81st Column

@81stcolumn

Autistic educator who still loves teaching after 30 years, #sportsci #Welshman domiciled in #Aotearoa - The 81st column was a means by which IBM VDU's could display all characters in full - it wasn't accessible to programmers.. Yes it's me... #MDANT

327 Siguiendo308 Seguidores1297 Publicaciones

Bluesky

alt

¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y 81stcolumn.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

81st Column@81stcolumn· 10d

#Big Silo park, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow

3:2, #Monochrome, Portrait: A #blackandwhite photograph shows a tall, industrial exterior staircase made of metal beams, mesh panels, and diagonal stairways attached to the side of a brick building. The structure has multiple levels, with cross bracing and railings creating a dense pattern of intersecting lines and shadows. Strong directional light casts the staircase’s geometric shapes onto the brick wall behind it, emphasizing the contrast between metal and masonry. At the bottom of the frame, a person is running across a grassy area, their figure small compared to the towering structure above. The overall mood is stark and architectural, with the dynamic human movement set against the rigid, angular design of the staircase.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #Big

81st Column@81stcolumn· 12d

Regularity, Customs St, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa

3:2, #Monochrome, Portrait: A #blackandwhite #night time #photograph shows the exterior of a multi story apartment building with identical rows of doors, windows, and bright overhead lights repeating across several floors. In the foreground, dark tree branches and leaves partially obscure the view, creating a layered frame around the building. A single person stands on one of the lower level balconies, their figure small against the rigid grid of railings and illuminated doorways. The strong contrast between the bright artificial lights and the surrounding darkness emphasizes the building’s geometric pattern and the quiet, solitary presence of the person. The overall mood is still, structured, and slightly voyeuristic, as though observed from a distance through foliage. #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban

81st Column@81stcolumn· 20d

Post your last two brain cells

Two Jaegers fighting in Pacific Rim: Uprising

81st Column@81stcolumn· Jun 28

Slats, Madden St, #Auckland. #Photography #Aotearoa

16:9, #Monochrome, Landscape: A #blackandwhite #photograph of a person in formal clothing a white shirt, dark waistcoat and trousers walks from left to right in front of a large industrial wall made of horizontal metal slats. Strong sunlight casts a long, sharply defined shadow of the person across the slatted surface. On the right side of the background wall, two small signs are mounted: one reads “Delivery Area,” and the other says “CCTV in Operation 24 Hour Video Recording.” The scene is high contrast and geometric, with repeating horizontal lines and the person’s shadow creating diagonal movement across the background.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban

81st Column@81stcolumn· Jun 15

Share a TV show you love from the 1960s. 📺 (if you feel like it)

Title panel from the 1969 TV Series Randall & Hopkirk Deceased. As a kid I remember laughing so so much at the psychiatrist/hypnosis episode and the fight directed by Marty in a dodgy German accent.

81st Column@81stcolumn· Jun 14

My anticipated fashion look for the apocalypse. What's yours?

Noel Coward in "We Were Dancing" from Coward's Tonight at 8:30

81st Column@81stcolumn· Jun 14

Balloon vendor, North Wharfe Promenade #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa

3:2, Colour, Portrait: A person sits on a wooden surface at #night, wearing a blue jacket and a blue hat, looking down at a smartphone held in both hands. Around them float several transparent balloons filled with tiny LED lights that glow in blue and multicoloured tones. Some balloons have faint cartoon characters printed on them. The lights from the balloons cast soft reflections on the person’s clothing and the wood beneath them. In the background, an urban night scene appears out of focus, with warm streetlights and building lights forming blurred bokeh that contrasts with the cool glow surrounding the subject. I’ve been trying to capture this fella for a while, but all my other shots came out with his figure too dark. So yeah pleased to have got this one.

#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban

81st Column@81stcolumn· Jun 10

Mostly for this Pink and White combo as well as what follows>

Jack Nicholson as Daryl Van Horne aka. The Devil in a Pink and White combo in The Witches of Eastwick

81st Column@81stcolumn· Jun 7

#Busy at the bus stop, Quay St. #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow

3:2, #Monochrome, Portrait: A #blackandwhite #photograph showing a person standing at a sheltered bus stop, facing a glass wall that reflects their full figure. The person has long hair and wears a dark jacket with a long skirt or pants and open toe shoes. Their reflection reveals a bag with a circular emblem hanging from one hand. The glass surface creates a clear mirrored double of the figure, while the dim street behind them shows faint vehicle lights and soft shadows.

#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #Busy

81st Column@81stcolumn· Jun 6

Busy doing nothing on Halsey St Wharfe #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow #Busy

3:2, #Monochrome, Portrait: A #blackandwhite #photograph shows a solitary figure standing at the end of a wooden pier, fishing over calm water. The person wears a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, their back turned to the viewer. A metal railing runs along the pier in the foreground, creating strong leading lines that narrow toward the figure and emphasize depth. In the background, several sailboats sit still on the water, and a distant shoreline with trees and low buildings stretches across the horizon. The overall mood is quiet and contemplative, with soft light and gentle contrast contributing to a sense of solitude.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #Busy

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 30

Repost with your first crush

A black and white portrait of a young Anita Harris

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 24

Autumn approaching #Photography #Aotearoa #Autumn

1:1, #Colour: A colour #photograph of a single tree branch in the middle of the frame during autumn. The branch runs diagonally from lower left toward upper right and bears clusters of small leaves that are bright red and orange where sunlight hits them. Behind the branch the sky is a clear, saturated blue and taller trees with green foliage fill the midground and background. Dark, out of focus branches and leaves form a soft silhouette around the edges of the frame, creating a natural vignette that directs attention to the sunlit leaves. The lighting is strong and directional so the highlighted leaves show fine edge detail and subtle vein texture while some sunlit spots approach bright highlights.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Autumn

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 23

Small beneath #Tall Fort Street #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow #Tall

3:2, #Monochrome, Portrait: A #blackandwhite photograph taken at night. In the centre and left of the frame stands a #tall multi-story building whose façade is lit from below, producing strong vertical highlights and deep shadows along a row of #tall, evenly spaced columns. Rectangular windows form a grid above an awning that projects over the sidewalk. On the sidewalk beneath the awning, an adult walks at a steady pace beside a small child who is riding a low bicycle and wearing a helmet; the child is slightly ahead and close to the adult’s side. The street is dim beyond the pool of light; reflections from the building’s illumination create subtle bright patches on the pavement.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #Tall

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 9

#Soft light at the bus shelter on Karangahape Rd, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow

16:9, Colour, Landscape: #Night photograph of a dimly lit glass panel, part of a bus shelter, fills most of the frame. The glass surface is fogged, streaked, and slightly dirty, catching the glow of warm orange and green lights that create a soft, atmospheric gradient across it. Near the centre, a faint, shadowy human figure is visible behind the glass, their form blurred and indistinct, adding a sense of mystery. Etched or drawn graffiti reading “KING NRT” appears on the right side of the panel. The background beyond the glass is mostly obscured, with only hints of shapes and light filtering through.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #Soft

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 4

Without stating your age post your favourite film released the year you turned 18.

A still from The Draughtsman's Contract by Peter Greenaway here we see three 17c fops in various states of feigned surprise and amusement.

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 3

More #ShadowPlay on Lower Albert St, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow

1:1, #Monochrome: A #BlackandWhite #photograph showing the lower half of a person walking across a sunlit tiled pavement. Only their legs and feet are visible, wearing thick platform sandals that cast a sharp, elongated shadow stretching diagonally across the ground. The tiles beneath them form a regular grid of light and dark squares, creating a geometric pattern that contrasts with the organic shape of the shadow. The person’s stride is mid step, suggesting forward motion. In the background, beyond the pavement, a wire fence runs horizontally across the frame, with a low concrete barrier beneath it. Behind the fence, the background contains rough, uneven ground with patches of overgrown vegetation and scattered debris, giving the scene an urban, slightly neglected atmosphere.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #ShadowPlay

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 3

Waitematā railway station, #Auckland #Night #Photography #Aotearoa

16:9, #Monochrome, Landscape: A #BlackandWhite #nighttime photograph of a large neoclassical building, cantered symmetrically in the frame. The façade is five stories tall and made of pale stone, illuminated by strong exterior lighting that highlights its columns, pilasters, and ornate decorative carvings. The ground floor features tall arched doorways reached by a wide set of stairs, while the upper floors have evenly spaced rectangular windows framed by sculptural stonework. The building’s lighting creates deep shadows in the recesses of the arches and around the window frames, giving the structure a dramatic, sculptural appearance against the dark sky. In the background, the sky is completely black, with no visible stars or surrounding buildings, which makes the illuminated façade stand out even more. The foreground shows a flat paved area leading up to the stairs, mostly in shadow. #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Night #Photography #Aotearoa

81st Column@81stcolumn· May 2

#ShadowPlay Lower Albert St, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow

1:1, #Monochrome: A #BlackandWhite photograph of a person walking along a tiled pavement beside a wire fence. The figure is captured in mid stride legs and casual shoes. Their long, sharply defined shadow stretches diagonally across the ground, creating strong contrast against the sunlit tiles. In the background, behind the fence, overgrown vegetation and scattered debris fill an uneven patch of land.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #ShadowPlay

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 29

Transition, Commercial Bay Arcade, Queen Street #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa

1:1, #Monochrome: A #BlackandWhite indoor shot of a person walk stepping into a contrasty, textured, futuristic corridor with metallic textured walls illuminated by vertical light strips. A bright “LIFT” sign glows in the background, contrasting with the dark, atmospheric surroundings. The right-hand side of the shot is in fact a reflection of the feature wall opposite, so I got a nice angle and immersive texture. Then I had to wait, it was late evening close to closing, and this was the only person I got for the shot. Which as you can see was quite fortunate.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 25

I guess not that #odd in the scheme of things, but the cart is a very long way from home. Supermarket trolley, McFetridge Park, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtShow

16:9, #Monochrome, Landscape: A #BlackandWhite #night time #photograph shows a single empty shopping cart sitting on a patch of short grass in the foreground. The cart faces slightly to the right, its metal frame catching a faint sheen from distant lights. Behind it, several tall streetlights glow through a layer of mist or fog, creating soft halos that fade gradually into the dark sky. Their light spills across the field, illuminating patches of grass and casting faint, diffused shadows. In the background, barely visible through the haze, are the silhouettes of trees, a small shed like structure, and the rectangular outline of a soccer goal. I guess not that #odd in the scheme of things, but that cart is a long way from home.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Urban #BlueSkyArtShow #odd

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 25

An #Odd number of feet on show in Britomart, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtshow #Odd

5:4, #Monochrome, Portrait: A #blackandwhite #photograph shows a two people seated on a concrete ledge, to the right of the shot visible only from the knees down. Their legs are relaxed, angled slightly forward, with feet planted on the ground. An #odd number of feet are bisible.They wear athletic sneakers; the left shoe displays a clear Nike swoosh. The concrete ledge forms a clean horizontal line across the upper part of the frame, contrasting with the patterned ground below. The ground consists of diagonally arranged rectangular tiles that create a strong geometric rhythm, with alternating light and dark tones emphasized by the monochrome palette.

#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Aotearoa #Urban #Photography #BlueSkyArtshow #Odd

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 23

Yeah backyard gardens... talk to me about that.... In fairness we could forage for grapefruits (they're round the corner), but then we would be competing with our local avian mafia......

Picture of a verdant back yard made up of carefully curated native regeneration plants reared with care over the last decade. There's no f**cking way we are going to rip this sh*t up. Quite apart from anything else, there is now the possibility that if cleared, our yard would disappear down the hill in heavy rain.

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 17

Uniformity, Commerce St, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa

3:2, Colour, Portrait: Front view of a building exterior at #night. The left half of the frame is dominated by a regular grid of rectangular panels that glow a cool purple, each panel emitting even, soft light and forming a strong geometric pattern: withing each panel is a smaller regular pattern formed by a pressed steel grid or mesh over the lit panels. The top right half shows a glass storefront lit with warm, yellow white interior light; inside, a clothing rack holds several similar jackets on wooden hangers arranged evenly along the rail. The glass reflects faint exterior light but does not obscure the garments; the visible fragment of signage reads “PERFORM.” The scene contrasts cool, smooth, architectural illumination with warm, tactile retail materials — metal and glass versus wood and fabric — creating a calm, orderly mood. No people are visible; scale can be judged by the hanger size and window height, suggesting a street level shopfront. Overall tone is composed and minimal, emphasizing repetition, clean lines, and the interplay of two distinct light temperatures.

#Uniformity #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Urban #Photography #Aotearoa

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 9

Last Manu of Summer? Not even close...... A Manu sequence at Karanga Plaza Harbour Pool #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #Kikorangi

Wide, Colour, Landscape: A four-panel photographic sequence shows a person entering an outdoor swimming pool from a narrow concrete platform. All four images are framed from the same position under low, directional light. The pool water is a deep blue-green, and behind it, wide horizontal stone steps rise across the entire background, creating layered bands of shadow and light.
In the first panel, the person is just about to make contact with the pool in a V shape, behind first, close to a pair of vertical metal pool ladders fixed to the platform. The person’s body is upright and partially silhouetted against the darker water.
In the second panel, the person has moved forward into the pool. The body is angled downward and partly submerged, and a small, bright splash forms where the body meets the water. Ripples spread outward across the pool surface.
In the third panel, the person is almost entirely below the surface. A larger splash rises vertically, forming a dense burst of pale, textured water droplets that contrast with the darker pool and background steps.
In the fourth and final panel, the person is no longer visible above the water. The splash has expanded upward and outward, filling much of the right side of the frame with fine droplets and spray. The metal ladder remains fixed and unchanged throughout the sequence, and the stone steps in the background remain empty, emphasizing the single action unfolding over time.
Last Manu of Summer? Not a chance……
New Zealand colloquial usage, a “manu” is a bomb or cannonball jump into water, done with the aim of creating the biggest possible splash.
#Nikon #nz #Auckland #Aotearoa #Photography

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 6

I've been using this as my meetings background for a while now.

16:9, Colour, Landscape: #Night photograph of neon signage: the word WHATEVER in glowing rainbow colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) stacked above white neon WORKS and DEPOT on a dark building façade. #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Aotearoa #Urban #Photography

81st Column@81stcolumn· Apr 4

Flags at Hobson's Wharfe Pocket Park, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa

16:9, Colour, Landscape: A lone young person sits on a gentle grassy slope in the foreground, facing an array of tall rectangular flags mounted on poles. The flags are arranged in rows and ripple in the breeze, each showing a vertical gradient from deep blue at the top to red and orange at the bottom, creating a vivid band of warm colour against the muted, partly cloudy sky. The composition emphasizes the contrast between the bright flags and the calm landscape, suggesting a quiet, contemplative moment in an open outdoor space. Nothing really worked for me to get this shot; the wind was one-way and the light another. It must have looked quite odd with me constantly shifting to see if I could get the best of this. #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Aotearoa #Urban #Photography

81st Column@81stcolumn· Mar 29

Slatted #background leading to a doorway at the Hyatt in #Auckland. #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtshow #Background

3:2, Colour, Portrait: The left wall is composed of evenly spaced vertical red slats that create a repeating geometric rhythm. Bright sunlight enters from the upper right and falls across the slats and floor in a sharp diagonal band, producing high-contrast stripes of light and deep shadow making up the #background. A single figure in a dark suit stands near the corridor’s end, mostly silhouetted with only parts of the shoulder and face catching light so facial details are indistinct. #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Aotearoa #Urban #Photography #BlueSkyArtshow #background

81st Column@81stcolumn· Mar 28

Dior providing a silhouetted #background for urban life at the bottom of Queen St. #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtshow

3:2, Colour, Portrait: #Night shot of a storefront window display for Dior. On the left a dressed mannequin in a brown-toned outfit holds a handbag amid stacked boxes under warm lighting; on the right a large illuminated geometric panel reads Dior in black, and a silhouetted pedestrian walks past the bright panel in the #background, creating contrast between the static luxury display and urban life. #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Aotearoa #Urban #Photography #BlueSkyArtshow #background

81st Column@81stcolumn· Mar 22

South Way, A #Stone tiled path just off Jellicoe St, #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtshow

4:3, #Monochrome, Portrait: #Blackandwhite close-up of a #stone tiled sidewalk with the words SOUTH Way stencilled into the surface in bold capital letters. A rectangular metal utility cover sits just beneath the text toward the bottom right. Strong directional light illuminates the lower portion of the frame while the upper portion falls into a dark shadow, creating high contrast that emphasizes the tile pattern, the stamped lettering, and the urban, wayfinding feel of the scene. #Nikon #nz #Auckland #Aotearoa #Urban #Photography #BlueSkyArtshow #Stone

81st Column@81stcolumn· Mar 22

Bluestone Store, Durham Lane #Auckland #Photography #Aotearoa #BlueSkyArtshow #Stone