Robert's Ramblings

The first time I ever dived Rapid Bat Jetty I was blown away with the diverse and prolific sea life here.

Even today this place remains in my top 5 South Australian jetty dives. Well perhaps not today as all you can see is green milk! The milky green water is due to gypsum crystals stirred up from the sea floor due to a long northerly fetch and corresponding northerly swell. The gypsum is from loading spill over the many years the jetty was an operational loading and shipping facility for the local gypsum quarries. Today all the quarried gypsum is trucked out and as can be seen here the old jetty, no longer accessible, is being reclaimed by the sea. The new jetty built parallel and to the east of the old one is now both a recreational fishing drawcard and our normal means to access the diving site of the old jetty.

With a north facing aspect Rapid Bay Jetty can be dived in nearly all weather conditions except a prolong period of northerly winds. No point in diving today, with less than 1m visibility and a strong surge there was little chance of capturing anything visible underwater so we resorted to topside photography only.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 609, Rapid Bay Jetties' 1/640s f/7.1 ISO100 15mm

One moment I was swimming through golden brown kelp, the surge moving me gently back and forth.

The next moment a dragon appeared! As they do!

Here in South Australia we are so fortunate to have some of the ocean's most beautiful and unique critters, the leafy seadragon, Phycodurus eques is one of them.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 608, Camouflaged Dragon' 1/100s f/4.5 ISO100 15mm

All South Australian divers know that sudden fright as a huge dark shadow races from the gloom towards you. Sometimes from above, sometimes from behind but always without warning.

Fright soon turn to delight as this pair of Australian Sealions frolicked and carried on like couple 'not so lazy' ballerinas.



Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 607, Not So Lazy Ballerinas' 1/100s f/4.5 ISO100 15mm

Don't you hate it when the amazing sunset you had hoped to catch disappears before your eyes behind that cloud bank on the horizon?

Well next time that happens just stick around just in case the sun comes out for one last peek. It might be worth it.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 606, One Last Peek' 1/640s f/4.0 ISO160 200mm

The white knight and the white pawn exchange words of conviction and courage before the battle begins. In mirror-like sympathy the black knight and the black pawn share the very same.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 605, Ready For Battle' 0.4s f/16 ISO640 15mm

These drops of water are not the heavenly bodies Hypatia of Alexandria obsessed over but they are beautiful as they refract and reflect the light of the world around them.

These colours are thanks to a more recent mathematician, Benoit Mandelbrot and his famous Mandelbrot Fractal which provides the lighting.

After that it really is just simple macro photography. Why Hypatia's Dream? It should be obvious.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 604, Hypatia's Dream' 20s f/16 ISO640 100mm

At first I thought this to be a wonderful new piece of street art I had found.

It only took a moment to realise this must be a commissioned piece on the walls of Cirkidz, an Adelaide school for acrobatics and aerial training.
Oh well it's pretty cool anyway and bright and cheery as well.

Edit. Here is a link to mark Zed's fantastic timelapse, Fredrock & Shep from Toy Soldiers Paint Cirkidz Brompton


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 603, The Cirkidz Ringmaster' 1/640 f/8.0 ISO320 17mm

It's a prison of sorts but to keep the innocent out.

There are substantial parts of the Bowden/Brompton area scarred with the remains of industrial decay. The barbed wire and the razor wire hold no prisoners and protect nothing precious. All that exists on the inside here is decayed rubble, broken concrete slab and contaminated earth.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 602, Too Close To Home' 1/1250 f/11 ISO320 15mm

Unlike the prehistoric creatures coming ashore from the shallows for the first time this invasion will not make it past the high water mark.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 601, Seaweed Invasion' 1/1250 f/11 ISO320 15mm

Another mural from the collection on the Sturt River, Glengowrie.

I think I must have been a little to old to really get into the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', created in the mid 80's and popular through the late 80's and early 90's.
I do however remember seeing them everywhere. On the television, on book covers, on children backpacks.

Now it seems they grace suburban walls as well.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 600, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' 1/60 f/7.1 ISO160 35mm

The table lamp was way to bright so we placed it on the window sill in the 'Sweety' bar overlooking Gouger Street.

When the tea arrived I just loved how the light shining through the pot separated and refracted according to the shape making it look like two separate layers. I placed my camera on the table and captured this image of our tea light and the lights in the street.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 599, Tea Light' 1.3s f/14 ISO100 15mm

Even domestic jobs have their photo opportunities.

While working on a blocked drain I thought about the interesting patterns the swirling water created so I set up my camera peering down the drain and continued my work. When the blockage finally cleared I captured this image as the dirty brown water disappeared.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 598, Down The Drain' 1/15s f/16.0 ISO1000 29mm

There I was minding my own business when I just happened to look up.

The owls in their night time monochrome watched down as owls watch, with thoughts such as owls think, with wisdom such as owls have. Thankfully there was no howling.

If you get the the chance to visit the The Howling Owl at the Northern end of Frome St, Adelaide, make sure you visit the owls in their nocturnal habitat.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 597, The Howling Owls' 1s f/16.0 ISO800 19mm

Is it just me or is there really something fun about driving through tunnels. Especially one where you can't see the exit.

In a sense driving through a tunnel is a leap of faith. You direct the high speed projectile you are encapsulated in towards a little hole in the side of a hill and hope you will arrive safely out the other side with no surprises.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 596, Heysen Tunnel Syndrome' 1/20 f/4.0 ISO5000 36mm

Yesterday a friend lent me a closeup attachment for one of my zoom lenses so undertook a few experiments.

I wanted to see how a dedicated closeup lens attachment (Canon 500-D ) compared with a simple +2 diopter correction filter.
I found the short answers is 'it depends'.

I only tested two lenses, 17-40 and 70-200 and the results were striking. Using the 17-40 I could not detect much of a difference between the close-up and the diopter. On the 70-200, the diopter was however unusable with really bad bokeh flaring while the closeup attachment was very good.

This image was made with the diopter and of one of my other favorite lenses..


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 595, Favorite Friend' 2.5 f/8.0 ISO100 40mm+2

There's a world of action going on up there if you could only peer at the surface of the Sun.

Being curious I just had to sneak a peak. Oh look, tadpoles!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 594, Star Tadpoles' 1/1600s f/8.0 ISO160(ND400+) 400mm

No I did not publish an upside down image! It is just as was captured.

While heading into town I tried and tried to create an image with a streaking background to give a sense of speed. Unfortunately all I got was jagged bumping blurriness.
This image finally came close by jamming the camera bottom up against the ceiling.

I wonder what the driver thought of it all?


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 593, The Camera's View' 1/80s f/8.0 ISO640 23mm

This sign in my view really grated with me at first.

The leading lines kept on drawing me back to the bent, buckled and defaced warning sign which seemed so out of place.
I re-framed the the shot a little further down so that I only captured the unobscured clean lines of the drain but felt something was missing.

On moving back to my original position, the bent and bucked signed felt just fine where it had been in the first place.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 592, Waterway Subject To Flash Flooding' 1/250s f/7.1 ISO160 17mm

The Mansions on Pulteny always remind me of a huge doll's house.

Originally I thought this building was relatively new as far as Adelaide's architecture goes. Thank you Jim Manning and Martin Christmas for digging up its 100 year old history making it significant as an Adelaide historical building.

Ruthven Mansions http://mansions100.webs.com/history.htm


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 591, The Mansions' 6s f/7.1 ISO160 17mm

Another building I had on my 'to do' list was St Andrews Uniting Church on Jetty Road, Glenelg.

Tonight I just happened to be there with my camera and when I stood back I could not help but laugh at the irony before me.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 590, Open 7 Days' 2.5s f/8.0 ISO160 15mm

Today we are experiencing the most amazing sea mist that just kept rolling in all day long.

This image taken in the early afternoon shows that the sun has not done anything to burn it off yet 1000m inland the sky is blue and beautiful.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 589, Lost In Sea Mist' 1/6400 f/7.1 ISO320 15mm

Another mural spied on a house backing up to the Sturt River, Glengowrie.

At first I just noticed the obvious brightly coloured collection of words and shape and puzzled over the odd robotic looking dudes.
Then I noticed the label 'Google' and suddenly two Google Chrome Bots left their less than subtle obscurity and entered into the scene.

I'm still not sure what they are doing but I am sure it has nothing to do with Apples or ...


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 588, Google Chrome Bots' 1/200 f/7.1 ISO160 17mm

Today we all said our goodbyes to a man, my cousin, who's weather beaten appearance hid a heart of gold until you truly met him.

Today his grand niece's letter will be the last letter he will ever receive.

Today he takes with him a little colour from the world.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 587, His Last Letter' 1/640 f/4.0 ISO320 17mm

This swampy wetland is the last vestiges of Brownhill Creek as it wanders down from the hills and through the suburbs before emptying into the Patawalonga River in Glenelg.

Tucked in behind Adelaide Airport, this hidden treasure is full of bird life. I counted at least thirty ibis in addition to ducks and other waterfowl. Having only the wide angle lens I was not able to capture anything other than the landscape itself. The few birds in the sky are actually ducks. I plan to return again with something longer next time.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 586, Brownhill Creek Wetland' 1/200 f/9.0 ISO320 17mm

This tangled clump washed up on the beach is a brown algae commonly called strapweed, Phyllospora comosa.

There seemed to be quite a lots of this on the beach this evening so I used the opportunity to create some foreground interest to a familiar theme. As is also a familiar theme is washing the seawater soaked tripod after the shot.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 585, Washed Up And Tangled' 1/6 f/16 ISO100 15mm

With the magnificent sunsets we have been having here it's easy to overlook many of the other beautiful aspect of the beach.

When I first noticed this stream of water flowing out to sea I thought it must be the outfall of a drain but on closer inspection I could not locate the source. Anyway I set up the camera inches above the sand for the shot and moments later before I was even ready a large set of waves came in an swept through where my camera have been moments before I plucked it to safety. I should have noticed the way the sand textures on either side showed evidence of water flowing in the opposite direction.

So that's where the water came from!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 584, Leading Lines To The Sea' 1/125 f/8.0 ISO800 15mm

I am always on the lookout for good street art.

I discovered this extended work of graffiti today while out riding near the intersection Morphett Road and Austral Terrace. You can't see it from the road but the a ride along the bike track provides a great view. be warned however if you venture too close for a better look. The area is riddled with three-corner-jack thorns. I pulled hundreds of then from both my shoes and tyres!

Street art like this takes time, love and effort to create and I for one am appreciative of the work when I see it.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 583, Save Water' 1/400 f/7.1 ISO160 19mm

Another stormy day and a beautiful sunset to match.

I could see it was going to be a great photo opportunity but despite my efforts I did not make it down to the beach in time. I should have made it but tonight the sun and clouds conspired to create a window of sunshine a few degrees above the horizon which came and went before I arrived.

Oh well, it wont be my last so I captured a few images of the dramatic clouds instead.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 582, Best Friends' 1/200 f/8.0 ISO800 15mm

Normally this is the kind of thing that happen to bears, not tigers!

Tonight we visited my sister recovering after surgery. She is doing fine and we enjoyed each other company for a good while before I discovered her 'get well soon tiger'. That was it all it took and for the next 30 minutes the unnamed tiger proceeded to investigate the room and its surrounds. I finally got this shot when the tiger was investigating the apparatus for its personal fitness training potential.

Get well soon sis'.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 581, Get Well Soon' 1/50 f/4.0 ISO800 102mm

Back in Adelaide again and one of the curious things I noticed different in bars here are the iced taps.

While traveling recently overseas I did not see the familiar iced taps anywhere. Aside from different local beverages, the taps essentially looked the same except for the ice.

Here at the Aldgate Pump Hotel with this chilly weather the ice did nothing for me so we enjoyed a couple of good red wines instead.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 580, Pull The Other One' 1/13 f/4.0 ISO1600 140mm