The big chill /  by Mario Mirabile

I have a clear recollection of the first time I ever saw snow. I was 30, and it was only the dirty half melted patches which you see on the side of the road on the way up a mountain, in this case Mount Buffalo. It created a real sense of excitement in me, and since that moment, I’ve always loved snow.

Not that I’m particularly fond of all the bits and pieces that go hand in hand with it. I’m not much of a skier, and I confess I have no great enthusiasm for the sport. I don’t enjoy fitting chains and driving on them over treacherous icy roads. And a wind chill factor of -10° does nothing to improve my mood. But snow and ice are such beautiful elements that it’s impossible not to love them for themselves.

For the birds /  by Mario Mirabile

I’ve always enjoyed nature photography, with birds being high on my list of preferred subjects. I lack the dedication, patience and equipment of the true bird enthusiast, but I like to try my hand when the opportunity presents. When it comes to birds, the hard part is getting close enough for a detailed shot, but occasionally you get a little luck.

On this occasion I sat down to eat a sandwich on the deck of the house where we’re staying, only to soon find I had company for lunch. The local birds were clearly accustomed to getting a handout. With a little encouragement, currawongs, bower birds and magpies all agreed to pose for portraits, although I’m not so sure the magpie was pleased with the results.

High on ice /  by Mario Mirabile

Bogong Village sits at around 600 metres elevation on the way to Falls Creek.. Not quite high enough for regular snow, but it certainly gets cold enough for some impressive frosts. When I was last here four years ago, I photographed some ice sheets which had formed near (but not on curiously enough) Lake Guy which lies beside the village. I was hoping for cold and still weather which seems to provide the deal conditions for the sort of frosts I was looking for.

I looked out the window on the first morning and what I saw was enough to get me out of bed and into the chill. While it was quite different to last time, probably due to changes in lakeside vegetation and water levels of the lake, I was not disappointed by what I found. It’s hard to imagine how these unbelievably beautiful and totally unique forms come to happen, but I’m glad I was able to capture their beauty.

Getting high /  by Mario Mirabile

While I spend most of my photography time shooting in the urban jungle, it's good to get out of the city occasionally and breathe fresh air. This week I'm heading into the Victorian high country, and while the recent cold snap has been uncomfortable in the city, it's dumped a bumper load of snow in the mountains. I rarely head for the hills these days (it's been four years since my last trip), but even so, I've never seen this much snow on the peaks. I'm not much of a skier, but it's a good sight in any case.

Exhibitionist /  by Mario Mirabile

I’ve been making something of an exhibition of myself lately.

Firstly, I was very fortunate to be invited to be part of the “Melbourne - City and People” exhibition at the National Library of Russia in St Petersburg in April. Ten of my images of Melbourne were shown as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of the sister city relationship between Melbourne and St Petersburg. While I wasn’t able to be there in person, I understand the exhibition was a great success.

While that’s been and gone, I’m also currently part of the SITHOM (Shot in the Heart of Melbourne) exhibition. The exhibition has work from members of the Australian Association of Street Photographers and features images shot in central Melbourne. It’s well worth a look for a chance to see how different people view the city we locals think we know so well. It’s showing until June 10th at Victorian Artists Society gallery at 430 Albert Street, East Melbourne, which is a lot easier to get to than St Petersburg.

The first set below were my St Petersburg images, and the second set the SITHOM images.

Farewell to summer /  by Mario Mirabile

It’s been a funny summer in Melbourne. It started with a few wild storms in December, but there hasn’t been any rain of consequence since. The really hot weather came only in short bursts, till February brought a protracted torrid and humid spell for which I felt totally unprepared. And now March - usually the most settled and balmy month of the year - has been all over the place.

The weekend just past, was a case in point. Windy and humid with passing storms, it provided a bit of everything. But, as if to give everyone one final chance to farewell summer, Sunday evening was near perfect. And what more perfect place to spend a balmy evening that St. Kilda. Restaurants and bars aplenty if that’s your taste, a bit of Zumba dancing, or just taking time out to feed the seagulls. Something for every taste - just like the weather.

Take two aspirin and call me in the morning /  by Mario Mirabile

The Nicholas family built their fortune on other peoples pain. When World War I cut off the supply of aspirin from German manufacturer Bayer, Melbourne pharmacist George Nicholas saw an opportunity. He developed a process for producing pure acetylsalicylic acid, and together with Henry Woolf Shmith and his brother Alfred, was granted a licence to manufacture the product in September 1915. While the trademarked Bayer name of "Aspirin" was available under wartime legislation, Nicholas feared that Bayer might be able to reclaim it when hostilities ended, and so the name "Aspro" was born. Despite early manufacturing and financial difficulties which saw Woolf Shmith leave the company, the brothers were eventually able to expand internationally and amass a huge fortune on the back of their small white pills.

They were generous with their riches, endowing many schools, hospitals and charities. They also turned their hand to real estate development, building the Nicholas building on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane. Built in the ornate Chicago Style, it was completed in 1926. The Nicholas Company never planned to occupy the building, seeing it as a speculative office and retail development. The internal layout of the heritage listed building remains largely unchanged since the 1920s, making it unsuitable for the majority of modern businesses. However, it has become something of a creative hub, housing galleries, jewellers, architects, studios and an interesting mix of small businesses. It has also retained many of its original architectural flourishes, and while some are somewhat the worse for wear, they still retain much of their classic charm.

Eat your vegies /  by Mario Mirabile

Apart from the very occasional tasty treat, I have been struggling with my regular diet of street and urban fare. So I’ve opted for a change of diet.

While doing my weekly fruit and vegetable shopping on Saturday morning, I decided to make ratatouille. Mushrooms, eggplant, beans, red peppers, zucchini all went into the basket. As I browsed, I spotted a pile of red peppers near the door. Not the large, regular shaped ones further inside the shop which commanded $7.99/kg, but small, oddly shaped and only $2.99/kg. They seemed fresh enough for my dish, but it was their form which really got me thinking. They called to mind the sensual curves of Edward Weston’s pepper masterpieces of the 1930s, and got me thinking of their use beyond the cooking pot. I sorted through them for the most misshapen examples, and while I was at it decided I could use red onions instead of the regular ones. For dessert, I added a few pears.

The ratatouille was delicious by the way.

Spiraling out of control /  by Mario Mirabile

I used to be able to look out the window near my desk at work and catch glimpses of Port Phillip Bay, and watch the weather roll in from the south-west. Sadly, I was moved from that spot long ago to a series of desks with far less scenic outlooks. But even if I moved back now, the new construction across the road would completely obstruct any view I might have.

The new building is not without its attractions however. It incorporates an elevated open garden accessed via a broad spiral staircase. It’s extravagantly dubbed the “Sky Garden”, and offers views similar to the ones I used to enjoy from the office before it was built. The real attraction however is the interesting form of the staircase itself. It provides eye-candy of a different sort, and one that looks like it will be interesting to explore thorough the year as the sun finds different ways into the structure.

Shadow play /  by Mario Mirabile

I just love winter sun. Apart from providing a bit of warmth at an often bleak time of year, its light has a wonderful quality not found in summer. Even at midday, it's diffuse and low in the sky, casting wonderful shadows and creating intriguing patterns which would be flattened by the harsher summer light. It almost makes up for the cold and damp.

A feeling of space /  by Mario Mirabile

I was recently shopping at my local strip and found myself reflecting on the changes to my suburb since I first moved here more than 25 years ago. I don't think the changes have been for the better, and while I'm not happy with the changed nature and mix of businesses (do we really need THAT many cafes????), my angst is mostly directed at the increasing congestion and bustle. It's not just Bentleigh of course, but Melbourne in general, and there doesn't seem to be any respite, any day of the week or any time of day.

I'm not sure if that feeling has anything to do with a series of pictures I've been making over the last year or so, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a contributing factor. I call it "Finding Space". The images are sparsely populated, and the people depicted are often dwarfed by their surroundings, creating illusions of wide open spaces and solitude rarely found a modern metropolis. I like to think they speak to our need to have room to breathe and clear our minds in increasingly crowded cities.

Or perhaps they're just a bunch of interesting pictures. At least I hope they are.

Music for the people /  by Mario Mirabile

Live music venues aren't always about refinement - they're often shabby and lacking in amenities. But there's not too many venues which could compete for grunginess with a little corner of Centre Place, Melbourne. The alcove is scattered with cigarette butts and scraps of litter, and there are often signs of rough sleepers taking shelter there. The street art is tagged and partly covered in peeling posters. Even so, it doesn't seem to be any deterrent to the buskers who frequently ply their trade there. 

It might be the acoustics, but more likely it's the constant stream of punters seeking nourishment in the seemingly endless eateries which line the alley. Whatever the reason, it's a great spot to find some occasional lunchtime entertainment. The grungy backdrop doesn't hurt the pictures, either.