If you see it, you've missed it

I was waiting to catch the ferry from Circular Quay to Milsons Point in Sydney, when I saw the seagull sitting on the pylon. The Sydney Opera House made for a great backdrop, so I took a couple of frames as the seagull sat there. I wanted it to get up and fly off, so I kept the camera trained on the scene.

I stayed this way for quite a few minutes, willing the seagull to do what I wanted it to, but it didn't seem in a hurry to go anywhere. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the ferry approaching the dock but still I kept the camera trained on the seagull. I even contemplated throwing something at it if push came to shove.

Finally, as the ferry docked and everyone started getting off, the seagull stood up and took a couple of steps. I knew it was going to take off and, as I saw its wings lift upwards, fired off a frame, then several more as it sailed out over the water of Circular Quay.

I wasn't sure what I got ("if you see it, you've missed it") and excitedly looked at the back of the camera. I hit the back button several times until I got to the frame I wanted and couldn't believe it when I saw its wings perfectly upstretched moments before lift-off.

Gear used - Nikon D5000 camera, Nikkor 28-105 f3.5-4.5 lens (with macro), 200ISO

To see more images like this, go to - www.giuliophotography.com.au

"But we wouldn't queue for the phone..."

This is one of the few times a photo replicated - exactly - what I had envisaged.

In 1991 I was sent out west on assignment for the Courier Mail newspaper. The story was that the town of Middleton, located in the middle of Queensland and consisting one building - the pub - and with a population that varied between 4 and 6, was going to be getting its first phone, a solar-powered payphone (up until then, they only had two way radio).

Myself and the journo were being to accompany a team of Telecom (now Telstra) technicians who were going to be ceremoniously 'throwing the switch'. We left Winton early one morning and, after a one-and-a-half hour drive, arrived. As I'd imagined, there was virtually nothing there. It was desolate...and hot! Even at 8.30am.

So, the photo I'd imagined was a line of people queuing at the phone box, silhouetted against the morning sun (I knew we were going to be there early).

After saying g'day to the two locals, I ran this idea past them. They looked at me like I was an alien and their response - "But we wouldn't queue for the phone, mate. There's no one here. We wouldn't need to..." - wasn't what I was hoping for. After much cajoling, I finally talked them into standing in the phone box with the Telecom technicians queued outside.

The two locals still didn't know why I was doing this and continued the "you're an alien" looks as they made their way to the phone box and I positioned the technicians.

With that I ran to where I was going to take the photo, got down as low as I could, and fired off a few frames. The sun was still low enough that it snuck into the top of the frame and what I could see looked exactly as I'd imagined it. And I love the fact one of the Telecom guys, without me telling him to do so, put his hand up to his hat, giving the photo a real country feel about it.

Gear used - Nikon FM2 camera, Nikkor 24mm f2.8 lens, HP5 B&W film (400 ISO)