Robert's Ramblings

A bright colorful kite would have appeared out of place in this moody sky.

This dark shape, seemingly hanging by an inverted thread, feels right at home though.

It has been a long time since I flew a kite and this image reminds me how satisfying it was to begin a Saturday morning with some plastic sheeting, bamboo or dowel, tape and string and end the day with a beautiful flying creation.

I wonder if I can hang a camera from one?


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 923, Day 923, Hanging By A Thread' 1/640s f/5.6 ISO100 200mm

Another wonderful mural tucked away in a carpark off of Hindley Street ins Adelaide.

Again I am not sure who the artist is so anyone who does please let me know.

It's hard to do justice to this pieces without a really large screen, or better still how about a large brick wall in an inner city carpark!!

Just don't stay longer than 4 hours.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 922, 4P Permit Parking' 1/20s f/11 ISO640 70mm

What has the new Jeffrey Smart building on Hindley Street to do with four poets?

The three on the right create beautiful words, the one on the left creates beautiful images.

On this night the building is like the language a poet would draw upon in creating images while poetry was created from within the beauty of the building.

Perhaps the link is a little tenuous but fun to think about all the same.

So who are these four poets admiring the new Jeffrey Smart building on Hindley Street?

From the right; Alison Flett, Louise Nicholas, Jennifer Liston and Sam Noonan's camera


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 921, Four Poets' 5s f/11 ISO320 15mm

The Colley Reserve Rotunda is a state heritage icon taking pride place of just off Colley Reserve in Glenelg but for all it's aesthetic appeal I've never seen it being used.

Back in my old stomping ground of the Barossa Valley there was a similar rotunda which was the home of the local town brass band. It was lived in, play in and entertained from .... regularly.

So now when ever I see a rotunda I can't help but wonder, where's the band?


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 920, Where's The Band' 1/30s f/16 ISO160 15mm

New buildings, strong angles, bold tones, regular patterns and just a hint of skyline.

The angles do it for me every time!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 919, Angularity' 1/100s f/10 ISO640 200mm

I wonder who's in the corner the man thought. It's hard to look down and across when you live on the Flatland of a brick wall.

Still he was not going to let his 2 dimensional presence get in the way of curiosity.

With a little bit of effort and a little bit of imagination and a little bit of faith he concentrated on the unseen world around him.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, like shadows they flittered in and out of his perception. Then to his astonishment he could see them, strange 3 dimensional other-worldly being looking back up at him.

For the man on the wall Flatland will never be the same again.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 918, Looking Down From Flatland' 1/30s f/16 ISO160 17mm

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Walk up close to any building, right up to the wall if possible and then look up.

The unfolding vertical landscape made horizontal in you mind will almost always surprise you! It does for me every time.

Its a perspective so alien to our brains as we go about even our taller cities that it seems like a new dimension altogether.

Stand there a moment, imagine you are lying on flat on your belly, really take in the scene until it feels normal.

Then try and walk away without falling over!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 917, Is Vertical The New Horizontal' 1.6s f/16 ISO320 15mm

I discovered this dude skulking in an impossible-to-get-to place just off Philip Street in the Adelaide CBD.

I'm not sure who the artist is so I am not sure who to give credit to for this odd stylized figure looking back over his shoulder keeping a watchful eye out just in case he is seen.

The location too is just as intriguing tucked away not just in a back alley but on a high wall with rooftop access only.

Now all he needs to do is look up!

I'm sure I have seen this artist's work before so I'm on the lookout now. All hints appreciated.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 916, The Dude' 1/100s f/4 ISO160 200mm

As far as architecture goes, straight line geometry seems to come and go with the fashion.

For me though a new building of replicating geometry will always draw my eye and my attention.

The zig zag concrete ribs on the new University of South Austraila's, 'Jeffrey Smart' building reminded me of the zig zig tracks on a printed circuit board.

How fitting a reminder of my early studies at this very same institution well before it earned the status of 'University'.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 915, Zig Zag' 1/50s f/10 ISO640 123mm

There was something irresistibly irreverent about this plastic mug in a second-hand market and that way Matt Lucas is suggesting I keep it all on the quiet.

Of all the images I've created .... this is one of them!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 914, Little Britain' 1/4000s f/2.8 ISO100 200mm

It can't be coincidence that more often than not, when I go to explore a great piece of street art I've just discovered I often find Fred Rock's familiar style and the Toy Solders Crew medallion!!

This stunning wall just off Hindley Street is bold, colourful and my favourite theme, nautical.

I wonder if anyone has curated a photographic collection of Federico 'Rock' Roldan's street art? If not I volunteer!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 913, Fred Rock Rocks' 1/13s f/11 ISO640 25mm

I always seem to be caught off guard by the full moon as it sneaks up on me month after month.

You'd think by now I'd have its cycles in my bones but despite its clockwork movement I am always caught by surprise when the full moon rises from the eastern skyline.

As tonight's moon rose, shrouded in silky clouds, I was taken back through time to a similar evening long ago when a similarly draped moon enchanted me for the very first time.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 912, Enchanted' 15s f/2.8 ISO320 200mm

Perhaps I won't even talk about this image as the title should tell all.

Actually I hunched down low and walked high up on the stones under Glenelg's King Street Bridge and well away from harms way.

Still, wet feet never really did anyone any harm, did they?


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 911, Wet Feet' 30s f/11 ISO100 15mm

Every time I see an ice trail in the sky I marvel at that little grey dot 8,000m above me.

I ponder the possible stories of the hundreds of souls above me. I wonder where are they going and from where have they come. I reminisce the journeys I have made and look forward to the ones I am planning.

Afterwards I'm left humbled by our achievements, grateful for our technologies and excited for our future.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 910, Oh The Wonder' 1/8000s f/2.8 ISO100 200mm

With the current rebuilding of the Patawalonga lock walkway we have a new, but temporary, view of Holdfast Shores so hence the inspiration for creating this image.

An image like this one is not easy to come by. The long exposure requires that the conditions be very calm or else the boats would be a blurry mess. I guess I got lucky.

The second difficulty in creating this image is dynamic range. The range of lighting from light to dark is normally too extreme for a single image so multiple exposures were needed. Again, those boats needed to stay very still for a long time!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 909, Holdfast Shores' 30s f/7.1 ISO320 15mm

I watched this gentleman for some time as he carefully sawed his way around the kangaroo's neck and down to his feet.

Oddly enough my very first question to him had nothing to do with his art but on the legality of defacing coins. His eagerly offered response was that where there was no intent to defraud then there was nothing wrong with creating art from coins. This was not the story I had believed to be true so I decided to check for myself.

After reading the Crimes (Currency) Act 1981 as amended, I came to the following conclusions.

Any coin deemed 'current' and legal for tender in Australia is covered by this act. Making jewelry from, being in possession of or selling such jewelry could lead to a $5000 fine and/or a two year jail term for each offence! Fortunately for our local artist the Australian penny is no longer current and in this case perfectly lawful.

That being said I may possibly have, though I can't really be sure, seen a piece or two made from current coins. Good thing I can't remember his name either!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 908, Penny Artist' 1/80s f/4 ISO100 200mm

The Pat, as it is affectionately known has proudly sported it's new cycling multi-colour bridge for a couple years now.

Over an hour you can watch it change from green to blue to purple to red to ... Actually I am not sure how many colours it has as I have never sat and watched long enough to see them all.

Just for fun during this long exposure I zoomed in to get a better look!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 907, The Patawalonga' 15s f/6.3 ISO100 102mm

Old sockets don't die easily.

Lying here on the ground this eclectic mix of rusted tools seems almost at home in the burnt orange of winter leaf-fall.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 906, Old Sockets' 1/1000s f/4.5 ISO100 200mm

Oh how our gadgets have changed.

Forty years ago this Australian made television would have taken pride of place in someones home or office.

Being a small portable device it most likely would have been a personal source of escape to game shows, movies, sitcoms or sports sports.

Now the last and only show this television will ever play are the passers-by as their deep image image reflects in the glassy screen.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 905, AWA Deep Image' 1/640s f/4 ISO100 200mm

I was oh so close to using the word 'mirror' in my title.

These two cruisers are really quite different but the combination of apparent and real reflections gives the impression of sameness well before the differences become apparent.

In the same way real twins often seem identical until you take the time to notice.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 904, Twins' 4s f/7.1 ISO320 15mm

These little jugs looked so cool in the 'bad light'.

Something about the highlights, the gold, the colourful hand painted motifs made me capture that coolness forever.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 903, Jugs' 1/4000s f/4 ISO100 200mm

As I stared into the strange geometry of the SAHMRI building I was taken back to an equally wondrous building I remembered from earlier times.

A single building as large as a city and so wondrous to behold it held the native locals in superstitious awe. That building, or more correctly, that citadel was created by the inhabitants of the planet Exxillon, was declared the 700th wonder of the universe and ultimately it brought about their demise.

At this point only a true and seasoned Whovian would have a clue what I am talking. If you are just a little curious it will not take you too long to discover this story of The Dr, the Exxillons and the Daleks.

Let's hope the SAHMRI building does not lead us to a similar fate.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 902, Exxilon City, The 700th Wonder' 5s f/11 ISO400 15m

A spanner in the works is generally considered a bad thing.

Lots of spanners makes it all the more interesting.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 901, Spanners In The Works' 1/1250s f/4.5 ISO100 200m

With a full moon directly overhead and peeking through scattered cloud, Adelaide was covered with one of the the most surreal nighttime illumination I have even seen.

As the clouds were lit from both below and above they glowed like phosphorescent cotton wool while the western park-lands bathed in the monochrome of moonlight formed a mottled cacophony dark textures.

The evening lights of the Adelaide skyline are gorgeous enough. This evening was simply awesome.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 900, Supermooned Adelaide' 4s f/6.3 ISO100 200m

They're not quite the glass slippers Cinderella donned for The Ball,

more fitting one of her sisters that day.

With their polka dot spots and those garish red roses,

they're still kind of cute in a way.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 899, The Sister's Shoes' 1/800 f/2.8 ISO100 200m

With a big tide and no safe beach left to come in on a ghost of a surfer calls it a day.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 898, Ghost of a Surfer' 3.2s f/16 ISO100 15mm

The stunning SAHMRI building on North Terrace is a photographic draw-card that keeps me coming back. In this case its backside has my complete attention


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 897, One Heck of a Backside' 2.5s f/11 ISO400 15mm

I really think that gold is fast becoming my favorite colour.

Its certainly up there with my other favorites such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

This night it's gold as the sun sets behind clouds behind the buildings on the Port River.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 896, On Golden Port' 1/4000 f/8 ISO400 200mm

Travelling will have to take a back seat for a while but there there is no shortage of wonderful images now we are home again.

Wintry Henley Beach is a far cry from the warm beaches of Bali but given the recent weather here I am very excited about capturing this cold and wet time of the year.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 895, Home Again Henley' 1.3s f/16 ISO100 15mm

I watched this fisherman for some time as he prepared his net on the sand. Checking meticulously that all the folds were as they should be I imagine he is already visualising the throw, how the folded form will expand to its maximum area before falling onto the surface of the water.

When he was satisfied in his preparations, his actions already imagined, I watched him wade out into the low surf and patiently wait.

After some time and without warning his net suddenly flicked forward and unfurled exactly as he visualized it would, exactly how it would have done thousands of times before.

I watched it expand and fall gracefully into the surface of the water, ... fish beware.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 894, Beware of the Fisherman' 1/60s f/2.8 ISO640 85mm