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.

Potter Reflections

After waking to what looked like a promising sky, and to maximise the value of a day off work, I made the effort and headed towards Potter Point. Carolyn's post of a bluebottle ( Portugese man of War) inundation the previous day, reinvigorated my desire to capture a crisp image of the suns rays shining through a  bluebottle sac. A previous attempt had been less than satisfactory so for once I left home with a definite agenda. 

The enchantment for capturing an endless collection of sunrises has somewhat lost its attraction. Blurred skies and slow water have become so much a part of seascape photography that I'm after something different to maintain my enthusiasm. Fiddling with ND Filters and carting around tripods has never held much attraction . My preferred time is the golden hour just after sunrise when a heavenly intense glow anoints the rocks and surface of the water - shooting the effect created by the sun's rays rather than the sun itself. The colour is frequently so intense that it looks as though the saturation has been contrived.

Potter Point's seclusion is its advantage with respect to peace and its only disadvantage if one is cautious, with respect to personal safety. Although surfers and fishermen are usually the only ones to share the early mornings, secluded places unfortunately attract those who use it for vandalism or illegal activities. The torching of a car on this occasion has made me rethink the sense of travelling down a one way dirt track with 19 speed humps, unaccompanied in future.

Cloud cover was extensive and rather than seeking out the bluebottles I became distracted by the endless reflections, a byproduct of the recent heavy rainfalls.

Returning with Carolyn on a quiet Sunday enabled us to try a variety of strategies for photographing them effectively and also created some interest in the life cycle of these mesmerising creatures.I located some of the most ethereal of images at a National Geographic site.

image courtesy of © Ocean Care Solutions

Many of the creatures appeared to be immature versions without tentacles of any sort. The secret to reproduction shall have to go unanswered for the moment as I've spent far too much time researching without a definitive answer, easily understood without possessing a Science degree. The best I could do was discovering they grow from individual cells by asexual division of those cells and produce individual three types of animals that live in the one colony.

 It was amazing to see the variety of bluebottle shapes and sizes and I could have easily spent hours there  photographing them.

 

I did try one experiment with a bluebottle in a wineglass but alas the curved surface wrought havoc with reflections and distortions.  Carolyn took a quick snap which makes it look like I'm about to sample a bluebottle cocktail.

image courtesy of Carolyn Davis
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