South-East Asia With The Fuji GFX50R

February 18, 2024 in Travel

It’s been a long time since I travelled overseas so extensively. Perhaps it was almost fifteen years ago when my wife and I did a whirlwind tour of Europe. There was the pandemic messing with things, sure, and trips to New Zealand and Fiji, but nothing substantial. So it was over Xmas the family and in-laws embarked on a four-week tour of south-east Asia.

A image from the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya, Thailand. It’s not a temple per se, but a collaborative ongoing work that is incredible to see just in terms of sheer detail, but it was this gold-leaf tree outside that caught my eye.

Coming into this trip, I was not expecting much in the way of photography. Bar a singular exception, all my photography is shoehorned into family vacations. There’s none of this carefully planning locations and returning multiple times for the perfect light and conditions—not with kids. No, what I do these days is more of a photojournalistic take on things where you simply shoot in the moment with whatever light you have. And make no mistake, there are quality photos to be made in every kind of light and of almost any subject matter.

How do you take an original photo of such an iconic location? That became the ongoing challenge of this trip. This was the exterior of one of the famous Singapore ‘domes’ with the Singapore flyer in the background.

So it is when I’m taking photos on trips like this where we are rushing around and fighting crowds in touristy areas, it can be difficult, but I tried my best to make it work and actually came away quite liking some of these images.

We started with a few days in Singapore, which was hot, of course, and humid, of course, but also rather interesting from a visual standpoint with its mix of Asian and western influences. I personally found getting out to Little India and the old quarter more interesting than Orchard Rd, but Santosa Island was nice and I think the city as a whole definitely warrants further exploration in the future.

Above are images of the Former House of Tan Teng Niah in Little India, Singapore, or simply known on Google Maps as ‘Instagram Location’. I loved this building, especially the image on the far left that looks like it was taken against a green screen. My son also managed to get a very stylish haircut nearby.

Following Singapore we had a two-week cruise around Thailand and Vietnam. We were unable to tender in Koh Samui, which was a bit of a letdown, but we did get off in Pattaya to see the very impressive Sanctuary of Truth, the floating market and so on. Next time, I will remember the golden rule that cash is still king in SE Asia.

I really loved Vietnam—the culture, the food, the myriad of colours… Hoi An in particular, which we only had an hour at, mind, was just a photography dream with its yellow buildings and colourful merchandise. Halong Bay was also extraordinary and definitely gave me flashbacks to James Bond’s The Man With Golden Gun, which I watched endlessly as a kid. Cruising around the bay on a junk was perfection.

As many a frustrated phone user will tell you, it’s very, very hard to get good photos on the popular Singapore Night Zoo tour owing to the very low light. I cranked the GFX up to 6400iso and managed this shot, which reminds of a classical painting.

The old quarter in Hoi An was packed with tourists, but I loved the colours and mix of historic and kitschy new, especially all the plastic that seems so prevalent in Vietnam. The image on the far right is a personal favourite.

We finished up the trip with a few days in Honkers (Hong Kong). My wife and I spent some time in Hong Kong for our honeymoon many years ago, and it was interesting seeing how the city has changed. There’s still a lot of older buildings and traditional Hong Kong fare in Kowloon, but there’s also a lot of modernity and change as well.

Usually I take my camera with me everywhere, but I decided on our daytrip to Hong Kong Disneyland to leave it at home and just enjoy the moment with the kids. I’m glad I did. It would have been a nightmare figuring out what to do with the camera bag all day.

While everyone was busy shooting out over at the city at The Peak in Hong Kong, I turned my camera in the opposite direction. I suppose it was also something of a dynamic-range test.

When our ship docked early in the morning at Hong Kong there was this lingering fog and a sole building lit up for NYE. It had a very Bladerunner-like feel to it.

I still love shooting with the Fuji GFX50R and my staple now of the 45-100mm F4. I actually ran a quick test in Camera RAW that determined my most used focal length on the last few trips I’ve done is actually 100mm, which in 35mm terms is around 80mm, so slightly telephoto. I suppose I do tend to zoom in to subjects to eliminate clutter and narrow down a composition, but it was an interesting discovery. In fact, 95% of my shots were at this focal length. The remaining 5% were almost exclusively shot at the other end, wide. I had been hoping this conclusion might have led me to a lighter prime lens in the GF lineup, but alas, there’s nothing light about tele primes, so the zoom will remain.

While I was in Hoi An in Vietnam I actually bumped into a photographer shooting with a Mamiya RB67 on a tripod, also with his family. Hats off to him. He must have an awfully patient wife, but it did get me thinking about pulling out the Mamiya again and giving it another go.

As for the title of this series, we had a tour guide in Vietnam (Phat) who called himself ‘Sticky Rice’. This made it easy for him to collect his group because he simply had to shout ‘Sticky rice!’, ‘Sticky rice!’ and everyone in the group would follow, sticking close, so to speak. He was so enthusiastic, so generous, particularly with my son (who can be a lot ), that If I remember nothing else, I’ll always remember Sticky Rice.

My favoruite image from the trip was taken just after sunrise looking out our Hong Kong hotel window over Kowloon. There was this soft light over the city, but it was hitting the material covering this building beatifully. It was kind of floating and shifting in this light and breeze, and looked so completely peaceful and organic in the otherwise squared and angular constraints of the city I had to take a shot or two. It still amazes me they use bamboo as scaffolding for skyscrapers like this, but sometimes natural really is best.

After all of it, I was thankful to touch down back home in Sydney, Australia. As to where my next photo excursion will be, I have no idea. I think I’m all travelled out for a while, so perhaps something closer to home. I would love to get to Karijini, even Iceland, so let’s see, but in a sense I think I also need some distance from photography for a while.

As always, thank you for reading my drivel. You can check out the full gallery of images here, or scroll down for the images that didn’t make it. There are a few. Cheers.

Skiing At Charlotte's Pass With The Fuji GFX50R

October 14, 2023 in Travel

It’s a bit of a family tradition on my wife’s side of the family to journey to Charlotte’s Pass every year. Located in the alpine region of New South Wales, Charlotte’s Pass is Australia’s highest ski resort, a small village that is snowbound during winter. Finally, with COVID well in the rear-view now, we headed down to check it out.

A ICM image of snow drifts coming through looking over the valley towards Australia’s highest ‘mountain’, Mt Kosciusko. I like the painterly quality here and sense of movement.

I knew from the outset this would be a challenging trip photographically. The village of Charlotte’s Pass is very small, every building a muted shade of brown, green or grey, with not much colour to be found. But there’s also fun in the challenge, and once again, light hunting became my go-to.

Many ski resorts in Australia closed early this season because of a lack of snow (a lot of people are amazed we do, in fact, have ski resorts at all), but we were lucky to receive a good dumping of white stuff before we arrived, which lasted out the week.

Above are a series of images of trail markers used to show where obstacles lie on ski runs. I became a bit obsessed with the way they contrasted with the blanketed snow around them. They became a fixture of my more minimal images.

Likewise, I had hoped to get some images on the way to the village via oversnow transport. However, it was sleeting/windy and the cat itself was moving faster than I had anticipated. Still, I took this rapid-fire series of shots below hoping to get the right amount of movement and really emphasize the conditions. You can see this creek became increasingly clearer as we got closer, but I prefer the original image with movement and blur.

We stayed at TarGanGil Lodge in Charlotte’s Pass. I’d highly recommend it, not only because it’s the closest lodge to the charlift, but the food was nothing short of amazing. And I’m a pretty harsh critic. The kids also had a blast with the lodge guests and the fact you never really had to queue to get on a chairlift or T-bar, as Charlotte’s only allows a fixed number of visitors at any one time.

The two images below were taken in our room at the lodge. It had the most beautiful morning and afternoon light. I’m sure most Australians my age are familiar with the blanket on the left. They were a permanent fixture of every grandmother’s house in the seventies and eighties, horribly scratchy but always warm. They also remind me of childhood ski trips, of escapism. The way the light cut across the quilt was perfection—or at least to me.

This image was taken at the ski-tube trerminal at Perisher Valley. There is, and always has been, something kitsch about ski resorts in Australia. They feel like a time capsule of sorts, perpetually stuck in the past. I thought the colours and poster here perfectlly summed that up.

As always, I found myself smiling looking over the RAW files out of the GFX50R. I’ve had it a long time now and it has never disappointed. It’s that bridge between film and digital I’ve always been looking for. It simply works. One of the images I’ve posted was actually taken with my old Samsung S20 and upsized in Photoshop using Super Enhance, as I couldn’t let it pass.

Next year is shaping up to be very interesting photographically. I’m looking to knock off two of my bucket list destinations: Iceland and Karijini National Park, as well as keep my ICM series of Sydney going. I’ll also be working on creating a print shop for people to purchase my work, as I believe so many images here would make excellent wall art, especially the more minimally inclined.

All in all, it was a successful trip, though I’m not sure my body agrees. Skiing doesn’t seem as easy these days. Head here for the full gallery, or check out some of shots that didn’t make it below.

Ghostland: New Zealand's North Island With The Fuji GFX50R

April 29, 2023 in Travel

Three years ago my friend and I planned a trip to do the Tongariro Crossing on New Zealand’s North Island. Often hailed as one of the best day walks in the world, this had been on my bucket list for a long time. I’d seen photos of the Emerald lakes and ‘Mt Doom’, wanted nothing more than to do a bit of hiking and capture some creative images of this unique environ.

I’ve had this image of Mount Ngauruhoe in my mind’s eye for a long time. It was nice to finally tick it off on the Tongariro Crossing.

We were packing, getting ready to go and… COVID. Right before we were about to leave, the world went into lockdown. So it is we finally got to make the trip, cutting it down to just the North Island for a span of a week, moving from the Tongariro National Park to Napier and then down to Wellington and Cape Palliser.

I’ve titled this series of images ‘Ghostland’. Walking around New Zealand I was struck by the prevalence of vaping. You’d be walking along a city street and these puffs of vape would cloud out into the sky from a car window or a walker-by. ‘It’s like a land of ghosts’, I thought to myself. This is something that became true in more ways than one as I both took photos and visited these locations I’d so longed for in my head.

The moonlike landscape of the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand’s North Island. We couldn’t have asked for better weather.

This also marks the first time I see a real narrative or theme in my images. There’s a sense of isolation in them, of an alien world, of the ‘other’. New Zealand is the land of the long white cloud, and it’s this constant shifting cloud in the sky, the moving mists and waters, that remind of me of my birthplace.

But there are also ghosts of a symbolic kind at work, of ancestors and broken ties between the natural and urban world, on the effects of climate change and the pandemic on the country. We drove through parts of New Zealand that were only weeks prior ravaged by flooding and landslides, homes upturned and rail lines twisted as if chicken wire.

The Emerald Lakes on the Tongariro Crossing. It’s not the image I had in mind, but I’m happy with it nonetheless.

The focal point of this trip was the Tongariro National Park, located a couple of hours from Auckland and about as picturesque a place as you could imagine. The peaks of Mt Ruapehu and co were obscured in cloud when we arrived and remained that way for our three days in the park, finally showing themselves the morning we departed.

We stayed at Tongariro Discovery Lodge. I’d originally chosen the Discovery Lodge as they offered the first shuttle of the day to the crossing, which allows for you to walk as the sun’s coming up and, more importantly, beat the crowds. The accommodation itself was great, the staff friendly—couldn’t have asked for more.

The same goes for the day of the crossing. We really got absolutely ideal conditions for the Tongariro Crossing itself, with temperate weather, low winds and little cloud. Given the next day was a complete wash-out of driving rain and wind, I’m lucky we opted for the day we did.

Hiking up in twilight, with the moon rising, was the perfect way to do the crossing.

I like negative space, apparently, and like most areas of my photography in recent years, I’ve come to embrace it.

The walk really lives up to its reputation. You start off in scrubby lowland and make your way past the twin peaks of Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe. Starting in darkness meant the landscape was slowly revealed as we moved along, the moon setting as we made our way up the ridge towards the topmost point of the crossing looking down over the famous Emerald Lakes.

We reached this point at sunrise. The clouds were inverted and the lakes gleaming—It was quite the sight, though I did struggle finding any kind of meaningful composition. In fact, it wasn’t the lakes that ended up being the highlight but the barren, alien landscape before and after. We actually came up with this fictional character while walking we named ‘volcano man’ who creeps out from under the cover of darkness to snatch away stray hikers. Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to be a Hollywood blockbuster anytime soon.

After a dicey descent we dubbed ‘the slide’, we made it across to Blue Lake, which actually reminded me a lot the Blue Lake of the same name on the Main Range walk in Kosciusko National Park we did a year ago. We had lunch here and I was pretty taken by the absolute silence of the place. It was so calm—just the odd bit of breeze moving across the lake’s surface.

What follows from here is the long, long, long descent to the end of the crossing. I knew this was coming, but it did seem rather never-ending. It was a strange sensation descending slowly through the cloud back down to earth, so to speak.

Snow-making machines at Whakapapa Ski Resort.

In Tongariro we also spent some time heading up to Mead’s Wall via the Whakapapa ski resort. I believe this was one of the filming locations for Lord of the Rings. The ski resort was completely empty. It was so eerie seeing all this new equipment, this entire village and yet no one around. There were no cars, no nothing. This was another ghost-town moment, echoed by the fact so many restaurants, cafes and shops I’d noted down in the original itinerary hadn’t survived COVID. Even the mighty Chateau Tongariro has shut up shop, now bordered up and inaccessible.

What we did get up there was this spectacular sunset with the mist sweeping past us. We actually returned the day after the crossing when it was raining. You’ll notice a few shots of these snow canons used by the resort for snowmaking. They were all lined up in places and looking so alien and abstract I had to shoot them. When the rain became too heavy, I’d shoot through the windscreen once more channeling Todd Hido. As I mentioned, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, photos can be made.

Above are images from a nearby caravan park we drove through. I love these images because they incorporate so many quintessentially New Zealand elements, from the colored clothes pegs to the hills in the background, the long clouds, even the color of the grass.

From Tongariro we headed across to Napier. This coastal city is big on art deco. You might say it’s Napier’s ‘thing’. There were two cruise ships in when we arrived, which created a nice buzz in town. Until recently the flooding and general devastation had put a stop to tourism, so I’m sure the locals were excited to see things slowly getting back to normal.

We had a fantastic meal at Craggy Range Restaurant and journeyed out a bit for New Zealand’s best chocolate éclair (read: pretty much the size of my head) at Ohakune. We had intended to walk the coast to Cape Kidnappers, famous for its garnet colony, but couldn’t get the timing with the tides right. It wasn’t to be.

Napier, New Zealand. It pays to be ready for moments like this. It took some scrambling on the sidewalk, but I managed to place myself just in time to get this ‘cloud flag’ image of one of Napier’s many art deco buildings.

An abstract of a popular pagoda-type installation near the Napier shoreline. I only took a few frames, but I like the way the angles and shadows have worked in balance in this one.

We arrived in Wellington the following day and had another wonderful meal, this time at Rita. We both remarked how much the city of Wellington at large reminded us of San Francisco. The area we were staying in, Breaker Bay, was beautiful and just far enough from the city itself to feel like you were somewhere else entirely. I enjoyed a productive morning getting up for sunrise and copping one of New Zealand’s classic eye-poppers lighting up the sky, as seen below. I think this was the only time I used the tripod on the entire trip.

The day before we were due to leave we made the one-and-a-half hour (quite scenic) drive to Cape Palliser from Wellington. We had obligations back in Wellington, so we were never going to have long at the Cape per se. We jumped out of the car, I snapped a few frames and we made our way up the 258-odd steps to the top and back in the space of ten minutes. After the Tongariro Crossing and our crisscrossing of hilly Te Mata Peak back in Hastings, it didn’t seem that taxing. I had hoped for some interesting compositions of the famous tractors on the beach at Ngawi, but walking around them it wasn’t at all what I expected. I was a little disheartened on the way back we’d made this big drive for essentially nothing photographic, but going through the shots at home, one stood out…

I only took a few frames of the Cape Palliser lighthouse, but I like the way the cloud sits low and to the left here. Together with the staircase, it adds a nice sense of scale. It might feel criminal to convert this to black and white given the lighthouse’s patent white-and-red striping, but sometimes you have to go against what might be considered traditionally correct.

Once again, working with the Fuji GFX50R was wonderful. I was watching a video by Kyle McDougall recently where he talked about his decision to go with the GFX50R, and so much of it mirrored my own choice. I think it’s that perfect film-to-digital bridge. As Kyle shows, you can get very, very close results between the two, but for me it’s the ease of use, the deep editing latitude in the files and that medium-format (kind of) X-factor that makes even the mundane scenes I love so much come to life.

I used the GF45-100mm F4L OIS exclusively for this trip. It covers the exact focal range I need, from wide to slightly tele. Do I wish it was more compact? Sure. In fact, I’ve been eyeing off the 50mm pancake lens for a trip later this year where weight might be a concern, so we shall see.

These are the shots I seek out now. I’m looking for quirks of light, little pockets of it that raise questions. I can’t recall whether the shadow was a friend or a passer-by, and I like the mystery this adds.

Another example of how my photography has changed. This imported van, a common sight in New Zealand with that particular tint, was obscured by the bushes, but the camera’s gaze is voyeuristic too. You wonder what is past the van, what are they doing? The unseen.

When I arrived home, I wasn’t sure I had ‘gold’, so to speak, with these images. But once I started editing, I started to appreciate the darker side of some of these scenes, leaning into the low light or extreme minimalism.

I started to realize I’ve come a long way. Once upon a time, I would have used a tripod for every shot, matched levels perfectly in Photoshop to ensure nothing was too dark or underexposed. Now I process for mood rather than what is technically correct. I’m no longer scared of odd lighting conditions. In fact, I actively seek them out.

I also seek out compositions and subjects I know will not appeal to the masses. That might be rain crossing a car window or a blurry hill, but they speak to me. In doing so, I know they will speak to others, that my photography will find a place. Not everyone has to enjoy or ‘get’ it.

There is also duality in some of these images, like those pictured above of the two trees outside our accommodation near Hastings. This is an aspect of my photography I’m going to continue to push in coming trips.

Looking through these images, I’m pleased they raise questions. I want them to make people think and scratch their heads a little. There are photos here shot simply for the sake of composition, sure, but I hope you might see the deeper narrative at play.

Enough of this arty jibber-jabber then. Enjoy the photos. You can find the full gallery here or scroll down for the shots that didn’t make it.

Road Trip To Tumut: Regional NSW Landscape Photography With The Fuji GFX50R

November 14, 2022 in Travel

Recently, we headed away on a family road trip through regional NSW to the snowy mountains town of Tumut in New South Wales (In truth I was on a hunt for cherry pie…). At first it seemed the extensive flooding would put a dampener on plans, but we ended up with all kinds of weather. As is typical for these family trips, sometimes photography has to take a back seat, but I did come away with some interesting images.

It’s always best to take the scenic route to a destination, even if it adds an hour or so. I’m not sure if we were too late or too early for canola season, but I actually like the way it turned this field into a gradient owing to the patchy light.

Once again I used the Fuji GFX50R medium-format camera and the GF45-100 f4 OIS lens, a combo that has been serving me well. I used the GFX earlier this year for two weddings, and apart from a bit of sluggish AF on occasion, it worked perfectly well. In fact, looking at the files side by side with my friend’s full-frame Sony, which was also used on the day, the GFX files had so much more character and depth to them.

This was also a good test for the ruggedness of the GFX. At one stage I had it out in torrential rain, through caves, rivers, hiking up a cliff… It’s nice to know it can stand up to that kind of treatment (abuse?).

The night comes in at Blowering Dam about 15 minutes drive from Tumut. The dam was actually spilling, which I’m told is fairly rare, but we’ve had extraordinary amounts of rain this year in NSW. I was drawn to the clouds here.

We really packed it into this trip. We hiked to the thermal pool at Yarangobilly Caves, a pleasant 28 degrees Celsius. My son (8) and I also made the walk up to Blowering Cliffs, the waterfall pumping after all the rain we’ve had. We had an amazing meal at Three Blue Ducks Nimbo Fork, where my son told the chef it was the best meal he’d ever had. We checked out Batlow and came away with apples the size of mini bowling balls. We walked, drove, ate… There’s so much to do in an area most people simply pass through on their way to the ski fields.

This is a lamp reflecting light on a bedroom wall at our Airbnb. I’ve spoken about how I’ve become obsessed with minimalism and light. I look for it everywhere, even in the least-obvious places. I like the way the light made the wall look almost 3D, as if something was pressing it out like fabric.

I’ve really started to establish a common theme in my work. I know what I’m looking for these days, which is usually a combination of light, visual interest or minimalism. I tend to mix this with interesting skies I see, but what I’m really looking for is something out of the ordinary, be it some link to Australian nostalgia, or an interesting play of light on a common subject. People often think I’m crazy when they see what I’m shooting, but I am doing so with purpose. I usually start off a trip like this is a nervous state until I take my first shot or keeper. Once I have a couple in the bag, I tend to relax. Once my bag is full, so to speak, I get lazy. So it goes.

I had a strange hankering for cherry pie—strange given I don’t actually like cherries. So, we drove through the town of Young, which is the cherry capital of Australia. I finally got my pie at Wilders Bakery and it did not disappoint.

Something else I’ve started to do in these towns is head out for a long, extended walk during the early morning or late afternoon. I had not considered how hilly the town of Tumut is, so it made for quite the workout. The GFX handled the wide dynamic range at this time extremely well. You can lift shadows from near pure darkness if needs be. It’s a great way to explore a town and more or less have it all to yourself.

Heading into 2023, I’m excited about some potential photo trips now COVID is waning. Already on the cards is a long-anticipated trip back to New Zealand, another to the deep ski fields of Australia, as well as a trip to the US and also Karijini, deep within Western Australia. Keep an eye on the blog for everything. You can see the full gallery from the Tumut road trip by clicking here.

From an early morning walk near the river in Tumut. I just love the way the light was working with this particular house.

We had to polish off the trip with a stop at the Long Track Pantry in Jugiong for a cheese toastie. I couldn’t resist this shot of the rooster, the jet trail and this lone bird.

Lake Amadeus | Aerial Landscape Photography With The Fuji GFX50R

May 12, 2022 in Travel

While we were on our recent trip to Uluru, the Red Centre of Australia, I was lucky enough to try my hand at some aerial photography over Lake Amadeus, a large salt lake. This has been on my bucket list for a very long time. I’d seen the lake on Google Maps and noticed the unusual islands and patterns in the surface, but there didn’t seem to be much attention paid to it in terms of landscape photography.

It’s incredible to see the patterns and colour in the lake from the air. I was lucky that the weather provided perfect, dappled lighting.

Originally, I had intended to charter a helicopter, but I was told the doors could not be removed owing to the speed required over the lake. So, a plane it was thanks to Ayers Rock Scenic Flights (Fly Uluru), and I think that worked out much better.

On arrival to the airfield I told Ben & Tim, our pilots, what I was looking to do and they were happy to remove the rear seat in the plane and keep the rear door open in flight so I could shoot out unobstructed. I really cannot describe how incredible it is having the door open and the lake right there in front (or below, rather) you.

I think the guys were actually quite excited given generally they only fly over the lake briefly, plus this was something different for them as opposed to the usual routes over Uluru and Kata-Tjuta. I was able to ask to fly higher or lower, bank here, or check out something over there. It was like having your own RC plane.

Here a patch of sun lights up a small dune on our flight out of the lake. It really shows off the colour of the earth around the lake and Uluru in general.

This was my first time doing aerial photography, so I’d understandably researched quite a lot as to how to prepare. Given a previous experience in a helicopter looking through a viewfinder for half an hour, I was well aware of the motion-sickness issues before the flight. I took two tablets prior to flight and didn’t have an issue the whole hour. In fact, it was so smooth my son, who was in the co-pilot’s seat, managed to fall asleep, and this with the rear door open. Perhaps the pilot is to credit there. I had intended to use the rear screen on the camera, but worked out fast the glare made it hard, so viewfinder it was.

In terms of settings, I knew I’d need something like f8-f11 for good depth of field, and taking into account the Fuji GFX50R is medium format, I also knew a focal length around 50mm would work, which made the GF45-100mm F4 perfect, especially given it also has image stabilization. Given the vibration in the plane and my shaky hands, I opted for a foolproof 1/1000th speed, which meant ISO around 1000, though I backed this off to 640 ISO owing to the light about 10min into the flight. Set up like this, with a backup battery and spare card in my pocket, just in case, the only thing to do was lean over and concentrate on composition.

It’s amazing how from the air the landscape looks like an Indigenous artwork or dot painting. Clearly, the local Anangu people couldn’t fly way back when, but it’s interesting to see the resemblance.

At times the lake looks like a frozen, ice-swept tundra. The detail provided by the GFX really needs to be seen up close for best effect.

I think for many people they would look down on the lake and see only a barren wasteland frequented only by the odd wandering camel, but for me it was a goldmine of patterns, shapes and colours, compositions everywhere I could see. In the space of an hour, I took around 300 photos, of which I’m only sharing a few here, though they are all impressive. I’d happily print and frame any of them.

Processing was also a breeze. The files from the GFX50R are so rich in detail and dynamic range most files only needed a single curves adjustment layer in Photoshop for contrast adjustment. That was about the limit of it.

I call this one ‘The Best Boy’ because it looks to me like a dog running after a bone.

This particular part of the lake reminded me of a cuttlebone.

Once again, a big thanks to pilots Ben and Tim who made accommodations for me and this flight so enjoyable. If you’re in Uluru and looking for something special, definitely hit the team at Ayers Rock Scenic Flights up on their website by clicking here.

Scroll down for more images or check out the full gallery here.

‘The Scream’ - After the infamous painting, though to me it looks more like the flukeworm from the X-Files.

This one is titled ‘Flipper’ owing to the dolphin in the lower right.

Uluru & The Red Centre With The Fuji GFX50R

May 12, 2022 in Travel

For a very, very long time I’ve been meaning to get out to Uluru, the red heart of Australia, for photography. Prior to this trip the closest I’d been to the Outback was Silverton, which any real Australian will tell you is not the real Outback at all.

Although I generally steer towards more abstract imagery these days, I couldn’t resist this famous view. It really is a sight to watch the Rock glow at sunset. This was from Uluru Lookout not far from Yulara.

The first thing that strikes you is the rich, ochre red colour of the earth. It’s quite remarkable and alien at the same time. The two big attractions are, of course, Uluru itself, or Ayers Rock, and Kata-Tjuta. Apart from the resort town of Yulara, where we were based… that’s about it out there unless you want to venture to Kings Canyon or further afield.

Rich in iron, the soil and colours around Kata-Tjuta, here at Walpa Gorge, are incredible and completely alien.

I also spent a while walking around our resort looking for shapes and colours, anything of interest. I was really drawn to this simple scene and it has become of my personal faves from the trip.

Apart from photography, I’d booked a bunch of tours for the family, and we spent a lot of time at the free activities offered by the resort (Sails In The Desert). The kids picked up a lot of information, as did I, and we found the resort a great place to be in general, with great food and facilities.

Unable to hire a car, owing to myself not realizing how damn busy the place gets, I had to work my photography around bus tours, which actually worked out well. What I hadn’t planned on was rain and cold, which is what we got the first day at Walpa Gorge, but it actually made for very abstract photos where I could blow out the sky and concentrate on the rock formations much like I did many years ago at the Remarkables on Kangaroo Island.

Closed for a few years now, you can still clearly see evidence of the walking trail to the top of Uluru on the rockface.

Throughout the trip I was conscious of the sacred areas of the Anangu people where photography is discouraged. This includes the whole back side of Uluru and the entire Valley of the Winds walk, which I did with my eight-year-old son later in the week. That said, there is no shortage of compositions, though I found I did have to look harder than I normally would to find something unique in a place that has been photographed perhaps millions of times.

After a few days of rain and cold, it was great to see the sun come out at Uluru. These days I pay much more attention to shadow, giving it equal importance. Here, the light cuts the frame into three distinct sections.

I love to find images that blend man-made with the natural world these days, whether they’re working for or against. This a very Aussie pairing.

As I do, I also spent some time wandering around the resort looking for interesting light and shapes, and these were actually among some of my favourites. I’ve also become increasingly interested in the relationship between man and nature, and Uluru is a perfect example of these two working at times both for and against one another.

Once again the GF50R made life very easy. I generally left it on Auto ISO and actually shot a wedding with the camera prior to this trip, which confirms it’s a camera that really can do it all. I only took one lens, the GF45-100mm F4, which is all I really needed, offering both a wide and slight tele when required. The files have come out rich and full of detail, most of which is sadly lost in web viewing.

I’ve been eyeing off this weathered tree in Walpa Gorge for years. It was great to finally tick this shot off my bucket list.

Uluru really changes depending on the time of day and lighting. Here you can see the sun is just starting to emerge.

This waterhole is a popular tourist site, but it’s also oddly meditative, as is most of Uluru.

If you are looking for something different, I highly recommend a trip out to the Northern Territory. Five days is about perfect to see everything, with flights running from most major cities daily. I was also lucky enough to do some aerial photography over Lake Amadeus while we were there. You can read all about that here.

For the full gallery of Uluru images, head here.

The sun almost setting on an Australian icon. But five minutes later…

…the sky had turned into this. It was a wonderful end to a eventful trip, even with kids.

Perfect One Day: Queensland With The Fuji GFX50R

February 19, 2022 in Travel

Over the Xmas break we spent six weeks in Queensland bouncing between families we hadn’t seen in almost a year thanks to COVID and border closures. This series, ‘Perfect One Day’ is a play on the old Queensland adage of ‘Beautiful one day, perfect the next’. Indeed, Queensland typically offers up perfect, sunny weather and ideal holiday conditions, but not always. Nor is the landscape ‘perfect’. Once again I am looking for the beauty in everything, even the mundane and banal.

I am not sure what this machinery we found in the cane fields is, but I was quite obsessed with it and the afternoon light. I also like the moon above.

Thanks to the extended Sydney lockdown in 2021, I had hardly had a chance to use my camera, so I was very keen to get out and shoot as much as possible. I have found my style has changed. These days I am seeking light just as much as I am seeking subject. That includes hunting in golden hour, during the harsh light of midday and even night. I am looking for shadows and contrast, where I can underexpose images for the first time, perhaps use flash. This has come about from watching so many other photographers on YouTube during lockdown. I have felt I need to expand and grow.

This image of surfboards in front of a shop window was intended as a throwaway. I liked the light, but didn’t feel much else. However, after dropping the exposure in post and making it black and white, it became one of my favorites. More and more, I’m looking for both under- as much as over-exposure these days.

The cane fields around Jacob’s Well are a popular filming location and the source, for myself, of much visual interest. I also wanted to portray that essential coastal element so critical to Queensland life—the importance of water in both the landscape and as a part of recreation. When we reached the Sunshine Coast we were greeted with endless rain, but this too offered possibility in the greener hinterland towards Maleny. I have said it before, but adverse weather is always the best time to head out and typically the most exciting.

This Todd Hido take on a rainy landscape really worked out well. The painterly nature of the shot shows once again every shot does not have to be perfectly in focus or even sharp.

I have also found my processing has reduced a lot. This is helped along by the dynamic range and latitude in the files of the GFX50R. The tones coming from the camera also require little adjustment in post. I do run a preset in Adobe Camera RAW to give me something closer to a Kodak Portra look, which I love. It does wonderful things to the blues and reds of an image, particularly in the skies, but it is subtle. I think this way I am coming closer to getting that film experience where editing and processing isn’t taking up so much time. Even sharpening I’ve reduced by almost half.

I am loving both the latitude and tones coming from the GFX50R.

I am still yet to provide a detailed review of the Fuji GFX50R, but the more I see the results from it, the more I fall in love. In addition to the GF80 f1.7, which I use solely for portraits, I added the GF45-100 f4. It is neither cheap, nor light, but it provides the perfect range for what I shoot (about 35-80mm) and offers both IS and incredibly sharp images. The new GF35-70 was also very tempting in terms of weight, but I think overall the 45-100 was the best move. It’s all I ever need (famous last words, yes, yes).

A wonderful morning looking over the Glasshouse Mountains from Wild Horse Lookout. I find my processing for landscape images far more subdued in my old age, aiming to get the softer tones of film and even classic, traditional art instead of eye-bleeding contrast and saturation.

Adjusting to medium format has taken some time, but I’ve found the right balance now, generally shooting between f11 and f16 for depth of field, setting Auto ISO up to 3200 (a vast improvement over the Sigma) and keeping IS on unless I’m using a tripod (minimum shutter speed of 120th). Set up like this, it really is ‘run and gun’ with little thought as to settings. The only real thing that needs any thought is whether to adjust exposure compensation.

A common question I am asked is whether the Sigma SD-H I formally used offered more detail. It’s a tough question and there is very little in it. Perhaps, yes, there is a tiny amount of micro detail the Sigma had, but Fuji has plenty of detail too. A bit of sharpening and it would be hard to tell the difference. The Sigma is a very different camera, though, and has its own look in terms of tonal separation. In terms of ease of use, the ability to ramp up ISO and the sheer dynamic range on offer, the GFX50R is a far more capable and friendly machine. Still, I hope Sigma persists and comes out with something amazing.

Even a simple subject like the bottom of a swimming pool can become a wealth of geometric and tonal gold if examined.

With Australia opening up a little, I have a few trips planned this year. I want to make up for lost time and really make some great images, so stay tuned. There’s plenty more to come in 2022. I’ll leave you with some shots that did not make the cut, so to speak, below. If you’d like to check out the full gallery, you can head here.

Snow In Katoomba With The Fuji GFX50R

July 03, 2021 in Travel

I’ve been up to the Blue Mountains here in New South Wales countless times. My mother lived there for almost fifteen years, but I had never, until now, been there while it was snowing. When I heard a rare cold blast was due that almost guaranteed snow, I had to check it out.

Snow is a rare thing in the Blue Mountains, but this particular day it didn’t seem to want to stop.

As I was driving up from my home in Sydney’s west I kept an eye on outside temp. It was five degrees, then four, three… rain turned to sleet and finally snow. To say I was excited was an understatement. I arrived in Katoomba in such a frenzied state I almost didn’t know what to shoot first. Having a new camera didn’t help.

It was snowing heavily when I arrived, casting what’s usually a very familiar landscape into something foreign and magical.

I have long dreamed to get a shot of the Three Sisters while it’s snowing, but such were the conditions the valley was a complete whiteout. I thought I’d wander the streets instead looking for interesting and abstract compositions of the mundane and banal, something which has become a focus of mine these last few years.

Yes, I sold all my gear, including my Sigma SD-H and Fuji X-Pro2, to buy the Fuji GFX50R, a camera I’ve been eyeing off for a while. While I am excited to see what Sigma comes up with next, I don’t see it arriving anytime soon, and the GFX50R suits all my needs. I like the idea of ‘one camera to rule them all’. I’m a minimalist at heart.

I’ll write up a more comprehensive review of the GFX50R soon, but I have found it a real joy to use. I had it out all day here and it never missed a beat. It was wet, caked in snow and still soldiered on. I shot with my sole lens at the moment, the GF 80mm f1.7, which I’ll also get around to reviewing, suffice to say it’s very, very sharp.

I love retro signs like this. Originally I did this whole set in colour, but found it was more suited to black and white in the end.

Having never really shot in snow, I worked out two things fast: You need a fairly high shutter speed to capture the falling snow, and two, a bit of exposure comp does wonders. Mostly I shot somewhere between 250th-500th of a second, which I found was enough to ‘freeze’ the snowflakes in most shots.

This reminds me of something out of a Wes Anderson film, more so in colour.

It was a fun day. I swung by Eight Things in Katoomba for some excellent nasi goreng, grabbed some specialty chocolate from the Carrington deli and checked out the exhibition at the art center. Finally, after around six hours, the snow started to abate and return to sleet. I was also very excited by the GFX50R. I’ve had a month or two with it now and look forward to showing you what it can do. Check out the full set of images below.

Taking The Long Way To The Main Range Track, Kosciusko National Park

April 19, 2021 in Travel

Earlier this year myself and my friend headed the long way down to Jindabyne via Tumut to tackle the Main Range Track. The Main Range is a 21km-odd track within the Kosciusko National Park taking in everything from glacial lakes to dramatic alpine tors. It had been a while since I had travelled, or hiked, since COVID, so expectations were high.

We found this abandoned service station in Marulan, a former highway town. I love places like this which sum up the Australian roadtrip experience.

We headed off the main highway through some of the smaller towns the highway has forgot, such as Marulan. As always, I’m a sucker for anything abandoned and old, retro and interesting. I was also quite fond of the mix between old and new in Goulburn. I still enjoy this type of photography, seeking out the mundane. When I’m looking for things to photograph, I don’t consider the subject at all, but instead look at things only in terms of shape, line and colour. I have found it helps if whatever I’m shooting is also in direct sunlight.

I became obsessed with signage during this trip, trying to lend a bit of space to my compositions far more than I normally would and ‘group’ elements together.

Here is another example. Once I would have taken out the power lines and additional light in the bottom right, but I think they all work together, almost like a compositional jigsaw puzzle.

Once we reached Jindabyne, to be met with double rainbow over the lake, the forecast was not good for our hike the following morning—torrential rain and thunderstorms. Alas, we woke and the conditions were near perfect heading up to Charlotte’s Pass.

After a close call crossing the river, we headed up to some of the best light I’ve seen in quite a while. My friend and I had been meant to hike New Zealand’s Tongariro Crossing last year, so this hike was to essentially make up for that. I must say, the Main Range Track/Walk was far more scenic than I thought it would be, especially once you got up to Blue Lake and onwards.

The early morning light was fantastic on the Main Range, the cloud sweeping in and out of the landscape.

I struggled with this image for a long time until I realised a low-key black-and-white look would suit it well.

Apparently Blue Lake is 28 metres deep and boasts the freshest water in mainland Australia due to its low salt content. We took the detour down to the water’s edge. It was certainly clear and inviting, but one finger dip into the water told me I’d come out an iceblock if I ventured in for a swim.

Blue Lake had exactly the kind of scenery I was after. The light coming from the right was perfection—It felt like nature’s own softbox. As for swimming, though…

The weather changed quite dramatically the higher we got. We moved into the clouds and the views vanished along with visibility. This made for some of my favourite shots. When shooting traditional landscapes like this, I prefer adverse weather, silently cursing whenever there’s a blue sky. That’s quite the opposite from what I look for with my ‘mundane’ photos, so it’s nice to have both worlds.

This is one of my favourite images from the trip. There is a danger when you open Levels for an image like this and see how dark it is to bring up the whites, but I think it works far better remaining dark and moody. It adds mystery and is far more … — This is one of my favourite images from the trip. There is a danger when you open Levels for an image like this and see how dark it is to bring up the whites, but I think it works far better remaining dark and moody. It adds mystery and is far more faithful to the actual conditions.

We hit Mount Kosciusko mid-morning and from there the track improves. There were quite few people heading up the summit, including a few in wheelchairs and even a guy in thongs. It’s not exactly a killer climb. From Australia’s highest toilets and it’s then a looooooong fire trail back to Charlotte’s Pass. At times it seems never-ending, but we made it and headed back to Jindabyne Brewery for a well-deserved drink.

Finally, we wrapped our trip up at Bermagui on NSW’s South Coast. I had seen this spot below on a few social media feeds and had to check it out. At first we could not figure out how to get down to the rock shelf, but perseverance over the headland got it done. It ended up being far easier than we expected. It’s been a very long time since I shot a traditional seascape like this. I got a bit frustrated with the processing. It’s been a while!

This is spot is a photographer’s favourite on the NSW South Coast. As far as seascapes go, it would be hard to find better. In fact, the whole coast around Bermagui is full of dramatic rock formations like this.

Yet again I used the Sigma SD-H for this trip and the Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART for most of the shots, pulling out the 24mm f1.4 on occasion when I needed a wider angle. I was really hoping to see Sigma’s full-frame Foveon camera this year, but I do respect Sigma for holding back on a product they are not completely behind. I have been eyeing off the GFX50R again, so we’ll see if I make the jump.

If you can make it out to the Main Range Track, Kosciusko or any of the smaller towns listed, it’s well worth it. Australia needs the tourism dollar more than ever. Head here to check out the full gallery of images from the trip.

Canola Season In Regional NSW With The Sigma SD-H

October 13, 2020 in Travel

Well, who could have predicted what would become of 2020. Certainly not me. I had a big New Zealand trip planned in April, lots of photographic ideas… and then coronavirus. Everything, for everyone, changed, but like all of us I’ve tried to make the best of it. So it was I headed out with the family for a roadtrip to regional NSW right through canola country. Funnily enough, I had no idea it was canola season. It was simply a happy coincidence.

Having never seen canola before, I was amazed at how rich and vibrant the colour was. If I was travelling by myself, I probably would have been pulling over every five-hundred metres.

We started with an overnight stay in Bathurst. I headed out for an early morning walk with my Sigma SD-H and 50mm f1.4 ART. There is so much interest in Bathurst simply walking around the streets. I find that goes for all country towns in Australia.

I think I’ve come to a good place with the Sigma. Ninety-perfect of my shots are taken with the 50mm, though I do pull out the 24mm from time to time for a wider angle (keeping in mind the 1.3x crop factor). It turns out I’m always looking for a little more reach, however, so ideally the 85mm range is probably a better fit for me.

I was saddened to hear Sigma would not be releasing their full-frame Foveon camera this year, but I applaud the company for holding a product back instead of releasing something they weren’t willing to stand by 100%. I’m still keen to see what comes of it next year, or maybe the year after, though I have been eyeing off a Fuji GFX-50R. Stay tuned.

I had my wife pull over so I could shoot this out the car window. There were a group of people out of frame who must have thought I was completely mad, but this is my perfect kind of image these days. Read into it what you will.

From Bathurst we travelled to Wagga Wagga through Blayney, Cowra, Cootamundra, Junee and many towns that were little more than a general store and a pub. I love driving through the streets of these towns and looking for comps. What am I looking for? Anything with visual interest, whether that be lines, form, colour… Something that stands out, or has character. Often I find things too cluttered to pull a composition from, so it can be a trying process to find subject matter that is just right. It’s also very hard to explain to people you’re looking for more than a ‘derelict building’.

A classic Bathurst street scene with the morning sun and the old sofa on the verandah. It really sums up country living for me.

I fell in love with this purple flower only to discover later it’s a fairly prominent weed known as Paterson’s Curse.

We stayed at Belisi Farmstay near Wagga Wagga and it was perfect. If you have kids (or not), I highly recommend a visit. My kids are not terribly used to animals, but loved getting out seeing the horses and collecting eggs in the morning.

I was surprised how far the canola extends and how the colour changes according to the light. In particular, overcast or cloudy conditions actually provided the most interesting light, really spotlighting certain sections of the field and giving them shape. Like I said, I could have spent forever driving around looking up compositions.

The colour of the canola really changes depending on the weather, which did make consistency in psot-processing difficult. I think in the end I simply decided to work on an image-by-image basis and forget consistency altogether.

I lot of people think having a small strip of landscape at the bottom of the frame set against a large sky is part of my style, but it’s more of a function of the limited reach of my 50mm lens.

There’s a lot more than canola out this way, too. We visited the Temora Aviation Museum, the rather delicious (and dangerous or the waistline) Junee choc factory, as well as what is Australia’s most haunted house, Monte Cristo. My wife and daughter were happy to wait in the car for that one.

The shadow of a door handle in morning light. I thought this tied in nicely to the surrounding canola.

Windows wallpaper, anyone? There was no shortage of rolling hills.

With most Australian states closed off to NSW for travel, it seems regional trips like this are the best way to get out and explore at the moment. It’s also a good way to show the kids holidays don’t have to be waterparks and shopping malls.

Head here for the full gallery of images.

I became somewhat obsessed with this abandoned petrol station at Wallendbeen. It had so much character and detail. I must have taken a hundred shots of it from every conceivable angle.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Coca Cola sign so faded as to be almost pure white.

Regional NSW With the Sigma SD-H

December 23, 2019 in Travel

Coming into the end of 2019 I realised I hadn’t had any photo trips per se. So, commitments aside, we headed off on a weekend road trip to regional NSW moving through Lithgow, Bathurst and Parkes.

This is the Bilpin Fruit Bowl, a spot I remember from many childhood mountain travels. I’d envisioned this shot for a long time but only now have got around to it. Sadly, two weeks later the fruit bowl was mostly destroyed by bushfire.

The initial thing that struck me was just how dry it is out there in the country thanks to one of the worst droughts in Australian history. Many locals we spoke to indeed said it was the worst they had experienced. The rivers, dams and creeks were all bone dry, the land scorched and barren. This created constant dust and haze in the sky, which did make keeping the sensor clean (or not, rather, given how much the clone tool got a workout) interesting.

We pulled into our hotel at Parkes just as a dust storm engulfed the town. I ran across the road and was subsequently sand-blasted taking this shot.

I especially like the banality of these country towns and the unique compositions they offer. We swung by the Parkes Historical Aviation Restoration Museum, which was especially photo-friendly. The texture and details in the planes was exquisite and could have kept me there for hours. Also worth a look was the State Mine Heritage Park in Lithgow, a real hidden gem I personally had never been to before.

The Chinese restaurant is a real country town staple in Australia. I have a particular fascination for them.

I changed my processing a little for these images, using new LUTs I have created, though I can’t say I’m completely satisfied with the consistency between them all. This was made especially hard with the constantly changing sky and light conditions owing to the dust, plus ash and smoke from the NSW bushfires further afield.

The Historic Aviation Restoration Museum (HARS) in Parkes is a must-visit for photographers

As always, I was impressed with the detail picked up by the Sigma SD-H, especially in the textural abstracts I was taking. It’s almost ridiculous how much it soaks in. I did find myself jumping a lot between the 50mm 1.4 and 24mm 1.4 this time, which probably tells me I should be looking into the L-alliance 24-70mm Sigma has just released. I will also be extremely interested to see Sigma’s full-frame Foveon offering in 2020 and what advantages it provides over the SD-H. Increased dynamic range would be most welcome.

Having visited the region many times, I was surprised by how dry the drought has made it

In 2020 I’m hoping to step up my landscape photography and get out to some new places, hopefully international. I still don’t think I have a signature style as such yet, and that’s what I’m hoping to explore, as well as constantly refining and minimalizing my compositions in the vein of excellent photographers like Bruce Percy and David Ward. Here’s to a new decade and new possibilities (and hopefully some rain for this sun-burnt land). See the full set of images by clicking here.

As we were coming home multiple bushfire fronts had sprung up, including this blaze near the Three Sisters at Katoomba. Since then the fires have spread in what has been one of the worst fire seasons on record so far. You can see one of the choppers… — As we were coming home multiple bushfire fronts had sprung up, including this blaze near the Three Sisters at Katoomba. Since then the fires have spread in what has been one of the worst fire seasons on record so far. You can see one of the choppers at work in the middle there.

Rattle & Hum Car Show With The Sigma SD-H

July 18, 2019 in Travel

Many moons ago I was a car magazine editor. As such, you might say I have a certain appreciation for a fine automobile, plenty of which could be found at the 2019 Rattle & Hum car show at Castle Hill RSL. I decided to go along with the Sigma SD-H and 50mm 1.4 to see if I could hunt down some abstracts. The results came up nicely. Can you guess what models of car these are?

As this was an Australian vintage car show, you might not be familiar with some of these models, but there was plenty of American muscle on hand as well. I’ve found with this style high key-like photography I’m into these days that direct sun on your subject works best when it comes time to process. A subject in shadow can prove difficult to get the effect right on.

This is something I’ve be keen on shooting for quite a while, so I’m thinking about expanding it out to air and truck shows when I get a chance. If nothing else, it’s a great way to get the kids out exploring what everyone got around in back in the ‘olden days’.

Here’s the full gallery:

Tin City, Stockton Beach With The Sigma SD-H

July 15, 2019 in Travel

I have many fond memories of the Stockton Beach growing up. Located about an hour-and-a-half from Sydney, access is 4WD only. It’s one of the few beaches along the coast where you can drive along the sand and, to a smaller extent these days, the dunes.

Amongst the dunes is a strange settlement of ramshackle structures known as Tin City. At first, rising from the sand, you expect to see a Stormtrooper and a droid, perhaps an Interceptor, but it’s actually the last legal squatters settlement in Australia.

The ‘city’ started in the early 1900s as tin shacks for shipwreck survivors. In the 1930s it grew out to around 36 huts, around 11 of which stand today, and yes, people were here the day I visited. As I understand it, the huts cannot be sold, but are sort of passed down from generation to generation. Since my last visit 20 years ago, many had been repaired and added upon, some looked pretty well sorted! Fishing seems to be the predominant pastime.

It didn’t stop raining all day, which meant we did have the beach to ourselves, but it did make photography difficult. I was initially disappointed, hoping for blue skies and strong light for the high key style I use these days, but on reflection I like the way the rain added an ethereal mood to the images. It actually gels very well with the subject matter—lone buildings left out in the elements.

I also shot some of the dunes, focussing on some timber fencing that had fallen (read: been run) over. I like the minimalist feel of these images and hope to return to take more. Of course, the famous wreck was another shoot hot spot but it was, drum roll, underwater when we arrived. Next time.

Check out the full gallery:

New Zealand With The Sigma SD-H

March 14, 2019 in Travel

I’ve decided to title this latest series Long White (all images here), not after New Zealand itself, but the cruiseliner we travelled on. I was born in Auckland, have returned many times over the years, but I found travelling this way offered a new and unique perspective. It also provided the opportunity to visit many ports and cities I otherwise would never have seen, such as Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Picton, Akaroa and so on.

Milford Sound offered mood in spades. It’s a South Island must-see.

Once more I aimed to look for the unique in the ordinary and seemingly banal. I’m constantly trying to refine my compositions down, to really simplify them to their most essential elements. It was an interesting journey. In fact, I found a lot of material in the ports themselves, the higher vantage point offered by our balcony provided a sort of aerial view.

There was plenty of visual interest in the ports, the cruiseliner we sailed on offering a high perspective.

Of course, a cruise is also the perfect way to see the sounds of the South Island. We travelled through Milford, Dusky and Doubtful. They are, as you would expect, extremely scenic, especially layered in mist and cloud, the sun breaking through sporadically. If you have never been to New Zealand, and especially the South Island, do make it a priority. There’s endless photographic material.

Finding a way to show the scale of Milford Sound and its towering peaks can be difficult.

Many would say light is the most important element of photography, but I disagree. For me, composition trumps all else, and while great light is nice, it’s not essential to making an interesting photograph. Unfortunately, composition is one of those elements of photography that’s hard to learn, hard to teach and ultimately in the eye of the beholder. I don’t think even in the space of a lifetime you could master it.

My favourite image of the trip, taken in Dunedin. The city itself was full of art and life.

In terms of equipment, I took the Sigma SD-H with the 50mm f1.4 ART and left the 24mm at home. I didn’t find I had need for a wider focal length, so I think the ‘one body, one lens’ idea will carry through from now on. I prefer it this way, getting used to the one focal length and not having to change lenses, to remove one more barrier or choice, of thinking, during a composition. The more I can minimise my gear and photography to its most essential elements, the better.

As usual, the Sigma performed extremely well. The weather sealing on the SD came in useful. For the first time I had to raise ISO during our trip through the sounds owing to the dark, wet, and windy conditions. It was a real test for both photographer and camera.

A tight crop of the image above showing the impressive detail the Sigma SD-H is able to capture.

I also find myself watching a lot of film channels, such as William Verbeeck’s, Negative Feedback and so on, and idolising many film photographers as well. I’m still tugged towards film from time to time, the tones and feel, so perhaps the next trip I will take both the Mamiya RB67 and the Sigma SD-H, to compare and try to settle this once and for all.

The colours here really say New Zealand to me, the green and black and white. I think the fact this crop means the word parlour has a sense of ambiguity about it.

Am I happy with this series? Yes and no. With Broken there was only ever one type of weather: real damn hot and bright as can be. In New Zealand, you could have four or five different weather systems in the space of an hour, the darker and moodier of which don’t work well with the usual post-processing treatment for these images. As such, I worked on the more traditional landscapes as if they were just that.

I guess cohesion is the issue. I wanted a cohesive look to the images, but they seem to be in two camps: modern minimal and LOTR eat-your-heart-out. Still, I’m happy with many of the final compositions. This observational style of photography has really opened up a world of possibility for me, because you don’t need to chase light, so to speak, nor seek out grand landscapes. You’re simply looking for anything of visual interest.

Where to next? I have no immediate plans, but stay tuned. You never know where I’m likely to pop up.

There were plenty of compositions to be found on the ship itself.

These striped pedestrian crossing poles are unique to New Zealand (I think), but it took me a while to find a suitable background for one.

Outback NSW With The Sigma SD-H

December 10, 2018 in Travel

A few weeks I flew out to Broken Hill, driving back through White Cliffs and Cobar. It was clear to see the effect the drought is having on both the land and the people. It’s an extremely unforgiving environment, and I’ve tried to impart that in this series of photos I’ve titled ‘Broken’. It’s also uncompromisingly Australian, and again, I hope that cultural quirkiness shines through.

The lunar landscape that is White Cliffs, NSW.

This also marks a new direction in my landscape photography, one more aligned with why I was drawn to the medium in the first place. It places emphasis on composition and minimalism, influenced by photographers like Christian Fletcher and artists such as Jeffrey Smart. It’s a far more observational sort of photography, turning the trip into a sort of photographic treasure hunt. There’s no more getting up at the crack of dawn or using a tripod. In fact, these kinds of photos work best in the glaring right on the midday sun. It’s almost the complete opposite of traditional landscape photography.

Old tanks at the Junction Mine in Broken Hill. The texture the SD-H picked up is incredible.

And I loved it. Every. Moment.

This is the first trip I’ve taken with the Sigma SD-H after my DP1 gave up the ghost. I took the Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART and also the Sigma 24mm f1.4 ART, though I only used the 24mm for a few shots. Both lenses are excellent, as is to be expected, but I did find the 50mm length (which is slightly tele on the cropped SD-H sensor) was better suited to this work and probably all I need.

I haven’t had this much enjoyment from photography in a long time. It’s definitely a move in the right direction.

The 50 1.4, as great as it is, though, is HEAVY. The biggest benefit of the DP Quattros was their small form factor. They are so light and transportable, but the 50/SD-H combo is much more in line with a DSLR. Coming from a Phase One, even the RB67, however, it felt like a feather!

Few things weather well in the Australian outback. This was a disused fuel tank.

I was really impressed with the SD-H. It improves on the Quattros in many important areas, notably AF, dynamic range, focus peaking, EVF etc. It’s still a niche product that won’t be useful to 90% of photographers, but for this kind of work it’s almost unbeatable at this price point. It’s not ‘medium format in your pocket’ any more, but it does provide medium format-like results at a fraction of the cost—the detail and tones are just that good.

My main focus these days is minimalism. It’s harder than you would imagine to find clean, uncluttered compositions.

Yes, the software still sucks, and yes, it’s slow, but it’s always worthwhile when you open up the files and see all that juicy information on offer. Scrolling around the images at 100% I was amazed how much I’d missed taking the shot in the first place-a treasure hunt within the treasure hunt, so to speak.

The side of a charity clothing bin—Not your usual subject fodder

I did start to get overheating warnings with the SD-H, though it was around 38 degrees Celsius in the sun, nor did it probably help I’d left my camera back in the back of a cooking car for a few hours. I haven’t had the same issue since.

Trip-wise, I’d never been to the outback before, so this was a real eye-opener. The textures and colours on offer were wonderful. Even the most banal and mundane subjects provided unique photographic opportunity, and I’m certainly looking forward to finding more in 2019.

See the full gallery HERE.

There were some impressive murals spotted during our road trip. There’s a lot of artistic talent in the outback.

This brickwork has such a distinctly Australian feel to it. It’s a common sight around the country.

White Cliffs offers up an alien landscape perfectly suited to this kind of photography.

This solar farm was once at the cutting edge of solar technology.

Lord Howe Island: Mamiya 7 Film Photography

December 10, 2018 in Travel, Reviews

I’ve been wanting to visit Lord Howe Island for quite a while. Only a few hours from Sydney, it’s a true paradise. I recall reading an interview with someone who had travelled to every country in the world. Their favourite place of all? You guessed it, Lord Howe.

We were lucky enough to stay at Pinetrees Lodge, voted by Tripadvisor as the number one hotel in Australia. It’s not hard to see why when you arrive, given the wonderful food and service on offer. It’s on another level. Of course, the epic surroundings help, and they’re easy to find.

I took the trip in the middle of a gear conundrum. When my Sigma DP-1 died, I finally decided to jump into a P-series Phase One system. I’ve been lusting after a Phase One for as long as I can remember, but never quite had the funds. Funnily enough, I soon as I started to use it I knew it wasn’t for me. I think I expected to point and shoot and only get magic in return. The results were great, but given the size and bulk of the system, the dual batteries, the cumbersome AF and glitches, I couldn’t do it.

Impressed by the results I was getting from the Mamiya RB67 and looking at the work of Patrick Wack, I decided to go all-in with film and purchase a Mamiya 7 with 65mm f4 lens. It wasn’t cheap, but it’d done my homework and subsequently decided ‘this is the camera that will make my work great!’.

Many people call the Mamiya 7 the best camera ever made. Using one, it’s easy to see why. They’re just naturally fun (and easy) to use. There is little clutter to get in the way of process. It really helps you get on with the job. It’s also beautifully designed and feels great in the hand. I used Porta 400 exclusively, running through about a roll a day for the half-week we were there. I was having a blast on the island using the Mamiya. It seemed like this would be ‘the one’, even if it was a bit nerve-wracking getting the film through the airport.

The results, as you can see, are fine. The 6x7 format works, the tones are wonderful and it gives a real, soft sense of the island. So, why did I sell the Mamiya when I returned home? I was excited to get the files back when I got back. I processed the whole lot in about an hour, but every time I zoomed in I was disappointed. The edges weren’t as sharp as I was expecting, the grain was more prominent… It sounds ridiculous, but I missed that clinical cleanliness of my digital files and the latitude for post-processing. The expense of processing and developing also played a factor (around $5 a shot AUD), so I made the hard decision to give the Mamiya up. I still have my RB67 to personal work, preferring its ability to focus closely over the 7 as better suited to portraits.

If you are considering a Mamiya 7, I’d go for the Mamiya 6 instead, which is more or less the same thing but with a square 6x6 format and a hell of a lot less in terms of cost. There are only a couple of lenses for the Mamiya 6, but I think this is actually an upside in many ways. Many 6 owners have the full set. Either way, there are both wonderful cameras and probably the pinnacle of rangefinders. If film is your thing, you’d be hard-pressed to find better. For me, it’s back to Sigma.

As for Lord Howe itself, I’d love to return. It’s hard to beat a BBQ by the beach, Mt Gower looking on, pristine water ahead with barely a soul around. Then again, I’m pleased it remains a hidden secret of sorts.

While I got around to most of the island’s iconic locations, including the hike up Mt Gower, I never got to the one I wanted to see most: Ball’s Pyramid. This giant sea stack alluded me all trip. I could see it out there on the horizon but could never get close enough given the conditions. There was not a boat on the island willing to go out. I even tried to charter a plane, to no avail. But as the hotel staffer told me, ‘You have to leave something to come back for, right?’. Hopefully next time I’ll get to see it up close and add it to my Icons series. Time to get saving again then, I guess…

Some more images for you:

Western Australia's South West With The Sigma DP-1

December 10, 2018 in Travel

In late 2017 a friend and I made the journey to south-west WA. I’ve long wanted to visit this part of the country, and it did not disappoint. After a day in Perth, we drove down to our base of Dunsborough from which to explore everything this region of Western Australia has to offer.

If you’re looking for pristine, postcard-like beaches, rugged coastlines and more, this is it. It’s a wonderful part of the world ripe for landscape photography. We visited Christian Fletcher’s gallery in Dunsborough for inspiration and I was blown away by the work on offer. It’s a must-see if you’re ever down that way (with a great café next door to fuel up).

Not the actual Sugarloaf Rock, but uniquely impressive in its own right come sunrise.

If it is drama you are looking for, the South West coast of Australia does not disappoint.

We tackled the usual spots, including Sugarloaf rock, driving around the region and getting as far as Cape Leeuwin. A big ol’ python managed to find me in one of the bush toilets, which was fun, but most the wildlife was to be found in the second part of our trip to the Sterling Ranges.

The Sterling Ranges are reasonably remote. I think we saw maybe a couple of cars the whole time. There’s a single café and… that’s about it. It is a unique landscape in constantly changing weather. In a word, dramatic.

Fremantle offered so many photographic opportunities. This is actually my favourite image from the trip. It’s where I want my photography to head.

While there are many hikes you can do in the park, we stuck to the most popular—Bluff Knoll, ascending in an hour or two. Bluff Knoll has its own microclimate, so what started out as a sunny day at the beginning of our hike soon turned into a complete gale-force whitewash at the top where you could barely see in front of you. It was still a great walk, though, and highly recommended no matter the conditions.

We stayed in the very unique Dakota DC-3 plane accommodation at The Lily in the Stirling Ranges. It’s an odd sensation sleeping, and showering, in the interior of a plane, but it’s a great story to tell when you back, and the owners are fantastic.

A rainbow near Bluff Knoll in the Sterling Ranges of Western Australia

There’s plenty of vineyards in the region… and plenty of great food to match. Here I was aiming for a more painterly approach

Throughout the trip I used my Sigma DP-1. It still looks pretty amusing in that giant backpack I have, but it performed admirably, waiting until our very last day to die to finally give up on me (I couldn’t lock in a fixed aperture). I don’t imagine the sea spray and general wear and tear I’ve put it through helped, but hey, at least it was an excuse to go shopping for a new system. More on that soon.

In short, if you can get down to Western Australia’s south west, you’re in for a treat. Don’t miss it. Here are some more images from the trip.

The mighty Sugarloaf Rock is such a striking formation. I thought black and white would serve it well.

No photographer can resist a lone tree in a field.

I could have shot in Fremantle for hours. There was just so much to take in the general public no doubt passes on by.

This was such an iconically Australian coastal scene I simply had to take a shot.

The microclimate of Bluff Knoll means you never know what you’re going to get weather-wise. It can change in an instant, and does.

Boranup Forest with its towering trees is another must-see.

A few days wasn’t enough to take in all the Stirling Ranges had to offer.

Landscape Photography In The Warrumbungles: A Year With The Sigma DP1 Quattro

April 21, 2016 in Travel

I recently spent a weekend in the Warrumbungle region, which apart from having the greatest name ever for a national park, is also ripe with photographic opportunity. We stayed at Coonabarabran, roughly a half hour from the Warrumbungle National Park. Coona itself is five hours from Sydney, so not too bad in the scheme of things. This trip also marked my Sigma DP1’s first birthday, but we’ll get to that later.

The big draw is the Grand High Tops circuit, a roughly four-hour loop that takes in all the famous peaks the park has to offer. The rock formations themselves are remnants of an eroded volcano active 13-17 million years ago. The volcano itself was estimated to be 1km high and 50km wide, so rather large. Standing up there, you can certainly picture it.

The Grand High Tops walk is impeccably maintained. There’s a paved track for a fair heft of the way, new staircases and plenty of rest areas. It’s far from the bush track it used to be. Even the camping facilities down the bottom are first rate. Just make sure you remember where you parked your car…

About 15min into the walk I realised I was going to get some serious blisters trying to break a new pair of boots in, but I pushed on. Suffice to say, make sure you’re prepared with not only proper footwear, but water, food and warm clothing, as it gets quite cold after sunset.

I didn’t realise that the region is dubbed the ‘astronomy capital of Australia’, but at night it soon became clear why. I have never seen so many stars so vibrant in the sky. The Sigma, with its lack of high ISO prowess, doesn’t do astrophotography, but if you have a camera that does, you’re in for a treat.

The main attraction in the Warrumbungles is the famous Breadknife, a thin (surprisingly thin) blade of rock that juts from the earth like something out of Jurassic Park. Rock-climbing is prohibited, but if you’re a crag fiend, fear not. There are plenty of other peaks to scale.

We headed up for sunset the first day where I shot the Breadknife from the top lookout, leaving Coonabarabran the following morning at 2:30am to catch sunrise back at the Knife at 5:30am. A word to the wise, camp at Balor Hut and save yourself the hiking.

Sunrise gifts you with golden light smacking the side of the Breadknife, but you have to be careful, as during certain times of the year the sun is blocked by Belogery spire to the right. I wasn’t aware of this, the sun only making it through by metres, enough to light half of the rock during the best light directly after sunrise. I don’t mind the look, however, as it provides shape to the dome in the background.

At the top lookout you can turn in any direction and find a mighty peak. Here’s Crater Bluff, an imposing peak that looks ripe for climbing. It was lit with the most magical light during sunset, but I wanted a comp a little out of norm. The result is actually my favourite image from the trip.

While the Grand High Tops is great, there are so many other peaks around the area that seemingly go missed, such as Timor Rock right next to the road. One morning we waited for sunrise and drove madly shooting all the peaks we could in the good light. Although the bushfires a few years ago were terrible, what they have done is remove the vegetation from many of these peaks, giving them an alien, spiny look. The lack of trees really allowed you to see the shapes and structures of the peaks unhindered. The new growth coming through is also photogenic in its own right.

Often I find the journey to a destination is just as interesting as the destination itself. The ‘Golden Highway’ is alive with expanse fields and rolling hills, but I was particularly drawn to abandoned structures, such as the motel and train station below in Dunedoo. I took these images handheld and they are perhaps the least processed of any of the shots I took during the trip.

A perfect stop on the way back to Sydney is Lake Windamere with its haunting trees. I could resist a quick long exposure (read: 30sec).

So, what are my thoughts on the Sigma DP1 Quattro after a year then? It truly has been a game-changer for me, putting me much closer to the kind of images I want to take. The detail and dimensionality continue to blow me away, but it is not without its faults. My biggest gripe is dynamic range, especially when the Sony sensors offer so much. I’m hopeful the new SD-H might address this, and a few other issues, such as a viewfinder and exposures longer than 30sec. It will be interesting to see how it compares.

Perhaps the greatest part of travelling with the DP1 has been its portability. It really is a pocket camera, taking up barely any room in my bag but delivering files that rival medium-format. Given its lack of high ISO usability, average screen and so on, it’s very much what I imagine using an older Phase One P25 would be like. I’d love to do a side-by-side some time.

People still look perplexed when I pull the DP1. Sitting next to a Mamiya RB67 on my shelf here it looks very, very small indeed. Honestly, I don’t think fellow photographers take it very seriously at all. Their loss, I say.

As for the Warrumbungles, get there ASAP if you can. The walks are super-accessible and I dare say the view from the top of the Grand High Tops is one of the best in the whole country. It’s ancient, mysterious and complete cat-nip for photographers. Go and see why.