Rock Guardians

Part of the joy of photography for me is the appearance of faces in the forests and cliff faces. I find it intriguing that many people don't see them, because to me they're easily discernible. I love to think of them as Nature's guardians of spiritual places and to imagine the secret life of trees.  Creating a slideshow of some of these guardians has long been on my agenda so at last I've compiled a short slideshow of some of the more persistent ones from the Kamay Botany Bay National Park. The quality is not what I would like but at least I've taken some action and I am relatively pleased with the sound track. 

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.

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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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.