I’ve been working on a personal project of late. Independent of any C19 lockdowns, just happens to coincide tonight.
Astute and long term reader that you are, you might have already picked up on a few of the vibes, every so often sections get added to the blog, and somethings just fade away due to lack of interest on the part of the scribe.
birdsaspoetry.com has over the years changed, developed, and waned sometimes depending on my various activities.
Originally set up in the early 1990s it was by invitation only, to a blog that was part of the Apple Mac program, and I had a full .Mac account at the time. But, Apple, decided that running servers for people was not in their core business and it was terminated. The blog at the time was not so much about birds, but formed part of visual poetry class I was involved with. Someone in the class challenged me about making bird images that demoed some of the visual poetry skills we were working on, and so birdsaspoetry was born. And lived again, mostly by invite on a Bigpond server. Around the same time, the college I was teaching at introduced a programme for students to work on line with a ‘free’ service on the Edu-blog server. (Another WordPress imprint).
And I moved the blog to there and opened it up. By then I was photographing at Woodlands Historic Park on pretty much a weekly, sometimes daily basis, and the blog was dominated by the comings and goings of the various birds out there, but, mostly as I settled in to understand the Red-capped Robin, and Scarlet Robin populations and the winter visits of the Rose and Flame and Pink Robins, and later the families of Eastern Yellow Robins that lived in the sugar gum area, the blog took on a much more intimate view into their lives. Interludes.
But when we moved away in 2014, again all that changed and I began to report our various trips about.
However the new project is a bit of a mix of the past interludes and the challenges of our current on again off again local travels.
Interludes is in fact a personal book project I’ve been working on this year.
It is a picture book, a two page spread, much like the old photojournalism magazines.
Each double page will have as the planning proceeds 6-8 photos and little if any text, of the time we spend with a single bird, or family at a given time (interlude).
It is not a for sale book, simply a portfolio I’m assembling. Not tonight to talk of the details of how its being assemebled, else I’ve having nothing to write about next week. 🙂
The triptych I revealed last week is a only a rough mock of the front page. Nothing is settled on the picture content.
So, where does the blog fit in. Well, after all that waffling introduction, you probably saw the first of the connections when I put up, “On the Road Again” during the week.
I’m planning to bring each of the events over to the blog as an in-depth look at a bird, or family and the actions of that day. Expect some closeups, some action, and a few birds on stick, or inflights.
In a way it revolves the blog back to its roots of the early Woodlands Robins series.
So expect to see short stories, with a number of related photos.
My challenge of course is to keep to the course. 🙂
In the meantime,
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 
A lovely Cuckoo, and it’s interesting to read of your forthcoming plans. May it all go very well for you, and I’m sure we shall all be wanting to hear more as things evolve.
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Thanks Eleanor
Not much really changes just I probably won’t have to sweat to write stuff!
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An interesting project, David! I look forward to reading more!
A fine image of the Fan-tailed to view also!
A bit of a worry as we see exposure sites listed all around us here.
Keep the kettle full as well as the doona ready!
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G’day, Uep The Fortress Day here. School up the road, friend is lollypop there. The Plaza, central shopping.
Shan’t see me out from under the doona for awhile.
Lower numbers this morning but all out during infection period is a huge concern
Stat safe
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Maybe the odd poem here and there?
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G’day David, interesting to read about your new project. I remember very well your stories from the Woodlands. Not sure if I had been a very regular reader those days but I was charmed by your closeness to the Robins directly expressed in name giving.
The poetry of your bird images influenced greatly my view on nature photography and ever since I have been looking for this secret ingredient in mine and other people’s photos.
The call of your Fantail Cuckoo is being Heard- even louder as I saw and heard one during my first trip to Werribee, after a very long break, last week. It looks like you really have to keep your fortress tight for now but I’m sure that if you venture out for supplies you’ll have your Nikon handy. Stay safe. Best wishes.
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Another interesting and nostalgic personal history lesson from your past David, on the origins of your blog and its name, which always eluded me to its roots. Oh how my wife and I would have loved to have been in such a Robin inhabited woodland ! It is good you are thinking of hard copying some of your work, it is exceptionally good and you have so many amazing stories in images. I am sorry I did not take up the batten for you when you to publish a children’s book with your photos from a past discussion we had, I have not come to that place as yet and have been having break from writing my 3rd book while modernizing my website. Lock-down is quite serious here at present, and many are fearful of side effects of both vaccines, as well as fear of the raging virus. It has been a long spell inside, and missing our long bird walks immensely. Our at home holiday is ended and my wife dreads back to work tomorrow at the covid coal face. Thre continues to be those who disregard the safety plan, and many appear to breath through their throats and chins by the way they wear their masks. So stay safe and warm also my friend,
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Hi Ashley,
I’ve pretty much kept most of that early history of the blog enigmatic, (as much of the blog is- stream of consciousness doesn’t really rely or allow for indepth explanation of details)
I’ve been doing “Picture Books” for quite a long time, we don’t fill the house with prints on walls, mostly smallish, or some coffee table books, that are the portfoflios of the past for clients, or now simply a compilation of current works to while away an hour or so.
We both, have long used the slide show features to run repeating shows on tv wall mounted screens fro studio work and magazine compilation. The introduction of the the small ipod and its tiny screen and then the first iPad gave EE a chance to show work directly to editors without all the usual hassles of lugging in laptop computers.
So, now the new Project is just a continuation. The only addition is I’m going to make the time do double duty and add to the blog.
My work these days is all displayed under “Attribution or Common Work-share alike” so use is free.
Good to hear that you have got a release, but I can indeed understand any apprehension either of you might have about going back into the closeness of people, with a virus that has no boudaries.
We are locked down for a week, but it will be more no doubt. The “Level 1” sites are all in walking distance of our place and a friend is a Lollypop at the closest school that has infections rampant. So not sure what his precautions are going to be at the moment.
We both operate as committee of one to be as aware, and as cautious as possible, but each day brings its own challenges.
Remain.
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