Watson's Bay

The opportunity to return to Watson's Bay presented itself as I was re uniting with a school friend I've known since Kindergarten.  I've visited Watson's Bay on numerous occasions but decided to leave home early and fit in a quick photoshoot before we were due to lunch together. The two lighthouses of course were on the agenda, as were the military bunkers. A tiny bit of research on the lighthouses of Australia site uncovered some interesting facts.

 "..............The Macquarie Lighthouse at South Head is Australia's first and longest operating navigational light with a flagstaff erected as a navigational aid in 1791, within one year of the First Fleet arriving to settle New South Wales. A wood and coal fired beacon, a basket on a tripod, was established in 1793 and was the only guiding light for the next 25 years.The construction of the current Macquarie Lighthouse was begun in 1881 and the light was first exhibited in 1883. It was designed by James Barnet and is a replica of the original tower completed in 1818 at the command of Governor Macquarie and designed in sandstone by the renowned convict architect Francis Greenway. Greenway emancipation for  his efforts and true to Greenway’s prediction the tower deteriorated due to the poor quality of the sandstone.  The existing tower was therefore built stronger in both materials and design. The lighthouse was fully automated in 1976 and the keepers were eventually withdrawn in 1989. Australia's first lighthouse keeper was Robert Watson. He was with the First Fleet as the Quartermaster on HMS Sirius and later Harbour Master at Sydney. Watson was already an old man and died within a year of his appointment. Nearby Watsons Bay was named to honour his memory............."

Hornby Lighthouse stands at South Head, near Watsons Bay in Sydney Harbour National Park. 

The iconic red and white striped tower is surrounded by views in three directions.  Sydney Harbour is to the west, Middle Head and North Head to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the east. This lighthouse was built in 1858 following the wrecking of the Dunbar at the foot of South Head. Designed by colonial architect Alexander Dawson, Hornby Lighthouse was the third lighthouse to be built in NSW. An Irish seaman, James Johnson, the sole survivor of the 122 on board was found that morning clinging to a ledge. His family was to go on and play a significant role in the manning of New South Wales lighthouses. Seventy years after the arrival of the First Fleet it was the third lighthouse to be built, after Macquarie and Nobbys Head. It was known as the Lower Light to distinguish it from the nearby Macquarie Lighthouse and designed by colonial architect, Alexander Dawson. There is a great guide by Lewis Fogarty for Hornby at Free Photo Guides.  I arrived too late for sunrise, the light was already too harsh and the sky a flat blue, not the best photographic conditions.   

Sculptures By The Sea - Or Not !

This is my fourth year visiting the annual "Bondi Sculptures By The Sea" display and my response has been the same each time. As far as sculpture is concerned, it appears to me that "anything suffices".
I'm pretty sure the peoples' choice this year will be a water filled sphere which won a scholarship. Once again, as pretty as it may have been, many people have used spheres before and I think it's a shame that something so unoriginal won a scholarship. I'm not sure how locations are allocated but this one was certainly in pride of place.

 Lucy Humphrey's "Horizon"

It's imperative to commence the day early, and that means before sunrise otherwise the entire day is spent negotiating people, dogs and challenging lighting conditions. Alternately, stay late, real late, and go for long exposures.  It never ceases to amaze me how many people elect to do their daily stretches or take a rest break right alongside one of the sculptures, so either go early or be prepared to develop RSI from using the clone tool on the images you shoot. The event could easily be renamed "People By The Sea". Sometimes locating the sculpture is akin to finding Wally.

I have two indelible impressions about this event, reinforced on a yearly basis :
1. Many of the local joggers should be ashamed of their rudeness and selfishness when displaying their obvious contempt for all the visitors who dare to walk along the route. Grow up and accept the fact that for a few weeks each year you may find it advantageous to change your normal route and do a large favour to yourselves and visitors who have come to support this event.
2. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Now I've got that off my chest !
Another positive spin on the Sculptures scenario is that irrespective of the quality of the sculptures, there is usually an opportunity to capture some great surfing action at the same time.

I think it is important to be well prepared for the long viewing walk and to that end each year my first visit is to  purchase a program to obtain an overview; decide which sculptures I'm really keen on viewing including their locations,  and the most efficient method of navigating the route. Another factor which has a major bearing on the impact of the sculptures is their location and how the different light situations impact on their digital capture. Many people commence the walk at Mark's Park and by the time they reach Tamarama, many of the sculptures are in partial shadow. Therefore an initial visit allows me to decide on the best time to view each sculpture to its advantage.

Sculpture is defined in The Oxford Dictionary as:

the art of making two- or three-dimensional representative or abstract forms, especially by carving stone or wood or by casting metal or plaster.  

The British Arts Council extends the definition :

The current dictionary definition of sculpture as 'the art or process of creating representational or abstract forms, either in the round or in relief', does not tell the whole story.  This notion was first challenged over forty years ago when new practices and a greater diversity in the range and use of materials extended the vocabulary.  The term can now be said to encompass installation, land art, body art, performance art, text-based work, photography and video, as well as the three-dimensional art object.

I would still challenge some of the entries given that broad criteria. Perhaps I'm too much of a purist, but I would expect to see that some effort has gone into the creation of an artwork rather than simply using an existing object and giving it a title. e.g a porta-loo, a caravan and a stop sign with the letters rearranged. A red blog running down the hillside is not even worthy of consideration.

Looking back over previous year's images it's interesting to compare the 'van' sculptures from this year and 2005. I don't think it's difficult to see which sculpture required the greater effort and creativity.

 

Chris Bennie, grace, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2013. Photo Clyde Yee

 Ben Resch, the great aussie surf trip, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2005. Photo Clyde Yee
 So it's not that I'm against the sculptor's medium of choice, but how he or she decides to utilise it.

Judging creative pursuits is always a contentious issue because it is so very subjective so I apply my personal criteria when evaluating them. I figure if I could create it, then it's not great sculpture. I like to see evidence of 3D craftsmanship.  Not willing to be too much of a killjoy I still believe S.B.T.S is still a great experience, particularly for photographers, as many of the exhibits, due to their locations along the rocky foreshores  are notoriously difficult to photograph effectively. It's a great exercise in exploring Composition and battling the vagaries of light.
The following three photographs were taken of David Hashimoto's  Moment of Clarity at three different time slots.

VIEW.1

VIEW.2

 VIEW 3

If I'm able to visit next year, I aim to go at least once during the night and shoot some long exposures to ensure I have some people/torchlight free shots.