Trip To Tabbagai

Walking out at Solander towards Tabbagai today there were many rock 'faces' to be seen. Michael Hankey saw faces the other day so I know I'm not the only one who sees faces everywhere I look. I call them the guardians and they can be found reaching out from most rocky outcrops. As the sun was rising I saw another one today who resembled a timeless creature but what intrigued me most of all was the shape alongside it which looked a lot like a hawk. Nothing special in itself, except for the fact I'd just been photographing a hawk. I love the way Mother Nature makes you think - synchronicity.

Although it's a hassle to carry two cameras on shoots I needed the wide angle to capture a specific rockpool I had in mind and I knew from experience that an opportunity which did not lend itself to wide angles would crop up some time during the shoot. Frequently these occasions allow no time for preparation or changing lenses so dealing with the double camera hassle is always worth it.
 The sky was less than perfect on the day so the reflection shot is a composite with a sky from another time.

Intent on the patterns created by the golden sun rays hitting the cliff face I almost missed seeing a young hawk nestled on the ledge. The hawk was to be Nature's gift for the day and although I didn't get the exact shot I desired I'm glad I have a digital memory of the experience. The white arrow not only indicates the hawk's camouflaged position on the rock ledge but serves to demonstrate how effectively the little Powershot SX50 can zoom over quite a distance to capture a subject.

These shots was taken with no tripod so I'm quite satisfied with the detail, particularly on the tiny eye.

 He appeared to sense that he was being observed and as soon as I pressed the shutter for this shot, he left his sandstone perch for a more private position.

Yena Sunrise

It's been a while since I posted but I have been out and about. We joined the Focus group for a shoot in the National Park. Carolyn and I elected to go to Yena while the others climbed down the cliff face at Solander to make use of access at  low tide. I'd hoped to try out my Firecrest ND Filter but feel I'd be best to do this when I'm not limited by time constraints.

I love the way Yena offers easy access to the rock shelves and it was interesting to see the comps which opened up at low tide. The sunrise was vibrant but not long lasting, but the way the colour from the rising sun lights up the rock pools is mesmerising. I only wish I could have moved to a better position but it is dangerous to not have respect for rogue waves at Yena and it was the best I could do on the day.

As we were shooting three dolphins swam past but I only managed to capture one in frame. The sky also changed remarkably in the time we were there. Grey clouds replaced the deep pink.

My Canon Powershot comes in handy as a second camera for zooming in on details like this tiny crab hiding in the crevasses between the rocks.

Bombo Yet Again

Conditions tide and swell wise appeared to be positive, so we were lured back to Bombo in order to try and experience the majesty of waves crashing against the basalt columns.

Unfortunately, the weather was uncooperative and raining so we elected to take a detour down Swamp Rd. at Jamberoo and hop out between showers to take some shots of the fig trees and old derelict farmhouses.

We then returned to Kiama for the obligatory breakfast before finally making our way back to the quarry during a lull in the rain. The flow was disappointing considering it was high tide, but the clouds and reflections were encouraging, so the trip wasn't completely wasted.

Bombo during the heat of the day isn't a relaxing place to be, so we only spent a few hours wandering around, but hopefully we will have more opportunities to experience the majesty of high seas on another occasion. Definitely on our list to do.

Cape Bailey Reflections

Potter Point is always a pleasure to visit and to think I'd never heard of this location until about 2 years ago. It is deliciously free of ankle biters, yummy mummies, joggers and cyclists.

Unfortunate that access requires one to negotiate 19 speed humps and pray that no traffic is coming from the other direction. However, rain hail or shine and at any time of day, there is always something to capture interest. The light can change dramatically in minutes and the rocks and water are transformed.

Carolyn and I spent a few hours photographing the rock formations and walked as far as the Cape Bailey Lighthouse. There was just enough water on the ground to create some interesting reflections and the cloud formations made for wonderful natural filters. 

 One aspect that is a tad spooky is the number of enormous rocks which have broken off the cliff face. The size of them is quite intimidating, particularly when there is an abundance of fissures embedded in the rocks.