Robert's Ramblings

The sunsets of late have been a little disappointing if you where seeking something extraordinary.

It's evenings like these when I am reminded just how extraordinary the light is this time of day and refocus my ideas for an image, something all too easy to forget when you are desperately seeking sunset.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 762, Desperately Seeking Sunset' 1/125s f/2.8 ISO640 200mm

There are colours in quartz, there are colours from quartz and there are colours through quartz.

The colours in quartz come from included and lattice bound elements such as iron, aluminium or phosphorous.
The colours from quartz come from optical effects such as refraction and scattering.
The colours though quartz come the object and light around it.

This particular crystal, full of inclusions and chips and other flaws is for the most part colourless, it's apparent colours coming from optical effects and the light around it.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 761, Quartz Colour' 1/50s f/11 ISO100 100mm

This once functional device had provided years of service pumping water through our air-conditioning system. Despite its corroded state it was still faithfully doing its job, at least until yesterday.

Along came a 44 degC day and it finally jammed up and that was then end of our cooling.

All my attempts to remove the corrosion were in vain, the pump motor had jammed, the bolts had sheared and I no longer trusted the integrity of the insulation.

By all accounts it was beyond repair.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 760, Beyond Repair' 1/13s f/4 ISO160 100mm

A sandy river valley disappears through the dunes into the distance. Very soon even this landscape will have disappeared completely to be replaced with another.

Just because something in nature is beautiful does not necessarily mean it should be preserved. Beach landscapes show this on a daily timescale, continents show this on a geological timescale while stars and planets show this on a cosmological timescale.

All of the world around is just a transient landscape.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 759, Transient Landscape' 1/320s f/2.8.ISO320 100mm

Inanimate objects have always carried a fascination for still life photographers.

Here however the scene is anything but! With cards flying back and forth. With actors, mimes and sculptor engaged and little plastic tokens moving around, the scene is anything but still.

Still life? It's only ever a snapshot anyway.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 758, Creative Cat' 1/500s f/2.8.ISO500 200mm

There is an unsettling mix of opinions about the 26th January, the day we officially call Australia Day.

Regardless of perspective it is an important day to remember just how fortunate we are here in Australia to live in such a wonderfully diverse and beautiful part of the planet however it is we came to be here.

Looking up in the sky at night and seeing the constellation of the Southern Cross I am happy our nation's flag acknowledges our place under a Southern Sky.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 757, Under A Southern Sky' 1/1000s f/2.8.ISO100 200mm

The illusion of perspective suggests this jetty ramps gently down to the waterline in the distance.

Our common sense knows better. Or does it?

If you can tell this is Henley Beach Jetty you'd know there is indeed a gentle ramp down to the waterline after all. If you don't believe me, go check for yourself.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 756, Down To The Waterline' 25s f/11 ISO320 15mm

I never tire of diving with Leafy Seadragons and here is another simply magic day down at Rapid Bay.

Every shade of beautiful refers to more than just the dragon.

The gorgeous turquoise blues of the ocean, the emerald greens of the seagrass and the golden yellows of the dragon all come together in this gentle seascape.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 755, Every Shade of Beautiful' 1/125 f/8.0 ISO160 8mm

There are always little things that go unnoticed that have their own unique beauty.

This piece of washed up debris would have gone unnoticed by most people who would have walked on by. Change the perspective however and it becomes a subject all unto itself.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 754, Perspective' 1/4 f/16 ISO1000 15mm

It was a grey day down at Henley Beach with the sunset buried behind an overcast sky.

Still there were no shortage of wonderful subjects with Jennifer and Tin Tin ready to take centre stage.

Tin Tin is our dog. At nearly 16 years old he is getting on okay having recovered from some major surgery last year.

We don't know how long he will be with us for but are grateful for every day.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 753, Jennifer and Tin Tin' 1/13s f/7.1 ISO1000 15mm

The glow in the western sky after sunset becomes a gorgeous backdrop for, well just about anything!

I wonder if these fishers caught anything more than a gorgeous sunset. Either way they should be just as content.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 752, Western Afterglow' 1/250s f/2.8 ISO1600 200mm

This is about as far from a commercial wine shoot as you can get.

The lighting's crazy, the glasses are dirty and the background's a mess.

What else would expect. It's a party after all!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 751, The Pie Man's Party Quaffer' 1/200s f/2.8 ISO1000 200mm

Bright, colourful and cheerful. The first morning light echoed by symbolic yellow suns.

I wonder who, if any, will ride this ferris wheel today?


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 750, Capsule Colour' 1/800s f/2.8 ISO100 200mm

For us viewfinder, range finder and D/SLR image makers there is something odd about preview photography.

Watch any of the aforementioned and they will seem as if camera and image creator are one.

In this current popular style of photography the camera stands apart as if some magical object to be desired. Here being held by a pair of black velvet gloves, even more so.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 749, Object of Desire' 1/20s f/2.8 ISO1000 200mm

I do not know who's backs I have captured in this image. I simply liked they way they strolled by as if nothing else in the world mattered at all.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 748, Nothing Else Matters' 1/25s f/2.8 ISO1600 200mm

It's not often I get to see a full moon setting on the ocean. Perhaps that has something to do with my normal daily routine but this morning I had a reason to be up really early.

Just like the sun, when the moon is close to the horizon it appears squashed. Refraction starts to bend the light through the Earth's atmosphere, dims the light and blurs the features.

The real treat this morning was 'Temptation' sitting out in the gulf in just the right spot!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 747, Temptation Moonset' 1/250s f/2.8 ISO1000 200mm

This sweltering heatwave of multiple days over 40 degrees C has made the beach a very special place to cool off.

The lapping calm water, and a searing breeze has made immersion in the cool salty brine more appealing than ever, unless you are too cool to get your hair wet or lose your baseball cap.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 746, Too Cool To Be Cool' 1/2500s f/14 ISO320 17mm

Head down to the beach in the early hours before the heat cranks up and you will find strange footprints in the sand.

As illusive as 'Big Foot' they will be gone again come the next high tide and leave us wondering if it they ever existed


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 745, Big Foot' 1/80s f/25 ISO100 100mm

With the 42 degC onslaught this week I thought I'd capture an image consistent with the ongoing heatwave.

Sun-spots are obvious on the blemished surface as magnetic disturbances create cold spots and hence the dark visual blotches.

The hardest part about capturing the solar disk is actually getting it in focus. Even using the live-view preview and manual focus, the sun is just so bright it's hard to discern anything on the small screen in the bright sunlight.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 744, Our Blemished Sun' 1/4000s f/16 ISO100 600mm +NDXXX

It never fails to amaze my how popular Adelaide jetties are with all manner of activities taking place.

During the day there are people out strolling, jetty jumpers risking life and limb and the odd casual fisher with a line or two cast to sea.

Once the sun has set and the last of twilight vanishes into night there is a distinct change. The jetty jumpers have gone, the strollers become far a few between.

Come days end the fishing becomes the serious business.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 743, Day's End' 1/80s f/6.3 ISO1600 200mm

The planet 'Posidonia' is a hidden world where armored creatures lurk and dragons rule.

It exists only meters away from the world of men who sail past in boats or fish from jetties, most of whom will never see its beauty.

It is however a world beckoning to be explored by anyone willing to don mask, snorkel and fins and see it for themselves.

It you look carefully you just might even find a dragon!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 742, Planet Posidonia' 1/50s f/8.0 ISO200 8mm

When it comes to wide-angle, it is hard to beat the 180 degrees of an 8mm FE lens.

This panoramic sphere has captured Liam's last descent before heading home following a week of diving and photographing Rapid Bay Jetty.

Liam lent me his 8-16 FE zoom for this dive. Not having the correct gearing in my housing I elected to fix the zoom at 8mm and just have some photographic fun.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 741, The Big Descent' 1/400s f/11 ISO100 8mm

My first Weedy Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, for the year and this old boy has seen better days.

Although he is missing a few appendages the evidence of a recent clutch of eggs is testament to the fact that he's still got what it takes to win the ladies.

Weedy seadragons are not usually seen at Rapid Bay Jetty so finding this guy was a real treat for me today and comes after another batch of poor conditions which are finally clearing.

The coming few days are looking better and better so weekend divers should be in for real treat.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 740, Still Got What It Takes' 1/160s f/8 ISO160 8mm

Finally the water has started to clear the weather is fining up and we found our perfect dragon. Is'nt she a beautiful creature!

Another 5:30am start for me but today was worth every part of the sleep deprived morning.

Liam and myself spent a good 30 minutes with this gorgeous female and she was not the slightest bit perturbed as she modeled for the camera.

Thanks to Nate from NB scuba for finding one of the most technically perfect Leafy Seadragons I have seen.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 739, Beautiful Creature' 1/320s f/9 ISO320 40mm

Being a beach dweller I do not often think of making sunset images any where far from the sand.

This image is one of those rare exceptions taken from a vantage high in the Adelaide hills.

From here the gulf waters seem to smooth right out and appear like a mirror but the shape of the reflections tell a different story. If the sea was perfectly calm the rays of sunlight would be faithfully mirrored but instead they are translated into horizontal and vertical bands of light and shadow as only those random moments where the water surface is exactly horizontal to me all contribute to the beautifully textured water in this image.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 738, The Gulf of St Vincent' 1/500s f/4 ISO100 105mm

Our diving today was nothing short of hopeless photographically with 1m visibility, lost buddy procedures and various comical lost and founds while searching for leafy sea-dragons which were non-existent.

From a diving point of view it was however a heap of fun even if I did not even press the shutter once for the entire dive.

To make amends I decided to capture what was shaping up to be a great sunset but the colour fizzled out completely after the sun dipped below the horizon. Oh well, good old Henley Beach Jetty with here gorgeous legs comes to mye rescue again.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 737, She's Got Legs Part Two' 8s f/16 ISO100 15mm

Underwater is such a narrow field of photography but even in this, my favorite niche, there is so much diversity.

I have always taken images of other divers but never really thought of then as environmental portraits before. Looking back of some of my work I am starting to realise just how much I like them.

Being geared up in diving equipment, regulator in mouth and mask on face does not make looking good easy so it's not about how good a diver looks but how good it looks to be a diver!

Thanks Liam for being both my dive buddy and model on this one! I think I'll be exploring this photographic niche within a niche with new enthusiasm to see where it leads.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 736, Liam' 1/250 f/8.0 ISO320 15mm

Today's dive at Rapid Bay with Liam was an exercise in reconnaissance.

Our mission was to locate a Leafy Seadragon but it was always going to be a challenge in the murky conditions.

Liam found his dragon and we were both treated to an uncommon visitor, a Longsnout Boarfish, Pentaceropsis recurvirostris

Conditions were not great for wide angle photography but we gave it our best anyway.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 735, A Not So Boaring Profile' 1/800 f/8.0 ISO320 15mm

My first time down on the beach this year and of course I just had capture my local Henley Beach Jetty.

While down there a passer-by stopped to see what I was doing and to offer me some sage advise. Something about cameras being extremely allergic to saltwater I recall but I was too busy managing the the swirling tide around the legs of my tripod to pay him too much attention.

In some way the swirling wash around the legs of my tripod seemed the same as the swirling water around the legs of the jetty. It's just that she has more of them.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 734, She's Got Legs' 4s f/16 ISO100 15mm

We began dessert thinking it was pretty good to coating strawberries and apples in gorgeous runny hot chocolate.

Then Christine brought out the Christmas panettone and suddenly the fondue became dessert heaven!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 733, Fondue Heaven' 1/40s f/4 ISO2000 40mm