waves and wind

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

While holidaying in Kalbarri recently (about 6 hours north of Perth), I took the opportunity to photograph the waves and surfers at Jake's Point one afternoon. The weather had been sunny and fine most of the week, but one afternoon we had wild, wet and windy weather. That makes for some great waves, which in turn makes for some great surfing action.

Jake's Point in Kalbarri is a left-handed break that allows spectators to be very close to the surfing action. With a 200mm lens on a crop body, I was able to capture the action, and spent an hour or two in light drizzle watching the surfers.

Gnarabup Beach, viewed from the lookout

When I was a kid, we used to holiday every summer at Prevelly, near Margaret River, in the south west of Western Australia. A few weeks ago, we spent a week there, staying in Gnarabup (right next to Prevelly). The area has changed a great deal from the times when we used to camp there, with lots of resorts, restaurants and houses in the area. It is still a great place to holiday at, with plenty of fantastic beaches and things to do.

Gnarabup Beach was a 5 minute walk from where we were staying, and it was a popular spot for kite surfers. Here are some photos of the kite surfing action, all photographed from the lookout above Gnarabup Beach.

On my last weekend in Canada earlier this month, I visited Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary. One of the things that attracted me to visit the park is the rodeo that was scheduled that particular Saturday. This was the first rodeo held at Heritage Park, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the park. I hadn't been to a rodeo for many years, and decided to visit the park, and check out the rodeo.

As some readers of this blog have indicated they like blog posts with multiple photos telling a story, I have decided to include a range of photos of the bull riding from the rodeo. Enjoy the photos below!

clasp and staple

Invermay House, Launceston, Tasmania
Samsung Galaxy S II

Old buildings, old hardware, and textures appeal to me, and these photos were taken while staying at an old house in Invermay, Launceston, Tasmania. The old shed in the back yard had seen better days, and I took some photos of to capture the details of the old hardware on the door, and the textures of the peeling paint.

old hinge

Invermay House, Launceston, Tasmania
Canon EOS 50D, 35mm f/2 @35mm, 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO100

Eternal Flame

Kings Park, Perth, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 24-105mm f/4L IS @45mm, 1/320 sec, f/4, ISO100

Today is Anzac Day, an Australian national day of remembrance, commemorating all Australians and New Zealanders who have served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

This year is the 99th anniversary of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) campaign at the Gallipoli Penninsula, which took place on 25 April 1915, where the allies suffered heavy casualties.

picnic bench with a view

Sideling Lookout, Springfield, Tasmania
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @17mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.5, ISO100

It's been a busy year for me so far, and I am still working through the photos taken on our holiday to Tasmania in January. This picnic bench at the Sideling Lookout, near Scottsdale in north east Tasmania, has a fantastic view over the surrounding area.

water bomber dumping water

Yesterday was another very hot summer day, with the temperature reaching 40 degrees Celcius. Hot days seem to be a recipe for bushfires, and yesterday was no exception, with a couple of large fires around Perth.
A bushfire in Forrestdale in the late afternoon sent plumes of smoke into the sky, and as we could see some water bombers in action, I took two of my kids to have a closer look.

Some rough-cut wooden clogs in a clog workshop, in the historical Dutch village of Marken.

wooden clogs

Marken, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
Canon EOS 50D, 24-70mm f/2.8L @42mm, 1/50 sec, f/5.6, ISO250

With summer almost here, and the weather starting to warm up (37 degrees forecast for next week Wednesday!), I thought I'd dig out a photo from a much colder season.

This photo is from my trip to Canada in April this year, at the end of the northern winter. While exploring near Barrier Lake (in Kananaskis Country), I saw some snow on a bench, and decided to get closer with the camera.

snow on a bench

Barrier Lake, Alberta, Canada
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @22mm, 1/125 sec, f/7.1, ISO100