Pink Days At Solander

Blood red sunrises and sunsets aren't really my 'thing' because they appear unnatural but I love the mixture of colours Mother Nature cleverly produces - the blues, golds and pale pinks. There were no grand expectations for this morning's shoot with some fellow snappers but the sky really was visually enchanting and seemed to linger for a substantial time, continually changing hues.

Carolyn and I followed the track along the coast from Solander towards Cape Bailey in search of the hawk we'd seen there on previous occasions. Our search was fruitless but the scenery was awe inspiring as usual.

Shoots are fairly casual affairs with the Focus group. Lots of expertise interspersed with lots of humour and lots of Smartphone consultation.

Revisiting Solander

Always a personal drawcard, the weather at Cape Solander was far more welcoming on a return trip. I was keen to re photograph the locations I'd sabotaged on my previous visit while the cloud cover was still impressive. Sydney has been held hostage by a succession of rainy days for the last few weeks so it was encouraging to be able to spend a couple of rain free hours wandering around the cliffs.

Solander Sunrise

Cape Solander is an imposing location, but never more so than when the swell is high or cloud cover is substantial.  

Woken by the first glimmer of light this morning, the sky looked as though it could develop into a beauty so I dressed quickly and dashed out the door. I simply drove without having settled on the best location and ended up at Cape Solander after a brief stop at Wanda Beach. The cloud cover increased and although the promising red glow dissipated, we were rewarded for our early rise by the most glorious golden glow which spread slowly across the rockfaces and shelves. 

As luck would have it Carolyn had decided to venture to the same spot. Clarity was challenged by substantial salt spray rising from the waves but it was another magical morning lightwise and always invigorating to be refuelled by Nature's power which makes dwarves of us all.
It always brings a smile to my face to see the pom pom on Carolyn's beanie.

Sunless Solander

I never tire of visiting Cape Solander. In all weathers and at all times of day it has something of beauty to offer. On this occasion I was meant to be showcasing its beauty to Sandy, a photo buddy.  The plan was to observe a magnificent sunrise followed by a leisurely walk along the cliff edge in order to secure a decent shot of a vantage point  discovered on a previous visit. Although I'd captured some acceptable images, the location really demands a wide angle lens to do it justice.

 

Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans. Although the reality was intermittent drizzle and ruled out a walk along the cliff's edge, we had some fun gallivanting around the rocks looking for some textures on the rocks and then relaxed over a yummy breakfast at the cafe at Kurnell.

Solander Sunrise

It was off to Cape Solander this Saturday with the Focus Seascapers, in search of a super sunrise. Although the rain threatened, and the colour was not intense, it was a beautiful morning to be out and about. I arrived later than the group so was glad I was familiar with the location as I was easily able to make my way to a couple of familiar rock formations. I was quite chuffed with my first image taken in the pitch dark. It made such a difference to be out of the wind and rain and on familiar territory for once. 

The first formation looks down upon the lower rock shelf which is a draw card for some of the boys who like to get close to the flow.

My little Powershot didnt do a stellar job as it just doesn't have the strength to deal with low light situations.

I love this second face that I've photographed many times over. Conveniently, it has a great little ledge where it's comfy to remain seated and plenty of room for a tripod or two. 

 It also provides a great vantage point for looking down at the waves crashing below.

As the sun rose, it cast that most beautiful golden glow across the rocks and the bonus gift for the day was a rainbow which appeared above the furthermost rock projection.

And Starring....................

I don't like being the subject of photographs, however recently I haven't minded being used as scale in landscape or seascape shots. Two of my photo buddies recently stalked me at Cape Solander where we were chasing sunrises. Including a human as scale is a great way to provide the viewer with some idea of the size and magnificence of  the rock formations.

Dave's image does a great job of showcasing the beautiful textures and colours of the rocks

Carolyn's colourful interpretation looking in the opposite direction

Pottering Around Potter's

I've always found it confusing distinguishing between some of the coast locations accessible from Kurnell at one end and Cronulla at the other end. I set out on yet another sunrise hunt, however the sad tradition of unrealised expectations was to continue. All was fine when I left home but the minute I opened the car door at Potter Point the cold winds made their presence felt and it became blatantly obvious that there would be limited colour or cloud in the sky.  Hood up and buttons fastened, I was determined not to leave empty handed so I occupied myself by taking shots of many of the rock formations which resembled strange coastal figures.

 I was lucky enough to score some fairly good shots of crows which appeared in a large group and seemed most interested in what I was doing. It brought back memories of Hitchcock's " Birds". It caused me to ensure I kept well away from the cliff's edge in case their circling was in anticipation of pecking on my remains once I'd fallen to my demise.

The following video created by a photo buddy explains how to reach the Point and showcases some of the attractions. Read " Cronulla to the far left" as " Cronulla to the far right" :-)

The following map seems quite detailed and removed the confusion.