Tracks in the Wet

Australia's Northern Territory has two distinct seasons - the Wet (Oct-Mar) and the Dry (Apr-Sep). The Dry Season features constantly blue skies, no clouds, and no rain. The Wet features some spectacular clouds, storms and lots of rain. The Wet Season is also a brilliant time to make photographs out in the desert - the rains bring colours, like the vivid reds, greens and blues in this image.

The Top End is an incredibly remote place - it is quite literally hundreds of kilometres from other major towns, and thousands of kilometres from cities of any real size. This image tells both these stories to me - the colours of the Wet Season and the isolation shown by the lonely railway tracks. These tracks are used by 'The Ghan', a weekly train service between Darwin and the southern city of Adelaide - some 3,000km (1850 miles) away. I created this image on my Panasonic Lumix GX7, using a Lee Filters polarising filter and a 3 stop GND to balance the mid-day light. A small amount of post processing was done in Luminar.

Wangi Falls

Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park is a spectacular place to visit for great photography opportunities. During the Top End's dry season it is also a great place to swim and enjoy cool, clear water. Waterfalls provide an interesting range of shooting opportunities, with my preference being for silky smooth water as seen in this image. This image was created in the middle of a bright, cloudless day, so to achieve the silken look I used a Lee Big Stopper 10-stop ND filter. This resulted in a 25-second shutter speed at f/8.0. This slow shutter speed also resulted in a smooth surface on the lagoon, and enhanced the reflection of the waterfall.

Sunset Silhouette

I like a good silhouette, but find this type of photography to be challenging. I think that's because there needs to be a healthy balance between light and shadow (balanced light), strong features, colour and negative space. After making some sunset photos on the beach during our first evening in this beautiful Amalfi Coast town, I noticed this group of people down towards the water's edge. I moved to frame the main group with the sea behind them, and with the strong orange colours in the background. I then waited to get some interesting poses, taking multiple exposures as the group moved around and enjoyed the beach. In the off season (we visited late November) there are few crowds, so finding enough people while leaving plenty of negative space wasn't too challenging. Had there been larger crowds I would have to have framed the image differently. The strong contrast between light and dark was still a factor, even after sunset, so I made use of a 2 stop GND to manage the colour balance. With this the shutter speed was still quite fast at 1/50th, so getting a sharp exposure wasn't too challenging. The use of tripod still helped.

Looking Up from Positano

Like the other towns on Italy's Amalfi Coast Positano stretches from its beautiful coastline up into the surrounding mountains. Standing on the beach, the signature dome of the church of Santa Maria Assunta is framed between an enclave in the ridge-line of the mountains. Buildings stretch much of the way up. This image was made a few minutes after sunset, giving a love even colour across the buildings and hills. A tripod is an important tool in this type of imagery, as the relatively low shutter speed (0.4 of a second) would make a sharp image difficult to achieve if handholding.

Positano Sunrise

Apart from the lack of crowds, one of the distinctive things about low season in Positano is that the days are quite short. As the late great photographer, Galen Rowell, once said that "You only get one sunrise and one sunset a day, and you only get so many days on the planet. A good photographer does the math and doesn't waste either." But it does make it easier when the sunrises and sunsets are at pleasant hours of the day. There are no excuses! Standing on the western end of the main Positano beach, you look eastward down the Amalfi Coast to catch the sunrise. The clouds only accentuate the beautiful colours of the sky in the sunrise. A 3 stop GND and a relatively slow shutter speed meant that a tripod was an important part of ensuring a sharp image.

Cobblestone Passageway

Positano in the low season is marked by low numbers of tourists, and with many of the hotel, restaurant and retail workers being employed seasonally, the township is very quiet. There are many opportunities to explore the streets, alleys and stairways without the crowds, and much of the time there are opportunities to make photos without any people at all—let alone crowds. This image was made walking back up from the beach after sunrise photos. This is one of the main alleyways between the Piazza dei Mulini and the beach. We walked up and down this alley each day, and most of the time had it to ourselves.

Positano Low Road

Positano Blue

Positano on Italy's Amalfi Coast is a spectacularly stunning township, rising up from the sea into the heights of the surrounding mountains. We visited in late Autumn, the low season for tourism, and we loved the fact that we could truly explore the coast, and the whole township without having to battle any crowds whatsoever. This image was made during the blue hour, shortly after sunset. Being winter sunset was quite early (4:39pm), and the blue 'hour' quite short - about half an hour. This short window meant that we had to scout early, then come back and setup early. Even though it was off season, there were some other photographers around and there are limited vantage points due to the cliff edges and narrow footpaths. Positano is a wonderful place for photographers and non-photographers who want to explore a stunning coastline.

Waking Up in Positano

After a successful shoot in the blue hour from the eastern overlook of Positano, I decided to go back to the same location for sunrise photos the next morning. The early backlighting from the sun behind cast a really nice light over the township, lighting the surrounding mountains up with a beautiful golden hue, and bringing out the details in the various pastel coloured buildings built up and down the town's hills. This differentials of colours were accentuated with the use of a GND filter and a polarising filter, with some slight enhancement done in my favourite photo editing software, Luminar. Lesson here, even when you have a good shot from a location don't be afraid to go back at different times to really explore the location and the image possibilities.

The Scale of Positano

This series of photos from Positano in Italy have showed different aspects of the town, its stunning coastline and some individual characteristics of the township. This image, shot from the same western overlook from which I shot the image 'East from Positano' shows the scale of the town growing up from the Piazza dei Mulini area in the centre of the town, extending up the heights of the surrounding mountains. The township is very much situated in what looks to me to be a fjord cut into the mountain range by the sea. The building next to the green roof in the bottom of the frame is the wonderful AirBNB place we stayed at, and is situated right in front of Piazza dei Mulini. As a photographer it is also important to sometimes turn the camera around to do a different perspective. While the East from Positano image has an amazing vista, this one is pretty good too, and is a key part of my Positano story. I think this image helps to illustrate the scale of the heights of Positano as it rises from the sea into the mountains.

Atrani by Night

One of the many gorgeous townships on Italy's Amalfi Coast is Atrani, a village literally 10 minutes by foot from Amalfi. Atrani is a pretty town cutting into another gap in the coastal mountain range, quickly rising up from sea level to the heights above. Our day trip to Amalfi and Atrani (from our base at Positano) was literally from morning until about 6:30pm. With the early sunset in our low season visit this was actually plenty of time. After arriving in Amalfi we walked straight to Atrani to find a shooting spot. We found this, and then walked back to Amalfi for a visit to the Basilica, some lunch and a visit to the paper mill. We then walked back to Atrani to shoot sunset and blue hour, before walking back once more to Amalfi to catch the bus. So we had a pleasant day of exploration, and getting the scouting out of the way early, using tools like The Photographer's Ephemeris to plan sun angles, meant we could relax and take our time. Travel photography is about exploring, but it is also about relaxing. Good planning and preparation allows you to do both!

East from Positano

The classic view of Positano is from the outlook at the eastern end of the township, near the Sponda bus-stop. This view is very oft the first stop for photographers visiting Positano[1]. This is exactly why its a good idea to sometimes shoot the opposite view, so after watching Elia Locardi’s Photographing the World part 3 I decided to set out to find the overlook Elia used for an alternative blue hour location. This location looks eastward, so I shot it at both sunrise and sunset. Interestingly I really found the location to be better suited to sunset, perhaps a bit surprising, but the blue hour from this location was quite spectacular. For me, the clear blue sky in this image works beautifully with the lights of the town. Visiting Positano in the low season had many advantages, but there were far fewer lights coming on. Its possible that in high season there might actually be too much ambient light, so it would be interesting to see a comparison. This location was perfect for framing the dome of the church in such a way that it has clear sea behind. Tracking this location down was a good opportunity to get an insight into the thinking of a photographer like Elia. It was simultaneously a chance to learn scouting techniques, while exploring and being rewarded with a good photo location.

Six Passengers

Famous for its spectacular coastline, seascapes and mountain vistas, life in Positano is literally built around the sea. The township is a year round magnet for tourists, and the crystal blue seas are a way that many get to and from the area, and are a major part of their enjoyment of it. Swimming, snorkelling, diving, sailing, fishing and other marine tourism are all important. During the quieter winter months fewer people swim, but there are constant reminders of the role that the seas play in the town's rhythm of life. After shooting the vistas of the township each sunrise from different overlooks, I felt the need to do something different. Along with the Steps of Positano, I felt that the *working sea* is an important part of the township's story. Image made as the sun began to rise over the headland further east on the Amalfi Coast. A 6 stop GND filter helped to balance out the strong highlights with the dark shadows, as well as providing glassy smoothness to the sea.

Wakatipu Reflections

Magnificent reflections on Lake Wakatipu. Driving back from Glenorchy to Queenstown we spotted this great vista, smooth surface and great reflections, and pulled over as soon as it was safe to make some photos.

Middle Earth

New Zealand's South Island is a stunning place that is made up incredible mountain ranges, valleys, plateaus, rivers and lakes. This image was captured from the Crown Range, and overlooks the plains leading into Queenstown, and the hills that fringe the 'adventure capital of the world'.

Flightpath to Queenstown

Queenstown on New Zealand's South Island is often called the world's 'Adventure Capital', and even the flight into this city fringed by mountains and a lake is adventurous.

A careful look at this image will reveal an Air New Zealand Boeing 737 on final approach to Queenstown International Airport, as it carefully navigates a series of valleys that make up the flight path.

The Runway

Believe it or not this is the flightpath into Queenstown, New Zealand's international airport. With a close look the runway can be see just before the lake in the centre of the image - just to the right of the slope of the mountain. Planes flying into Queenstown must navigate through the valleys of this mountainous region. It is a very exciting approach to a city regarded as the world's adventure capital.

That Wanaka Willow

Commonly known as #thatWanakaTree, the Wanaka Willow is a tree that grows out in the waters of New Zealand's Lake Wanaka. Supposedly the most photographed tree in the world, the Wanaka WIllow attracks dozens of photographers each sunrise and sunset to capture imagery of this rather unique vista. As with all of our experiences on the South Island, Wanaka was a wonderful place to stop and make images of mountains, lakes and of course #thatWanakaTree.

The Wreck at Homebush Bay

The SS Ayrfield is one of several old shipwrecks around Homebush Bay in Sydney's west. As an avid wreck diver and underwater photographer I have always enjoyed the challenge of trying to get images of shipwrecks. Challenging it is, as trying to get even a small wreck in an image is complex when you need to shoot through what is often gloomy water. To have the opportunity to capture images of a wreck in its final resting place, while shooting from shore is wonderful, and you can really take your time to make a variety of images. Built over 100 years ago, the SS Ayrfield was one of the '60 milers' – the name given to the numerous colliers that worked between Sydney Harbour and the coalfields of the Illawarra and Hunter regions. In 1972, the Ayrfield was sent to a ship breaking yard at Homebush, and is one of four wrecks that remain in place. Homebush Bay was once a hub of Sydney's heavy industry, and became a dumping ground for a lot of industrial waste, including the old ship hulls. Having been cleaned up, Homebush Bay became the home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and is now a residential, sporting and entertainment and business district. The old wrecks remain in place, and are popular sites for photography, particularly with the setting sun.

The Old Tunnel

Helensburgh is a small town that at the northern end of the Illawarra region and just south of the Greater Sydney area. Helensurgh was historically important as part of the original rail line down to the Illawarra coal fields, and some of the original single line tunnels and tracks dating back to the late 1800s are still in place. The original rail line has since been replaced by a double track line. The original line, tunnels and even an old station platform serve as a historical reminder of life in the late 19th century.

Zig Zag Station

The old Lithgow Zig Zag Railway line in Australia's Blue Mountains operated from 1869 to 1910, after which it was replaced by a new deviation that operates to this day. The Clarence Station was the centre of a railway town during this time, but today the restored station is the main remnant of the old town. Around the old station lie a number of engines, carriages and other rolling stock that formed part of a tourist railway that operated from 1975 until 2012. Many of these items were damaged in the bushfires of 2013. It is possible to wander about the site and view the rolling stock and station, with no fences or signs keeping people out. That said, some areas have asbestos, so it is best to avoid trying to go into any of the rolling stock. The site is a bit overgrown, but represents an important piece of the early settlement beyond the Blue Mountains.

The Top of Australia

Last weekend we made the hike to the summit of [Mt Kosciuszko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kosciuszko), Australia's highest peak.[^1] At 2,228m above sea level, Kosciuszko is quite a small mountain when compared to peaks of Europe, Japan, North America or even our neighbour, New Zealand[^2]. We commenced our hike at Eagles Nest, which is at the top of the Kosciuszko Express chairlift at [Thredbo Alpine Village](https://www.thredbo.com.au). The walk is very easy to navigate, as you simply follow the mesh walkway to Rawsons Pass[^3], and then continue on the well kept (and well sign-posted) trail to the summit. Or you could just follow the dozens of other hikers if you're walking on a weekend. From Eagles Nest, the hike to the 'top of Australia' is about 13.5km return, through rugged alpine terrain. Kosciuszko itself is fairly underwhelming. Sitting on top of the Main Range, the peak is only just a little higher than other surrounding peaks, and being much older than the more impressive ranges of new lands. It has been weathered down through the ages, and is not an imposing peak like New Zealand's Aoraki, Japan's Fujisan, and the European Alps. Nonetheless, the views from the peak are absolutely worth the trek to get there. You get impressive vistas over The Australian Alps, the Main Range and into Victoria. The hike itself is fantastic—although rated as moderate, this is mostly about the length of the hike and the constant climb. This is an Alpine hike, so weather can change quickly. You need to ensure you have gear for warm or cold weather, regardless of the time of year, and be prepared for wind and rain. There is no access to drinking water or food, so you need to take your own. On the day of our hike we had winds of 50-70km/h, with gusts exceeding 100km/h. We got back to Eagles Nest just before a big storm. So be prepared. A hike well worth doing.