Some oldies get Bronze

Here’s a couple of other images that I’ve had for quite some time that went ok in the recent Landscape 500 photography competition held by Christian Fletcher.

Bronze in Landscape 500- Score 77

The first image here is from a while ago down in the Stirling Ranges. Read my previous post for info on this image.

Bronze in the Landscape 500- Score 77

I also took this image a while back in Albany. For the full post check out this post.

Click here to see my other competition results.

 

The simple things

Well the simple things in life aren’t always free, but quite often it’s the small pleasing feelings in life that remind you what it’s all about. A few years ago I never would have thought i’d be publishing my own calendars, and now i’m on my third.

I’m a bit delayed on this posting due to being flat out in preperation for my move to Newman, but the feeling you get when you see your work published is one I always enjoy. The feeling you get when you show that product to people, who then have a smile come across their face, as they relive their own experiences in the locations makes all the early mornings and long days worth while.

So with this, i’m please to announce that my 2011 Landscape Calendars are now in my possession. So make sure you head over to the 2011 Calendar page to check it out. Also the images featuring in this years can be found on the images page.

If you’ve not done so already, don’t forget to sign up for my Facebook Fanpage. Here you will receive all the latest news and images, as well as partake in competitions.

Living on the edge

This is another image from Two Peoples Bay, found near Albany. Very very close to the image I had in mind, and my favorite of the images i’ve got from here to this stage.

Living on the edge

I was really drawn to the tree hanging on to the rock, as a matter of fact it had stuck in my mind ever since the first time I saw it. And I was very excited to try and use it in an image upon my return. The water here is so clear, and as it’s so shallow you can still see all the rocks on the bottom. I was actually set up further along the beach, taking images very similar to my previous photo, but with the late afternoon sun hitting the rocks. The sun went behind some thick clouds on the horizon, so I thought the chance of a good sunset had disappeared with it.

So as I waited for the light to improve, I walked down to the rocks and clambered over this scene. Just as I got here, the light went insane! What had happened was the sun was below the horizon, still with the thick cloud killing any direct light from it. But there was a lot of higher cloud, and that was acting as a huge natural reflector to the left of this, and as it lit up- cast this perfect light across the rocks and scene. I sprinted back to get my camera, and got back with minutes to spare. It was interesting balancing out on this rock, but was well worth it in the end.

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Two Peoples Bay- Albany

From the first time I saw these rocks, I knew there were a few images to be found amongst them. So I’ve headed there a few times since to get it, but never quite got it. I took it to the next level on my trip South a few months ago, and stayed for 2 nights at the Kalgan River Caravan Park, which is about 10min drive from this location. So i’d have a good chance of getting something I like.

Two Peoples Bay Dawn

Unfortunately Albany put it on for me….. and I got 2 days solid of rain haha. No surprise really. But,  it gave me a chance to get a nice atmospheric image. Again I know haha… one day I may get a “happy cheerfull” image, until then you’ll have to settle for these

I got up nice and early to get out here in the hope for a ripper sunrise over the rocks. The cloud was in real thick, and as you can see there was no light to be had. In the low light however I was able to lengthen up the exposure, really flattening the ripples in the water. From there the rocks were the perfect subject.

I still find it funny with this image, because literally a meter behind me, was seaweed. Mounded up about a meter deep along the whole section of beach. It was pretty horrid to walk through lol.

And to Neal and Kirk, to think yus went all the way to America, and Lake Tahoe to get rocks like this. When they’re in your own backyard the whole time Maybe not quite the same, but they’ll do me for a while anyway haha.

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The Perfect Australian Beach

Here’s a photo I took at what has to be one of the most beautiful beach i’ve ever been to. It’s Little Beach- found in the Two Peoples Bay National Park. Two Peoples Bay is located about 30min East of Albany, and is home to a number of rare and endangered animals including the Noisy Scrub Bird, and the Gilberts Potoroo- both of which were declared as extinct for a number of years until being re-discovered in this pocket of bushland.

Little Beach

The day I was here was quite overcast and windy- both of which don’t make it easy to get a nice beach image. But waiting patiently for the sun to come out proved rewarding. The blue’s of this water are unbelievable under the bright sun- and when you look into a wave it’s as close to clear glass as you could imagine. Next task was to wait patiently once more for a nice breaking wave to come through- which was near impossible to line up with the sun being out haha, so after about half an hour both combined.

We’re pretty spoilt with the beaches we have here in WA that’s for sure!

I definitely look forward to returning to this beach sometime- with a few idea’s for some images i’d like to get

You can view more of my South West Coast posts here

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2010 Landscape Calendar

Well some of you may know about, or did see my 2009 Calendar, which went very well for a first off effort. Due to that success i’m happy to announce i’ve had a freshly published calendar for 2010.  A slightly different design, and much better images have combined for what i’m sure you’ll agree is an even better edition this time round!

Cover

As with last year, it’s a high quality machine pressed calendar, with a unique design and personal spiel for each image. Very different, and higher print quality to the mass produced calendars in most shops.

With a print run of 1000 copies, and sales outdoing last year you’ll need to get in quick if you wish to secure a copy. Appolgies for the lateness of the post notifying of this, as i’ve only just managed to get all the artwork together to get them on the net.

They are available direct through me- for $12 plus a small postage fee, which I can provide upon inquiry. Also if you purchase 3- you’ll receive a 4th for free.

If you’re interested, you can contact me via e-mail at

enquiries@swilliamsphotos.com

A big thank you to the team at Point Graphics who were fantastic during the process, and a big reason for the tweaks in design.

January

January Text

Back Cover

A beautiful Albany Sunset

Here’s the second image from what was an amazing sunset I was lucky enough to get at Whalers Cove in Albany. It really is a gorgeous beach, as close to perfect as you could get- the mozzies must agree as they were there in force as well! Once again this is facing East- and as you can see the clouds lit up wonderfully. Waiting for a small wave to wet the sand in front of the rock to give it the added bonus of a slight reflection I think has paid off.

Albany Sunset

It’s one of my favorite images from the trip- and is one growing on me everyday. I hope you enjoy it too

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The highs of photography

Well after the doom and gloom lately I thought i’d best post something a bit brighter. Who would have thought that 24hrs later- my emotions would be completely the opposite as when I stood here on this beautiful beach in Albany. I headed out for a new location to shoot- and went into the Torndirrup National Park. Better known for the Gap and Natural Bridge. Instead of heading all the way out to that end of the headland I went out to the Vancouver Peninsula. As usual racing against the light, which was looking very very promising- I dismissed the first beach I went to, and then came across this stunner!

Whalers Cove

Whalers Cove, really just lends itself to photography. The sky to the West was fantastic! But I took preference to the East facing beach in the hope that the clouds would light up also. Facing West I think would have been a waste anyway as there was no real way for me to capture the beauty that was unfolding. Needless to say my punt paid off- and in an amazing 10 min light show I strolled along firing at will. Wow, this photography stuff is easy isn’t it

Probably got 3 keepers from the session- and another couple that weren’t too shabby either.

I hope you enjoy this also

You can view more of my Albany posts here

If you’re interested in purchasing a South West image, please visit my site

Albany

On a trip through the South West a few months ago, we spent one night in Albany after a couple of day’s at the Stirling Ranges. Setting off to scout some locations for a sunset shoot we rounded the bend at the head of Middleton Beach, to come across a large crowd at the lookout. Curiosity took over and we stopped and looked, sure enough there were some whales at the base of the cliffs. Not even 10m off the shore it was a stunning site. Needless to say we sat and watched for a while, and didn’t leave enough time to scout a location.

I decided to go down the hill to some nice rocks and see what I could get, as it was so late there was nothing to lose. We ended up in a little rocky cove, but nothing really took my eye. So I left Alysia there and clambered around the rocks a bit further to see what was there. I looked back, and suddenly the cove we were in looked alot more interesting, and I set up for the shoot.

Perched/wedged in a precarious position on a boulder with not much room anywhere, I was constantly getting wet feet and legs from the sea splashing up on the rocks. Not to let that worry me I kept shooting as the light got better and better. Then it happened….

First I see the swell…I think oh…could get a bit of splash here….then it grows….I think oh…..could get quite wet here….then it grows more…I grab tripod with right hand….put hand in between camera and sea (yeah cos that’s going to do anything..) ….. and then SPLASH!!!!! I’m soaked head to toe instantly, camera is soaked.

Somehow senses kicked in and I had the camera turned off and battery out before the wave had settled. Throwing camera, lens, filters into the bag I skate across the slippery rocks back to the cove. Where of course I am greeted by the “oh you look a lil wet” from the girlfriend…

So I gave the tripod to her and sprinted back up the hill, to nearly run into some walkers on the path who looked very surprised to see a man dressed as a drowned rat emerge from the bush! I get back to car and pull everything apart and dry slowly in front of the cars a/c vents. At the end of the day it all came up well, and despite lenses and filters needing a very good clean nothing was wrong with the equipment. Still…it’s not what you want on the 3rd day of a trip!

Middleton Dreaming

I like the rocks in the foreground of this shot, and the sloping rocks going into the water. The rocks are great in that part of the world! The sky was starting to turn nice, but probably needed another couple of minutes to go real nice. But nothing can be done with that. There were some nice atmospheric clouds going past the other side of the harbour, some which are getting lit by the setting sun. It is still weird looking at this image knowing what happened about 30 seconds later! It looks so peaceful and surreal.

Here is another shot of a mother and calf Humpback whale just off the coast the following day. Not a great shot at all but seeing these beautiful creatures up close is unforgettable!

I hope everyone had a great christmas, and all the best for the new years

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West Cape Howe

This is the second of my images I got from my trip down South with mates earlier this year. We were staying at the Stirling Ranges and went into Albany for what has become out traditional “Macca’s Run”. 2 hours of driving for some unhealthy food… We usually do a few things other then that too, and on this occasion I took them to West Cape Howe. About half an hour West of Albany.

I’ve been there a few times, and it’s a great area with sand tracks leading out to secluded beaches. We were running pretty late to get anywhere in time. And I ended up deciding to turn down a track i’d not actually been down before. With light fading rapidly we ended up at this beach.

West Cape Sunset

The rocks in the region are quite stunning, and provide you with many composition opportunities. In this image I thought the big rock provided some nice foreground interest. And then the overall feel of the scene nearly comes across as metallic. With some unusual colours picked up with the long exposure. It was nearly too dark to see so was about 15 min after sunset from memory. It is also one of only a couple that don’t have some silly kids (my mates) running through the scene. Got some nice one’s, then I look closer… and then I swear!!

This image I feel is much better, but i’ve already posted it a few times already. It did have some success in competitions in the past so was briefly covered in those posts.

Rocky Dreams

What’s one more time hey

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