Entries by Robert

This is where all the mollusc action is happening!

A top shell (Phasianella australis), closely followed by a small whelk is about to summit the razorfish (Pinna bicolor) while the small abalone and tube shells have made a permanent home there.

Not to miss out a few sponges, algae and barnacles have also joined the party.

There's a lot to see in this tiny little place called Mollusc City under Edithburgh Jetty.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Mollusc City' 1/100s f/20 ISO160 100mm

On my way home tonight I spotted this gorgeous waxing crescent moon setting amid wispy western clouds.

No time to find an exotic location. It was enough to get a tripod out onto the footpath, fight off the pedestrians and time the shots between glaring oncoming headlights.

And then it was gone.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Wax On' 0.8s f/11 ISO1000 600mm

I spotted this tiny (12mm long) little nudibranch (sea slug) during an amazing Edithburgh Jetty night dive during the early hours of this morning.

I am still attempting to identify this little guy but in the mean time I'll just call it the White Rabbit as the two leading rhinophores look like ears and the rear branchial plume makes for fine cotton tail!

In the same way that Alice took off down the rabbit hole or Neo after Trinity, it's a white rabbit like this one that draws me away from a cosy bed into the chilly ocean in the small hours of the morning with camera in tow to see what wonders I can discover.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Following The White Rabbit' 1/100 f/14 ISO320 100mm

I truly am a big fan of black and white images but there is something in the subtleties of colour tones that keep pulling me back from colour oblivion.

Maybe I am just not really ready to fully embrace non-colour.

The colours really were vivid but this time I saw a different sunset.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'A Different Sunset' 1/15 f/16 ISO320 15mm

My street photography may not be as strong as my beach photography but in this case they have blurred into the same thing.

I really like they way she still has her earbuds in place and is using an iPhone despite the Panasonic Lumix in her lap.

My take on it is that when it comes to selfies, connectivity is more important than quality.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Connected Selfie', 1/80s f/2.8 ISO160 200mm

This is the first image I have made of Port Adelaide's historic Hart's Mill.

For a long time now I've been put off by all the restoration hardware surrounding the building structure.

I finally found an angle from which it does not matter!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Reflections of Harts Mill', 30s f/7.1 ISO640 85mm

Last night we celebrated a significant birthday of a good friend at the Port Adelaide Sailing Club. Great company, food, music and a view out over the Port River from the decking made for a great night.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'View From the Decking', 30s f/7.1 ISO640 100mm

With the excitement of the recent blood moon behind us I'm already planning for the next one and what I should do differently.

There are the technical challenges and to that end the problems and solutions are becoming clearer. Practice and technique trump dollars spent every time!

OK, perhaps an attempt to photograph the lunar footprints of an Apollo mission might require more than my budget will ever support but the idea is the same.

So in the spirit of practice here is our waning gibbous moon captured using a cheap second hand camera and an old entry level zoom lens. Hmm, I reckon there is room for improvement!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Waning Gibbous', 0.3s f/32 ISO160 600mm

Mum has a liquid amber tree in her front garden and every Autumn I am reminded how amazing it is see those fantastic colours.

Growing up I never really noticed as the colours changed from green to yellow, orange, red and finally crimson before littering the ground below.

Now my visits are infrequent and every time it is a treat to see a different season. This one Autumn.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Mum's Autumn Treat', 1/8000s f/25 ISO640 100mm

An opportunity, a cheeky grin, a peek through thousands of negative images on long strips of celluloid.

The irony is that this image will never experience the physical reality of silver rendered in film.

Instead these photons were transformed into minute pockets of electric charge then carried away on structures of aluminium, gold and poly-silicon to be stored again elsewhere.

Copied, uploaded, mathematically manipulated, archived, download and finally rendered in the memory of something I once viewed on a screen I once owned.

Though I miss the real physicality of silver in celluloid, I'd miss making images of cheeky grins more.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Peeking Through Celluloid', 1/25s f/4.5 ISO100 125mm

What's black and turns heads?

... This!

Photo: Robert Rath, 'M', 1/30s f/5 ISO400 24mm

Shrouded behind veils of patchy cloud an impossible challenge is to capture the details of the lunar surface as well as the intricate details of wispy cloud.

In the end a compromise was to over expose the moon, to under expose the clouds and do my best to get detail in both.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Veiled Moon', 1/5s f/4 ISO640 200mm

Like an omen of the evening unfolding the oval moon rose orange in the east.

From our vantage of the Palmer Lookout a group of us had gathered to witness the blooding of the moon to come.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Blood Moon Offering', 1/80s f/2.8 ISO640 200mm

Tonight we experienced the work of Trent Parke and his 'Black Rose' exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Trent's exhibition is extraordinary. Not an exhibition of extraordinary images but an an extraordinary collection of images.

To be frank there were many images I would not look twice at but as a collection there was something much, much bigger than I could get my head around.

Trent Parke's images are not just someone else images but a body of work worth making the effort to experience.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Someone Else's Images', 1/80s f/2.8 ISO640 200mm

It promised to be a great sunset last night until it turned out not to be.

So I hung around for the twilight colours and it was just magic looking north towards Henley Beach jetty in the distance..


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Twilight', 1.6s f/13 ISO640 15mm

It's been a while since I have captured a 'down the line' image of Henley Beach Jetty so a while's now up.

As always this kind of shot results in lots of water on me and the camera. So much so that I am thinking of designing a tripod with legs that can take the powerful surge as the water rushes past.

OK, a project for later later on!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Down The Line', 4s f/16 ISO640 15mm

It was a stormy evening down at Henley Beach with a rough sea, a stiff breeze and an amazing sky. Perfect for capturing some images.

I got wet, my camera got wet, ... over and over. I ran out of tissues continually trying to dry the salt water from the lens and the tripod kept getting dislodged as each surge of water crashed into it

What began as a series of bracketed images ended in near disaster as the foreground and nearly the camera was swept away.

Did I have fun this evening? You bet I did.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Flow Motion', 2.5s f/16 ISO50 15mm

I know the rules say 'no bikes on the jetty' but they are not so clear about being on them or not.

Given the ambiguity I see no point in 'walking' a perfectly good bike.

Clearly this is no selfie!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Walking The Bike', 1/100s f/2.8 ISO640 200mm

I crept slowly towards them. Keeping low. Keeping quiet.

I stopped and watched patiently. Keeping still. Keeping silent.

Then one from the crowd got spooked by a sound and quickly the others caught on.

The need was now gone so be stealthy today so I clicked as they all flew away.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Flew Away', 1/1600s f/2.8 ISO320 200mm

Sunday night was the last night of the Adelaide Fringe Festival and locals, artists and visitors we out in force to make the most of it.

Normally sleepy on a Sunday evening it was so cool to feel the party vibe here at the Croquet Club. I'm sure it was just the same at the Garden of Unearthly Delights and at the other Fringe Festival venues.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Last Evening At The Croquet Club', 1/500s f/6.3 ISO320 15mm

It looked like it was going to be a sunset full of colour and structure and all those things we love about spectacular sunsets.

The sky it seems had other ideas as Henley Beach said goodnight to the setting Sun behind layers of cloud.

All that was left was the tell tale red glow of the Sun's passing below the horizon and the silhouette of a couple out for an evening stroll.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Evening Stroll', 1/50s f/7.1 ISO500 15mm

Reflecting on a time long gone on the old Adelaide trams where you had to stand and could chat with the driver (if you were up the front) as you undertook your journey.

Now the driver sits behind an armored door in front of a panel of blinking lights and digital displays as we ride patiently in our seats.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Reflecting on a Tram Ride', 1/60s f/2.8 ISO800 70mm

I loved a moment in the opening scenes of the movie 'Contact' with Jodie Foster; quoting Ellie's Dad; "Small moves, Ellie, small moves".

With my very own small moves I'm exploring a direction of photography which has always inspired me, amazed me and humbled me, our incredible night sky.

Following the first steps of many astro-photographers my first deep sky project is to create a half decent image of the Orion Nebula. Well this is not it!

This is however the first image I am willing to show of my progress captured from my own backyard into a suburban light polluted sky.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Small Moves to the Orion Nebula', 30s x30 f/5.6 ISO320 200mm

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I've captured these big round rocks outside the InterContinental Hotel on North Terrace before but this time looking into the windows of the old Adelaide Railway Station.

For no other reason than 'just because', I feel compelled to dedicate this image to Terry Pratchett whose infectious whit and unlikely characters will stay in my heart forever. Thank you.

Can't you feel DEATH lurking in the shadows just off to the left!


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Lurking in the Shadows' 2.5s f/7.1 ISO100 15mm

Just a man in the ocean or just a silhouette taking in the amazing canvas left by the retreating sun. What better place to be.

Summer may have left us for now but painted skies, silhouettes and our beautiful beach will stay.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Just a Silhouette' 1/5 f/16 ISO640 15mm

When I captured this image of a group of young people having a wow of a time on the rides in the Garden of Unearthly Delights I thought nothing more other than rides and colour and fun.

Later my daughter while looking over my shoulder exclaimed she recognised some of these people from the Adelaide Fringe Festival play, 'Blood at the Root'.

Honest I was not playing paparazzi but since learning a little more about this acclaimed and award winning play out of Penn State University (U.S.A.). I might just make an effort to see it before the Fringe Festival comes to a close this weekend.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Fun Far From Home' 1/160 f/2.8 ISO1600 200mm

That iconic store has been open for business in Adelaide for quite some time now and I have only been inside for closer look one time.

I do however love looking through the glass at all the shiny Apples lined up in a row and I love the impact Apple has had on our lives.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'More of Them Apples' 1/320 f/4 ISO1000 182mm

Watch the antics on the croquet fields of the Croquet Club and you'd wonder why the umpires aren't keeping better control.

I watched for a while and came to the conclusion that even though these croquet umpires and players shared the same field they were playing completely different games.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Croquet Umpires' 1/400 f/2.8 ISO2500 105mm

The Rundle Mall Fountain is over 100 years and flowing strong despite the lack of recent rain.

Ornate and representative of an early part of Adelaide's history this fountain has not always lived in its current location in from of the Adelaide Arcade.

As a youngster we would use 'The Fountain' as a designated meeting place at the intersection of Rundle Street and Gawler Place".

The 'Mall's Balls' have now replaced that old role but it is still good to see the old fountain alive and flowing.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Rundle Mall Falls' 1/160 f/2.8 ISO1000 100mm

Some people can find the most odd places and times to get online.

While strolling down Hindley Street on the way back from a show I spied this surfer grabbing a bit of online goodness in a cosy side-street nook.

I hope he found what he was surfing for.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Urban Surfing' 1/30 f/2.8 ISO1000 115mm