Urban Graffiti In Brunswick

Well life never unfolds the way  you really want it to, things crop up unexpectedly like someone in the house hold getting sick then all the plans you made flow out the door sadly.So not being able to get out since the 11th August here I am again finally with a afternoons worth of photographs.

I had planned some weeks ago where I wanted to go, a very ethnic area in Melbourne called Brunswick. The homes were very old and very close together, the street very narrow and the curb house many cars of every shape and colour, each house had a side path with a gate only wide enough to walk, these houses held no room for a drive way, Each house had their own feel about them some looked happy others sad, but each were unique in there own way.

As we drove around the back streets, I scanned each of the street signs looking for the ones I had listed on my paper, Lygon Street, Moreland Road, Albion Street, and many more. I had been to Brunswick many times to shop as a child but when I walked down the streets it didn't seem the same, I think as a child your perspective on things is quite different, the shops had changed and the people were more ethnic than I remember but that didn't bother me as I wasn't there to look at them only to find the elusive street with the urban graffiti I so longed to photograph.

Brunswick is a very old area with old cobble stoned laneways which led to who knows where, they were littered with loads of graffiti. It was a lovely afternoon not too cold as Winter is almost over and the days are starting to become a bit warmer and when I say warmer instead of it being 14 degrees it was a nice 17 for a change. I find when you walk around with your camera people sometimes look at you as if to say what are you up too, or why do have a camera what could be spectacular enough to photograph, but when you see something good enough sometimes you can see it's beauty where others can't.

This was the first piece of graffiti I saw and how wonderful it was the colours stood out so bright and happy to great the passer by.

I had walked the main streets of Brunswick many times and driven down them in the car, but never really had the need to walk down the back streets which I did on my last photo expedition. Wow how fascinating they were, there was so much too see and as far as the eye could see, you could see graffiti. It was in the laneways in the main streets along the path that runs along the Brunswick Station. Wow!

I was very surprised to see this companies building covered in the most lovely graffiti done by who knows who.
Situated in Albion Street. If you want fresh or dried nuts this is apparently the place to come to, The Royal Nut Company.

I decided to park the car and go for a leisurely walk along Sydney Road, Brunswick, whilst walking I took some photos of some fantastic graffiti done by some very talented people. I often wonder are they male or female and how old are these urban artists, have they been trained in this or not?
The traffic on Sydney Road for a Sunday afternoon was quite busy, I had to dash across the road at the first chance I could get, to be able to get where I wanted to go. The clothing shops where empty and a few lone hairdressers sat in their salons waiting for that client to turn up. The streets were busy with people darting here and there as I walked to my destination.

This laneway is beside the Cornish Arms Hotel in Sydney Road Brunswick. The graffitti seemed to go on for ever.








This urban art was on a shutter of a business which supplies seafood, it is great advertising as the colours draw you to look at it.

This was located in a narrow street running of Victoria Street Sydney Road and the railway line in Brunswick.





Imagine having the side of your house painted with graffiti, don't you often wonder if the owners of the house are happy with what has been done. All this graffiti runs along the Brunswick Railway line.

Apparently Brunswick Railway Line has the best graffiti which runs for miles maybe one day I might take a long walk when the weather is not so cool..

Do you ever wonder what goes through
someones mind when they paint something like this.

It was a great day and I love photographing graffiti, there are so many talented people who paint these but sadly they never sign their names, so no one knows who they are. Some is done for fun some looks like a real mess but others look like a real work of art that the artist should be very very proud of.

Yarra River

Well here I am again another weekend spending it with hubby in the great outdoors, what a way to spend a day out in the fresh air with my camera. This week we didn't venture as far as other weeks, we had to drop our daughter and her friend of at a concert in town. so this time we only had a few hours, unlike other weeks where we didn't have to rush back. I had put my camera in the car once again for fear if I hadn't I'd miss that great chance to grab a great shot.

We were only 5 minutes away from where my daughter was, my husband suggested we go for a walk along the Yarra River Reserve in Burnley. I'd driven past the spot a few time over the years but never ever stopped to have a look around. What an exclusive area with many 2 and 3 story houses with beautiful gardens and the BMW car tucked away securely behind the big iron gates. The yards were empty and no children jumped on the trampoline which was in the back yard and I could see the swing slowly moving to and frow in the breeze. The birds chirped somewhere above in one of the big old trees that slowly swayed as we walked by.

The path was long and windy and if we kept walking we would have ended up somewhere in the city along the Yarra River path. The path was narrow and was very close to the fence line of the big mansions which over looked the river. I would hate to think how much these homes would cost to buy with their big spiral staircases and their beautiful fancy balconies. My little house in the burbs seemed quite small and not very fancy compared to these homes.

As I stepped across and looked at the river I could see it's colour, it was almost like chocolate in colour, as the little yellow flowers on the Wattle trees made for a very pretty reflection.

What a life it would be to wake up to the beautiful colours of the river and the sounds of the birds, yet be ever so close to the hustle and bustle of the city of Richmond and the city.
As I stood and watched two lonely ducks floated by not even noticing that I was ever so close.

A lone rower rowed by, taking in the beauty of what was around him, the beautiful yellow wattle trees, the gum trees and the birds as the water lapped at the sides of his canoe.

Melbourne is a very pretty place beyond the big high rise buildings the pollution and all the traffic.

As I looked around and the cool breeze swept across my face I could hear in the distance, the cars which passed over the nearby bridge into Richmond.

My photography has given me the chance to get out and see things that I would not normally see. There are many things I've driven passed but not taken the time to stop the car and have a closer look at. Melbourne is truely beautiful.

As you can see I have been playing around with the camera settings and thought I'd see what the same image looked like in black and white, sepia and other tones. What do you think? It is all personal choice to how you want your photos to look.

I personally feel this place was too pretty to have in anything other than colour, the grass was so green and the flowers around the houses were so pretty. The big tall tree with there colourful bark and the pretty bright yellow wattle that was all over the trees made for a beautiful sight.

 

A few of the other photos which I also took, taken just as it was getting dark in town. Photographs taken at night are not as easy to take, you have to get the settings right on the camera or the picture will either be too light or far too dark. I think I am slowly learning how to set the camera just right to get that perfect night shot.It wasn't dark when this shot was taken but it was starting to get dark and it is still quite hard to get a great shot even in twilight. What does make it hard is the laneway can be quite shadowy due to the buildings being so high on either side. I must admit I love the laneways in the city at any time of the day they have a really great atmosphere about them.  They are very brightly coloured. Some of the images are just words others can be very pretty pictures of all sorts of strange things, but that's what makes the laneway look so good all the strangness which lays in front of you.

                                                                                                                

TRENTHAM

Another pleasant Sunday afternoon, although the sky was grey and the rain tried so hard to fall as we travelled down the highway, the sound of Lionel Ritchie singing on the radio made for a relaxing trip followed by another smooth song from the 80's.The sky over head was very gray and in spots here and there I could see the blue peeking it little head out, only to be over taken by the gray. Cars sped by as if  they were in such a hurry, where they were going no one knows.

We arrived in Trentham a little after 2.00 pm. Deep in the Wombat State Forest, just a short drive from the township of Trentham is the states highest single drop waterfall. At the base of the falls lay quartz and gravel to form the river bed.

We drove into the carpark and stepped out onto the gravel to be surrounded by the most beautiful tall stringy bark gum trees. Some over 100 years old. In the distance I could hear the calling of a lone bird.

A short track lead us to the lookout, a few people stood in awe of the beauty that lay in front of them as they watched the water flow over the edge of the cliff. Two small children ran backwards and forwards in the mud and giggled happily as I leaned over to capture the waterfall with my camera.

As I stood and looked at the waterfall and took in the beauty around me, I could feel a few drops of rain falling. I was so thankful that it wasn't heavy as I didn't want it to dampen our day. I could see the mist forming over the trees in the distance as the cold breeze came past me and touched my face with gentleness.

Life in this area was basically unspoilt, nature and it's beauty was wonderful. The ferns which had sprung up here and there amongst the fallen tree branches made for a lovely photograph.

We then drove into the township of Trentham over the bridge and into the township, what a quaint old fashioned little township. Wow look at this what a site to see oh so cute and original and yes they were all in the back of an Aussie ute.

I would love to have been able to take one of these home, but sadly I wouldn't have known which one to choose, the expressions, the work was nothing other than fantastic.


As I walked down the street I could smell the aroma of freshly cooked bread what a smell, it makes your mouth water I just had to venture down the laneway to where it was being baked. As I stepped inside I smelt the mixture of baking bread and freshly made coffee.. Hmmm what a lovely welcome on a cold Sunday afternoon. As I stepped out into the lane way with my coffee in one hand and my loaf of freshly made crusty bread, I took in the cold fresh air which was around me and thought to myself this is the life, no hustle and bustle of traffic darting here and there, people didn't seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere they leisurely walked by and with a kind warm smile said hello as they passed you and went on their way.

The street was quite and no cars went by, it was lovely and peaceful and you could just about hear your heart beating it was that quiet, then I noticed a doorway which took you into a gallery, as I stepped inside I could feel the warmth of the gallery come over me. There was a chap sitting behind a counter painting, the chap said hello and welcome to my gallery in a very cheerful voice. I greeted him with a hello as I looked around his gallery, what a beautiful selection of colours and art which was placed on the walls and among the stands which stood on the floor. We talked to him for more than an hour about his art and the like, until we had to say good bye and he said I do hope to see you again. I will share with you his web site www.markpayne.com.au, As I stepped outside the gallery into the quite street I could smell the lovely smell of someones open fire and longed to sit in front of it with my bag of marshmallows.

As I walked back to the car I had a happy feeling inside, I felt good and it was like nothing mattered in the moment other than where I was. I felt sad saying good bye to this sweet little town which over the past few hours had grown to love, the people were friendly and always had a smile on their faces and where quite happy to talk. Life seemed so much simpler than the life I led here in the city and I wondered why I lived the life I did when I could have the peace and tranquility of a life in Trentham.