Gallery Pick of the Week
Instead of just showing pretty pictures only, here we have space for contributors to discuss their images every week.
This is a great opportunity to get some insight from the original photographer and the content is entirely open. It could be anything from the personal feeling of the photographer about the image to any photographic techniques or location knowledge he/she would like to share with our visitors.
Gallery Pick of the Week > June 2010
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Lake Eildon, A Hidden Winter Wonderland, 24/6/10, Pele Leung Unless you are desperate to go somewhere, I usually don't recommend anybody to drive after dark especially on a foggy country road. However today I was in an exceptional situation... |
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The Barrington Tops National Park, 17/6/10, Barbara Bryan The diversity of environmental regions in the state of NSW in Australia is a wonderful drawcard for a visit to this state. One surprise to me recently was a visit to Barrington National Park... |
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The Ultra Panorama of Gardens in Mount Dandenong Melbourne Australia, 3/6/10, Pele Leung To capture the colours of the public gardens in Mount Dandenong, I started my photographic project five years ago and the result so far is a large collection of garden photos. |
Pele Leung - Lake Eildon, A Hidden Winter Wonderland, 24/6/10, Pele Leung
A "mountain-island" in Lake Eildon
Unless you are desperate to go somewhere, I usually don't recommend anybody to drive after dark especially on a foggy country road. However today I was in an exceptional situation - I wanted to take some good dawn photos from a special place. After following the weather forecast for more than a few weeks, "today" was a perfect day for capturing the photos I imagined. The weather condition was "perfect" - cold (only around freezing point) and foggy (less than 20 metres of visibility).
The heater of my car was blowing hard but I could still feel the cold. Perhaps the cold feeling was coming from inside. My shoulders were cramped due to the static driving position for more than an hour. The road ahead looked like a black hole and the head lights of my car were struggling to find a path in such a foggy weather. Now I was halfway to my destination - Lake Eildon.
Rolling hills in the mist
Lake Eildon isn't a popular tourist spot like the Great Ocean Road but it shines when you realise its beauty at the right time. In summer Lake Eildon keeps its visitors busy with various water sports but the place is usually very quiet in winter. However if you enjoy moody scenery like me, winter is the perfect time to see sea of clouds. The ideal geographical conditions of Lake Eildon, rolling hills with water kept in an enclosed lake, create a perfect environment for building up mist and fog in freezing morning. With this knowledge in mind, I took the plunge to wake up early at 4am and was keen to take my steps afield to chase an opportunity of capturing some good shots.
The first part of the lake coming into sight when you enter the town Eildon is the most easiest and convenient spot for taking good misty photos. There is no painful walk or anything physically demanding and my favourite spot is the bridge head. However this part of the lake was completely emptied at the time of writing and I suppose this was done for a purpose.
A wheelchair spot at the bridge head near the entrance of the town
If you want something more exotic, driving up the hills along the lake is the way to go. Lake Eildon is not small in size and it will take you a while especially if you need to stop frequently for photography. In a foggy or misty day, you may not see the lake from the road. In fact, this is a good thing as the sea-of-cloud phenomenon provides a much better view.
A close view of sea of clouds
Although you could be the lone soul there in an early winter morning, occasionally the friendly neighbourhood would break the silence. I personally had been invited to enter some private land multiple times to take the advantage of better views. Believe it or not, you are always welcome there and local residents are happy to share their private secret spots with you. Of course, it is a common sense not to enter any private land unless you are invited. If you don't feel comfortable with the offer, there are sufficient number of good vantage points you could shoot next to your cars.
Now see before you believe how beautiful Lake Eildon is...
Chinese-painting-type of scenery
Barbara Bryan - The Barrington Tops National Park, 17/6/10, Barbara Bryan
The diversity of environmental regions in the state of NSW in Australia is a wonderful drawcard for a visit to this state. One surprise to me recently was a visit to Barrington National Park which rises to over 1,500 metres above seal level, with subalpine vegetation and snowgrass and attracting snowfalls in winter, although the park boundary starts only 90 km from the coast north of Newcastle and inland from Taree. However most of the park contains old growth subtropical, warm, cool temperate rainforests and tall eucalpyt forests. Antarctic Beech trees are also found here – an ancient species of tree still in existence in a few Eastern Australian rainforest regions as well as in New Zealand – these are known as the Gondwana Rainforest regions and are listed as World Heritage places.
This pristine park is located 320 km north of Sydney and can be accessed via numerous roads and towns including Dungog and Scone and Gloucester. One scenic drive takes you via the town of Gloucester with its backdrop of the ‘The Buckets’ mountain range, then up onto the alpine plateau via lush rainforests with various walking tracks and picnic areas.
The town of Gloucester with its backdrop of the ‘The Buckets’ mountain range
We discovered prolific fungi growths in open grass patches, plus lush mosses covering shapely boulders alongside the road. Our destination for the day was at PolBlue, an alpine sphagnum bog/swamp region of vital importance to the environmental health of the region.
Fungi growths in open grass patches
Lush mosses covering shapely boulders
A crystal clear pristine creek meandered through lush grasses across the open swampy plain. The swamps soak up and filter runoff from the surrounding woodlands like giant sponges then slowly release this water into the rivers which feed the lowland countryside.
A crystal clear pristine creek meandered through lush grasses
Nearby is a delightful camping ground where numerous kangaroos can be seen. Many walking tracks within this park provide the opportunity to venture deeper into the environment to gain a closer experience with nature. More information can be found on the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water website.
On the return journey to Taree we passed through delightful rolling hill country with scenic views as the sun dipped lower in the afternoon.
A rolling hill country
Pele Leung - The Ultra Panorama of Gardens in Mount Dandenong Melbourne Australia, 3/6/10, Pele Leung
The "imprefect" tilted rotational axis of the Earth creates opportunities for most living things on Earth. Without this imprefection, we are either "toasted" or "frozen" without any choice. Arguably the end products of this imprefection, seasons, affect most living creatures on Earth. Among all living things, perhaps plants exhibit the most noticeable reactions to seasons - the blossom in spring, the greenery in summer, the beautiful colours in autumn and the leafless trees in winter.
In Melbourne, we all enjoy the advantage of four distinct seasons. Mount Dandenong, the backyard of Melbourne, is probably the best place to appreciate what four seasons can offer.
To capture the colours of the public gardens in Mount Dandenong, I started my photographic project five years ago and the result so far is a large collection of garden photos. To take the project even further, I introduced a panoramic approach (ultra panorama covering 180-360° angle of view) two years ago. At the time of writing, I am probably one of the few pioneers using this 360° photographic technique to capture the autumn colours of the gardens in Mount Dandenong.
Today I would like to present some of my best ultra-panoramic photographic collection of "Gardens in Mount Dandenong". To appreciate the great effort by the Park Victoria rangers and garden volunteers, I would like to dedicate this presentation to them.
Finally I hope you will share the same passion and joy as mine. Enjoy the images and slideshow.
Alfred Nicholas Gardens
Alfred Nicholas Gardens
Alfred Nicholas Gardens
National Rhododendron Gardens
George Tindale Garden
Pirianda Garden