PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
- Messages
- 108,007
Today, Melbournes St Kilda Road and Federation Square was awash with Yell(ow) For Cadel. The hometown boy was coming home and taking us for another ride!
You've probably all seen the pictures in the news and even before I'd gotten the camera out to download these pictures, Queenie had already asked me if Melbourne was chaos today!
Actually.....Melbourne has held so many of these events and I always take the opportunity to enjoy every one that it never seems to be chaotic....much. I guess maybe Ive gotten used to the madness.
This morning, I had decided that I was heading into the madness. Like so many other people around me, we all were taking a much longer lunch than we would ever admit. The only question in my mind was would I see him ride or would I see him get interviewed?
It came down to the wire and I made a last minute decision to see him ride down St Kilda Road rather than cram into Fed Square.
A rather Cadel-patriotic crowd had turned out.
I snaffled what I thought was a prime position on Princess Bridge. Right on the edge of Fed Square.
As you can see, I had a choice view down St Kilda Road ..
.a rather fantastic position....until....a Channel 7 cameraman stood RIGHT in front of me and then moved to this side so I couldn't get a clear shot of Cadel from the front coming down St Kilda Road.
Still, it wasn't all bad news I managed to pick up a shot of a Three-Wheeled Motorcycle, a category that had become like the Holy Grail in this years photography scavenger hunt for me.
So intent was I on the 3-wheels, that I almost forgot what I was doing there!
Because when I looked up, all of the sudden he was right in front of me and I had a split second to choose between taking a front-on picture of him or properly congratulating him.
I chose to congratulate the man properly. I looked him square in the eye, smiled and was instantly charmed by his returning friendly grin, that twinkle in his eye and with his hand outstretched, we exchanged a friendly handslap (he has rather smooth and surprisingly softer than expected hands).
And afterwards .I rushed to get the camera up to take a shot of him as he rode past me.
Im glad I made the decision to queue down St Kilda Road. Look at the crowd in Fed Square!
In the comfort of home and in putting my thoughts down now, I am contemplating the what-if I had decided to take that front-on picture of Cadel.
But you know what ..I think I will always remember the time where I preferred the human contact with a cycling legend (than an impersonal click of a lens) and even though I know he will never remember it .for that one brief second, Cadel and I shared an intimate moment together.
Such a close personal, intimate moment that was shared with 100,000 others!
Thanks for going on this ride with me!
ps. If any other Melbournian was out in the midday yellow fog today, please share your thoughts as well!
You've probably all seen the pictures in the news and even before I'd gotten the camera out to download these pictures, Queenie had already asked me if Melbourne was chaos today!
Actually.....Melbourne has held so many of these events and I always take the opportunity to enjoy every one that it never seems to be chaotic....much. I guess maybe Ive gotten used to the madness.
This morning, I had decided that I was heading into the madness. Like so many other people around me, we all were taking a much longer lunch than we would ever admit. The only question in my mind was would I see him ride or would I see him get interviewed?
It came down to the wire and I made a last minute decision to see him ride down St Kilda Road rather than cram into Fed Square.
A rather Cadel-patriotic crowd had turned out.
I snaffled what I thought was a prime position on Princess Bridge. Right on the edge of Fed Square.
As you can see, I had a choice view down St Kilda Road ..
.a rather fantastic position....until....a Channel 7 cameraman stood RIGHT in front of me and then moved to this side so I couldn't get a clear shot of Cadel from the front coming down St Kilda Road.
Still, it wasn't all bad news I managed to pick up a shot of a Three-Wheeled Motorcycle, a category that had become like the Holy Grail in this years photography scavenger hunt for me.
So intent was I on the 3-wheels, that I almost forgot what I was doing there!
Because when I looked up, all of the sudden he was right in front of me and I had a split second to choose between taking a front-on picture of him or properly congratulating him.
I chose to congratulate the man properly. I looked him square in the eye, smiled and was instantly charmed by his returning friendly grin, that twinkle in his eye and with his hand outstretched, we exchanged a friendly handslap (he has rather smooth and surprisingly softer than expected hands).
And afterwards .I rushed to get the camera up to take a shot of him as he rode past me.
Im glad I made the decision to queue down St Kilda Road. Look at the crowd in Fed Square!
In the comfort of home and in putting my thoughts down now, I am contemplating the what-if I had decided to take that front-on picture of Cadel.
But you know what ..I think I will always remember the time where I preferred the human contact with a cycling legend (than an impersonal click of a lens) and even though I know he will never remember it .for that one brief second, Cadel and I shared an intimate moment together.
Such a close personal, intimate moment that was shared with 100,000 others!
Thanks for going on this ride with me!
ps. If any other Melbournian was out in the midday yellow fog today, please share your thoughts as well!
