Aussie APUG's

[Nicole]

Good to see you back Glenn. Your wife's a woman with good taste and the Merlot is still flowing.
Cheers
Nicole

 

[Andrew McPhee]

Hi all,

Andrew from Wodonga in NE Victoria here. Lots of Melburnians around but I think I'm the first from out in the sticks.

I'm just getting back into photography after a 15 year break and I'm in the process of getting my darkroom set up again. Been a 35mm Olympus user for years but have recently acquired a Fuji 6x9 rangefinder. Also have an Oly E-500 DSLR but am finding that digital stuff ain't got no soul...hence the 6x9 purchase.

Landscape will always be my first love but I feel the need to get out of my comfort zone so I'm keen on doing more street photography which means I like to get down to Melbourne now and again.

I'm a single dad with a son 7yo. I'm a contractor for Australia Post so I get to spend my days driving through the countryside which I love doing! Love a drop of red which is good because I live close to Rutherglen and Brown Brothers which helps when restocking time comes around. Other hobbies include podcasting, motorsport (Formula 1), web design, and genealogy.

 

[Nige]

Hi Andrew and welcome. In-laws are from Wang so we get to enjoy the countryside occasionly.

 

[roteague]

Hi Andrew, welcome from Hawaii. I'll be coming through Wodonga in about 3 weeks, going to Echuca then over to Bright (for 10 days). If you would like meet, I generally make my way over to the Beechworth Bakery once or twice while I'm in the area. FWIW, I'm a 5x4 landscape photographer, and I'll be shooting around Brown Brothers (in Milawa) this year a bit.

 

[Glenn Mathison]

Welcome to APUG Andrew. Your story is one often told here on APUG.

And you're right, that digi stuff has no soul...

 

[Nicole]

Visiting Melbourne right after the Grand Final

I'm breaking out of Perth for a week and venturing over to Melbourne for work on a book and portrait work - I'll hopefully get some time to enjoy the Melbournian lifestyle and quirks as well.

Do you know of any great character spots in Melbourne worth visiting? Cafes, Restaurants, Galleries, Tram routes, Places of Interest, Old Melbourne, Romantic Melbourne....?

I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Cheerio and kind regards,
Nicole

 

[Mick Fagan]

Nicole, you could walk through some of Melbourne's arcades. Some of them are really interesting, some are mediocre, but nearly all of them are quirky. Most of the best ones are between Flinders Street and Latrobe street.

Perhaps you could pop into Michaels camera store for a look at their camera museum, it really is worth a look Dead Link Removed

If you need a darkroom for something, mine is available.

Name the food you like, or would like to try, it's available, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Nepalese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Lebanese, Korean etc, etc,.

The Queen Victoria Market is interesting, especially the delicatessen part, in a very old building. Nice food in there (snell imbiss).

Do you have a particular bent?

Mick.

 

[Nicole]

Mick, that sounds great. Thank you very much for your offer with the darkroom!! Whereabouts are you?

A particular bent... not really. I'm inquisitive and eager to see and learn and I love places with people. The cafe and market life in a busy quarter is quite a little university of life when I kick back and observe a while. Listening to a little blues and/or jazz, emersing into the scene in a quiet piano bar with a hint of sophistication. Old buildings who's walls whisper a million stories. The quiet country side with rotting fence posts and forgotten tin mail boxes of old abondoned houses and sheds, holding the tales of a carefree childhood....

That's a brief intro.

My DH (dear hubby) is coming with me this time to celebrate our 13th anniversary. So all-in-all it should be a wonderful stay in the "Little Paris" of Australia.

 

[roteague]

I'm breaking out of Perth for a week and venturing over to Melbourne for work on a book and portrait work - I'll hopefully get some time to enjoy the Melbournian lifestyle and quirks as well.

So, when are you going? I'm going to be in Bright on 6 October, although I will be driving down from Sydney.

 

[Nicole]

Robert we return to Perth on the 6th.

Oh, and... I'm hoping to find a LF whilst I'm in Melbourne - I'm still thinking of the 8x10

 

[roteague]

Robert we return to Perth on the 6th.

That's too bad, I would have loved to drive down your way meet. I still have to make it out your way to see Graeme's new gallery sometime, so I'm sure I'll get the opportunity to stop by and say "hello". Have a great trip, Melbourne is beautiful town, you will have a good time, I'm sure.

 

[Nicole]

Robert I'm sorry we'll miss each other. When you venture to the West make sure you get in touch. Graeme will know where to find me.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Further to what's already been said, you can probably find most of what you want in the CBD. You'll find plenty of old Melbourne and romantic Melbourne in and around the many laneways and arcades. Melbourne Central has an old shot tower encased in a giant glass cone. The new train station (Southern Cross, formerly Spencer Street) is architecturally quite impressive. There are plenty of tram routes through the city, although most of the old style trams are now defunct - apart from the free one which does a circle around the edges of the city, and the restaurant one. If you have any other sepcific questions, please let me know.

 

[Tony Egan]

Nicole,
I'm frequent visitor from Sydney. Bennett's Lane jazz club is small, initmate with an appreciative audience. I usually just turn up if staying overnight on business and have been surprised with some really great gigs from some hot young players. If you are more into blues/roots you could try the Corner Hotel which will inevitably have someone good playing. For a bit of character and a meal there's Lygon St and a cruise around St Kilda will usually turn up a few interesting characters or experiences.
It's cheesy and cliched but if celebrating 13 year of wedded bliss how about a sunset walk along Brighton Beach with all those lovely coloured huts as a backdrop to rekindling the romance! (Apologies for digital example attached )

p.s. I replied to your feedback on my last gallery post re the Linhof but if you have decided on 8x10 good luck!

 

[blokeman]

Nicole, I take a visitors along to the Vic Market, Queen Victoria Market, preferably on a Saturday morning when it is at its most vibrant, they always love it. 'Old' Melbourne... inner city such as Fitzroy, oldest suburb & now a hotspot of bars and restaurants. 'Romantic' Melbourne, hmmm, everyone's different but the Botanic Gardens really are extensive and pretty this time of year. Are you and your husband following your football team over here for the final? I hope we can put on some reasonable weather for you; in Melbourne in springtime... when going out for the day... take clothes for every outcome!

 

[jford]

Nicole,

Good luck finding an 8x10 here. I searched and found not much. I ended up buying from the US on ebay... The Camera Exchange on Lonsdale St is good for lenses etc and has a couple of 4x5s but I've never seen an 8x10 field camera in there. They have a few old monorails sometimes. All Mick said about laneways, cafes etc is correct. Hardware Lane, Degraves St, anywhere in between. Queen Vic market is great for local 'colour' and Fed square, arond the river and environs around sunset is great. Head for St Kilda for interest at all times of day/night. Jump on a tram. I'm starting to sound like a tourist guide...

John.

 

[Nige]

I need a Melway to get around the city... so can't add an advice!

 

[Nicole]

Thanks very much everyone, I now have a list of things to do and places to see and much more on a tight schedule. Should be lots of fun. I hope to catch up with some of you on my next trip over in the next few months.

 

[tony lockerbie]

Hi Nicole. I'm in no mans land, halfway between Sydney and Melbourne.
Bega is not far from the Vic. border and far enough away to escape their gravitational pull. Never been to WA, only state I haven't been to and hope to rectify that next year sometime.
Cheers, Tony

 

[nexus]

www.street-directory.com.au =melway online

 

[Glenn Mathison]

What's going on in Oz?

Been a L O N G time since this thread was poked, so here goes...

Since Oct 06, I've:
1. Lost my job in Sydney.
2. Got a new "location independant" job with the same company, so
3. I sold my Sydney house, and
4. Moved back to Brisbane to live, and
5. This Friday I pick up the keys to my new house I bought in Elimbah!, so
6. Since GlennSYD as a username no longer made sense, Sean helped change it to my real name, Glenn Mathison, so pleased to (re) meet you!

I also still love film, bought a Nikon F4 and 85/1.8 recently as well as a Nikonos V, and will be setting up a full-time darkroom in the new house over coming weeks.

Whew!

So how about the rest of you OzTralians, what's been happening in your world recently?

Any new Oz apuggers to show themselves, and specifically Brisbane area appuggers, my new home

Glenn

 

[Lou Iaquinto]

Hi Glenn,

Hope all goes well with the changes in your life and good luck with the new F4.

I've had a few busy weeks with photography this year but certainly not enough. I've managed to get the plumbing installed in the new darkroom. No leaks!! Well, I think so. My first go at plumbing so what's a few leaks? The darkroom was in a shared laundry but now it's out in what used to be the garden shed.

I have a couple of 120 and 35 rolls ready to develop.

I'll be retiring from full time work at the end of the year and the plan is to get a large format camera early next year. Still not sure what size but that will probably depend on the finances. If I can manage to spend a day a week playing photography I'll be a happy man.

I am near Melbourne in the Dandenongs.

Take care,

Lou

 

[Thanasis]

Just found this thread after being on Apug for about a year.
Hello to all.
Name is Arthur.
Live and work (as an electrical engineer) in Sydney with my fiance.
Shoot mostly 35mm with the occasional foray into MF with a neighbour's borrowed Hasselblad.
Shooting mostly colour transparencies but recently working with black and white films, developing and printing it all myself.
Still peering over the Large Format cliff edge wondering whether to make the leap or not.

regards,
Thanasis

 

[Wyno]

To quote an old song. "Go ahead and jump"
Once you've tried it you won't go back. It changes your perspective on things. You notice the piece of rubbish that would've ruined the photo, the way shadows can make your photo, and lastly, how many people come up to you just to talk about your camera and ask can you still get film for that?
Go on and try it.
Mike

 

[Stephen Frizza]

Im based in sydney Australia , own and operate a pro lab in bondi called the Lighthouse. YAY for Aussie APUG'ers!