Stiff Challenge

I Guess It Must Have Been Dead Reckoning

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

We were driving past Paddington Market in Sydney last week when I had to stop at a traffic light. As always, my camera was within easy reach. My attention was first caught by the iron trellis on this wall, about twenty metres to my left.

Not only was the craftsmanship redolent of the colonial era, it also reminded me of my own childhood in India, where this sort of work was extremely common.

I wanted to compose the shot based around the various shades of grey, but I worked the focal plane quickly, to include the lowest portion of a tree branch nearby, just to provide a splash of colour. It was only at this point that I noticed the "No Parking" street sign that said "Wedding or funeral vehicles excepted".

I had to react very quickly, because the lights were about to change. So I focused on the iron trellis, leaving the street sign in softer focus, but still apparent.

So tell me, did you notice the street sign immediately?

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Flower Power

For He's A Jolly Good Yellow

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

There is no better floral tribute to the memory of a cherished family member than flowers from your own garden. Our home this weekend was full of the scent of roses, in honour of someone who enjoyed walking through our garden at this time of year and always commented on how the scent of our many rose bushes along the entire perimeter of our property simply filled the warm spring air.

The roses are just coming into bloom now. I cut them back in early August, much later than other gardeners, for a simple reason. I don't believe in pruning while we still have winter frost. So I cut back when the nights are (fractionally) warmer and the roses seem to reward my thought process.

Each plant is thriving despite the dry weather, the arid September and the fact that because of water restrictions, we cannot water our lawns. Our garden is now an array of colours and scents and so from this point onwards, while the rest of the world readies for winter, our vases at home are full of a profusion of the beat that Nature has to offer.

These roses are from a climbing Freesia variety. I never used to be a fan of climbing roses until I bought one by mistake a few years ago. It now occupies about seven or eight metres (roughly 24 feet) across part of our back fence and I guess that convinced me that there is always room in a garden for more of the climbing variety.

These yellow roses were chosen to complement the colour of our bricks. Interestingly enough, I often get asked why I don't have a traditional wooden trellis supporting them. That's when I take people closer, to notice the subtle wire mesh across the brickwork, strong enough to support a heavy rose as it arches across an expanse, but slim enough not to be noticed.

By the way, you did notice the reflection in this last shot, didn't you? Sometimes even a six-footer has to stand on a chair to get that sort of angle.

Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.