Robert's Ramblings

Time and time again I am drawn to jetties.

Historically the role of jetties is quite clear in being a way for boats and ships to operate out of a beach with a gradually sloping sea bottom. I suspect that the re recreational thing just evolved from there. For most jetties now on our our South Australian coastline, their only role is recreational.

I think the thing that most people love about being on a jetty is the way it transports you to a place out over the water without losing the feeling of security of being on land.

When ever I visit someplace new and there is a jetty in sight the first thing I do is go for a stroll along the jetty, peer out to sea or across the water and then look back at scene I know I wont get any other way.

Yes, I love jetties.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 503, Autumn Grange Jetty' 1/4 f/11 ISO160 15mm

I often wonder what is on board a ship I see on the distant horizon.

In this image I captures a second smaller vessel cruising past the larger container ship. It was moving a quite pace as it seemed to race by the larger ship.
With the dramatic sky behind it made for quite an evening spectacle.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 502, Ships On The Horizon' 1/250s f/6.3 ISO640 200mm

I have been back to this same location a few times now to try and capture one specific image.

Each time the light was not right due to the recent heavy cloud and unpredictable light around sunset. I have seen the image I want to capture a few time while driving but never at the same time as an opportunity to capture it.
So with pun intended I will keep you in the dark until I do get the right light and I took this image instead looking in the opposite direction.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 501, Duck Pond' 0.4s f/13 ISO320 17mm

I watched for some time as this man stood leaning over the railing. He was already there when I arrived late in the afternoon.

I wondered what he wondered about up there on the jetty staring down into the water. Perhaps it was more of an idle curiosity than a true wondering but then I was on a mission to observe and create and he unwittingly had become the subject of my creation. Most of my wondering was really about composition and lighting and f-stops and exposure. I did wonder if he had even noticed me and if he minded being in the image but felt no great compulsion to ask.

It was dark after I left and he was still there, wondering upon the tide.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 500, Wondering Upon The Tide' 1/40s f/18 ISO100 15mm

When I was child 'Mother's Day' was a special occasion to make a big fuss about our Mum with flowers, presents and breakfast in bed.

I remember a time later in life when I had become cynical of these 'invented' occasions and the commercial hype and activity that sought to wring every last dollar out of out pockets.

Time changes perspectives and now these invented occasions serve as a poignant reminder of why it is so important to make each other feel important and never take anyone in your life for granted. Today we gave this beautiful pink cyclamen to my mum but in some way in our hearts it is for all out there who are mothers, aspire to be mothers, never had the chance to be mothers and who find themselves being mothers.

Never forget and use any excuse to celebrate the important people in our lives. Happy Mother's Day Mum.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 499, A Cyclamen For Mum' 1/400s f/2.8 ISO640 100mm

I often hear about 'the golden hour', that last hour before sunset where everything becomes bathed in the soft remaining sunlight.

Sure this is a lovely time to create images but then there is that last 2 minutes. It begins the moment the sun touches the horizon, the last moment when full face of the sun shines its yellow light on the landscape. This is the brightest yellow and most horizontal the light will get. Actually at this point the sun has already dropped below the horizon. It is only still visible due to refraction and the sun's rays being bent by the earth's atmosphere.

From this moment the light begins to dim and the yellow begins to fade. One minute later the sun is sitting as a semicircle on the horizon and the colours in the landscape begin to cool towards the grey blues of twilight. After two minutes the sun finally dips below the horizon and the landscape's transition from yellow-orange to blue is complete.

A two minute window to capture this is not long, but not so short that you can't enjoy the experience and take photo.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 498, The Last Two Minutes' 1/13s f/9.0 ISO125 15mm

Today's annular eclipse probably went completely unnoticed, at least here in Adelaide anyway!

For those in the Northern part of Australia and living within the 150Km wide transit path the experience would have been a surreal soft yellow ambiance. For those actually observing the eclipse they would have seen the moon fitting neatly inside the the sun creating a fiery donut of light in the morning sky.

Here in Adelaide we only got to see a 33% partial eclipse. As I was capturing this image a high school student walked by. I showed him the eclipse in the camera display and he was dumbfounded how nothing around hinted at what was happening tin the sky.

If only there were a way to show both the sun and the moon in the same frame rather that just its silhouette. Still I think this image is dramatic enough on its own with surface texture and sunspots visible.

More about today's annular eclipse can be found at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2013.html#SE2013May10A


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 497, An Odd Shadow' 1/8000s f/32 - ND ISO160 400mm

More and more I am noticing the role reflections have on composition and bringing a dynamic element to a scene.

It is funny how the brain works. Most of the time it sees what it believes is there and the uses the visual input to validate it rather than the other way around. When water is perfectly still I find myself marveling in the beautiful reflections but is there is just a little bit of surface disturbance the entire scene reverts to normal and the reflection goes unnoticed.

Here is where a photograph is different. Now even quite poor reflections become very important in creating the scene, the feel and the sense of a reality. Here in this image of the Seaview Road bridge over the Torrens River these soft reflections, though not perfect, provide what feels like to me a strong but gentle counterpoise to the complex and almost harsh detail being reflected.

Or maybe all you see is a bridge!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 496, On and Out To Sea' 0.6s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

Many times arriving after dark into Adelaide Airport I have seen this sight.

Looking back at the control tower with the main terminal and awaiting/parked planes off to the right and light aircraft off to the left it looks so small and compact. I have seen it change considerably over the years I have been here and have to say I prefer it over nearly all other Australian airports. It's compact, efficient and very functional. It may not be as exciting or entertaining as our bigger neighbors but if all you want to do is get in and out it's just right!

I actually didn't create this image from the tarmac, that would have been very naughty! Instead I scoured the perimeter and found a secret spot where I could take this without a fence in the way. Still I was looking over my shoulder the entire time and was glad to pack up and leave when done.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 495, Across The Tarmac' 8s f/3.5 ISO160 100mm

Less than a year and a half ago the view from here was very different.

The dates on the three headstones in the foreground are separated by one of the hardest 6 weeks our family has had to experience. In that very short space of time my mother lost her last two sisters and her husband (our dad).
Recently a very good friend of mine lost their dad as well and other friends are on watch for one or the other of their parents. When it comes to dealing with loss and grief there are as many reactions and ways to manage feelings as you could imagine and everyone is different.

I can only really speak for myself but for I have discovered that taking time to learn about my dad and his homeland abroad has become very important. Allowing myself to both regret and then let go of all the questions I will no longer be able to ask; funny how they were questions I'd never even have thought to ask when he was still around. And lastly visiting the essence of him. Be it at his grave or in my head, not asking any questions, simply being.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 494, Alive in My Heart' 1/5s f/18 ISO100 15mm

A change of vision from the very large to the very small led to this image.

I was actually playing around with a macro lens and 2x converter and trying to capture bugs in flight. After many attempts I still had not managed to get a critter right on the focal plane which was incredibly tight, perhaps around 1mm deep. In the end I gave up in frustration and photographed something I had a little more control over.

There is nothing really exciting about paper napkins but it did give me the opportunity to play with lighting. For this image I used a soft fill flash in the front and brighter flash at the rear right to provide a combination of strong side lighting with just a hint of rim light.

I'll try for those critters again soon enough.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 493, Paper Napkins' 1/200s f/11 ISO100 200mm Macro + Strobes

One of the best things about living near the sea are amazing sunsets.

One of the worst things about living near the sea is that you get to see yet another sunset! At least I can talk a little about this image and make it worth your while.

Last night we enjoyed yet again another magnificent sunset and on surveying the beach and noting that the tide was out I immediately decided to work with the still pools of shallow water lying about. Working with a wide angle lens I was careful to keep the horizon in the center of the frame for the initial capture in order to hide the inherent barrel distortion.

You often hear about placing horizons either above or below centre as part of composition rules. This can however create unpleasant and unintended distortion in the captured image. If you are shooting with a very wide lens where placing the horizon where you want creates an undesired curvature, I would suggest moving the horizon to the point in the frame where it is perfectly straight and then later cropping it to where you really intended it to be. In this case though I wanted a centered horizon to make a feature of the mirrored reflections. The centered horizon did not however quite look right thanks to the prominence of both the sun and the jetty so I dropped it just a little.

Sure you can see elements of the 1/3 rule in this image if you look but I find that even though rules are a great starting point I ultimately create what feels right to me even if I can't express 'why' other than with the image itself.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 492, Just Feels Right' 1/80s f/18 ISO100 15mm

I once heard an old Polynesian proverb, 'the Gods do not take from a man's life the time spent fishing'.

The cynic in me suggests it might have been invented by ancient island chiefs to curb laziness and promote survival of island clans through promoting ongoing fishing and the provision of food. I wonder if the proverb might have a spark of truth in our modern stress filed lives though.

I am not a fisherman but I am around them quite often and one thing I notice is that when fishers are fishing, nothing else matters. Work, finances, the car needing repairs or the home needing maintenance all seem to fade at least for a while and if there is a group of friends there almost always laughter and playfulness. It does not even seem to matter if they go home empty handed. It is about the shining, not the fish.

I know for a fact this fisherman went home with an empty catch but while he was there he was happy and maybe he will live a little longer for it.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 491, Empty Catch' 1/80s f/11 ISO125 15mm

Time for something new, at least different from my last set of images.

They say that to be a really great photographer you can't be a generalist. You need to find a niche and then become the best you can in a very specialized area. There is probably some truth in that but I'd argue that does not make a really great photographer , just a really great 'insert niche here' photographer.

For now I am still working out what I like and am more than happy being a generalist. That said I find my self time and time and time again, being drawn back to the beach.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 490, Back To The Beach' 1.6s f/14 ISO320 17mm

The very first keyboard I ever owned was a Korg.

To this day the first place my eyes go when surveying a stage are the keyboards and especially the brand labels on the back.

So this image is a bit of a fan-boy shot for Korg but hopefully I have captured a bit of stage action to go with it.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 489, King Korg' 1/40s f/2.8 ISO1600 15mm

I love watching a great musician practice their craft, in this image that musician is Chino Yuson. It really connects the musician and the music.

It was not always this way for me. Why bother going to a live show when I can enjoy the perfectly produced version. For years I could not relate to my friends and their love of live music. Things are very different for me now

I'd like to say that one day I had some epiphany, some magical experience that changed how I felt about live music but I can't. For me it crept up on me gradually. The product of years of being taken to gigs, concerts, band practice sessions and just watching amazing musicians practice their craft.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 488, Practicing His Craft' 1/40s f/2.8 ISO1600 200mm

A long exposure gives Liquified Grooves the 'liquified' look.

This special technique hopes to create a glimpse into what some might be seeing by this time of the night .


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 487, Liquified Grooves' 5s f/8.0 ISO50 15mm

Getting this kind of shot is fraught with danger, especially on a tight stage.

Being both on the stage and at the perfect kicking height means being careful not to upset any of the musicians. It was a case of get in carefully but quickly, get the shot and get out again.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 486, Sam Brooke - Liquified Grooves' 1/50s f/2.8 ISO1600 15mm

At 'The Soul Box' on Hindley Street. Liquified Grooves funked the night away.

Lead singer Elizabeth Rallis cranks it out while rapper Adam Remfry gets ready to join in.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 485, Liz Fronts Liquified Grooves' 1/40s f/2.8 ISO1600 140mm

The Adelaide University Footbridge has a fascinating history but that's not for this post.

Last night while out for a simple stroll I showed Jennifer the infamous bridge and considered how beautiful it looked with the lamps and railing and the River Torrens it spans. unfortunately I did not have a tripod with me so this is about as good as it gets with a hand held 200mm shot in the dark.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 484, Evening Stroll' 1/10s f/2.8 ISO200 200mm

Did anyone see the moon this morning?

At 5:30am this morning I headed out to capture the full moon partial lunar eclipse. What I saw was the lower right corner (does the moon have corners?) being darkened red as the earth completely blocked the sunlight from that part of the lunar face. And then before I got the camera ready the clouds set in! I figured that as I had just seen the eclipse through a gap in the clouds anther gap not be far away and all I needed to do was wait.

And wait, ... and wait, ... and wait. While waiting I tried to capture some images of the amazing back-lit clouds but the were moving too fast and the light was so low. I knew that should a gap come at all it would be very brief and I had to be ready so I manually pre-focussed on a bright star in the already lightening pre-dawn twilight and waited.

After 45 minutes a small gap in the clouds emerged and I grabbed my shot. 20 seconds was all I got and then it was gone as the predawn light flooding in heralding the sunrise to follow.

In this image you can just make out the orange glow of the penumbral shadow over the bottom right quarter of the moon.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 483, Penumbral Shadow' 1/20s f/7.1 ISO200 400mm

Not another sunset!

Well not just any sunset. This is the fist time I have seen the sun setting behind a curtain of rain. I actually think the rain curtain goes two layers deep with rain falling underneath the low cloud on the horizon as well.

I won't make any promises about no more sunsets. One every 24 hours seems just about right.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 482, Solar Shower' 1/2000s f/22 ISO50 400mm

We have been blessed with a few amazing late afternoons at the beach this week.

Tonight was a gentle calm evening with people out enjoying the golden hues of the sunset. Here a couple stroll back from the end of the Henley Beach Jetty, unaware of being photographed by the photographer who is unaware of being photographed.

But who's photographing me?


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 481, Captured On The Boardwalk' 1/5s f/11 ISO640 70mm

And in the heavens chaos reigned.

Black storm clouds filled the darkening sky as a last gasp of yellow light from a smothered sun escapes through a fissure in maelstrom.

The rain would soon follow.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 480, Maelstrom' 0.5s f/11 ISO50 15mm

What a blustery day full of changing weather.

I had planned to head down to the beach for some end of day images but the sight of people rolling along the footpath with umbrellas turned to shreds nearly put me off. Ok, perhaps a little exaggeration here but certainly not inviting. The came a moment when a glimpse of blue sky and golden yellow light appeared in west so taking a chance I jumped into the car and headed down there.

I never did get to see the sun as it all closed in again and started to rain. At least it was dry under the jetty and I did not have to go home empty handed.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 479, High Key Henley Jetty' 5s f/11 ISO50 15mm

It seems almost bizarre to me the dimensions of these hand-straps on our local buses.

Surely the hand-strap has only to be large enough in its opening to place a large hand through. These on the other hand (pun unintended) could easily fit the fist of a mountain troll. I shudder at the thought of what they could otherwise be used for instead; especially the way they sway back and forth on an empty bus.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 478, Well Hung Bus' 1/640s f/3.5 ISO800 125mm

The Undulate Volute, Amoria undulata is a regular sight on any night dive at Rapid Bay.

They are strikingly beautiful and move quite swiftly over the sand hunting other molluscs. Volutes in general have gorgeous shell and body markings but what I really love about this one is how well they are matched. At a glance it is difficult to tell where the shell ends and the extended body begins.

I like photographing sand dwelling creatures such as this volute as the un-sensitive sandy bottom make it easier to get down really low.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 477, Amoria undulata’ 1/100s f/8.0 ISO320 100mm

Tonight we were just about to settle in for a home movie night.

The carafe was filled, the wine poured, and the room glowed with the colours of the screen. As I sat there I watched the light shift and dance as it reflected from the carafe and wine glasses. At that moment I decided the movie could wait and I had to capture and share the vision right in front of me.

My first capture was a big disappointment. Up on my monitor in all its glory I saw fingerprints, smudges of lipstick and the dust that I never noticed in the darkened room. There was never any question of retouching, it had to go. So I set it all up again, cleaned the carafe, glasses and table and poured fresh wine. Here is the result which I wont let go to my head.


Oh, if any one else now has the UB40 song stuck in their head please let me know!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 476, Red Red Wine' 30s f/7.1 ISO100 100mm

Nearly a year ago I met the amazing marine scientist Ashley Miskelly on a dive trip to the outer parts of the Great Barrier Reef. He changed forever my perspective of the word 'urchin'.

By the end of that trip he had us all ignoring the stunning corals, the beautiful tropical reef fish and the magnificent oceanic pelagics and instead grovelling in the sandy bottom and broken coral debris for sea urchins.
If Ashley had been on this dive back here at Rapid Bay he'd have named this species, described its habitat, its mating habits, its life-cycle and distribution all before we had walked back to our cars. Not only that but he'd have done it in such a captivating way that would leave you wondering what treasure we had just witnessed.

Sadly I can't be sure which species this is (it could be Amblypneustes pallidus, I know I've been told) so I will just have to let the image speak for itself. Oh, and bonus points to anyone who spots a pair of little red eyes in there!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 475, Mister Urchin' 1/100s f/8.0 ISO100 100mm

I love the way water sparkles.

Capturing an image of sparkling water full of dazzling specular highlights is not as simple as pointing the camera at it! This will almost never capture the feel because, well a captured image does no sparkle!
So to make that sparkle look good I needed a model and this cormorant was more than happy to oblige as the late sun dazzled the choppy water.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 474, Cormorant Silhouette' 1/5000s f/4.0 ISO160 200mm