Wow, 2017 is almost over and it is time to share some of my best photos and photographic stories in a retrospective format. I think the two biggest landscape photography highlights for me this year were heading to photograph Vivid Sydney in June this year and a family road trip to NSW in August. Outside of that, photographically it was a pretty lean year. (Editors comment: After finishing putting this retrospective together I have realised that even thought I didn't venture out photographically outside of a couple of major trips, I still have plenty of good images captured in 2017!) I did photograph a wedding and engagement as well as some family photography.
January
Like previous other years I have planned to photograph the first sunrise of the new year - 2017 was no different. Unfortunately an unanswered alarm led to sleeping through sunrise 2017.
A few weeks later DK Photography had an 'Instameet' at Currumbin Rocks. I had never been to an Instameet - but there were heaps of people there with their cameras and phones, just chatting about photography. Wade was there from Gold Coast Printing and Framing providing afternoon tea also. The sunset was shaping up to be a cracker, but some heavy cloud came over about 30 minutes before the sun set and the light was lost. I did shoot off a few frames.
Currumbin InstameetAfter work yesterday I headed down to Currumbin for an Instameet. I have never attended one previously. There were over 150 photographers there - it was crazy! The sunset was shaping up to be a ripper all afternoon until some low cloud rolled in about an hour before sunset. I managed to find a few compositions without anyone else in!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 20mm
ISO100 f/16 1/6sec
Lee 0.45soft grad
On the Australia Day long weekend we headed up to Noosa and stayed there for a few nights. It was a great time away - the kids spent most of the time in the pool. We did head to Noosa National Park for a walk and I took my travel tripod and neat little YashicaMat 124G square frame film camera. It is so light and fits in the pram nicely with my travel tripod. I fired off a few frames.
February
February was very lean photographically - I didn't shoot anything!
March
In March I took some family portraits for a friend's 4th child. I have actually photographed every single one of their children now!
Cecily and I also headed away for our 10th wedding anniversary - without the children! We spent two nights at Kingscliffe and two at the Gold Coast. I was really keen on getting out photographing so I shot a couple of sunrises and sunsets at Hastings Point. We also headed to Byron Bay for the day.
Hues at Hastings PointCecily and I ventured to this location to photograph sunset while we were away for our 10 year wedding anniversary. It was fairly cloudy all day, but a smal break in the clouds at sunset allowed some light and colour through.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f22 ~3sec
Lee 0.45 soft grad
Capture time: 22/3/17 6:42pm (NSW time)
Fisho and LightI took this shot while my wife and I were away for our 10th wedding anniversary. We stayed at Kingscliffe and this neat little photography location at Hastings Point isn't a far drive away! Cecily didn't come photographing this particular morning. I have titled this image Fisho and Light as that is the description I have written in my field notes along with the aperture, shutter speed and capture time.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 1/8sec
Capture time: 24/3/17 7:11am
Hastings Point SunriseI took this shot while I was away with my wife for our 10 year wedding anniversary! This particular morning she didn't get up to photograph with me, which is a bit of a shame, as this was basically the only time at sunrise or sunset there was some decent light to photograph!
This shot is actually out of a time lapse sequence I was shooting. One thing I have learned after looking through these photos though is to make sure I clean my filters - otherwise you get the terrible circles from the sun! I liked this shot enough to share anyway. That guy on the rocks was fishing - he arrived not long after me and almost caught a fish on his first cast!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm
ISO400 f11 1/125sec
Lee 0.6 hard grad
Capture time: 6:25am 24/3/17
Late in March I did an engagement shoot for Tiff and David.
April
April was a busy month! In early April I photographed Tiff and David's wedding.
We also headed away to Stanthorpe for a single night away. There was a pretty amazing sunset that evening.
Stanthorpe Sky FireMy wife, kids and I headed out to Stanthorpe on the Easter long weekend as a semi-spur-of-the-moment decision to visit my wife's parents who were staying there. As usual, I took my camera gear and at about 5pm myself and my father-in-law dashed off to photograph the sunset while the kids stayed at a playground and played with Nanna and Mummy.
Canon 5D Mark II
17 - 40 @ 17mm
ISO100 f/16 1/2sec
Lee 0.6 soft grad
Capture time: 16/4/17 5:29pm
We ventured out to Shorncliffe one Sunday afternoon also and there were some pretty awesome clouds!
Shorncliffe in LightOn Sunday afternoon we headed down to Shorncliffe so the kids could have a play on the playground and we could have a walk to the end of the new jetty. As is usual, I took my camera gear along and as the sunset was shaping up to be quite nice I grabbed my gear and fired off a few frames around sunset before I met up with the family and went for a walk to the end of the jetty!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 30mm
ISO100 f/16 1/20sec
Lee 0.6 soft grad
Capture time: 23/4/17 5:07pm
May
I did limited photography in May - just some happy snaps at birthday parties and catch ups with friends.
June
In June I headed down to Sydney with Chi to photograph Vivid. I must admit, Vivid wasn't really up there on my list of things I wanted to photograph - usually I am trying to stay off Facebook during the month of June as my news feed is bombarded with too many Vivid images! Anyway, Chi was heading down and invited me to use the spare bed in the twin apartment he had booked. I didn't think I'd get an opportunity like this too often so I headed down.
The first night we headed down to Darling Harbour. There was a little bit of light at sunset, but we arrived a little too late - not too late for a long exposure at twilight though.
Darling Harbour TwilightThis shot was taken at Darling Harbour in Sydney when I headed down there to photograph Vivid. We went to see the laser light show and fireworks, but this twilight scene was too good not to capture.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f22 8mins
Capture date: 3/6/17 5:15pm
Photographers notes: "A bit rainy. ?rain spots on lens"
We knew there were laser light and fireworks displays on so we hung around Darling Harbour all night. There was some light rain that passed by but we were fine. We ended up getting some decent images!
V I V I D Fireworks!I headed down to Sydney last week with Chi to photograph Vivid. On the Saturday night we headed to Darling Harbour to photograph the light show and fireworks. We were a little fortunate as there were showers around the Sydney area which means the crowds were probably a little lower than expected. This allowed us plenty of time to sort out a suitable vantage point.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm
ISO 200 f/8 2sec
Capture time: 3/6/17 7:03pm
See more of my photos at www.martincanning.com
The next night we headed to Mrs MacQuaries Chair for sunset and then to Circular Quay.
Boat LinesI took this shot while visiting Sydney to photograph Vivid. This was a long exposure at dusk and about one third of the way through, a massive Vivid boat with lights all over floated straight past. I was a bit too slow to get something in front of the lens to stop the light exposing the film - in the end it's not too bad though.
Fuji G617
Provia 400X f22 13minutes
Capture date: 4th June 2017
VIVID on slideWhen I headed down to Sydney to photograph Vivid I was a bit unsure as to whether I would use my panoramic film camera to photograph Vivid. I mainly took it to photograph the sunrises and sunsets, but not the light show. The reason was that it would require such long exposures to expose correctly. Even if I shot at its largest aperture (f/8) it would require fairly long exposures. Also, I use a centre spot filter to even out the exposure so there isn't an automatic vignette on the image. I also like to shoot slide film, and the fastest slide film I have is ISO 400! Put that all together and it isn't a system conducive to low light situations. Anyway, despite that, this is an image captured with my Fuji G617 and Provia 400X slide film.
Fuji G617
Provia 400X f8 30sec
Epson V700 scanner
Capture time: 4/6/17 6:47pm
The next night we headed to Kiribilli where we shot sunset and Vivid and then we headed to circular Quay.
Sydney City in sunset lightI took this photo from Kirribilli while I was visiting Sydney for Vivid in June 2017.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f22 1sec
Lee 0.45 soft grad filter
Capture time: 5/6/17 4:37pm
The following morning we woke early and headed to Observatory Hill for sunrise. We didn't get anything too spectacular.
On the Tuesday night (our last night) we headed down to Circular Quay again where I took a timelapse and a film frame and then we went to the Overseas passenger terminal.
Cahill Expressway SunsetI'm really surprised I haven't seen more images from this location, nor have I heard people talk too much about this location. This shot was taken from Cahill Expressway which basically runs above Circular Quay. While visiting Sydney to photograph Vivid in June, Chi and I wanted to find a location with a bit of height, and we came across this place! We found an image taken from here on Instagram, so we ventured around trying to find how to get there. Usually images which include the Harbour Bridge and Opera House are taken from hotels or workplaces in the surrounding buildings, but not in this case! This was taken at twilight as we were waiting for the Vivid lights to start.
Fuji G617
Provia 100F f/22 120sec
Lee 0.45 soft grad
Capture date: 6/6/17
VIVID Sydney!I took this shot while on a short photography trip down to Sydney with a mate. We spent 4 nights photographing Vivid. This particular shot was taken on our final night there. You were able to hire Canon cameras and lenses for free, so this shot was taken with a Canon 5D Mark IV and 16-35mm lens.
Let me know what you think!
Canon 5D Mark IV
16-35 @ 16mm
ISO 3200 f/4.5 1/8sec
July
July was fairly lean photographically after being in Sydney in June. I did meet up with Kane to shoot a Brisbane City sunrise.
Brisbane this morning...I woke up this morning hoping to photograph fog in the CBD as there was heaps around last night - but it turns out it had all blown away. There were some pretty good reflections out though.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm 10sec
Lee 0.6 soft grad
Capture time: 6:23am 8/7/17
I also did a bit of photography at a Research Symposium I headed to on the Sunshine Coast. I saw these neat lines in the car park.
Lines of LightI couldn't walk past this scene without taking a quick snap of the awesome lines of light!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 40mm
ISO800 f/8 1/80 sec
Capture time: 22/7/17 7:33am
August
August was the biggest month photographically of 2017 - this is mainly due to the family gong on a road trip down to NSW. We visited Newcastle, The Blue Mountains, The Snowy Mountains, Bermagui, Jervis Bay and Hunter Valley.
The Coal CollectorThis was my first film frame I took during a 19 day road trip with the family, mainly around southern New South Wales. This particular shot was taken overlooking the sand dunes at Nobby's Beach in Newcastle. This particular afternoon there was some nice light and as soon as I saw the ship coming into port, I really wanted to capture it! I don't know if it is a coal ship, but Port of Newcastle is one of the world’s largest coal export ports, hence the title of the image.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 1sec
Capture date: 2/8/17 5:00pm
Photographers notes: ship coming in
See more photos at www.martincanning.com
Merewether SimplicitySometimes some of the simplest scenes are the best...but when you look closer there is so much going on. Image taken at Merewether Ocean Baths in Newcastle.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 1/8sec
Capture time: 3/8/17 1:22pm
Photographers notes: Merewether baths
Merewether Ocean BathsThis shot was taken shortly after sunrise at Merewether Ocean Baths in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f16 1sec
Lee 0.45 soft
Capture date: 4/8/17
Newcastle Ocean Baths SunriseThis photo was taken at sunrise at Newcastle Ocean Baths.
Fuji G617
Velvia50 f22 1sec
0.45 soft filter
Capture time: 5/8/17 6:55am
Photographers notes: 'spill with more hooks in'
The Three SistersThis photo was taken from Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba of The Three Sisters. This particular evening it was absolutely freezing and the wind was blowing a gale! The height and depth of this valley is quite incredible! Captured on Fuji Velvia film!
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f22 50secs
Capture time: 5/8/17 5:30pm
Photographers notes: 3 sisters
Snow ShowersWhile on a family road trip we had planned to travel between Katoomba and Jindabyne. We had considered going through Sydney but didn't want to be caught up in Sydney traffic, so we decided to go west via Oberon rather than east to Sydney. We had been to Oberon the day prior for lunch after visiting the Jenolan Caves. We were fortunate that overnight there were some snow showers which covered the fields!
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f32 1/4 sec
Lee 0.45 soft grad
Capture date: 8/8/17
Snowy GraziersI took this shot somewhere between Oberon and Canberra during a 19 day family road trip. We left Katoomba for Jindabyne and decided to go via Oberon rather than Sydney. I am so glad we did as there was a fresh blanket of snow overnight. We pulled over when we saw these sheep walking through this snow filled paddock.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 24mm
ISO 100 f/8 1/250
Capture time: 8/8/17 9:55am
SnowscapeI have always wanted to capture snowgums in the snow - I was able to on a recent family road trip. Unfortunately I somehow managed to shoot a blank frame on another snowgum I shot, but I'm super happy with this particular image shot in late afternoon light near Smiggin Holes and Perisher Valley in New South Wales' Snowy Mountains.
Fuji G617
Provia 100F f/32 1/4sec
Lee 0.45 soft grad
Capture time: 9/8/17 4:30pm-ish
Photographers notes: "with tree branches and snow"
Camel Rock WaterfallThis photo is from a recent road trip I did with the family down to New South Wales. We stayed at Wallaga Lake, which is the perfect place to base yourself to photograph these incredible rock formations. I spotted the small waterfall at the front of the rock pool fairly early this particular morning so I set myself up and waited for it to occur again - it was very infrequent! I was then fortunate that quite a large wave came which caused the waterfall down the rocks on the left hand side.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 at 19mm
ISO100 f/16 0.8sec
Lee Filters
The pink-haired unicornI took this shot at Horsehead Rock which is near Bermagui on New South Wales' Sapphire Coast. The area is great for seascape photography. This particular location is a little tricky to get to, particularly when the tide or swell is high. I was fortunate that at sunrise and sunset when we were in Bermagui it was close to low tide making it much safer and easier to transverse the rocks around the corner from Camel Rock to this location.
I shared this location this sunset with @tjzphoto and @stephjs_snaps - check them out on instagram.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm
ISO100 f/16 5sec
Lee filters
Capture time: 13/8/17 5:35pm
Camel ChaosThis location is fantastic for seascape photography - but you have to be a little careful. When I visited the tides were very nice. Shooting from this particular vantage point there is almost a natural wall rock which protects photographers but I suspect at a higher tide the water would flow over.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 19mm
ISO800 f.8 0.6sec
Lee Filters
Capture time: 12/8/17 5:44pm
Sweet Sunrise on Broke RoadThis shot was taken near Pokolbin at the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
FujiG617
Velvia 50 f32 30sec
Lee 0.45 soft grad
Epson V700 scanner
Capture date: 18/8/17
Photographers notes: sunrise over Broke road lake
September - December
In October I did some photography for a baking competition at work.
I didn't actually get out to do any landscape photography between September and December with the exception of a timelapse I set up while away at Stanthorpe one weekend and quick stop off to photograph the last light on 2017 over the Sunshine Coast Hinterland while visiting my brother-in-law.
Well that is all for my retrospective for 2017 but I thought I'd leave you with an image of my favourite photo of 2017 - a sunrise at Camel Rock, near Bermagui on the NSW South Coast, taken on the morning of my daughters second birthday!
Light on Camel RockThis photo was taken at Camel Rock which is near Bermagui on the New South Wales sapphire coast. This is actually a composite of two images taken a couple of minutes apart - one image to capture the light on the clouds and the other to capture the light on the rock.
Image 1
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 16sec Lee 0.6 soft filter
Capture time: not documented
Photographers notes: pink behind camel
Image 2
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 16sec Lee 0.45 soft filter
Capture time: 14/8/17 6:45am
Photographers notes: first light on camel
Thanks for looking and have a Happy New Year!
