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No Such ThingDerek Clark | X100F, 23mm f2. 1/250 sec at f7.1, ISO 3200

No Such Thing
Derek Clark | X100F, 23mm f2. 1/250 sec at f7.1, ISO 3200

Driftwood, Bribie Island
Robert Catto | X-H1, 35mm f/1.4. 1/8000 at f/1.4, ISO 200.

Broken Fire
Jonas Rask | X100F, f/4, 1/125, ISO 5000.

SuzanneVincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 35mm 1/125 at f/1.4, ISO 800.

Suzanne
Vincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 35mm 1/125 at f/1.4, ISO 800.

BudsPatrick La Roque | X-PRO2,  1/11000 at f/1.8, ISO 200.

Buds
Patrick La Roque | X-PRO2,  1/11000 at f/1.8, ISO 200.

National Portrait GalleryKevin Mullins |GFX-50S with GF45mm F2.8 Lens 1/200 @ ISO 125 F2.8

National Portrait Gallery
Kevin Mullins |GFX-50S with GF45mm F2.8 Lens 1/200 @ ISO 125 F2.8

BrusselsBert Stephani | GFX 50S, GF110mm f/2,  1/250 @ f/2.8, ISO 200

Brussels
Bert Stephani | GFX 50S, GF110mm f/2,  1/250 @ f/2.8, ISO 200

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Waypoints

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Waypoints

Surry Hills, my suburb in Sydney, is a bit different to everywhere I've lived before.

The history of this area is much more visible, in the buildings and streets that surround me every day; and being so close to the centre of Sydney means I spend much more of my time walking from place to place, spotting little details that haven't changed in a hundred years or more.

So my mental map of this city, built up over the last five years of living here, is based on these markers, these waypoints - the old church, the loading dock, the grocer - that tell me how far it is home, where to turn, which block this is…

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Bricked InDerek Clark | X-Pro2, 35mm f1.4. 1/1600 sec at f1.4, ISO 200

Bricked In
Derek Clark | X-Pro2, 35mm f1.4. 1/1600 sec at f1.4, ISO 200

Cockatoo Island
Robert Catto | X-H1, 18mm f/2. 1/60 at f/8, ISO 3200.

Just us, Sis
Jonas Rask | X-Pro2, XF50mm, f/8, 1/400, ISO 200.

LilithVincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 56mm 1/125 at f/1.4, ISO 100.

Lilith
Vincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 56mm 1/125 at f/1.4, ISO 100.

BudsPatrick La Roque | GFX 50S,  1/1250 at f/2, ISO 100.

Buds
Patrick La Roque | GFX 50S,  1/1250 at f/2, ISO 100.

EnduranceKevin Mullins | X-T2 with XF16-55mm Lens at 55mm 1/550 @ ISO 200 F2.8

Endurance
Kevin Mullins | X-T2 with XF16-55mm Lens at 55mm 1/550 @ ISO 200 F2.8

JulietteBert Stephani | GFX 50S, vintage Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 with Kipon adapter,  1/500 @ f/2, ISO 100

Juliette
Bert Stephani | GFX 50S, vintage Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 with Kipon adapter,  1/500 @ f/2, ISO 100

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Direct Sunlight

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Direct Sunlight

Sometimes, it's an accidental discovery.

We spent Easter with friends in the small town of Mudgee, New South Wales - a 4h drive from Sydney, over the Blue Mountains - but it was an artwork I'd stumbled across days before, down a laneway near home, that stuck in my mind while I was there.

DIRECT SUNLIGHT, it read - painted on the street, in an alley so narrow it would hardly ever actually get sun, except the way it did when I was there: bounced off the windows of a building.

But the rest of us do, in this country. You can hardly avoid it.

It defines the place.

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DogwoodDerek Clark | X-Pro2, Lensbaby Edge 80, 80mm at f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO 200

Dogwood
Derek Clark | X-Pro2, Lensbaby Edge 80, 80mm at f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO 200

Surry Hills Revisited / A Game Of Cat & Man
Robert Catto | X-H1, 16-55mm f/2.8 @ 16mm. 1/640 at f/11, ISO 200.

OnwardsJonas Rask | X-H1, Helios 44m-4 58mm, Lens Turbo Adapter, f/2, 1/2000, ISO 100.

Onwards
Jonas Rask | X-H1, Helios 44m-4 58mm, Lens Turbo Adapter, f/2, 1/2000, ISO 100.

RizüVincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 23mm 1/110 at f/2.8, ISO 2000.

Rizü
Vincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 23mm 1/110 at f/2.8, ISO 2000.

One day, the young boy disappeared...  Patrick La Roque | X100F,  1/1250 at f/3.2, ISO 2000.

One day, the young boy disappeared... 
Patrick La Roque | X100F,  1/1250 at f/3.2, ISO 2000.

The Beauty of CreationKevin Mullins | X100F with WCL, 1/5,000 at f2, ISO 200

The Beauty of Creation
Kevin Mullins | X100F with WCL, 1/5,000 at f2, ISO 200

Exhausted KoalaBert Stephani | GFX 50S, GF63mm f/2.8,  1/200 @ f/2.8, ISO 1250

Exhausted Koala
Bert Stephani | GFX 50S, GF63mm f/2.8,  1/200 @ f/2.8, ISO 1250

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Oh, Harbour Bridge

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Oh, Harbour Bridge

One of my favourite things about Don McGlashan's songwriting (and there are many) is this - the choice he makes about the perspective, or point of view, of the characters in a song. 

Harbour Bridge is a perfect example - it's a song about parting, about breaking up with someone you love; but the person singing it manages to pin all their problems on the various failings of...the bridge they're driving across.

If only bridge weren't so grey / long / high / convenient, he'd have been able to think of, and say, everything he wanted to tell her; and, maybe, she'd have stayed...

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Dressing Room PianoDerek Clark | X100F - 23mm - ISO2000 - f/2 - 1/125 sec

Dressing Room Piano
Derek Clark | X100F - 23mm - ISO2000 - f/2 - 1/125 sec

Hilltop Silhouettes, Sydney
Robert Catto | X-T2, 35mm f/1.4. 1/250 at f/11, ISO 200.

StatuesqueJonas Rask | X-H1, Laowa 9mm f/22, 1/1000, ISO 800.

Statuesque
Jonas Rask | X-H1, Laowa 9mm f/22, 1/1000, ISO 800.

AuxaneVincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 56mm 1/125 at f/1.8, ISO 100.

Auxane
Vincent Baldensperger | X-Pro2. | 56mm 1/125 at f/1.8, ISO 100.

While Reading Patrick La Roque | GFX 50S, Pentax 50mm f/1.7, 1/125 at f/1.7, ISO 100.

While Reading
Patrick La Roque | GFX 50S, Pentax 50mm f/1.7, 1/125 at f/1.7, ISO 100.

A Snow DayKevin Mullins | GFX 50S, Minolta MD 1.7/85mm Rokkor Lens 1/2,000 ISO 200

A Snow Day
Kevin Mullins | GFX 50S, Minolta MD 1.7/85mm Rokkor Lens 1/2,000 ISO 200

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Reclaimed

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BY BERT STEPHANI

STEPHANI-desert-02.jpg

I'm supposed to have a slow morning before I'm flying back home but instead I was up at 4 am and now I'm on my way to the desert, outside of Dubai. It's a last minute opportunity that I just can't pass on. The night before I was invited to join a team from Gulf Photo Plus for a trip to an abandoned town in the desert. They are doing some filming to promote their upcoming Photo Week event (check it out, our buddy Kevin Mullins will be one of the teachers there). 

The camera is with me, but basically I'm going simply because I like being in the desert. The first remains of the small abandoned village don't bring the sadness that I usually get in deserted places. It doesn't disturb me and it doesn't seem to disturb nature either. It's just there, peacefully and calm.

On the edge of the settlement a small mosque glows in the morning sun. I sit down on the wall that surrounds it and can't help thinking that it is more spiritual place than any active religious place that I've ever visited. 

STEPHANI-desert-07.jpg

I sit there for almost an hour and I look back at an amazing trip and an amazing year. I look forward to become a better photographer, a better boyfriend, a better dad, a better man. And I look inside to see what will drive transition. 

Inside ... loneliness, sadness, frustration and insecurity orbit around me but can't quite get traction. My gaze turns outside and just like these buildings I accept the flow.

It's time to head home, face demons and embrace angels. 

Happy New Year everyone, I'm looking forward to see what 2018 will bring for KAGE. In case you were wondering: most of the pictures in this story were shot with the GFX50S with the GF63mm lens. I used the panoramic crop mode for these pictures and for a couple of pictures I used the X100F in 16:9 mode and cropped them a bit tighter in post to match the GFX shots.