2021 Photography Retrospective

December 30, 2021  •  Leave a Comment

Wow, it’s almost the end of 2021, so it’s time for me to reflect and share a summary of what I got up to with my photography this year. 

It’s crazy that 2021 is almost over – it seems to have flown by – but in another sense it seems to have been a long year.  I still vividly remember lying in bed on New Years Eve reflecting on the disaster that was 2020 and looking forward to 2021!  There was so much to look forward to – with some of the world’s largest nations commencing their COVID vaccine roll out and Australia soon to start in early 2021.  Looking forward I was hoping this may mean I could get out and do a fair bit of photography…and hopefully…maybe…travel to do some.  And to a degree that was the case.  I managed to slip in a quick 3-day solo photo trip (first one by myself) to the Hunter/New England area in April and we did a family road trip up the Qld Coast in July – which was awesome!  In the second half of the year we just got busy with work, life, kids and other things – so I didn’t get out as much.  We did manage a weekend away at Coolum and a week at Noosa. 

I have come to realise even more and more that gone are the days that I head out shooting randomly on a weekend – there is just no time for that in life at present!  Also, I haven’t left much time for me to write this retrospective, so apologies there isn’t much commentary relating to my photography outings this year…but let’s face it…I’m sure you’re not here to read my commentary.  There are a quite a lot of photos below which I haven’t shared over the year, so hopefully you will enjoy.  Anyway…onto the photos!

Mooloolaba, January 2021

Bunya Mountains, March 2021

Bunya Mountains, March 2021

Bunya Mountains, March 2021

Mount KiangarowMount KiangarowMy wife and kids took me on a surprise weekend away for my Birthday. We headed to the Bunya Mountains. I had never been there but had heard about it previously. On one of the brochures I saw a photo of some Grass Trees and had to find out where they were. It turns out Mount Kiangarow has an epic westerly facing vista with Grass Trees! So, i went there for sunset! My wife, kids and parents-in-law walked up there with me and I stayed for sunset after the traveled back to the accommodation.
This was also one of only a handful of times I have used my Fujifilm XT-4 for landscape photography purposes. There is still a bit to learn with the focusing and metering...but I'll get there. All I can say is that I LOVE the colours of Fuji cameras!
8 image panorama:
Fujifilm XT-4
10-24mm @ 10mm
ISO1600 f/8 1/125sec
Lee 0.6 soft filter
Capture time: 13/3/2021 6:06pm

Buderim Forest Park, April 2021

Forest FallsForest FallsOn Good Friday we headed to Buderim Forest Park and conditions were great for photography! There was lots of water flowing and overcast conditions meant even light!
Fujifilm XT-4
10-24 @ 10.5mm
ISO200 f/16 15sec
Circular polariser
Capture time: 02/04/2021 5:11pm

Shorncliffe, April 2021

Burleigh, April 2021

Burleigh, April 2021

Glass House Mountains, April 2021

Coonowrin StarsCoonowrin StarsI realised on Saturday morning that conditions for astrophotography on Saturday night would be quite good with clear skies and close to a new moon. I contacted my mate on the whim that he might be free to do some astrophotography. Before I contacted him I thought the Glass House Mountains would be a good place to go and I have wanted to photograph stars there for a while. My mate was already up the Sunshine Coast and was planning to head back down to Brisbane so after agreeing to meet up, then changing our minds and then re-agreeing to meeting up, we met up just before 10pm for an hour of astrophotography at Mount Coonowrin. (As an aside, the thing which changed my mind to head out was my wife and daughter who were watching a replay of Better Homes and Gardens and there was a segment on astrophotography.)
Conditions were great and I really enjoyed photographing that evening.
2 images stacked:
FujiFilm XT-4
10-24 @ 10mm
ISO3200 f/4 30sec
Capture time: 10/04/2021 10:13pm

 

Near Warwick, April 2021

Tenterfield, April 2021

Tenterfield, April 2021

Glen Innes, April 2021

Glen Innes, April 2021

Blazing AutumnBlazing AutumnI recently spent a couple of days in the New England region of New South Wales on a photography trip. This was the first sunset of the trip.
I have photographed this location so many times before, but i went back there as it really does offer a lot of options to photograph - and this awesome sunset was fantastic!
13 vertical images stitched
Fujifilm XT-4
10-24mm @ 24mm
ISO800 f/8 1/60sec
Lee grad filter
Capture time: 26/4/2021 5:16pm

Glen Innes, April 2021

Glen Innes, April 2021

Armidale, April 2021

Armidale, April 2021

Near Armidale, April 2021

Gostwyck, April 2021

Gostwyck, April 2021

Hidden GostwyckHidden GostwyckThis is an incredible location to photograph...particularly in the fog, which were the exact conditions I had this particular morning. I have just read that this church was built in 1921; which is 100 years ago! It is incredible that a single person planted the more than 200 elm trees which surround this area. It is a great location to photograph. The best time to capture the Virginia creeper vine in this deep red colour is in the autumn months of April and May.
Multiple images stitched:
Fujifilm XT-4
10-24 @ 20mm
ISO 200
f/8 0.5sec
Lee filters

Gostwyck, April 2021

Gostwyck ChapelGostwyck ChapelI took this photo in Autumn 2021, during a brief 3 night trip down to the New England Region of New South Wales. This particular location is fantastic to photograph and I think this was the 3rd or 4th time I have been here. I find it somewhat bemusing that as a photographer, you may be granted some really nice conditions to shoot a particular scene at a particular time, but that's not the conditions you want! I can recall being at this location previously where there was some epic light through the trees onto the church, and all I wanted was there to be fog! This time there was heaps of fog, and all I wanted was some light to pop out!
6 horizontal images stitched
FujiFilm XT-4
10-24 @ 16mm
ISO200 f/11 3sec
Capture time: 28/4/2021 6:17am
P.S. I love that I shot this image at 6:17 as that is the ratio my panoramic film camera shoots in - 617!

Near Armidale, April 2021

Cathedral Rock National Park, April 2021

Cathedral Rock National Park, April 2021

Cathedral Rock National Park, April 2021

Gostwyck, April 2021

Gostwyck, April 2021

Near Armidale, April 2021

Near Armidale, April 2021

Fog GatekeeperFog GatekeeperThis Gatekeepers House is situated outside Uralla on Barleyfields Road. I have photographed this cute hut on two previous occasions, and on this particular morning I had finished photographing sunrise and was heading back to my accommodation to get ready to drive back to Brisbane. I drove straight past without thinking to get out to photograph; as I had shot it before. However, once I turned onto the New England Highway I realised I had never photographed it in thick fog like this. So, I turned around and went back. As I got there I realised the sun was coming out and a fogbow presented itself! It was there for ages and I reveled in the conditions this particular morning!
Fujifilm XT-4
16-55mm @ 32mm
ISO250 f/8 1/500sec
10 vertical images stitched
Capture time: 29/4/2021 7:55am

Near Glen Innes, April 2021

Beachmere, May 2021

Airlie Beach, June 2021

Airlie Beach, June 2021

Awesome Airlie!Awesome Airlie!I took this shot from the balcony of our accommodation at Airlie Beach during a recent visit there. We were so fortunate to find this accommodation with this awesome view! The weather was forecast to be quite showery, and wet while we were there...and that's exactly the weather we got! But, with changing weather comes interesting conditions for photography, and I was not disappointed this particular morning! I saved the peak of the colour to use my panoramic film camera, but my remote cable release malfunctioned...and then I accidentally double exposed...and who knows how the film will turn out when I get it developed. But, anyway I'm happy with this shot taken with my digital camera!
Fujifilm XT-4
10-22 @ 20mm
ISO800 f/8 1/125sec
Lee filters
Capture date: 1/7/2021 6:45am

Airlie Beach, June 2021

Shute Harbour, June 2021

Shute HarbourShute HarbourShute Harbour is located in the Whitsunday region, east of Airlie Beach. It is a short, but windy, 10 minute drive through the Conway National Park from Airlie Beach. This harbour used to be the second busiest commuter port in Australia! We visited here during a family road trip in June/July 2021 and I was fortunate enough to capture this rainbow over the harbour!
Fujifilm XT-4
16-55 @ 24mm
ISO400 f/8 1/420sec
Hoya HD circular polariser
Capture time: 30/6/2021 10:09am

Hideaway Bay, July 2021

Hideaway Bay, July 2021

Beach HideawayBeach HideawayThis photo was taken near Hideaway Bay, which is about 45 minutes north of Airlie Beach. We managed to get an almost full blue sky here, which enabled me to take this photo...as a lot of our trip to this region was rainy, showery or overcast!
Fujifilm XT-4
10-24mm @ 20mm
ISO160 f/8 1/160sec
Hoya HD circular polariser
Capture time: 1/7/2021 11:55am

Cape Hillsborough, July 2021

Classic Cape HillsboroughClassic Cape HillsboroughThis photo was taken at Cape Hillsborough, which is about 40 minutes north of Mackay in Queensland. Each morning wallabies adorn the beach at sunrise. It is quite a sight! We were fortunate this particular morning that there was also a really nice sunrise!
8 horizontal images stitched
Fujifilm XT-4
16-55 lens @ 25.7mm
ISO 800 f/5.6 1/125sec
Lee 0.6 soft grad filter
Capture time: 2/7/2021 6:43am

Cape Hillsborough, July 2021

Kangaroo LoveKangaroo LoveThis photo was taken at sunrise at Cape Hillsborough in July 2021. Cape Hillsborough is well known for the kangaroos that visit at sunrise and we were not disappointed this particular morning. We were fortunate to witness these kangaroos and a really nice sunrise this particular morning.
Fujifilm XT-4
16-55 @ 18.7mm
ISO200 f/11 1/18sec
Capture time: 2/7/2021 6:49am

Mackay, July 2021

Mackay, July 2021

Mackay, July 2021

Sea Fog at Jayel RockpoolSea Fog at Jayel RockpoolWhile visiting Mackay recently, I decided to head to Jayel Rockpool to shoot sunrise. It is a small natural rockpool just north of Lambert's Lookout. I have to give credit to my wife who actually suggested I head here after seeing some of the rock formations while searching social media for places to visit around Mackay. So, the evening prior to sunrise I ventured here to do a bit of scouting and decided it would be great for sunrise.
The next morning I work up to a bit of a foggy scene and shot this sea fog! I haven't shot sea fog before, and it was fantastic!
This location is great for a seascape photographer. I could probably venture here to photograph sunrises for a week and still have compositions that I want to shoot! If you're in the Mackay region, and a photographer, check it out!
4 horizontal images stitched:
Fujiflm XT-4
10-24 @ 10mm
ISO 160 f/8 1/30sec
Lee Filters
Capture time: 3/7/2021 7:07am

Mackay, July 2021

Finch Hatton, July 2021

Araluen Falls, Finch HattonAraluen Falls, Finch HattonAraluen Falls is one of a couple of waterfalls located at Finch Hatton Gorge, west of Mackay. This waterfall is a short and easy 2km walk from the car park location. The drive to here is quite interesting too with many river crossings along the way. We didn't venture to the Wheel of Fire Cascades, which is a waterfall another 1.4km walk from this location.
4 horizontal images stitched:
Fujifilm XT-4
16-55mm @ 34.2mm
ISO 160 f/22 1.5sec
circular polariser
Capture time: 2:57pm 3/7/2021

Moreton Bay Region, July 2021

Bullocky Rest ReflectionsBullocky Rest ReflectionsThis photo was taken at Bullocky Rest on the shores of Lake Samsonvale. In early July I visited this location twice in two days for sunset. Unfortunately during my first outing the high clouds dissipated and I just missed the awesome sunset light due to a few wrong turns on the way!
Four horizontal images stitched:
FujiFilm XT-4
10-24mm @ 10mm
ISO 160 f/8 1/60sec
Lee filters

Lake Moogerah, July 2021

Milky Way over MoogerahMilky Way over MoogerahOn Saturday night I ventured out to Lake Moogerah with my mate Chi to do some astrophotography. We booked the date in about 4 or 5 weeks ago to coincide with the new moon. We were fortunate that there were cloudless skies last night too!
I have see a few photographers capture milky way panoramas, but I have never captured one before. Probably, because generally my astrophotography is a bit of an after thought and not really well planned out...but this time we planned (at least the date) to make sure we could photograph in the best conditions.
Anyway, shooting a shot like this was a bit challenging (on a rocky, angled lake bank) and stitching it together wasn't the easiest either, but I am happy with the end result. :)
12 vertical images stitched
Fujifilm XT-4
10-24 @ 10mm
ISO3200 f/4 30sec
Capture date: 10/7/2021 7:14pm

Brisbane, September 2021

CBD FlyoverCBD FlyoverI headed into Kangaroo Point Cliffs with the kids around lunchtime to see the C-17A Globemaster III practice it's route for #RiverFire on Saturday night! As most of you know, I like pano's so stitched this one together - 10 images stitched.
FujiFilm XT-4
16-50 @ 16mm
ISO400 f/5.6 1/2000sec
Capture time: 23/9/2021 12:16pm

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Noosa, December 2021

Out to DinnerOut to DinnerThis photo was taken at sunset at Noosa Main Beach during a family holiday up there. This has to be my favourite place to visit in the world - it is so beautiful up there! Having said that, it is quite hard to capture on camera as sunrises and sunsets (at least in summer) are blocked by headlands or bushland. This image captures the time of the day where swimmers are exchanged for evening wear.
4 horizontal images stitched:
Fujifilm XT-4
16-50 @ 34mm
ISO160 f/8 1/30sec
Capture time:
16/12/2021 6:33pm
Lee filters
Manfrotto tripod
Thanks for taking the time to check out this blog post, and I hope I will be able to continue to capture and share my photography throughout 2022.


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