Lush at Altitude

Apologies for the dearth of posts in August! My laptop was in the shop for work, and with work being so pressing I completely forgot about the photo blog! Here’s a frame from May 8^th, 2011, taken at Loftier Botanic Gardens on a visit with friends. The park is just behind Mt Lofty in the Adelaide Hills and in fact runs up to the ridge line. These are lush, tropic plants that do well in the moisture available at altitude—there is a defile known as Fern Gully, and you can certainly see why! Nothing clever here, but the composition is pleasing, the light conditions excellent, and the exposure spot on. Minor adjustments to colour, contrast and sharpness in Irfanview; Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

 

Nature’s Effortless Disrespect

Humans modify their landscape—they are compulsive builders. We memorialise our perception of greatness, and such things long outlive their subjects—ask any Pharaoh. But the natural world is oblivious of such things, and competes with the human need to control entropy. Like the need to weed a garden—perhaps the ultimate expression of futility—we erect monuments to last the ages, while nature has a casual disrespect for such notions, in fact is in permanent violation of them. I took this picture in Mowbray Park, Sunderland, in November, 2011, during my fourth UK trip. This statue is of General Sir Henry Havelock, a local, who distinguished himself in India in the early 19^th century, and while he may be standing up there in cast bronze, on a stone plinth and surrounded with canons—how many symbols of imperialism can you get into one place at one time?—nature casually mocks such human constructs. It’s the seagull, of course. I shot the statue from several angles and distances, under that glowering, stormy sky, but that bird did not move an inch, and finally, I accepted it as part of the tableau of the moment—embodying the narrative of nature’s obliviousness to human precocity. The man may have been a hero and a figure associated with national and imperial power, but to a bird—nature—he’s just a perch. And that’s a profound observation on human nonsense, really. Minor adjustments to colour, contrast and sharpness in Irfanview; Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

 

Reflections in a Mountain Lake

You need to be where the picture is to get the picture—that’s a truism of all photography. You can visit the same place a dozen times and get a dozen different results, down to the weather conditions, time of day and time of year (thus light angle and intensity) and so forth. This is Loftier Gardens, the botanical gardens behind Mount Lofty summit, above Adelaide, South Australia, and I’ve shot the lake many times over the years. But on this day –January 24^th, 2025—the angle and quality of light were just right. There was little breeze, so the lake was quite calm, thus the potential for mirror-like reflections was there. I shot a series of frames from the hill walk on the east side, near the public shelter, and the quality of the colour was quite amazing. At altitude the gardens remain green despite South Australia’s harsh summers, and are a haven from conditions on the plain. This is a simple snap, no cleverness involved, other than an eye for composition, and while it could be better—less clutter at the foot of the frame perhaps—it’s satisfying as a snap goes. Minor adjustments to colour, contrast and sharpness in Irfanview; Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

Placid Waters

A simple shot but it has the feel of a classical painting—the composition of the far shore and island, reflected in the barely-rippled surface... This is Playford Lake at Belair National Park, South Australia, a frequently-shot destination, and though the scenery remains more or less the same, time of day can dramatically change how the lake looks. Light, is, after all, everything, and the lake can often demand to be photographed by the sensitive observer. I captured this frame during a hills meander on May 9^th, 2023, looking east from the top end of the lake. Frame-up and keeping the image level were the keys here. Minor adjustments to contrast and sharpness in Irfanview; Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

 

Classical-Style Composition

As with the “Hidden in the Woods” post, this is another ‘see-it-snap-it’ composition. When one’s eye is attuned to composition in the manner of art, landscapes and structures sometimes come together from various perspectives and ‘gel’ in the sense of looking just-so. The buildings, half seen through the trees, may be taken to be the subject matter, but the woods are the statement of nature overlying human influence on the world. The arch of the foliage at the top almost frames the picture, while the conformation is suggestive of Fragonard or Constable. It was a grey, soft-light day when I snapped this, in November, 2011, in Mowbray Park, Sunderland, during my fourth UK expedition. I adjusted colour, contrast and sharpness in Irfanview, plus some squaring up with fine rotation; Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

 

Momentary Sun

The sun finding a way through the overcast elevates moody, murky images into clear, colourful pieces with an upbeat feel. I snagged this frame in the gardens of the York Museum in the November of 2011, on my fourth UK trip for the purposes of presenting at a conference at the University of Sunderland. York has been a favourite place since childhood and I often tried to swing by when I was in the northeast. After thick weather for much of the trip, the appearance of sunshine during my afternoon in York was a welcome change, and I was lucky enough to be among the gardens and ruins of the medieval St Mary’s Abbey. The place offered interesting compositions, and the light made it all the more worthwhile. Squared up with custom rotation; minor adjustments to colour, contrast and sharpness in Irfanview; Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

How to Cheat at Wildlife Photography

 

Since when have I been a birding photographer? That’s my sister’s province, and I wouldn’t dream of trying it! But this was a little different. This pic was taken at Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary in the Adelaide Hills, on October 31^st, 2018, during an afternoon visit, and those who have been there will know how it came about. The restaurant has a long wall of plate glass looking into a protected garden where the birds come to feeders, and if you’re a fair hand with zoom and framing, you can grab studies like this from your seat. The chip handled the lighting conditions wonderfully. Cheating, yes, but I was not going to turn down the chance of a pic like this when the birds were barely three metres from me, and sitting still to be photographed! This picture was mot enhanced in any way. Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Glittering Waters

The sun broke through and made merry with these fountains, so they were recorded from multiple perspectives. These are the fountains in Hyde Park, London, photographed on November 2^nd, 2010. This was my second day in England on that trip, and I took a walk through Hyde Park from the north side, down to the Albert Memorial and Hall, taking in the Serpentine, the sky mirrors, the Peter Pan statue and more. I have a few other frames from this batch that are well worth a look. Colour and contrast were tweaked—the day was generally overcast and fully embodied the different quality the light has in those latitudes at that time of year, such a marked contrast to here in Australia. Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

In the Garden of Calm

This is another frame from Himeji Garden, Adelaide, South Australia, which I captured on October 20^th, 2016, when I took a day in town with my sister in law, on a visit Down Under. Nothing clever from a photographic aspect here other than composition perhaps—just a beautiful place that’s always so nice to see. Minimal enhancement. Fuji FinePix S5600. Image by Mike.

Painted Reflections

 

Reflections in water are one of my favourite things to photograph. They’re ever-changing, completely dependent on the light and wind conditions, and the artistic effects are always pleasing. This is Playford Lake, at Belair National Park, South Australia, which I‘ve shot many, many times over the years. Depending on the time of day, the most amazing studies can be taken from the path that circles the lake. If I remember correctly, this is a long telephoto shot from the west end of the lake, looking back to the western end of the island, and the light angle suggests quite early in the day. This shot was one of many taken when the light was just right on November 15^th, 2023. Minor tweaks to contrast and colour only. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Any Day in the Park

 

People in general sometimes take our National Parks for granted, which is a shame as they really deserve our very finest appreciation. Belair was Australia's first National Park, established in the 1880s, and remains one of the best—as parks-pass holders we used the place as a frequent getaway for a day among green spaces and wildlife. I caught this image on September 9^th, 2020, on the trail leading op from Old Government Farm to the ridge overlooking much of the park, with views to the sea, and it struck me at the time that the interplay of light and shadow was nothing short of magic. The steep embankment up to the trees, its ranks of vegetation each catching the sun at that precise angle, could not have been more perfect if an artist had executed the composition—the sort of fleeting moment an artist would wait for, then sketch furiously in a swift tonal values study, and commit to canvas later. The image has been adjusted slightly—contrast, colour and sharpness. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Reflections in a Tranquil Pond

After thirteen and a half years, “Digital Kosmos” is alive and well. New posts will be appearing irregularly, so check back for a wealth of photography from Australia and overseas!

Here we see one of Adelaide's best-kept secrets, Himeji Gardens, on South Terrace, part of the South Parklands. Adelaide is twinned with many cities around the world, including Himeji, Japan, and these gardens celebrate that relationship with a traditional Japanese water garden, including a dry Zen garden, a bridge over the pond, bamboo wall architecture, and many imported species. One can enjoy quiet moments here, as the surroundings encourage a contemplative spirit, and a half hour on an airy afternoon is known to recharge one's batteries for coping city life once more. I took this image on the 9^th June, 2012. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

A Winter's Afternoon

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The low sun tells you how far north Stockton, Cleveland, UK, is: this was early afternoon and the sun is behind the trees of Ropner Park, whose skeletal boughs reflect the early December date and the fact they will be covered with snow very soon. It was a raw day in winter, 2006, filled with dramatic light and colour, the sort of photographic opportunities that are perhaps rarer in Australia. Sharpened and contrast-balanced, and, stark as this image is, extra colour was added. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

The Trees of Winter

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The skeletal trees of winter always mean the deciduous forests of the north, no matter where in the world such trees may have been transplanted. A momentary blue sky through flying clouds outlined these groping, gothic boughs on a winter's afternoon in December 2006, as I walked through Ropner Park, in Stockton, Yorkshire, UK. This is a 19th century park which has recently been restored to its early form, and it's quite amazing how much has been done with comparitively little land. A lake, a playing field, gardens, forest, a bandstand, a tea room, all very scenic -- and here, with a touch of seasonal melancholy as the leaves were falling and showers went through. The photograph was simply a frame-and-shoot, and was enhanced with tweaks to colour, contrast and sharpness. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Lakeside illusions

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I became interested in panoramic images some time ago, when I found I had a pile of photos where the interesting material was at top, bottom or middle, while the remaining two thirds of the pictures were so boring, there wasn't much you could do with the overall "raw" frames. This one is slightly different. You have a beautiful lakeside shot ... a magical grove, utterly perfect. The problem is, there was a concrete pathway in the top of the shot, and a handrail and standpipe in the bottom of the shot! This image was captured at Loftia Gardens (South Australia) a few years ago, and as glorious as Loftia is, it's not quite a natural environment. Paths, signs, people, park benches, cars, standpipes -- it can be tough to keep them out of the shot. So I played with radical cropping and came up with this super-panorama, which is quite striking! Photo by Jade, 2006.

Alien beauty

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It has the look of an alien species ... perhaps a specimen brought back to earth from a distant and very different planet. The impression is powerful, and gives you a little taste of what the reaction of Captain Cook's crew must have been to the flora and fauna they encountered in Australia. This was indeed an alien world. You're viewing the whole image here, the full frame -- no cropping was needed; and I haven't done anything to the colors, brightness or contrast. This is that rare photo -- perfect as it is. This Australian native flowering shrub (apologies -- I can't identify it for you; not a warratah ... Banksia of some kind?) was photographed at Wittunga Botanical Gardens, in South Australia, in 2007. Photo by Jade.

Natural Backlight

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Sometimes a great shot just walks into your lens: this was a shot begging to be taken. A cool, sunny Sunday afternoon in Greenwich Park, east London, with the low sun of early December (2007) backlighting the trees in their rich colours. The mounted Police were on patrol and I waited for pedestrians to clear the frame, lined up a patch of sunshine, cranked in plenty of optical zoon and let the horses walk into my viewfinder. The shadows flow directly toward the viewer while the sun makes the yellow leaves shine as if luminous. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Photo by Mike.