Saturday 31 May 2014

Looking for Photo Opportunities

Even though I've become a traitor and changed from the Shadow to a Kwaka, I am still a member of SRA even after writing a heartfelt email to the Pres in which I told him I'd understand if I had to hand in my badge. His response said it all .. something along the lines of it will be a cold day in hell when I tell you to leave SRA. Aww I was touched :)

Recently I was excited to see that they have posted up a new photo competition. I love these comps and they had been let slide over the last couple of months. Probably due to all the planning that had to be done to get the AGM perfect. Now that they have accomplished that .. it's all a go again .. yay!

This months theme was your bike with a bridge, and there was some pretty good pictures being posted. Australia doesn't have the lovely covered bridges that I've seen on Trobairitz's blog but we do have some that are more than photo worthy. It was going to be hard to beat, but I'm up for the challenge.


Then I realised that well, since I don't ride a Shadow, then perhaps I shouldn't enter. I went all frowny face for a while, then decided that meh, even if they didn't wanna accept my pics as an entry for the competition I could just post up them anyway.

Terry and I went for lunch today, then afterwards I thought I might just go find a place to take some photos. With a bridge. That was photo worthy. Hmmm. We thought about it for a while, then decided on this one.


It was built in 1881, it has survived numerous floods. Terry even walked across it when he was a wee tike once during a flood. It was the only bridge that wasn't under the river and the only link between the two sides of town. Actually he didn't walk, he was carried across on his fathers' shoulders. That's the kind of memory that sticks isn't it. They had to walk along a plank that was just wide enough to walk on and between the two tracks. The trains were still running too, so you had to keep a keen ear out for the sounds of an approaching train and hope you'd be able to run for it if one came.


So we went over to the bridge, and I had to do a few different angles. Great practise on the new baby. I did U-Turns, they are much easier now! I also got to test out how the bike likes being lowered, last Monday I got him lowered 2 inches. Wow it makes a difference for me when stopped, I can touch the ground with both feet flat. I can comfortably stop with one foot up on the brake now too. I can back him into a parking spot with ease (unless it's uphill, still just don't have the strength for that). I love my Huck!!


I still don't have any bags for him, so I was taking photos with my phone. I played with them a bit in Paintshop Pro and do like the effects. Even so the phone didn't take terrible photos.


I just like these effects, especially with that old rusty bridge. Actually bit more history bout the bridge, a lot of the red that you can see isn't rust as I thought at first. Apparently when it was first built it was painted in Red Oxide as an undercoat and stayed like that for ages, it soon earned the name The Red Bridge, and that name has stuck for over 100 years. Yes the trains still run along here regularly and they aren't planning to change that anytime soon. The bridge is as structurally sound as the day it was built.


15 comments:

  1. Most clubs, the good ones anyway, accept riders of any brand even when the club focuses on one type. Besides, you may return to riding another Shadow in the future. Bikes pass through our lives and some of us (me!) maintain more than one at a time.

    Your new machine is handsome, indeed. Does he/she have a name?

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    1. You're absolutly right about the clubs Ally, though I do have to point out the SRA doesn't call itself a club .. there's legal stuff then .. it's a riders group :) All the same, it's just a good bunch of people.

      Ally you make me jealous with all your bikes .. I'm working on catching up :)

      He does have a name, Huckleberry, hence the new name for the blog. I came by it while I was riding him for the first time, the expression 'I'm your Huckleberry' had just stuck in my head, from the movie Tombstone. I'm pretty sure it means something along the lines of I'm your man, I also thought of Huckleberry Finn, who was another man who was good to have along on an adventure.

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  2. Your mean green Kwaka certainly is very photogenic.

    I am still a member of the BMW MOA (BMW Motorcycle Owners of America) and meanwhile ride Harley and Vespa, and live in Europe... I guess as long as my dues are paid I am good ;-)

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    1. Thanks Sonja, Huck liked that description!

      That's pretty extreme, but if it's a good group then why would you want to leave eh :)

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  3. Love all the colors in the photos and the effects of the Paintshop.

    You may not have the covered bridges that we have, but yours have history and the industrial look goes well with Huck.

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    1. Ta Brandy,

      I wasn't sure how these pics would turn out, my phone is getting old and the pics it takes are normally pretty ordinary. Thanks heavens for Paintshop eh. I've fallen for one effect that it does lately and it worked well with that industrial look of the bridge.

      It's funny cause as soon as I heard what the comp was all I could think of was your covered bridges, but it's a little far to go just for a photo opportunity isnt it. One day I'll have to come visit so you can take me to see some of your lovely sites.

      I'm sure a lot of the bridges you see have history, you just have local to know the stories. That's the interesting thing about this bridge for me, I'm not a local (got at least 20 years to go before I'm even accepted as a resident I think) so I've always just driven under this bridge and not even noticed it. Hearing the stories Terry told me, and also seeing it in a different light in the photos has really changed the way I look at it.

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    2. Sheesh that was a long reply :)

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  4. Love the pics Brenda, your new machine is stunning.

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  5. Brenda, I love the first photo particularly - very moody, brooding shot. Glad to hear you're bonding with the new bike. I've had the same experience to the point where I will now sell the BMW - just not riding it now.

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    1. Thanks Theo,

      It's a shame you are thinking of selling the BMW i'm sure it will take you places that the shadow couldn't dream of going, but I guess if you aren't going to those places then it doesn't matter.

      Have you sold the 400 yet?

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    2. I'm with Theo. The first photo is great. Nice work Brenda. Isn't that bridge just behind the shops in the main street of Dubbo? I thought I recognised it. Its been awhile since I've been out there.

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    3. Yep that's the one, just behind the library. And runs alongside the road bridge, but you just never really notice it

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  6. Brenda:

    It's hard to choose but I think Photo #1 has the slight edge. I love the moody feel about it

    Perfect effects is FREE right now for a very limited time, here is the link.

    http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/effects8free/

    You add it to your cart and click purchase. The price will be ZERO $0.000 and submit. They will send the activation code to your email. Lots of presets for effects

    Brenda, you need a local to show you where they are. I've been to Oregon many times and have only been inside one and passed another. Sometimes you ride right past them but you didn't know that they were just "around the corner" out of view

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast


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    1. Thanks for the link Bob,

      Actually I love that photo, there's a few that I've been meaning to get processed and I think that might be one of them.

      Ahh so next time you go to Oregon you'll need to get someone to show you around :) It's interesting what you can find if you have a local to show you isn't it, I know Terry and I have missed things in the past cause they are just round the corner and you wont find them if you dont know about them.

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