Arcade art /  by Mario Mirabile

The Block Arcade off Collins Street is probably the most classically elegant of Melbourne's many heritage shopping arcades. Richly decorated with mosaics, wrought iron and sculptures, it houses many elegant and extravagant shops, including the fabled Hopetoun Tea Rooms. 

The owners are also patrons of the arts. A while back, I photographed the lovely Camille Hermans as she performed sublime operatic arias. Last week it was the supremely skilled Lewis Brownlie, who was in the process of drawing the arcade. Given the intricate detail of the surrounds, I imagine it's a difficult task under any circumstances. But when your canvas is a couple of metres wide, the task becomes as much a test of patience as of artistic skill. Lucas was four days into his opus when I had a chat with him, and not yet half done. I haven't been back to check on his progress for a few days, but he may well still be at it.

Scooting around /  by Mario Mirabile

Variations on the motor scooter have been around for more than a century. The step-through design and relaxed riding position set them apart from other motor cycles. They became a more popular mode of transport following WWII when the Italians introduced the Vespa and Lambretta. With typical Italian flair, they rapidly evolved to be more than just a utilitarian mode of transport. They became imbued with a sense of style and glamour, wonderfully portrayed in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday, where Gregory Peck squires Audrey Hepburn around Rome on a Vespa.

Cheap to buy and run, they remain essential an element of transport infrastructure in some parts of the world. Not so in Melbourne. A small number are used for regular getting around and commuting, but quite a few also form stylish props for cafes and fashion houses. Like vintage fashion, they just refuse to go out of style.

Going up, going down /  by Mario Mirabile

I must be getting harder to please, or at least more critical of my own work. I look at pictures which I took two or three years ago and I wonder what I was thinking sharing them online. Pictures which I would have happily posted then are now relegated to the dusty back rooms of my Lightroom catalogue, never to see the light of day. I guess it has something to do with an imagined need to achieve some sort of perfection, and anything which doesn't constitute a step in that direction is unworthy to be shared. This is, of course, pure nonsense, but I still need to convince myself of that.

With that in mind, I present two images for your consideration. One, I feel, meets the necessary criteria for publication, the other I'm not so sure about. I'll leave it for you to decide which is which.

Write on /  by Mario Mirabile

I have written in the past about my fascination with fountain pens. There's something about their essential simplicity coupled with their elegance of form that appeals to me on many levels. The fact that something made 80 years ago as an everyday use item can, with just a little bit of maintenance and TLC, still function as well as the day it was originally sold also gets me going. It also doesn't hurt that they come in a bewildering array of jewel-like colours, and often with a little bit of gold which is both decorative and functional. But, these are not just collectibles as far as I'm concerned - they all get filled with ink and put to work writing from time to time.

I had a little project in mind over the weekend. I pulled out a few of my more attractive pens and set to work arranging them in a variety of ways. It's not as simple or easy as you might think, and I've come away with renewed respect for product photographers. I think I've got the look I was after in the second shot - something dark and moody, The first has all together too much bling. on display., but I'm certainly not going to complain about that. After all, unlike most bling, it's quite useful.

(A belated) happy new year /  by Mario Mirabile

I've been busy with a couple of photography projects in recent weeks, so I just haven't found the time to blog. One was something I always said I'd never do - a wedding. I feel like I got away with it (only just though), but it's reinforced that it's just not the sort of pressurized photography that appeals to me. It also deepens my respect for those who do it for a living, and do it well. The other was preparing for an introductory course I'm part of delivering through my club. If you live anywhere near Murrumbeena in Melbourne and would like a grounding in photography, feel free to contact me.

I've caught up now, which had me breathing a huge sigh of relief. In any case, I did find time last week to drop in and see the Lunar New Year display at the casino. It's the year of the monkey, but the casino put up a display featuring all twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. For mine, I'd say go with the dragon every year, it's certainly the most spectacular of the mythical beasts. But it was the monkey's turn to hold pride of place at the top of the grand staircase, so a  (belated) Happy (Lunar) New Year to you all, you cheeky monkeys.

Leap of faith /  by Mario Mirabile

I was in two minds about whether to attend a recent club outing to Ricketts Point, a rocky beach on the shore of Port Phillip. I've been there several times, and while the low tide can expose some interesting rock pools, it's hardly spectacular coastline.  However, I suggested going at twilight, and the hope of catching a spectacular sunset tipped me over the line into attending. 

Not a lot was happening when we got there besides the usual pelicans and crested terns, but it was good to catch up with a few friends. However, when young Ashleigh arrived with her photographer mum to work on both her dance moves and portfolio, things got interesting. She and mum were happy to let us snap away, and it caused a bit of a feeding frenzy as she posed, pirouetted and leaped in the setting sun. It turned out to be the highlight of the evening. The sunset was OK, but certainly the brightest star was Ashleigh.

Shut the door on your way out /  by Mario Mirabile

Doors are perhaps - after walls and roofs - the most universal and utilitarian structural component of buildings. They can admit or deny access to people, animals, light and air. And, of course, being so common, their form is practically endless. 

Beyond utility, doors have become decorative things. Functional components of doors wrought into elegant flourishes, retain their beauty even as they rust into decrepitude. Even something so mundane as a parking garage entrance attracts the creative attention of architects. For other doors, their original purpose has become almost secondary as they are transformed into artists canvasses. 

But, utilitarian or decorative, or both, there is always a sense of mystery as to what lies beyond.

Abandoned /  by Mario Mirabile

Abandoned (adj.) - deserted, forsaken cast aside. The word conjures up images of sadness, desolation and finality. Probably not something we care to sped a lot of time dwelling on. But, on a small scale, abandonment is everywhere, and it doesn't necessarily have to be sad.

A half eaten hamburger perched on a parapet poses all sorts of questions. Was the eater running late for a meeting, or was it just a sub-standard burger. Perhaps the fact that it wasn't in a nearby rubbish bin indicates that the owner will soon return to finish their meal. Is the neatly spread out jacket holding a place for someone who's popped off to get another drink? Will the welder's gauntlet get the helping hand it seems to be reaching for to help it off its pile of rubble?

All these questions remain unresolved, but the search for answers has not been abandoned.

Random sightings /  by Mario Mirabile

I seem to have been having a bad run of luck with technology lately. I've spent a lot of time over the last couple of weeks rebuilding my PC after a it had a bit of a whoopsie. If that seems a long time, it's at least in part because I'm fairly anal and meticulous about how I go about such matters. Consequently, I haven't spent much time processing my pictures. Not that there's been much of consequence to process as things have been a bit slow and I haven't taken more than a few days off work. Never-the-less, here's a couple of random sightings from  my lunchtime wanderings.

The year that was /  by Mario Mirabile

2015 has been a year of photographic extremes for me. While I have at times struggled to find inspiration and motivation, I have also produced what I consider some of my best work to date. It's been very much a case of making my way through the valleys to reach a few bright peaks

To finish the year I'll post few of my favorite images from 2015. Not necessarily the best - whatever that might be - just ones that appeal to me. Most have been posted earlier in the year, but a few are making their first appearance.  I hope you like them too. I've also gone through my portfolio pages and tidied them up, so if you haven't had a look through them recently, it might be a good time to poke through them.

Here's hoping that 2016 is a good year for you. 

Happy Christmas /  by Mario Mirabile

It's Christmas, which means that another year is drawing to a close. To all who've followed my blog through the year, thank you. I wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas and all the best for the new year.

Summer in the city /  by Mario Mirabile

I'm not sure what's been happening to my photography of late. I've been taking pictures regularly, but when I look at them, they mostly seem to leave me flat. My lunchtime wanderings which have been a rich source of inspiration over the last couple of years just don't seem to be supplying the same steady flow of images lately. I'm sure it has something to do with treading the same well-worn paths. It also doesn't help that the mid-summer light is harsh and hard at the times I'm typically out. Still, the one thing that's always changing and providing something new are people. Perhaps I just need to focus on them for a while.