Behind the Picture: Blues of Shelly Beach

When the drones came out a few years back that made them reasonably affordable to the public, I was pretty quick to jump on and get involved.
I bought the DJI Phantom and took to the skies. After most of my lifetime taking pictures from ground level it was pretty cool to play with a new form of photography.

The biggest challenge I faced was the same as taking pictures on ground level.

Taking good pictures.

Sounds easy but it’s gets a little complicated sometimes. It’s easy to take average pictures but to shoot something you’re proud of is a lifelong mission.
And even though I take photos every day of my life, only a couple pictures a year really make me proud of my work. I guess it fits in with the frustrated artist inside us creative types.


So rewind back to 2017 and the coastline of Shelly Beach, Cronulla.

I had a fair few drone missions under my belt by this time and taken my share of average pictures. But as I mentioned before, taking a picture you love is as rare as the perfect wave for a surfer.

But it’s the search for awesome keeps us going, so after a few shots from above I was lucky to find a pretty cool location in the low tide just above some rocks.

The shallow water mixed in with the glistening sun soaked specks and the worlds smallest wave combined for something cool.
If I was there an hour earlier or later it would have looked completely different.

But at that time and at that distance above the water at maybe 10 meters, it came together pretty well.
That nature of the sun and the wave gives it an almost oil painting feel and as a photographer you’re always looking for something a little obscure. And after 4 years I still am proud of this picture. Hopefully it will still pass the test in a few years time too.

The thing I love most about photography is you can have a idea in your head and on the day it comes out completely different and even better than you imagined. Those days are rare and it’s best to bask in them when you do.

Til next time
Chris

Photo’s: Canberra and it’s Colours

Back in the early 2000’s I was lucky enough to live in work in out National Capital. More specifically I worked the in press gallery in Parliament House, it was a awesome time and many a day was spent chasing after politicians and their many events.

Being a little younger and not at a time in my life where I was stopping to smell the roses so to speak so even tho I was surrounded by the natural beauty that is Canberra it’s something I more appreciate now.
I regret now taking a few more opportunities at the time to photograph the colors of Canberra but as life goes on we look at the world a little different.


So it was a real joy yesterday to spend the morning wandering around the Lake Burley Griffin and photograph the last of the autumn leaves.
I was probably a couple of weeks too late to get the best of the season as many a leaves were already on the ground and the trees were looking more like winter.
But it was still a great trek all round and I’ll definitely be back again next year and hopefully I’ll time it a little better.

I started my tour down on the lake at the National Portrait Gallery end and did a walk along the lake in a big circle. Around a two hour walk and taking in many of the sights of Canberra including the old office of Parliament House.
It’s never too later to tick things off the list and when the time is right it feels pretty good to cross it off.
Canberra is a beautiful town and so many thing to photograph all year long. I’ll be back for more soon enough.

Til next time
Chris

Photo’s: Camden’s MacArthur Park in Autumn light

I spent many a days of my childhood at this place, the beautiful MacArthur Park in the heart of Camden, NSW. Located about a hours drive from the Sydney CBD, Camden is one of my favorite places in Sydney. Surrounded by Churches and Cafe’s MacArthur Park is a great place to visit whether it be for a photography tour or just a quiet place to sit.

It really comes alive in Autumn with a rainbow of colors as the tree leaves start to fall for winter. All year long it looks great but for a few weeks in Autumn it is really at it’s best.

I’ll have another look in a few weeks time to see how it looks, but I’m pretty sure this was the best time for it. Maybe a few more reds might appear or maybe the ground will be full of the winter ready leaves. Either way I’ll take some pictures and any chance to revisit my youth I’ll take.

Til next time

Chris