Robert's Ramblings

Blooming hot!

For more than a year I have been tending to a little chili plant I had grown from seed, the Bhut Jolokia, also known as the Naga Ghost Chili and reported to be the hottest chili in the world.

My ghost chili plant is now thriving and covered in bright purple fruit! I have pulled back the reds, oranges, yellows and greens in this image to emphasize the amazing colour but the purple fruit really are that purple!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 397, Bhut Jolokia' 1.3s f/22 ISO800 36mm

In the quiet early hours these cold steel bollards stand silent.

They will never known the strain of a heavy berthing line under tension as they stand well back from the edge of the wharf only to watch both ships and people as they pass by.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 396, Bollard Sentinels' 6s f/14 ISO1600 32mm

Last night was the last night any of us would enjoy the company of well known and loved Adelaide poet John Pfitzner.

This image is dedicated to him. The last rays of the last sunset he will ever know come streaming in through the stained glass skylight of Christ Church Wayville. The Adelaide Poet's Corner group had readings there last night and John along with others came along to listen to poetry by guest readers. After the poetry I had a wonderful conversation with John about finding the muse and finding ones own unique voice be it with poetry or with pictures.

John passed quietly last night in his sleep. Rest in peace John.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 395, Farewell John' 1/250s f/7.1 ISO800 102mm

If you thought this image was about architecture you have been misled. Intentionally so.

So did the title give a clue? This is an image of one of the most extraordinary objects in our galaxy. A star as big as half of our solar system, a dying star in its death throws and on the brink of exploding in one of the most remarkable events of the universe.

We have not seen a supernova in our Milky Way galaxy for over 400 years. Statistics seem to suggest we should observe one every 100 years so we are long overdue and Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion could explode at any moment. It could already have happened and we are just waiting the 640 years the light will take to reach us.

So which one is it? The red one of course!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 394, Betelgeuse' 13s f/7.1 ISO800 15mm

The first sign of life once the seed tears open is a tiny white tendril like a tongue testing to see if the air and the ground are good.

Into the earth it goes until it is is certain it can be sustained. It begins to grow, pushing the arch of its stalk into the light. The final act of a new beginning is to pull two perfect new leaves from the cracked husk of its abandoned first home as it welcomes the new.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 393, New Beginnings' 2s f/32 ISO320 200mm

As precious as water is I sometimes wonder why we are always told to save it. Like money kept under a mattress, water achieves nothing if not used.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 392, Precious' 1.3s f/29 ISO320 200mm

Concrete, steel and straight line geometry. This is a prison on a grand scale.

Trapped in her corporate world one prisoner takes a moment to check her messages, do the rounds on Facebook and Tweet about something mundane in the peace and quiet of this concrete and steel place.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 391, Urban Prisoner' 1/25s f/11 ISO320 15mm

There are spaces between the buildings. Clean and windswept places with towering walls imposing perpetual shadow.

These are the familiar canyonlands which trace the boundaries of owned and ownership in all our cities. It is almost magic how the serenity of nature's own constructions is echoed in these very man made places.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 390, Canyonlands' 1/10s f/11 ISO320 15mm

If you into surfing then Adelaide's local beaches might be a bit of a disappointment.

If on the other hand you enjoy your beachside experience without getting wet then there are plenty of opportunities to kick back with a coffee, a meal or a stroll along the beach and take in the sunset.

This couple might not be planning to get wet as they enjoy the 'non-surf' but I am sure at some stage they will.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 389, Beachside Meandering' 1/320s f/11 ISO400 15mm

I wanted to convey the cosiness of a candlelight dinner party but the animated state of everyone made capturing a moment without blur difficult.

Not that blur is a bad thing but not what I thought wanted for this image. Later when working with the image I decided I wanted the guests to be indistinct and really wished I'd captured more 'blurred' images. To achieve the indistinctness I wanted I ended up using quite a strong vignette. The strong vignette by the very nature of a candle lit setting seems quite natural and got the look and feel I was after.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 388, By Candlelight' 1/40s f/2.8 ISO2500 160mm

At first I thought this flower was the Scots Thistle, the national Scottish flower. I was incorrect, or was I?

Looking more closely I discovered that this thistle is actually Spear Thistle, Cirsium vulgare. This is where the etymology and history of this plant becomes confusing. Most references I came across to the Scots Thistle name the Cotton Thistle, Onopordum acanthium as the plant actually stated to be the Scottish emblem. On reading little further into the old stories of how this flower came to its status of Scottish nation emblem I discovered that the Cotton Thistle was only a recently introduced species and that Spear Thistle was the native plant of the region at that time and most likely species to have been the plant responsible.

So is this thistle the Real McCoy after all? Maybe.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 387, The Real McCoy' 1/320s f/11 ISO1250 200mm

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There has been quite a lot of discussion lately about the use of vignetting as an artistic tool.

Originally the vignette was a technically undesired featured of an image caused by limitations in optics during capture, printing or both. An unintended but desirable side effect was to draw attention into the middle of the image. Modern lenses still create a natural vignette when used wide open but most applications for digital post processing provide tools for intentionally putting in a vignette.

So now it is a matter of taste and art. This is how I saw the reed flower and how I chose to present it.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 386, Tall and True' 1/1600s f/2.8 ISO640 120mm

This old car had been hidden away for years and was only just discovered before Christmas.

I can't help wonder at its story and how it came to be where it is today. Not just how it came to be where it is now but from the very ores mined from the ground from which it was made.

If I had a time machine I imagine I'd follow it back; years, perhaps decades. Curiosity satisfied I'd let nature reclaim that which had originally been hers.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 385, Reclaimed' 1/20s f/8 ISO160 15mm

After the sun dips below the horizon the sky transitions through beautiful hues before becoming black and filling with stars. Throw in some dramatic cloud and a bright waxing crescent moon and this the delightful evening we enjoyed.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 384, Afterglow' 15s f/11 ISO100 15mm

Adelaide is basking in 40+ degree heat again and come the end of the day we all head to the beach.

Even after 9pm it's still over 35 degrees here and there are still plenty of people kicking back and enjoying the heat.

This image was made using two long exposures in order to pick up the highlights in the darkening sky in addition to the brightly lit public spaces.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 383, Basking in the Nighttime Heat' 13s f/9 ISO1600 15mm

Still summer nights are a great time to get out and do a little nocturnal photography in relative balmy comfort.

This beautiful still image of an almost mirror smooth West Lakes is amusing in that there is an island of sleeping gulls and pelicans out in the middle on pontoons. Every single bird is standing with its head tucked under one wing. Some are lefties and some are righties. All bar none are settled for the night.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 382, Bedtime on West Lakes' 30s f/11 ISO1600 110mm

Last night I watched one of the most beautiful crescent Moonsets I have ever seen.

I'm sure it was no different from the one a month before and a month before that. The difference this time was that I paid attention.

From an hour after sunset I followed the descending crescent into the fading purples of the end of twilight. I watched as the Moon's colour transitioned from white to yellow then orange and finally red as it dipped below the ocean.

I became acutely aware as its luminosity dropped and dropped and dropped at least 4 stops over its final descent.

I make no apologies for the quality of this image. I don't have the gear for this kind of photography but using a secondhand 500mm f8.0 mirror lens and a 2xconverter I believe I have faithfully captured the feeling.



Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 381, The Setting Waxing Crescent Moon' 1s f/16 ISO800 1000mm

The Bluespotted Goatfish, Upeneichthys vlamingii is a common fish through all our coastal areas and we personally include it in our list of 'usual suspects' when ask what we saw on any typical local dive.

It's not the prettiest of fish but many are striking colourful and this one looks right at home nestled in a broken jetty pylon at Rapid Bay.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 380, One Colourful Goatfish' 1/30s f/7.1 ISO200 15mm

I don't know how long this part of the Rapid Bay Jetty has been underwater but by the amount of algae covering the platform it must be quite some time now.

This was my first dive for the year and even though it was a grey rainy day and the viability was poor it was wonderful being under the water again.

This collapsed section of the jetty has created a wonderful little habitat for the critters that hang under ledges and in the shadows. I am looking forward to keeping an eye on this to see how it develops.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 379, Broken and Forgotten' 1/100s f/7.1 ISO200 15mm

Normally head to head is a battle of sorts but it this case it's just old friends reminiscing.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 378, Head to Head' 1/125s f/6.3 ISO800 40mm

Revisiting West Beach and looking at things from a different angle.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 377, X' 2s f/20 ISO800 200mm

The Adelaide City Council's 'Free Wall' project creates spaces for graffiti artists to express themselves in prominent public places.

This wall located under the Morphett Street Bridge has great visibility to passing traffic on North Terrace. It's constantly changing so make sure you visit often.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 376, Sign Hunting' 1/6s f/6.3 ISO1600 70mm

Moseley Square in Glenelg is a popular place on warm summer evenings where you will find a blending of shoppers, restaurant patrons, pub crawlers and beach goers. An interesting place for making images.

Just after the sun has set the scene looking to the East is a confused mix of the last of the setting Sun's warmth and cooler tones of twilight. Even in its mixed up state it is a soft and gentle light. A beautiful time for making images.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 375, Moseley Square' 2.5s f/11 ISO100 17mm

'Mo' might not be camera shy but he is deceptively hard to photograph!

This bronze statue of Roy Rene, AKA 'Mo', sculptured by Robert Hannaford was unveiled in its Hindley Street location on March 2010.

The deep creases and course textures create harsh dark shadows in the street lighting. At first glance you just perceive a very contrasty image but an after dark natural light shot of 'Mo' is just too harsh without some help.

You could bring in a couple of soft-boxes and softly fill those dark and shadowy creases but soft-boxes are usually not part of a street photographer's kit. This is one of the best examples I can describe where the extended dynamic range of capturing in 'RAW' means I can be quite aggressive in pulling out the tones in the shadows.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 374, Mo's Not Camera Shy. 1/60s f/6.7 ISO1600 200mm

In this tale of two trams I wanted to tell the story of that hidden space in among the houses and streets where the tracks lay seemingly detached from the craziness of suburban streets and traffic.

Standing on the tracks during afternoon peak hour while waiting for a tram seemed surreal in how quiet and serene the setting seemed. First one tram came into view and I stepped aside to let it pass. As it departed into the distance a second tram cam into view.

I waited until the two trams were as aligned as I could tell and then captured this image.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 373, A Tail of Two Trams'. 1/250s f/2.8 ISO400 200mm

It seems every Christmas the decorations are being put up sooner and pulled down earlier.

According to Christian traditions today is the last day the festive decorations should be up and indeed they still are up in Rundle Mall. I'll check again tomorrow to see if they have been taken down!

This self portrait taken using the famous 'Rundle Mall Balls' as a mirror captures the late night cleanup of the streets after yet another retail day. My apologies for the poor quality of the image but it would seem that the Adelaide City Council is not really into polishing their balls very often, if ever!.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 372, The Twelfth Day of Christmas'. 1/30s f/2.8 ISO1600 200mm

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Usually window shopping is for things you want to buy rather than experiences you wish to have or share.

Restaurants are a beautiful example of the later. When I pass a restaurant I have never been to (or even one I have not been to for a long time) I intermediately imagine the experience and who I'd like to share that with.

This image of 'Cosi' in in the city was a hand held shot made through the window well after closing. A few minutes later the lights were out and all was dark.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 371, All Set for Tomorrow'. 1/10s f/2.8 ISO1000 200mm

We just discovered this fantastic little bar hidden away in Finders Street in the city called 'The Second Floor Lounge'.

We nearly walked past this place looking for a cozy late night bar on the Eastern side of the city. Not only did we get to enjoy a couple of drinks away from the noise and bustle but they cooked up some great snacks for us as well.

One of the walls has this great number plate mural which was fun to explore to see if any reminded us of places we had been. It was so cool it become a part of my collection.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 370, Plated Red Wall'. 1/30s f/4 ISO3200 70mm

Every single day for the last 4.5 billion years this scene plays out over and over again. Has it always been into the West I wonder? In any case, it will always be beautiful.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 369, Into the West'. 1/160s f/22 ISO250 200mm

Harsh light does not have to mean missing out on making a good image image. Yes, there is no substitute for great light but there are ways to get something you can take home when the sun is high in a cloudless sky.

This image was created using 3 exposures 2 stops apart but unlike HDR a different technique was used to bring them together. Using Photoshop's 'Merge to HDR Pro' feature I combined all three images into a 32bit per channel tif file which I then imported back into LightRoom. The resulting 32 bit per channel image file is then recognised byt LightRoom and all tonal controls become 5 stops wider giving amazing tonal flexibility.

The result is a HDR image that looks completely natural in the same way our eyes do it.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 368, Pappinbarra Bliss'. 1/3s f/22 ISO100 17mm