Saturday 26 July 2014

Enter at your own Risk

This house is right next door to the abandoned petrol station at Speers Point so I got a bonus shoot for my troubles! I used a wide angle lens for this shot because the road behind was fairly busy and I could get the whole thing in from the front footpath rather than cross the road and play chicken with the traffic!! I have discovered 'Perspective Crop' in Photoshop and hopefully it may correct some of the keystone effect that comes from shooting with a wide angle lens.

29 Nov 2022.  Ed note - I have noted that quite a few of my old blog posts have lost the original thumbnail.  If you click on the photo name link above it will take you to my Flickr page and you will be able to view the photo.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

A Long Exposure Day.


I had planned a photo safari out to the Stockton breakwall to have a casual day out.  I wanted to play around with Bulb settings to get some exposures longer than the preset 30 seconds on my Canon 600D.

Well, Mother Nature was in a playful mood with me on that day!  It was very windy out on the breakwall and even me hanging onto the tripod for dear life could not stop the shake from the wind gusts!

Growling to myself after the safari didn't turn out according to plan, I decided to visit the usual haunts and try my luck there.  It was still windy but it wasn't gusting as it had been out on the breakwall. 

First stop was the lovely Merewether Beach.  With long views up to Bar Beach and the bluffs of Shepherds Hill Reserve, it is a great spot for surfers.  There is also a little kiosk overlooking the beach, a great spot for light refreshments and coffee!  The Ocean Baths at Merewether are undergoing a much needed renovation and so there was not as many at the beach as what I though there would have been.

The surf was a little rougher than normal with some big swells, and the wind gusts just off the beach were blowing the tips off the waves as they curled over; scattering them in a fine mist.  Perfect for some long exposure shots!  I didn't play with the bulb settings now; I think I need to plan that a safari a little more carefully and choose a subject that will suit those longer exposures.

I then moved on to the Newcastle Beach and the Ocean Baths area.  By now, about 3pm-ish, the swell had increased the size of the waves up that end of the Newcastle coastline.  The area there has a round wading pool area known as the Canoe Pool.  It is surrounded by rusted iron posts with a piece of chain forming a 'fence' that is usually held onto by daredevils during storm periods when the waves are twice the size and come crashing right over the rocks and into the pool!

Surfers were now heading out to the waves to make the most of the swell.  One thing about long exposure shots, even for a couple of seconds, it gives a great ghostly look to the people moving in the shot!  The Sun was setting behind me and this reflected some wonderful light off walls and the wet rock surfaces.

For the purposes of the long exposures, I had 2 x ND8 filters mounted on my Canon 18-55 mm lens. I wound the aperture down to f29 and when at full zoom at 55mm down to f36.

As it turned out, it wasn't a waste of the day as I had thought out on the breakwall earlier in the morning!

Hope you're all well!

Jordy


These photos are for sale.  Contact me if you are interested.

All photos on this blog are Copyright Life with Jordy Photography and may not be used without permission.

Bar Beach from Merewether Beach.  Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Cool Water.  Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Ghost.  Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

King Edward Park from the Canoe Pool.  Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Chains.  Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

The Pumphouse, Merewether Ocean Baths.
Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

The Incoming Tide.  Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Monday 7 July 2014

The Rural Scene


I cant believe it has been nearly a month since I posted on here!  Sometimes the days just get away on you.....

Anyway, that's enough of my excuses!

These are from a day trip to Wollombi; a small village about 50 minutes drive from home.  It is set in some beautiful country; rolling hills, green fields and, (what I love the most) some wonderful rustic buildings and scenes!  Add on some abandoned buildings and it makes for an exciting photography safari!

The village name is an Aboriginal term meaning 'meeting place of the waters' or simply 'meeting place'.  The traditional custodians of the area are believed to be the Darkinjung people although there is mention of the Awabakal and Wanaruah peoples as well.

The roads to Wollombi were originally constructed through convict labour, one party working from the south at Castle Hill and another from Newcastle.

These are a few photos taken on that day.  It is the sort of area where there is so much to see and photograph that a couple of day trips in the future are on the cards!

The Church shown here is St Michaels Catholic Church.  Originally built in 1840, it was moved to its' current safer position when it was damaged by floods in 1893.  The General Store was built in the 1860s and operated as the 'Harp of Erin Inn' which was converted to a residence before the General Store was added in the 1880s.

Another feature of Wollombi that I really loved was the cattle saleyards.  The rough hewn timber for the cattle yards and run and the typical barbed wire fence speaks so much of rural Australia.

I can't wait to get back up there again!

 Jordy


These photos are for sale.  Contact me if you are interested.

All photos on this blog are Copyright Life with Jordy Photography and are not to be used without permission.


Abandoned on Maitland Road, Mulbring, NSW, Australia.

Cattle Sale Yards #1 - Wollombi, NSW, Australia.

Cattle Sale Yards #2 - Wollombi, NSW, Australia.

St Michaels Catholic Church - Wollombi, NSW, Australia.

The General Store - Wollombi, NSW, Australia.
The mail must get through! - Wollombi, NSW, Australia.

Catching up.

 Well it has been a couple of months since I posted a Blog article.   I don't have any Project or roll of film in particular to share wi...