Additional "Streets" shots

[tjmurph9]

G'day everyone. I was out today gathering material for the Streets assignment. I didn't pick these ultimately, but thought them worthy of some air time for various reasons.

1. Hoddle Street graffiti
   I had seen this graffiti a while ago and thought it might be a good subject one day. Being on one of Melbourne's busiest thoroughfares, I figured the Streets assignment was a good reason to go shoot it. In the first pic, I was surprised by a bus, and even more surprised to have captured the graffiti through its windows as it sped by. The second shot shows the graffiti in all its glory.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Kinglake
   On 7 February 2009 a firestorm devastated a large area of the state where I live (Victoria, Australia). 174 people lost their lives. That day is now known in the community as Black Saturday. This is a street in the hamlet of Kinglake, almost a year on. There is new growth almost everywhere, but the blackened trees bear vivid testament to the incredible power of nature on that day. I had intended to take more, but I felt like a ghoul. It is unbelievably emotional to drive through the area, even now.
   
   

[Hayward Taylor]

Hi there ------ this is a great set .... sad story on the that last photo and it looks like its making its comeback ... probably a lot prettier than before ... nature works in strange way

[tjmurph9]

Thanks Howard. I'm glad you liked them. The Kinglake situation is interesting. There's a starkness and hardness in the average Australian landscape that all the new growth on these trees doesn't portray. Somehow makes it look more 'old world' (as in European) with the softness of the new growth. I think it's the colour of the greens that makes the difference. Normally there's a greyer green predominating, but perhaps the contrast with the blackened wood is also at play.

[leonaashlee]

A great set. It's interesting that I just recently watched the story of that fire on a show on television here. An amazingly sad event indeed. A beautiful shot of how it's coming back.