DSLR Photography Forum

Ok.. these are just a bunch of my favourite pics from the trip that aren't really grouped together except by the fact they were taken in Tassie.


1. Rosellas in the Blackberries at Collinsvale.

I think this photo of the rosellas is my favourite from the whole trip. I had to be quite patient to get the shot (in a constant light drizzle) and I was disappointed at first that although I took many shots, I didn't get a good shot of the bird facing the camera.. but this image just grew and grew on me, and now I'm actually glad the bird is facing away from the camera, as the viewer's eyes aren't drawn to its face.
Its because the rosella isn't really the subject of this photo, rather the fantastic morning light is. The way the light comes through the rosella's feathers, the way it shines through the rain drops and the way it illuminates the blackberries.. that's what the shot is about.


2. Stalk of Bull Kelp, Tasman Peninsula.

The simplicity, textures and colours of this shot appealed to me. I know it doesn't follow the rule of thirds, but I think the inbalance of the strong diagonal offsets the balancing effect of having the kelp detail dead centre.


3. Tessellated Pavement Rock Formations, Tasman Peninsula.

These naturally-occuring rock formations are quite interesting...


4. Tessellated Pavement Detail, Tasman Peninsula.


5. Snow on Mt Wellington, Hobart.

Just to prove that I was in fact in the snow! Although it was very mild overall while I was there, I heard on the weather today that it was snowing right down to sea level in Hobart. hehe.. I'm back in mild temperatures in Perth! :p


6. Full Moon over the Zinc Works, Hobart.

ahhh.. The good old zinc works! Not too far from where I used to live in Otage Bay, they've been polluting the river and poisoning the fish for as long as I can remember. :/


7. Wheat Silo Apartments, Salamanca Place, Hobart.

These used to be wheat silos on the docks at Hobart, but were recently converted into apartments. There was quite a bit of controversy over the development, and while I was cynical of it at first, the end result is that they've taken a group of ugly old silos and made them into an interesting piece of architecture without changing the feel of the area around it.


8. Pioneer's Cottage at Collinsvale.

This old derelict settler's cottage is located on the side of a hill on my uncle's property just north of Hobart, and despite its humble appearance it has a breathtaking view up the derwent valley.

Ok.. I said I wasn't going to post as many photos as I did from my Kununurra trip, so I'd better stop there. I managed to get most of my favourites in I think.
I took quite a few more wildernessy-type shots, but there are many much better wilderness photos of Tassie floating around that I don't feel that mine really stood out... The shots I posted here are of places that have meaning to me, which is why I like the shots and I think perhaps helps me bring out the best in them.

All comments welcome

Cheers
Adrian

These are also fabulous, lloks like you had a great trip.

Some stunningly atmospheric work. Fabulous.

Fantastic capture of light in #1 and #6. Wish that foreground bird was facing this way; it would be a Natures Best magazine shot for sure. As it is, it's simply excellent.

Love them all Kombi! You're such a genius!

You seem to be going for either well composed landscapes or tightly zoomed in detail... which works wonderfully well IMHO.

My favourites would be the first and last ones. Love the quality of light in both of them...

Wonderful series, so varied.

My favourite has got to be #1 too.

#6 has very interesting colours, I can't quite describe it, I like it, it looks computer generated

Thanks for the compliments guys - I had a wonderful time and it was great to have something to bring back to Perth with me. Meaningful photos are the best kind of souveniers.

The quality of light is so different in Tassie compared to WA... and the weather ensures that the light and the sky can change dramatically within minutes which can be a good and a bad thing. But it certainly kept me on my toes.
I found it suprisingly difficult to capture this light well, and photo #1 was the only shot where I feel I really nailed it. Photos #7 and #8 nearly got there, but they still don't quite manage it. I guess I'll just need to go back soon and give it another go

Here's a shot of some fields in Collinsvale that try to capture that bright, fresh morning winter air just when the fog lifts and the sun comes streaming through. The isometric fence lines and shadows attracted me to take this shot.


9.

And another shot at Jackson's Bend in Fern Tree of some temperate rain forest. I'm not sure if this one works though.


10.

While I was in Tassie I also managed to score a book of Chris Bell's work (who is becoming a well known contemporary Tasmanian wilderness photographer) and a bio of Frank Hurley (a photographer from Sydney who took many famous WW1 and antarctic expidition photos)... so I've got plenty to keep me busy.
I think the Chris Bell book made me give up on trying to achieve the perfect landscape shot though... He's certainly picked up where Dombrovskis left off, and managed to do it with a style all his own.
This style of photography pioneered by Truchanas and Dombrovskis since the 1950's (and influenced by the likes of Ansel Adams) has actually spawned a school of Tasmanian Wilderness Photography. It will be interesting to see what comes out of it.

I've been looking at the photos from your trip since last night and trying to think of something more to say than just, wow, fantastic, unbelievable shots! They're just so good that words escape me...beautiful!!

--NN

Looks like you're on your way to becoming a well known contemporary Tassie photographer too

Fabulous - particularly #1 and #3. Superb.

What a well captured and documented trip. Your images are simply amazing. The first one really got my attention. I'd love to see those little fella's in the wild.