Spiders in the Winter Sunshine.

I can never resist a good back-lit morning (or dusk) photo. These were from this morning's heavy fog and the discovery of a myriad of spider's webs that were all over the grass. Further up the drive the industrious arachnids had covered every rose bush with webs and everywhere you looked there were white strands covered in tiny droplets of water draped over nearly every plant. Next time I might get out the macro.

Jed Hill - tattooist.

I've known Jed Hill for more than 20 years and back in the Live To Ride days he and I used to judge a lot of tattoo shows together, so he's fairly comfortable with me when I poke a camera in his face. I decided to shoot Jed for the MAPping Group's photo essay on Ballarat as he's been a long-time tattooist in the town and always has the right expression for a portrait. What I like about this pic of Jed is that only took a few minutes to organise and to move a couple of lights around in his studio to get the result I wanted. He hadn't long finished the back job on his partner so the colours looked really good in the low light.

The Ballarat Saleyards.

Another part of "MAPping Ballarat" involved getting pics of the local farmers in the pre-dawn darkness of the saleyards, which for me was a lucky quirk of fate. This was due to the cancellation of our first balloon flight over Ballarat, as the weather was not the best for a balloon flight.



It gave me the opportunity to race back to the saleyards as I'd noticed activity there on the way past and had thought how good it would be to photograph this scene. These farmers bustle around in the early morning gloom, illuminated by strip flouro lighting, in preparation for the days sales, and it gave me an opportunity to do a bit of "fly on the wall" photography.




Having a camera that can be rated at 6400ASA helps too as it allows you to shoot in very low light, with very little apparent noise, which is a quantum leap in digital technology.

Ballarat Bare Foot Bowling.

Another great part of Ballarat life which was captured as part of my involvement in MAPping Ballarat is the tradition of "Bare Foot Bowling". On many a Friday night in Ballarat, just after work you will see Ballarat business men, playing lawn bowls, bare foot and just kicking back to have a friendly beer with mates. It is a nice thing to do.

Deflating an air balloon.

After the dawn balloon flight and deciding whether or not to land in neighbour John Fraser's property, we decided on the the dry bed of Lake Burrumbeet. Early morning low light combined with a wall of diaphanous material being deflated with the help of fellow photographers and passengers made for a great silhouette




Of course the only problems were the constant condensation on the lens due to the very cold cameras and very warm air inside the balloon and then the even gretaer problem of finding your way out through acres of rip-stop nylon once the envelope was deflated.

Flying over Ballarat.

One of the greatest aspects of my work is that I meet many people, and then get opportunities to do really fun things. The most recent one was a dawn balloon flight over Ballarat as part of the MAP Group (photography group), in the project "MAPping Ballarat".




The fact that you're so close to the ground means that you can talk to startled residents getting their newspapers off the lawn, or speaking to livestock in the fields as the burner roars into life every few minutes.

The only forms of air transport I've yet to experience now are parachutes and hang gliders, and I haven't given up on them yet either.

Elvis Costello, The Palais, St. Kilda, Melbourne, 1981.

Elvis Costello's first tour of Australia was marked by a hostile attitude to the media, but brilliant performances.




I was working for Virgin Press at the time, and somehow managed to obtain the only press pass issued to his first gig in Melbourne at the Palais, in St. Kilda.



Obviously Elvis hadn't been consulted as he spent a vast majority of time peering at me, in the orchestra pit, the only media representative, with a slightly quizzical/pissed off look on his face. Great gig.