Christmas Down-under

[Lonnie Utah]

From downunder! Did you miss me?

This was a family holiday and I had remarkably little time to shoot, and even less time under the best conditions. On the plus side I had a geat time with my wife's family. Went to the beach alot, played with their boys alot, and visited wine country for a couple of days.

On to the goods.

#1 Manly Beach


#2 Manly Harbor (best sky of the trip)


3# Sydney Skyline from the Manly Ferry


More here.

I'll post more as I get them worked up.

[Greg Beetham]

Oh I see, you went waay down south, I've been to Sydney once when I was about two years old (so I'm told), they get some good shows down there, international artists, but we get quite a few here as well, believe it or not, Roy Orbison for example, came a couple of times.
Greg

[Lonnie Utah]

Good shots Lonnie, where abouts did you go?
Greg

My brother in law and sister in law live in Fairlight so I mostly hung out in that area. I got to the city a couple of times for a few hours. I fought the crowds at the fish market on Christmas eve (that was a big missed photo opp), ate prawns and Morton Bay Bugs on Christmas day, watched the start of Sydney to Hobart from the heads on Boxing day, went up to Hunter Valley for a night, watched the aussies lose the ashes from a little working class pub (Sorry mates!), did some walking around bondi mid morning one day and hung out at the beach with my nephews. I didn't make it to the blue mountains, nor to much of the bush where I'm sure there are tremendous photo ops for the type of photography I like to do. Next time I go my wife will not be preggers and that will give me many more options.

L

[Greg Beetham]

Sounds like you had a good time just the same even without much scenic photography, I guess next time you could go on a tour, or even better hire a camper or such and please yourself. Drop in and say hi next time, my shout.
Greg

ps. We lost the ashes cause the Poms cheated, they went and brought out a much better team than we had.

[Lonnie Utah]

A couple more


Not 100% happy with this one, be careful when using a polarizer on an UWA lens. It can do funky things to the sky. I like the rest of the shot...

[mvanrheenen]

If I understand it correctly, using a polarizer on an UWA lens usually leads to skies being unevenly polarized. Maybe that's true for this picture? It looks to me like the sky on the left is darker than in center, but that could also be vignetting.

Still nice pics though, especially the waterfall.

[Greg Beetham]

I guess there's always the chance that there could have been a bit of white haze in the sky where it appears in the photo, it wouldn't be the first time I've seen that.
Actually I don't think we get much of that kind of country around these parts, eucalypt scrub with ferns, it's usually one thing or the other here mostly, scrub with Mitchel grass, or large trees, pine, oak, cedar, ash, walnut etc. vines and ferns in the rainforest with not much of an in between, one stops and the other starts.
Greg

[Lonnie Utah]

Next stop from this spot, New Zealand....

[Lonnie Utah]

Say hello to my little friend....



Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii)

[Birma]

Fabulous pictures Lonnie. Look s like a great place for a Chirstmas break. I look forward to your future trips through the outback with the A900 etc. .

(Greg -as to the Ashes, you have to let us have a victory on Aussie soil now and again - after all, it doesn't happen very often. I was in short trousers the last time it happened .)

[Greg Beetham]

You're welcome Birma, it'll do em good to be put in their place, I thought they were too full of themselves anyway.
Greg