clouds Archives - Page 3 of 5

March 4, 2018March 14, 2018

such a bleak landscape

We were stunned at how dry, brown and bleak the South Australian landscape was when we were driving down to Encounter Bay from Adelaide. We had just flown into Adelaide from spending a couple of weeks travelling, walking and photographing in New Zealand.

It was a real shock after experiencing the greenness and lushness of the New Zealand landscape in both the North and the South Islands. After experiencing frequent rain, flowing streams and rivers, and lush green bush, we were taken back by the dryness. Hell, we thought, we live in this dry, bleak landscape.

I had noticed the brown landscape as we flew across Victoria and South Australia on route from Melbourne to Adelaide, but up close and walking in this landscape was a shock.

Yesterday afternoon, when I walked along the coastal path and the rocks on a late afternoon walk with Maleko, I didn’t even bother to take a camera with me. I couldn’t see the point. Continue reading “such a bleak landscape”

February 9, 2018February 9, 2018

walking the CBD in 35-40 degree temperatures

It was a relief to return to the coast of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula late yesterday afternoon, after spending around 5 hours walking the CBD of Adelaide in 35-40 degrees heat.

I had taken the Subaru Outback into the West Terrace Jarvis in Adelaide for its regular service. Walking the city and photographing it with the new Sony A7r111 seemed like a good way to fill in time until I could pick up the car. I could then see how Adelaide had changed from when I had lived there.

Adelaide was on the cusp of change as we were living –becoming a post-industrial city. The urban life was more vibrant.

So I walked around the CBD from 8am to 1pm. However, I struggled in the summer heat and gave up the photography after walking around the new medical precinct along the western part of North Terrace.

Eventually I packed walking the city in for some air conditioned comfort. I ended up at the Flinders University City Gallery, and relaxed by looking at the impressive Helen Read Collection of Aboriginal art from the top end of Australia.
Continue reading “walking the CBD in 35-40 degree temperatures”

December 22, 2017December 23, 2017

to walk the Heritage Trail

And so it was on one fine summer morning that Kayla and I set out just after sunrise to walk along the Heritage Trail to Dep’s Beach and beyond. The sun was popping in and out of the morning cloud cover, the coastal wind was still light, and the Nankeen kestrels were keeping us company.

We past the spot of the swirling seas and we made it to the western end of Dep’s Beach without encountering any kangaroos, runners, photographers or trail bike riders.

I had a photoshoot planned of the rocks lying west of the beach–I envisioned a picture of the granite rocks with soft morning light playing across their surface with a bit of cloud above them. Continue reading “to walk the Heritage Trail”

December 8, 2017February 9, 2018

clouds

The very changeable, early summer weather that we have been experiencing at Encounter Bay in South Australia, has meant that there has been some good clouds along the coast. We have had hot days, cold days, sunshine, rain, lots of gusty wind from the south-west, calm days and striking cloud formations:

We have been walking along the coast, rather than the Bluff, and we’ve often we’ve been caught in the wet weather whilst walking in the morning and the evening, and I have had to find whatever shelter amongst the rocks that I could until the quickly moving squall had passed. Continue reading “clouds”

September 17, 2017August 27, 2018

a spring morning

The stormy weather has gone.

In its place are cool southerly winds, blue skies, calmer seas and lots of bright sunshine. The winter grasses are drying out, grass seeds are attaching themselves to the coats of the poodles as we walk along the cliff top path, and I have itchy eyes and a running nose from my allergies to grass seeds.

Mornings like this are now a memory:

Early morning scenes like this are momentary. They are there one minute gone the next. The light is constantly changing, as are the waves.They are impossible to photograph with a medium or large format camera on a tripod.

Continue reading “a spring morning”

April 10, 2017

field, sea, sky

I have started to walk along the back country roads looking for photographic subjects whilst on the afternoon poodle walks with Kayla and Maleko. I have become tired of sitting in front of the computer screen working on the texts of The Bowden Archives book and I am looking for a break.

This is an example of my recent scoping, from an afternoon last week when we were walking along the road to the old Victor Harbor dump:

Waitpingafieldsea

After the dump shifted to Goolwa the ‘no through’ road now leads to the Kings Beach Retreats. There is not much traffic during the week so it is a good back road to walk along with the standard poodles.

Continue reading “field, sea, sky”

November 10, 2016

restricted walks

The morning and evening poodlewalks have become limited in scope and diversity. Ari is now 15 years old. He has slowed down and he is unsteady on his back legs. He can no longer walk over rocks, and so we are limited to walking along the beach. That limits the walk for the other standard poodle (Kayla the morning and Maleko in the afternoon) and it restricts my photography severely.

One option that I have explored has been to make a return to Petrel Cove:

Another reason why we havre limited to the beach is the grass seeds among the roadside vegetation of the back country roads or the costal reserves. The grass seeds are drying out and, as they cling to the poodle’s woollen coats and feet, the back country roads are becoming increasingly becoming out of bounds.
Continue reading “restricted walks”

October 24, 2016

a softer light

I’ve just returned from 12 days travelling to and from Lajamanu in the north Tanami desert. I thoroughly enjoyed walking along the beach in the early morning light with the poodles–Ari and Maleko–on Sunday morning. The light, after the stormy weather, was soft compared to that of the Tanami desert.

In the Tanami Desert I only had half an hour in both the morning or evening to take photos before the light became harsh and glarey. There is a longer time here on the southern coast for photography especially in the late spring evenings with their longish twilights.
Continue reading “a softer light”

July 30, 2016

After the storms

The recent stormy, winter weather has meant that our poodle walks have been mostly along the back country roads since they offer some protection from the wind. We have only infrequently walked along the coastline because it is usually windswept: battered by the south-westerly winds and intense rain.

The picture below is from one of the rare occasions during July that we ventured onto Rosetta Head. We waited in the Subaru Forester for the squalls to pass through, then we went for our walk around Rosetta Head keeping an eye on the incoming squalls coming from the south.

Whilst we were waiting in the Subaru for the squalls to pass I took some photos of the landscape through the windscreen of the Forester.
Continue reading “After the storms”

July 6, 2016

winter

Winter so far has been wet, very wet, along the coast of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula. Most days it has been raining steadily throughout the day. There are moments of no rain in the morning and afternoon, and these are quickly taken advantage of for our poodle walks.

We had a couple of such moment on the cliff top walk this morning–moments between the squalls that swept in from the south whilst we were walking along Dep Beach, which is west of Petrel Cove. Although it is often very atmospheric the weather only allows for quick snaps.
Continue reading “winter”