Robert's Ramblings

Come outside and checkout this cloud my work colleague gestured. How fortunate I just happened to have my camera and could steal a few minutes away from my desk.

Once outside, above us billowed the most amazing cumulus cloud structure expanding above the North Eastern skyline.

The detailed textures in the clouds were amazing but without a frame of reference or context I new the drama would be lost in a photograph.

And then VH-YNH flew into my frame.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'VH-YNH', 1/1000s f/8 ISO100 200mm

An expression I have not heard in years, 'nightfall' came to mind this evening and got me wondering, just when does 'night fall'?

It is easy to describe moments along the way.

The moment the sun dips below the horizon.
The emergence of the very first stars.
The moment a feature on the horizon is lost in the darkness.
When all the night-sky's stars become visible.

All these moments are grey transitions until you realize you are left gazing into starry night's sky.

So when does night fall? All I can be sure of it that it just does!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Nightfall', 1/60s f/11 ISO160 13mm

My good friend Simon likes coffee. I just did not realize how much he likes his coffee until last weekend when we visited him and his wife Emma in Canberra.

"Would you like a coffee?" he offered as we were welcomed in. What a great way to kick off the afternoon I thought as he led us to his little barista grotto.

There before me was a sight that just might make coffee lovers think they have died and gone to heaven.

The fully manual machine equipped with a myriad of gauges, controls and readouts was spotless and gleaming.

The calibrated grinder took pride of place along side.

Neatly laid out were tampers, handles and filter baskets for perfect extraction along with a diverse set of barista accessories.

The best equipment in the world does not count for much if you can't get the best from it. The proof would be in this pouring.

All my apprehension was swept away with my first sip of the wonderfully aromatic short black I was given.

Thank you Simon for this culinary gift. Without a doubt this was the best shot of coffee I have ever had.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Simon's Gift', 1/60s f/2.8 ISO1000 200mm

Even with the camera sitting on the back seat, after nearly 700Km behind the wheel it seemed like a monumental effort to just pull over and capture this beautiful scene unfolding over the Western New South Wales country toen of Balranald.

Once the decision to pull over had been made all that fatigue slipped away, the circulation returned and we enjoyed the sunset with renenewd admiration.

What better way to take a travelling break on a long Australian road trip.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Goodnight Balranald', 1/3200s f/32 ISO160 75mm

A love apple for Valentines day?

We can thank the South American Aztecs for these red beauties but you really might not like to delve deeper into the story or myth behind the 'love apple'. I dare you to do your own Googling!

Suffice to say, this gorgeous red fruit originally had nothing going for it on the romance front.

Now though there are rumors of aphrodisiac qualities.
There are associations mandrake, with deadly nightshade and sexual rituals.
And perhaps unsurprisingly it was the French who gave them the name 'pommes d'amour'.

So forget the red Valentines' Day roses at $$$ per stem. Love apples abound in every grocery store, are far more practical and just maybe that aphrodisiac rumor is true after all.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Love Apple', 1/30s f/10 ISO800 100mm

Perhaps it's not the energetic performance of Lachy Doley giving this device an internal meltdown at 'The Gov' last Friday night.

Perhaps its owner had just pulled his device from an overheated shirt pocket.

Perhaps he'd just done a fast charge from a battery brick.

Nope, I'm pretty sure it's Lachy's hot performance!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'When You're Hot, You're Hot', 1/400s f/3.2 ISO1600 200mm

There's a little restaurant on the waterfront in Neiafu on the island of Vava'u called Mango.

Instead of by car, patrons here all arrived in little dinghies. Already the landing in front of the restaurant was filling up with the little inflatable boats bobbing up and down in the gentle waters of Koko Bay.

We sat here and watched while drinking from freshly cut coconuts as the sun set in the west and another one arrived.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Mango Arrival', 1/1200s f/2.2 ISO40 4.8mm

Walking past this shop window front just off Hindley Street I was immediately reminded of the Broadway Musical 'Kinky Boots' which is currently playing in Melbourne.

After Melbourne it will be Sydney and as usual Adelaide misses out.

The musical, inspired by true events, tells the story of Charlie Price who having inherited an ailing shoe factory from his father, forms an unlikely business partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola. Together they produce a line of high-heeled boots and save the family business.

I've not seen the show myself but good friends of ours made a special trip to Melbourne recently just for the show and they thoroughly loved it.

This image is for them.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Kinky Boots', 1/50s f/4 ISO640 50mm

It begins looking out over a eucalyptus tree line falling away from the the summit of Mount Lofty, the highest place in the region.

Soon the detailed structure of leaves, branches and trunks transitions to a rolling velvety green of the Adelaide foothills.

Beyond the foothills lie the Adelaide plains, home to over a million South Australians and beyond the plains the ocean glitters in the late afternoon.

Finally this beautiful view ends in yet another gorgeous Adelaide sunset. Aren't we so lucky.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'A View to a View to a View to a View', 1/250s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

Looking down at the reflections in Henley Square's subtle water feature I have often wondered what a gorgeous sunset would look like seen in this civic mirror.

A half hinted promise of yet another gorgeous Henley Beach sunset faded to a few pastel hues as the sun retreated and twilight took hold.

It's not the colour I had come down here for but beautiful all the same.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Looking Over the Square', 2s f/16 ISO320 14mm

I'd never heard of Lachy Doley before seeing him play live on Friday night at 'The Gov' so I really did not know what to expect.

What I experienced was the most extraordinary mix of manic Hammond Organ keyboard virtuosity, passionate singing, ostentatious showmanship and humility.

I found myself thoroughly entertained! Thanks Lachy.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Lachy Doley' 1/250 f/3.5 ISO1600 200mm

If you know what these little glass bottles are you could be;

a) a musician,
b) a radio frequency engineer, or
c) have been around for quite a long time.

These three little glass tubes are part of the audio amplifier of Lachy Doley's on stage Hammond Organ and many contemporary musicians will attest are at the heart of the instrument's rich warm tones.

Fifty years ago nearly all our electronic equipment from televisions to radios used them. Today they are almost part of legend.

Just for an amusing contrast a modern flagship mobile phone has the silicon transistor equivalent of one billion of these little glass tubes miniaturised in its tiny form factor.

Glass vacuum tubes are still made and used today despite our micro-sized transistor marvels and as long as we have musicians, audiophiles and radio frequency engineers they will remain part of the electronics landscape.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘The Heart of Hammond' 1/80s f/2.8 ISO500 200mm

It had been drab and overcast all day long but in the late afternoon there were a few tell-tale signs that a trip to the beach for sunset might just be worth my while.

When I arrived at 'my local', Henley Beach, there were a few people with cameras ready to witness the sun just peeking out from below the clouds. Five minutes later it was gone again, the sunset obscured by the clouds on the horizon. I noticed more than one photographer pack up and leave.

I waited a while, quietly confident the show was far from over. Ten minutes later it began.

The dark orange glow on the horizon began to lighten and creep upwards. Little ripples in the cloud base took on spidery orange tinges like a textured wall dusted with orange chalk.

A few minutes later the textured cloud base was completely filled with yellows, oranges and reds while the last snippets of the blue sky beyond sneaked through the gaps.

Then I noticed the sea, now transformed into an ocean of volcanic lava washing back and forth leaving the sand a blaze as it retreated from every wave.

Conversations stopped . Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy's transformed from phone to camera. People up and down the beach, surprised by the spectacle, were eager to capture a little of it to take home, to Tweet or to Facebook post.

Inevitably the colours began to fade. The volcanic sea cooled to a dark blue grey and the world became drab again. Only a filigree of deep red tracings remained in the clouds above as a legacy to the volcanic sea.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Volcanic Sea' 0.4s f/11 ISO140 14mm

What to do with green tomatoes?

We could fry them or roast them. I've read they make great chutney or even go with eggs benedict.
I might add them to a lentil stew or create a sweet and savory jam with a difference.

Or perhaps we'll just let them ripen into bright juicy red globes and enjoy in a fresh summer salad.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Green Tomatoes' 1/125s f/7.1 ISO800 100mm

The title of this image might just a seem little strange. What in this image might be lost?

There is always a story lurking in any image. Sometimes obvious, other times it's a case of 'you had to be there'.

Despite the drama of a stormy Henley Beach sky, angry clouds and a threatening thunderstorm; as it turns out this story is far more human and personal.

A couple stands on the foreshore looking out in anticipation. About fifty meters out in chest deep water a dark figure is wading, probing the sand beneath his feet and searching.

We watched this man for more than an hour as he scanned the sea floor using an underwater metal detector searching for some lost treasure dear to the couple looking on.

In the end the darkness won the night and he abandoned his search. Perhaps he will try again tomorrow.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Lost At Sea' 0.3s f/9 ISO160 9mm

Prowling the sandy bottom between the sea-grass beds of Rapid Bay, the carnivorous undulate volute, Amoria undulata is on the hunt for other mollusks.

Up close that beautiful spiral shell reminds me of cinnamon scrolls while from a distance a tiny Dyson vacuum cleaner.

Volutes were plentiful during our recent night dive under Rapid Bay Jetty and always easy to photograph. I chose this perspective because I love the repeating geometry of sea shells just as much as I love cinnamon scrolls


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Cinnamon Scroll' 1/160s f/18 ISO320 100mm

Three days in a row with temperatures over 40 degreesC had taken their toll and despite the ominous clouds and the expectant change people flocked to the beaches in droves to escape the saturated heat of the suburbs.

When I got down to Henley beach around 8 pm this evening the sky was a sullen blue grey, the sun long obscured by the clouds of the coming change. No one expected what was about to take place on the seaward horizon.

About 30 minutes later a reddish glow began creeping into the distance. Deeper and deeper those oranges and reds grew as they filled the western sky, reflected in the salty wet sand and filled the Henley Beach foreshore with its golden amber glow.

People stopped what they were doing, they stared, they whispered to each other. Some took photos with their phones.

For the next 20 minutes the western horizon glowed as if lit by some unseen fire before it sank back down to a distant thin red line on the ocean before fading once again to grey.

So happy I turned up tonight for such an unexpected and beautiful evening gift.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Evening Gift' 0.3s f/10 ISO400 15mm

What a super cute way to herald in a New Year of diving; my first every sighting of a short-head seahorse, Hippocampus breviceps at Rapid Bay.

There is no reason why I should not have seen a seahorse under Rapid Bay Jetty in the hundreds of dives I have enjoyed here. I just haven't. Even my dive buddy Alexius had never seen a short-head seahorse here and he is one of the best critter spotters I know.

Actually this little guy was under the new Jetty which has a different kind of benthic structure. More seagrasses and less algaes so maybe that has something to do with it.

Perhaps I will spend a little more time exploring the new Jetty from now on. Who know what surprises await.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Super Cute Surprise' 1/160s f/18 ISO320 100mm

Last night was my first night dive for 2017. In fact it was my first dive for the new year and the conditions were perfect.

The evening star and a waxing crescent moon shone down on the water as we slipped below the surface. To the fishers on Rapid Bay jetty above it must have seemed like some mini apocalypse with our dive lights blazing and strobes firing. To the critters we were diving with most seemed unperturbed by our roving light show though I'm sure we were asked once or twice to turn our lights down or stop shining them in faces!

Despite the lovely conditions we did not see much variety in critter life so it was a dive to mostly enjoy being underwater again. Hopefully just the first of many for 2017.

One critter I always like seeing and photographing is this feathery looking thing. It is actually a worm called the Southern fan worm Sabellastarte australiensis. As those soft feathery appendages wash around in the current and surge you can never be sure just what the camera might capture the instant those strobes fire.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Aquatic Feathers' 1/160s f/18 ISO320 100mm

When the sunset plays the game of pretending to be over it pays to stay a while, to look up, to look around and to look behind.

Sneaking up from behind, the clouds, now struck with the sun's golden receding light, have become a new source to colour the world before twilight takes hold.

I wonder how many people missed it, the sun a while gone, giving attention back to evening meals, books or to a different kind glow from their coveted devices.

When it comes to sunsets and twilight it pays to stay a while and look around lest you miss something special.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Sneaking Up From Behind', 1/2s f/14 ISO160 15mm

It has been way too long since I ventured down to our local beach to take in the salty sea air, wet sand between my toes and a gorgeous Henley Beach sunset. Even longer since I captured one.

With Adelaide's current crazy post Christmas weather, ie 40 degrees one day and 20 degrees the next, we have been getting some pretty amazing cloud formations and some gorgeous sunsets. I had a pretty good clue that tonight was going to be one of them as Jennifer and I headed down to the beach close to sunset.

A lesson I never seem to learn is to give myself time to find parking, especially during holidays on warm balmy evenings! We found a park eventually but by the time I got set up on the beach I got five shots before the sun disappeared for the night behind the cloud-bank on the horizon. Luckily for us that was just the start of the show, not the end.

For the next 30 minutes we watched the clouds above us, and in every direction to the horizon, capture the sunlight refracted, bent then diffracted through the Earth's thin atmosphere creating a stunning ever changing patchwork of golden tones. I really did not know which direction to point my camera in. It was spectacular across the entire sky.

Resorting to an old favorite view I pointed the camera out to sea and towards the jetty and waited. To my delight this young girl dragging a small boy though the baby surf made this another Henley Beach moment.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Henley Beach Moment', 1/640s f/11 ISO160 15mm

Perceptions are everything when it comes to seeing the beauty in our undersea landscapes but as we are not aquatic creatures we have our limits.

The colonial ascidians in the foreground are centimeters from the camera while the sunburst through the jetty structure above is more then ten meters away at the surface.

As a diver an image like this is impossible to see and nearly impossible to visualize however though the fish's eye it just might be close to the mark.

It might not be possible to see the world beneath Rapid Bay Jetty as a fish might but at least we can try.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Through the Fish's Eye', 1/160s f/14 ISO160 8mm

I had the pleasure last night of meeting the guys from Adelaide indie rock band Neon Tetra at Jive on Hindley Street and taking in the launch of their new single Memoriam.

Despite the challenging lighting I did manage to capture a handful of moments of the band in full stride.

Here, drummer Oscar Westell lays down the rhythm in superb style.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Drumming in Memoriam', 1/25s f/2.8 ISO2500 100mm

Downside upside downside up .... It's quite irrelevant to a whale's watery realm.

Meeting George this year in Vava'u, Tonga, was one of the most extraordinary moments of my life and has set things in motion I could never have envisioned.

I have already written about George and my first encounter with him in an earlier post. I've recalled how he terrified me, how he delighted me, captivated me and played with me. I have described how he lifted me gently out of the water, rolled me over and back in, then belly-rubbed me as he swam by.

George left me overwhelmingly wanting to not only share my experiences and my images, but also to encourage others to travel to Tonga. I want everyone to swim with these beautiful humpback whales and come back with their own experiences to share.

Since meeting George and the humpback whales of Tonga, I've felt a calling to do more for their cause and our marine environment. Perhaps I've already inspired others through my images and my writing. I hope so.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Downside Up', 1/800s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

Or fours, or fives, or ... in fact this year has been the most extraordinary adventure for me.

I clearly remember these three male humpback whales during my recent visit to Tonga.
They were showoffs! How they came close enough to say 'look at us' but stayed far enough away to remain aloof.

They played games with each other staying just out of reach making fun of our inability to keep up or to move with their agility and grace.
They showed affection to each other with indifference to our presence.
They reminded us that this was their world and we were only welcome by their choosing.
The simply truth that they choose to be with us at all is something amazing and still fills me up with gratitude.

Looking back at my visit to Vava'u this year I am reminded how deeply my experiences with these beautiful whales has moved me.

Thank you Tony and Darren for the awareness and the inspiration.
Thank you Liam for making it real.

I am really looking forward to returning.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Good Things Come In Threes' 1/200s f/6.3 ISO320 15mm

I've recognised that famous Lion logo since before I can remember, well before I knew what it meant.

Somewhere in my history though that logo become a name and that name became a nation's automotive pride, Peugeot.

Growing up in Australia meant being steeped in Australian car culture where you either lived, fought defended or died in the Holden tribe, or in the Ford tribe and your tribe was almost always the one that you parents came from.

There were of course other car manufacturers out there but they belonged to 'other' people.

It did not take me long though to realise just how parochial this attitude was, learning about the great car manufacturers from all over the world.

The french cat however eluded my attention for years hiding in plain sight, stalking me and waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Now that I have finally noticed, I'll be spending a little more effort discovering Peugeot's French heritage from humble beginnings over 200 years ago.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'The French Cat' 1/4000s f/7.1 ISO1000 200mm

We spotted the Logan Pub on our way from St Arnaud to the Wehla Conservation Reserve and I made the mental note, 'I must photograph this pub on our way back'.

The sun was low and the light had that soft afternoon glow when we headed back to town and there it was again, the 'Aussie Pub in the Scrub'.

What was supposed to be a five minute break in our trip to capture some images turned into an unplanned session in the bar.

We met some interesting locals and a not so local a roving shearer from Glen Rowan with his own story to tell.

Reluctantly we had to leave before we would have liked but will keep fond memories of quirky locals, life-rich characters and the charm of a quaint little pub on its own in the middle of Central Victorian nowhere!!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'The Aussie Pub in the Scrub' 1/320s f/11 ISO100 15mm

A long time ago in a world far, far away two musicians were making waves amid the wonderful new sounds being created in the 80's music scene.

For me the songs and sounds of Howard Jones captured my imagination and resonated with my hopes, fears and dreams. For many of my friends the rockier, rawer sounds of Kim Wilde were centre stage in their listening lives.

All this time later I find my self experiencing the extraordinary privileged of finally seeing Kim and Howard on stage together.

All the while I'm singing a Howard Jones 80's hit, 'Like to Get to Know You Well'.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Like to Get to Know You Well' 1/200s f/2.8 ISO2000 200mm

There was an amazing amount of media hype leading up to last night's Supermoon.

From out of nowhere came hundreds of experts espousing facts and figures.

There was talk of the best vantage locations, there were strong suggestions that you just can't miss it, the likes of which will not been seen again for another ... years!

Then out of the woodwork came the wet blankets calling us all sheep for being led by the hype to stand out in the cold evening to see this 'amazing' Supermoon for ourselves.

I'm no fan of over-the-top hype but in this case I think it was fantastic how so many people took notice, took the time and took photographs last night.

Our moon is one of the most beautiful objects in the night's sky regardless of its phase or size and if takes a heap of Supermoon hype to draw attention to it, that can only be a good thing.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Mooning Out on the Hype' 1/200s f/9 ISO160 300mm

The moon was magnificent this evening, but not to start with.

The plan was simple; ... find a place where the moon will appear on the horizon of the Adelaide hills so as to silhouette the white tower of the Mount Lofty scenic lookout.

Google maps is a wonderful tool but finding line of clear sight vantage points is not one of its strong points but with a little creativity I managed to set up my tripod balanced on the edge is of multi-story car park with a tiny windowed view mostly encumbers by local trees.

As nature always has the last say the clouds stayed stubbornly on that grey horizon delaying the moon's 'Supermoon' appearance until it had crested both.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Supermoon on the Grey' 1/320a f/4.5 ISO640 200mm