Robert's Ramblings

As she cruised over my head the sun was eclipsed and the surrounding water came alive with thousands of mini silhouettes.

For a time she overshadowed them all with grace, girth and length before the sun reappeared and she was gone.

Yet another beautiful moment with a Broughton Island Grey Nurse shark.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Overshadowed', 1/160s f/22 ISO160 15mm

I had never dived Nelson Bay before last weekend and as we geared up in the dark at Fly Point for the high tide dive I was acutely aware that I really should dive here in the daylight first.

The moment we submerged though I caught sight of my first nudibranch for the dive, then another and another. In a short span of time I had seen more nudibranchs and a greater variety of nudibranch species than in all of my many years of diving.

I encountered this denizen of the (not so) deep, Dendrodoris denisoni, about 60 minutes into one of the most amazing night dives I have experienced. I could not have asked for a better pose as the nudibranch perched itself atop a piece of structure with its antler-like rhinophores fully extended and rear branchial plume waving in the current.

The remainder of the dive at Fly Point was filled with more nudibranchs, wobbygong sharks, octopuses, gobbleguts and a myriad of fishes.

After this very first dive at Nelson Bay I knew I was in nudibranch heaven!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Denizen of the Deep', 1/100s f/22 ISO400 100mm

Marine images of shellfish are not high on the list of glamorous marine subjects.

True, most shellfish find it hard to capture attention the way sharks, whales, brightly coloured reef fish and any number of other fascinating marine creatures do though there are exceptions.

The first time I came upon a Black Cowry (Zoila friendii) I was captivated by the lustrous dark glossy shell, the gorgeous yellow, orange and red markings and the black velvet mantle.

In South Australia the Black Cowry is not a protected animal and divers may take one per day from the water in unprotected zones.
In my early diving years I dived with a dedicated group of naturalist divers who were infuriated with the taking of these animals and made it their mission to mark the shell by scratching it with a large cross.
Their argument was that defacing the cowry would make it worthless to collectors.

At the time I could see their argument and every time I found a Black Cowry marked with a cross I new it was safe. I always thought though how sad that divers would never see that beautiful black shell in all its glory.

Now that I am passionate about sharing images of our undersea world I am frustrated when I find a marked cowry.
Obviously the practice still continues but they are reasonably common and it is easy to find one or two on an Edithburgh Jetty dive in all their lustrous glory.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Black Beauty', 1/80s f/3.2 ISO320 50mm

This big female Grey Nurse shark (Carcharias taurus) might look fierce and if you were the subject of tonight's dinner you might want to think about finding somewhere else to hang out.

The large school of Eastern Pomfred (Schuetta scalaripinnis) which gently parted to make way for her should have gone a little further as most of them would be on the late evening's menu.

This is my second opportunity to dive with Grey Nurse sharks and my first trip to the Broughton Island Group near Nelson Bay on the New South Wales west coast.

Unfortunately the recent heavy rains meant the visibility was not very good as evidenced by the gloomy background but there were no shortage of these beautiful animals as they cruised by in an almost trance like state. Every now and then one would come from behind and 'accidentally' brush my legs or fins resulting a sudden 'crack' and powerful surge as the shark realised its mistake and made a sudden almost violent course correction in the other direction.

Few things in my diving experience compares with being in the water with large sharks and I plan on doing more of it!

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Grey Nurse', 1/160s f/9 ISO400 15mm

I am not a big fan of over processed images and generally favour subtle tones and detail.

On this occasion thought the clouds were so intense and brooding that a dramatic representation was all I could think of.

At the same time I have just started experimenting with Silver Efex Pro in the Google Nik Collection.

Until I settle down with these new tools learn how to use them well, expect a little drama!

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Quicksilver Reflections', 1.3s f/20 ISO320 15mm

It's all splashes and sparkles and plenty of civic bling at Henley Square now that the construction work is complete.

On a hot summer evening children play in the open-air water feature while an aerial light-show plays above.

People mingle after dinner in one of the restaurants discussing their meal, their day or choosing which bar to head on to.

As pretty as it all is now this wonderful civic facility has had its casualties. During construction businesses suffered, some did not recover.

I loved coming down here before and I love coming down here now. I'm really not sure if the pain was all worth it but I hope at least they keep Henley Square's new bling polished, splashy and sparkling.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Splashes and Sparkles', 2s f/9 ISO1000 15mm

Most South Australian's experience with crabs involves eating them or catching them and usually if they are local they are our blue swimmer species.

As divers we do see blue swimmer crabs in Saint Vincent's Gulf but most crabs we see around jetties and reefs are way more interesting.

We have spider crabs and sand crabs and decorator crabs and hermit crabs and rock crabs and helmet crabs and sponge crabs just to name a few we see regularly.

This Sponge Crab (Austrodromidia octodentata) is one of many species which grow algae and sponge on its shell as a form of camouflage. Very often the entire top surface of one of these guys will be just one big sponge.

This guy obviously has no sponge and looking more closely at the fine brown covering of its shell I wonder if the hair-like structures are an open invitation for a new sponge resident, ie crab carapace for rent.

For now it seems happy about the vacancy as it goes about its benthic business.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'SpongeBob', 1/200s f/7.1 ISO100 50mm

Magic Mirror on the ocean floor, who is the cutest one of all?

Whether admiring its cuteness, looking for a mate or just checking that nothing is out of place before a big date, this Magic Mirror seems most welcome.

It's usually not nice to see junk thrown into the ocean. Plastic bags, damaged fishing gear and discarded packaging are a real threat to marine life as well as being a blight on and below the water.

Some junk however is quite welcome. Building rubble turned into reefy structures, scuttled ships into mini ecosystems, glass bottles into octopus homes with a view. Even mirrors seem to be put to good use!!

So who is the cutest one of all? Under the sea this Southern Pygmy Leatherjacket (Brachaluteres jacksonianus) is a fair contender.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Magic Mirror', 1/200s f/13 ISO320 50mm

From a cold Austrian winter to balmy Australian evenings the difference between these two worlds could not be more different despite only an 'al' in name.

The place is Port Parham, a ramshackle collection of holiday shacks on the Gulf of Saint Vincent in South Australia and the holiday destination of my childhood.

When the tide goes out here it goes a long, long, long way out. When the tide comes in you can have fun jogging back to the shoreline with the incoming tide lapping at your heals.

As a child I thought these beach tractors were the coolest vehicles on the planet. If you were lucky enough to get a ride on one you could see for miles and miles and even better was that they would drive out into the water when they finally got to it.

The owner of this boat had waited patiently for some time before his ride came to tow him home. Not that anyone would mind waiting on a balmy summer evening with a sky like that.

This evening was a nostalgic moment for me seeing Port Parham the way I always remembered it.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'The Long Tow Home', 1/5s f/11 ISO320 15mm

I have been actively avoiding black and white street photography because I feel the genre is somewhat overdone and images I see are often clichéd.

Street images are often full of colour and the idea of giving up all that beautiful colour for the sake of a style or an expectation of style seems a little contrarian.

Regardless, every now and then I like to try something in black and white. Not because 'it works better in B&W', an expression which makes me cringe whenever I hear it, but because I love the tones and textures and that caught my attention.

Perhaps the two ideas amount to the same thing in choosing to go B&W but for me I need to know why I have made this choice as much as liking the feel of it.

The Haubis Backstube on Landstraße in Linz caught my eye, or perhaps it was my nose, as we strolled passed. The man behind the counter caught my gaze and a moment later we were gone.

It's nice to re-live this ever so brief moment and those black and white textures and tone help me to remember why I captured it.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Guten Tag', 1/250s f/4 ISO800 17mm

Looking up towards heaven inside The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Linz, Austria.

When The New Cathedral was designed it was to be the largest, tallest and most majestic cathedral in Austria. The bureaucracy had decreed however that in Austria-Hungary no building was allowed to be higher than Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

Stifled by politics and bureaucracy the spire rising above this new heaven was cut short 2 metres on the side of political correctness.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Der Neue Himmel', 2s f/7.1 ISO800 15mm

My very first memories of this place come from photographs taken by my father when I was too young to remember.

Swans on the Danube, misty fog in the autumn and snow in winter. Memories of photographs of feeding swans, of sledding through the streets of Aschach and bright eyes full of wonder.

For 25 years my life was filled with hot summers, blue skies, arid landscapes and snow capped mountains were just some myth of nature. Austria could not have been further from my mind.

That began to change when I came back here with my father. It was a wonder to me and an emotional homecoming for him. For most of that visit we left my father to reacquaint himself with family and friends while we played tourists. When it was time to return to Australia the goodbyes were very intense full of tears and emotion as my father knew then it would be last time he would see Aschach, the Danube and his childhood friends.

After that first homecoming it was another 13 years before I would be back here in Aschach and it was then that I experienced a profound shift in my feelings for this place. My family and I felt a welcoming connection which was quite different from the first time. We spent all of our time here with family and friends and the beauty of the Austrian countryside became incidental.

It was then I made a promise to myself, to my Austrian and my Australian families that I would never let the connection slip again and we would come back as often as we can. And we do.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Homecoming', 1/200s f/13 ISO640 17mm

These red bulls in the little village of Fuschl are only statues but if they were real and headed your way they really might give you wings to get away!

These Red Bulls are the only clue to their corporate owners tucked away here in the beautiful Salzburg region of Austria.

Actually Red Bull was successfully sued in 2014 for false advertising by a man who after drinking Red Bull for 10 years complained that he still had no wings.

Maybe they should have let the bulls loose on him. Perhaps he would have discovered he could fly after all.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Red Bulls', 1/320s f/8 ISO160 105mm

This spectacular view is of the Austrian village of Hallstatt on the the western shore of Lake Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut region.

As I have described in a previous image how I adore this place and feel it rightfully deseves its reputation as Austria's most beautiful mountain village.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Hallstat', 1/125s f/10 ISO160 15mm

Grub Castle can be seen across the water from the Austrian village of Hallstat on the eastern shore of Lake Hallstatt.

This privately owned residence is immaculate and as such it is hard to imagine this fairy story castle has a 500 year history with humble beginnings as a simple farmhouse.

In the intervening years the castle has seen many owners who have remodeled the estate to suit their tastes and style of the time. In the late 1800s the castle came to be owned by the Ambassador of the Russian Czar Alexander II. During this time the castle was redesigned to the romantic appearance which has remained to this day.

It's easy to imagine a place like this in a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie full of international intrigue, high stakes deals and lavish lifestyles.

I'm guessing at least that the lavish lifestyle part is true though I wonder if the owners really have the time to appreciate their extraordinary home.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Schloss Grub', 1/500s f/4.5 ISO160 200mm

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Linz, Austria is also known as the New Cathedral.

'New' is a timely reminder on just how old Europe is where a building constructed in late 1800's is described as new! This is just a small part of this Roman Catholic church which can hold up to 20,000 worshipers

We spent some time here during the last light of day when the colours in the stained glass windows were deeply saturated in contrast to the orange and brown interior tones.

I would have loved to have taken my time here (a repeating theme) to watch how the light changes with the coming of evening. Again, ... next time.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Der Neue Dom', 4s f/7.1 ISO800 15mm

At first glance this image of geese strutting up from the shore of the not so blue Danube River seems to be just that, waterbirds with attitude.

And then you might think, by locals I mean the geese and the ducks, the gulls and the swans.

In the background there is a bridge that was built in the 50's to replace an aging ferry. My grandfather worked that ferry making sure the cars and trucks made it safely across the Danube.
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My father then worked on construction of that bridge, building the supporting piers 20m below the surface in a watertight caisson. It is ironic how my father helped my grandfather into early retirement when his ferry was no longer needed.

I spent my very early years here before circumstance and choice took me far away. Now I have taken it on to reconnect and fill the intervening years.

Actually the locals are the geese and the ducks, the gulls and the swans. Both my father and grandfather are gone now and I am only visiting.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Aschach Locals', 1/60s f/13 ISO640 20mm

This spectacular view is from the Austrian village of Hallstatt on the the western shore of Lake Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut region.

I immediately fell in love with this place as have the hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world who have come to experience what is arguably Austria's most beautiful mountain village.

With the village to my back the swan agreed to be my model, providing foreground interest to the gorgeous mountains in the distance.

I wanted to stay all day but I am grateful for the hour we spent here.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Swan Lake', 1/250s f/10 ISO160 15mm

Heading south east on Wolfgangsee Straße from Fuschl we crested a low pass and were greeted with this postcard scene of Sankt Gilgen.

Sankt Gilgen overlooks the beautiful lake Wolfgangsee in the Salzkammergut region of Austria. This particular vantage spot is so popular they have created a parking bay fro passing traffic. Just as we did, several motorists pulled over and took photos with their various devices. I felt like the odd man out actually holding a camera.

Unfortunately the snow had not yet arrived arrived while we were here so I will just have to come back again!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Sankt Gilgen', 1/640s f/10 ISO160 40mm

In the little village of Fuschl am See in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung, is a unusual building constructed on an artificial lake set amidst some of the most beautiful countryside in Austria.

There are no signs, no corporate logos, no clues to its corporate ownership other than the heard of bronze bulls stampeding over water.

This place is home to a company worth more than 7 billion and of one of the most valuable brands in the world, 'Red Bull'.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Red Bull HQ', 1/4000s f/11 ISO250 15mm

Airports are amazing places to sit back and take in one of humanity's simplest and at the same time most complex endeavors, travel.

Once a man simply grabbed his hat, his coat, a bag of belongings then walked out the door and off down some road or path. Now there are machines, technology, customs, merchandising, queues and complex infrastructure.

The things that will never change are people and their stories.

The Austrian could have lived in Vienna a century ago but his story may not have been very different from today.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'The Austrian', 1/250s f/3.2 ISO640 50mm

This shop in the Irish village of Blarney reminded my of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory but on a much smaller scale.

That hot pink is something you'd never see back in my home town where the incumbent chocolate shops are all in white, creams and brown.

Bring on the colour!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Mind Meltingly Wonderful', 1/4s f/11 ISO400 31mm

The most common natural colour in Ireland is green, green grass, green treas, green hills and green mountains.

This twilight over Cork however was a blazing ochre yellow as the illusive sun finds a way into the evening clouds.

To the right is Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral with the Cork Christmas Ferris Wheel. In the centre is the Saint Nicholas Church and to the right is the Holy Trinity Parish - Russian Orthodox Church.

Just to the right of the Russian Orthodox Church you can just make out the parapet of the Red Abby Tower, Cork's oldest standing medieval building from the 14th century.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Cork Twilight, Ireland', 1/800s f/4 ISO400 50mm

Saint Patrick's Bridge across the River Lee with the imposing Cork English College behind, Saint Anne's Church and Shandon Bells Tower to the left and Saint Mary and Saint Anne's Cathedral to the middle left, is such a clichéd image of the city of Cork, Ireland that I'm sure I could have saved myself the bother and purchased postcard instead.

Actually I did not plan for or go out of my way to get this image. I simply ended up on a rooftop carpark, the family had gone shopping and I just happened to have my camera.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Saint Patrick's Bridge, Cork, Ireland', 1/125s f/4 ISO400 50mm

Happy New Year to everybody and welcome 2016.

The new year was a quiet event for us this time around, at least as quiet as it can be at 10,000 metres above the Persian Gulf.

There was no party and no fanfare. A few on the flight determined to rouse some festive spirit counted in the new year with the traditional count down but it was not a pinch on a ground based celebration.

When 2016 actually happened remains moot. Which time zone should we use, departure, geographic location or destination? In truth it was some fuzzy smeared event which will not really be over until it has occurred everywhere.

Now that it is 2016 every where I can finally say without qualification, Happy New Year.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Happy New Year from 10,000 Metres', 1/100s f/2.8 ISO1600 15mm