Playing Around In Blast Furnace Park

I've travelled to Lithgow Blast Furnace on a few occasions but have yet to be rewarded with a decent sky. Mark Nolan and his trusty buddy Jake accompanied me this time and it was quite exciting to see the fog appear as we approached our destination. 

Unfortunately many of my shots are less than impressive as I rushed them and elected to shoot without my wide angle lens. 

I was convinced the fog would dissolve before I had a chance to capture any images at all. The greatest disappointment of the day was a failed attempt to shoot what I thought was a magnificent narrative video of the location. Another trip is definitely on the cards now !

Much of the site was still in shadow and frost covered most of the grass and leaves. I'm disappointed that I didn't do justice to the tiny little icicles decorating the edges of every leaf giving them the appearance of jewel encrusted wedding finery.

 

Wandering around Lithgow provided us with a variety of compositions but the light conditions quickly deteriorated so we decided to explore the greater area on the quest for more abandoned buildings. The ruins of an old burnt down house occupied us for a while 

 and then we moved on towards Hassan's Walls. Hassans Walls was so named because it reminded Governor Macquarie of the Rock Walls of Hassan in India. 

The cave there is the highest lookout in the Blue Mountains. I had seen some magnificent shots taken from this location and was enthusiastic, however the enthusiasm soon turned to frustration due to the lighting conditions. 

The Blue Mountains' valleys cause terrible irregular shadows at inopportune times and although the scenery was spectacular, particularly from a little natural stone cave, it didn't translate well to the digital medium.

Whilst I appreciate the noble intentions of the people who construct these fences so prevalent at lookouts, they certainly do nothing to promote the taking of halfway decent shots. There are just as many areas unfenced yet still easily accessible it somewhat negates the purpose of barricades of any sort.

We travelled towards Blackheath through Hartley Vale and rusted old farm machinery appeared to be the order of the day on many properties.

We had planned on having lunch at the Comet Inn at Hartley Vale, but unfortunately, although very well recommended, it is now a guesthouse B & B and was closed to travellers.

We chose to stop in for some quick refreshments at one of the old pubs at Mount Victoria and warmed ourselves standing by the open fire, a pre requisite for any self respecting pub in the Blue Mountains.

 

Many lookouts exist at Blackheath but one I hadn't previously visited was Pulpit Rock.  The walk to the lookout was described as easy grade and 400 metres. I'm sure this was highly inaccurate and I decided to draw the line at over 200 steps. From this vantage point the additional 50 or so steep steps which led to the final section were visible.

We decided to have dinner at the Blue Mountain Hotel at Lawson on the return trip to Sydney, lured by Mark's memory of their reputed top class chicken schnitzel .

Most of the heritage buildings in the Blue Mountains area feature the most amazing stained glass windows and deep burnished wood interiors which reek nostalgically of childhood days and more leisurely times.

Paulownia Sunrise

Returning to the Paulownia Plantation at Richmond had been on my agenda for some time. As luck would have it, the Focus Group arranged a sunrise shoot. Hoping to perhaps score a foggy morning 30 of us eagerly arrived to encounter a temp of 0 degrees but alas, no fog. We all became so engrossed in what we were doing that I failed to even be aware of the sun colouring the sky until it had completely risen. Slowly shards of golden light filtered amongst the rows of tall majestic trees, arms reaching for the anticipated warmth. 

It is generally my habit to anthropomorphise my surroundings, and today the guardians of the forest made themselves visible. 

Copious photo opportunities were evident but time as always was the intruder and the opportunity to photograph so many small details which caught my eye was sabotaged:  dew glistening on the abandoned spiders webs;  frost encrusted dandelions at all stages of growth;  spiky seed pods; fallen crinkled leaves lying inert as testimony to the fact that Autumn had not long ago passed; Paulownia seedlings struggling to compete with their taller brothers and sisters and of course those thousands of gnarled eyes on each and every trunk.

One of the advantages of this location is its sheer size. Endless compositions are evident and it becomes so difficult to select the best method of showcasing the Plantation's dimensions, beauty and intricacies.

Hopefully another opportunity will present itself and I will be able to return again to the plantation.

Foggy Morning at Woronora Bridge

Usually foggy mornings occur on work days but as luck would have it a mad dash to Como was rewarded by a fog that didnt seem intent on lifting as is the usual scenario. I was left with plenty of time to head towards the Woronora River and spent many minutes observing the canoeists, fishermen and dog walkers appearing, then dissolving, into a foggy landscape. I find fog to be one of the most difficult situations to capture digitally, as many images simply end up looking washed out or over exposed rather than atmospheric.

A little too late for this exercise, but I believe I may need to shorten the exposure time or play manipulate exposure compensation next time. Fingers crossed I won't have to wait too long before I'm gifted with another foggy morn . 

Solander Sunrise

It was off to Cape Solander this Saturday with the Focus Seascapers, in search of a super sunrise. Although the rain threatened, and the colour was not intense, it was a beautiful morning to be out and about. I arrived later than the group so was glad I was familiar with the location as I was easily able to make my way to a couple of familiar rock formations. I was quite chuffed with my first image taken in the pitch dark. It made such a difference to be out of the wind and rain and on familiar territory for once. 

The first formation looks down upon the lower rock shelf which is a draw card for some of the boys who like to get close to the flow.

My little Powershot didnt do a stellar job as it just doesn't have the strength to deal with low light situations.

I love this second face that I've photographed many times over. Conveniently, it has a great little ledge where it's comfy to remain seated and plenty of room for a tripod or two. 

 It also provides a great vantage point for looking down at the waves crashing below.

As the sun rose, it cast that most beautiful golden glow across the rocks and the bonus gift for the day was a rainbow which appeared above the furthermost rock projection.

And Starring....................

I don't like being the subject of photographs, however recently I haven't minded being used as scale in landscape or seascape shots. Two of my photo buddies recently stalked me at Cape Solander where we were chasing sunrises. Including a human as scale is a great way to provide the viewer with some idea of the size and magnificence of  the rock formations.

Dave's image does a great job of showcasing the beautiful textures and colours of the rocks

Carolyn's colourful interpretation looking in the opposite direction

Going Off At Potter Point

A big swell and high winds were predicted for today so Carolyn and I met up at Potter Point to see what we could capture. Although it was blowing a gale ( literally by wind definition) and we could hardly stand upright when close to the cliff's edge, we unearthed some interesting POVs to be followed up at a later date by walking towards Boat Harbour along the shoreline. A non anticipated wave washed over me as I struggled to experiment with some long exposures so I was forced to dry myself off with a salt soaked buffer.  It was exciting to see the height reached by the waves and we only wished the light had been better so we could capture some decent lighting on the cliff faces. A thickshake and burger at Silver Beach Post Office helped to ease the disappointment.

image: A fellow rock climber struggling to control his camera atop the cliff

A Day In The Country

Took myself off on a trip to the Southern Highlands in search of a quaint little church discovered online at the pretty little town of Exeter.  Electing to follow the scenic route through Picton, Bowral and Mittagong I was keen to track down some poplar trees I'd seen the previous weekend. Feeling in need of a new perspective, I decided to take my fisheye lens in order to create some more unique captures. 

My senses have become a little numbed by the countless autumn leaves and poplar shots evident in the groups now that Autumn has really taken hold and although I was still keen to track down my own shots, I was keen to give them a less traditional spin.

Mushroom Madness

We were lucky enough to be invited down to Mittagong by Shane Arrold whose dad manages a mushroom farm in an old train tunnel built by the convicts. It was the perfect venue for some long overdue light paining with Michael Lynch and a great experience all round. Richard Dudley's daughter Cassie was our most obliging model and we were all able to come away with some great shots thanks to Micky's organisational skills and knowledge of techniques.

ANZAC Autumn

Not able to make the dawn service this year I decided to head to Mt. Wilson for my own contemplation. As luck would have it, the weather alternated between fog and rain. Fog produces amazing atmosphere but the constant drizzle had made the fallen leaves a skating rink. My childhood holidays were spent breathing the invigorating mountain air and striding along paths to lookouts. There was an aura of excitement when surrounded by so much natural beauty, and of course, a child's life is carefree. I yearn for the mountains of my youth, unlike today's tourist mecca. I should have known better than to attempt a visit during such a popular time but I'll know better next time and ensure I arrive before dawn and leave before the first onslaught of visitors. The fog created an otherworldly atmosphere with many of the trees looking as though they belonged in some prehistoric landscape.

In spite of the noise and colour pollution created by the picnickers, I still enjoyed my rambles and was able to rejoice in reasonable solitude once again in Breenhold Gardens as I'd done the previous year in almost identical conditions. The bonus this year was the fog and a chance encounter with the gardener. He divulged the location of some giant red spotted toadstools beneath the chestnut and pine trees. Toadstools are something I'd not yet captured successfully so I'm guessing this was Nature's bounty for the day. As I explored beneath the giant chestnut tree and uncovered toadstools of all shapes and sizes, childhood memories of Noddy and Big Ears surfaced. 

How I yearned to experience living in a cosy little toadstool or midst the roots of cavernous trees. To be able to emerge with the fairies at night. I often think longingly of those days before political correctness soured childhood perceptions, and I am thankful that I experienced a safe, free childhood and that my memories allow me to relive those moments with incredible clarity.

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.