Robert's Ramblings

There is an old cemetery up Mount Crawford way.

I had driven past it many times without actually seeing it. Funny how often we do not see things we have looked at over and over again. I'd even seen cars parked there. Even wondered why they were parked there and still not seen it.
I wonder if there is something about old cemeteries that want to be forgotten, want to blend back into the land, want to vanish leaving no trace.

I'm sure the loved ones of souls departed and remembered here will not forget, at least not for a generation or to. Eventually though we all will have forgotten.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 473, Forgotten' 3.2s f/10 ISO100 15mm

One of the great things about writing to my images is learning about the things I capture.

Maybe I have seen this species of bird before but I certainly could not have been sure let alone describe it. Now I can say with reasonable confidence, it is a White-faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae which literally translates to 'Egret of New Holland'. Apparently they are quite common around waterways throughout all of Australia and I am sure I will notice them from now on.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 472, White-faced Heron' 1/640s f/4.0 ISO320 200mm

Have I captured too many sunsets?

Somehow I don't think that is possible as every single one of them is unique. In some ways the really good ones are like putting a bet on a race. If the sky is clear the odds against are really low with almost certainty that you will see the sun setting on the horizon. But like a low paying bet it might not have been worth the trouble. On the other hand if the sky is thick and heavy with cloud the odds are now stacked against you with a good chance the sun will never show. But now the odds are high and if that sun just happens to appear in that narrow gap that just opened up on the horizon, the pay off is wonderful.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 471, Going Down' 1/500s f/5.6 ISO320 400mm

Tom Ward would have to be one of the most amazing classical guitarists I have ever had the pleasure to listen to live.

Creating low light street images is a real challenge. Take a street performer who is constantly moving and the idea of a crisp sharp image is almost all but non existent. There come a point where I just have to let go and let movement blur work towards giving life to the image rather than be a detraction of an imagined but impossible sharp capture.

If you are interested, Tom has his own You tube channel and this is a little glimpse into his amazing talent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BudOnxI7NxM


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 470, Tom Ward' 1/8s f/2.8 ISO1600 200mm

I love exploring tunnels.

I have always been fascinated by tunnels. It does not matter if they are man made concrete stormwater drains, underwater limestone swim-throughs, overhanging leafy streets or scrubby tracks through the bush. A tunnel to me has a comforting feeling of safe passage about it with the delightful anticipation of a discovery to be made on the other side. Thinking back over this project I have photographed quite a number of different tunnels without even realising it.

Oh, and there is always light at the end of them.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 469, Bush Tunnel' 1/80s f/8.0 ISO320 15mm

There are quite a few pubs around Adelaide with rather strange animal names.

Names which include dogs and ducks, bears and bulls, rats and parrots as well as foxes, lions and slugs! Yes, we even have a pub called The Slug 'N' Lettuce. It kind of makes you wonder what all those publicans have been drinking!

Oh and after a bit of research I discovers they serve people as well!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 468, Dog & Duck' 1/200s f/11 ISO160 15mm

Or is that going down?

How appropriate given the ups and downs and hopefully back ups of a day full of server issues!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 467, Going Up' 1/4s f/9.0 ISO160 15mm

In this moment the low sun has brought this spider's web into backlit relief but its owner is nowhere to be seen.

I did not have very much time to capture this image. A few moments earlier the background was too bright giving little overall contrast, a few moments later the sun was gone.

Perhaps if I had planned this I could have been prepared with a spray bottle so I could have covered this web with tiny water droplets for added interest but then what would the spider think of that!

I am just happy I saw it and caught it as this trap was briefly exposed. (pardon the pun please)


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 466, The Trap Exposed' 1/320s f/2.8 ISO320 200mm

Morialta Conservation Park is beautiful reminder of what the untouched Adelaide Hills would have been like before Western settlement.

The park is also a popular place for observing koalas and on this occasion we spotted two koalas in the trees. Some others said they had counted nine in the hour or so they had been walking.

Near the end of our walk a man stopped to rest nearby. I asked him how his walk had been and he lamented that neither him or his wife had seen a single koala. With that I smiled and asked him to look up, pointed out a koala up high in the gum tree we we standing under and made his day.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 465, Morialta Cutie' 1/125s f/4.0 ISO320 200mm

A while back I happened by chance across the historic Mt Lofty train station while running some errands in the Adelaide Hills. On that occasion being the middle of the day the light was not very good so I made a note to come back.

Today I found myself again driving through the Adelaide Hills past this very same spot coming on to evening. Actually I new I would so the camera was packed just for the opportunity.

What I liked about this station was how old world it seemed and how well maintained it was. I discovered that it is hired out as a weekend family getaway, a far cry from its original role.

I'm experimenting a little with different techniques for capturing wide dynamic range. I must admit I do like a good radioactively overcooked HDR image but can only stomach just so much before wanting normally tone images to recover from visual intergestion. In this image I am trying to present the feel of a strongly tone mapped HDR image while being gentle on the eyes and keeping true to the colour.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 464, Mt Lofty Station' 1/5s f/7.1 ISO125 15mm

For all those out there who like to make things, who like to pull thinks apart, who like to put things back together into new an innovative ways. At least in Adelaide, today this was the place to be.

There is a quiet revolution taking place in the hobbyist and cottage industry world. The yarn, the string, glue and other stuff are being replaced by extruded plastics, copper wire, solder and both new and salvaged electronics.

There are robots and tesla coils, holga's on first person drones, holographics and laser projectors and all of it being brought into existence by enthusiastic makers intrigued and motivated to make their own really cool stuff.

What will you 'make' today?


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 463, Adelaide Maker Faire' 1/5s f/7.1 ISO125 15mm

While out this evening I decided to investigate one of the loudest screeching carry on of birds I have ever heard.

Through all the trees, out on the high school oval and in the twilight sky above there were corellas everywhere! This massive flock of long-billed corellas, Cacatua tenuirostris, or simply 'white parrots' seem to be working their way around the Adelaide suburbs picking different neighborhoods to terrorize with their squawking and carry on.

I took many shots of them in the twilight this evening and though I'm generally not a big fun of blurred photographs this one seems to capture the craziness of it all the best.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 462, Corella Cacophony' 1/30s f/2.8 ISO1600 165mm

One of the most amazing sea creatures to inhabit our coastal waters is the Australian giant cuttlefish, Sepia apama.

Aside from being the world's largest cuttlefish species, it is also one of the most curious and engaging and will interact for ages if you want to play. This one at Port Noarlunga was curious enough though on past dives I have had them attempt to breathe from my regulator and pull my mask off!

I am looking forward to another dive here again soon.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 461, Playful Cephalopod' 1/200s f/11 ISO640 15mm

Clear skies and beach weather again.

Well almost though it getting cooler now as we head into Autumn. It's actually a nice time for the beach as the water is still warm enough. On this occasion I only took photos. Even though the 'jetty' shot has been done to death I decided to try some asymmetry seeing there was not much else interesting happening.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 460, Another Day Another Jetty' 13s f/11 ISO400 15mm

I am certain there is nothing more conducive to letting your mind run free than being out in open spaces.

Perhaps it does not matter if it is some vast open wilderness or some great city from afar. It is the space between the viewer and the scene which make all the difference.

In this image I wanted to evoke the same dreamy feeling, of being lost in thought that open space creates by pushing out the exposure and reversing the vignette.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 459, Lost in Thought' 1/60s f/8 ISO100 15mm

From our original vantage this dam looked like a muddy puddle.

Down and up close the receding water revealed drying and cracked mud, pock marked with animal tracks testament to the importance of this water on local grazing sheep.

The stark barren nature of this place is absolutely a product of clearing and grazing. Not so far from here there are untouched places to compare that look nothing like this muddy puddle in the hillside.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 458, Muddy Puddle' 1/160s f/10 ISO50 15mm

There is a cairn on one of the ridge tops bordering the 'Steingarten Walk'. It is a place I have seen many times from a distance but never before visited. Today I remedied that omission.

Looking into the distance, just left of centre is Pewsey Vale Peak, the highest point in the region at 629m.

These are special places that have been with me since childhood as landmarks which can be seen from many parts of the Barossa Valley and beyond.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 457, The Steingarten Walk' 1/320s f/11 ISO100 15mm

The altar window at St Bartholomew's Anglican church in Norwood is both exquisitely beautiful and a fitting image for today.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 456, Easter Sunday' 1/4s f/11 ISO160 40mm

It's beautiful, surreal and kind of foreboding to see the moon circled in that ethereal glow. This is how the moon rose this evening over Holdfast Shores in Glenelg.

The ring of light you see is caused by the moon's light passing through ice crystals high in Earth's atmosphere. The light is bent in a way similar to a lens and the shape of the ice crystals causes the moonlight to be focused into a ring.

I missed the amazing sunset this evening but happy to have captured this image instead, an image which I have wanted to create for a long time now


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 455, The Ring' 30s f/7.1 ISO800 19mm

I love the vibe of a busy bar, a busy kitchen, a busy restaurant or a busy yiros joint.

Unfortunately I did not take note of the name of this place down the east end of Rundle Street but it seems pretty new and buzzing. I might just try one of their yiros next time.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 454, Yiros Action' 1/5s f/10 ISO640 15mm

While waiting for my daughter yesterday I was limited in how far I could go away from a designated place.

I often hear of people getting into the photography equivalent of writer's-block, especially anyone involved in any kind of 'photo-a-day' project. One suggestion I recently heard was to impose constraints on yourself and then try to be creative within your constraints. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but it is a technique constantly being explored and used by artists in all creative endeavors.

In my case I needed to to create an image within 50m of my car. While looking around I noticed a collection of drains feeding a storm-water course and wondered what one of these drains looked like.

This is what I found.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 453, Down The Drain' 13s f/16 ISO160 19mm

I have heard it said that images of cats and dogs are the low hanging fruit of photography. Okay for family or Facebook but a sure way to kill a portfolio collection.

On the other hand images of wild creatures lurking in the undergrowth, captured with stealth and guile are to be applauded.

As far as I am concerned I have captured just such a beast and was lucky to escape with my life. You be the judge!


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 452, The Beast' 1/1000s f/2.8 ISO200 200mm

The Coorong is a unique almost landlocked strip of saltwater lakes which run for more than 130km down South Australia's south east coastline separated from the Great Southern Ocean by one long strip of sand dune beach.

We we were just passing at the time when I decided to detour down to the water to capture the late afternoon sun on the water . This place is definitely now on my 'places to revisit soon' list to better capture this magnificent part of our state.

Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 451, The Magnificent Coorong' 1/100s f/16 ISO160 15mm

While out on one of the dry lakes at the bottom of the Coorong National Park I wanted capture the expanse of white which went for on for kilometers.

Thinking about the image I wanted to create presented a dilemma. The light was bad, the harshest of light in the middle of the day and there was no foreground to add interest.

So I stepped out into the scene.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 450, Just Me' 1/200s f/16 ISO100 15mm

Ever wondered why you see the rays of light emanating from bright lights in photographs. You never see them with your eyes so they can't really be there.

I think we have become so used to seeing these rays in photos that an image without them would seem plain wrong. A clue to why they are there is in the number of beams. In this image you can see 14 beams and it is no coincidence that the aperture on the lens I used has 7 leaves and when stopped down from wide open has 7 sharp vertices around the periphery of the aperture.

This sunset aligned with the shore of Lake Fellmongery shows the effect beautifully as captured through a stopped down 15mm fish-eye lens.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 449, Sunset Silhouette' 1/2000s f/22 ISO50 15mm

The fish-eye lens is peculiar creation. Some people love the wildly distorted images they create, other hate them.

I originally purchased this lens for underwater photography where its name and its application have a wonderfully ironic link. Over time I have however come to love using it for all sorts of images from urban exploration to landscapes.

For this image of the shores of Lake Fellmongery in Robe, South Australia I decided to make a point of showing off fish-eye distortion as is often the most novel use of this kind of lens. The resultant image reminds me of our own planet of brown, green and blue. The real irony here is that a fish-eye lens reproduces the closest image to how our own eyes work and due to it's optical simplicity is also one of the sharpest.

If nothing else, this image is a striking example of how our brains tell us an image is distorted when really it is not.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 448, Planet Fellmongery' 1/200s f/13 ISO320 15mm

Late in the day with a grey overcast sky the view through the leaves is much more striking than either clear blue nothing or blotchy cloud.

I was very tempted to make this image black and white. It actually looked very good in mono but then I considered how mono could not tell of the grey sky through green as I I experienced it.
Perhaps it would be more 'arty' in mono but then you'd miss out on all that colour.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 447, Looking Up Through Green’ 1/80s f/2.8 ISO5640 145mm

The last few days of beautiful weather came to an end today with overnight thunderstorms and strong coastal winds.

My plan was to use an inexpensive variable ND filter to smooth out the rough seas but when I cranked the filter to anything past a couple of stops it began to create strange overall light, dark and colour cast effects making almost useless for my intended application.

To get a realistic image I had to only use the filter at the lightest of its variable range and rely on a small aperture to give me long exposures. The problem with f/22 however was the detail in the image became soft.
In the end it was nature doing its thing that got me to this exposure with the rapidly dropping ambient light I was able to get both a long exposure at a reasonable aperture.

So the cheap ND filter was no value for money after all and a good one is now on my wish list.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 446, Stormy’ 3.2s f/13 ISO50 17mm

This is not so much 'about' Adelaide Airport as much as 'out and about'.

This is my first time down on the the newly completed Adelaide Airport Plaza which separates the main terminal from the car parking facilities. Being on a mission I had to be quick but I will be back again soon with more time as this place has a wealth of amazing photo opportunities.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 445, About Adelaide Airport’ 1/125s f/16 ISO320 17mm

What an amazing contrast, the brightly lit, almost surreal foreshore below a star filled sky.

I loved the way this couple was framed on all sides by the jetty, the volleyball net, the sand and the stars.

Lucky for me they both stayed still enough to be captured in this long exposure.


Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Day 444, Heavens Above Henley’ 30s f/5.0 ISO1250 15mm