This was my first visit to Perry Sandhills near Wentworth in New South Wales. ‘Cap in hand’, I did have a fairly strong preconception about the sort of photograph I wanted to come away with from this location – the iconic first light of dawn playing across the dunes with some spectacular cloud formations lit with sunrise colour. Not to much to ask was it?

As is so often the case, the preconception is stronger than the reality; and not just because the weather conspired against me – I ended up with rainstorms; which produced some dramatic and unexpected lighting. Landscape photography at Perry Sandhills presents some fairly unique challenges based on its location, surroundings and weather. To start with the Sandhills themselves are surrounded by ugly Mallee scrub and underbrush that detracts from the softness and curves of the dunes. In addition, the dunes are somewhat overrun with weeds and other distracting vegetation. It is quite difficult to frame a shot without this unwanted element intruding into the scene. I found the best solution was to get down low to the ground with a wide angle lens and then some judicious use of the spot healing tool in Lightroom to clean up any unwanted weeds. Landscape photography is often the art of subtraction rather than addition and choosing what to leave out is often more important than what is included.

The other major photographic obstacle is that the Sandhills are a fairly popular tourist destination so the majority of the dunes are literally covered in footprints. Finding a bit of pristine sand involves some fairly arduous hiking into the dunes; being careful not to walk into a potential photograph. Its very similar to my experiences of landscape photography in the snow. In some instances the addition of a human element such as a footprint can really help (with things such as scale); but generally I try to avoid showing the hand or rather foot of man in my landscape photography.

This first photograph was taken just after a rain storm about ten minutes before sunset. The light was quite dramatic and the rain helped greatly with saturation of the dunes. I used a three stop soft graduated neutral density filter to hold back the sky and a two stop coral graduated filter on the bottom half to warm up the sand. It is quite difficult to see in the small jpeg but the pot marks from all the rain are visible at 100% on screen and in a print. I enjoyed my brief stint photographing the Sandhills and will undoubtedly stop off there again on my next trip into the area.

Unfortunately I have had to cut my photographic trip to Mungo, Mildura and the Walls of China a couple of days shorter than I had originally intended. Pretty much non stop rain for the last 48 hours meant that the road into Mungo and the Walls of China was a total quagmire and closed; combined with unforeseen circumstances at the office in Melbourne and it was time to throw in the towel on this trip and head home.

I did manage to squeeze in some photography between the rain storms at the Perry Sandhills near Wentworth in New South Wales as well as an old abandoned house near Charlton in Victoria that I stumbled across on the way home; so the trip was not a complete write off. The road into Perry Sandhills was in a similar state to the road into Mungo. Soft sand, combined with days of rain turned the whole thing into something akin to quicksand and I nearly got bogged several times just getting into the car park. I am pretty tired after more than fourteen hours of driving in the last two days but will post some more photographs from the trip soon. I am not looking forward to washing the BM!

RSEO is reporting 28/05/2010: Katla is the second largest volcano in the country of Iceland, and Iceland’s president is issuing a warning saying that the eruption of Katla is close. Icelandic president Ólafur Grímsson has warned other governments around Europe “that a significant eruption at the volcano is close.” “We [Iceland] have prepared … it is high time for European governments and airline authorities all over Europe and the world to start planning for the eventual Katla eruption,” he said. Europe is still experiencing clouds of volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajokull that erupted in April. Airlines all over the world have lost significant flight time and money due to flights being cancelled as a result of the ash clouds. An eruption of Katla, the second largest volcano is Iceland, could spell even more trouble. There has been speculation about Katla since the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull. Katla is the larger of the two volcanos. The planet appears to be in a perpetual state of unrest. From today’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu to the pending eruption of Katla in Iceland; it seems like Mother Nature is kicking up her well worn heels.

My Take on the Situation -”a significant eruption at the volcano is close” What does this really mean? In and of itself, not much as how does one define ‘close’?. Was Ólafur Grímsson speaking in geological terms? Or, was he indeed referring to the possibility of an eruption any moment?  We know historically that Katla is usually triggered by an eruption at Eyjafjallajokull. Its just a matter of when not if Katla erupts. It could happen tomorrow or it might not happen for years. Increased seismic activity at Katla points to sooner rather than later; but ’sooner’ could still be some way off. As the clock ticks down to my own trip to Iceland trip I am growing ever more concerned about when ’sooner’ might be.

I am leaving tomorrow morning for a few days landscape and wilderness photography in the far north of Victoria at Mungo, the Walls of China and Perry Sandhills with a probable stop off in Mildura. I have not been to any of these locations before for photography. The Walls of China at Mungo are supposed to be quite scenic and I have seen some pretty good photography come out of this area so have my fingers crossed for some good weather and light. The timing is otherwise excellent with a full moon and relatively clear Autumn skies.

Its a good six hour plus drive from my house to Mungo and then around 70 kilometres of dirt road to get into the main camp area. I am told the road is usually closed during or just after heavy rain so I am hoping the weather is on my side. I am taking my full Canon and lenses kit (except the 85mm F1.2L) as well as all the necessary camp equipment for a few days stay. Mobile phone and internet reception is supposed to be non existent at Mungo (I am not sure about Perry Sanhills) so probably wont be able to post any updates from the field.

My Canon Travel thermos arrived in the mail today from Canon Mugs in China – I must admit I had my doubts anything would ever arrive (its the cynic in me). Overall the quality is quite good. The thermos is lined with stainless steel and the lid is a good snug fit. This should do nicely for the morning coffee on the way to the office.

The first time a new photographer encounters the price tag on some of Canon’s super telephoto lenses they quite often suffer from sticker shock at the price of entry. Just why does it cost more than $6000 Australian dollars for a 300mm F2.8L lens, more than $8000 for a 500mm F4 and more than a whopping $15,000 for an 800mm F5.6 lens?

These three videos show just what goes into the construction of the Canon EF 500mm F4L IS USM lens and gives a greater appreciation of the complex construction process, attention to quality and cost of ownership.

Canon Lens Production – Part One[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkWsk9rXpcU]

Canon Lens Production – Part Two[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T7BDeMU_Ks]

Canon Lens Production – Part Three[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpkAWZTwqI4]

One of my favourite places in New Zealand is the small village of Kaikoura on the East Coast of the South Island. This tranquil, peaceful fishing village has simply the most stunning and spectacular sunrises I have ever experienced. Set against the Southern Alps Kaikoura offers not only amazing opportunities for landscape photography, but also Sperm whale, Sea Lion and Dolphin photography; all of which are quite accessible by local charter.  If you have ever seen the 1983 Scottish film Local Hero and can remember the small fishing village in which it is set, then you have a pretty good idea of what Kaikoura is like (at least that is the feeling and memory I have from the place).

This photograph was taken seconds before sunrise and includes the Southern Alps in the background with the amazing North Western Arch cloud formation brilliantly lit with dawn colour – that colour is real! Lenticular clouds, formed by high winds are just hovering over the distant peaks. In a large print you can clearly see the spindrift coming off the tops of the peaks and the ocean spray on the horizon.

HISZ RSOE is reporting that there is volcanic activity at Katla! Things are moving very fast indeed! There is as yet no further detail, but I will update as soon as I see that they have added more information.

Edit – Approx 12 hours on and no further updates. Webcams show pretty good visibility.

Edit – Another 12 hours on and still no more news out of Iceland about Katla. There have been no more reported earthquakes on HISZ RSOE

Is it over?

During my two weeks in the South Island of New Zealand last year I had several opportunities to photograph The Remarkables on the foreshore of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. This is a wonderful location for landscape photography – not to mention convenient. One can simply wander down from one of the many restaurants before or after dinner, set up, get the shot and then wander back for an evening night cap – pretty civilised stuff and a pleasant change from hours of driving and hiking.

The Remarkables make a stunning back drop to the view across the Lake and the whole scene comes alive with evening light and soft cloud. I was fortunate to get one really good sunset with some lovely soft lenticular clouds to offset the jagged peaks of the Remarkables themselves. Photographed with the Canon EOS 1DS MKIII and 24mm F1.4L MKII at F11 ISO 100 with a 3 stop hard graduated neutral density filter exposure time was still only a quarter of a second (the setting sun is just out of frame on the left). This was pretty much F11 and be there.

In the past 48 hours there have been four earthquakes at the larger Katla volcano in Iceland. The earthquakes may be due to ice movements within the Mýrdalsjökull glacier or magma movement under the volcano. Scientists have been keeping a close watch on the Katla volcano, due to the possibility of an eruption triggered by the activity at the nearby Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Earthquakes are the inbuilt warning that an eruption may be imminent and history has shown that Katla usually erupts after being triggered by an eruption at Eyjafjallajokull. Historically large eruptions at Katla have occurred at regular intervals about every 50 years. Katla usually produces eruptions far more devastating and an eruption in the next 8 weeks could seriously screw up my travel plans. On the other hand, an eruption when I arrive could turn into some pretty special photographic opportunities. This is proving to be nail biting stuff for me…

You can view a live webcam of current activity HERE.

Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano is erupting with much less force than before – spewing just five tonnes of ash per second instead of 200 at its peak earlier in the week. The material being produced is tephra rising to 1.5 to 2 km into the air. No lava is flowing from the crater according to the latest reports on the ground. Nearly 30 earthquakes have been reported shaking the Eyjafjallajokull glacier since yesterday; but most were very small. The force of the eruption has diminished considerably and the cloud blowing up from the west of the volcano contains little ash. Explosive activity is also said to be minimal and no lighting has been observed for a couple of days. Although it may appear the volcano is coming to an end, it could equally intensify again at any moment, so it is not surprising that no scientist has yet come forward to say that he/she believes the eruption is ending.

What does this mean for my photography trip? Well, its probably to early to say; but, with less ash being thrown into the atmosphere the chances of air travel being grounded diminishes; which is a good thing (it means I can get there with a higher degree of certainty). But, this latest news may also spell the end of the eruption before I even hit the ground – ending a potentially great photographic opportunity. I am continuing to monitor news as it comes to hand, but admit to being somewhat torn at this latest turn of events.

Today is endangered species day in the USA (pity Australia isn’t so pro-active – Are you listening Peter Garrett?). Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people young and old to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions that people can take to help protect all disappearing wildlife. Protecting America’s wildlife and plants today is a legacy we can leave to our children and grandchildren, so that all Americans and visitors can experience the rich variety of native species that help to define the United States. See http://www.stopextinction.org/ for more information.

I dont know why someone didn’t think of this sooner – Or, maybe they did and I have just been living under  the proverbial rock and missed it. Rather than purchasing an ultra expensive lens or even a camera for that matter for a photographic trip (such as a Safari to Africa or a trip to your favourite sporting event) you can rent one and have it shipped directly to your destination; then after your trip you can simply send it right back – avoiding all the hassles of airline carry on luggage. Who offers this service? Imaginatively enough its a company called Borrow Lenses.

By way of example: Compared to the costs of renting a 500mm F4 locally in Australia Borrow Lenses are pretty cheap. Normal cost in Melbourne to hire this sort of lens is $700+ per week – Borrow Lenses are less than $300 including shipping to and from your destination.

How Does it Work?

The short version is this: Rent, shoot, return. You choose what you want and how long you want it, and they ship it to you on the date specified with a return label inside the box. When your rental is up you put the lens back in the box it came in, affix the return label and drop it off at FedEx. Once they receive the equipment and inspect it and assuming there’s no damage your rental is complete. Pretty simple and a very useful service for photographers. Definitely something I will be taking further advantage of in the future.

The “boss” has begrudgingly approved a new laptop (after some not so general prodding on my behalf) so I ordered a new Macbook Pro today – A 17″ anti-Glare screen, Core i7 2.66 Ghz with 8 Gig of RAM and a 256 Gig Solid State Hard drive. It should arrive in a few days time; which is perfect timing for both my trip to Iceland and a couple of quick pre-Iceland weekend excursions in Victoria – one to Bright, Mount Buffalo and Falls Creek with the family and the other to Mungo and the Walls of China in the far north of Victoria. Both trips I am very much looking forward to.

My current MacBook Pro is about two years old now and has not missed a single beat from day of purchase (typical Apple product in my experience). The new laptop should be significantly faster for working with 1DS MKIII RAW files in Lightroom in 64 bit mode with the extra 4 gig of RAM. More importantly however, battery life is supposed to be significantly improved over my current machine; which is great for working in the field when camping without power. Although I have not had a laptop hard drive ever crash and die on me (I have had plenty of desktop drives die) I am looking forward to the added stability and peace of mind the solid state drive brings to the table.

Well… put this one squarely in the truth is stranger than fiction category. With my Iceland trip now only a matter of weeks away I have started to stress just a little bit about the weight of all my camera equipment (as if I wasn’t stressing enough about the Volcano screwing up my well laid travel plans) and the thought of having to again deal with the airlines  somewhat inflexible rules for carry on luggage. This time however, I decided the best defence was a good offence and contacted my carriers for this trip to make them aware of my desire to carry on all my camera equipment – all 25+ kilograms of it. I wont belabour the point, but after quite a few phone calls to various numbers, several messages to staff at various locations around the world I finally managed to get hold of someone in London who could assist.

After much to and fro email with said individual from Iceland Air this evening about the weight of my camera equipment and my express desire NOT to check my very expensive equipment into their general baggage hold I have been presented with a rather amusing solution. Iceland Air’s carry on luggage is strictly enforced at five kilograms (that is barely enough for a large laptop, bag and accessories); which sees me a good twenty plus kilograms over the limit. Checked luggage gives you twenty kilograms, but I am not checking my camera equipment – end of story. Here is where it gets interesting : You see, it costs nine United Kingdom Pounds per kilogram for ‘checked’ excess baggage to fly from Heathrow airport in London to Keflavik airport in Iceland one way, but only one hundred and forty quid to book another full return seat on the plane – do the math (I did and had a good chuckle). So, yes, my camera equipment is now riding shotgun to Iceland with me in its own fully paid for window seat (I have ordered the Kosher meal for it and requested an OJ on arrival *cheeky grin* ).

In all seriousness however, what this means is that with another full seat at my disposal from Heathrow to Iceland I can now take even more equipment with me (See my entry about what to take to Iceland). The Canon 300mm F2.8L IS Lens is now back on board for the Iceland trip; and I may just take the 85mm F1.2L MKII for the hell of it and probably the Canon 5D body as an additional back-up. I will be sure to get a picture of my Lowe Pro camera bag enjoying its meal on the flight…

For the life of me I could not find my favourite small coffee thermos the other day – in frustration I gave in today and ordered one of these Canon Travel Thermos from Canon Mugs. These are apparently exact copies of the promotional thermos that Canon gave away at the Winter Olympics earlier this year. From what I can tell from the limited reports online these are quite good quality and are stainless steel lined. I normally get a little nervous ordering online from China (you really never know if anything is going arrive), but in this case its not a lot of money and you can pay via PayPal which is generally quite secure. I will report back when it arrives.

The fifth photograph in my Wildlife Portraits Project  is of a juvenile Mandrill taken at the Melbourne Zoo. This was shot with the Canon 1DSMK3 and 300mm F2.8L IS lens wide open at ISO800 through a pane of glass on a very overcast day (with very low light levels).  The 1DSMK3 and the 300mm F2.L IS is an amazing camera/lens combination. Even wide open this lens is about as sharp as one could want on the full frame 21.1 mega pixel 1DSMK3. In this instance, the camera has nailed focus right on the eyes and provided a silky smooth bokeh to separate and isolate the Mandrill from his surroundings. I really like this photograph for the ‘madness’ in this critters eyes and that ‘just groomed’ look to his hair. The small twig he is chewing on adds a little more interest to the photograph than if he had just been sitting there and completes the composition to my eye.

Sean Stiegemeier has posted a really stunning time lapse video of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. The video is from a number of different locations around the volcano site so you get a really good impression of the surrounding landscape – its both beautiful and haunting. I cant embed the video because its on Vimeo and for copyright reasons, so just click on the link in this post to be taken directly to the video. Well worth a couple of minutes out of your day to enjoy.

The internet is a rapidly evolving beast. The idea that we would be browsing web pages on our phones and other small handheld portable devices was science fiction only a few years ago. Fast forward to 2010 and its the norm to check everything from the weather to stock prices to our favourite websites and blogs on our phones and other portable devices. To this end my primary portfolio website is now available in a friendly iPhone / iTouch and iPad format. Just go to my normal site at www.jholko.com on your mobile device and you will be automatically redirected to the mobile site. Enjoy.

This fourth photograph in my Wildlife Portraits project was an offhand opportunity grab shot I took a couple of years ago now. I had gone to Montsalvat with my son Julian to shoot some portraits in the grounds and amongst the buildings when this resident Peacock decided to put on a show for some of the nearby females. Fortunately, I had a suitable lens on the camera and was able to rip off a few shots before he lost interest – this one being my favourite.