Sydney Icons Walk

The Sydney Photo Fun Meetup group linked up at Milson's Point for the Sydney Icons Walk.  The Opera House, perhaps the most well recognised icon, looks resplendent in the Golden Hour. This shot was taken from the ferry on the way to Milsons Point wharf.

The weather was perfect for the task but unfortunately there was a large barge with a particularly unattractive cargo which seemed to always be in the foreground irrespective of location.

Luna Park is always a difficult subject because there is so much foreground and background clutter. I guess the challenge is what makes it more exciting. 

And perhaps most obvious of all and one of the most over photographed of Sydney's icons,  the over arching Sydney Harbour Bridge

Choose A Colour

This weekend I joined the Sydney Street Photographers' Meetup Group in the city. The challenge was to select a colour from a hat and then walk from Hyde Park towards Circular Quay snapping shots along the route which were predominantly the chosen colour. I drew brown which wasn't particularly inspiring but nevertheless it provided a focus for the day's shoot and was something I'd not participated in previously. 

Up until just recently I've not been a fan of portrait shots but I find myself becoming increasingly drawn to candid shots, particularly of children. The challenge is to capture them making eye contact and standing relatively still.

St. Mary's Cathedral was yet another opportunity for some iconic subjects. It is always intriguing to observe the architectural contrast between the old and new.

The three hours allocated for the task passed quickly indeed, mainly because I allowed myself to be continually distracted by the amazing Moreton Bay fig trees dotted through our city. Walking past the gigantic fig trees just outside Hyde Park Barracks I was delighted to see some demonic faces hidden in the trunk's folds. Faces in the trees are always a highpoint of a city walk.

 

Possibly the most exciting facet of the walk was observing the hundreds of fallen crinkled golden leaves which herald the pending arrival of Autumn, my very favourite Season.

No Show At Sandon Point

The idea was to capture an amazing sunrise photo at the Sandon Point Boatsheds.
 
The reality was an overcast drizzly day which nevertheless provided some great opportunities, and it's always great to get out in the open air with some fun company. It is important to coincide a shoot with a low tide otherwise access to the sheds is limited. 

 

Stopping at Wombarra on the way home we were treated to some decent wave action as the swell had begin to pick up. Unfortunately the weather deteriorated and the rain drove us back to the car.

The penny has just dropped that it was Friday 13th. Well that explains it :-)

As with any location, the image very much depends on weather conditions . The following shot was taken on a previous visit and created a much moodier atmosphere.

Urbex Meetup

Joined Sydney Photo Fun, yet another photography group and attended an urbex shoot at Callan Park.  

 

Garry Burton has some great shots of the extensive grounds if you're thinking of planning a trip there. We were only there for two hours which is not nearly enough time to see everything. I would recommend going by car in order to do justice to the visit.

As always, trees are like a  magnet for me and there are certainly some magnificent examples.

 

Pink Days At Solander

Blood red sunrises and sunsets aren't really my 'thing' because they appear unnatural but I love the mixture of colours Mother Nature cleverly produces - the blues, golds and pale pinks. There were no grand expectations for this morning's shoot with some fellow snappers but the sky really was visually enchanting and seemed to linger for a substantial time, continually changing hues.

Carolyn and I followed the track along the coast from Solander towards Cape Bailey in search of the hawk we'd seen there on previous occasions. Our search was fruitless but the scenery was awe inspiring as usual.

Shoots are fairly casual affairs with the Focus group. Lots of expertise interspersed with lots of humour and lots of Smartphone consultation.

Wollongong Botanical Gardens

Joined two friends for a trip to the Wollongong Botanical Gardens. Although we arrived when there was some heat in the sun there were plenty of shady nooks to find relief. 

 

We were rewarded with some moorhen chicks frolicking amongst the water lilies and some pretty reflections. Moorhens have the most enormous feet, just perfect for their environment.

The much publicized Japanese bridge,  renowned for wedding photos. I'm guessing many a bride has fallen in this location.

 The water dragons love to compete with the ducks for scraps and take refuge amongst the water lilies.

Stopping off in Wollongong for lunch I yet again tried to capture a shot of the gnarled old trees near the foreshore. This was the first time it was not being used as a climbing gym by the local children, but I doubt that I've done it justice even though it is a better attempt than all previous occasions.

We then left the vicinity of the lighthouse and enjoyed experimenting with various compositions centred on a new sculpture which had come highly recommended, finally following the scenic coast drive back towards Sydney which is always far preferable to the highway.

 Nerine Martini created the Migration Project in 2014 to commemorate the contribution migrants have made to the city of Wollongong. It consists of one tall structure which features a boat and ladders reaching upwards in hope and three steel plates which represent components of the migrants' lifestyles.

Pearl Beach

Pearl Beach was the destination for the Focus Group's sunrise shoot today. Generally not able to attend shoots on Saturdays, today I was lucky enough to have a day off . Although we were not gifted with a spectacular sunrise due to the dense cloud cover, it is always cathartic to spend time near the ocean in the early hours of the morning before the bulk of humanity has risen. Warned that the rockshelf is notoriously slippery due to the existence of black rocks, I elected to shoot from the beach while the others headed off around the headland. 

 The beach was possibly the poorest vantage point for compositions as there were few exposed rocks and large batches of seaweed were scattered along the shoreline. 

 ( with seaweed)

( seaweed free )  :-)

Finding some interesting leading lines was a tad challenging from the beach but I was happier in my location rather than risking a fall on the rockshelf.

There was a beautiful light mist clinging to the horizon but unfortunately this didnt translate well to the digital capture.  

Part of the beauty of early morning strolls along the beach is finding odd little creatures festooning the sand. Photographing sea snail egg sacs always seems to present a challenge for me and I've not yet been able to capture exactly what I want but it is fun to keep trying. The trick is to photograph them near the water line so they're free of sand, yet quickly before the waves grab them and they disappear from sight.

Pools, other than natural rock pools, are not really favourite subjects of mine but they do frequently have some pretty reflections. 

After leaving Pearl Beach we headed towards Avoca Beach where we spent just enough time to grab a few shots of the unusual rock formations.