Well, the end of 2019 is fastly approaching and that gives me the time and opportunity to write a blog post and share some of the photos I have captured during the year.

I set a couple of goals this year, and one of them was to get out to do some landscape photography once each month this year.  Unfortunately, I didn’t quite achieve that – but upon reflection I captured some nice images – and a lot of them a bit different to my usual work – which is good!  I also managed to take the kids out for some portraits which was fun and took a few headshots for work!

A few highlights of my photography in 2019 include:

• A trip with Chi down to the Blue Mountains to capture some autumn colours
• Photographing RiverFire from the top of Kangaroo Point cliffs
• A family holiday to Coolum where I was able to get out photographing a couple of times
• Upgrading to Adobe’s subscription based software package rather than stand alone – this means my Lightroom and Photoshop software is quite a few versions newer than it was
• Using my Fujifilm X100S a lot more than I have previously – this little camera captures such nice images and is so portable.  I still use my Canon or film gear (Fuji G617) when I’m doing serious landscapes but for other occasions the Fujifilm X100S is awesome!

Rather than journaling through all of my adventures each month, I thought I’d just share a variety of images from 2019 below – some I have shared previously and others I haven’t.  Enjoy!

Brisbane's Newest PlaygroundI headed out this afternoon to do some photography. I have been on holidays for over a week already and my aim was to get out photographing as much as I could. Unfortunately the conditions have not been the best with clumpy cloud, so when I started to see some whispy cloud in the sky earlier today I decided I would head out. Initially I headed for Kangaroo Point Cliffs, but when I got there, there were no clouds in the northern sky, so I headed to Wilson's Outlook - the ever reliable location.
Recently the Howard Smith Wharves development opened. The Howard Smith Wharves were constructed 1934-early 1940s by the Queensland Government to provide relief work during the depression years of the 1930s.
I decided I'd try to photograph something a bit different given a slightly different angle and foreground were available. This is it - Brisbane's newest playground. I've been fortunate enough to already attend an event in Howard's Hall and I have no doubts will spend some Saturday evenings down there eating fish and chips on the lawn in the not too distant future.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm
ISO 100 f/16 30sec
5 images stitched
Lee 0.6 soft grad
Capture date: 01/01/2019 Rush hourI took this a couple of weeks ago through a small gap in the fence over looking this freeway. There was actually a pretty decent sunset this particular evening and I just caught some pink clouds in this image.
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 70mm
ISO100 f/16 1.3sec
Lee filters
Capture date: 12/1/19 6:56pm City Lights!I've been wanting to photograph this location for ages and finally did last night. This is looking north over the South East Freeway toward Brisbane city.
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 70mm
ISO100 f/16 30sec

Noosa headland on fireNoosa would have to be one of my favourite places to visit. It is just so picturesque. Having said that, it is also a hard place to capture good images (in my experience). We visited there for a few nights earlier this year and I ventured out at sunset and captured some nice light above the headland!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 39mm
ISO 100 f/16 1/4sec
Lee filters
Capture time: 22/1/19 6:38pm Beach Time!This shot was taken at Noosa looking down on Little Cove at close to high tide, around midday on a blue sky day. I love seeing some of the aerial/drone photography going around at the moment, but without a drone or chartered plane/helicopter, this was the best I could do - I got high on a headland and photographed looking down over the beach.
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 200mm
ISO100 f/8 1/160sec
Circular polariser
Capture time: 23/1/19 11:48am Sweet Summer Days!Well, it is approaching March which means the end of those sweet summer days! This shot was taken near Noosa Main Beach in mid January. The weather when we visited was just glorious. Now we look forward to cooler autumn days, the start of the Milky Way season, and I'm really hoping to get somewhere to see some deciduous trees!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm
ISO100 f/11 1/50sec
Circular polariser
Capture time: 23/1/19 11:34am Solitary from SublimeI took this shot from Sublime Point at sunset in the Blue Mountains during a brief 4 day photography trip to capture some autumn colours. You can't visit the Blue Mountains without capturing some of their awesome vista's.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 20mm
ISO 100 f/16 1/6sec
Capture time: 5:11pm 24/4/19 Queen's Avenue, Mount WilsonI took this photo during a 4 day photography trip down to Mount Wilson within the Blue Mountains in April 2019. Mount Wilson has many famous private gardens which you can enter, but it also has some awesome streets just lined with autumn colours!
Canon 5D Mark II
1-40 @ 17mm
ISO100 f/16 1/4sec
Circular polariser
Capture time: 25/4/19 9:02am The hidden red gateI just got some film back from my photography trip away to the Blue Mountains. This gate is at the entrance to Bebeah Gardens, a private garden which you can pay to visit. It is quite nice to see, particularly in autumn. We got to this location nice and early this particular morning to get this shot.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 2.5minutes
circular polariser
Capture time: 27/4/19 6:49am

Photographers notes: 4 degrees! Autumn!!!! Tree of WonderI came across this awesome scene in the Blue Mountains, about 2 hours east of Sydney, Australia. I wonder how many people have just sat and reflected while sitting on the bench?
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 6sec
circular polariser
Capture date: 25/4/19 11:14am
Photographers notes: Under tree, Breenhold Megalong Valley SunsetThis shot was taken from Cahill's lookout, just west of Katoomba at sunset over looking the Megalong Valley. It was awesome to see the clouds moving and the light changing at sunset which then led to this amazing scene. Canon 5D Mark II 70-200 @ 70mm ISO100 f/16 1/13sec 17 images stitched Bebeah GateBebeah is a private garden in Mount Wilson, Blue Mountains. During autumn they let visitors in to view their spectacular deciduous trees. This red gate is quite popular!
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 105mm
ISO 100 f2.8 0.3sec
Capture date: 27/4/19 Stars over The SistersAfter finishing an evening meal while photographing in the Blue Mountains, I suggested to my mate we go and shoot some stars over the Three Sisters. We had nothing better to do and it was fairly early in the night, so we ventured to Echo Point. It was a really good night to do it as the following night it was incredibly windy and the night after that it was quite cold!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm
ISO 3200 f/4 30 sec
Lee 0.9 soft grad (inverted)
Capture date: 25/4/19 8:26pm Spot the beeI took this shot at Breenhold Garden at Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains. There were bees everywhere!
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 200mm
ISO400 f2.8 1/1000sec
capture time: 25/4/19 12:04pm Govett's Leap at SunriseThis location, just outside of Blackheath in the Blue Mountains is fantastic to photograph sunrise...so much so that I photographed there three times on a recent 4 day trip. This is probably the pick of the photos from this location.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 40mm
ISO100 f/16 1/8sec
Capture time: 26/4/19 6:34am Autumnal LaneI just love photographing autumnal colours and this was probably some of the best I saw during a trip to Mount Wilson in April 2019.
Fuji G617
Velvia 50 f/22 20sec
circular polariser
Capture time: 27/4/19 7:31am

Maple LeafI took this photo at Cathedral Reserve Camp Ground just outside of Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains. I can totally understand why you would want to camp here - fantastic autumnal coloured trees!
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 200mm
ISO800 f/2.8 1/320sec
Capture time: 27/4/19 9:17am The Yellow TreeThe Yellow Tree This shot was taken at Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains, just west of Sydney. Fuji G617 Velvia 50 f/22 1sec Circular polariser Capture date: 27th April 2019 Notes: framed yellow tree Pulpit StarsPulpit Stars This star trail was taken at Pulpit Rock near Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains in NSW. Canon 5D Mark II 17-40 @ 17mm ISO1600 f/4 30sec 92 photos stacked Capture date: 27/4/19 Autumn in OberonThis photo was taken in Oberon during a brief trip in April 2019.
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 70mm
ISO100 f2.8 1/500sec
Capture time: 26/4/19 11:03am Autumn AvenueThis shot was taken on Queen's Avenue, Mount Wilson in late April 2019.
Fuji G617
Velvia50 f16 1sec
Circular polariser
Capture time: 25/4/19 9:19am Sunset WatcherWhile heading to Cahill's lookout in the NSW Blue Mountains, my photography colleague and I noticed this person perched on this rock watching sunset. The textured mountainous backdrop made for an image like this.
Canon 5D Mark II
70-200 @ 200mm
ISO800 f/4 1/1600
Capture time: 27/4/19 4:48pm Moran's FallsMoran's Falls is a short (but steep) walk from O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. We spent the weekend here for my wife's birthday.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 17mm
ISO 100 f/16 1.3sec
Lee 0.9 soft grad
Capture time: 14/6/19 5:07pm
 

Last LightI took this shot near Moran's Falls near O'Reilly's while visiting to celebrate Cecily's birthday in June this year.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 25mm
ISO100 f/16 1/10sec

Capture time: 14/06/2019 4:39pm ReminiscingI headed out to shoot a sunrise with Kane this morning. It was the first time in ages that we have headed out together to photograph sunrise.
Captured at Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 19mm
ISO100 f/16 0.5sec
Lee 0.9 hard grad
Capture time: 6/7/19 7:20am Riverfire 2019We headed in to see Riverfire from St Mary's Church at Kangaroo Point. The choir my mum sings in practices there and they were offering their grounds for parking and as a vantage point.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 19mm
ISO200 f/8 6sec
Capture time: 28/9/19 7:14pm

Sunrise SeascapeThis shot was taken at Point Arkwright, just south of Coolum Beach.

Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 19mm
ISO100 f/16 1/4sec

Capture time: 4/10/19 5:35am Blue PoolThis photo was taken at one of the bays just south of Coolum at sunset this evening - I think it is called Second Bay.

Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 19mm
ISO 800 f/8 30 sec
Lee Big Stopper
Lee 0.9 soft grad

Capture time: 5/10/19 5:35pm Sunrise FlowThis shot was taken at Point Arkwright last weekend while we were visiting Coolum on a family holiday.
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 19mm
ISO100 f/16
15sec
Lee 0.6 or 0.9 (can't remember) hard grad
Capture time: 10/4/19 5:17am Cotton Tree SunsetYesterday we headed up to Cotton Tree at the Sunshine Coast to spend the afternoon with my wife's brothers and their families. The kids had a paddle in the water and played cricket, we went for a run,a couple of people did a spot of fishing and I took a couple of photos - it was a great afternoon!
Canon 5D Mark II
17-40 @ 19mm
3 images blended:
ISO 100 f/16 1.6sec
ISO 100 f/16 0.8sec
ISO 100 f/16 3.2sec
Capture time: 29/12/19 7:03pm

Thanks for looking and you can follow my photography on Instagram or Twitter via @canningmartin or on Facebook by searching for MartinCanning.com.

Happy shooting in 2020!