Rodney Campbell's Blog

It was getting on in the day (just after 5PM) so it was time to head out of Joffre Gorge before it got dark. It’s hard not to be enticed by the vast grandness of the outback and the epic scale and wonder of these magnificent gorges. Your gut reaction is to shoot wide and try and get as much of this spectacular natural wonder in as you can. Sometimes however it’s worth taking note of the tiny details.

As was the case here when on the way back down the narrow channel as you leave the main amphitheatre surrounding Joffre Falls. I was looking down at the shimmering water at my feet and looking in wonder at the lovely coloured rocks and moss beneath the water. The way the water folds and shimmers as it flows across the small cracks and falls in the bedrock underneath.

Shimmer

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 52 mm, 5 sec at f/13, ISO 100

It was time to take some more selective micro landscapes of the patterns and colour at my feet. I setup my camera on the tripod to look straight down and set about looking for interesting compositions with the rocks and water.

This is one of those times where using a good circular polarising filter really does make a huge difference. Allowing you to cut through the reflections in the water to see the magnificent colours and patterns below. Not too much tho – as you still want to see the ripple and shimmer of the water in places. A careful adjustment of the CPL and we are there…

Tiger Eye

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm, 8 sec at f/13, ISO 100

Five minutes later I’d taken these few shots in a few different spots within a two metre stretch of the path. We’d arrived at the spot where we have to climb up out of the gorge so I was packing up my things into my camera backpack ready for the climb.

Scratches

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 42 mm, 6 sec at f/13, ISO 100

My daughter had just started along the first narrow ledge to climb out when with wet slippery feet she slipped and fell backwards into the pool below. The fall was just a metre but she got quite a shock falling into the cold water fully clothed. After paddling out of the water and collecting her stuff it was cuddle time before making a more careful second attempt with me holding onto her. No more incidents which was very fortunate and it was very lucky she didn’t fall from much higher up.

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