2. Faces of Melanesia

Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea

Art museum, Canoe prow with crocodile eating a man, hibiscus flower, Eclectus female parrot, Parliament building, Papua New Guinea Nature Park, large raintree with epiphyes, orchids, man holding a large olive python, petting an olive python, Blyth's hornbill (Papuan hornbill, Rhyticeros plictus), Port Morseby harbour, sunset Port Morseby harbour
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Hibuscus flower, Airways Hotel, Port Morseby, PNG<br /> <br /> My trip started in Papua New Guinea. Before the trip I bought a 12 mm-24 mm wide angle lens, and was practicing with the lens on the hibiscus flowers outside our hotel (which was fenced and guarded to the hilt, as Port Morseby has a vicious reputation for violence!!) According to a survey of world cities by the economist, Port Morseby ranks at 139 out of 140 as the world's most unlivable city. <br /> The challenge with these flowers is getting their very long stamens in focus...the wide angle lens made this easier, even when hand held. (hand held, 24 mm, 1/40 sec; f/16; ISO 160)
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Hibuscus flower, Airways Hotel, Port Morseby, PNG

My trip started in Papua New Guinea. Before the trip I bought a 12 mm-24 mm wide angle lens, and was practicing with the lens on the hibiscus flowers outside our hotel (which was fenced and guarded to the hilt, as Port Morseby has a vicious reputation for violence!!) According to a survey of world cities by the economist, Port Morseby ranks at 139 out of 140 as the world's most unlivable city.
The challenge with these flowers is getting their very long stamens in focus...the wide angle lens made this easier, even when hand held. (hand held, 24 mm, 1/40 sec; f/16; ISO 160)

  • Hibuscus flower, Airways Hotel, Port Morseby, PNG<br /> <br /> My trip started in Papua New Guinea. Before the trip I bought a 12 mm-24 mm wide angle lens, and was practicing with the lens on the hibiscus flowers outside our hotel (which was fenced and guarded to the hilt, as Port Morseby has a vicious reputation for violence!!) According to a survey of world cities by the economist, Port Morseby ranks at 139 out of 140 as the world's most unlivable city. <br /> The challenge with these flowers is getting their very long stamens in focus...the wide angle lens made this easier, even when hand held. (hand held, 24 mm, 1/40 sec; f/16; ISO 160)
  • Art Museum, Port Morseby, PNG<br /> <br /> The design is based on the haus tamburan (spirit houses) of the Sepik region.<br /> (monopod, 17 mm, 1/40 sec; f/16; ISO 160)
  • Canoe prow (crocodile eating a man), Art Museum, Port Morseby, PNG. Best seen at larger sizes.<br /> (monopod, 21 mm, 1/125 sec; f/11; ISO 160)
  • Eclectus female parrot, Art Museum, Port Morseby, PNG<br /> <br /> This parrot seemed fixated at sneaking though the door into the museum, so we had to be very careful when opening the door. I thought the wire grating made an interesting composition.<br /> (hand held, 150 mm, 1/160 sec; f/9; ISO 640)
  • Female Eclectus parrot, Papua New Guinea. Suprisingly, the male of the species is a bright green colour.<br /> (hand held 112 nnm 1/125 sec; f/9; ISO 320)
  • Parliament building-1, Port Morseby, PNG<br /> <br /> Opened 1984 by Prince Charles. The design of the parliament building is based on traditional spirit house designs from the Sepik River area. <br /> <br /> The challenge was to get in the whole building with the two points lined up when you couldn't get back far enough with a regular lens. The wide angle lens did the trick.<br /> (monopod, 12 mm, 1/500 sec; f/14; ISO 160)
  • Parliament building-2, Port Morseby, PNG<br /> <br /> The reflecting pond was kind of a scummy green, so the challenge was to fix the color balance of the pond with post-processing<br /> (monopod, 23 mm, 1/250 sec; f/14; ISO 160)
  • Parliament building-3, Port Morseby, PNG.<br /> <br /> This view with the people in it emphasizes the distortion caused by the wide angle lens.<br /> (monopod, 12 mm, 1/500 sec; f/14; ISO 160)
  • Raintree with epiphytes, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby<br /> <br /> 14 mm, 1/25 sec; f/11; ISO 160
  • Orchid garden-1, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby<br /> <br /> 24 mm, 1/25 sec; f/11; ISO 360
  • Orchid garden-1, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby<br /> <br /> 24 mm, 1/60 sec; f/11; ISO 640
  • Stronger than he looks - the python that is!<br /> <br /> Mike wrestling with an olive python, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby. The eye of the python is opaque as it is about to molt.<br /> A few other photos from the PNG Nature Park (petting the python, the beautiful eyelashes of the Papuan hornbill) are here <a href="http://goo.gl/2gs2x">http://goo.gl/2gs2x</a><br /> <br /> 24 mm, 1/60 sec; f/11; ISO 250
  • Petting the olive python, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby<br /> <br /> 24 mm, 1/60 sec; f/11; ISO 250
  • Olive python about to molt - hence the opaque eye, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby<br /> <br /> 24 mm, 1/60 sec; f/11; ISO 250
  • Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) is also known as Papuan Hornbill-1, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby<br /> <br /> Check out its lovely eyelashes at the larger sizes.<br /> <br /> 24 mm, 1/60 sec; f/11; ISO 640
  • Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) is also known as Papuan Hornbill-2, PNG Nature Park, Port Morseby.<br /> <br /> Check out its lovely eyelashes at the larger sizes.<br /> <br /> 24 mm, 1/60 sec; f/11; ISO 640
  • Dockside, Port Morseby harbour at sunset, Papua New Guinea
  • Fuelling up our ship at sunset, Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea
  • Clipper Odyssey in harbour at sunset, Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea
  • View from the upper deck of the Clipper Odyssey, Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea

  • MorganFractals

    on May 4, 2013

    Beautiful close-up. Such delicate and crisp texture and love the pastel with that luscious green foliage behind. Wonderful work.

  • lightray

    on May 4, 2013

    Very well done and wise selection on the f-stop. I often find myself shooting hibiscus from the side to try to overcome the choice of stamen or petals in focus and sacrifice for only part of the petals to nail the stamen. A striking hibiscus both in colors and form.

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