Bird Photo – John Weeks Photography

John Weeks Photography – 0007

Official Website: https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography
Email : johnweekstraveller@gmail.com or johnweekstraveller@iinet.net.au

RECENT BIRD PHOTOS

In the last couple of weeks I have been blessed with opportunities to photograph a variety of birds on my own property in Belgrave (Victoria, Australia)

Here are some of the images I had captured:

NEGATIVES TO DIGITAL PROJECT

It is a slow process to digitize all my film negatives that I have in storage from my days of using my Olympus 35 mm camera, as well as the Kodak Instamatic Camera, back in the period of the 1970s to 1980s. It is a fun project I have thrown myself into!

Part 5

Here are a couple of pics that I snapped in the 1970s:

‘Car Wrecks’ – outback Victoria, Australia

BABA DESI

‘Desi, Remaining Strong!’

Yesterday I caught up with my friend Desi (93) in the morning in the township of Belgrave (Victoria, Australia).

‘Baba Desi’ – 16 July, 2022 – Photo by John Weeks

Baba Desi is a true local of the Dandenong Rangers in Victoria (Australia), a colourful character, filled with passion about life. He is Belgrave’s very own ‘Wizard’. At close to ninety-four years of age, he is a strong believer of people power, in short, he is an Activist, ‘born to fight for Justice’ as quoted in the mainstream press. If there is a social justice cause to fight for, or to lend a supporting presence, he is generally there in the front line, with his distinctive colourful clothing and ornate walking stick. I always enjoy having conversations with Desi. I meet up with him regularly around the shops of Belgrave; and during our long conversations we usually solve the problems of the world, as activists sometimes do….

Thank you, Desi, for allowing me to regularly photograph you …… John Weeks.

The community response to the above photo of Desi:

Amelia V. > Looking good Baba Desi
Janice W. > What a great picture!!
France S. > Good man! Baba Desi. Nice photo ….
Terri C. > Time for another hair,beard and brow trim Des …see you next week.
Kerry P. > He is such a great character of Belgrave. Thanks for sharing a great happy picture of him
Bet B. > Thank you for sharing this!
Trish B. > Wow that is such a great photo of a treasured icon . He Looks so well
Sandra B. > Love this!
Lena G. > What a great picture!, baba desi is an icon

Check out of my other photos of Desi: https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography/baba-desi

OLD CAMERAS

Part 7 : Rolleiflex Camera, 1960

NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

‘Flinders Street Station’ – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia – 2005 – Photo by John Weeks

FINALLY

I love all aspects about photography hence this Newsletter. I wish to share things that I enjoy about this medium. If you like what you have read, please subscribe to receive future Newsletters 🙂 Comments are also nice to receive.

By the way, check out my official website https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography

For more information on the photographic digital books that I m producing go to https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography/e-books

John Weeks
Australia
johnweekstraveller@gmail.com

The Photography of John Weeks :
Official Website: https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography
Red Bubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/jweeks/art
Facebook: https://facebook.com/johnweeksphotography
Instagram: https://instagram.com/johnweekstraveller/
Diaspora social media : https://diasp.eu/u/johnweeks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhotosByJWeeks
Merchandise : https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography/merchandise

John Weeks Photography – 0005

FOX ON THE RUN

I visited the Braeside Wetlands this morning to photographed birds in the wild. I was joined by fellow photographer Kathie Thomas.

Braeside Park Wetlands Circuit trail provides visitors with a number of wetlands viewing opportunities and to observe the many varied bird species that reside in the park. The trail travels through open Red Gum and Manna Gum bushland area to the north east of the wetlands, with more grassy vegetation along the south western edge. Source: Park Vic https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/sites/wetland-circuit-trail

Sadly, there were few birds about this morning, however I was absolutely delighted to see a beautiful fox nearby. Here are two photos (among others) I had snapped of this wild creature:

There have been very few opportunities that I was able to photograph foxes in the wild. Here are two photos I had snapped in 2018:

Foxes fighting. Location: Upwey, Victoria, Australia. 16 July 2018. Ref. 1886

Two foxes at my neighbour’s backyard in Belgrave, Victoria, Australia. 24 March, 2018. Ref. 1578.

BIRDS AT BRAESIDE WETLANDS

Despite the seemingly lack of a huge amount of bird life around, we walked around the Wetlands circuit, approx 5 kms or so (I was informed that equates to over 10,000 steps today!), I did manage to snapped many photos of the bird life that was seen. Here are a couple photos of mine:

Birds Sighted today:

Black Swan
Gray Teal
Chestnut Teal
Blue-billed Duck
Australasian Grebe
Spotted Dove
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Tawny Frogmouth
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Australasian Swamphen
Silver Gull
Little Pied Cormorant
Australian Pelican
Great Egret
White-faced Heron
Australian Ibis
Eastern Rosella
Rainbow Lorikeet
Superb Fairywren
Noisy Miner
Brown Thornbill
Gray Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Gray Fantail
Magpie-lark
Little Raven
Welcome Swallow
Common Myna
Eurasian Blackbird
Red-browed Firetail

(Thank you, Kathie Thomas, for the bird list)

MY PHOTOS PUBLISHED IN INDIA

A few years ago I travelled around India, particularly in Kolkata (Calcutta), and one of the many subjects that I challenged myself with was photographing popular singer, Christopher Lobo, at the many venues that he was performing at. I gave Christopher a whole lot of photos of mine for him to use in his publicity and media activities. I am delighted that he is using many of these photos to this day. Here is an example of such use:

Here is the original Photo of mine:

Keep on rockin, Christopher!!

OLD CAMERAS – 005

Agfa Optima – News Chronicle and Daily Despatch, 27 February, 1960.

BIG ROSE

‘Sculpture – Rose’ – Date: 24 March, 2010 – Ref. 361

FINALLY

By the way, check out my official website https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography

For more information on the photographic digital books that I m producing go to https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography/e-books

John Weeks
Australia
johnweekstraveller@gmail.com

John Weeks Photography – 0003

SLOW SHUTTER PHOTOS

Recently I submitted photos to the monthly photo competition organised by the Hills Photographic Society. The theme was ‘Slow Shutter Photography’. I didn’t receive any awards at last Thursday night’s meeting. The judging, on this occasion was conducted internally (due to an unexpected cancellation of an outside judge). Personally I prefer a qualified outside judge to assess and comment on the received photos. It is my way of further learning the techniques of photography.

Anyway, here are the four photos that I submitted:

HASSELBLAD MAGAZINES

A local photographer recently donated a stack load of magazines to the Hills Photographic Society for the members to take home. Even though I am not a ‘Hasselblad’ photographer, I took a few of these magazines in order to study the technique of some of the photographers that were featured in the magazines. In my view, you do not stop learning.

Here are some of these magazines, dating back to 1997/98, published in Sweden. Thankfully, the content is in English.

BIRDWATCHING AT LYSTERFIELD LAKE

Last Wednesday, 25 May, 2022, I and fellow photographer, Kathie Thomas, spent three and half hours at Lysterfield Lake, snapping photos of the many birds that we sighted there.

Lysterfield Lake (Victoria, Australia) is very popular for canoeing, kayaking and sailing, mostly on the weekends or public holidays. People take a refreshing swim in one of two swimming bays with sandy shores. There is lots to explore on the large lake. There’s canoeing or kayaking in order to view waterbirds and habitat that can’t be seen from land.

Here are the results of the day of our photography:

Protocol: Traveling
Complete
• Observers: 2
• Duration: 3 hr, 25 min
• Distance: 6.5 km

Species observed:

Pacific Black Duck – Number observed: 2
Musk Duck – Number observed: X
Eurasian Coot – Number observed: 5
Australasian Swamphen – Number observed: 12
Silver Gull – Number observed: 4
Little Pied Cormorant – Number observed: X
Little Black Cormorant – Number observed: 8
Straw-necked Ibis – Number observed: 4
Gang-gang Cockatoo – Number observed: 7
Galah – Number observed: 2
corella sp. – Number observed: 5
Crimson Rosella – Number observed: 3
Rainbow Lorikeet – Number observed: 2
Superb Fairywren – Number observed: X
Lewin’s Honeyeater – Number observed: 2
Yellow-faced Honeyeater – Number observed: 3
Noisy Miner – Number observed: 1
Red Wattlebird – Number observed: 1
White-browed Scrubwren – Number observed: 2
Brown Thornbill – Number observed: X
Gray Butcherbird – Number observed: 1
Australian Magpie – Number observed: 3
Pied Currawong – Number observed: 2
Magpie-lark – Number observed: 3
Little Raven – Number observed: 7
Welcome Swallow – Number observed: 1

(Thank you, Kathie Thomas, for the statistics)

OLD CAMERAS – 003

Zeiss Ikon Contina – Time Magazine, 4 April 1955

TODAY’S PHOTO

‘As The Sun Goes Down’ – I snapped this image today from my home in Belgrave (Victoria, Australia).

Thank you for the kind comments I received on social media this evening:

Lyn C. > Beautiful, lovely layers of colour. 👏🤗
Judith L. > Stunning,amazing colours John
Ian R. W. > Awesome
Peter J. D. > Stunning.
Joanne F. > Glorious.
Norma B. > Absolutely gorgeous!!
Brenda D. > The dead the living and the never ending…..
Christine E. > Beautiful thankyou
Colin P. > Moody skies…great silhouettes to balance
Robyn C. > Absolutely beautiful 🥰
Carmel H. > Gorgeous ❤️❤️
Sue F. > Magnificent!

FINALLY

By the way, check out my official website https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography

For more information on the photographic digital books that I m producing go to https://johnweekstraveller.wixsite.com/photography/e-books

John Weeks
Australia
johnweekstraveller@gmail.com