Stormy Day At The Rocks

What a difference a day makes (or two). My return trip to Bombo with some of the S.A.P.S group produced a much more exciting sky than the previous Sunday even though the swell was still less than exciting.
 The destination was Cathedral Rocks and then on to Bombo. Stopping off for a quick detour to Minnamurra I was rewarded with some pristine reflections on the lake generated by an early morning canoeist and paddle boarder.

There was only time for a couple of quick shots as the rest of the group were already at our location.
Walking towards Cathedral Rocks along Jones Beach the reflections mirrored the pastel coloured highlights in the sky.

Intermittently peeking from behind the clouds, the hiding sun produced those glorious silver shards which illuminate the surface of the ocean, one of my favourite early morning sights.

I was expecting a lower tide so was a little disappointed I couldnt access the cave without some mountain goat climbing or get the exact composition I was after.

Electing to  conserve my energy I consoled myself with some aforementioned beach reflection shots.

Before heading towards Bombo I decided to investigate the alternate view of Cathedral Rocks from the Southern approach. One of the better views is from the hillside above the rocks which also looks towards the Boneyard in the other direction.

Access to the coastal face of the basalt pillars at Bombo is now a lot more difficult with the secret pathway partially obscured by lantana undergrowth which is particularly spiky. However this leads to some natural basalt steps which not only provide an easy climb to one of the better vantage points for watching the turbulence of the incoming waves, but at the same time afford some protection from any rogue waves which may appear. 

 Bombo cries out for angry overcast skies in my opinion.

On the drive back up towards Sydney I took a slight detour to investigate two spots I'd not heard of before, courtesy of Graham. Referred to as The Farm and Mystics Beach, they are accessed via the detour through the Killalea State Park.  Interestingly enough Mystics Beach turned out to be the beach the Meetup Group acessed on Sunday in order to take a shot of the island at Minamurra.

Sleeping Bombo

Joined the Not Only Black And White Meetup group for yet another trip to Bombo Quarry.  We hadnt anticipated an exciting day as the swell was low, the sky was a cloudless blue and the time was too late to catch the good light. However it's always enjoyable to get together with this welcoming and amenable group.
The impressive size of the quarry is difficult to establish without some scale reference so the  following image smattered with Meetup members should serve to illustrate this for those who haven't been lucky enough to visit the quarry.

As the swell was not particularly exciting I spent most of my time photographing the view from the quarry. I love the golden grasses which dot the quarry landscape.

 Due to the absence of large waves people had the opportunity to approach the window between the twin pillars. This is generally impossible, particularly when the waves are high because they frequently crash right over the top of the pillars with great force and cascade down the western face like small waterfalls.

One exception was the small swell hitting against the eastern walls of the basalt columns 

 There were still many reflection pools even though the rainfall had not been particularly heavy.

 

Only thing to mar the day was a rogue wave which dumped on Ruth and appears to have put her Canon 6D out of action for the time being. Bombo has much beauty but as with any coastal formation, is witness to the unpredictablility of Nature. Even on this relatively calm day there was the occasional freak wave which endeavoured to catch the unaware. The secret is to sit high enough to be able to gain an effective composition while at the same time ensuring you have adequate rock cover as protection, if not from the waves, at least from being dragged into the swirling waters below.

Bombo never disappoints, irrespective of conditions, and while the rockpools were generally shallow and filled with less than inviting water, many beautiful reflections were still evident. It very much depends on the angle of the camera and proof that reality can be transformed by a single shutter click.

It's always an opportunity to play around with processing when skies are uncooperative so sometimes the vagaries of weather can have a positive effect.

Following the walk down to Bombo the group moved on to Kiama for lunch where some of us amused ourselves shooting the local seagulls. I could spend hours watching these little creatures derogatively described by some bird haters as 'flying rats'. I find their antics amusing and after all, they hav eas much right to eke out an existence from their surroundings as the humans who share their planet.

Unfortunately my depleted energy levels after hours of rock hopping prevented me from joining the group on the walk along a long stretch of beach towards Rangoon Island at Minamurra.

Swell Time Back At Bombo

With a rumoured swell of 4 metres at Bombo we headed off yet again. The rain had been falling continuously for the previous few days so we were also expecting lots of puddles which are great for shots. The swell wasn't disappointing but the quarry held so much water it was impossible to access sections of the location. The presence of a gusty wind also destroyed any chance of reflections.

Bombo presents a different face each time we visit depending on where we stand and the weather conditions.  We had been keen to capture water cascading down the backs of the rocky pillars but unfortunately the large waves were infrequent and we couldn't seem to anticipate well.

Just being there to witness the power of the ocean is always so humbling and rewarding, so the trip wasn't wasted by any means.

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.

Mooning Over Bombo

I've been chasing full moons for some years and have never been able to co ordinate the required conditions to come close to capturing what I want. I choose to have a break from the practicalities of realism and create an image which requires no help from Nature but provides a substantial amount of enjoyment for me, combining my love of the colour blue, Bombo Quarry, reflections, the Blue Hour, digital manipulation, oil painting effects and mirror images. Completely liberating. It all began with Bombo.

Battling The Elements At Bombo

Excitement was high when some of the Focus group arrived at Bombo Quarry. We were expecting an EPIC shoot with some steel wool spinning courtesy of Mark Silva our lightpainting guru, followed by a magnificent sunrise. The swell was a predicted 4.8 metres, double the usual height, and high tide was due an hour after sunrise. We arrived at 4 a.m after an alarm rise at approx 2.30 as the trip down South from Sydney takes about 1 hour and 15 mins. Due to a cyclone up North the wind factor was almost gale strength and blew us up the path towards the quarry. No sooner had we reached our destination than the first drop of rain descended and it was all downhill weatherwise from then on. Mark packed his whisk away as spinning sparks would be a surefire disaster. Each of us scuttled off to a different vantage point to try and capture at least one shot of some great wave action. It drizzled and blew for the next 3 hours.  Mike Hobbert, one of our buddies, had ventured just around the other side of the cliffs to Cathedral Rocks for an alternative perspective. He experienced worse conditions than we did and was pretty much car bound for the entire session. Nevertheless, he still managed to grab a great shot.

 image: A shot taken by me of one of the rocks in the Cathedral set a few months back

It was so windy I dismissed all notions of finding my way to the best vantage point behind a natural rock barrier. My usual path was inaccessible, blocked by thorn bushes, and the alternative route over large sharp rocks was not an option as the wind wrought havoc with any attempts at balancing. David,  Brendan, Jeff  and Mark made their way to the barrier but were soon climbing around like mountain goats on the rockface. That wasn't to last long before they decided it was safer to be behind the barricade. I stayed playing in a relatively safe spot while I waited for that elusive sun or at least one large wave to make all the effort worthwhile.

My first image is pretty lacklustre as far as images go but I was determined to capture something different this time around. I needed to get down low to avoid the wind so my I've attempted to apply some effects to create some eerie images which are so suited to Bombo. In the pre dawn light there was no contrast in the sky and the basalt walls were dark sentries bordering the quarry, the only light source supplied by my headlight.

Using a similar composition, the mood generated by the rocks is dependent on the processing selected.

Visions of breakfast called us towards Kiama as most of us were drenched by this time and regretfully made our way back to the carpark. There was a short break in the sky and we were rewarded with a double rainbow and the lush green hills of Kiama Downs. Such  a contrast to the dark deliciously foreboding aura evident in the quarry. The evidence of a few lingering raindrops on the lens can be seen near the stone wall. 

Many people would deem this a failed shoot because there was no steel wool spinning, the sun never really rose, there was minimal opportunity for long exposures given the strength of the wind, and the intermittent rain made lens cleaning a real chore. However, we unanimously agreed,  we had an unforgettable time as witnesses to the power of Mother Nature and that we were energised rather than demoralised by our Bombo experience. Plans are afoot.

Back To Bombo

Bombo is such an atmospheric location irrespective of weather or Season. There is always something to explore. I set off early with two friends,  and we were treated to some great photo opportunities, from fog enveloping the landscape on the trip down, to the craggy headlands and reflections of Bombo Quarry, then on to a feast of sunflowers in a garden at Kiama and finally, to the exciting discovery of a 'secret' cave at Cathedral Rocks. 

We were treated to some great foggy patches on the way down South and stopped a few times to try and capture the scene, however I was aware that we didnt want to linger and arrive at Bombo when the sun was too high.

The swell at the quarry was less than impressive but I was keen to show Megan and Carolyn the access point for high tides and big swells. I'd serendipitously uncovered a path of sorts on a previous visit which led through the bushes and allowed me to bypass the dangerous irregular rocks. There are a few natural rock stairs which allow you to look down onto the water.

After a few hours enjoying ourselves in the quarry we headed for the obligatory brunch and a refuel as we were so thirsty after being in the hot sun.  On our way into Kiama we were treated  to a display of sunflowers in a local garden. Megan's sharp eyes had seen them on our entrance into the township so they were well worth a stop. The wind interfered with our attempts to catch some really sharp shots but we at least have a digital memento from the day.

On the way home we made a detour via Cathedral Rocks as a type of recon trip for a future visit.  While speaking with a local, Carolyn discovered  there was an accessible walk to the top of the headland along Cliff Drive. It gave us some magnificent views down onto the Cathedral Rocks area and provided a number of new POVs to explore. 

 A few photographers have used the cave at the Rocks to frame sunrise shots however the exact location had proven to be elusive. We knew nothing other than the fact that it was only accessible at low tide so we were really excited to see it so clearly from our high vantage point.

 Its a wonderful view from up on the headland and has provided us not only with enjoyment on the day, but some ideas for future sunrise and sunset locations.

My only regret was missing out on the opportunity to capture an enormous sun filtered by cloud patterns as we were in the wrong place at the wrong time and Nature has her set timetable .

Bombo Yet Again

One of the many advantages of returning to a location is the opportunity to discover new paths and access points. As with any  location adjacent to water flow it is vital to stand and watch for a substantial period in order to gauge the movement and rhythm of the waves. Even then, the ocean is unquestionably unpredicatable.It's always somewhat of a risk wandering in the Bombo quarry so it was with the utmost care that I endeavoured to search for some alternate perspectives. A fall at Bombo could mean being pounded against the rocks with scant opportunity to negotiate a return to land. Bombo is also apparently a snake's playground so the rocks present an additional hazard.

The expansiveness of the quarry is best viewed from the top of the cliffs just south of Cathedral Rocks.

 While the isolation of the location is a great drawcard for me it was reassuring to encounter a mum and her young son Oliver who frequently visit the quarry to allow Oliver's imagination free rein. They'd brought along a length of rope and Oliver was playing the cowboy with his mum the accommodating horse. The interaction between them was heartening to watch.

Back To Bombo

The first week of my holidays is over already so I'm feeling somewhat deflated, however I should be grateful that at least it was spent relaxing and enjoying the freedom. My trip down South to see my cousin enables me to not only catch up with her, but to revisit many of my most loved locations and for good measure, toss in a few new ones.

The decision to stay overnight at Greenwell Point on the way down turned out well.

View Greenwell Point in a larger map
As luck would have it, there were some fishing boats returning and of course a group of pelicans gathered to try their luck at the ritual ' cleaning of the fish'. The fishermen were most obliging and angled their throws to create some great photo opportunities and I was able to catch some action shots different from any I'd taken before.

One of the greatest disadvantages of continually photographing a subject is the challenge of capturing a different perspective, but it's definitely great for professional development. Observing the expressions and personalities of the pelicans always cheers me up and its entertaining to hear the fishermen recounting their experiences. Unfortunately the anticipated Milky Way shoot didn't eventuate as the cloud cover was too thick but it was a good start to the holidays nonetheless.

Rising early for a sunrise shoot was another plan thwarted by those same clouds, however we were able to get a few shots from the beachfront which was accessible as the tide was out. Unfortunately, long exposures and boats dont seem to marry well.

The Beauty Of Bombo

Visited Bombo for a sunrise shoot with some of the Focus crew on election day. It's interesting to see the different perspectives on the same location. Sean walked to the other end of the quarry. This is a quick upload just so I'd have something to show for the visit. Still so many to go through but I've decided from now on I'll just upload one image as a record of the location and worry about finding a favourite later.

Although the sunrise wasn't particularly impressive, Bombo itself always is. I could spend days down there and although I didn't manage to make it to my targeted location, I was pretty satisfied with the shots I captured. Next on the bucket list is a visit during a big swell and high tide. I've visited so many times now I'm pretty familiar with the safe and accessible anchor points.
The light did intensify somewhat as the sun rose and luckily I was able to use the cloud formations as a foil in the absence of filters. The two options at Bombo are rocks or water action as I see it and depending on where you stand, there are countless opportunities for POVs.

Bombo is such a dark, brooding location and is perfectly suited to dark, broody processing in my opinion.  Loved playing around with different options. Some of the shots had less than interesting skies so I thought adding some textures may help to camouflage the problem.