Roadside attractions
Posted: June 2, 2014 Filed under: Australia, Flora, Hakea, Iconic Australian images, WA, Wildflowers | Tags: eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Silver Princess, Gumnuts, Hakea, roadsides 6 Comments
Spurred by my singular mission for Australian iconographical supremacy, I have been burning up the kilometres in Perth’s hinterlands and developed a keen eye for the shrubbery of my favoured plants. Next time I will take a shot of the other view around some of these images. Envisage trucks and cars roaring past apace, and about every 10 minutes a ute horn and muffled yelling issuing forth. A strange custom, that one.
I’m playing around with backgrounds a bit. I cannot bring myself to snip off branches, preferring to shoot them in situ, but I have particular ideas about what I want my subject matter to sit on, and the background is not always ideal (the McDonalds red and yellow is SO dominating). I love the challenge of finding plants at the perfect stage, in the right light and manageable weather – it takes me back to driving around pre-dawn Victoria in the dark winter drizzle, with my travel mug of tea, and frozen fingers on the car heating vents. My happy place!
Eucalyptus caesia, Silver Princess
Hakea laurina, Pin-cushion Hakea
Eucalyptus Macrocarpa, Mottlecah
As I see it 
Love the light and the soft greys and pink colours Nina.
thanks Chrissie – I have learnt a lot even in the last week! It is illuminating when you spend a few days in a row on the same subject what you learn. I may do this more often 😀
Iconic indeed. Fabu-lyptus. Gum-nut-u-lous
The ute horn sounding & yelling out the window phenomenon is more widespread, and is frequently observed when biking in West Auckland. I don’t get it either.
G
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Fabu-lyptus: BRillllliant. With regard to the unwanted motorist attention – I’m forming a theory that the Williams’ have a special magnetism. Given my advancing years it is apparently not just for your average twinkie.
Neens, I LOVE iconic Australian native flora and you have captured my very favourite, endemic to Western Australia – the Silver Princess tree (binomial – Eucalyptus Caseia). I love how it elegantly falls, coated in the silverly powder. I have planted this and the Pin Cushion in my garden. Beautiful shots, I am so glad you are focussing on the wonderful native flora; so many people do not see the beauty that is delicately sprinkled throughout our dry landscape, you can help bring it to the fore.
Thanks Lulu! Aren’t they too perfect for words! I am all over those Silver Princesses (being one myself), and am obsessed with spotting them. X