The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge provide a stark silhouette against a bright orange sunset sky in this photo taken a couple of weeks ago in Sydney.

sunset behind the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge

Bradley's Head, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 24-70mm f/2.8L @35mm, 1 sec, f/6.3, ISO100

I was in Sydney for a few weeks for work, and took the opportunity to take some photos on the weekends. On my first Saturday in Sydney, I got together with Mitch, a fellow amateur photographer from OCAU, and we visited a number of different locations around Sydney, including Bradley's Head, where the above photo was taken.

As the sun rises above the horizon, the early morning light silhouettes the distant hills and buildings seen across the Swan River.

Sunrise photography is fickle - you can go to the same place at the same time on consecutive days, and the sunrise will be different every time!

sunrise layers

South Perth, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 70-200mm f/4L @200mm, 1/6400 sec, f/4, ISO320

One of the first photos I took with the Canon 50D when I first bought it last year, I love the soft red texture of this flower.
This was taken in the Midgegooroo National Park, in Roleystone.

ant exploring flower

Midgegooroo National Park, Roleystone, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 100mm f/2.8 macro @100mm, 1/250 sec, f/5, ISO400

A few weeks ago, I went for a drive through Langford Park, in Jarrahdale. In between rain showers, I ventured out of the car for a few forays into the bush.
I found the colour and texture of the pine tree bark fascinating, so here's a few photos focussing on the pine bark.

Firstly, here's a photo showing the wide range of colours in the bark.

pine bark detail

Langford Park, Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 17-85mm IS @41mm, 1/15 sec, f/5.6, ISO320

Here's a couple of photos of some flowers, taken while in Albany a few weeks ago.

purple flower power

Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 70-200mm f/4L @200mm, 1/1600 sec, f/4, ISO200

A sign, rusted by the salt spray of the ocean, points the way at Albany's Whale World.

This Way

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @22mm, 1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO100

This whale tow boat is one of the sights to see at Albany's Whale World.
The water in front of the flensing deck at the Cheynes Beach Whaling Station was too shallow for the whale chasers, so they would tie whale carcasses to a buoy a few hundred metres offshore. Tow boats such as the one shown below were then used to tow whale carcasses the last few hundred metres to shore.

an old whale tow boat

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 24-70mm f/2.8L @34mm, 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO125

This is the final resting place of one of the whalechasers used at the Cheynes Beach Whaling Station in Albany in the 1970s. It's now one of the attractions at Whale World, where you can explore the various nooks and crannies of the boat.

Cheynes IV whalechaser

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @10mm, 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO200

The Cheynes IV was originally built in 1948 in Norway, and used for whaling in South Africa for a number of years. In 1970, the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company bought it, renamed it the Cheynes IV, and used it for whaling off Albany until the closure of the station in 1978. It was towed to its current location at Whale World in 1981.

While driving down to Albany recently, the many fields of blooming Canola look like a yellow carpet stretching over the hills. It's a great sight - particularly if there's a clear blue sky, and the sun is shining on the Canola.

Canola fields blooming

Cranbrook, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @10mm, 1/60 sec, f/13, ISO100

The Maritime Museum in Fremantle is an interesting building, apparently shaped like an upturned hull which is half on land, and half on water. The museum is located at the site of the first landfall in Western Australia, which occurred in 1829.

Maritime Museum

Victoria Quay, Fremantle, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @14mm, 1/80 sec, f/5.6, ISO100

This photo was taken during an early morning shoot in Fremantle with some friends and colleagues.
After a disappointing sunrise (too much cloud), we wandered along Victoria Quay for some additional photos, including the one shown above.