Robert's Ramblings

Tulips are a beautiful flower but this beauty revealed is all in the detail.

Peering into the center of a single flower reveals a structure usually only paid attention to in text books and often only in the form of a monochrome line drawing with hard to remember names such as stigma and stamen.

Attention to detail is not only important but beautiful too.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 790, Attention To Detail' 2s f/8 Stack ISO400 100mm

There are more Old Wives (Enoplosus armatus) here than in the Imperial Harem of the Ottoman Empire.

Actually a harem is not the group of women but a sacred place reserved for them to reside protected from the perils of the outside world.

In some ways the 'T' of Rapid Bay Jetty jetty is just like the Imperial Harem. It offers the group protection from the open water predators and has it's own sacred feel.

I'm looking forward to revisiting this harem again soon.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 789, The Harem' 1/100s f/8 ISO320 15mm

The mystery of the Fantom has been solved!

The protagonist revealed is Mark Borgas of local band 'Silver Hair'


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 788, Fantom Keys' 1/60s f/2.8 ISO1000 140mm

We went to see 'The Darker', an Adelaide Fringe Festival play written and directed by playwright and poet Martin Christmas. David Daradan's performance in this one-hour show was honest, intimate and confronting.

David and Martin, you have set the bar high for the rest of the festival.

'The Darker' explores what it means to be 'a man' - the parts we are proud of, the parts we are embarrassed about, the parts we are afraid of and the parts we are ashamed of. David kept us captivated for the entire performance. Time stood still as David deftly and convincingly delivered Martin's insightful message.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 787, The Darker Side of David Daradan' 1/400s f/2.8 ISO1000 125mm

Suddenly their disbelief was gone and they found they really could fly after all.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 786, They Found They Could Fly' 1/400s f/2.8 ISO1000 125mm

The grape stained hands of a winemaker puts vintage aside for a little while to marry his beloved.

Congratulations Irina and Dudley, may it be a wonderful, long and fruitful union.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 785, Irina and Dudley' 1/400s f/3.2 ISO100 200mm

At a glance this could be a small shrub inside a glasshouse or behind some fence like grid.

The shrub in fact is 15 meters tall and the grid a high-rise office building.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 784, Framed Perspective' 1/1600 f/2.8 ISO160 115mm

Of all the times I have visited this big brash party town called Sydney I have not yet got to the centre of of it all.

To this day, Centrepoint, or Sydney Tower has eluded me. For one reason or another I have never made it to the top to experience what I am told are amazing panoramic views over Sydney, its harbour and the Blue Moutains in the distance.

Oh well, next time.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 783, Un-Centred' 1/500 f/13 ISO320 70mm

As much as I love natural landscapes I adore man made ones as well.

As solid as an urban landscape may seem however, time will eventually bring it down.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 782, What Goes Up' 1/320s f/22 ISO320 200mm

I loved the palatial feel of the DeNdY cinema so much that it deserved a snapshot.

Pity there was nothing on worth seeing making this definitely the better show!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 781, DeNdY' 2.5s f/14 ISO100 15mm

Ash Gale hitting his stride on the Victoria Square stage as part of the Adelaide Fringe festivities.

We never never expected to find ourselves at the Adelaide Royal Croquet Club around midnight kicking back to the rock anthem sound of Ash and his band.

Wonderful things happen when you find yourself in the city with no agenda other than to have a great time.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 780, Ash Gale' 1/200s f/2.8 ISO1600 155mm

Like a dreamy walk through an ethereal forest there is something surreal in this place where made made becomes something almost natural.

This forest of jetty pylons is as alien to this world as flying fish would in ours but somehow is all seems juts as it should be.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 779, Ethereal Forest' 1/100s f/5.6 ISO320 15mm

Not as scary as it looks, looking down from the cliffs that skirt the ocean between Second Valley and Rapid Bay.

This hidden and beautiful part of our local coastline has an almost 'secret garden' feel.

To get there is not all that hard. A willingness to scramble up and around 45 degree rocky cliff faces is all you need to find secret coves with sandy beaches that you can have all to you self.

Just make sure you don't look down, ... oops too late.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 778, Precipice' 1/160s f/16 ISO160 15mm

Like a stretched canvas shade this gossamer thin canopy twisted like a geometric saddle and glistened in the afternoon sun.

On closer inspection the source of this web's stickiness was revealed in the tiny tiny droplets of arachnid superglue on each delicate thread.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 777, Sticky Canopy' 6s f/16 ISO160 100mm

This could easily be an aerial shot of of some far north dried up salt lake if it were not for the almost black tones.

In fact this this abstract creation is the result of storm-water runoff onto the sand at Henley Beach revealing and mixing the dark colours from the rotting seaweed below.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 776, Seaweed Abstract' 1/80s f/5.6 ISO1250 70mm

Now that the date palms are flowering we have a never ending stream of noisy guests eager for a meal.

The colourful Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus is the biggest culprit.

A single bird on its own is fine and quietly gets on with dinner. Two or more and it all disintegrates into a squabbling raucous!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 775, Noisy Guest' 1/800s f/8 ISO640 400mm

Like a precious gemstone wrapped in cotton wool, a waning gibbous moon descends into the clouds.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 774, Moonstone' 1/800s f/8 ISO160 400mm

Today I stumbled upon a rare find, Porcelainus aquaticus or more commonly the Neptune Fish Trap.

Although Porcelainus aquaticus begins its life on dry land it needs to remain wet in order to feed and mature.
Many never make it to adulthood, ending up dry and abandoned in tips or deserted buildings but enough however do make to the ocean floor where they begin their adult life.

Unlike other ascidians the adult Neptune Fish Trap does not filter feed but waits in the ambush position, mouth agape, waiting for an unsuspecting fish to venture just a little too close.
In just a moment or too one of the fish traps will be having goatfish for dinner.

The complete lifecycle of Porcelainus aquaticus and how its young return to land remains a mystery to this day.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 773, Neptune Fish Trap' 4s f/7.1 ISO400 15mm

Tim never anticipated that two angels would appear at the completion of his creation and bless the young yaccas flanking his work.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 772, Tim's Angels' 4s f/7.1 ISO400 15mm

Hot on the heels of some of our hottest 45 degC days of summer has come torrential rains and flooding.

A symptom of climate change or just plain local extreme weather luck? In either case the real question remains unchanged. Are we really prepared to gamble with our climate.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 771, The Change' 1/3200s f/4 ISO320 200mm

There are many reasons why Rapid Bay jetty is one of the best jetty dives in Australia. One of those things is depth.

At its deepest around 11m, it is one of our deepest recreational jetties being rivaled by only a few active commercial loading facilities.

With all that depth it is just a wonderful place to lay on the bottom and watch the world above me.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 770, The World Above Me' 1/100s f/14 ISO320 15mm

This little cuttlefish was not joking with body all bumpy and tentacles flaring.

Avast, cease, desist, come no closer or else!!

Well that message did not last long before it took off in a rear guard retreat.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 769, Avast' 1/100s f/4 ISO320 15mm

There is something wonderful when a school of big pelagics comes to visit you on a dive.

These Yellowtail Kingfish were part of a larger school which followed me around for a large part of my dive at Rapid Bay.

Seeing these fish up close I am struck at just how beautifully streamlined and powerful they are, unlike me, perfectly suited for their environment.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 768, Yellowtail Kingfish' 1/100s f/8 ISO320 15mm

I spied a small city perilously close to a rising tide.

I sat for a while and imagined life within its fortifications, the rough hewn battlements with vigilant sentinel gaurds, the busy keep and a simpler time.

I was broken from my reverie when a small child ran up to me all excited that I should want to photograph her sand castle.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 767, Sand Castle' 1/6s f/16 ISO320 15mm

Two balls with very different stories but both very much in play.

One ball's players are obvious. I wonder who's playing with the other?


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 766, Balls In Play' 1/4000s f/22 ISO160 200mm

Tin Tin's just been through another significant operation and looking great despite his recent trauma.

There is an irony in this image with Jennifer at out local beach in that Tin Tin has never really liked the ocean. Beach and sand are fine, Seagulls are fun, penguins even better (a story for another time) but that water gives him the hebe gee bees.

For now he has to keep dry which suits him just fine. When he is healed again I am looking forward to swimming him out into deep water again and watching him beat Ian Thorpe back to the shore!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 765, Scary Scary Ocean' 1/320s f/2.8 ISO640 200mm

Those last moments before the sun descends beneath the waves have a special magic.

Eyes drawn to the horizon, staring into that distant fire, lost in contemplation.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 764, Contemplation' 1/1600s f/8 ISO100 200mm

The last thing Owen Hammond is interested in when he is at work are sunsets.

I'm sure if you asked of him the attraction here it would be to capture the amazing athleticism of beach volleyball.

Some office jobs are definitely more attractive than others. Just saying!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Day 763, Owen Hammond At The Office' 1/500s f/2.8 ISO640 142mm