Well the recent bushfire might have taken its toll but as far as I'm concerned it hasn't diminished the beauty of the Australian bush. Somehow its added some character. Many homes were clearly in the path but were saved as our wonderful Fire Services people again did a miraculous job as they do each and every year. To my original point, some of the images offered up show extraordinary beauty after the passing of the fire. Though eerie in places due to the blackness, there are other areas close to the fire's perimeter which serve as great metaphors for survival.
My Imagination
In the process of creating abstract images, sooner or later the imagination plays its role in giving significance to an image. It may not be in the first instance. The striking nature of an image will have an impact perhaps due to contrast or lighting or maybe through form. Invariably in conversations with colleagues a significant variation occurs in the interpretation of an image of this type. By that I mean abstract image. The more form plays a part the more imagination can get involved - at least the cognitive aspect. Where colours and forms are more muted, we seem to be more influenced on a feeling level. Some images I like almost immediately with the imagination being triggered, I create a sense of ownership of it. This doesn't speak to the quality of the image as a piece of art and with time my interest may wane with my evaluation of the piece becoming less with time. This process as described may explain the saying 'I don't know about art, but I know what I like'.
Unexpectedly...
Many times we go out as photographers with the intention of perhaps just unwinding or enjoying the afternoon maybe with another photographer friend which I did today. We went to a place I had been to previously but hadn't fully explored. Clouds came and went and there was a chance of rain which didn't eventuate. In any case the detail in the rock face which we had to make effort to access became more interesting the more we photographed. No, we had not taken anything to make this experience out of the ordinary but as it happens which photographic excursions, you can get really immersed with the subject matter. Quite a few of the shots were taken in an intuitive manner, meaning not thinking too hard about what should be where in the screen or viewfinder. Perhaps the process was guided more by the prevailing and changing light. Its only after viewing the day's efforts that certain images stand out and they are not always the ones that were expected to do so. Not that the results are always random by any means but some images have there own special quality.
Gums and grass
I find nothing more interesting and engaging than driving out in the mist and rain in search of images of the Australian bush. Well, more mist than rain. It provides that layered, multi-dimensional effect than renders so well in a photo. The background becomes shrouded in mystery with the foreground gaining attention with accentuated detail and colour. The light grey of the mist is always a good backdrop for whatever colour is in the foreground. There are photographers who will exclusively venture out in such weather and leave sunrises and sunsets with their early morning rises to others. This is also my favourite time.
Bush detail
I had a chance to get around a property today in Leura. The weather looks like changing and becoming warmer slowly. So signs of winter will pass and the sun will soon leave its mark. There was some good detail to be seen in the form of lichen on the old fence posts with other micro life forms adding some extra colour - easy to miss if you're busy with other tasks.
Emus around tree
An image from the Flinders Ranges which I hadn't printed. Wildflowers were only just beginning to emerge and the grasses a little dry which gave a very pastel-like flavour and softness to this scene. Taken 2007.
Old place, new discovery
Photographers often revisit sites to get new perspectives. Sometimes the different weather brings new light. Same scenes show another side of themselves - a little like humans. Other times we just get to see something new that went unnoticed on a previous trip.
A tree by the side of the road showing some real enthusiasm.
Textural
Waiting for the mist... or snow, either would be good. Mostly cold weather accompanied by blue skies for the moment. In the meantime some wood detail and textures - a reminder that I'm living in the country.
More from out west...
I revisited the location of the Blast Furnace at Lithgow. Nearby was a newly established wetlands area. Several varieties of birdlife can be seen. Otherwise, its a mining town and on days like today looking a bit drab and ordinary. Lack of trees in the area doesn't help. Still, there is something to be seen everywhere if you look. One of the wetlands lakes threw up this image below. Due to water movement the reflection was quite 'musical'.
Beauty of rocks
Queenstown is one of the most desolate environments you might encounter driving around Tasmania. Not because of its isolation or lack of trees (well, not entirely). It has been a mining town for many years - being described sometimes as a cratered moonscape. Yet it has provided me with one of my favourite rock images. I used a fairly long telephoto to capture the detail of the quarry face against the green water which fills one of the craters. Colours and texture are superb.
Blast of cold
Cold weather has struck again this year spreading along the eastern part of Australia bringing with it a much awaited snowfall. Outside of the ski areas we don't get snow that often so when it does come we make the most of it. A day trip to Oberon provided some good photo ops. The land is transformed. Amazing what a little white added to the green can produce.
Blast furnace
The town of Lithgow near the Blue Mountains was well known in the early nineteen hundreds for the production of iron. Adjacent to the township is the Blast Furnace, once a big employer now ruins. This scrap of iron may have sat here for a century symbolic of the towns former glory.
3 cows
3 cows going somewhere - Cox's River Road. The site of a previous blog post with a single tree. I enjoy photographing in this area because of the variety in the landscape.
Cooling down
This afternoon I would have said if you take into account the wind chill factor, it must have been zero looking out into the valley. The wind was blowing a gale and it was a little difficult keeping the camera steady. It doesn't really show in this shot but the wind was coming in gusts and moving the waterfall around a bit. I like this image in b&w but have left it in colour here. Plenty of detail to be seen.
On a musical note
Last Friday as it turns out I ended up covering a 'concert' at Lizotte's in Dee Why. Some remarkable talent there including my good friend Sam McNally (keyboards). While taking shots from the floor, one of the audience leaned over towards me and said "I can believe they have given us so many good acts in one night". That pretty much reflected the views of everyone in what was a full house. Here are some shots from the night. There are plenty more on my FB page.
A standing ovation and rightly so for Diana Rouvas. See the vid. on my FB page.
Doug Williams - you legend!
Craig Calhoun - funkmeister
Dave Weir
Rick Robertson
Elephant in Mt Hay
Amazing what can turn up in front of you... at a certain angle this rock face manifested an elephant's head with what appears to be broken tusks and ear. Incredibly the ear has such a similar texture as you might find on a real elephant - veins etc. I saw the complete picture after noticing an eye structure in the rock. Serendipity or some such thing.
Rock formations
The combination of wind, water and rocks can make for interesting 'artworks' in nature. These are a couple of images from Mt Hay Rd. The first image strikes me as having a hint of graffiti tags and more ancient rock drawings.
In a creek
Here in the mountains we are currently inundated with rain and not insignificantly, wind gusts taking down trees loosened by all the water. Winter seems to have taken hold now with daytime temps around 6-7°c. But its autumn! Looks like there will be plenty of changes of season images to record. Before all this I started on a video for a friend who a Qigong teacher. The location was near a stream which runs through a large property in nearby Leura - a day or two before the rain.
Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains
Nothing like its namesake - all wet and green here. Plenty of steps for most of the way. There was more to travel but three hours was enough for this mini trek with camera and tripod. This shot was very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings territory - two old trees forming a gateway for a worn path through the forest.
Student on bike - Rome
This shot was taken in the morning with rather soft and pleasant lighting. This person was riding up the hill towards a cathedral. Maybe he was a student or member of the clergy since he was headed in that direction. The fairly strong but subtle colour of the wall in the morning light together with the obvious lack of traffic in the middle of the city gave this scene a memorable presence for me.