Morning Smoke

March 30, 2013May 15, 2013 / Mike / 18 Comments

I woke to a strong smell of smoke.

After an initial panic, I realised that the back-burning of fuel buildup in the forest around us must have started. The summer months are a time of caution in many parts of Australia. Many of the eucalyptus trees shed their bark annually, along with leaves, leading to a buildup of dry, tinder-like matter on the forest floor. Combine that with temperatures that have reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) this year and lightning strikes or careless people, and you have a recipe for serious fires.

The smoke plus the morning mist we get up here in the Blue Mountains, led to pretty low visibility as I made my way to the train station for work.

The Three Sisters at Dawn

December 14, 2012March 31, 2013 / Mike / 25 Comments

I am finding my eye is drawn more and more towards black and white for landscapes, particularly when the rolling hills and mist are composed of such subtle tones.

Click for a larger photo.

The Three Sisters at Dawn - FujiFilm X-E1 + XF35mm f1.4

Mount Solitary from Echo Point

December 11, 2012March 21, 2013 / Mike / 4 Comments

I woke early on Sunday morning. It was still dark, and I took the short drive up to Katoomba, and Echo Point, to see the sun rise above the Three Sisters. It was a magical experience. Echo Point can get busy with tourists during the day, but I had the place to myself, and the weather was clear.

Amongst other shots, I took a series that covered the view I had across the valley, with Mount Solitary in the distance. The layers of hills, and the mist gave a wonderful effect, that emphasised the scale of this landscape. I know I talk about the scale of things here a lot, but it still amazes me. Even the highlands of Scotland look relatively compact, compared to this.

I stitched the photos together using Photoshop’s panoramic merge tool, and for a first attempt, I was quite pleased. I am tempted to return and make a better job, then get a good print made. This is definitely best viewed on a wall.

Clicking on the photo will get you a larger view.

Swimming holes and exploration

December 6, 2012March 21, 2013 / Mike / 3 Comments

Summer is here, and with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Centigrade (that’s 104 Fahrenheit for our American cousins) some days, we wanted to explore the Blue Mountains National Park. With shade from its trees and the prospect of taking our son paddling in the swimming holes, we headed out for Jellybean pool on a Saturday morning.

To our joy, no-one else was there, and we had a couple of hours to ourselves, exploring and splashing around, and I had some time to try out the Fujinon XF60mmF2.4 Macro on my new X-E1. While most people seem to go for the XF35, the XF60 is a fantastic lens to have in my camera bag. The focal length meant I could stay far enough away from my son while he played that I didn’t distract him (although the photo of him digging in the sand ended up in a major engineering project for us – I think he was trying to tunnel back to the UK). At wide apertures, the XF60 is able to separate the subject and background really nicely, and has almost Zeiss-like micro-contrast. It’s also extremely sharp. I can see this doubling up as a nice portrait lens. As a macro lens, it performs very well, although it only does 1:2 magnification, rather than the 1:1 of most macro lenses. I was able to hand-hold these shots (and remember, there is no image stabilisation) perfectly well. So, this lens inevitably makes compromises to achieve all these things at the size and weight Fuji have managed to get this down to, but for the extra usability (and the ease with which I can carry it around), it trumps my Canon 100mm macro lens, hands down.

Something else I learned – calling something Jellybean pool can lead to confectionary-related disappointment for a 4 year-old!

Jellybean pool – Fujifilm X-E1 + XF60mmF2.4 Macro

Reflections at Jellybean pool – Fujifilm X-E1 + XF60mmF2.4 Macro

Campfire remains at Jellybean pool – Fujifilm X-E1 + XF60mmF2.4 Macro

Lichen at Jellybean pool – Fujifilm X-E1 + XF60mmF2.4 Macro

Digging in the sand at Jellybean pool – Fujifilm X-E1 + XF60mmF2.4 Macro

Exploring at Jellybean pool – – Fujifilm X-E1 + XF60mmF2.4 Macro

Red shoes at Jellybean pool – Fujifilm X-E1 + XF60mmF2.4 Macro

The Purple Carpet

November 27, 2012March 21, 2013 / Mike / Leave a comment

The small size and weight of the FujiFilm X-system continues to change the nature of my photography. My XE-1 is always in my work bag now, affording me previously missed opportunities.

The Jacaranda tree stands out with its beautiful pastel purple flowers. I’d never seen one before I came to Australia, but they have become my favourite, and I pass many on my morning walk to the railway station.

There was a storm last night, and the wind shook the boughs, causing showers of the flowers to land on the ground underneath the trees. They form a purple carpet, and I am the first to walk through them.

Jacaranda Blossoms – FujiFilm X-E1 + XF35mm F1.4 R

Cherry Blossom in Spring

September 1, 2012March 31, 2013 / Mike / 4 Comments

I’m still thrown by the seasons and the southern hemisphere!

It’s now September, which means Spring is here. The cherry trees in the Blue Mountains are bursting forth with their blossoms, and the air is filled with the scent of the trees.

Cherry Blossom

Settling In and Early Morning Light

July 31, 2012March 31, 2013 / Mike / 4 Comments

We’re still settling in to our new house. The creak of the floorboards, the sound of the birds up here in the Blue Mountains, all the little things you discover as you get to know a place.

This morning I woke up early, and while my family were still sleeping I got to sit with a coffee and watch the light change as the sun rose.