Rodney Campbell's Blog

At sunset I went for a short drive around to the road leading into Dales Gorge and spun up the drone for a twilight view over the gorge area

Dales Gorge

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/160 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100 x 21 Frames

In this 21 frame 180˚ panorama you can see Dales Gorge in the middle. Fern pool is at the closer end (probably around where the bend in the gorge is) with Fortescue Falls beyond that

Dales Campground is off in the distance on the left

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

Cracked

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/30 sec at f/2.8, ISO 160

It’s pretty sparse up on top. The undulating cracked red dirt earth, the landscape dotted with ghost gums and a smattering of tough spinifex grass

Dales

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/30 sec at f/2.8, ISO 400

With the very handy new metal stairs leading down to the bottom of the gorge I had quick and ready access to the upper end of Dales Gorge this time around

I went for a late afternoon walk along this end of the base of the gorge to photograph those fantastic reflections and colours again

Dales Reflections

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 48 mm, 1/2 sec at f/8, ISO 64

Those deep red cliffs in Dales, full of iron ore once again reflect that beautiful colour down into the gorge as water flows and pools within

It’s so much cooler and pleasant down here. With all this water it’s also so much more lush and inviting

What a difference to the dry and dusty conditions just a few hundred metres up on top of the gorge

Golden Flows

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 40 mm, 1 sec at f/11, ISO 64

Roots

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 50 mm, 1/50 sec at f/8, ISO 1250

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

I was back in the magical location of Karijini National Park again

First stop was two nights at Dales Campground which is conveniently located within walking distance of Dales Gorge

Terraced

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 40 mm, 1.3 sec at f/9, ISO 64

This time around the new steel steps and walking path down to Fortescue Falls was open (it was being built last time we were here)

This now makes it sooo much easier to get down to the falls, to fern pool and this end of Dales Gorge

The terraced falls are both a photographers paradise and also a very popular swimming spot on these hot dry days

Coming back here at sunset however and most of the people have left

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

Fortescue Falls

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 43 mm, 1/2 sec at f/10, ISO 64

Fortescue Reflect

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24 mm, 1.6 sec at f/10, ISO 64

In the morning it was time to leave Albert Tognolini Lookout and head to one of the most epic photographic locations for landscape photographers

For this trip I had again requested a number of days staying in Karijini National Park (and it’s amazing gorges)

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70 mm, 1/80 sec at f/8, ISO 64

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

We’d be staying two nights at Dales Campground (at the eastern end of the park), followed by three nights at the Karijini Eco Retreat (at the western end)

At the Dales end we have Dales Gorge, which includes the gorge itself, Fortescue Falls, Fern Pool and at the other end of the gorge Circular Pool

Near the Eco Retreat lies a number of gorges including Joffre Gorge (at the retreat itself), Knox gorge and Weano recreation area with Weano and Hancock gorges

I’d previously visited all the above gorges on a previous trip but this time I also had my drone and I had a few ideas for some images I’d like to take

Inbetween these two locations was an additional gorge I’d never visited before (Kalamina gorge)

Heading to Karijini

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 61 mm, 1/100 sec at f/8, ISO 100

Night time arrives at Albert Tognolini rest area so it’s back out for a quick milky way session next to the vans

This first looks down into the valley below our vans with the vertical panorama of the whole milky way above it

Solitary

NIKON Z 7 + 14.0 mm f/2.4 @ 14 mm, 15 sec at f/2.4, ISO 6400 x 5 Frames

and this along the dirt path towards our vans

Beneath the Way

NIKON Z 7 + 14.0 mm f/2.4 @ 14 mm, 15 sec at f/2.4, ISO 6400 x 5 Frames