Messages

1

Site related news, functions and modules / Re: Old pictures

« on: January 10, 2022, 12:28:47 PM »

You are going to upset a lot of pre-digital photographers by saying that B&W photos don't look natural to the eye. B&W was the only format available or affordable for many photographers for decades and decades and form the basis of numerous photo collections of immense historical value. What about all those pin sharp glass plate B&W photos from the turn of the century, are they unnatural to the eye too....you really are off course on that one in my opinion anyway. You could better describe it by not permitting digitals to be colourised or tampered with to give them "unnatural to the eye" colours, don't pick on the historic B&W's, the very foundation of shipping photography. Very strange rule that.

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Trip reports / Re: Your worst memory when you were trying to spot or take pictures of the ships?

« on: May 06, 2020, 12:00:41 PM »

Lots of things but here are a just a few.
About 20 years ago was rushing to clamber down rocks to get to water level so as to hide background behind a small ship coming in. Rocks were wet and I had sand on the soles of my shoes so slipped and landed on the rocks heavily. Fractured three ribs and smashed the camera lens completely !
One day out on the bumboat at Singapore a small hair somehow got into the back of the camera when changing films (remember those). Several weeks later when I received the slides back found about a dozen films of those takings were ruined by the hair mark across each picture. It was the only sunny day of the whole 10 day trip there.
Being on a cruise and not having my camera up on deck with me. Sighted an approaching old freighter so dashed down into the labyrinth of corridors to my cabin many decks down to get the camera. Dashed back up again just in time to see this oldie disappearing into the distance astern. Combined speed of two passing ships is deceptively fast !!
Similar to others, travelling 150kms, one way, to get a particularly unusual ship arriving and finding it had just berthed, one hour early and no way to even get an alongside shot and nothing else moving that day so back home another 150kms without a shot fired !

3

Shipping News and information / Re: Updates on vessels and service changes to New Zealand in 2018

« on: December 16, 2018, 09:30:16 AM »

Re the dredger PELICAN, from the Birdon Marine Facebook page is the attached photo dated late-November 2018 showing hull of PELICAN still intact at their Port Macquarie, NSW, shipyard but missing all main deck and superstructure. Birdon are quoted on the page in reply to a query as "The plan is to refurbish the vessel at some point in the future." Thanks and acknowledgements to Birdon for this. RESIZED photo down.

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Shipping News and information / Re: Are there any SD14s still in existance ??

« on: January 15, 2017, 02:42:51 AM »

Google Earth also clearly shows the abandoned Brazilian-built SD14 variation AMAR still aground and fully intact close into the coast of Batam Island, Indonesia, across the strait from Singapore. Position is Lat 1deg 09'06.64"N / Long 103deg 58'29.26" E. Image dated 29/06/2016. Does anyone know if she is still there ?

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Shipping News and information / Attention Fremantle Photographers - new wind farm threat

« on: June 08, 2012, 03:17:36 PM »

For ship photographers at Fremantle, Western Australia, please be aware ship photography is under serious threat from yet another (the 3rd) private wind farm proposal to be built on all parts of the main North Mole entrance breakwater. This includes along both the inner and outer sections of North Mole and the Rous Head access road to the outer North Mole section.

We are very lucky that Fremantle Ports allows the North and South Moles to be open for public access and the moles are used by thousands of sightseers, tourists, fishermen and photographers every year. The wind farm was reported as expected to take about two years to build. This could see North Mole closed to public access for at least all this period.
 
On North Mole the towers if built will cast long shadows across both the entrance channel and the ships as they move in and out of port. In summer months when early morning photography is best from the South Mole or west end of Victoria Quay then all ship photos would be against a background of a forest of huge wind farm towers. You only have to look at some of the photos on Shipspotting to see how wind farms have infiltrated many other ports around the world and their effect on quality ship photography.

The Fremantle Ports are currently against the proposal but Fremantle Council and the WA State Government are in favour. The proponents are now about to start a very public campaign to encourage a swell of public support to make Fremantle Ports reconsider the matter with help from the Fremantle Council. It is going to include public event get togethers and community involvement to support the proposal, refer to their website: www.fremantlewindfarm.com.au

Whilst not denying that there are substantial environmental matters involved which are all part of the wind farm proposal issue, these are not intended for this forum. This is simply to make Fremantle photographers aware of the impending threat to ship photography here before it is too late.

Thanks for reading.