Ten Seconds Before Sunrise

Public Service Announcement

2011-03-24T18:32:00.004+10:00

Hello,

Well this is mostly to let you know

I have a new website

If you're a follower of this page, then by all means feel free to head on over to the site, as I will be updating it more frequently than this page (which also feeds into it).

I didn't want to leave anyone behind.

Reviews Etc

2011-03-24T18:32:00.001+10:00

"All The Rain Has Gone For Now"

Find it on Flickr

I haven't been particularly active these last few weeks with shoots, mainly due to the weather.

I've got many plans for different types of shoots this winter, hopefully the epic fog from last year makes its triumphant return.

In the coming months, I have some grand plans for this Blog space, now integrated with my website.

I want to write articles for everyone to read, if you have any topic suggestions, please comment below.

The types of articles included will be:

+ Lens Reviews

+ Photographic Practice and Principles

+ Shoot Reviews

+ Location Reviews

+ Post Processing Tidbits

If there's a particular topic you'd like covered, please let me know and I'll tackle it as best I can.

Thats all for now, please, get those suggestions coming in!

The Eternal Magic of a NEW LENS

2011-03-05T20:02:00.005+10:00

"As The Sun Kissed The Ocean, The Rocks Blushed Yellow" from my Flickr

So,

I finally got it.
My Nikon 16-35mm f4 VR2 Nanocoated!

Last weekend, I went out with the lens, and shot the above 'scape.

The lens works beautifully for what I use it for - landscapes.

I must say, it has been a disappointing Summer.
Not only did my house gain a close brush with near waterlogged destruction (Queensland Floods), but the culmination of all this water, all that cloud, and all that debris made the familiar close-by locations no longer as desirable as they were before. There's only so many overcast sunrises you can take before your eyes start to get bored of seeing the finest glint of colour, before it all disappears to grey again.

Coming up in the very near future is the official launch of my new website.
I'm currently tweaking little bits and pieces, making executive decisions on content and layout.
Simple, but high impact. Not necessarily as easy as it sounds, but we'll soon see.

The address is:
www.melsinclair.com.au

I'm relaunching with my actual name - as this makes me more client-faced than chamellieon (which is annoyingly hard to spell to anyone trying to type out a website address). It's up and running now, but definitely not in its final versions, so expect to see it change around a fair bit before all the sections come live. If you have any suggestions please feel free to comment and let me know.

I'm going to have to make more of an effort to update this blog, but like I said, summer just hasn't been all that interesting.

Results

2010-12-08T21:41:00.003+10:00

As some of you readers may know, In my last few posts I was discussing the International Aperture Awards and the Landscape 500 that were both running in very close ties with each other (as separate awards, but similar judges). While I did pretty good in the International Aperture Awards, gaining 3 silver and 1 bronze awards, with my image "Tempered Sand" getting into the Amateur top 50, my efforts in the Landscape 500 were alot more diluted, with two bronze and one silver.

Firstly, here's my images with award badges, for the Landscape 500:

And below, my International Aperture Awarded Merit Images.

A few little stat bits for you to make your comparisons from:

2010 Event Statistics
Countries : 91
Overall Entries : 3587
Photographers : 1225

Platinum Awards : 0.06%
Gold Awards : 1.73%
Silver Awards : 14.56%
Bronze Awards : 38.43%

'Tempered Sand" - Top 50 IAA Amateur Award #34

And thats it for 2010 (competition wise)

~*~*~*~*~

link to flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chamellieon_photography/
link to redbubble:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/chamellieon

One Standard Weekend

2010-11-21T08:40:00.003+10:00

What do you normally do on your weekend?

I know for most that it involves relaxing, sleeping in, getting a few things done and perhaps seeing some friends.

Mine's normally a little different.
- Not much relaxing, unless you count 4 hours of sleep, broken by text messages from mates asking "show me your shots from today"
- Alot of driving. I did Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast at 2am.
- Never any sleeping in, unless you count that nap that I had in my car at 6am after shooting sunrise.
- Never really getting anything done, this is normally reserved for the sunday night "oh shit I nearly forgot...." timeslot.
- Ive seen some friends yes, on photoshoots and Ive been to the beach, did i swim? no... camera nearly did, but thats not a joyous thing to celebrate.

The end of year rush (yes we're there AGAIN) means that most of my weekends are booked, and I'm squeezing personal shooting in with other shoots and assignments. Part of the fun, a big factor in lost sleep.

Yesterday we hit up an abandoned house in Brisbane, doing some shots for a brissie musician who has some great imagination as to what he wants to have on his album covers. So far, only the "outtakes" are online, and theyre not hugely appropriate either. I managed to get a loan of a mate's 10-17 Tokina Fisheye for DX (APS-C) to use on my D300s. It was so much fun... and I definitely think that the shots are made better because of it!

Got facebook? take a look t the outtakes... (can't linky right now... limited battery left on lappy)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150103025648993&set=a.445964603992.221068.716038992#!/album.php?aid=221068&id=716038992&page=3

So im sitting here in Caloundra Maccas after having a breakfast and leeching some wifi. Processed up some shots from this morning and posted on flickr. I'm happy that i managed to achieve re-shooting a shot from last year. I did so much shooting and got some really neat shots last summer, although unfortunately i was doing it all with a D3000.... the very small APS-C sensor didnt really do it for me, and made most if my images grainy and noisey with just a little bit of post production. So i had told myself that I would "D700" it.

"Still Running Away and Falling Over"

ISO100 23mm f11 4 seconds

Nikon D700
Nikon 18-35mm
Cokin P121S
CirPolariser

Caloundra, QLD

About this shot:
Around about this time last year - Nov/Dec (2009) I sustained damage to my D700 and it went to the repairshop for a broken mount plate.
I had gone out to shoot sunrise, but only having an entry-level D3000, i saw the water cascade over the rocks like this, and was instantly in awe of it.. but alas capturing it on a lower-quality sensor at the time, I was rather annoyed.

Since then, i have been studying the tides and the weather in search of similar weather events, in order to go back and "D700 it".

The original shot, "Running Away And Falling Over" is buried in my archives... Ill dig out the link so you can decide for yourself, which is the better one. Personally i'm really proud with this mornings effort, as I have achieved what I wanted to.

Today however, will be spent shooting some different stuff. I hope to soon be able to reveal what it is.

Happy Sunday everyone!
Make the most of it!

The Insanity of Organising a large Photoshoot

2010-11-19T08:05:00.002+10:00

Okay, so we all know about going on-location to snap the sunrise, capture the sunset and trail the stars. We all know that portraiture usually involves a person, and that amazing things are done daily with photographs.

But what happens in the background?
Tonnes.

Organising a large-scale photoshoot is somthing between madness and sheer insanity, oh itd also fun, and once the shots have been shoot, its all totally worth it.

To give you an idea.
We have a musician
We have a location
We/he has an idea.
We're going to make that idea come to life... no matter how strange, complex or time demanding.
Oh did I mention we're also doing it as cheap as possible?
So we've got 4 wonderful Brisbane photographers together, Myself, Matt Stewart, Michael Suprana and Joel Sargent.
We've tried to hire a model - our first one so far has cancelled 24hrs prior to the start of shooting.
crap.
We've got lights , cameras, food, batteries, toys (the furry kind), drapes, bed, linen, lamps, tvs
put it simply, its an epic undertaking for us 4, who so far, haven't had to do anyhting of this scale, but we're learning.
About 20mins ago I got an email from our primary model who advised that she could not make it... she was all set to do her own hair and makeup (because the role only calls her to be a "disturbed" goth with a dramatic presence. this is at 7.30am in the morning friday.
Iphone is too difficult to send a variety of emails on, so why fight it, bust out the laptop on a peak hour bus, login with mobile broadband and sort that shit out! (The guy behind me must think that im a techno geek) ((hello if you can read this)).

Ill hopefully post an update later, or a snap to prove that I am indeed on a bus with this shit.
anyway, my leg is going dead, and I dont normally do this on the bus...
Happy Friday everyone...
please hope with us that this second model is available and we don't have to ramp up the MADNESS to FUCKING INSANE.

International Aperture Awards

2010-11-18T11:59:00.003+10:00

I entered 4 works from my favourites.

3x Landscape
1x Portrait

All 3 Landscapes scored Silver Awards with scores respectively 82, 83 and 86
The portrait scored a Bronze award with a score of 76

Eagerly awaiting the results of the finalists... i'll consider it a victory if I can get into the top50 finalists for Amateur Landscape!

Fingers crossed, finalists announced by Monday 22 November

Back to Sunrise

2010-11-12T16:22:00.002+10:00

Back to sunrise...
well that this essentially means is that "its been a long time since I got up for sunrise", and tonight, well, tomorrow, I shall break that lazy streak.

Its been a slow start to the season, (sunrise season), but what else can one say when all the sunrises have been completely clear, and as the sun rises, you find yourself packing up your gear? yea... boring.

so we'll see how I go...

Perisher :: Day One

2010-09-14T17:17:00.003+10:00

"Find Your Forte"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chamellieon_photography/4989525136/

Well, it's been a long day.

It was a long drive from canberra after staying in a motel with the bare amenities... the trip from canberra to jindabyne provided loads of photo opportunities, however being with my brother who didn't want to stop too much., these opportunities to stop were limited. We made an agreement that we'd only stop on the way back.

Got to Perisher Ski Tube terminal. Cue mad rush of trying on clothes, ski boots, pants - everything. Get our stuff together and get to the train, albeit looking so out of place.

Get to the Hotel. Check in. Store ski's and go to room. Nice, very very nice, with a cute little view of the slopes.

Go out skiing. Here's where the story gets interesting.
Start on the beginners slope. small, looks steep, but we manage, in some form or another, to ski down it, stop in time so as to not bowl over any other skiiers or snowboarders.
Confidence +1

Get cocky.. decide that its time to tackle a green run. Get onto the chairlift and go up the hill.
Bro skis off down the hill, find a green run, shrouded in trees. Makes it look easy... How hard can it be? Famous last words. Ski down, panic, turn, lose control. End up hurtling towards a tree... grab tree for dear life, skis and feet keep going, fall back into snow. Fail.
Confidence 0

Get to the bottom of the hill in one piece, but tired, bro goes to explore, I regain my confidence in the beginners area. Little kids about as tall as my legs are skiiing past me as if it's native to them. I try with all my concentration to improve, however with my patience running thin, and my stomach rumbling, I try for one or two more goes, but alas, I think a break will do me good and soon im back in the hotel, sitting comfortably on my laptop with wifi.
Confidence -2

Lunch was delicious... steak and mushroom pie, really hit the spot.

Headed out again, straight to the 8-seat chairlift... up the slope, over onto chairs before looking over the main "front valley" - what a hill... there's no way to describe it... definitely daunting to anyone of my confidence level.
Bro skis off, I hesitate because it doesnt look all that easy. Ive got South Park's "pizza" or "french fry" running around in my brain, whilst hoping to learn by osmosis from passing skiiers. Clearly I don't have the ability to learn from others, as down one or two gentle slopes, sees me losing my shit and screaming down this hill, feeling like its impossible for me to even turn my skis, let alone stop movin. When in doubt, hit the decks, and this is what I did, sliding many metres before coming to a stop and chokng back tears of embarassment. I convinced my brother to go ahead without me, as I wanted to fail in private.

I spent the better part of the afternoon at Mt Piper, a slow, gradual slope, especially designed for bruised egos, such as mine. I made my way back after a few runs, and wandered back to the hotel, for a hot shower and to rest up before dinner. Dear reader, this is where we end for now, as my complimentary dinner awaits, the ambient temperature is currently 0.6, my fingers are cold, and I have some brewskies to down before attempting night skiing.

OH MY GAWD

2010-08-18T19:47:00.004+10:00

"The Hitchhiker" by me (chamellieon)

I won a competition on My Nikon Life.
"Things That Make you Shiver"

Original Article Here

I'm still pinching myself.

The prize? Here it is.....

3 nights Perisher Valley Hotel September Holiday accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children ($3,408.00)
3 Day consecutive Lift Tickets for 2 adults and 2 children ($784.00)
3 Day Equipment Hire (ski’s/snowboards, boots, poles & ski clothing for 2 adults and 2 children ($660.00)
1 Nikon COOLPIX S8000 digital camera ($499.00)
TOTAL VALUE $5351.00

And the Judges said:

“Chamellieon has demonstrated a dramatic demonstration of the theme, ‘things that make you shiver’. Her work portrays a wide range of moods and emotions, which bring out many representations that cover the theme of ‘shiver’. Her framing, use of light and shutter speed techniques are brilliant and very well executed. It is also the subtleties of the photo’s which have stood out for us. In particular the shot titled “The Hitchhiker” was a real stand out for the judges simply for the complete range of emotions; from the eeriness and fear of the lonely road to the perception of cold that the street lights in the fog create. Congrats to Chamellieon and we hope she enjoys her Perisher adventure!”

And I so really will enjoy it! Watch this space, I Intend to document everything about this trip, as it was definitely something well needed for me! I'm still so shocked... I can't believe I won!

Playing In The Dark

2010-07-16T21:49:00.007+10:00

So, what are you scared of?
What makes your skin crawl, your breath stop, your heart beat faster?
I get scared, sure. But what really makes me freak is dark, mysterious figures brooding and looming in a scene. A friend with a cloak and a keen sense of dark humour came along with me as we chased single light sources, trees and empty fields, in search of that perfect (creepy) shot.
.

We drove all around the back streets of Ipswich and Rosewood trying to find ourselves the perfect location. In the process of "giving up" for the night, we stumbled upon an old water-station, its arches, long windows and dark facade were perfect to snap off a few shots.

The trick was using light already existing, and of course, this presented some issues with exposure times. Having to ask my friend to hold it for 30seconds was not an impossible task, but often I had to crank the ISO up in order to get some shorter times of around 10 seconds instead.
It's interesting being out at that time of night, looking for street lights - its not something that Id always make a habit of doing, however when you're looking for that perfectly lit scene, they just don't exist anymore. - you know the one! Your standard single street light in the middle of nowhere, gravel underfoot, single light beam shooting down, and a lone, dark figure just on the edge of this light, staring into the camera as if its not meant to be there...
But part of the fun is making use of what you have. Which is what I've tried to be about. I've tried not to get wound up in "perfect shooting conditions" and going with what I get given.

Spot the figure...

In the end, I don't know if I managed to achieve "creepy" - however I do, (and certainly my subject) loves the images that came of that night in the dark...

The Basics: Respect

2010-07-14T12:36:00.008+10:00

It's been playing around in my mind for quite a while, about the "unsaid" respect that should exist between photographers, but has seemably lost itself in generations, newcomers to photography, or in regards to arrogance.

The whole reason that this issue has recently come to light in my mind, was spurred by my morning sunrise mission today.
I headed to Shorncliffe, I was unsure of what the sunrise was going to be like, so I stayed local.
Judging on the tiger-bread-like sky that was above me, it was going to get pretty colourful. I had pre-planned to locate myself at the end of a rock jetty/groyne. Every photographer knows the one I'm talking about - its got those gorgeous pillars for a "swimming area" around it, that adjoins the larger Shorncliffe Jetty.

For those of you still stuck, here's an image:

"Plethora And The Sky" - chamellieon_photography. July 14 2010

I arrived around 5.30am.
There was already another photographer (who I never spoke to) taking pictures of the main jetty. I walked past them, having had no intention to photograph it. Past the main in the smaller jetty.I started on the mudflats. As the tide was low, I wandered out to these lovely poles. I had pre-planned on TPE (The Photographers Ephemeris) where the sunrise was going to be, so dug straight in.
About 20 minutes after I had been standing in this general area, another photographer came down and sat on the edge of the rocky pier. I'd hazard a really accurate guess that this was the same photographer that I'd passed earlier in the morning, in fact he was wearing the same clothes and the same haircut.
What irked me was that I was in the middle of an exposure, clearly pointing my camera in the direction he was walking, he knew I was there, because I was listening to music on my IPhone as I snapped shots, walked around getting an idea of points of view around me and continuously going back to by bag, sitting on rocks of the groyne, to get differing filters and such.

(low quality, but you can see the offender on the pier)

He walked into my shot, shone his torch down the rocks of the groyne and plonked himself right in the middle of the focus of my shot, the separated bars at the end of the pier.
There was no communication, nothing.
By this time there was a fair amount of light in the sky, I could clearly be seen wearing my (freezing) cold white dress and white leggings... this is not as if I were a ninja hiding in shadows.

He did not ask.
He did not say "Do you mind if I get in here when you're done?"
He did not question "Can you let me know when you're done with your exposure so I can take a shot down there?".
And at the risk of sounding like a grumpy old woman (at the mere age of 26), where has the respect gone, why was I not asked?
Back when I started, no matter how new or old hand I was at photography, there WAS always "do you mind if I shoot next to you? Do you mind if I shoot the rocks down there? Am I in your shot if I move X meters in front of you?

Sure I could clone this clown out of my shot, and I most likely probably will. Because his arrogance of walking into my shot ruined it.

That brings me to a second point. Arrogance.
Don't deny it, we've all been there, all thought that we had the absolute right to be there, regardless of where someone's photographing. And sure, some of you might think I'm arrogant in writing this, but it needs to be said.

You can willfully enter another photographers shot, out of arrogance or careless disregard to the photographer, for a variety of reasons, but this does neither help to aid the relationship among people,the public or yourself. Would you walk in front of a tourist taking a photo of landmark?

I'm very curious of gauging others' thoughts on this, as it (at the moment) is a pivotal reason as to why I don't attend as many meet-ups as what goes around. I don't really want to confront people in the field, rather, would like to educate everyone else on:

1) asking photographers around you, before you possibly walk into their shot.

2) respecting that if 'tog A was in Corner A before you, and you walk into Corner A, you respect both 'tog A and their time with Corner A, as they were there before you.

3) wait for 'tog A to finish photographing their scene. Listen for the click of their shutter before approaching them, or watch their body language. If you wish to get somewhere in front/on the side/ around, ask them how wide their lens is, where their field of view is, and then place your tripod/yourself in accordance so as to not intervene.

Dear Reader, what's your thoughts?

Feelin' Blue (tones)

2010-05-25T20:47:00.005+10:00

SO recently, I've been mucking around with blue tones... not purposely, purely by coincidence I assure you.

Most recently, yet another morning shoot to a place now coined "Star Trail Alley" purely for the abundance of striking features able to be positioned into neat little images facing south. Neat Huh.
Here's Saturday morning's effort:

Oh My Stars!

ISO 200 | 18mm | f4 | 1288 seconds (21.4 minutes)
Star Trails at the (now coined, thanks josh), Star Trail Alley SEQ

Enough said?
Long time no stars!

Next up on my recents list is the "fooling around" with fake product shots. The aide of some free dry-ice was a reason enough to practice my spot-lighting and effect-style shots.

Poison Brew

Really left-of-center from what I usually shoot I know, but this turned out so well it'd have seemed bad not to have uploaded it.

ISO400 | 90mm | f6.3 | 1/250sec

Mucking about with some dry ice that my housemate got as part of his weekly food delivery. And what's a bored photographer to do? Experiment? Hell yes!

So I practiced a bit of flash /wacky product shot photography. I think it turned out quite well... I setup many shots with different colours and different glasses... this cocktail glass working the best I think.

Choose your brew...

Ive got a few ideas for new shoots which I'm keen to get out on the weekend and start shooting, this is a revival of an idea I first presented back in December, but have only recently decided to bring back, as it could prove to be quite an evocative series.
Hint:

Love can mend your life - But love can break your heart

ISO100 | 13mm | f4.5 | 1/10sec

Sigma 10-20
Nikon D3000
+lightrooming.

Who knows who's trapped, where they are, or how they got there? Send a message in a bottle, you never know who may find it, or where it may end up.

Song Title inspired by Sting and the Police:
Just a castaway
An island lost at sea
Another lonely day
With no one here but me
More loneliness
Than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair

I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
Message in a bottle

Long Distances

2010-04-26T10:54:00.002+10:00

For myself, and a lot of other photographers I know, photography in South East Queensland is becoming about travelling long distances to get the unique, seasonal or new shots.

No longer is heading to the bayside going to suffice, sure, you'll get a different sunrise, but will your shot really be that different?

So four of us, Matt Stewart, Kane Gledhill, Joshua Robertson and I (Mel Sinclair) all jumped into two cars and headed to Armidale / Glen Innes for two days of the long weekend. It was cold, not terribly so, but enough of a noticeable difference from Qld - and shot foggy mornings, Lensbaby'd churches, captured sunsets, chased endless rows of poplars, we even shared the flu by sheer confinement in same spaces.

ISO 320 | 18mm | f6.3 | 1/320 sec
3 Image HDR
Nikon D700
Nikon 18-35mm
Circular Polarizer

On the road, somewhere between Glen Innes and Tenterfield, NSW.
Part of our annual road trip to chase the autumn leaves and crisper colours.

Because we're all going to the same places, we're starting to come away with unique and different shots from one another, I burst out the Macro lens to enjoy some of the wet cobwebs scattered among the fields in which we did our first sunrise of the weekend:

Beauty is hidden.
You must seek it out,
It may not always be in front of you
Take it where you can.

ISO 800 | 90mm | f5 | 1/100sec
Cobweb, private property, Armidale.
Bet you didn't expect this to come from me.. but im getting back into the macro again... winter brings it all out.

I'm slowly getting through the processing of all my images... bear with me, there's pretty much 1500 of them... and more generated once I HDR and pano stitch.

I think I can comfortably say that I've got enough photos to play with for the next while... the hard part now is finding the best and uploading them.

Back to Reality

2010-04-14T20:37:00.003+10:00

So while it technically has only been a month since I got back from Tasmania, the tiredness, the "back to reality" and the general day to day shenanigans have all caught up with me.

And I apologise for my lack of updates.

I've been busy planning things for Raw Convergence 2010... so all the assosciated meetings, costs, time ins and outs, plus juggling work and a bit o shooting on the side...
A new processed image from tassie? okay, you yanked my leg enough...

Still going through photos from tasmania, so bear with me.
Ill update soon again, I promise!

Day 7 :: Tasmania

2010-03-24T12:27:00.003+10:00

St Mary's > Launceston

what a nice way to finish off my trip. Leaving early from St Mary's to catch the (as I found out) non existent sunrise, due to heavy cloud, I instantly headed north east to get back to Launceston, having planned the night before to make a swift departure from my hotel which had a habit of locking me in. that and it was a country stop filled with older people with missing teeth, mottled hair, neck braces smoking and drinking. I instantly felt like the odd one out, and quickly retreated to my room.

The drive from St Helens (bay of fires) to Scottsdale was better than expected – all the rolling hillsides coloured from a healthy chlorophyll green to a just-plowed brown field. A clearing rainstorm meant that the sky was brilliantly blue, the air crisp and cool and the sun had the extra oompf in it to redden my arm that was happily perched outside of an open window as I drove between pastures to Launceston.

I made an impromptu stop along the way at St Columbia Falls, nestled in the mountains about an hour inland from St Helens. The Falls themselves were nice, but the streams around them were a lot more photogenic. Leaving the area I noticed a large rainbow peeking out from the clearing clouds:

ISO400 | 35mm | f5.6 | 1/500 sec

Nikon D700
Nikon 18-35mm F3.5-4.5
Hoya CIR POL filter
+post processing

St Columbia, Tasmania.

I was leaving down the road pictured on the left, from a waterfall nearby. Rain had just cleared to clearing skies, the sun finally coming out. Looking behind me, i saw the most magnificent rainbow.
Further down the road, I was filling up my rental car with petrol (as was a daily occurance for me) and mentioned it to the service station attendant. With a straight face, he told me that this little town sees rainbows all the time..

Truth be told, I've been ready to go home since about saturday morning, I've got more than enough shots, and more than enough to do once I get home. Missing silly little things like sleeping in my own bed, using my own computer and not having to worry about grabbing a feed before the shops close.

Ive been chilling out these first few days. I went hard with the shooting early on, and now am finding myself sleeping solidly as soon as I hit the pillow.

I'm finding it hard to find words that I haven't spoken already.

My cars odo reading before me driving it was on 18262. Final count on the odometer was 20713 which is just under 2500... I wonder what thrifty thought??

((pics to be added as I process them))

Day 6 :: Tasmania

2010-03-24T12:19:00.002+10:00

Day 6.
St Mary's > St Mary's

I'm going to start this by writing in stages, as i'm also trying to save fuel and start resting up a bit, as i'm running out of memory cards (as well as energy) and want to keep the cards with data on them until I get home. Granted that if a morning wasn't fantastic, id upload it, and format to start again. However, on mornings like today when I come away with something standout, Id like to keep the double redundancy going until get back home to Brisbane, just in case something happens along the way.

This morning was my long awaited journey to the Bay of Fires for sunrise.
Wow, it was stunning. The clouds did something magical for me, though the seaweed at this bay as abhorrent.
Apart from getting there way too late (because I had to break OUT of my hotel stay) I finally got my comp setup. I saved myself a lot of time by scouting the area yesterday, figuring out where's best along with access etc, this little habit really paid off for me. I took mostly multiple exposures – there's nothing worse than coming away from a brilliant place like this, and not being able to retake the photo, so what the hell, either its a lot of HDRs or exposure fusions... either way I've got it covered.

ISO250 | 10mm | f4.0 |1/50second
single exposure

Nikon D300s
Cokin Grad P121M
+colour boost

Bay of Fires, Tasmania.
I have just come back from travelling around tasmania in 7 days on a self-guided photography trip. It was entertaining, exhausting and draining to say the least. Bear with me as i work on, and upload my best shots of the 2500+ that i took

There was plenty of cloud on rise, and apart from a bit of fumbling with camera gear, I think I captured it really well. The orange lichen on the rocks next to the pinks, yellows and reds of a sunrise, as well as a few scattered green mossy rocks and the cool crisp blue of the water. Mother natures rainbow.

ISO250 | 10mm | f4.0 | 1/50 second

Nikon D300s
Cokin P121S Graduated ND Filter

Taken at Tasmania's famous Bay of Fires.
The sun rose to a perfect morning, in the perfect location. The orange lichen covered rocks are stretched before me, the sky doing its magical thing, i sat down on these rocks snapping away, wishing that I had another photographer to look at and nod in agreement with, that we were so lucky to be in the presence of such a rise.

Alas I was alone, so you're just gonna have to agree with me.

On the way back from the Bay of Fires, I stopped at a little wooden jetty just outside of the St Helens township. The rise this morning had been broken with scattered cloud, it did not throw rays, though it did glow like a scared child's night light until day had broken. The bayside waters were calm, and very reflective. This little jetty was perfect and I could see exact reflections in the clouds on the water. I had just sat down to take some shots when an asian couple pulled up. Young, obviously. The girl got out of the car, dressed in blue with a sequined sash, with her little pink point and shoot camera with mini tripod, and started taking photos of herself on the jetty – obviously going for that “casual beach girl” look. Clearly she was dissatisfied with the shots, as the compact would have been metering off the bright sunlit and reflective bay behind her, throwing her face into shadows. I waited, 5, 10, 15 minutes for her to finish. At 15 minutes she was still going, so I moved my camp down to the next jetty, did what I wanted, went back, she was STILL there. The phrase “if you can't beat 'em, join em” came to mind, so ignoring her, I did my own shots. She'll appear in a few – because if she doesn't mind being in hers, she can be a mystery figure in mine.

I finally got my online fix, as there is an internet cafe in town. I used more than 15mins worth, but the lovely man still only charged me $2 for it. If anything to plaster on my Facebook “I'm still alive.
“ I'm still deciding if I like this disconnection from the world, its a little lonely I must tell you. My hotel room is small and deviod of any visual stimulation (ie, pictures on walls). I'm tired after sunrise, and all the driving. I'm going to have a little nap then venture in land a little this afternoon, see if I can find any places worthy of some long exposures tonight after dinner!

Will post more when I get back, just thought I'd unload my brain before napping.

Well its now 9pm and I've had dinner and had my shower... this would have to be a time record for me. After sunrise I'm just going to keep driving, even if I have to stop somewhere for a nap. Its easier than backtracking 30km just to pick up my stuff, seeing that checkout is invisible and I've already paid for my accommodations. This afternoon hasn't involved so much activity, I went out for a small drive to see what the next town was like, but much as I had suspected, just more of the same. All the things ive done, all the mornings and the new adjustments have thrown me around a little, I've found myself sleeping a lot these last few days, the itch to get home is increasing, as much as my surrounds are beautiful, there's the tugging neglect with the others that I have to process still.

I called mum and dad today from a telstra payphone to let them know that I was still alive – just in a no reception area. Hard to believe, but yes. I dread the moment I get signal, to see how many emails, sms's and voicemails that I have. But on the flipside... internet sweet sweet internet.

Tomorrow is the long awaited blue lake, low head lighthouse and halls falls. I'm not sure what the weather is doing, its gotten quite brisk here these last few days, but I am adoring donning the layers. The photography has been great, but I'm not superwoman. I think I have enough material to wow'em at home. At least, something different for the exhibition coming up. (Raw Convergence 2010).

Looking back, as it is my second last night here in Tasmania, I have thoroughly enjoyed the photographic experiences. Id change a few things – better research on where to stay vs my needs for one, secondly, something of a better timescale for locations and shoots, thirdly, planning my flights better to suit the pickup and drop off of the rental car and finally, bring people. Id probably also bring a Telstra NextG mobile broadband stick so I could upload to the web anywhere.

Tomorrow is a sunrise at Binnalong Bay, St Helens, just down from The Gardens. Then onto the inland country, and Launceston's Cataract Gorge for sunset. Not quite sure what ill do yet for the few hours before my flight out, but in time that'll come to me.

Day 5 :: Tasmania

2010-03-24T12:01:00.002+10:00

Day 5: Hobart > St Mary's

I'm currently in a country town. There's old school country music blasting from the pub downstairs, there's sounds of bogan men and women yelling down the street, revving their commodores and causing a general ruckus. Thats right, its friday night.

Yet another day of driving, yet another fuel stop, yet another hotel, yet more barns and yet another routine to get into. Can you tell I'm getting a little tired of travelling? Its getting harder to keep the drive going, this is the longest that I've been on a journey solely for photography.

Today started off with plans for sunrise at Mt Wellington, though, upon getting to the top of the mountain, it was apparent that id not be getting any shots. Cloud and rain had ensured that I wouldn't be getting any photographs of the incredible view. Not deterred, I headed to the Hobart harbour-side and got a few snaps, though nothing really grabbed me, and as the light slowly creeped into the day, it was obvious that it was just going to become different shades of grey.

Getting back to my motel, I snuck in another couple of hours sleep before packing up and heading to St Mary's, my next destination. Deciding to stay in St Marys was the instantaneous impulse idea upon finding that other accommodation in the area was rather expensive. I booked the room without fully realising how far away from my intended locations it was. Never mind, its small and plain, perfect to force me outside and doing things.

Something random from along the way:

ISO400 | 60mm | f5.6 | 1/500sec
+post processing colour shift.

Nikon D300s
Hoya CIR POL

Taken somewhere between Freycinet National Park turnoff, and St Mary's, Tasmania... random barns are everywhere.

The drive from Hobart to here was largely uneventful, I finally cracked after days of listening to the radio, and bought a CD, shamefully “100% hits best of 2009” because it was the only CD with tracks I knew the name of... other choices involved a lot of RNB / rap as well as oldie fogie country/rock/western sounds. Hmm, not entirely happy on the choice, but anything to break the boring radio, because JJJ had long disappeared into static once leaving Hobart. Heading up north again brought a few more barns and interesting locations, however the overcast day and the weather wasn't exactly playing in my favour, dampened my mood somewhat.

I stopped for fuel at a local servo and found that there was an apple tree – with teeny little tiny apples still attached. So I pulled out my macro lens – its not all the time you see apples on trees. Picked a few too, they taste like Red Delicious apples. Game I know, but I kept them in case I ever get desperate enough for a feed.

My whole motivation for getting to Tasmania was to see the Bay of Fires. The idea that these rocks, for 30km were wearing an orange lichen was amazing to me, as there is no similar feature in Queensland. After an afternoon nap, I headed out in search of the bay, and on finding it, it didn't strike me as particularly fascinating. It was here, and during sunset this afternoon, that I've really begun to miss people to talk to. I stress, this kind of trip is best shared, and right now I feel cut off from the world, because there isn't even internet here. The hotel won't supply me with their WIFI password, so I'm stuck, until tomorrow. I have no phone either, its complete disconnection, and its struck at the wrong time.

ISO125 | 35mm | f4.5 | 6 seconds

Sunset at the Bay of Fires, Tasmania.
Nikon D700
Nikon 18-35mm F3.5-4.5
Cokin P121M Grad ND Filter
+ post processing

Sunset at the Bay of Fires, scouting for the next morning's sunrise.

Once the sun had set, photos of the bay of fires got a lot easier, there was no more harsh shadows or blue cast on the sand, which was strikingly white. I very much intend to go back in the morning, if I can ever get out of bed. I'm so tired towards the end of the trip, not having someone here to push me around to doing things, is hard. Ive got 1700 photos, close to how many Kilometers I've done. Isn't that enough to process already? I'm gonna end this blog early, on a single page. I'm beat, want to sleep, and the noise In the pub downstairs seems to have quietened.

Day 4 :: Tasmania

2010-03-24T11:38:00.002+10:00

Day 4 Hobart

Waking up today was almost as hard as figuring out how to start this sentence.
My alarm sounded at 515am, announcing that it was time to get up and photograph sunrise, at my pre-planned site of Clifton beach, recommended to me by alex wise. However, my eyelids had other ideas, and as soon as I had hit snooze, I woke up, what seemed like 5 minutes later, to seeing first light crackle across the horizon – far too late to get to my location. Sleepy, and minus any kind of dressing decorum (ie, jumper and boxers) I wandered down to the motel's foreshore (riverside hotel FTW) and fired off a few shots from there, wandering slowly back to bed soon after.

This morning was considerably cooler than what I've experienced thus far on my trip, and actually found myself donning layers as the cold winds froze my fingers to little icicles. Breakfast consisted of some milk with cereal which I had picked up the night before, aimed at saving money. Since it was early and I had actually had some decent sleep, I decided to captialise on my time, and headed out to see the town of New Norfolk then onto Mt Field National Park. I must say I was disappointed with NN as I couldn't find any of the buildings that were shown in the tourist guides... annoyed. So I continued on to Mt field NP to catch Russell Falls. Its here that it was considerably cooler, the cold breeze making my nose feel like id snorted soda water (fizzy ouchie), the scenery was okay, nothing to really wow over. Its evident that the winter light is here, shadows are deep blues, causing me to scratch my head several times before I figure out which white balance mode suits best.

The drive back from Mt Field took me onto the other side of the Derwent River to which I had come to get to the NP. It was here that I spied an epic barn and stopped to photograph it. One thing that I have noticed is that in the North of the state (ie, Launceston, Deloraine, Burnie) the barns are smaller and falling apart more than the ones in the south, which are larger and fewer.

From Mt field I headed over to Richmond, to photograph the cliche'd bridge and visit the model town. All were good as could be expected – no doubt I would have liked to have seen Richmond at sunset, but I really don't have that kind of time. I supposed if I had of been here longer I could have, however this serves as valuable information for next time.
Since I had been out and about from 7am to 2pm, I headed back to my motel room for a quick kip before heading out to Port Arthur. Sleep is bliss, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Port Arthur. Well, let me tell you firstly its a helluva drive from Hobart.
ESPECIALLY
if you're stuck behind a campervan driven by retirees who have the entire week to get to a destination. I was so close to clawing my eyeballs out. It was just my luck that every overtaking section had a car on the other side of the road, foiling my plans on getting ahead of the snails. Eventually I made a bold (and probably half stupid) move and got past them, getting stuck behind them added an extra half an hour to my journey that I didn't need. Finally upon finally I got to the visitor centre, and advised by the guy at the desk that the buildings would be closing soon (alas it was 445pm) but I was free to wander the grounds until 730pm. Taking up the offer, as well as discounted entry (wooo!) I wandered around doing my thing.

Realising that my shots were probably gonna look the same as every single person who crossed through the gates, I changed my tactic and shot Infrared (IR) of the buildings and surrounds. The initial results seem to suggest that this worked rather well.

ISO250 | 18mm | f4.5 | 30 seconds

Nikon D700
Hoya 850nm InfraRed Filter

I felt that I had to try something different here, as Port Arthur, one of Australia's most famous Historic Penal settlements, had been photographed from every angle.

I used IR here in this old church, enabling me to get the glow through what used to be the main window, giving a feeling of heavenly light.

About Port Arthur:
The Port Arthur penal station was established in 1830 as a timber-gettting camp, using convict labour to produce sawn logs for government projects. From 1833 Port Arthur was used as a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the Australia colonies.

Port Arthur was one of those places that I was intially going to avoid, as I hadn't seen any point in going somewhere that's been photographed to death. I'm glad I went, but I really didn't “feel” any drama or emotion in the site... to me it was just an awesome old shell of what once was. But what that “was” was- never hit me. I guess its because I went in with the aim of taking photos, rather than learning or educating myself on what the place actually meant to some. Its that kind of information that I can easily find online, so my time at the site was based upon image gathering.

After countless hours on the road and driving from A to B to C and D, I've realised that this kind of Tasmanian adventure is probably best done in a group, where 2 or more people all can drive the car, all can take a share in fuel and can all contribute motivation into getting up out of bed and to amazing places. Towards this part of my trip I'm starting to get lazy. Sleeping in here, not going there because its too far... I can only contribute it to the fact that I'm 4 days in, and according to my car's ODO that I've driven over 1500km.... no wonder I'm starting to get tired of it, and having another 3 days to go... I wonder what my final total will be.
It really takes it out of me, you think that you've got tonnes of energy, but I never realised how much concentration it takes, especially on long haul drives.
To my credit though, I found a different radio station that doesn't play the same mindless drivel each hour. Tuned into JJJ and saved my ears from near painful explosion, another day of seaFM and id really have registered a complaint.
Am starting to miss home a little – full sized PC, internet wherever I go. Pretty much in Hobart is the only place in the entire state that I've seen “3G” appear on my mobile.

The biggest ripjob that I've come across is what the WIFI setup is in the hotel. $15 would get me a days worth. A DAY. Its for that reason that I've not updated any online presences. I've not had time to sit in maccas and leech some lifeline, maybe ill throw that onto the agenda for friday. Oh and that's another thing, all around the state, are “Online Access Centre's” which has really raised my eyebrow... its like a timewarp here... people go to a building to connect to the internet, at least in remote or rural places. The internet is an amazing world of fun and entertainment, these people are missing out. Also makes travelling a little hard. One motel operator from Tuesday night asked me what my phone was, as he was intrigued by something that had no keys, thus beginning a conversation about the iphone.

For Todays random act of backwards life:
At a servo in New Norfolk, I witnessed a car pull up to the pump, waive a $20 note, and have the service station attendant walk up to the bowser, punch in $20limit and pump fuel while the old man sat in his car waiting. The last time I remember that was when I was about 4 or 5 years old in the car with mum.

I'm very much looking forward to getting home to Brisbane (not so much for the rental inspection that happens the day after I get back) as ill be getting home around 10pm and have it the next day. But to be back in familiar surroundings and not having to drive everywhere, will be nice.

Daylight savings, I hate you.
Its 946pm in Brisbane and 1046pm here. You Tasmanian's get up in the dark and go to bed just after sunset. What gives?

Day 3 :: Tasmania

2010-03-24T10:59:00.002+10:00

Day 3 – Deloraine to Hobart (not that simple mind you)

Spending $99 on a motel room in Deloraine possibly paid off for me today. Labelled as a “Mountain View” room, I awoke to only seeing part of the mountain to which had previously been there the night before. For a second I thought about going back to bed, but only for the sheer fact that I was going to be doing so much driving today, but alas, as I have been telling myself “you'll regret it if you don't” got me out of bed. The next second I found myself lugging my camera gear into my rental car, tripods, cameras, lenses and filters all into the backseat, grabbing the re-chilled bottle of coke from the fridge and jumping in the car, having really only just woken up. It was Foggy. Autopilot kicked in. Take Photo was back at the top of my agenda.

Not 50m out of the driveway of motel I pulled over to take my first shots, as the pinkening sunrise coupled with the fog and mountain backdrop looked lightly magical. Farmlands in the foreground and the river below enshrouded in fog was a sight to be seen. As the day got brighter, the fog shifted, and I chased it down to the river (search::map Deloraine:: name river) and beyond. Driving down towards the Liffey falls road that I had been to the previous day, the fog got thicker, the single lonely trees more interesting too. The higher, upper clouds' undersides' were turning pink by now, which provided an intersting contrast to the fog itself. As the kilometres passed, I found a field with cows grazing in it, their moos as I stopped, increasing in volume, annoyingly announcing my presence. Nobody pulled me up on it, however I still made sure I was out of there quickly.

Deciding to head back to my accommodation to have breakfast and lie around a little more before checkout, I was driving back when I noticed the sun had risen high enough to be peaking through the trees that surrounded me, coupled by fog, this made for some amazing scenery. Unfortunately, a previously empty road had just gotten busier, and a car was tail-gaiting me for closer than I would have liked. I missed some shots because of this, apparently going 70 in a 80kmh zone gets you followed by locals keen to get to work. Finally, the car got the message that I wasn't speeding up, and overtook me. Little had I realised, but lady luck was also on my side. Around the next bend, finally, a driveway so I could pull onto the side of the road. In doing so I looked to my right, and saw a tree... on its own, surrounded by lightening fog, and the sun, peeking through, causing the most breathtaking rays to emanate from its centre.

ISO200 | 60mm | f8 | 1/500sec

3 image weak HDR (used to highlight foreground).
Nikon D300s
Nikon 18-200 + CIR POL

Just moments before this happened, i was muttering to myself that Lady Luck had visited me for the morning.

I was by myself, in Tasmania for 7 days.
A combination of fog and sunlight came together for me in this very moment, as i was driving on the highway. Brakes locked, i pulled over into someones driveway, leapt out of the car, and began shooting. There was no way that I'd miss this opportunity.

I was tossing and turning as to whether to make this a black and white, but this depicts, very close to the original colours seen when the moment happened.

In a mix of OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG! I managed to pull my camera gear out, and take many exposures before the beauty disappeared. Definitely my standout image of the day, and one of my best ever. Thankyou Tasmania and lady luck.

Comparable to my first day when I landed in launceston and headed to smithton, today I headed in the following path:
Deloraine > Sheffield > Cradle Mountain > Sheffield > Hobart.
Tired from driving? Hell yes.
I chose this route because I didn't want to head down via Queenstown, having heard that this western road was very windy and probably not suited to my little Nissan Tiida.

All of my Best laid plans were thrown aside, carelessly disregarded in my hunt to cover as much territory as I could before I headed south to Hobart, this proved to my detriment, and despite the amount of research, nothing could prepare me for the disappointment that I hit when I went to cradle mountain. Surviving the drive after yelling at my GPS for 50km because she was telling me to turn back when taking hairpin turns (a fair few mind you), I made it to the top of the mountain. I think that top plateau, known to maps as Middlesex Plains – would make a lot more sense if it were covered in snow. Hundreds, possibly thousands of fallen trees, leafless logs and bizarre shrub grass scattered hectares of the roadside, with small but bold little signs stating “private property, keep out” nailed to them in probably the best cost-saving but lazy attempt at curbing tresspassers, that ive seen for my entire time here in Tasmania.

Entering into Cradle Mountain road, and travelling the short distance, I pulled into the vistor centre, mainly because I really had to go (to the loo). I noticed a large number of cars and buses in the carpark, but thought nothing of it, thinking that maybe people were too lazy to buy the vehicle pass to get into the park. Feeling smarter than them, I jumped into my car and drove the further 2km to the next carpark, near the Enchanted Forest walk.

As I had been keen to check out the walk, I grabbed all my gear and started the short 20min walk along this path bordered mostly by logs that were so pale and white, presumably from sun and cold exposure. The “old growth” rainforest was beautiful as expected, but really lacked any photographic centrepiece. I'm sure if I had more time, and wasn't so tired after the drive, I could've done this better. I trekked back to my car, and threw my gear in (carefully of course). I noticed a sign which basically said “only cradle shuttle past this point, go back to the visitor centre, pay more money for a ticket, then we'll let you in.” realising it was past midday and seeing I had to be in Hobart by nightfall, I cut my loses and left. Disappointment is the nice way of saying what I was thinking. Next time ill do Cradle better.

On my drive back , I stopped at the lookout for Lake Cethana, a small body of water operated by Hydro Tasmania. The lookout was short and sweet. The most impressive part of this road was the enormous pipe that went up a cleared hill, into presumably a pumping station. The pipe looked small from where I was standing, but in reality I know this would've been quite large. And how does one service a pipe like this? Stairs. Hundreds of them. I could envision an episode of Biggest Loser seeing everyone clamber up the stairs, seeing how far up the mountain they could get. Fitness Boot camp, eat your heart out, you'll need it to climb those stairs!

From here, I headed back to Sheffield for a bite to eat before heading to Hobart. The town of murals didn't really grab my fancy, as it all seemed so “put on” - much like makeup does for someones face. I bought a few corny souvenirs at a local shop, then jumped into the car for the long drive south. The funny thing that ive noticed with the roads around Tasmania, is the abundance of roadkill. Seriously? Does anyone bother to stop for animals these days. There are signs that say 110kmh during the day, but 65kmh from dusk til dawn. The image on the sign makes it look like wildlife will accost you from your car and steal it... (ill try to find one and photograph it for your reading pleasure). Why? BECAUSE THE LITTLE BASTARDS try to PLAY TAG WITH YOUR TYRES. I never hit any, but found out how effective the ABS brakes were, on the rental car. I also refuse to double tap already dead wildlife... it just feels cruel.

The drive to Hobart also became a land of contrasts. Many empty hills, not at all like the trip from Launceston to Smithton. Significantly less barn-gasms... significantly less interesting compositions. It really did become a road in the middle of nowhere. Finally, upon finally I entered Hobart. To rain. I was really kind of thankful for this, because the last thing I needed was a stunning sunset and feeling compelled to get the shot.

Tomorrow, around Hobart and surrounds. New Norfolk, Clifton Beach, Richmond and maybe Port Arthur, depends on the weather. Its the only thing I can't plan.

Day 2:: Tasmania

2010-03-24T10:38:00.002+10:00

Day 2: Smithton to Deloraine

Finally I'm starting to feel the tiredness of driving and stopping.. I know I should calm it down a bit, as I'm already exhausted. I guess its the realisation that I can't possibly cover everything in the short time that I'm here, as even a lifetime later id still be finding things that I'm interested in.

Today started off like any other, photographically. Alarm at 5am, up and out of the door at 545 (so I hit the snooze button a few times, so shoot me) jump into the car and drive to Stanley for the rise. Having previously scouted it on my first day, and looking at several maps, I knew it'd be worth it. The clouds were not so, a few, but not enough to make it super stunning like the previous afternoons sunset.

Much to the cursing of my luck, my rental car did not come with a music port. Hmmmpf, so no Iphone tunes on the run, and I didn't bring a CD. So I'm stuck with radio. Yay. Not. The only channel that's programmed is “SeaFM” and I've heard all about cheeky breast checkups, go kart tracks, and all of these bizarre songs that pass as modern day “music”, but none of that compares to the painful promotion of “the seaFM bandit” which I can not get out of my head. Curse you mainstream radio.

Stanley was foggy on arrival, but frustratingly so, not in the right places. I only figured out where the wharves were after my GPS unit led me around in circles... also my fault for not updating the maps. The GPS lady and I have strained relations now, each time she chants “perform a U-turn where possible” I yell at her to shut up, and if she fails to do so, I turn her off. This isn't without reasons, she's telling me to turn left, where there is no left turn.

After sunrise, I headed back the short 15 min drive to my hotel, made SURE that I had breakfast and then headed back to my room for a short nap before the day of driving. I programmed the GPS to take me to Mole Creek, as I was keen to see what the caves were like. The drive through the hills proved rewarding, moreso than the destination, on finding out that I wasn't allowed to take a tripod in, I thought “screw that” and just enjoyed the drive instead.

ISO125 | 18mm | f6.3 | 1/320

Single Image
Nikon D700
Cokin P121M Grad ND Filter

Mt Roland, Tasmania

Mount Roland stands at 1234 metres above sea level and provides a stunning backdrop to the Kentish Municipality. 7600 hectares surrounding the range has been designated as the Mt Roland Regional Reserve in December 2000. The walk takes in the plains and plateau leading to the summit of the peak. There are two tracks to the summit.

However I was stumped for a few hours, watching a cloud come over the mountain range that I was following. The cloud was fixed together by a series of layers, some of them clear, and some orange. Fearful that this was a storm (as it was 31 degrees today) I found the closest tourist information booth who informed me that it was back burning that was causing the orange. Fortunately, the cloud spruced up some otherwise very dull clouds. (and made the sun orange on sunset)

It was around 2pm that I rolled into Deloraine, and out just as quickly. I sighted the sign that told me that Liffey falls were only 30km away.. so having some spare energy I decided to make the trip. Well worth it, the air in the hills was fresh and smelt of fresh cedarwood – the kind of smell that natural saunas have. The final stretch of road to the falls was gravel (if you're my car rental agency, please ignore this fact) but taking it slowly (all that could be done) meant that I actually got to see these stunning falls.

ISO250 | 26mm | f4.2 | 10 seconds

Nikon D700
Hoya NDX400
Liffey Falls, Tasmania.
View from the upper creek/fall (not the main waterfall)
About Liffey Falls:
Liffey's falls and forests have received World Heritage listing for their unique natural values.
The Liffey River rises on the northern edge of the Great Western Tiers, flowing through dense cool-temperate rainforest of myrtle, sassafras and leatherwood before plunging over spectacular waterfalls.

Wide, and tiered, a mixed of levels and mossy rocks separated the streams across the surface of the cliff face. Not a high falls – no more than about 6m tall, and not gushing torrents either. When I upload the pictures, you'll see what I mean. The whole falls and lower falls area was so serene, water lapping over rocks, green ferns and trees, and not a soul in sight. The water was shallow but the rock below was so incredibly slippery. I tested it with my ankle whilst sitting, and that was a valuable lesson. If it was summer I could've been tempted to swim in it.

Today was more of a post script – a little bit of driving here-there. After tomorrow, the long trips should become a lot shorter, as I use Hobart as a base over two days. My game plan involves getting to: Mt Field National park, Port Arthur, Mt Wellington, South Arm and Opossum bay, Eaglehawk Neck, Richmond, New Norfolk, Hobart Harbour and anything else that strikes my fancy along the way.

I'm looking forward to getting down south, hopefully these warmer temps will get cooler, and despite the number of Tourist attractions increasing, I'm looking forward to the crowds, as the solo travel thus far has been great, however I would've loved to have someone to travel with, if only someone to talk back to me. But that's what the internet is for right?

Day 1 :: Tasmania

2010-03-23T20:57:00.003+10:00

I'm uploading posts as pieces in time, as I was not able to upload them on the dates that I wrote them.
_____

Day 1: Monday 15 March 2010 – Launceston/ Smithton

Right from landing in launceston at 11am the day had already been a long one.
Up early, 4am to get to the airport at 5 – (allowing time to wake up) for a 6am flight out of brisbane to sydney, where id meet my connection to launceston.
All flights were very swift and easy – although I was majorly disgruntled by having to sit over the wings on both flights in, but that's just me being picky I guess. The poor sod who was sitting in the window seat on my BNE-SYD flight had to put up with me leaning over him constantly to take photos on my iPhone. (naughty me). The tiredness eventually caught up with me though, and I slept for most of my connection from Sydney-Launceston.
Land at Launceston, small airport – your typical country signpost of civilisation, least to the naked eye. Organise the mess of baggage, car hire and other necessities -ie – bathroom- and then venture out into the crisp cool air and endless roads lined with green, yellow, brown and beige fields yielding various crops.

First night: Smithton: Far north west corner of Tasmania... rather lacking with some vital services I think, but more on that later.

I followed the Bass highway from Launceston to Burnie, then onto Smithton. The Launceston country landscape is stunning... I could've (and probably should've) stopped many times over to take photos of the dilapidated old barns which varied in states of disrepair along with the many hundreds of paddocks with some kind of a “trees in a line” feature. Tomorrow, I'm telling myself, I'll stop tomorrow and get my dear readers some pictures.

After about 2 hours of driving I stopped for lunch , I had barely noticed the time passing as the landscape was such a visual feast my entire way thus far. I stopped in a little town called Somerset, which was more old than it was interesting. One thing that has baffled me today is how close farmland exists to the water's edge. I realise this is how it once was before developers turned Surfers Paradise upside down, but its still weird to see. Kind of like all this awesome real estate isn't even being noticed. The coastline that I drove along was rocky and low, the tide lapping up against the rocks, not far from the road. Sleepy town.
I was nearly almost at my motel when I decided to check out Stanley- as it was right there and all, a clear lovely afternoon with some high wispy clouds in the sky. “The Nut” as they call it is like a giant acne sticking off the edge of the coastline... a sudden big lump in the landscape. Tuesdays' drive to Deloraine will have this covered properly.
After all of the shenanigans, I got to my hotel/motel around 4pm, and decided to have a nap, as the mornings activities and all the driving had taken it out of me. Waking at 5 feeling refreshed and ready to tackle sunset (at 742pm local time!!!) I drove to the Arthur River – as far west as can be done, to catch a sunset over the ocean. The drive was yet another where my little inner photographer was commanding me to pull over every 5 minutes and take a shot, however due to skinnier than Queensland road shoulders – I couldn't.
Indeed my intel that Tasmania had tonnes of old barns proved correct, and the further out from civilisation the flatter they got, until I just couldn't resist taking a photo of one that had fallen over completely. Today I've invented a new word for photographers: BARNGASM... because that's exactly what you'll be doing when driving.... the urge to stop for everything!

I love the way Tasmania lets them get worn out, panels missing, just to store hay. Thank you Tasmania for not being up yourselves about your barns.

I got to the Arthur River/ The Edge Of The World lookout for sunset which proved itself to be very beautiful and well worth the hours drive out of town.
The sun glimmered about, ducking and hiding in puffy low and high level clouds. The water so crisp and clear it reflected the sky onto the sand and piles of driftwood was stacked on the rocks as if a careless child had left it there for safe keeping.

ISO100 | 23mm | f5 | 6 seconds

Single image
Nikon D700
Nikon 18-35 f3.5-4.5
Cokin P121L Grad ND filter

Arthur River, Tasmania.

From Tasmania's North West corner, a lookout aptly titled "The Edge of The World" - because the water that rolls in here, was last graced by Argentina. Large stacks of driftwood sit atop the rocky outcrops, and the sand is so smooth, that the sky reflects off it.

The subtle colours from the sky reflected onto the rocks behind me as I stood on the beach, highlighting and decorating the scene.
Watching the sun set over the ocean was something special, and it disappeared quickly, however, its legacy, a glowing orange band, lingered In the sky for almost an hour afterwards.

ISO125 | 24mm | f5 |1/100sec

3 image HDR
Nikon D700
Cokin P121S Grad ND Filter

Arthur River, Tasmania

From Tasmania's North West corner, a lookout aptly titled "The Edge of The World" - because the water that rolls in here, was last graced by Argentina. Large stacks of driftwood sit atop the rocky outcrops, and the sand is so smooth, that the sky reflects off it.

As soon as the sun had set, everyone else that was taking photos up on the rocks disappeared. Fools I thought, as I kept shooting. I soon found out why.

The great Australian woe.
The humble mosquito.
ButThese ones were 3 times larger than the ones I've seen in Queensland. I swear I could hear the slurping sounds as they got closer to me, swarms of them hanging around my BLACK bag, my BLACK jumper and the BLACK interior of my car.
Escaping the mozzies and jumping back into my car, I started down the highway, only to have a few near-run-ins with the local wallaby population. Man they're everywhere! So taking the roads back at a gruelling 65kmh instead of 110kmh I got back into town craving a hot meal and a warm shower. One of my wishes came true, the other, paled.
I discovered, that this town shuts down at sunset. I get back to my hotel, and there's no takeaway food stops open, no supermarkets open, even the hotel/pub that I'm staying in the best that they can do for me is a packet of chips. I got better food on the aeroplane. Dinner is from 6pm-8pm says the sign on the bistro door... and don't you forget it. Last ditch effort on asking for things, I asked the hotel clerk if they have WiFi, and was met with a blank stare. I only realised after I glimpsed the 14” CRT monitor in the corner, about how advanced they were. Mustn't be a service they exactly need just yet...
I'm not sure about breakfast... ill try and shoot sunrise and then come back to shovel my gob with bacon and eggs... that's if they exist here...

Some BestCam photos from my iPhone:

Flight Lounge:: Waiting

Up and Away

i'M Alive

2010-03-20T09:32:00.002+10:00

Hey guys,

I'm here, im alive... ive hit a town where there's no Optus mobile or broadband, yet another region taken over by telstra. Rumour has it that there'll be optus here soon, but not soon enough for me in my case.

I get back to Brisbane on monday night, so expect to start to see photos trickling onto flickr from there... Looking forward to showing you all what i've gotten! i'm definitely very happy with my shots, and looking forward to sharing them with you all! ive got many stunners - even before post processing.

But alas, i must go, its $2 for 15mins here... look forward to catching up with you all on tuesday!
WATCH THIS SPACE
xxx
mel

Departure

2010-03-14T22:02:00.001+10:00

Well friends and foes... I'm about to head to bed to get a futile 6 hours of sleep... if I can ever get to sleep.

Departure is at 6am from brisbane airport - landing in launceston around 11am.
Will try to keep as updated as I can, but can't promise of course.

((I'll probably end up blogging to laptop then posting with dates rewound when I finally do get to reception)).

Preparations

2010-03-12T22:33:00.002+10:00

So, I managed to survive my last day of work for the next "10 business days" - I won't be back there until the 25th of March now.... ahhh.... *exhales a long slow peaceful breath*.
Today was a bit rough, my supervisor and team were taking a good stab at trying to get me to do things, but my brain was on holidays already- and long overdue.
Due to our team being somewhat fragmented at times, we've got this communication board that normally tells us if the supervisor is in a meeting, or if someone's on extended leave.
Of course, I am going to be on leave. After clearing up the last of my responsibility, ie, out my jobs I took to the whiteboard:

and placed it in my seat. Should be a little funny for monday morning.

So right now, as I speak, ive put my clothes into my suitcase, negotiated the layout of it all, and decided that its best to put my tripod on the top of the clothes, just in case customs/security want to get all pedantic over it... meh.

Initially i wasn't going to plan out my time around the state, but now i want to.. i mean, i can always disregard, chop or change parts... at least i've got somewhere to start.
So ive separated the day in to 4 stages: Sunrise/Morning, Noon, Sunset and Night.

Using the theory that Noon is not much good for photographs in full sun, I've planned most of my "going to" locations for this time of day. Here's a quick snap:

I wholly realise and acknowledge that things are going to change once I get there, or find better places...
Fun times ahead!

((if anyone knows places I might not have considered.... its not too late to whisper into my ear...))

Green?

2010-03-11T23:48:00.003+10:00

Don't Look Back

The water is flowing, the sky is falling and the camera is exposing.
Hold on tight, don't move forward. Just sit, and watch and ponder.

Processed up from the weekends' pictures taken at Mount Tamborine.
This was a rather hilarious day out.

It all started when Matt messaged me at 8am, telling me that he was heading down to Mt Tamborine as previously discussed the other night. The SMS woke me up from a VERY pleasant dream (the contents of which shall remain a secret ;) ). Deciding to head out despite the glaringly obvious fact that I had neglected much housework o jumped into my car, blasted the stereo and started down the road to the coast.

On arrival Matt was already at Curtis Falls- after the recent falls was flowing quite heavily. Great conditions welcomed us, however we scorned the sun when it dared make itself known from behind the clouds. Matt was already ankle deep in water, watched by a few walkers who were seemingly amused by the lengths that he was going to.

Moving downstream and choosing our compositions - we didn't find much that interested us. Finding a log that was oozing water, Matt called me over for my attempt of the scene. So I trudged through water and onto the other side, the cool spring water soaking my volleys and reminding my feet what cold feels like. Dropping my bag on the bank and setting up my tripod, fastening the camera on it and lining up my shot, we were interrupted by the loud sound of a tree falling - Right where I had been standing not 10 minutes before.

Silence and shared scared glances.

This trend was to continue for the rest of the day, where ever we went, not far from we were standing, a tree would fall. We felt jinxed and slightly on edge by this knowledge.
Later, (and after I had been stung by a stinging plant...one of the single most painful experiences ever... ) we decided to check out Witches Falls.

We were greeted by a sign stating "Due to recent severe weather events, access to the complete circuit has been closed. The lookout is still accessible".
They didn't mean that lightly.
Water turns dirt into mud.
mud is slippery.
Mud is what we got on the 1.3km track....
Think "mud skating"....

The shot above is from Witches Falls lookout. The shot I'll post later is from the quote on quote "seasonal lagoon" that was actually the rest of the path which became a "seasonal swamp" with mosquito larvae and tadpoles swimming at my feet. Yummy.
Lesson learnt. Backtrack to cars, exhausted, wet muddy and thirsty.

Numbers

2010-03-11T11:26:00.003+10:00

4 days til my holiday In Tasmania.
8 days of me. Myself. And I. In the apple isle
2 cameras
1 rental car
5 places to stay
20,000$ in electronics
countless hours of driving
tonnes of photographs
destination lists longer than what I have time for
I can't wait... Pics of epic gear packing coming soon

watch this space

Fresh

2010-03-10T12:41:00.003+10:00

"Ten Seconds Before Sunrise" by chamellieon, - ME.
The namesake for my new Photography Blog based around a delicately beautiful song by Tiesto, of the same name.

Come here to read all about my pursuits, mishaps, reviews, rantings and ravings about anything photographic that crosses me by. I'll try to make it funny, entertaining and informative as best I can.

Welcome.

After some gentle pushing, some tactical nudging and some idea planting (by many friendly and awesome photographers that I shoot with), I've cracked the shell, and have decided "what the hell".... as from time to time I really do have something interesting to say, and feel that I should be sharing it.

Okay, so a little about me. This will help with your understanding of where I'm at with this passion, dedication and drive that is generally called "a photographic hobby."

Everyone knows me as mel.
I go by the internet username of chamellieon.
I am a female photographer from sunny Queensland, Australia.
I shoot with a Nikon D700 and D300s, plus various bits n pieces.

I have an already-established web presence already... from my
Redbubble Sales site to my "everything else"
Flickr page.
Flickr receives all my frequent image updates, and the best of these make in onto Redbubble for sales. Follow me, don't be afraid.

In 5 days time, i'm off on a short trip to Tasmania as both a break from work and something ive wanted to do, for a very long time.

But right now, its off to clean my house, which has fallen into a state of neglect with the recent rain.
Thanks for watching, stay tuned.

mel