houses on a scruffy hillside

houses on a scruffy hillside, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I looked back to see where I had come from, then I saw the houses, one painted pink the other a sort of pastel green. I hadn't noticed that when I walked past, I was looking at the view below. View On Black to see how scruffy hillsides can be.

shabby bush and landscape

shabby bush and landscape, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

The bush seemed to be growing in all directions at once, and there were road markings too, I raised the camera to my eye, and made sure to get some of the bay as well. Zoom for big view of shabby bush

winding road landscape

winding road landscape, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I like looking down on roads, wondering where they go, and of course I like looking at peoples houses. Looking better Big On Black

sutherland road landscape

sutherland road landscape, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

It had been a month before I was wandering with a camera in my hands. My wife was in the car with door open, quiet content, just reading a crime novel. I walked this road, on a side of a hill, there was no pressure, just enjoying the day and making landscape pictures. Large landscape view here on white

complex intersection with young man

complex intersection with young man, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I have been after this photo for sometime. The traffic is generally busy here, and getting someone in the right place without confusing the drivers was something to think about. There is often nice afternoon light here in the late afternoon, but today was completely overcast, and perhaps for the better. I showed the young man the image on the camera LCD screen, and indicated where to stand, "sure" he said, and the road was clear. For more detail look here

young woman, townhouse

young woman, townhouse, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

She had just moved in, happy to be back in Wellington. There is a small front yard with flowers, and upstairs with a view to the sea. This by the way is a bit of an experiment, my time is all taken up for a couple of weeks more, will hopefully have a more steady flow soon. View On White for a big picture

man in his lounge,..

man in his lounge,.., originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

a follow on from the previous photo. But it is me, to see, if this process will work. I am trying a few doors to see what will open to other photographic possibilities.

girl in her room

girl in her room, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

She showed us where she now lives. An old style house with a long corridor with all the rooms off on one side. I took a photo of her in her room, and later we said goodbye. A little bigger here on White

the mandatory water cruise

the mandatory water cruise, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

When in a new place it is always good to get on a ferry or some such boat, and have a look around. There will be something interesting I am sure. In Melbourne there seemed to be a lot of bridges over the water, and colorful apartment blocks. Large

very high and looking down...

very high and looking down..., originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

which is what I like to do when I am in a new place. I like to see what looks interesting, and where I might explore. But six days goes very fast and in no time we were back home. A bigger view here, On Black

emily ordered a cup of tea

emily ordered a cup of tea, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

It is tiring looking at so many art gallery pictures but time well spent, we stopped at a sidewalk caravan café and drank tea and coffee. Super big on Black

looking at a painting

looking at a painting, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

We went over to Melbourne to see our daughter. And also to see art galleries and anything else that was interesting. I spotted this painting by L. S. Lowery, he was a painter of the industrial landscape of Northern England. He obviously had feelings for his subject matter and he documented the minor foibles and tragedies of life, as here in "man falling ill". I sometimes think I would like to do photographs like that. I just took a little point and shoot camera with me, so excuse me if I show a few holiday snaps over the next few days. to see a small picture larger then View On White

woman on a tree lined street

woman on a tree lined street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I explained to her that I would like to take a photo of a person with all the trees behind, that it was an arty sort of project I was doing. But I didn't really have to, she was happy to have her photo taken. View On Black, it is much larger

embroidery and woman

embroidery and woman, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I was admiring the textile handiwork on the wire fence, and I looked around to see if there was a person suitably attired. A woman was walking towards me, down the street. I asked her for a moment and held up my camera, she tilted her sunglasses to the back of her head and stood at the fence right here. Much Larger View On White

woman with cat

woman with cat, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I said to her that I liked this cats tail, and wanted to photograph it, but it would be much better if she could stand just here in the light, and she did. Nice and Large when you View On Black

young woman, picket fence

young woman, picket fence, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I took this photo seven months ago, and I am not sure why I did not post it then. I will post it now though, I have not taken any photos for a couple of weeks as I have been busy on a task here. I took this photo a couple of metres from the previous photo. I do remember that she must have been very trusting because I asked her to follow me around this corner, and stand here in front of this picket fence. On Black & Big

young man with white jacket

young man with white jacket, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I stood here for a moment and considered other photographs I had taken of this building. Always wondered about it, why are the windows boarded up and painted white, then a young man came along, he was dressed in white too. Very large when you View On Black

young woman, hat & scarf, 282 cuba street

young woman, hat & scarf, 282 cuba street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I don't really remember if there was any conversation, Just asked her to stand in the doorway while I get a photo. It was one of those days, every fifty metres and there seemed to be another photo. Larger

young woman & fidels'

young woman & fidels', originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I was standing out side this favourite café and thinking of some previous photos and the possibility of another one. A young woman approached, with an early morning coffee. I asked her if she would stand in the spot of harsh New Zealand light. She replied "just me, or would you like to photograph the two of us". I had not noticed her boyfriend close by, I said "just yourself would be good". I did not want to complicate my task. I nice big view here on black

young man, burger king

young man, burger king, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

The building once had pretensions of grandeur, it was once a bank, now it is a "Burger King". I noticed the patch of early morning light, and when this man crossed my path, I asked him if he would stand there. He said "I'm off to work and dressed like shit" "That's fine" I said, just what I am after. Get much closer to "Burger King by "Viewing On Black"

woman standing in the light

woman standing in the light, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I pointed out the vertical pattern of light and asked her if she might stand on that concrete block just there. She asked me if she needed to smile. I said "you can if you want to", she did. Bigger and brighter here on White

two people & an intersection

two people & an intersection, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I was thinking to ask someone to stand in front of the posters, but it is a busy intersection, it would be trying their patience. There seemed to be a photo here anyway, with a couple waiting to cross. She appeared to be looking directly at the lens, so I took that as a yes. really big here

three second photo #2

three second photo #2, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I hung around in the hope someone would turn up, the sun kept coming and going. Two young boys started hanging around too, one was taking photos of the graffiti with his cell phone. I attempted a a large generational step, and asked them to be a part of my photo. No conversation from them, they stood there until their interest waned which was about three seconds. That was all I needed, I went on my way. a nice big View On Black here

three second photo #1

three second photo #1, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I hung around in the hope someone would turn up, the sun kept coming and going. Two young boys started hanging around too, one was taking photos of the graffiti with his cell phone. I attempted a a large generational step, and asked them to be a part of my photo. No conversation from them, they stood there until their interest waned which was about three seconds. That was all I needed, I went on my way. zoom in and View On Black

a woman dressed in red on Willis Street

a woman dressed in red on Willis Street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

When I asked her to be a part of this photograph, she understood completely "I'm a photographer too" she said, and she struck this pose here just so. View On Black for a much larger colourful image

woman with pink hat on Adelaide Road

woman with pink hat on Adelaide Road, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

Sometimes photos come in bunches, I stood on this corner for some time, no one wanted to stop, I was ready to quit and go home. Until this young woman came along with a bright pink hat, she smiled and said "where do you want me to stand". And after this every thing changed, maybe it was me. View On Black, the colours pop out and much larger

two woman on the corner of Riddiford & Wilson Street

two woman on the corner of Riddiford & Wilson Street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I explained my small project to them and they agreed to stand in this small shaft of light, in the late afternoon sun in Newtown. View On White, it is larger

a couple standing on the corner of Rhodes Street

a couple standing on the corner of Rhodes Street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I asked them if they would cross back over the road and stand on the corner for a photograph. They did, and very patient too, as we waited for the road to clear, but I liked the passing pedestrian, showing some curiosity. They then checked the image on the LCD screen, he said "cool" and we went our different ways. View On Black, a much larger view.

wellingtonians going to work

wellingtonians going to work, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

Early one morning this week I positioned myself with a camera near the railway station. I knew there would be a few commuters, even at this hour. View On Black for a better bigger view.

woman on macdonald street

woman on macdonald street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

following on from the previous photo, I walked over the brow of the hill. There was a woman walking towards me, carrying her shopping. As it was rather steep, she was willing to take a rest and have her photo taken. a more detailed view here.

man on macdonald street

man on macdonald street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

The light was looking good, just before the rain, I grabbed the camera, and walked to Macdonald Street. I waited around, I wanted someone to stand here on the rise, before it fell away on the other side. I handed over my card, he probably did not understood what I was saying, we spoke different languages, but he seemed happy enough to stand here, It was plain enough aiming my camera. View Big On Black

off to work

off to work, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

for those that have work to do. Big view, though the figures are a bit blurred, as they were moving

happy hunting ground

happy hunting ground, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

This is the area I generally find the scenes and subjects that I like to photograph. It is about 30 minutes walk from one end to the other and basically my neighborhood. if you want to see anything you should go here

early morning walk on lyall Parade

early morning walk on lyall Parade, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

He said "are you sure you want to photograph me", "yes your face has a lot of character". And with that he stood there happily. fill the screen and view On White

woman with dogs

woman with dogs, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

This Saturday morning I returned to Lyall Bay, to see who would be walking about. The last two photos were from around here, and I would like to include people too. They were sure to be walking about on a fine cool spring morning. for a big zoom in view

ship in a window

ship in a window, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

It is early in the morning, and I took a walk around the shore, this window was interesting. I like it when people display their interests. There seemed to be no one about, so I photographed it. On Black and Larger

typical nz houses facing morning sun

typical nz houses facing morning sun, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

While I am thinking, shall I photograph houses, or hills with houses, or buildings down town, or just landscapes, it is good just to go out and do something different to what I was doing before. Better to be moving than standing still. Big View

self portrait

self portrait, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I am having a pause or possibly a complete change of direction from the random pedestrian journey I have been on. So this is a self portrait which may be the end of the old and the start of the new, or maybe just a pause. Bigger view

public parking on boulcott street

public parking on boulcott street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

As the light was getting stronger, and I was almost home, I thought there may be one more opportunity here at this complicated scene. One person said no, but this young woman said okay, and here ended my photos for the day. BIG

standing on a plinth

standing on a plinth, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I approached her and asked if she would like to be a part of my photo of this building. I said "you could stand here, but it would be even better if you stand up here" pointing to the plinth. She chose the plinth, which was good, I thought. a bit larger

someone on magninity street

someone on magninity street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I have arrived here several times recently on a bright sunny Saturday morning and no one has come along. I have taken photos before, just empty, I like the lonely look of the place. Today it all changed and I had this opportunity for a photo. The man asked me with a smile, "do I need a model release?", "no" I said "I shouldn't need one". Bigger

emily at number 83 bridge street, Eltham

emily at number 83 bridge street, Eltham, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I did not take any random strangers this weekend, I was distracted with other things, hopefully get out through the week. Have posted another of Emily, when we were passing through the "old home town" of Eltham. I am hopefully depicting that not a lot has changed regarding architecture and the general look of the place. Though there are now a couple of interesting shops, and Eltham is now a location for a film, I'm sure things are looking up.View On White and fill most of your screen

a little later on Lambton Quay

a little later on Lambton Quay, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

Around fifty metres up the street from the previous photo, I looked back, and I liked the reflections in the glass towers. I knew if I waited around a bit, some one would come along again. So I did, and trying to act casual about it, I asked this young woman to be a part of the photo. If you have a 20" screen it would be good to view On White for a large view

early one morning on Lambton Quay

early one morning on Lambton Quay, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

The streets were relatively empty, and it was the weekend too, though there are always a few about. So I waited a while until this man appeared walking down the street, lightly dressed for a winters day. He happily allowed me a minute to take this photo. For more detail view larger on Black

after lunch, bridge street, Eltham

after lunch, bridge street, Eltham, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

This is Hannah, who had just finished a bag of salty chips, she also helped out with a photo in one of my favorite photo locations, Eltham, Taranaki. You can zoom in close and "View On White"

foggy dew on Elizabeth Street

foggy dew on Elizabeth Street, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

I took this photo some time back when the fog was in. Did not post it than as I had inadvertently left a pole, that appears to be growing out of the woman's head. I thought that would be a bad thing, but have now changed my mind and don't find it a problem as these people were very nice. They thought I wanted some help in taking a photo of myself but after the initial confusion we got it right. I am off to Taranaki for a few days, so bye bye for now everyone, back some time next week.foggy weather appear to be better when viewed larger on White

emily on bridge street, Eltham

emily on bridge street, Eltham, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

We were traveling though, and I like to stop here, and look around, as the town architecture has changed little in ninety years. The street was mostly empty, so I engaged my daughter to help out. The town is presently being used as a film set. A much larger version can be seen here on White

the terrace, man with scarf

the terrace, man with scarf, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

It was twilight, and so far I had only one photo. I wanted one more, and though the sun had now gone down, I asked the young man with scarf if he would help out. Some times at the last moment, we get what we are looking for. As the figure is swamped by large buildings I would view On Black

young man, take away coffee

young man, take away coffee, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

It was around 9:30 Saturday morning, I was about to call it quits, I liked the dappled sun on the buildings and decided to wait awhile, early morning shoppers were streaming past behind me, it made it harder some how to ask some one. I thought this man might, and he did, standing with his coffee. Try it on Black and fill your screen

woman with green shopping bag

woman with green shopping bag, originally uploaded by Lester Ralph Blair.

The days shopping done, I waited around for for someone to appear, she at first was hesitant, but then decided yes, and seemed a little intrigued, she asked about the reason some more. I think this young woman was happy to finish the day with a photograph. On Black compliments this, and it is larger