Extremes

I went to the local cinema in Avoca on Friday to see The Salt of the Earth a 2 hour documentary on the life of famous photographer Sebastiao Salgado.He is a superb photographer and it was a very engaging film but I did find it depressing.He spent much of his life photographing human misery-famines,atrocities and appalling working conditions.He produced amazing photos-many of them now famous but all the misery has left him depressed and pessimistic about mankind.He has now moved onto photographing the unspoilt parts of the planet.Seeing his photos it was easy to share his pessimism and this is reinforced by events all around us.So much brutality and suffering and so much nastiness and greed and so many people behaving badly and dishonestly.
Even on a day to day level the way people behave on social media and on forums is appalling.Look at the photos of Lewis Hamilton in the post below and remember he is not a teenager - he is the World Champion.It is as if all ethical checks and balances have been abandoned.Bullying and trolling are almost the norms it seems.No wonder so many people have retreated to watching videos of cats playing the piano and similar.

Fearing a blue mood I sought refuge in my photo archives and I found some photos of extremes -innocent,benign extremes. 
Extremes on two wheels.
Firstly Moto-Cross at Appin in NSW a few years ago.Taken with a Canon EOS camera and the beautiful Canon 70-200m F2.8 lens with a two times converter on Fuji Velvia film.That lens was special.Now I wish that I had not sold it but it was a monster.To think that I carried it around all over the world.

And by way of complete contrast three girls cycling home in the then beautiful town of Hoi An Vietnam.Taken with my Leica M6 on,I think Fuji Velvia film,from the back of a pick-up truck whilst on the move.This was taken in 2002.
Hoi An still has World Heritage listing but it is now completely spoilt by crass over development as I found out when I visited in 2012.It nearly made me weep.Lesson - do not return -you may well be disappointed.Does not apply to Paris.