Mrs Macquarie's Chair

It's funny. I have lived in Sydney for over 5 years and I actually haven't been to many places. I probably been to more places in NYC, Chicago, Washington DC then to places in LA or Sydney, places where I actually lived. I realized my knowledge or exposure to this place might be less than those of a well-researched tourist. But of course I have experienced living a life here and going through the education system and just the day-by-day life.

So I was looking at Sydney from wikitravel and bumped into this spot called "Mrs Macquarie's Chair." A very familiar place that brought me back a heart felt memory. As most photographers know, Mrs Macquarie's Chair is the spot where you can take that world famous postcard photo of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the two symbols of Sydney together. I actually been to that place once before I left Australia for the United States back in 1996. It was a little like a farewell present for me. I don't even remember how we got there but on that special day, dad took out his ancient Olympic single lense reflect camera, the "Om 1" if I am not mistaken and took me to the sacre Mrs Macquarie's Chair to take photos with it.

As for why we never went there before (at least I never did), I have no idea but it was a very special day for me and it's almost dreamlike and mystical to think back to it. Dad taught me to use the Om 1, how to focus, how to detect if there was enough light or not (whether the photo would become overexposed or underexposed) and snapping away was an experience for me. Dad made it all sounded really special on using that ancient metal single lense reflect. He told me he bought it to chase after mom, and it sounded as if the pictures would be amazing.

For me, that was kind of like my farewell to Australia. I think that what sometimes I find myself doing. I take picture or collect sand, rocks, leaves, pine cones and etc to bring a place with me. Of course you can't bring a place and all that it means to you with you when you leave but for some sentimental reasons and your (or my) strange state of mind, you really thought you could. That was me.

You can't take your friends with you, you can't take your love with you, your emotions, your feelings, all the food, culture, atmosphere with you. All you get is probably just memories, or history. Probably things that you can never get back to but at least with a picture you can always look back and say, "Woah...", and it does take your breath away.

That's what we do. We take photographs, collection or recording of lights bouncing off things we treasure as keepstake and memory, to take you back into those moments, to help you remember. That's all we have sometimes.

A picture can mean more than a thousand words.