Photographic opportunities within a couple of hours of Melbourne

Most of us who work  at a normal 9 to 5 job so to speak don’t have a lot of time to explore new locations to capture beautiful images. Sometimes we can stumble on to an area which presents some good opportunities, but without knowing someone with local knowledge, it can be a bit of a lottery. I have done a fair bit of travelling in the north eastern region of Melbourne without having to plan for an overnight stay, just to check out possible good locations with east or westerly aspects to allow for morning or evening shooting.

I plan to continue to do this  and find new and reasonably unrecognisable spots to photograph so that I don’t  fall into the trap of photographing locations which although beautiful are done to death by so many. Hopefully I will find some really beautiful locations and although I may not give the precise location, will disclose the approximate area where the images were taken. That is my plan at least and hopefully some others may feel inclined to conduct a similar experiment .

A couple of weeks ago for example I drove to Euroa and Violet Town via the Maroondah Highway. There are quite a few nice areas along the way like Gooram Falls between Merton and Euroa. When I arrived at Euroa, it was a Saturday morning about 10.30 am and all of the trees along the main street were in bloom. There was also the ANZ bank that Ned Kelly once robbed, a beautiful old building which looked sensational, particularly with the blooms on the trees outside to give it a lift. I was a week early for the Violet Town market which is a monthly market and so missed out on a photo opportunity there, but it is a very popular market and a lot of people from Melbourne travel there.

I don’t know how often I will get the chance to check out new areas, but will try to explore a new one each month. Until then I will post some pics of the area in focus.

October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 by photographybyianwallace Leave a comment

THE WEEKEND PHOTOGRAPHER

I love the dawn, that time of the day when most wild things awaken,

The alarm clock’s rude and raucous din as from my dreams I’m shaken,

I quickly shower, I shave and I dress and pack my gear for the day,

The garage door closes slowly behind me as I’m in my ute and away,

To parts unknown or maybe not, it just depends you see,

On what I see as I travel along and whatever appeals to me.

To be out before dawn on a country road with no fixed plan in mind,

My camera at the ready on the passengers seat as all through the hills I wind,

The night is clear as the stars start to fade and the sky to the east starts to brighten,

The night turning to day and the frosty fresh air and already I feel my mood lighten,

I travel along at a leisurely pace, one eye on the paddocks each side,

The other eye fixed on the long road ahead as over the tarmac I glide.

Then on impulse I turn on an oft passed by track, I wonder where this one will lead,

I curse the map I left home on the table that I should have remembered to read,

But never mind that, it’s looking quite good I’m optimistic you see,

The road winds around to the top of the hill and I’m amazed at the scene before me,

I pull to the side of the road and stare at the beautiful vision ahead,

And it just reinforces on mornings like this why it’s easy to jump out of bed.

I stay on the road for most of the day capturing the things that I see,

The time passes quickly and each moment treasured then reluctantly back to the city I flee,

I turn into the driveway just as the light from the day is starting to fade,

Then I’m downloading images on my pc and reliving the passing parade,

Next weekend I’ll set the alarm and repeat the whole process once more,

In search of that shot, that one perfect shot, that will hit all before it for four.

September 30, 2015October 6, 2015 by photographybyianwallace Tags: australia, beauty, bush, country, explore, nature, photo, photography, road, sunrise, sunset, weekend Leave a comment

Morning song

Yarra River, Melbourne, Australia

I have always been a morning person, because I believe that morning is the best time of the day. Morning is when everything is awakening.

Each sunrise is different, some more spectacular than others.

Whether you are in the city or the country, dawn and the hour or so after is an exciting time to capture images.

Dawn is when life starts out each day.

It is worth getting up at sunrise each day and just listen to the birds.

If I could capture the energy and the joy of a dawn chorus in an image, that would be something else.

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August 30, 2015August 30, 2015 by photographybyianwallace Leave a comment