Created Visible - Photography by Nicole Pragasam

Something Blue

2011-05-17T21:04:00.004+10:00

It has been a little while since I played around with tabletop photography.

And in keeping with the obvious theme..

I suppose I should call this one, 'Save the Date'

Love

2011-02-14T21:36:00.001+10:00

Dedicated with much love to B.

And with much joy to G and S.

(You know who you are!)

This rose 'Moonlight' was taken in the family garden.

Homage

2010-10-30T10:01:00.006+10:00

"Some say love, it is a river,
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor,
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed."
~The Rose

This beauty was captured in our garden and is a Hommage á Barbara.

It is also my homage to the flowers of love, the family and friends I am blessed to have in my life.

Feed Me...

2010-09-29T09:09:00.001+10:00

Kelly the lovely cat has been keeping me company while I house sit. Our conversations revolve around patting and breakfast :-)

Mackay

2010-09-18T00:39:00.009+10:00

Adventures in singing took me up to Mackay for the first time. There was a good stretch of beach and the most amazing aqua water, clear as cut glass.
The Pine Islet Lighthouse was the last operational kerosene light in Australia.

Think Pink!

2010-07-25T10:17:00.002+10:00

I attended the Think Pink! Ball yesterday and what should I see in the garden this morning but this little beauty.
So this picture is dedicated to all those courageous women who have encountered cancer, and to the wonderful people supporting them. xo

Dublin

2009-07-06T17:08:00.000+10:00

In Dublin's fair city... where the girls are so pretty... Of course one is going to see sweet Molly Malone... but which one?

Downpatrick

2009-07-05T20:20:00.000+10:00

Said to be the site of St Patrick's grave, this little town is home to the St Patrick Centre which houses a fascinating exhibit on Ireland's patron saint. Ridding the entire country of snakes is among the many things attributed to St Pat.

Belfast (part 2)

2009-07-05T17:01:00.008+10:00

Belfast is a famous ship building town. Sadly the most famous ship to have left also never returned. In the shadow of the Belfast Eye (yes they have one of those wheels too) is the memorial to the Titanic. One of the many murals in the town also stands as a memory.

..and more Belfast murals...

Queen's University

The Beacon of Hope - though our tour guide called her Nula with the Hula!

Belfast (part 1)

2009-07-04T23:55:00.004+10:00

We arrive at Belfast in the evening and in late sun, I go for a walk around the city. For a Saturday it is eerily deserted. Later I find out that the main city life area moved out from the main city centre after many bombings...

The famous opera house where Pavarotti made his UK debut, the city hall, and the old and new gates of the law courts

The Giant's Causeway

2009-07-04T23:39:00.000+10:00

It is said that a Scottish giant and an Irish giant built a huge bridge in order to meet each other in battle which became a duel of minds. The Scottish giant lost and returned to his country, tearing up the bridge as he went and this is all that remains. Of course it could be a lot of blarney, but those giants must have been awfully good at cutting stone..

Yeats

2009-07-04T11:32:00.000+10:00

In a little churchyard in Drumcliffe, the poet William Butler Yeats is buried. There is an ancient Celtic cross just outside the churchyard and the doors to the church have been ornamented with swans, which might be a reference to Wild Swans at Coole,

The trees are in their autumn beauty,

The woodland paths are dry,

Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky;

Upon the brimming water among the stones Are nine and fifty swans.

Belleek Pottery

2009-07-04T05:27:00.000+10:00

The famous pottery at Belleek made a fascinating place to visit and a most temptatious place to spend money! No photography was allowed in the factory except for the justly celebrated basket and floral section where exquisitely detailed works were being created. Here are some of the baskets waiting for additions from the field of shamrock.

Our guide and one of the artisans who drew the short straw and was part of the token staff present in the factory on weekends to ensure that tour groups like us could see how things are done. Poor chap, toiling away fuelled by 7-Up and Nurofen... but still doing amazing work. Some archive pieces show how the fine china looks after firing, painting and glazing.

Limerick to Cliffs of Moher

2009-07-03T08:57:00.000+10:00

Same view from the hotel, this time by day.

A heartbreaking monument to the children of the famine. The journey has been dotted with so many sad crosses marking mass graves of those who perished in the Hunger.

The Cliffs of Moher.

On the road again. Ireland is liberally sprinkled with hay bales and castles.

Dingle to Limerick

2009-07-02T07:37:00.000+10:00

The beautiful Dingle Bay was location scouted by David Lean for the film Ryan's Daughter.

More of the Irish Coast including the Blasket Islands and more sheep!

We arrive at Limerick, home of funny verse and Frank McCourt. Here is the view from the hotel by night.

Ring of Kerry

2009-07-01T19:06:00.000+10:00

The picturesque and rugged coast of Ireland was swathed in mist and intermittent rain, but we still had a good drive around the Ring.

A monument to St Dunstan the Navigator

Looking out over the peninsula

Sheep near the Avoca centre

Killarney

2009-06-30T09:33:00.000+10:00

We spend three nights here and funnily, the fair has come to town and is parked just outside our window.. Needless to say, it takes a while to get to sleep each night! :-)

Anyway, we have a nice though damp day visiting Muckross House. Occasionally the drizzle was so persistent, my camera thought it was monochrome..

It is situated in the Killarney National Park and this is how we got there...

The ruins of Ross Castle...

How we cross the lakes...tiny boats aren't they and they sit so low in the water!

Innisfallen Abbey, a ruined monastic spot on an isolated island in the lakes.

Muckross House, looking very Austen.

Waterford

2009-06-29T09:10:00.000+10:00

We arrive in Waterford and on day 6 of the tour go for a walk around the city in the wake of an enthusiastic Irish guide called Jack. Waterford is know for its crystal but sadly the factory hasn't survived the economic crunch and has closed. However, we get to see the last commissioned piece they produced - the beautiful chandeliers in Christ Church.

The beautiful organ that shares the pride of place with the chandeliers.

An obviously Victorian doorway in Irish green. Even the pillar boxes were green here..

Stena ferry

2009-06-28T08:46:00.000+10:00

It is a 3.5 hour boat ride from Wales to Ireland. Once at sea, there isn't really much to see except the boat one is on, so naturally, here are pictures of the ferry (It had the radio alphabet painted around the deck and I went looking for Tango, but it was inexplicably missing - as was Quebec.. Foxtrot will have to do, but it looks rather weatherbeaten!)

Cardiff

2009-06-28T06:55:00.000+10:00

We absolutely bolt through Wales on our way to the ferry on day 5 of the tour.
I would have loved to have seen inside Cardiff Castle, but we just about caught a glimpse over the wall.

And you can't go to Wales without seeing a dragon. This one was on public trasport.

Bristol

2009-06-27T23:00:00.000+10:00

We get to Bristol rather late in the day so there is only time for a quick walk around.

Saint Mary's Church is just opposite our hotel. Sadly it is closing as we get there so we don't get to see inside, but the outside is still pretty impressive...

Local residents...

and houses...

Bath

2009-06-27T18:23:00.000+10:00

Beautiful Bath was like stepping into another era. Elsewhere we have seen old buildings, even old streets, but here because of the density of old buildings it feels like being in an old city. Even though new shop fronts have sprung up, the buildings are much the same as when Dickens and Austen would have visited to take the waters or enlighten the public with their literary readings. I did take several pictures in the streets but, peopled as they were with locals and mile upon mile of visitors, they look nothing like the shots that BBC period movies have the luxury of filming. So I am posting instead images that highlight the strange juxtaposition of a magnificent Abbey, with the ancient site of a Roman temple to Minerva, and Georgian fancy.

Glastonbury

2009-06-27T06:40:00.000+10:00

The rather eerie remains of what would have been a splendid abbey mark where some believe to be the final resting place of King Arthur and Guinevere. The abbey was another victim of Henry VIII's abolishment. The only building that has remained intact is the kitchen.

Plymouth

2009-06-26T21:33:00.000+10:00

So many famous ships and captains have set sail from this port. Of course the Mayflower is the best known and this inscription can be found on the Mayflower Steps. Other ships commemorated at the spot are The Sea Venture 1609, and the Tory 1839 which set off to colonise New Zealand.

Our hotel faced the Hoe which is the patch of grass (now extended to a public green) where Drake played his game of bowls before taking on the Armarda. The Hoe houses a Naval memorial which is flanked by a sculpture of Neptune, and the rebuilt Eddystone Lighthouse which stands as a testament to engineering.

Land's End

2009-06-26T14:46:00.000+10:00

This is recording the third day of our tour on June 26.

We crossed the River Tamar, taking us from Devon into Cornwall. This is the railway bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

St Michael's Mount - a monastic island.

Cornwall is Daphne du Maurier country and it is very easy to imagine Mary Yellan from Jamaica Inn wandering through these parts.

Land's End is as far south as one can go on the British mainland. Apart from being a rugged coast, this is now quite a commercialised spot, popular with charity walkers who sometimes go all the way to John o'Groats - also now maintained by the same development company). Even the BBC have put a Dr Who themed exhibit here... Many of the shops quip on the fact that this is the first and last spot in England (depending on which way you are travelling)

Dartmoor

2009-06-26T08:29:00.000+10:00

Driving through here in broad daylight, it was hard to imagine the Hounds of the Baskervilles looming through the mist with glowing jaws.
Instead the local wildlife seemed to be sheep playing red rover with the traffic.
We stopped at a tiny village called Widecombe-in-the-Moor before hurtling on along roads that it seemed impossible to get a coach through, but we made it without hitting any sheep or stray tourists.

Salisbury

2009-06-25T14:00:00.000+10:00

Home to the tallest spire in England, Salisbury is a lovely town that we didn't actually walk through as we spent the stop whipping through the cathedral. Here are some images of the beautiful building (once again, the scaffolding trend had gone before us and as for doing a Constable shot...)

Stonehenge

2009-06-25T13:53:00.000+10:00

Brighton

2009-06-24T23:22:00.000+10:00

The favourite seaside town has been a place to take the sea air for centuries. George the Prince Regent built his pleasure house pavillion here. Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside, the decor was rather overwhelming and burst from the ceilings and walls in pseudo-oriental abandon. Here are some details of the outside, once again, a portion of which was in scaffolding!

Our hotel turned out to be one of the most impressive buildings on the front.

Brighton used to have two piers but one burned to just a shell. The Skylark used to take people between the piers. I wonder if we found it, or is every other boat in Brighton called Skylark...

Battle

2009-06-24T13:22:00.000+10:00

This little town marks the spot of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. True, Hastings itself is not far away, but the battle was named for the nearest town at the time. This is where it really happened. An abbey was built on the spot and the gates dominate the town centre.

Destination Canterbury

2009-06-24T13:21:00.000+10:00

This is Wednesday 24 June and we join our Globus tour group who will be our travelling companions for the next 22 days. Heading straight from London to our first stop Canterbury.

The South Bank Lion bids us goodbye as we cross Westminster bridge.

Looking through a Canterbury street towards the great cathedral. (Following the scaffolding trend that we seem to have, the famous gate to the cathedral is undergoing maintenance, so I can't get a shot of the church through the arch unless I want it with unasthetic metal bars and green mesh..)

Canterbury cathedral is the most important church in England being the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury who is the chief cleric for the Church of England. Thomas Becket was murdered here and a candle burns continually to his memory. It was to his shrine that loyal pilgrims would travel, telling each other stories to while away the time - hence the inspiration for Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

This building is suitably impressive in size and style. Naturally, I went shutter mad and the following is a collection of impressions.

On the Thames

2009-06-23T19:21:00.000+10:00

This is still recording our first day in London. After going on the London Eye, we took a boat tour which is also run by the Eye group. It takes you along a stretch of the Thames from the Houses of Parliament to Tower Bridge. We had a very amusing tour guide called Leighton who basically rewrote London history with his dry wit, Londoners obviously do not hold their politicians in high regard, nor their modern architects...

It seems on this trip that most of what we want to see is undergoing refurbishment and repairs. The historic Savoy, home to so many Gilbert and Sullivan premiers is completely under wraps and unphotographable. Tower Bridge is being repainted so it was impossible to get the classic end to end view, and I had to content myself with a detail shot.

Houses of Parliament with what our guide called an inferior boat company's vessel in front - rather possessive of their bit of water.

The Eye in full next to the refurbished County Hall which serves as the administrative building for the Eye group and a museum.

Shades of my first operetta, The Yeomen of the Guard, as we go past the Tower of London. Look out for the entrance to Traitor's Gate.

The London Eye

2009-06-23T14:59:00.000+10:00

After settling in at our hotel, we are met by our cousin who takes us on a spin through London. More gawping as the famous landmarks go flying by – Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament with the famous clock tower... We will be revisiting these in about a month’s time, so for the moment, the camera stays silent while I absorb this City that practically oozes history and literature.
On one’s first day in London, may as well get the bird’s eye view, so we are kindly treated to a ‘flight’ on the London Eye.

View along the bank while waiting in the queue to ride the Eye.

Charing Cross Station

The Houses of Parliament. Big Ben is not actually the name of the clock tower, but the bell inside.

No picture of London is complete without St Paul's! Also look out for the Gherkin, built in 2004

Arrival London

2009-06-23T14:55:00.000+10:00

It has been a long night waking in fits and starts, a poor baby has been crying nearly the whole trip. I am awake as we fly over Lahore, looking out for the Big and Little Dippers in the clear sky. It is something special to be just that bit closer to the stars and think of their Maker. Tuesday 23 June - We had breakfast over Russia while chasing the sunrise. Heathrow is surprisingly straightforward and apart from the queue for border clearance, we are in and out in a jiffy and soon on the Globus courtesy shuttle which takes half an hour just to tear around Heathrow. Once we hit the road to London, I am gawping out the window at the houses, foxgloves, willows, beech trees, oaks, general Englishness and snapping indiscriminately and inartistically at The First Pedestrian Light and The First Double Decker Bus... Hopefully the child-in-the-lolly-shop feeling will die down a bit soon and I can take some decent photos!

Bound for the UK!

2009-06-22T14:51:00.000+10:00

After months, even years of planning, my sister and I are finally off on our Big Holiday to the UK and Switzerland.

We flew out on Singapore Airlines on Monday 22 June. This is the A330 that took us from Brisbane to Singapore. Pleasant flight with a bit of turbulence. Terminus 2 was singularly deserted as we trickled around by foot to T3 with some mild experimentation on the travelators (yes you can almost skate on the things) The terminus is a good slice of the country with glossy shops springing out from every corner to foist onto you Burberry, Coach, and Godiva chocolate. Some half-hearted attempt at photography still couldn't do much with a boring transit lounge...

It was the middle of the night when we transferred to the famed A380, so couldn't really see it to appreciated its size. However the top deck alone feels like the A330 so it was something to realise that there is another whole layer of passengers below us.

The Merry Widow - costume shoot

2009-04-25T15:16:00.004+10:00

Things have been a little quiet on the photography front because they have been quite vocal on another front. I have been busy in rehearsal for an upcoming production of Franz Lehar's best known operetta, The Merry Widow. It is very exciting to be playing the title character!
With the run six weeks away, I have been issued all my costumes for the three acts and thought they would make a nice set of shots in the style of some of those historical clothing pictures one sees in stately home guidebooks or the "making of" for a period movie.
Here are my "widow's weeds" in order... Naturally these are detail shots, if you want to see what the whole costume looks like, top to toe, please come to a performance :-)

Glengallan Revisited

2009-03-11T11:19:00.005+10:00

Sounds like a book title...
One of the images from the Glengallan shoot has been begging for a reworking. So in my quest to recapture the look of antiquity here are the trees again almost as if in another season or era!
The actual print of this is more impressive with lots of lovely grain, something I've been wanting to introduce into the digital image for some time

I think this is a much more romantic image than the original, but am happy to have two 'prints' that tell separate stories.

Inside the Royal Bull's Head Inn

2009-02-22T16:18:00.017+10:00

In Drayton is one of Queensland's few National Trust properties. I have been meaning to get to the Royal Bull's Head Inn for some time and as my own personal celebration of Queensland's 150th Anniversary, finally made it there this year.

It was a windy, rainy day and the fascinating interior of this well preserved inn turned into an exercise in available light photography. All of these images are tripod shot and window lit.

Miss Amy Johnson. The bedrooms upstairs have layer upon layer of wallpaper as well as pinup girls from the world of sport and in this case, aviation. Miss Johnston must have become a cover girl after being the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.

Washstand. This is from one of the downstairs, and grander, bedrooms. Lurking in the shadows is a very heavy trunk that accompanied one of the owner/residents of the inn during her voyage from England to Australia. Unlike Amy Johnson, she would have made the crossing on a steamship.

More trunks. This time made of metal.

The piano. Situated in the parlour and too fragile to play now, nevertheless this beautiful walnut instrument would have entertained many a guest.

The chair. From the coffee room upstairs, this is my favourite of the pictures I took. It looks for all the world as though placed in its corner for an impressionist painter to spot.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T07:06:00.002+10:00

Glengallan

2008-12-13T10:52:00.013+10:00

Just outside Warwick is a fascinating building which has seen the ups and downs of pastoral life. Glengallan is a mixture of unfinished wings, a polished front face, collapse and decay, careful restoration, lost land, and restored rose gardens.
Here are a few images taken in and around the homestead.

Light Trails

2008-12-12T07:33:00.005+10:00

They say necessity is the mother of invention and these two experimental images came about due to not having a tripod while walking through the Toowoomba Christmas Wonderland in Queens Park. I had hoped to do the slow shutter manual zoom combination next time I took lights like these, but running through the display 10 minutes before closing time with just my camera in hand, that was simply not possible and after a few muffed shots, I thought of turning the inevitable shake to my advantage... Clown Dynamo and Balloons of Fire

Shots from Sydney

2008-10-25T10:36:00.008+10:00

This week I spent three days in Sydney for a conference. In between learning about software and information architecture, I ducked out into the coldest few Spring days for several years to catch some of the surrounding views.

Sandringham Gardens Gate
Inside Hyde Park is a small but impeccably kept garden as a memorial to George V and George VI. Looking at the detail of the gates, I thought I could spot the initials GR incorporated in the patterns.

War Memorial Frieze
It was far too wet and windy to get a shot of the Pool of Reflection, so I went for one of my typical close up shots of the frieze on the east-facing wall of the memorial.

War Memorial Deco

There was such a wealth of Art Deco in Sydney. Due to the bad weather I couldn't line up any shots except this one, but the pictures in my mind I shan't forget.

St Mary's Detail

Over a side door of the magnificent St Mary's Cathedral

Town Hall
I could see the Town Hall from my hotel window and just about managed to get out at a time with enough light to bring out the ornate tower.

Down The Rabbit Hole
This quirky door and stairwell was in the Queen Victoria Building and looks for all the world like something out of Alice in Wonderland. While I don't normally put effects on my photos, this one seemed to warrant a soft focus look to suit the surreal dreamlike appearance.

Band of brothers...

2008-10-04T08:35:00.002+10:00

Taken at the Grand Champion garden in Toowoomba.
I originally thought it was the deep magenta that caught my eye, but on looking at the image later I realised it was the multitude of little bullseyes, so this got the B&W treatment.

Ranunculus

2008-09-28T12:59:00.014+10:00

These beautiful blooms were taken at the Grand Champion and Runner Up prize gardens of this year's Carnival of Flowers.

Very popular with the Toowoomba gardeners, these cultivars have come a long way from the humble buttercup.

By the Lake

2008-09-20T11:03:00.000+10:00

This week, I was reading 'Streams in the Desert' by L B Cowman. The entry for Sept 18 caught my eye - you will see why:

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18
Waiting on God is vital in order to see Him and receive a vision from Him. And the amount of time spent before Him is critical , for our hearts are like a photographer's film - the longer exposed, the deeper the impression. For God's vision to be impressed on our hearts, we must sit in stillness at His feet for quite a long time. Remember, the troubled surface of a lake will not reflect an image.

How true! Today on my morning walk, I decided that instead of hurtling around the lake, I would stop and think, and look out for reflections. So here is a part of the lake, amidst the rest of the surface disturbed by the wind and birds of the air, much more still, almost perfectly mirroring that which is above it.

Gorgeous Gazanias

2008-09-13T22:57:00.000+10:00

Taken on a recent weekend trip to Toowoomba on a cloudy day and in high wind! The weather forced me to use a very wide aperture but the end result was nice and dreamy. Gazanias can be solid coloured or can have a variety of striking markings which serve as landing lights for bees and other pollinators.

The lure of ink...

2008-09-08T20:16:00.000+10:00

I have always enjoyed writing with a fountain pen. There is something very personal about touching a fine nib to paper and leaving a trail of ink that expresses one's thoughts. My modern Pelikan M400 has been my mainstay through countless meetings and document reviews, even annotating code printouts while joggeting in to work on the bus.
Over the past couple of months the feeling that one fountain pen is not enough has been insidiously creeping up on me along with the charm of vintage fountain pens. So I now find myself with two more Pelikans from the 1950s. They make quite a nice family portrait!

Brisbane Art Deco

2008-08-25T22:48:00.000+10:00

With my dear photographer friends over at Monochrome Brisbane, I have been revelling in one of my favourite eras of design and capturing examples of Art Deco in Brisbane.
You can see the fruits of our labours [here].

Some of the images I took during the assignment were shot for their colour as much as for the elements of Deco.

The Manor Apartments have to be one of the most elaborate Deco buildings in the CBD. My black and white images are [here] but the honey and gold tones of the stained glass begged to be caught in colour.

The slightly weathered Spanish dancer is all that is left of the facade of the El Dorado cinema at Indooropilly. This great example of Deco relief found herself displaced from her proud spot above the entry. Indeed she would feel rather out place among the new techno cladding. She now hides around the corner of the building on a side wall.

One of the most iconic Brisbane buildings, featured on many a XXXX beer bottle, and a solid chunk of Deco industrial architecture, the Castlemain Brewery in Milton boasts rich brickwork and plaster chevrons. Regular Milton Road commuters may find this image evoking the pungent tang of malt in the air.

The very first post!

2008-08-03T10:00:00.000+10:00

Well here it is, after much tweaking and several very late nights (read early mornings...) the blog for Created Visible is up!

While I am a photographer, and Created Visible is mainly about presenting my photographic artwork, I do have a few other interests that I pursue with just as much enthusiasm and the entries here will probably reflect this.

Please enjoy reading the ensuing pot-pourri of posts!