Australia
Australia is a vast and diverse country that offers a plethora of stunning photography locations. From the rugged outback to the pristine beaches, Australia has something for every photographer. The country is home to some of the world's most iconic landmarks, such as the Sydney Opera House and Uluru, as well as breathtaking natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef and the Blue Mountains. The vibrant cities of Melbourne and Brisbane also offer plenty of opportunities for urban photography.
Photography regions of Australia
Photography of Australia
5-picture panorama stitched with Hugin, Cylindrical projection.
Ayer's Rock changes colour every evening during the "golden hour"....
Sun setting over the rugged coast of South Australia, featuring the Cape Dombey Obelisk...
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The Three Sisters Echo Point, Kotoomba Jamison Valley Blue Mountains World Heritage Site, New South Wales
View it large: www.flickr.com/photos/jcheaphotography/8580442204/sizes/l...
The iconic Three Sisters taken at the iconic Echo Point lookout. I was a little hesitant in posting this image as there are millions of rendition of the same scene. The sunset was pretty dull with the lack of clouds and my original plan for a panorama was scrapped by strong winds. In fact this is one of the few images that was sufficiently sharp and relatively free of camera shake. If you view it large, you can even notice the trees swaying in the wind. I was even afraid of my Lee's Graduated Neutral density filter being blown out of my hands and falling into oblivion.Thankfully, all my equipment remained unscathed!
The smoke in the background is caused by forest fire brewing in the area. Fun fact of the day: January 2013 was the hottest month every recorded in Australia, with average daily maximum temperature was a sweltering 36.92 degree Celsius. Another interesting fact: During the recent summer heat wave down under, temperatures soared so high in Central Australia that weather maps didn't even have a colour to represent it. As wildfires raged, tar melted off roads and gasoline evaporated before people were able to pump it, meteorologist added a racy shade of purple to denote predicted temperature of 50-52 degree Celsius. Then, just to be sure, they also slipped an even racier shade of magenta, to denote temperatures of 52 to 54 degree Celsius. (source: DCM March). Australia is well and truly on fire!! One of the few times when I am glad to be in Singapore :)
1 exp, Lee's 0.6 ND grad (hard), edited in Photoshop. Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!
Flaxman Valley. South Australia.
Oakbank. Adelaide Hills. S.A.
Time exposure to soften the image and to ease the pain of my watch sitting at the bottom of the pool.
.... near Strathgordon, Tasmania. Featured in the film "The Gloaming".... well worth viewing!
A beautiful spot in Tasmania.
St. Peter's Cathedral. Adelaide. South Australia.
Pioneer cottage near Burra, South Australia.
Pioneer cottage near Burra, South Australia.
... the fabulous "Valley of the Winds" track is typical of the terrain and vegetation found in Australia's Northern Territory. This lesser known site is about 40 km from the iconic "Ayer's Rock"
Flinders Street Baptist Church. Adelaide
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Uluru / Ayer's rock is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (Wikipedia).
From left to right Eureka Tower, Freshwater Place, Prima Tower and Crown Tower. 5-picture panorama stitched with Hugin, panini equirectangular projection.
Cape Byron Light, Australia's most powerful lighthouse according to Wikipedia. This is the easternmost point of the Australian continent, in Byron Bay, New South Wales....
Pylon Lookout Sydney Harbour Bridge New South Wales
In our hectic lives, it is often very easy to lose track of time and forget some of our side goals. I am definitely guilty of that! I have neglected my photography for way too long, in pursuit of other more intangible goals.
Now more about this image. A sunset shot from the pylon lookout is only possible in the month of June, as the lookout closes at 5pm. On the day of the shoot, I wasn't very optimistic about the sky, it was clear blue. The forecast predicts cloud cover clearing in the afternoon. Thankfully, I decide to go against my gut instinct and was treated with an unexpected surprise!
Just as the sun was setting, it lit up the only band of clouds that was located behind the city. By now, everyone at the lookout was congregating at the ledge, blown away by the breathtaking view. Knowing that it is impossible to set up a tripod, I increased the ISO and opted for 3 exposures bracketing. I took dozens of shots hoping to get some of them to be sharp.
In post production, I manually blended the sky with cityscape foreground to achieve the necessary dynamic range. I sometimes forget how rewarding photography can really be!
2 exp shot, edited in Lightroom and Photoshop. Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!
Mount Barker Junction. Adelaide Hills. SA.
Springton. Barossa Valley. S.A.
Eden Valley, S.A.
Narrows Bridge South Perth, Western Australia
After spending almost a week in Perth without any decent sunset, I decided to head for a blue hour cityscape shot. Being my last day in Perth, I was definitely feeling the blues, but there is no better way to end the trip with a good photoshoot (hence the title). This is take two of this location and it is definitely better than the last (which was taken last year on my old 1000D)
View this in Large for all the crisp details: www.flickr.com/photos/jcheaphotography/7787761016/sizes/k...
Some tips for capturing great blue city skyline:
- Visit on weekdays when the office buildings are still occupied and there will still be plenty lighting.
- Visit during times of year when the sunset is earlier, before the offices knock-off timing (late autumn, winter or early spring). Winter is also known for clearer skies.
- Feature reflections from any water bodies or include light trails for the additional interest.
- If you are shooting this exact bridge, I learnt from my last shoot that the bridge is not very photographer friendly. One should grab as many exposure of it as soon as the lights come on before the sky gets too dark resulting in bridge getting overexposed.
Last of all, may the good light be with you!
5 exp shot, LEE's 0.6 GND (Soft) and edited in Photoshop
Mount Barker Junction, South Australia.
... at sunset, Norah Head, NSW
Great Alpine Road. Bright. Victoria.
Kangaroo Island. South Australia.
Cape du Couedic. Kangaroo Island. South Australia.
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Iron bridge reflection in Waratah, Tasmania....
I first visited Hopetoun Falls in The Otways back in February. At that time there was very little water flowing over the falls so, following a week...
... one of the many beautiful scenes on offer along Australia's Great Ocean Road
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Oakbank. Adelaide Hills. S.A.
Wetland late afternoon
Cape du Couedic Lighthouse. Kangaroo Island. South Australia.
Hungerford Rd. Kangaroo Island. South Australia
Hahndorf. Adelaide Hills. South Australia.
Flaxman Valley. South Australia.
The parking lot at the bus station in downtown Perth, WA has some colourful pillars!
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Panoramic view from the inside of one of many caves found at Cave's Beach, Swansea, NSW....
Pioneer cottage near Burra, South Australia.
Abandoned church near Hawker. Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
Falls in the Grampians
Thanks to all Phoide contributors to Australia!
Most notably Greg Johnston, David Hamments, George Kurzik, Joao Eduardo Figueiredo, Andrey Sulitskiy, Romain Pontida, J. Chea and Dominic Nessi.