Entries by Robert

Watch a Common Gurnard Perch (Neosebastes scorpaenoides) for a while and at some stage it will sneeze a shower of debris. Watch it even longer and you just might see some poor critter vanish in a cloud of debris. The source of the sneeze now obvious.

Gesundheit!


#CommonGurnardPerch #Neosebastesscorpaenoides #gurnard #perch #fish #thebarge #night #scuba #diving #nightdive #southaustralia #glenelg #underwater #photography

This Mosaic Leatherjacket, (Eubalichthys mosaicus) on my ‘Barge’ night dive was another unwitting sleep swimming subject as torches and strobes brought light to the darkness.

The strange thing about lighting up the night time sea floor it that is seems to have minimal impact on the nocturnal state of its inhabitants. Daytime fishes keep on sleeping. Nighttime critters keep on foraging. It’s pretty much business as usual.

Still I can’t help wince that my strobes firing at point blank range don’t trigger some distress. Hopefully nothing that therapy cant
help with when me and my lights have gone.


#MosaicLeatherjacket #Eubalichthysmosaicus #leatherjacket #triggerfish #fish #thebarge #night #scuba #diving #nightdive #southaustralia #glenelg #underwater #photography

Nestled in a clump of rocky reef at 20m this Brownspotted Wrasse (Notolabrus parilus) is doing what all good wrasse do at eleven o’clock, sleeping.

Sleeping fish are an amusing part of night diving. They do not lay there with eyes closed but seem to be in some vacant trace staring out into the ocean. Some nestle under ledges or wedge themselves in crevices. Others lay flat against some vertical surface propped up by the sea floor or other structure. Inside of wrecks where there is no current some fish just simply hang in mid water; asleep.

You can come right up to them, fire strobes, pull faces and they will not budge. However just one touch and they instantly react, usually swimming strait into something else before they have regains their full faculties.

It was an amazing night out on the ocean last night. The sea was millpond calm, the stars were bright and the late rising moon just stunning over the water. The dive on ‘The Barge’ out from Glenelg was worth the late night effort.

At least some got some sleep last night but not me.


#BrownspottedWrasse #Notolabrusparilus #wrasse #fish #thebarge #night #scuba #diving #nightdive #southaustralia #glenelg #underwater #photography

If you have a taste in music that extends even a little beyond mainstream popular music and you have never heard of Jacob Collier then I suggest you explore his work and see where it takes you.

If you are a multi-instrumentalist with a passion for musical theory I might just continue this conversation to include words like ‘rocks’ and other ‘planets’.

Regardless, fire up YouTube or your favourite media platform and spend some time with Jacob and you might never listen to music in the same way ever again.


#2022 #adelaide #concert #djesse #Jacobcollier #jazz #musician #performingarts #thebartontheatre #harmony #jacob #collier #music #performer #prodigy

Every body seems to make a fuss when ever we experience a ‘Super Moon’, that full moon in which the perigee of its elliptic orbit brings it closest to the Earth and hence larger in the sky.

Nobody pays any attention when the moon is at its apogee, when it’s 15% smaller, colder, lonely and waiting to come near to the earth again!

Stop me anthropomorphising now! The moon’s temperature does not change and the rest is just nonsense. Still nobody ever says, ‘Wow! There’s a ‘Micro Moon’ moon tonight!’.

So, … meet Mini Moon! Last night’s tiniest moon of the year.


#Moon #astrophotography #celestial #luna #fullmoon #micromoon

Over the last few months something quite extraordinary has crept into our kitchen.

At first it began as a single green tendril feeling its way skyward from its broad leafy hideaway.
It soon bifurcated into two, then four, then eight before tiny little buds began to form on the viney green structure. The buds grew and then swelled into purple egg-like forms before finally bursting into wings and taking flight.

Our kitchen is now graced with six of these beautiful alien angels perched on their broad leafy home.

I now get why people love growing orchids.


#Orchid #macro #abstract #bird #alien

When I was around 10 years old and on holidays my dad took us fishing the incoming tide of Port Parham. Our daily ritual involved hunting for bait at low tide, digging for worms, muscles and cockles.

Cockle were always our prize and were the bait of choice needed to target the whiting that would hopefully grace the evening’s table.

Funny how I never thought of cockles as food for people until so much later in my life. I was in my mid twenties when I first noticed cockles on a menu and have never looked back.

So glad I’ve added cockles to my idea of C food.


#Pipi #cockle #shellfish #seafood #food #markets

A few weeks back while exploring the Victorian Pyrenees we stumbled upon what is probably one of Country Victoria’s best kept secrets.

Looking for a bit of lunch we found ourselves in the sleepy town of Avoca. A bakery was our wish and boy did we find a bakery we will never forget. We knew we were somewhere special when we walked in the door and started reading the pies on offer.

Crocodile in Malaysian satay, camel in honey soy, venison in black bean, Moroccan kangaroo, barbecue emu, buffalo in napolitana, seafood marinara, scallop in lemon and salmon with lemon and potato were just the start!

I settled for the kangaroo, Jennifer went for the cauliflower cheese and both of us agreed these were some of the most amazing pies we have ever had. Clearly we were not alone in our culinary admiration as half the town flocked in behind us for their lunchtime break.

We have to come back to try the rest. And soon!


#Pies #bakery #pyrenees #avoca #pyreneespies #goldfields #victoria #country

You were a mentor, a role model, a peer and a friend.

During the years we have known each other you taught me so much about this craft we love.
You encouraged my critical eye, you never tolerated mediocrity, and you always spoke your mind.

A week ago you said goodbye for the last time.

Thank you for everything, we all will miss you dearly.


#blackandwhite #silhouette #twilight #sunset #monochrome

I love night photography, its challenges and the reward of capturing the feel of urban lighting.

With the iconic Glenelg Town Hall clock tower, beachfront Friday nightlife and the ferris wheel in full motion the scene was set for a great photo opportunity. Set up the tripod, plan a set of HDR exposures and capture some images. What could be easier?

Last night was an extraordinary night with the temperature around 30 degrees all night so I suggested to the family we head out for an evening on the water and maybe I’d bring my camera along just in case.

Here a half a kilometre off Glenelg beach rocking about in a little boat there was no stable platform for a tripod and no opportunity for a set of HDR exposures but the view was so lovely I needed to at least try. This single hand held (in a rocking boat) shot at 1/80s was the best I could do.

Regardless it was a fun evening with my family so a bit of photography was simply a bonus.


#Glenelg #ferriswheel #nightlife #night #nightphotography #boating #beach #southaustralia

It’s late and the choppy seas are just a lingering tell of the heady afternoon sea breeze now gone.

No point in having sail up anymore, it will just slow us down.

It’s motoring from here, and another diesel homecoming.


#Yacht #boats #marinorocks #sunset #twilight #ocean #aerial

Friday’s commute home was a real treat with an unplanned exploration of the Port River and the little spit of land adjacent to Section Bank.

I don’t know what this little island is called but there is always some waterfowl action going on here. On this occasion I discovered this social gathering. With no sign of nesting here I guess it’s a full on pelican party!

Yet another untouched wild place on my doorstep.

#Pelicans #beach #aerial #sectionbank #portriver #outerharbour

The problem with capturing birds in flight is that; well they’re in flight! Unless of course they can hover under joystick control. Jokes aside it took me a while before I was convinced that this bird was worth capturing.

It will never compete with a full size DSLR hanging under a five figure professional drone, nevertheless it does an incredible job for what it is. Even that gimmicky telephoto second camera has made possible some shots I’d not have been able to capture any other way.

Drone photography creates opportunities for unique vantages and perspectives. Often it’s not even about height, but attaining an otherwise impossible vantage point.

Obviously it will never compete with a DSLR for image quality but might just be the most fun camera I will ever use!


#drone #mavic3 #dji #bokeh #dof #flight #wildlife #portrait

It might look like the Gotham City fictional superhero’s ride but rest assured this stealthy piece of French hardware would have the batmobile for dinner and spit out the bones.

The Ligier JS P320 is a Le Mans Prototype class (LM) racing car that – believe it or not – is pitched at ‘entry level’ drivers! Clearly we are not talking graduates from the local driving instructor. Anyone even thinking about getting into the cockpit of this bombshell is already in a completely different league to the average road car driver.

Despite having only 460 brake horsepower from a Nissan 5.6 litre V8, there are people on my street who claim to have more grunt under their own bonnets, it’s how you use those horses that counts.

I’d rather this French beauty than the local street muscle any day but sadly there’s no chance for a ride here as it’s a single seater.

For now I’m just happy to watch!


#Ligier #lmp3 #motorsports #thebend #cars #Onroak
#Batmobile #nissan #jsp320

I’m not referring to the baby shark in the foreground. That’s a Port Jackson Shark of course and there are plenty of them around at the moment. Recent reports from divers at Port Noarlunga often cite up to 10 of these beautiful creatures either resting on the sand or nestled under ledges of the reef.

Lurking in the background, a silhouette of diver holds something that almost looks like a speargun. No need to be concerned for the fish or the sharks. That’s a Minelab Manticore metal detector.


#Scuba #diving #metaldetector #minelab #manticore #portnoarlunga #detectoring #portjackson #shark #silhouette

A few weeks ago I was asked to do some waterproof testing on a new product about to be released, Minelab’s new coin and relic metal detector called Manticore.

The brief was simple, stay down at depth for an ‘extended’ amount of time and work the detector hard. Twist it, flex it, shove it hard into the sand and generally use it with the enthusiasm of a ‘detectorist’. So a grabbed my work colleague Saxon and we took Manticore on a treasure hunting dive adventure.

Many beach goers will be familiar with detectorists as they comb the sand searching for coins, rings, watches and other jewellery that may have become estranged from their owners. Often you will see them in the beach surf where it’s almost a lost cause trying to find anything you may have lost.

Manticore is a detector that can leave the surf behind and go scuba diving giving access to sites of a more archaeological significance such wrecks and long abandoned marine structures. In other parts of the world rivers and lakes hide relics of old civil and national conflict. Even though South Australia is not known for historic conflict or pirates with treasure, any detecorist will tell you, ‘you never now what you might find’.

Though Manticore performed flawlessly we didn’t find any buried treasure, just lost fishing tackle, but we’ll be back and next time it will be for the gold!


#Scuba #diving #metaldetector #minelab #manticore #portnoarlunga #treasure #coin #relic #detectoring

As the wind and salt spray wear away the eastern sandstone cliffs of Bare Island an ancient pattern has been brought to the surface.

Oblivious to its origin or meaning, fishers cast from the nearby rocks, children search for crabs in tidal pools and couples take selfies. Above the wall and hidden from view the iconic Bare Island Fort stands testament to a Sydney fearful of a Russian invasion more than 137 years ago.

Here on this cliff wall these patterns would have been wrought tens of thousands of year ago. Perhaps they were part of the chaotic labyrinth of an ancient worm. Perhaps an ancient root system built the precursors of this intricate pattern.

What ever created these patterns, they will only be with us for a short while as time wears all things down. A hundred years from now who can saw what will remain.

This ancient braille being nothing more than a brief moment in time.

#Bareisland #laperouse #sydney #botanybay #sandstone #textures #sydney #botanybay #sandstone #textures

Djesse, JC or Jacob Collier. By any other name he would sound just as amazing.

Thursday night we were privileged to have Jacob here performing within the intimacy of the Thebarton Theatre.

For more than two hours Jacob and his band had us all spellbound and singing in harmonies from the floor, seats and balcony. It would be no exaggeration to say that I have never experienced any performer combining so much on stage presence, energy and audience intimacy as Jacob.

Thank you for coming back to Australia, coming to Adelaide, and making us all sing out loud.

#Jacobcollier #adelaide #thebartontheatre #jazz #musician #concert #djesse #performingarts #2022

It’s been a long wait, 21 years in fact, since the Corrs last performed in Australia.
Here on the grassy reserve of Hope Estate we wait patiently for their return.

#Hopeestate #thecorrs #corrs #concert #huntervalley #2022

Twenty five years ago this young Irish band came out of nowhere to capture the hearts and minds of young and old around the world, mine included.

Their music was addictively catchy. They were all young and beautiful with fantastic stage presence and wonderfully produced video-clips. Along with my friends we loved the music of the Corrs and would sing along with abandon to our favourites. At the time though I did not make going to concerts a priority and had spent years regretting never seeing them live.

This weekend we all put right what went awry! Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim along with their long-time guitarist Anthony Drennan and bassist Keith Duffy came back to Australia after a 21-year hiatus for a one-off concert in the Hunter Valley. We made it our mission to be there too this time!

#Hopevalleyestate #thecorrs #corrs #concert #huntervalley #2022

It’s been more than six months since I have been submerged. So many reasons, priorities and excuses, but finally the surface tension’s been broken an I’ve slipped under the waves again.

Despite years and years of diving I still experience a little trepidation when I’ve been dry a little too long and am about to get back into the water again. The moment I drop below the surface and take my first breath underwater that apprehension vanishes and I feel like I’ve been welcomes back again.

It feels like meeting old friends again, the leatherjackets, sweep, silver dummer and old wives. On this dive we had a rare daytime buzz by a large wobbygong shark who cruised nonchalantly past within inches.

One of my favourite Port Noarlunga critters when they are around are juvenile Port Jackson Sharks. It was a great delight to come across this little critter resting on the sand taking in the salty world around her and reminding me how privileged it is to join her down here.

#scuba #diving #juvenile #portjacksonshark #portnoarlunga #shark #underwaterphotography #fisheye

Last Tuesday night over five hours we watched our moon transition from moon-rise in partial shadow, through full lunar eclipse to shining fully bright.

As the moon rose above the horizon it glowed red due to light scattering both ways through the Earth’s atmosphere atmosphere. As it rose, the dark umbra crept across a lunar face transitioning from red to white. At totality the last of the moon disappeared in a blinding white crescent leaving a muddy red faintly glowing orb in its wake and a dazzling sky full of stars and galaxies.

For the next hour that muddy red glow shifted around the face until finally the base began to grow light again. Emergence had begun and this image was taken during the last moments of umbral shadow.

As the earth’s shadow moved further away a dazzling white crescent reappeared and the remainder of the moon was plunged into darkness. As shadow receded, the lunar face came back into view banishing all but the brightest stars from the sky. At midnight a white shining moon had returned to the night sky even though still in the Earth’s penumbral shadow.

It was not until we got home well after 1 am that the full moon had been restored to it’s full brightness again.


#astrophotography #bloodmoon #celestial #fullmoon #landscape #moon #penumbra #shadow #southaustralia #palmer

Seven years ago we stood here at the Palmer Lookout waiting with pregnant expectation for that orange globe to rise above the eastern horizon.

Tonight the faces we are sharing the evening with have changed but the expectation had not. We all new what to expect, the eclipse would be well underway, midway between umbral and penumbral shadow as the moon rose above the landscape below.

It still it came as a surprise as that that blood moon to be emerged from the haze on the horizon.


#astrophotography #bloodmoon #celestial #fullmoon #landscape #moon #penumbra #shadow #southaustralia #palmer

For a brief respite between the unseasonable cold, wind and rain, the waters of Outer Harbour had become still enough for reflections to appear.

By chance I just happen to be here.


#boats #outerharbour #RSAYS #twilight #sunset #goldenhour #reflections #mirror

In the golden twilight of Outer Harbour the Japanese flagged ‘Firmament Ace’ rests before its next port of call.

This two hundred meter long, sixty thousand tonne vessel was build for just one job, to carry new vehicles internationally, protected from the harsh ocean environment.

With a dry weight carrying capacity of over seventeen thousand tonnes, its my guess that a full cargo load would be between four and five thousands vehicles.

It’s behemoths like this that remind me just how much we rely on the ocean, mega vessels, skilled mariners, and port bound stevedores for keeping the cogs of trade turning.


#Shipping #firmamentace #carrier #outerharbour #ships #ocean #trade #PortAdelaide #twilight #sunset #goldenhour #silhouette

Tonight's adventure on Garden Island was cold, windy and scattered with intermittant rain showers.

I sat for a while watching the light fade in the gloom before the rain finally stopped. There was still enough time for a few images before the curfew of maritime twilight.

The landscape was forlorn and moody but as the evening lights came on they gave their own sparkle to the gloom.

The mangroves, the power station, the industrial skyline and the yachts at roost with just a little sparkle from the evening lights.


#aerial #barkerinlet #Gardenisland #goldenhour #industrial #powerstation #sunset #torrensisland #twilight #yachts

At first it seems that the Torrens Island Power station dominates this industrial sunset but the more I look the more I see and am drawn into exploring this visual feast.

The story begins right at the centre of that striking western sunset and its reflection in the waters of the North Arm Creek and the Ship’s Graveyard.

After dwelling for a while in this golden light, the Garden Island bridge leads me north on to Torrens Island and that dominating Power Station. Behind and to the west the Port River continues north to the lights of the Adelaide Submarine Corporation and then on out to the sea beyond.

Now heading south, sandwiched between the Port River and the horizon with ships at sea, I follow the pointed Norfolk Island Pine treeline of the Osborne Peninsula down to Semaphore when I’m again drawn back east to the lights of industry, Adelaide Brighton Cement, the ARFA and BP fuel depots and the fertiliser suppliers Natrio, Wegfu and Incitec.

For a time I find myself lingering in the shadows of the foreground, trying to eke out any detail of the Adelaide Speed Boat club or in the green expanse of Garden Island.

The story comes to an end: I’m swept back down the North Arm again, over the treetops, out to sea and into that gorgeous sunset again. Or has it? I’ll go back and read it again as I’m sure I missed something.


#Portriver #torrensisland #portadelaide #sunset #goldenhour #twilight #powerstation #gardenisland #shipsgraveyard #adelaidespeedboatclub

I travel on the Port River Expressway most week days and it’s always a little highlight of my day.

Sometimes I’ll pull over and capture an image or more, maybe even go for a walk. Other times I’ll be consumed in either some great classic of audio book or something new and contemporary.

Out here on the boundary of urban and industrial sprawl, the swampy wetlands of Gilman and Magazine Creek remind me why natural spaces like this need both preserving and integrating into ongoing development.


#Magazinecreek #gilman #wetlands #portriverexpressway #commute

The golden hour is that last hour of the day when the setting sun casts the world in its warm yellow glow, draws eyes westward and camera phones from pockets. Then, like the flick of a switch, that warm glow turns to a grey-blue coolness as the sun disappears below the horizon.

But just a little while into twilight something quite unexpected happens – at least it was unexpected for me the first time I noticed a strange warm light envelop everything.

Initially I was puzzled where this warm glow was coming from. Then its source became apparent in the western sky. That hint of green-orange – however dim – on the horizon was so much brighter than the approaching night and brought a gentle afterglow to the world in the fading light.


#adelaide #aerial #cityscape #grange #jetty #panorama #photography #southaustralia #stormy #twilight #goldenhour #afterglow

A little way off the coast of Grange Beach is a steel platform that never quite disappears even during the highest tides. It was built as the seawater inlet to the Westlakes waterway and ensures its ongoing health.

The local cormorants see it there own way. A safe haven to rest for the evening when away from home. It’s not substantial enough for a rookery. It’s kept clean from becoming a smelly pile of guava by the regular storms but still night after night the cormorants keep coming back.

Their little sanctuary, just off the coast of Grange.


#sanctuary #cormorants #aerial #birds #grangebeach #grange #southaustralia #westlakes