on a poodlewalk with Heather Petty

Heather Petty stayed a couple of days with us at Solway Crescent in Encounter Bay–arriving around 4pm on Friday afternoon. The weather was overcast with a cold sou’westerly wind blowing. Light showers from the south west drifted across the land early on Sunday morning, frustrating my photo session at Petrel Cove.

On Friday afternoon we went on a poodlewalk amongst the coastal rocks near Dep’s beach, and then on Saturday afternoon a poodlewalk around the Hindmarsh River estuary in Victor Harbor to photograph the melaleucas. Kayla stayed very close to Heather whilst we were on these walks.

This is one image that I had scoped on previous walks.The medium format Rolleiflex was used on this occasion as I currently have no large format colour film, and I wanted to finish off the roll of 120 film sitting in the Rollei SL66’s film back.

lagoon, Hindmarsh River estuary

Whilst I was working on this photo Heather was photographing what caught her eye on the sea side of the lagoon with her classically styled Nikon DSLR (Df) with its big zoom lens. The poodles, preferring Heather’s company to mine, went off with her and stayed with Heather.

After our individual photo sessions around the lagoon we all linked up, and hung out together, amongst the melaleucas on the northern edge of the Hindmarsh River. I finished off my roll of film, and I then spent a bit of time scoping the melaleucas for a future black and white session. I have one roll of 120 colour film left.

melaleuca, Hindmarsh River estuary

The melaleucas, from experience, photograph best in black and white. I was scoping as I currently have no black and white film. More film is in transit from B+H in New York.

Heather left Solway Cresent on Sunday morning after breakfast having gone on an early morning poodlewalk to, and up, Rosetta Head with Suzanne and Maleko. She says that she finds Encounter Bay a break from her urban life in Adelaide, that photographing whilst on poodlewalks is relaxing, and that it allows her to lose herself in the moment.