Rodeo D(e)rive

Maybe It Was The Horse Whisperer

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Yes, this sign on the tailgate of a trusty old utility vehicle ("ute", as we call it) caught my eye because of its weather-beaten look and of course because of the strong colours against the white metal.

So of course I had to ask the owner if he would mind if I took a couple of quick shots. He just chuckled and gave me permission. I promised I would frame the shots really tight, so that the number plate wouldn’t be seen in the frame.

What I should have asked him, in retrospect, was how often he actually gets away to "Yee-ha" at a rodeo.

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

The Cable Guy

Just Don't Get Your Wires Crossed

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Walking down Elizabeth Street in the city some weeks ago, I spotted these cable coils on the back of a tradie's ute during a smoko. Okay, I'll stop and explain the Australian slang. A "tradie" is a tradesman. A "ute" is a utility vehicle, or a pickup to most of you. And a "smoko" is (you guessed it) a smoker's break.

The sight caught my eye because of the contrasting colours of the coils, the rusty metal visible and the fact that the neat coils are completely different sizes. Maybe he just wasn't sure whether to go wi-fi or install broadband or cable.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Cheek To Cheek?

Seriously, Are You Serenading Someone’s Butt?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Consider this a test, kind of. I’m going to give you some options and you tell me what you think the answer is, before I reveal all. Okay? Thinking caps on? Your test starts now.

So here’s the question. What have I shot here?

a) An advertising hoarding for microphones?
b) A sandwich board for an auto parts supplier?
c) A denim display in an Outback travel promotion stall?
d) A bus painted to look like a real-life scene?
e) A denim-clad passer-by checking out a painting?
f) A lifesize mural in an art gallery?

Time’s up. Just drop me a comment saying a, b, c, d or e before I tell you what I’ve captured here.

Here's the answer. If you ticked option E, you are correct. The wheel is real. The vehicle is real. The singer is obviously painted on the side panels of the ute, or what we call a utility vehicle.

But is the denim rear-end part of the painting? No, it's a real person standing beside the ute. That was the whole object of the exercise. That’s precisely why I shot such a tight frame here - to make you like twice, in order to make you think about what I’ve shot.

Did you look twice at the shot? You did? Thank you - that's the greatest reward for any photographer.

A Sign, From Above

Stop - In The Name Of The Lore

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Okay, so it's not often you get to photograph a vehicle from about ten metres directly above it. But there I was, crossing one of the two airbridges at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport that connect the main terminal to the Hilton and the multi-level car park.

Because I'm curious by nature, I always look around - and lo and behold, I caught sight of this ute. (That's Aussie-speak for utility vehicle, or what some of you would call a pickup or a tray truck.) Luckily I always have my camera with me, so I used the long lens to zoom in on a really unusual sight. You could say it was a sign of the times!

Does the Horn Work On This Ute?

Hang On, I Think I've Missed The Point

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I enjoy photographing unusual sights - as you know by now. This set of horns mounted on the bull bar of a ute caught my attention last week. A ute (short for utility vehicle) is known as a pickup in the rest of the world and yes, I'm sure there's a lot of pickup lines there! As you can see by the photograph below, I was determined to get the map of Australia, the horns and the Aussie flag all in the same frame.

It took a lot of patience, I can tell you. I could have just held the end of the flag and positioned it exactly where I wanted it - but that ain't the way I work. It was a breezy day, so I knew if I waited a few minutes I would eventually be able to shoot the frame I wanted. Patience sure does pay off. If you want to see some more ute pictures that I took that afternoon, go to Cowboys and Engines.

The Great Barrier Roof

A Tourist Attraction? Yup, We'll Drink To That

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Relax – it’s not really the scene of a plane crash. The downed ``aircraft’’ and the rickety pub can be seen at Albury-Wodonga, on the border of New South Wales and Victoria. The Ettamogah Pub is based on a fictional pub in a famous Outback cartoon series. It all started with a bloke called Ken Maynard, an Australian police officer who began contributing cartoons in 1958 to a magazine called `The Australasian Post’. His fictional ``Ettamogah Pub’’ - and its strong-jawed outback drinkers in their blue singlets and shorts - became so famous that someone had the great idea of reconstructing the pub in real life. Interestingly, the project posed a special problem for the architects because there were no straight lines in Maynard’s rendering! However, as you can see, the wonky pub is structurally sound. It is a huge tourist attraction – despite the sign outside that proclaims with laconic humour, ``Free Beer Tomorrow’’. The ute (that's Aussie-speak for a ``utility'' vehicle) parked on the roof is a wonderful touch, faithful to Maynard's series. And if you look closely at the first picture, you'll see the sign says ``Keep Right'' even though the arrow points left!