A little bit of planning, a lot of driving.
Over the years I have covered most of the coast on the south end of the country looking for surfable waves.
(its like an addiction, once you get locked into serious wave hunting, the tendency is to push it as far as you can....)
It's these wanderings that really developed my love for photography.
As the saying goes, pics or it didn't happen! So I would always tote a camera with me to prove to my friends I wasn't mad and there really were waves in some of these far flung locations. Over the years, it slowly started to becoming about the pictures and finding the waves wasn't as important.
Well, the first time I stumbled across this location it had been on a real mission to find surf and we gave it no more than a passing glance as pretty rocks were not as important as finding waves.
I have been there once or twice since but in the middle of the day, or in the rain and it just had never really came alive for me as a image. So last week when I was chatting to another photographer friend of mine (the amazing Emma Jervis) and we realised we both had a Friday off, we thought the best way to spend our down time was going taking more pictures! (again, once you get locked into a serious image hunting, the tendency is to push it as far as you can....)
So I started a little bit of planning....
No matter what, there is always some level of planning goes into a image, even if its just remembering to bring a camera with you, but this was going to be at best, a four and a half hour round trip, so a little more thought was needed.
There was going to be no point being there is the sunset and tides did not tie up, so the first stop was The Photographers Ephemeris an absolutely indispensable little bit of software for knowing sunrise/sunsets.
And I used accuweather to check the tides to make sure there would be plenty of water about.
Accuweater was also fantastic to check we would actually have a sunset waiting for us.
Interesting clouds, possible thunder storms, ideal day out :)
Next, was how long this was actually going to take as the last thing you want is to be running round like mad as the light drops trying to find the best possible composition. So the plan was to tip away down for early in the afternoon so we would be under no pressure and be well set for that golden hour.
While it is more about the journey then the destination, we still wanted to have time on our side when we got to that destination.
So as we pottered down a road I have travelled many many times, the van was pulled to a screeching halt. A field of wild flowers, a lone tree, mountains! If that didnt deserve some attention nothing does!
It was mid afternoon, so not ideal, but its been filed away in the memory banks now for another visit on a more opportune time
One of the benefits of travelling with another photographer? Photos of photos being taken!
All the hiking through the long grass did prove a bit much for poor Emma though ;)
So onwards we pottered.
One of the best things about pottering is just having the time to stop and take in the details you might normally drive straight past. Like a man selling free range eggs from the door of his house. Now, it did help, this was the view from the door of his house :)
And again is a photo really taken if you dont have a photo of a photo been taken :)
So onwards we travelled, all the while, watching the clouds build and wondering were we absolutely mad to have taken such a chance.
Short answer? No :)
The place is truly special, just an amazing geological formation that lends it self oh so well to the joys of landscape photography.
The area was always synonymous for copper mining and the rock really has some fantastic tones coming through.
As much fun as our running about all day was. You always have to stop and smell the roses :)
