Rodney Campbell's Blog

We were heading inland now taking a side trip to visit my uncle in the heart of Western Australia’s farming belt. I’d often wanted to photograph the sweeping hills of Canola flowers when in season in western NSW but it looked like my first chance was coming up here in WA.

Canola was developed through conventional plant breeding from rapeseed, an oilseed plant already used in ancient civilisation as a fuel. The word “rape” in rapeseed comes from the Latin word rapum meaning turnip. Turnip, rutabaga, cabbage, brussel sprouts, mustard, and many other vegetables are related to the two natural canola varieties commonly grown.

It wasn’t long before the hills were bright golden with the flowering plants and as I was driving at the time I was able to pull over briefly to take a few shots – some quick handheld work tho unfortunately.

Canola Gold

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 170 mm, 1/200 sec at f/13, ISO 450 x 16 Frames

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger – so click any of the images below to see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer.

The image above is actually a handheld stitched panorama composed of sixteen (16) overlapping vertical frames taken whilst standing on a branch up in a tree overlooking this field :).

Canola Happy

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 170 mm, 1/200 sec at f/9, ISO 2500

We’d camped overnight in some random tiny rest area literally in the middle of nowhere. Pretty much the only reason we stopped here was it was getting late and another caravan was already stopped here for the night.

One particularly good upside from my daughters point of view was that we were able to have a small campfire (which she loved :)). It was drizly and cold but the fire warmed us up quick smart :).

Double Double

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 58 mm, 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 125

In the morning we woke to this fabulous double rainbow with interesting light and mood in the sky. Nowhere to actually make use of these particularly nice conditions of course so I took this handheld leaning out of the door of the caravan as I got up :).

Composing and timing things to get double flying birds and double rainbows – yes this is all in one shot and not added in post :).

The Pinnacles of Nambung National Park are the major natural attraction in the Coral Coast region of Cervantes and Jurien Bay. The park is located roughly 200 kilometres north of Perth and covers an area of 17,487 hectares.

These amazing natural limestone structures, some standing as high as five metres, were formed approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago, after the sea receded and left deposits of sea shells. Over time, coastal winds removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars exposed to the elements.

Pinnacles

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm, 1/30 sec at f/16, ISO 100

It was a grey and bleak day we were here. It was raining lightly most of the time and the skies gave you nothing. This place needs early morning or late afternoon light and the play of shadows across the landscape.

Having had my dreams of star filled skies over these amazing limestone pinnacles crushed, I wasn’t really in the mood to shoot. I think I just went through the motions but I knew the conditions just weren’t up to what I was hoping for.

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 38 mm, 1/400 sec at f/11, ISO 100

Note: These images (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger – so click any of the images below to see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer.

It’s actually a very interesting place and quite unexpected when you’re just driving through the scrubby countryside to get here. I’d actually thought before I was here that there was only going to be a small number of large pillars in a sandy desert location. I was very surprised when we arrived just how many there were and just how vast the area was. I was expecting to see sand dunes without any vegetation but what we got was miles and miles of sand and scrub and tens of thousands of these limestone pinnacles of various sizes.

Golden Road

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm, 1/50 sec at f/11, ISO 100

There’s a predefined “road” for the cars to follow as it snakes it’s way for 5km in a loop through this part of the park. There’s small parking spots as you go along so you can stop and get out and walk around to view the pillars. The cars however can’t leave the marked route.

Aspire

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 29 mm, 1/30 sec at f/16, ISO 100

It was time for a return trip to Vivid @ Central Park. I’d been waiting till there was some nice cloud in the sky but no rain so it would lend a nice balance of light pollution reflected off the clouds in the sky (rather than an all black sky).

Vivid @ Central Park

NIKON D750 + 14.0 mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm, 1 sec at f/4.5, ISO 800

Central Park is a major mixed-use urban renewal project in Sydney, located on Broadway. The development is focused on a new public park located just off Broadway of approximately 6,500 square metres.

For many decades the southern side of Broadway was dominated by a brewery. The facility closed in the 2000s and the site was put up for sale.

Vivid @ Central Park

NIKON D750 + 14.0 mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm, 0.8 to 1.6 sec at f/4.5, ISO 800

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger – so click any of the images below to see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer.

This year the facade of the old brewery plays host to a number of fantastic animations by both the Ample Projects team along with student animators from UTS.

Created by Ample Projects, the show brings the facade of the heritage-listed Brewery Yard building back to animated life, showcasing the dynamic factory as it once was, exploring technology, the changing human workplace and what it means to be X Factory.

Vivid @ Central Park

NIKON D750 + 14.0 mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm, 1/1 sec at f/4.5, ISO 800

When my father first sent through his draft plan for our trip I noticed that we were travelling past Cervantes on the west coast of Australia on the way down to Perth.

@ the Pinnacles

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm, 1/1000 sec at f/8, ISO 100

I’d heard of the famous limestone Pinnacles at Nambung National Park but I noticed in my fathers plan that we were travelling straight past without even stopping here.

That just wouldn’t do – in my minds eye I had this vision of light painting the pinnacles at night and shooting the milky way arching over the top of a cluster of pinnacles and the milky way streaking through the sky in a star trails with a pinnacle thrust upwards in the frame.

I suggested to my father that I needed to stay somewhere close for two nights to give me the opportunity to try some of these.

So the plans were set in motion and now at last we were planning to stop at Cervantes for two nights and I could drive in to Nambung National Park to get my shots.

Widows Peak

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm, 1/1000 sec at f/8, ISO 100

Unfortunately it looked like my good fortune that had been with me just about this entire trip had finally abandoned me. Instead of the clear blue skies I needed for the stars I had nearly 100% cloud cover and worse when we arrived at Cervantes for lunch it was pouring with rain :).

The weather forecast was also grim – it was expected to stay this way and rain for days. I made the hard decision to forgo staying here and move on. We’d just visit the pinnacles this afternoon and then detour eastward and visit my uncle before heading down to Perth.

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger – so click any of the images below to see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer.

The Pinnacles

NIKON D750 + 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm, 1/80 sec at f/13, ISO 100 x 10 Frames

This image is a panorama stitch of ten (10) vertical frames.