Alpha Photography Blog

Byron Bay is a natural wonder.  As the eastern most point in Australia, it boasts a colourful history and existence.  It is standing contradiction where yuppies meet hippies and cocktails mix with marijuana smoke.

On a recent visit, I was reminded of how beautiful this part of Australia is.  The majestic natural beauty is breathtaking, especially on days when the weather was as glorious as the day I was exploring the area.

Added to which, while admiring the view from the lookout, I saw a pod of dolphins swimming along the coast!

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One of the things that you need to make most landscape photographs work, is sunlight and at least some blue sky.

On a trip earlier this year to Byron Bay, in northern NSW, Australia, sunlight was a little lacking.

So, I just waited until there was a hint of sunlight and then let Photoshop do the rest!

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In a previous post I looked at the beaches of Norfolk Island, and here I’m focussing on the coastline in general, as from nearly every vantage point the coastline changes!

Here is the northern coastline view from the Captain Cook monument lookout:

There is such a lot of historical happenings on this island, and the locals have definitely captured that and kept it alive, which is wonderful.  The monument where this view is from gives you the historical significance of the site and is incredibly serene.  Definitely need a polarising filter though!

Here is probably my favourite photographic location on the island - Anson Bay.  I just loved this place.  The view from the top of the hill, walking down and once at the bottom - every angle is beautiful.  The crystal clear water makes the coast look less menacing - almost serene…

Finally, this was taken near Point Howe and really shows how rugged some of the coastline can be.

There are actually only two places on the island that a large boat can moor and offload supplies - Kingston Pier and Cascade Pier.  They are on different sides of the angle, so it depends on the wind and how rough the waters are.  Just an incredible island to explore!

Coming from Queensland in Australia, and having travelled a bit, I’ve seen some beautiful beaches.  Norfolk Island didn’t really compare from a swimming beach perspective, but the coastline and water colour was stunning.

Because everyday was bright and sunny, my polarising filter became my best friend.  I call this my camera’s sunglasses.  It works particularly well when photographing water.  Here is Anson Bay, which was perhaps the most visually stunning:

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Happy New Year!  Well, it’s been a nice break.  Now, it’s back into the next year, in full swing!

Over my break between Christmas and New Year I went to Norfolk Island, which is a 2 hour flight south-east of Brisbane, where I live.  I had never been there before, and though it’s considered part of Australia in many ways, it is a unique place with it’s own Administration.

It’s a small island, and the only way around is by car.  That said, there are no traffic lights, and only 1 roundabout, which has become a sort of ’signpost’ to direct the tourists by.

I was there for just over a week and it was fantastic.  It is such a relaxing place and you really feel like you’ve had a proper break after being there.  If you’re interested in underwater photography, or landscape photography, this is a great place.  Plus, there is a lot of history to capture.

Over the next few weeks I’ll break down my stay there, in photos.

Here is the first real image I have - the view from my apartment.  I’ll let the photographs speak for themselves.  Here is looking left:

It was a bright sunny day, so needless to say I was using my new Hoya HD Circular Polarising filter!  Now, let’s look right:

Just spectacular, sitting out on the balcony looking at this view.  That’s just the start of my travel and photographic adventures.  Stay tuned! 

One of the beautiful things about spring are the colours of the flowers, not to mention the smells!  I love flowers, and the colours of Australian flora is even more stunning after rain.

Recently, I went for a day trip up into the mountains, about a week after we had received some much needed rain.  Now the colours of these particular plants are my favourites…

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There’s nothing more glorious than the colours of nature.  Recently I had my film SLR with me, as I had to use up a roll of ISO 3200 colour film.  I hadn’t planned to use the film on nature photography, but I needed to finish the roll of film.

Wandering around the streets I kept seeing these gorgeous trees covered in pink flowers.  Then, as I looked closely I saw…

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Landscape photography seems infinitely easier than portraiture.  However, there are some locations that just don’t ‘cooperate’ - rainforests being the worst offender.

I love going bush walking and rainforests are extra special with their waterfalls.  The light that breaks through the trees doesn’t make for an easy subject…

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I haven’t flown a kite since I was a kid.  Recently I took my 3 year old cousin out to fly a kite and it was great fun!  They’re tricky things to photograph though - particularly on a windy day.  Here are a few hits and misses…

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Photographing sunrise and sunset can be extremely rewarding for landscape photography, so imagine my surprise when two black swans came ‘gliding’ into my frame!

Here is what I was photographing:

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