dj.tigersprout's photoblog
Dusk on the Harbour, Fairlight, Australia
Posted by dj.tigersprout (New York City, United States) on 25 July 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
The phenomenon of summer in Sydney, Australia is possibly one of the best things i have ever experienced in my lifetime. Luckily for me i have had 3 such chances and i will certainly never forget the collective memories stored permanently away in a very deep part of my soul / spirit.
For this nomadic wanderer, there is nothing like the warm blaze of the sub-tropical Sydney sun on the skin -- and the cool baby blue, turquoise and lime green waters that greet the eyes with such brilliance and the body with such a refreshing splash. The beach is a terrible lure, its waters possessive, the sands powder smooth and white. And once i am submerged, finally immersed in the wet, the salt gleefully stings my eyes, happily blinding me while the sun bakes me a terrific brown, chocolate, black... In the late afternoons, my body spent from the hot humid days, mosquitoes nip joyfully at my knees and elbows, their furious bites lasting up to a week -- angry blemishes at which to unconsciously pinch and scratch.
But the miraculous magic that binds my heart is the ritual fall of twilight. The sun having dwindled west to bed and the air and sidewalks cooling, the sea breeze begins its quiet whispers of the nights inevitable return. And it is these heady hours that give life in this glorious metropolitan its quick and healthy pulse. Whether the city or the suburbs, the beach communities or the fringe, night brings a new fever -- virulent and powerful, that breaks only with the hint of coming dawn.
However, no longer an adolescent with inexhaustible fumes -- restlessly driven to the city's plentiful bars, clubs and lounges -- I now stay close to the water's edge, finding my way to the grassy slopes, or to benches and tables while the twilight glimmers overhead. Here i sit, musing or in gentle conversation, enjoying the privileges of good friendship -- and drink, the light waning beautifully as the first twinkling of stars appear and the waves crash gently ashore.
A stillness gradually overcomes me and i am filled first with reflection and then with happiness and finally peace. Night has come and I am refreshed, recharged, a new person, the same me. It is a mind changing wonder, simple and yet extraordinary -- but it happens every night, like a clock work miracle -- my soul's ultimate salvation... in twilight coves like these.
all work protected by Creative Commons
Canon EOS REBEL XT
1/30 second
F/5.6
ISO 125
18 mm