Our good weather just had to change – we have had perfect weather for our holiday so far but today the clouds rolled over and this time they dropped their load. First thing the rain was too heavy to venture out but hoping that this was just a short shower we busied ourselves with home duties until it dried up.
Grabbing the cameras (most important) and packing a picnic we headed out to explore somewhere that was not too far from base. So off we went South to Sawtell and without even trying, found ourselves at an unmarked nature reserve. The sign simply indicated “lookout” in almost obscure lettering.
Two other cars were parked in the small carpark. We locked the car and walked along the newly trimmed footpath and took our time – for this appeared to be a seldom walked track. The birds were almost tame; they flew very close to me but far too quickly for me to even attempt to capture them on camera.
The leaves and plants were glistening with the rain that had only just stopped and on the fine needles of the she-oak the raindrops looked like pearls.
The light was really poor and for every shot I kept today I actually took two or more beforehand to get the settings right on the camera! If I shot a detail of one of the many trees I would find that the first shot would be really underexposed and when I took a view shot of the ocean and the curve of the bay I would find that I under-estimated how bright it was! So photographically today was a real challenge!
The view from the headland was “ok” but for me the perfect condition of the selection of plants that bordered the walk provided me with plenty of camera fodder.
I could hear a whip bird very close at one point and although I stood still and waited I could not see it at all nor even work out where in the undergrowth it was. I have never managed to take a photo of a whip bird.
Even when the weather is grim there is still beauty to be found. You just have to look for it.
AJ
Grabbing the cameras (most important) and packing a picnic we headed out to explore somewhere that was not too far from base. So off we went South to Sawtell and without even trying, found ourselves at an unmarked nature reserve. The sign simply indicated “lookout” in almost obscure lettering.
Two other cars were parked in the small carpark. We locked the car and walked along the newly trimmed footpath and took our time – for this appeared to be a seldom walked track. The birds were almost tame; they flew very close to me but far too quickly for me to even attempt to capture them on camera.
The leaves and plants were glistening with the rain that had only just stopped and on the fine needles of the she-oak the raindrops looked like pearls.The light was really poor and for every shot I kept today I actually took two or more beforehand to get the settings right on the camera! If I shot a detail of one of the many trees I would find that the first shot would be really underexposed and when I took a view shot of the ocean and the curve of the bay I would find that I under-estimated how bright it was! So photographically today was a real challenge!
The view from the headland was “ok” but for me the perfect condition of the selection of plants that bordered the walk provided me with plenty of camera fodder.I could hear a whip bird very close at one point and although I stood still and waited I could not see it at all nor even work out where in the undergrowth it was. I have never managed to take a photo of a whip bird.
Even when the weather is grim there is still beauty to be found. You just have to look for it.
AJ
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