Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ron's car.

Ron's car. by frontdrive34
Ron's car., a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

I finally met the owner of this old Holden Kingswood today. He lives a few streets away and I'd seen his car in the drive before. www.flickr.com/photos/frontdrive34/4887333756/

Today he was in my street visiting a woman a few doors down whose name is Muriel. Fancy that, I have a Muriel in my street! I asked had he owned the car from new but no it was about one year old when he got it. He did seem to think it was older than it actually is though. The years 1940's were mentioned! Nice to meet the owners of long term owned vehicles.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Festival

Festival by frontdrive34
Festival, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

I went to the 2011 Auburn Festival today. I'd never heard of it before and learnt it was on earlier in the week.

It was a great cultural mix with all the usual carnival rides, stall holders selling things I'd never buy and a great food selection as varied as Hot Dogs through to Dutch food cooked and served by Muslim girls! I opted for the Philippine plate with a chicken skewer, noodle salad and very meaty spring rolls plus a side dish of a banana spring roll. Very tasty.

There were two entertainment stages which showcased an endless mix from an Oud/wooden flute/drum/accordian trio playing Turkish music through to an Etheopian Gospel choir.

The local dress style for 14 - 20 year old arabic boys was clearly anything with the brand "Henley" written across it.

A great day out.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Green Acres

Green Acres by frontdrive34
Green Acres, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

I'm getting low on Polaroid 125i film so I only use it when the light is right so it doesn't get wasted. I'm extremely happy with the framing I got on this shot (the Zeiss rangefinder I put on my Polaroid 103 was worth it) and the colours I'm loving. 125i seems to give mainly blue bias but the reds seem to always go that washed out "salmon" which is a faved colour.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Trio

Trio by frontdrive34
Trio, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

I like car shows. I go to as many as I can. I take my cars to some. Today I took my French car (well I left it in the car park) to an All British car show. What a great show.

I reckon there were about 1500+ cars from loads of post war austerity packages to endless incredible Rolls Royce.

The one thing I find hard at car shows is taking a possibly interesting photograph thats not full of flags, picnic tables or the wives who often look bored at the event (yes there are woman who take their cars and in particular one group I met here last year who drove Morris products, what a fun bunch). I guess this is one part of why I go, the challenge of finding a "scene".

I do have a thing for base model British cars. They are always honest machines.

Monday, August 22, 2011

The owner stated it was hideous to drive!

No wise words here.

The 2011 Shannons Eastern Creek Day was another success with around 2000 classic cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and more. I often walk around these shows enjoying the various car designs mainly for their looks both exterior and interior rather than the mechanical design. Owning Citroens has biased me on mechanical design, slightly!
This Ramble caugh my attention partly because a friend at schools dad had one but also for the "Salmon" roof colour which was also on the wheels. While looking the cars owner asked 'why are you looking at this piece of shit?", well the salmon roof caught my attention. "Oh" was part of the reply. Now the owner and I then had a great discussion about the car and it was great to hear he had several other Ramblers and he thought they were all rubbish. Bad suspension, slow, bad all wheel drum brakes and the list went on. It was refreshing to hear classic car enthusiast aknowledge many classics as beautiful as they look are only that, beautiful to look at and generally hideous to drive.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Ocean Baths

Ocean Baths by frontdrive34
Ocean Baths, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

I don't often travel north of Sydney. Something about the motorway fatigues me but I recently went north.

Friends had suggested a drive. A Citroen was selected and then the destination, Newcastle was chosen (Palm Beach was another option). Now I didn't get tired, the car ran like a dream and to my joy the roads weren't too busy apart from several clusters of Harley riders, those Sunday ones, not the proper bikers!

It had been quite a long time since I last went there. The last time was actually by vintage diesel loco there and Sydney Harbour Ferry boat home (but thats another story with lots of spew).
All I had remembered of Newcastle was some great architecture. Well I wasn't dissapointed with these ocean baths being one of Newcastles jewels. What a treasure they have.

*

* by frontdrive34
*, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

Whats wrong with people? This is part of a building outside the Newington Armory. Its fibro, its a pretty green and I love that it is preserved. It is one of many great bits of preserved achitecture at the Armory site a place of great historical interest.
Now what I'm lost over was the fact that when I was there hundred of parents and their offspring were making picnic, cycling, screaming and being generally crazy outside the Armory. It was icy cold, madly windy and crowded BUT if they walked a very short distance and moved their picnics inside the Armory (yeah you are allowed) they could have soaked up some warm rays, been out of the awful wind and been surrounded by some nice things.

Not a one was in there apart from the tour group on Seguays who zoomed off over the hill (whats wrong with walking and stopping to look these days?).

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Big wheel

Big wheel by frontdrive34
Big wheel, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

So I am yet again impressed with ISO25 films and Steam Traction engines!

I can spend hours looking at Vintage photographs and was quite pleased with how this has a vintage photo look to it. It helps to have a 100 year old machine as the subject.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Window

Window by frontdrive34
Window, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

I've used some Rollei Pan 25 before in 35mm but what a treat it was to see the results using it in a TLR. On the same day I shot this I'd also shot a roll of Shanghai GP3 which I like alot but gosh. My now fave B&W film is going to be Pan 25. I was worried about what exposures and in the end worked with guesstimates. I'm happy with what my guess work got me!

Friday, April 29, 2011

CREAM

CREAM by frontdrive34
CREAM, a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

The sun came out for a bit today. That kind of sun that makes you go go "oh I'll was some things and hang them on the line" but also the sort of sun you know you are an idiot for washing clothes!

It seems to have been raining, at times insanely heavily, for ages and I really am a bit over the glumness of it all.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Beach Babe.

Beach Babe. by frontdrive34
Beach Babe., a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.

No wise words here.

So like so many blogs I've slowed between posts!

Recently I bought a Polaroid Daylab Junior off Ebay. It cost me all of $AU20 to my door so not a huge financial outlay. My initial reason for purchase was that it seemed a cheap way to get a suitable packfilm holder to use on the Polaroid 110A I'm currently cutting up but really I had to have a play!

I don't shoot alot of E6 slide film but a friend has a great bundle of old slides. One of his greatest is this "Beach Babe" looking all Gidget!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Emmdale Roadhouse

Emmdale Roadhouse by frontdrive34
Emmdale Roadhouse a photo by frontdrive34 on Flickr.
No wise words here.

After a long drive west this roadhouse was the one spot I managed to get a "I'm in the middle of fucking nowhere" sensation. Emmdale Roadhouse is somewhere between Cobar and Wilcannia in NSW. There is nothing around but low semi desert scrub and we were welcomed by some beer drinking truckers "taking a break".

The burgers were great (even if you had to ask for onions and sauce) and the truck drivers that were eating all seemed to be eating T-Bone steaks.

I instantly focussed on the orange wall and loved the garden bed of succulents!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Today....I went to my Citroen mechanic....

No wise words here.

I think I need to slow down on my use of "Faux Lomo" and other in phone effects. My 8MP phone has become a default camera when light is bad, I'm too lazy or I simply don't have a real camera at hand. I keep telling myself that a shot with an effect looks better (from a phone cam) than a shot without effect.

On an aside....I LOVE visiting my Citroen mechanic. The graveyard of dead cars, the ones being worked on and especially the ones I have never seen before is great

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Drive - In


Drive - In
Originally uploaded by frontdrive34
No wise words here.

One of the last of the Drive-In theatres in Australia seems to survive on a combination of films at night and then by day turning over the bitumen to a Trash N' Treasure market every Sunday. I like it with at least one treasure found every visit although it is amazing what some people think some things are worth.

Cameras always catch my attention at this sort of market and even the dirtiest film cameras seem to have enormous price tags with almost no haggling entered into with the seller. Keep your rubbish is my usual snub!

Um, yes? Pure horror?


Um, yes? Pure horror?
Originally uploaded by frontdrive34
No wise words here.

I had a night out which is something I'm less interested in having the older I get. I don't mind a night out for cheap eats, maybe an afternoon beer garden visit to a pub but this was a proper night out, the kind with beers, loud music a dark bar with friends.

The event was a fund raiser for James' Hockey Team, Bentstix. He had almost by default become one of the main organisers. This equaled loads of un-necessary stress and loads of precious time spent on organising the event rather than the Phd review replies he needs to finish.

As it turned out the night was great fun, well attended with the only regret seeming to be on the choice of main "entertainment". DJ Rob was great, the venue was great, the bar prices were really great but the main event seemed a bit light on for the $AU500.00 fee. Baby Gaga mounted the stage at 10.30 did two tunes or was it a 1.5 song medley? jumped about with an 80's phone and then pointed a Polaroid at me, FLASH!

All in all a fun night out especially after the 42 degree celcius day....

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Office closed.


*
Originally uploaded by frontdrive34
No wise words here.

Meadowbank is rapidly becoming a former industrial suburb on the Parramatta river. This cute little office backs onto the huge WISDOM toothbrush factory site which now lies derelict only loved by graffiti artists.
Opposite this is all new high rise apartments with endless airers of drying clothes. I suspect most in the high rise think this is ugly where I think the modern thing is hideous!