Dragon Head in Rye Victoria Australia for Sunday Best

 

The intense blue of Dragon Head Rye came from a polariser filter beneath a fierce summer sun. I took these images about four years ago, on one of those restless afternoons when the city felt too crowded and noisy, and the only remedy was to drive until the roads emptied and the horizon widened.

At the time, I dismissed the photographs. They lacked the seduction of golden hour light, that honeyed glow photographers endlessly chase. Blue, to me then, felt too easy, too calm, too honest — a colour without mystery or struggle, a colour that offered little drama to wrestle with.

But years later, the images have softened into something else entirely. The vivid blue no longer feels plain. It feels quiet. The empty skies and cool tones now carry the stillness I could not appreciate then — the peace of escaping the city for a while, with nothing demanded except the simple act of looking.

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sunday Best

Tenby Point for Sunday Best

 

Recently, I revisited the complete series of Tenby Point images that Joel and I once attempted in the ultra long-exposure style. Ultimately, we abandoned this approach to photography, as the results often appeared somewhat artificial, lacking the natural authenticity we sought. Nevertheless, this genre—once highly regarded—held a particular fascination prior to the widespread advent of AI-generated imagery.

Tenby Point, situated on the scenic coastline of Victoria, Australia, is renowned for its rugged cliffs, sheltered bays, and abundant marine life. Its natural beauty has long attracted photographers and nature enthusiasts alike, offering vistas of rocky outcrops, gentle surf, and abundant seabirds nesting along the shore.

In our attempts, we frequently had to employ neutral density filters exceeding 15 stops to achieve the extended exposures, which, when combined with an aperture stopped down to f/22, rendered automatic metering impracticable. Consequently, manual focus was an absolute necessity. Upon revisiting these images, I find that they no longer seem so unsatisfactory and possess a subtle charm that had previously eluded us. 

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sunday Best