Well anyone who knows me, or spends any decent time with me- knows how I feel about the Stirling Ranges…. I love them!!! 
Every chance I get I go there, even if that means a total of 15 hours (of which most was driving) to see snow there last year. Something i’ve experienced a few times there but could never get sick of. I worked down there for a year, which for me is heaven! I used to climb a mountain before work! Oh how many times i’m sitting at work these days dreaming of where i’d rather be. A few of them a week is good for the soul.
So with the global finance crisis taking hold. My company did as so many are doing and forced us to take excess leave. So I thought what better way to use them then going down to my beloved Stirling’s for a few days. So off I set, with a new image in mind. I’ve seen many images of the Stirlings, and really wanted to get out a new vantage point. Something that sums up my love for the place, and shows a different side to the tourist side which is what is mostly shown. A image which has been in my mind for quite some time, but i’ve never quite got it. Then as i’m driving down- I start realizing it might all be falling apart….
As they so often do, the farmers of the area are burning the remnants of their crops from last year, and clearing tree’s and rubbish- also burning. Now with the weather forecast (dry and no wind and no clouds) fresh in my mind I knew what this could mean… haze- and lots of it!
Oh well, i’m here so lets make the most of it! So up I got early to climb Bluff Knoll for sunrise. I misjudged the rise just a lil. Not that it was to matter anyway as when I rocked up at the carpark I bumped into none other then Kirk, Neil and Jamie. Who were down there on their trip. So I hung out with them a bit and watched a pretty ordinary sunrise (one of many to come). It was good to finally meet them. And I would have loved to have got out for a shoot with them- but that never eventuated.
Anyway the next morning I headed round to where I hoped I may be able to snag the shot I was after. They’re probably going to hate me for not informing them of this location. But not really knowing it yet- I couldn’t direct you somewhere I had no idea about. And also I couldn’t give away the prime location I’ve been waiting for, for the last 3 years! Sorry guys, you’ll get it next time
Cotton Candy Hills
Well that’s enough blab from me. Here’s the first shot. As you can see there was an incredible amount of haze. It’s really given the image a very different feel. I like it, i’m still thinking of converting it to B/W as well to give that a go- I just need some more work at the conversions. But the early light coming through the haze has given it some very unusual colouring. I saw the branch in the lake and thought that would make the perfect addition to the reflection part of the image. It would have been great with a nice clean blue sky with the same clouds white. But with the conditions I was given I came away quite happy with this image.
I hope you enjoy it too.
More of my Stirling Ranges Posts can be viewed here
