must have taken 50 pictures of the flowers here. Maybe 10 came out decent. Only 2 that I uploaded. This was one of the clinchers for my decision to get a new camera. I can't control focus, aperture, speed, or anything. I have so many well lined up shots that the focus just would not lock on to what I wanted. I was so happy to get this shot, not necessarily because it is fantastic but because it is what I wanted to take a picture of.

Black swan in direct sunlight on dark water. Talk about difficult conditions to capture as my eye sees them. I didn't really do it either, I just was pleased enough with this one to put it up. And only because I lined up the shot the way I wanted it and you can see his gimp foot. The leg was up on his back the whole time. I have no idea what that was about.

Melbourne Library - La Trobe Reading Room. The architecture is fantastic. I feel like I'm living in old plantation America in here, except for the fact that I'm usually on my computer. The room looks awesome at least, and it is so much more impressive to be in. You feel dwarfed by the enormity of it. And yet there are no massive crowds here the way I would expect at home. I really feel at peace here.

Sunset over St. Kilda beach. Who doesn't love sunset?

St. Kilda beach sunset. It was the first beach sunset I've seen here. Beautiful. Though I'm told that this beach is nothing compared to almost every other beach in the country, so I'm prepared to witness the amazing beauty of nature. We were just getting here as this was happening so we weren't really relaxed or able to take it in the way I would have liked. I'm beginning to think I'm the only person in the world who believes in showing up to a place at the time I said I'm going to show up.

On the St. Kilda pier is a protected colony of penguins. You can chill on the boardwalk about a meter away from them. They just sit and waddle around and wait for Mom and Dad to come home and spit up dinner. They are fairly adorable. I did think "PENGUINS!!" a few times.