Dawn In The City

So far I've only processed one image from the City shoot. Difficult to explain what makes an individual gravitate to a specific image from all the shots which are captured at a given location. A young girl on the ferry attracted my attention but it wasn't until I experimented with combining some techniques that I really decided why she intrigued me. I think it was the 'from another era' aura she exuded. I'm pleased with the results.

1. Subject  "as was"

2. Subject after one form of processing 

I haven't been able to leave this image alone for some reason and I decided to document some of the post processing options by combining some screenshots using both Proshow Web and Windows Moviemaker.

See below


 The initial motivation for the City trip was to capture some golden morning light shots of the Opera House so travelled in with a friend and wandered around the famous landmark, thence on a  ferry ride to Darling Harbour, back for breakfast at City Extra and back in time for a movie at the Quay Dendy. 

As luck would have it, there was a professional shoot taking place at the top of the Opera House steps and the light shining on the golden hair of the model was too alluring to ignore. The reflections on the glass walls are always a magnet, but the challenge is to capture the changing light conditions successfully. The Opera House is best before Sydney rises and the crowds mar the compositions. We were lucky enough to see two large cruise ships which were shown to advantage against a cloud laden sky. The trip on the ferry to Darling Harbour was peaceful and productive. It's always difficult to capture an unusual shot of the city icons such as the Harbour Bridge, Luna Park or the city skyline but conditions were quite pleasing this morning and a sky full of clouds is a great backdrop for any scene.

Flannel Flower Haven

I was thrilled to hear flannel flowers were blooming at Potter Point, one of my very favourite locations. The mood at Potter varies with not only the Seasons but with the time of day and each mood holds its attraction for me. Rainfall creates reflective rockpools, the golden sunlight just after dawn and just prior to dusk showcases the glistening crystals in the rocks, and overcast skies  accentuate the undulations and textures of the cliffs. The laden bushes of flannel flowers made such a difference dotted over the flat landscape leading towards the hills. I have many images to play around with and love experimenting with the processing. 

 
This alien like landscape is currently also dotted with strange little spinifex seed heads which look magnificent bathed by the golden glow of the newly risen sun, particularly when the light is filtered by cloud cover. It will be worth a trip back just to capture some images of these little treasures. 

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.

High Tide At Yena

 

 image: our shadows reflected on the sandstone rocks just as the last of the light welcomed the new morning

Carolyn and I ventured down to Yena this morning in an endeavour to catch the elusive sunrise which always appears on work days but rarely during my holidays. It was another early start and I was prepared to be disappointed and wake to a cloudy sky, but the weather was perfect, just a touch of an Autumn breeze to disturb the still air. The waves were high and loud and from first light we were thrilled with the colour on the water and rocks. It is an arresting sight looking back towards the city of Sydney, the juxtaposition of Nature's water and craggy rocks against the Man's modern skyscrapers. There are many places to explore with a seemingly endless number of compositions possible. The natural colours are so spectacular that there is really no need to process the images other than a crop or resize.

image: the city can be seen above the breaking waves in the distance

 I'm no longer one for deep red sunrises, preferring the less saturated colour combinations. We spent more than two hours photographing the location as the light lasted for an extended period and bathed the rocks in the most beautiful golden light. It is my favourite time of the morning and there were so many interesting subjects and compositions: a tiny tug guiding in the large tanker;  seagulls cavorting in the rockpools filled to the brim with clean rainwater;  waterfalls cascading down the rockshelves in between waves;  golden light shining on the windows of the city skyscrapers giving it the appearance of a golden city; a spectacular cloudy sky and natural vegetation reflected in the clean and clear rockpools: fluffy white and pink clouds floating in a rich blue sky; the iridescent sheen created on the rocks by receding waves; and of course those magnificent rock formations with the morning light sculpting large stone faces on the hillsides.

My First Sunset

I've decided I prefer sunsets to sunrises - the light is still magnificent as it changes from gold to deep blue, and with the absence of the sun there's no need to worry about blow outs. I was driving on my way home from visiting my cousin and noticed the most amazing cloud formations so I raced down to Shelly Beach and spent a few hours just drinking it in. The image below is SOOC except for the crop and signature.