Adelaide

Australia 2017 – A Photographic Journey

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It’s always been a dream to travel to the other side of the globe. Finally here was the chance. Booking the flights in early January I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Full of clichés in my little head I started the journey through Australia.

To put it short and sweet: the experience of three weeks ‘Down Under’ has blown me away. The sheer beauty of vibrant landscapes, cities, nature, wonderful people and very different wildlife, sights and sounds was refreshing in so many senses compared to the daily slug in good old Dublin.

To say it with a bit of Aussie slang: it’s been a ripper!

As a photographer the camera has been a loyal companion on this trip. A trip that brought me from the west to the south to the east all the way around the coastline with its flush green landscapes. So let me take you on my photographic journey.

It all started in Adelaide. Where dark, rain filled clouds welcomed me on the very first day. Disappointment initially. Little did I know that the very same evening rain and sun fought out an epic battle for supremacy in the sky – a blessing for photography.

The sea is a prevalent scene in and around Adelaide. So are the hills that rise high right on the door step of the city that’s widely mocked as the “boring city”. Not so boring in my mind, at least if you’re into landscapes, nature and hiking.

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On to Perth in the west. Quite an isolated place, far away from the next big city centre. In fact Perth is actually closer to Jakarta in Indonesia than Sydney.

For all of that it offers white sand beaches, plenty of sun (that alien yellow thing in the sky that’s sighted way too little over my beloved Ireland) and as a consequence a laid back atmosphere- and of course only a short ferry ride away wildlife paradise Rottnest Island.

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From one side of the continent to the other one. Sydney, the vibrant metropolis. Where to start, where to end? Simply spectacular. Harbour Bridge, Opera House – sure, but there is so much more.

It wasn’t all plain sailing. It actually were quite wet days in Sydney. I couldn’t do, see and photograph everything I would have wanted in an ideal world. There will be a next time, though. Hopefully with a little bit less torrential rain.

However those conditions can often set up the most stunning scenes. On the Circular Quay ferry, having endured another downpour, there it was, a massive double rainbow spanning all the way from Harbour Bridge across to the city center. A moment I won’t forget anytime soon.

And there was ‘Vivid Sydney’. As if Sydney wasn’t spectacular enough during the day, it transformed into a sea of lights and digital art during the night.

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Spectacular nature isn’t too far away from Sydney either. On the downside I didn’t see too much of it. The Blue Mountains were covered in fog so thick I could barely see the hands in front of my eyes. Though, for a brief moment the cover broke and gave way to the stunning landscape.

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Finish with a bang: the Great Ocean Road. This part of the world left a lasting mark on me. Hard to find words for its beauty. No photo can do it justice. Sunset at the Twelve Apostles – a dream of oh so many nights became reality.

A final view on the last day over the lush green hills of Apollo Bay before real life bites back. It’s been an amazing ride. I’m in love. I’ll be back. Soon.

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Equipment used:
– Nikon D7100
– Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM
– Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2
– HOYA PRO1 Digital Filter Circular Polarizer
– Rangers Clarity Series ND Filter kit
– Koolehaoda Portable Camera

Adelaide Hills

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Now that I’m back in Europe and more specifically in the land of rain which at this point in time surprises with very little rain I will share some of my favourite images from my recent Australia trip over the next couple of days or so – those that haven’t found the day of light during the three weeks yet.

And I start off with the image above, taken in the wonderful Adelaide Hills. On a nice sunny day I enjoyed a hike in the Cleland Conservation Park. A beautiful, hilly park with plenty of trees with plenty of flush green leefs and a magnificent scenic over the big city all the way to the see.

Hiking in the Adelaide Hills

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Day 3 in “Down Under” – still Adelaide, though slowly but steadily my time here draws to a close. It was an early start, the sun stood sky high, you got to make the most of that. The plan was to hike in the Adelaide Hills.

Eventually I ended up in the Cleland Conservation Park, roughly 20km outside of the city – a IUCN protected area – so quite an important piece of nature. Several excellently marked trails lead through the 11.25 square kilometre big park.

While I have seen more spectacular mountains (though these are called ‘hills’ anyway) it was nonetheless a great day out in the nature the whole day and well worth a long hike to be eventually rewarded with a stunning view of the city itself – as the image above shows.

Conditions were not ideal to shoot I have to admit. I didn’t have time to wait for the sunset so the sun was still quite high shining harshly into the valley where the city lies. The view was not totally clear and my Nikon D7100 had clearly issues to capture a balanced scene.

So I tried to bracket my shots and see what could be done in post combining the files. I’m happy enough with the output. The image was taken with the new Tamron 70-200mm G2 lens.

On my way back, already near the end of my trail, I suddenly heard some strange noises coming from the bushes near me…. and there they were, two kangaroos! Just finding themselves a spot to rest.

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Adelaide Oval Panorama

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Got to be open for surprises. This was not on the agenda for today – day two in Adelaide – but if you get the chance… the gates were open so I walked through right into the magnificent Adelaide Oval this afternoon.

Why? I don’t know. I only walked past the Oval because it was on the way to the St. Peter’s Cathedral and I thought maybe I get a nice shot from the outside from across the bridge.

Turned out some company was holding a conference inside the ground on the second level hence nobody cared for the little fella that I was strolling around like a kid in a candy shop.

I took the full advantage, the complete tour all the way round and got a lovely panorama I would have not dared to dream to ever get a couple of days ago.

This stadium is a thing of a beauty. Breathtaking architecture – let’s hope atmosphere holds up…. gonna find out on Thursday when Port Adelaide Football Club plays in front of a 53.500 capacity crowd!

………

Shot taken: ISO 100, f/11, five horizontal frames, bracketed exposure – Nikon D7100, Simga 17-50mm

Sky on Fire

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ISO 100, 8s, 17mm, f/11 – Nikon D7100, Sigma 17-50mm

First day in Australia – Adelaide in the south, to be specific. The first port of call for my three weeks long trip through “Aussieland”. A dream its been for a long time. Finally the chance to make it real. Although – and I didn’t quite know what it would mean when I booked the rather lowly priced flight tickets – it’s winter in “Down Under”.

Winter in Australia? Can’t be that bad, can it? Well, turns out it isn’t but then it kind of is – Says I didn’t have unrealistic expectations like roasting on the beach and surfing the waves in the ocean. Just one thing: no rain – PLEASE!

Dublin’s farewell gift on Saturday was a wet storm that soaked you only from sprinting as fast as you can the five meters from the taxi to the entrance of terminal two – desperate stuff!

24 hours later I come to realise the weather-god (Neptune is it, right?) and I we never make friends in this life – he sent the wet storm round the globe all the way down to Adelaide. Thanks mate!

First day in South Australia. 13 degrees, the Air BnB freezing, heaters are overvalued in a city where it’s nearly always hot. Those three or four weeks were it isn’t? Tough luck.

Now, while this type of weather isn’t good for the tan, it certainly is good for producing a stunning sky. That’s exactly what I was hoping for when I went down to Seacliff Beach in the afternoon.

Boy oh boy it didn’t disappoint! The constant play between sun and rain created the most amazing sky. There were those thick layers of dark, rain filled clouds that tried to drown the sun and its warm rays – an epic fight!

To capture the emotions and create maximum drama of the scene my idea was to get some long exposures. The first image at the top is my favourite from today. A final piece of sea grass clinging on to dear life, lying still, all his friends already washed away, while rain and sun fight it out in the background. A fitting tribute to the day it was!

In the end the rain won and the sea captured the beach. The tide is merciless.

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ISO 100, 4s, 17mm, f/11 – Nikon D7100, Sigma 17-50mm