The Reading Room
The Reading Room
Landscape, Travel & Creative Collection
"Once a year, go someplace you've never been before" - Dalai Lama
Major Thomas Mitchell ~ Journey Through the Heart of Victoria
The 1836 Australia Felix Expedition, led by Major Thomas Mitchell, is integral to Australia’s exploration and colonisation history. This expedition, Mitchell’s third significant journey,...
A Guide to Sunflower Season in Victoria, Australia
Victoria bursts to life each year with a sea of golden-yellow hues as sunflower season takes centre stage, drawing locals and tourists alike to...
Nagambie’s Green Triumph: The Story Behind Saving 51 Trees
Nestled in the heart of Victoria, the picturesque town of Nagambie. The town is known for its serene lake, lush surroundings, and vibrant community...
Christmas in Australia: A Unique Summer Celebration
Christmas in Australia is a celebration like no other. While many associate the holiday season with snowflakes, roaring fires, and winter wonderlands, Australians celebrate...
Gulgong, NSW and Its Unique Connection to Swagmen
Gulgong, a small town in New South Wales, Australia, is more than just a place with a rich history dating back to the gold...
Life on the Land: Discover the History of Lanyon Homestead
Lanyon Homestead is a beautiful, historic rural estate located on the outskirts of Canberra, Australia. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives and...
Wings & Wonders: A Tour of Canberra’s Walk-In Aviary
Nestled in the scenic Gold Creek Village, Canberra’s Walk-In Aviary is a spot that’s perfect for nature lovers and bird fans. Located in Nicholls,...
Cowra Spring Blossoms in the Heart of New South Wales
Cowra, a picturesque town in the Central West region of New South Wales, is a delightful destination to visit year-round. However, springtime brings a...
Dubbo’s Ultimate Wildlife Adventure: Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Located in the heart of New South Wales at Dubbo, Australia, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, also known as Dubbo Open Range Zoo, is a...
Discovering the Universe: A Visit to the Parkes Radio Telescope
Located in the heart of New South Wales, Australia, the Parkes Radio Telescope stands as a monument to human curiosity and the quest for...
Soaring High: Canowindra, Canola and Ballooning Magic
Nestled in the rolling hills of New South Wales, Canowindra is a charming town that offers a delightful mix of history, culture, and natural...
Altina Wildlife Park: A Sanctuary for Wildlife and Education
Situated in the rural heartland of New South Wales, Australia, Altina Wildlife Park is a unique sanctuary that offers a blend of conservation, education,...
Willsmere: From Asylum to Icon – The Story Behind the Walls
The Kew Lunatic Asylum, originally known as the Kew Mental Hospital and later as the Willsmere Hospital, is a beautiful and significant historical landmark...
Whispers of the Past: Nagambie’s Historic Chinamans Bridge
Chinamans Bridge is a large timber bridge that crosses the Goulburn River, 2.7 kilometres west of the Goulburn Valley Highway. It is believed to...
Powers Lookout and The Daring Adventures of Harry Power
Harry Power (1820-1891) was one of Australia’s most infamous bushrangers. He played a significant role in shaping the legend of bushranging during the 19th...
A New Home The Elephants At Werribee Zoo
The transfer of Asian elephants from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee Open Range Zoo later this year marks a significant step in managing elephant populations...
Street Photography: Capturing the Heart of the City
Street photography captures unscripted human interaction and urban landscapes, documenting reality, fostering creativity, and enabling social observation. It explores human-environment interactions and offers personal...
The Best Poses for Headshots: A Comprehensive Guide
Headshots are essential for professional and personal branding, whether for actors, corporate professionals, or social media influencers. A well-executed headshot can convey confidence, approachability,...
The History and Traditions of the Australian Swagman
Australia is known for its diverse landscapes and unique cultural heritage and holds many fascinating historical stories. One such tale is that of the Australian...
Animating Images Using AI: A Revolutionary Leap in Visual Arts
There has been a rise in AI tools and platforms aimed at making animating images more accessible. Tools like DeepArt, Avatarify, and Adobe Animate's...
The Impact of Ken Burns Effect on Documentary Filmmaking
The “Ken Burns Effect” is a distinctive technique in documentary filmmaking. But what is it? How did it become so well known, and who...
Maximising Image Quality: DNG and RAW Compared
Comparing RAW and DNG file formats in digital photography, highlighting their unique characteristics, pros, and cons. RAW files, proprietary to camera manufacturers, offer high...
Henry Lawson: Voice of the Australian Bush
Henry Lawson, one of Australia’s most celebrated writers and poets, is revered in the nation’s literary history. He was born on June 17, 1867,...
Attracting Birds to Your Garden: Cultivating a Native Wildlife Haven
In an ideal world, people wouldn’t feed wild birds at all – but with as many as 30 to 50% of Australian households feeding birds,...
In Focus: The Resurgence of Film Photography in the Digital Era
In our current era, where megapixels and instant filters dominate the world of photography, there has been a resurgence of interest in film photography,...
Murtoa Magic: Exploring the Rich History
Murtoa is a charming town in Victoria's Wimmera region, known for its historical significance and grain farming. Established in 1873, it played a crucial...
Whispers of Direction: The Language of Leading Lines in Photography
Leading lines in photography guide the viewer's gaze and enhance image impact by creating visual pathways and a sense of movement. These lines, whether...
Unveiling the Secrets of Labassa: A Historic Mansion’s Tale
The comprehensive redesign transformed the building from a house into a thirty-five-roomed mansion with stunning views across Port Philip Bay. By 1890, with the...
Seeing the World Sideways: The Magic of Dutch Angles
“Dutch angles, also known as Dutch tilts, are a distinctive and dynamic technique in photography and cinematography. This method involves tilting the camera so...
Daring Beauty, Defiant Lens: Unmasking Lee Miller, the Photographer
Lee Miller (1907-1977) was more than just a photographer. She was an iconoclast, a surrealist, and a trailblazer in the male-dominated world of 20th-century...
Crafting Visual Tension: The Rule of Odds in Photography
In photography, the Rule of Odds is a helpful guideline that recommends using an odd number of subjects or elements in an image to...
Timeless Elegance: The Rich History of Como House in Melbourne
Como House is a charming and beautiful mansion that was the family home of the Armytage family. The interiors were designed according to the...
Gridlines and Great Shots: Embracing the Rule of Thirds in Photography
In photography, the way a picture is composed tells the visual story. The Rule of Thirds stands out as a guiding force among the...
More Than Just a Flu: The Devastating Impact of the Spanish Flu
A century ago, the world faced a silent enemy more devastating than Covid-19, the Spanish Flu. The pandemic’s death toll was greater than the total...
The Rule of Framing in Photography
Photography is a complex art form where every element within the frame has a significant role in conveying a message. The picture’s composition is...
Beyond Gears and Steampunk: Exploring the Intricate World of Clockpunk
If you enjoy steampunk, you might also be interested in a subgenre called clockpunk. The world of clockpunk has a similar Victorian-era setting, but...
Patterns and Symmetry in Photography Composition
Photography is more than just capturing a moment in time. It is a form of artistic expression that involves arranging elements within the frame....
The World of Dieselpunk – Steampunk’s Grungier Cousin
Steampunk is a genre that has always fascinated people with its charming cogs and gaslight allure. But what if the Industrial Revolution’s second act...
Less is More: Utilising Negative Space for Striking Photography
In the world of photography, negative space is a powerful tool that can significantly impact the composition of a photograph. Negative space, much the...
Cogs and Gaslight: Exploring the World of Steampunk
Inhale the pungent aroma of engine oil and coal smoke, feel the rhythmic pulse of steam pistons, and witness a world where Victorian elegance...
Dimensional Narratives: Mastering Perspective and Depth in Photography
Ever wonder how photographers capture images that seem to leap off the screen, drawing you into their captivating depths? The secret lies in depth...
Mastering Composition for Stunning Visuals
Have you ever looked at a photograph and wondered how the photographer captured such an engaging image? The answer often lies in the art...
In the Shadows of History: Ripponlea and Its Storied Inhabitants
Nestled amidst the bustling inner suburbs of Melbourne, Ripponlea Estate offers a captivating glimpse into Victoria’s grand colonial past. Step back in time and...
Pixel Perfection: The Importance of Screen Calibration
Do you ever feel like your photos and videos lack vibrancy and appear lifeless on other devices, even though they look great on your...
Revealing the Unseen: The Magic of Infrared Photography
Infrared photography is a captivating form of capturing images that can reveal a hidden world that is invisible to the human eye. Infrared was...
Purple Poppy Day: A Tribute to the Forgotten Heroes with Fur and Feathers
Australia has officially joined other countries, such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand, in recognising the contributions and sacrifices made by animals that...
Towers of Inspiration: Victoria’s Painted Water Tanks Come to Life
Victoria, a beautiful state in Australia, is famous for its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and lively art scene. In this captivating landscape, the painted...
Unveiling Urban Beauty: A Guide to Victoria’s Street Art
Victoria’s street art scene is a lively showcase of creativity and self-expression. Urban walls have been transformed into stunning works of art, making it...
Pixels and Algorithms: Digital Composition and Ai
Digital photography, digital composition and artificial intelligence (AI) are three separate but interconnected areas of creativity that have sparked an ongoing debate about the...
Canvas of the Countryside: Victoria’s Spectacular Painted Silos
While other states also have painted silos, Victoria has the most painted silos standing at 26, as of July 2023. Only Victoria has a...
Echoes of the Past – Melbournes Newsboys
Melbournes newsboys were a familiar sight on the city’s streets from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries. They were typically young boys from poor...
Painting with Pixels: The Magic of Intentional Camera Movement
Photography is a versatile art form that enables people to capture moments in time, preserving them forever. While traditional photography prioritises sharpness and clarity,...
Leopards ~The Majestic and Enigmatic Big Cats of the Wild
Leopards, scientifically known as Panthera pardus, are one of the five ‘big cats’ of the genus Panthera. Known for their distinctive dark spots and...
Grapes, Potatoes, and Fireworks: A Worldwide Guide to New Year’s Eve Traditions
As the world celebrates New Year’s Eve, various traditions and customs are observed globally, signifying the end of the old year and the beginning...
The Spirit of Yuletide: Father Christmas and the Magic of Christmas Eve
The enduring story of Father Christmas is closely associated with the figure of Santa Claus, a significant character in Western Christmas traditions. The legend...
Gundagai’s Famous Canine: Myth of the Dog on the Tuckerbox
Located in the heart of New South Wales, Australia, the quaint town of Gundagai is home to an enduring symbol of Australian folklore –...
A Guide to the Magic of Travel Photography
Travel photography is all about capturing the essence of people. The landscapes, cultures, and experiences that one encounters while exploring different parts of the...
A Time Capsule of Health: Dows Pharmacy
Dows Pharmacy at Chiltern was established in 1859. The pharmacy holds significant historical value as it is one of the few shops that have...
Chiltern Victoria’s Historical Gems: A Walk into the Past
Nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, Chiltern is a quaint town located in the northeastern region of Victoria, Australia. With a...
Photographing Canberra: A Guide to Australia’s Capital City
Canberra is located in the Australian Capital Territory and serves as the capital of Australia. It is a uniquely planned city created to function...
The Australian War Memorial: A Tribute to Sacrifice and Remembrance
The Australian War Memorial (AWM) is a significant landmark in the heart of the Australian capital, Canberra. It serves as a shrine, museum, and...
The Wildlife of the National Zoo and Aquarium
Exploring zoos has been a passion of mine, and I always make a point to visit a zoo when I visit a new Australian...
The Beauty of Simplicity: Still Life Photography Techniques
Still life photography is a genre of photography that involves capturing images of inanimate (still) objects, typically arranged in a pleasing composition. The objects...
In Focus: What to Keep in Your Camera Bag for Every Shoot
While a camera bag is a vital accessory for photographers, its contents can vary based on their unique needs and photography style. However, here...
A Stroll Through History: Exploring Sydney’s Iconic QVB Building
The QVB, short for Queen Victoria Building, is an iconic building constructed in 1898 by Scottish architect George McRae. It was built on the...
48 Hours in Sydney: A Quick Guide to the Must-See Attractions
Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, is a world-renowned city. It’s known for its stunning harbour, beautiful beaches, and vibrant cultural scene. Every...
Focus on Spring Blooms: Practical Photography Tips
The season of spring is a time of renewal and rejuvenation. As nature finally awakens from its winter slumber, it presents a breathtaking canvas...
Exploring the Wonders of Wildlife at Taronga Zoo Sydney
Located against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbor, the Taronga Zoo is a symbol of wildlife conservation, education, and entertainment. The zoo boasts breathtaking...
Chimpanzees: Our Fascinating Primate Cousin
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), are a captivating species that intrigues scientists and society. These great apes are predominantly found in central and West Africa and...
Goulburn’s Golden Blanket: Photographing Canola Season in the Valley
The Goulburn Valley Canola season has begun, signalling the arrival of spring. The fields are bursting with vibrant yellow blooms, creating a stunning display....
Capturing History’s Pivotal Moments: The Iconic Films of Damien Parer
Born on August 1st, 1912, in Malvern, Melbourne, Damien Peter Parer was a war photographer and cameraman. He was the youngest of eight children...
Summerlands Phillip Island ~ A Conservation Success Story
Summerlands at Phillip Island have been the natural habitat of Little Penguins for centuries. During the day, they venture out to catch fish and...
The Nobbies, Phillip Island: A Natural Marvel of Victoria
Renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and diverse wildlife, The Nobbies on Phillip Island is one of Victoria’s must visit spots. This area abounds in...
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot: Preserving the Unique Marsupial
The state of Victoria, located in southeastern Australia, is known for its varied ecosystems and exceptional wildlife. One of its remarkable inhabitants is the...
Olive Cotton: An Australian Icon of Modernist Photography
Olive Cotton (1911-2003) was an Australian photographer known for her poetic and lyrical images of everyday life, landscape, and portraiture. She was born on...
The Benefits of A Camera Sling Strap: Why They’re a Must-Have Accessory
Camera straps are a crucial accessory for your kit, yet they tend to be neglected or forgotten when upgrading your gear. As a photographer,...
Unleash the Magic: Tips for Capturing Photos of Leaves in Ice
Back in 2020, I did a post on photographing flowers frozen in ice. Fast forward to 2023, and with autumn coming on, I decided...
Shadows of the Past: The Dark History of Abbotsford Convent
The Abbotsford Convent is a serene and picturesque location in Melbourne, a cherished haven for Melbourne residents, and a hub for over 100 artists...
Exploring the Intricate Beauty of the Curtain Fig Tree
The magnificent Curtain Fig Tree can be found in the heritage-listed Curtain Fig Tree National Park, situated in the breathtaking Atherton Tablelands region of...
Frank Hurley: From the Antarctic to the Great War
Frank Hurley was an Australian photographer, filmmaker, and adventurer born in Sydney, Australia, in 1885. Hurley is best known for his images of the...
A Birdwatcher’s Paradise: The Rich Wildlife of Swan Lake on Phillip Island
Swan Lake, Phillip Island, is the only freshwater lake on the island and home to an abundance of birdlife. It is accessed off Ventnor...
Step Back in Time: Exploring the Historic Days Mill
Located in Murchison South, Victoria, Days Mill is a well-preserved steam-driven flour mill with a rich history. It’s also considered the best-preserved flour mill...
Kangaroos: The Iconic Symbol of Australia’s Wildlife
Australia is often associated with the image of kangaroos hopping across the horizon or on a beach. Just like the koala, the kangaroo is...
Capturing the Heart of Australia: The Photography of David Moore
David Moore was an Australian photographer known for his documentary work in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a member of Magnum’s prestigious photographic...
Time Travelling Through Mooroopna: Exploring Its Past
Mooroopna, situated in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia, boasts a fascinating history. Before European settlement, the Yorta Yorta and Bangerang peoples had...
The Blue Mountains: A World of Scenic Views and Natural Beauty
The Blue Mountains, situated in New South Wales, Australia, is a stunning mountain range that has been designated a World Heritage site. Only 80...
Black Swans: A Symbol of Australia’s Rich Wildlife Heritage
Black Swans (Cygnus atratus) are native to Australia and are an iconic species. They are so revered that they serve as the official emblem...
Peter Dombrovskis – Tasmanian Wilderness Photographer
Peter Dombrovskis, an acclaimed photographer of Australian landscapes, became well-known for his ability to capture the rugged and unspoiled terrains of Tasmania. His work...
Black and White Editing for Beginners: Tips and Tricks for Stunning Results
Black and white editing captures and reproduces images using only black, white, and grey shades. This can be achieved using both film and digital...
Moooving Art – The Shepparton Herd
In 1999, the marketing committee of Shepparton Show Me introduced Merry Moos for a Christmas campaign. The Merry Moos was so successful it evolved...
Step into My Garden: A Tour of Sunnymeade Cottage Garden
Just over two hours from Melbourne, nestled in the beautiful tableland of Strathbogie in Victoria’s northeast, is Sunnymeade Cottage Garden, Kithbrook (not to be...
The Cape Barren Goose ~ Rare and Unique to Australia
The Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) is a large, flightless goose native to Australia. It is one of the rarest of the world’s geese,...
The Power of Light and Form: The Photography of Max Dupain
Max Dupain (1911-1992) was an Australian modernist photographer. Dupain is known for his iconic images of the Australian landscape, beach culture, and industrial architecture....
The Beauty and Tranquility of Yea Wetlands
The Yea Wetlands is a 32-hectare flood plain adjacent to the Goulburn Valley Highway and a short walk from High Street. Home to many...
The Beauty of Mount Wilson, NSW
Mount Wilson is a small village in the heritage-listed Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is known for its picturesque gardens, historic...
Autumn in Victoria: A Guide to Capturing Its Colours
Autumn in Victoria is a season renowned for its beauty, colourful landscapes, and crisp, cool weather. During this time of year, nature puts on...
David Seymour: The Humanist Photographer who Captured Life
David Seymour (Chim) was a Polish-born American photojournalist and co-founder of Magnum. Seymour is best known for his empathic and moving images of people,...
Starting Your Journey: Tips and Tricks for Beginner Bird Photographers
Bird photography is a challenging but rewarding genre of photography that involves capturing images of birds in their natural habitats. It can be an...
Rone ~Time: The Beauty of the Past
The Rone Time Exhibition spans eleven rooms of the long-abandoned third wing of the heritage-listed Flinders Street Station. Internationally renowned Rone (real name Tyrone...
The Australian Echidna: A National Icon and Fascinating Species
The echidna, (Tachyglossidae) also known as a spiny anteater, is Australia’s most widespread native mammal. Significantly, along with the Platypus, the echidna is the only...
Gerda Taro – Photojournalist
Gerda Taro was a German-born war photographer best known for her coverage of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. Born Gerta Pohorylle in...
Isle Of The Dead – Port Arthur
The Isle of the Dead is a small island located in the harbour of Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia. It was used as a cemetery...
Red Stag Deer Farm
Nestled in the beautiful Ovens Valley at Eurobin is the Red Stag Deer and Emu farm. The 70-acre property is beside Mt Buffalo National...
Sunflower Fields in Victoria
Sunflowers are big, bright, beautiful flowers that are popular worldwide. In Australia, they bloom from January to March.
Welcome Swallow – Birds of Australia
The Welcome swallow is the most widespread swallow in Australia. They are so named because they can even be found at sea, and their...
Robert Capa – Master War Photographer
Robert Capa was born André Friedmann in 1913 to Jewish parents in Budapest, Hungary. His images, particularly those he took as a war correspondent,...
Cactus Country – A Slice of Mexico
Cactus Country at Strathmerton is a Victorian Tourism Awards Gold Winner. It is an Australian desert landscape with more than 4000 cacti and succulents,...
Rainbow Bee-Eater ~Australian Birds
The rainbow bee-eater is an impressively beautiful bird. Their plumage is green, blue, chestnut and yellow; they have slim bodies with slender curved bills...
The Extraordinary Margaret Bourke-White
Margaret Bourke-White stands out as one of the most iconic photographers of the 20th century. Her work paved a path for women photographers who...
Healesville Sanctuary – Then & Now
Healesville Sanctuary is situated in the Yarra Valley wine region at Badger Creek, Healesville. Unlike Melbourne Zoo, which has exotic and Australian animals, Healesville...
Graytown POW Camp
While WWII and the battlegrounds of Europe seemed a world away from Australian shores, for some regional Victorians, it was right on their doorstep....
Owls – Birds of Australia
Globally there are 250 species of owls; of this, 11 species are found in Australia. They are the Barn Owl, Barking Owl, Powerful Owl,...
Henri Cartier-Bresson – Master of Candid Photography
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer considered the founding father of photojournalism. He was also one of the first true street photographers using 35...
Abstract Photography – Unleash Your Creativity
While realistic photography depicts the ‘real’ world around us, abstract photography is the polar opposite and makes viewers question what they see. Abstract photography...
Werribee Open Range Zoo – Then & Now
Werribee Open Range Zoo is an African-themed open-range zoo in Werribee, 32 kms southwest of Melbourne. It is part of Zoos Victoria, which also...
Werribee Park Mansion
Thomas, and his brother Andrew, built the 60-room mansion at their Werribee park property over a period of 3 years. In today's money, the...
Little Eagle – Birds of Australia
The Little Eagle is one of the smallest species of Eagle found worldwide. They are a small to medium-sized, stocky yet powerful birds native...
Vivian Maier – Mary Poppins With A Camera
Vivian Dorothy Maier was an American amateur street photographer, often described as Mary Poppins with a camera. Born on February 1, 1926, in New...
Melbourne Zoo – Then and Now
Melbourne Zoo, considered among the best zoos in the world, was founded by the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria in October 1857 in Richmond. The...
Museum of Vehicle Evolution
Shepparton’s Museum of Vehicle Evolution claims to be one of the largest regional museums in Australia. And large it is. The vast expanse of...
Butterflies Are Flying Flowers
Butterflies aren't just fun and beautiful insects to watch. They also serve an essential pollination purpose.
Ansel Adams – Yosemite’s Greatest Salesman
Ansel Adams is considered one of the pioneers of photography and the most important landscape photographer of the 20th century. His love of nature...
Birds of Australia – Tawny Frogmouth
The Tawny Frogmouth is a species of Frogmouth native to Australia. Their species name, Strigoides, means owl-like. However, while nocturnal and carnivorous, Tawny Frogmouths...
Dorothea Lange – The First Photojournalist
Dorothea Lange was born Dorothea Nutzhorn on May 26 1895, in Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S. Lange was an American documentary photographer famous for her...
Jack London – A Man Of Many Talents
Jack London was undeniably a man of many talents. Born into a working-class household, he is best known for his novels, Call of the...
Mangalore Flora and Fauna Reserve
At the end of Mangalore Road, just off the Goulburn Valley Highway, between Seymour and Shepparton, lies the Mangalore Flora and Fauna Reserve. As...
How Much Can A Koala Bear?
As Austen Tayshus said in his comedy single, ‘How much can a koala bear?” the sad truth is, “not much more”. Koalas are in...
Summer Rains at Winton Wetlands
Winton Wetlands is an ‘ephemeral wetlands’, meaning the wet areas rise and fall, changing with the seasons, rainfall and climate. This regular cycle allows...
Luminar Neo – The King of Sky Replacement
Luminar Neo is arguably the best sky replacement out there. With a host of new tools, including layer masking, it’s hard to go past....
Nagambie – History, Vineyards and Waterways
The charming town of Nagambie is just 138 km from Melbourne. Situated on the Goulburn Valley Highway, it’s around halfway between Seymour and Shepparton...
Birds of Australia – Wedge-tail Eagle
The Wedge-tail Eagle, known colloquially as a ‘wedgie’, is the largest Australian raptor (bird of prey), standing at a metre tall. A truly magnificent...
8 Tips for Urban Landscape Photography
What is Urban Landscape Photography? Urban landscape photography captures images of cities and towns where the focus is on the man-made aspect of the...
The RAAF Roulettes
The Roulettes are the current RAAF aerobatic display team. They provide around 150 flying displays in Australia and Southeast Asia each year. The team...
Lorne – Gateway to Great Ocean Road
While the Great Ocean Road actually starts at Anglesea, the seaside town of Lorne known as the gateway due to the Memorial Arch. Lorne...
Birds of Australia – The Rainbow Lorikeet
The Rainbow Lorikeet is one of seven species of lorikeet and is native to Australia. They can be found all along the east coast...
Birding Hotspots – Serendip Sanctuary, Lara
One of my favourite birding hotspots is Serendip Sanctuary. Situated in Lara, not far from Geelong, the sanctuary is home to around 150 species...
Birds of Australia – The Laughing Kookaburra
The Australian Laughing Kookaburra is a giant kingfisher synonymous with Australia. Their distinctive call sounds like a fiendishly laughing human and establishes their territory....
How To Photograph Sunflowers
Across Victoria, the sunflowers are blooming. Fields of tall, large plants with daisy-like flower faces turned the sun attract photographers and tourists alike. To...
Urbex and the Lure of Decay
Urban explorers, often called urbex, range across all demographics from all walks of life. From young to old, male or female, Urbex is attracted...
Black Saturday & Marysville – Then and Now
In 2009, following weeks of drought and extreme heat, Victoria was a tinderbox waiting for the match to fall. The devastating bushfires that swept...
Lavendula Swiss Italian Farm
Located just outside Daylesford in Shepherds Flat is Lavendula Swiss Italian Farm. Comprising of 100 acres of European styled gardens and historic provincial stone buildings,...
The Hive and the Honey Bee
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants and are essential to pollination. Worldwide there are over 16,000 known species of bees,...
Narooma NSW, a Little Slice of Heaven
Narooma NSW is a little slice of heaven on the NSW far south coast. With pristine blue waterways, it’s a popular destination for photographers,...
The Historic Town of Queenscliff
The historic town of Queenscliff is situated on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula 90 minutes from Melbourne. Nearby is Point Lonsdale (and a third lighthouse). Surrounded...
Victoria’s Great Alpine Way
Victoria’s Great Alpine Way is one of the most scenic drives in the world and belongs on everyone’s bucket list. It is 304km long...
Birds of Australia – The Pelican
Australia’s largest flying Bird – The Pelican, is a familiar sight along the Australian coast. It is often seen roosting on sandbanks, rocky breakwaters,...
Ben Boyd N.P. To Be Renamed
Ben Boyd National Park (NP) is to be renamed. The park lies south of Eden NSW and covers 47kms of rocky coastlines, sheltered inlets...
Whroo – Abandoned but not Forgotten
Seven km south of Rushworth and ten km south-west of the Waranga Basin reservoir lies the abandoned gold mining town of Whroo. The name...
Victorian Silo Art Trail – Rochester
One of the stops along the Victorian silo art trail in Rochester is a small regional town. Rochester is situated on the Campaspe River...
The Aggressive Native Noisy Miner
The aggressive, native bird, the noisy miner, is arguably one of the most prolific Australian native birds. They are pale grey, with a yellow...
Victoria’s Amazing Fields of Gold
It's spring! And that means Victoria's Amazing Fields of Gold are blooming and with all our rain - this year is a bumper crop!
Techniques for Flower Photography
Its Spring! That means flower photography. The bees are buzzing; flowers are blooming. Cloudy winter skies are giving way to blue skies and sunshine....
The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
The sulphur-crested cockatoo is one of the largest of several species of beautiful white cockatoos. They are huge birds, spectacular in appearance, gregarious, brilliant,...
Tahbilk Winery & Wetlands
Tahbilk Winery Established in 1860, is a historic winery with National Trust Certification. It is located 120km north of Melbourne in the Nagambie Lakes...
Murchison & Tatura – The Forgotten History
My Travel Buddy had heard about a just completed water tower painted by Cam Scale and Andrew Davis. A big bonus it was only...
Outback Road Trip Day 5
It was the last morning of our outback road trip as a group. From here, some (like my sister and myself) would start the...
How To Create A HDR Panorama
Panorama’s and HDR’s are my two big loves of photography. Yes, I know; we have all seen poorly done HDR (High Digital Resolution) where...
Mungo – Outback Road Trip Day 4
Last night, at Mungo, some of our group had stayed up to shoot Astro. So instead, we (my travel buddy sister and I) had...
Outback Road Trip – Sea Lake
Day three of our trip was time for the big run from Sea Lake to Mungo. We started in foggy Sea Lake and ended...
Outback Road Trip Day Two – St Arnaud
Day two of our road trip saw us head off early from St Arnaud. We were travelling the Silo Art Trail on our way...
Outback Road Trip Day One
Day one saw us head off on our Outback Road Trip from Nagambie with our first stop, Redesdale, just on an hour away. Situated...
The Victorian Silo Art Trail
The Victorian Silo Art Trail originally started with the silo’s in Brim in the heart of the Victorian Wheat belt. Painted by Guido Van...
Well That Didn’t Go To Plan
I decided to try some macro photography and it required leaves. It totally didn’t not go to plan. Macro-photography Macro photography is extreme close-up...
Wide Angle Lenses – How to Use Them
Wide angle lenses can make for powerful images, with a field of view significantly wider than a regular lens or even the human eye....
Heathcote’s Amazing and Historic Pink Cliffs
Like many towns in Victoria, Heathcote got its start during the gold rush of the 1850s. Before discovering gold, the area was an open...
Walpurgis – Myth and Magic
The History Walpurgis Night is April 30th each year, the night before the pagan festival of Beltane. In Germany, Medieval and Renaissance tradition held...
The Murtoa Stick Shed – Unique and Dramatic
Previously known as the Murtoa No.1 grain store – the Murtoa stick shed is the only remaining emergency store built during WW2. The Murtoa...
J Ward Asylum for the Criminally Insane
J Ward in Beechworth is connected to Aradale but is also separate from it. Originally built as a goldfields prison in 1859, it was...
CosPlay – A Night In The City
Cosplay is a meld of the words “costume” and “play”. The participants of this sub-culture are called cosplayers. They wear costumes to emulate their...
Aradale Lunatic Asylum’s Grim Past
Aradale Lunatic Asylum was a psychiatric hospital operating for 126 years in Ararat, Victoria. It has been abandoned since it closed in 1993. Aradale...
Autumn Photography – Capturing the Colour
Autumn Photography in Australia is dramatically different for Australian photographers to those living in the northern hemisphere. While photographers in the Northern Hemisphere have...
Alice and a Mad Hatters Tea Party
Alice in Wonderland is a much loved and immensely popular fairy tale by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll, and published...
Victoria’s Beautiful and Tragic Shipwreck Coast
Victoria’s shipwreck coast stretches 172 kilometres from Cape Otway to Port Fairy. Along this spectacular coastline, filled with the history of over 200 shipwrecks,...
5 Models and a Stunning Vintage Tram
Back in 2019, before the world went to hell in a handbasket, we held two 1920’s shoots around the theme of a speakeasy with...
A Guide to High Key Photography
High Key photography is basically an image against a white background with bright lighting to blow out or remove all the harsh shadows. High...
Mermaids – Fabled Creatures of the Deep
Mermaids! The word conjures up visions of beautiful sea creatures. Since the Disney version, their image has been seriously sanitised as Hans Christian Anderson’s...
How To Do A Milk Bath Maternity Shoot
A Milk bath maternity shoot is very popular – and it’s not hard to see why. The images look great, aren’t difficult to do,...
The Camera Does Lie!
Pre Photoshop, an image was worth a thousand words and proof of something’s existence. Post photoshop – yes, the camera does lie. IG influencers...
5 Top Victorian Landscape Photography Locations
Looking for Victorian landscape photography locations? While the smallest state in Australia, Victoria punches above its weight for photography locations. Within its boundaries are...
The Magic of Textures in Editing
Textures in editing can lift your images. In digital photography, a texture is simply an extra layer added to your image during editing to...
Photoshop – Fabulous New Tools
Facial Editing For some time now I have been using Luminar 4 to replace skies, and it does an amazing job. This week, however,...
Manipulating an Image- is it acceptable?
Should landscape photographers manipulate images? (take vs make an image) Manipulating an image, is it acceptable? I would have to say, straight off the...
Setting Up A Small Home Studio
Since March 2020 (it’s now September), we have been in varying degrees of lockdown from minor to full-on stage four with a curfew. Unable...
Toms Amazing Adventures – Pt. 4
Toms amazing adventures continued as he cycled along a backroad towards St George. A patrol car emerged out of the dust plume behind him,...
Tom’s Amazing Adventures Pt. 3
Tom was glad to be taking a break from his amazing adventures. He woke the following day with sunlight streaming in Bill’s spare room...
Tom’s Amazing Adventures Pt. 2
Continued from Part One Tom’s Amazing Adventures continued the next day. After walking all morning, Tom had picked up a ride to Dubbo with...
Tom’s Amazing Adventures – Pt One
Victoria had been in stage four lockdown for the last six weeks with no end in sight. Tom wanted his own amazing adventures. He...
eBooks- Are they worth your money?
Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, eBooks are proving popular. Photographers across the world have had their income severely curtailed. Tours are cancelled, portrait shoots...
7 Easy Creative Photography Ideas
Looking for something to do while stuck at home? Here are seven easy creative photography ideas. If you google ‘creative photography’, you will find...
Travel Photography – Time to Plan for 2021
Travelling (within Australia) hasn’t been possible for months and may not be for some time yet. Due to border closures, overseas travel is off...
Using a Light Table for Photography
Why do you need a light table for photography! So you can photograph translucent fruit? Whats translucent fruit? Jeez.. questions, questions….. Translucent fruit –...
Small World – Tiny Figures At Work
Small world photography with miniature figures is hardly a new idea. If you search on google or Pinterest, you will find loads of images....
Imaginary Travel in Lockdown 2020 Pt. 2
We travelled to the arctic circle, Cairns, Qld, NZ, Melbourne, Stonehenge, and Norway on the first part of our imaginary travel journey. Then, we...
Imaginary Travel – Lockdown 2020
It’s July 2020, and Covid has created havoc across the world. I live in Victoria. The leper colony of Australia. We are now in...
DIY Backgrounds for Still Life Photography
DIY backgrounds for still life are easy and fun to do. Recently I was thinking about doing some flat lay and still life photography....
Easy Abstract Images with Oil & Water Photography
Oil and water photography produces gorgeous abstract images full of colour. It’s something that can be done easily at home – with items you...
How to Create Surreal Little Planets
Creating surreal little planets is something you can do at home, from the comfort of your chair. Using landscape images or panorama’s that you...
The Perfect Camera Bag
Like every other photographer I know, I have a ‘silent addiction’ to camera bags. All of us in CBA (camera bags anonymous) have several...
Beyond Sharpness: The Expressive Power of Intentional Camera Blur
Intentional Camera Blur isn’t a new technique by any means. It’s been around for years but isn’t that widely known. It’s simple and easy...
Mount Macedon In Autumn
In autumn, Mount Macedon is at its best when the town dons its technicolour coat. Just 64kms from Melbourne, it’s nestled at the base...
Snow Leopard – New Cubs
On Australia Day 2020, Miska the Snow Leopard gave birth to three cubs. According to Carnivores Keeper Monique Counihan, a first-time mum, “Miska has...
Grain Silos and Misty Sunrises
I love sunrises and grain silos. With Covid-19 restrictions slowly lifting across Victoria, we were finally able to head up the highway for a...
Splash of Colour for Amazing Effects
Splash of colour is a favourite technique of mine. Its also easy to do using the free downloadable action, which is also known as...
Basics of Still Life Photography
Still life photography is a genre of photography used for the depiction of inanimate subject matter, typically a small group of objects. It is...
Water Drop Refractions
Water Drop Refractions is the fourth in our weekend projects on VPC. Our weekly club event to do at home while we are still...
How To Do Frozen Flower Photography
Frozen flower photography is fun. It’s a tad frustrating and very much a unique ‘one of a kind’ image, as no two blocks will...
Multiplicity – Selfie’s with a Twist
In this time of worldwide lockdowns and #stayathome – amusing oneself is not easy. Read a book, clean the house, edit some images. Ok,...
Canberra – The National Capital
Canberra – The National Capital was not a place that was on my radar to visit. A boring political city, I thought. Not a...
The Canberra Balloon Spectacular
The Canberra Balloon Spectacular takes place each year in early March, with the balloons launching from the lawns of Old Parliament House. Once the...
The Northern Grampians
We were taking the visiting Scottish cousins away for three days to the Grampians and chose the Northern Grampians. Why the Northern Grampians and...
The Mad Hatter Tea Party
On a regular basis our VPC Photography group holds concept shoots in a studio setting. Following on from the Mermaids shoot in January, our...
The Cape Nelson Lighthouse
One minor bucket list item of mine was to stay at a lighthouse. I have visited lots of them in the past but never...
Mermaids On The Seashore!
It is summer in Australia. Warm sunny days and blue, blue skies. All Aussies thoughts turn to beaches. White sand, blue foamy waves lapping...
Benalla Street Art
An easy 2-hour run north up the Hume from Melbourne will bring you to Benalla street art. A small rural city of around 14,000...
North East Silo Art Trail
The North East Silo Art Trail is the second silo trail we have done. The first was the Silo Art Trail out of Horsham...
The Night Circus Photoshoot
Following on from our Speakeasy shoots at Victorian Photographers Collective, I organised a Night Circus shoot for Halloween. The theme was a darker ‘Halloween’...
The Obelisk – Robe
It’s called the “riskiest paint job in South Australia”. The obelisk at Robe is a significant historical landmark along the limestone coast of South...
Kangaroo Island in 5 days
Kangaroo Island – One night in Penneshaw, 2 in Karratta and 2 in Kingscote…. could we see it all? Monday Unlike my first trip...
A KI Road Trip
Getting to Kangaroo Island In 2016, I visited Kangaroo Island with a friend, flying in and picking up a hire car. Unfortunately, this meant...
1920s Speakeasy Shoot
Our concept following on from our Addams Family shoot, where we had so much fun was the 1920s Speakeasy Shoot. Around ten of us...
King Valley Balloon Festival
Queens Birthday weekend 2019, the King Valley Balloon Festival was held at Brown Brothers Winery at Millawa. I made the journey up the Hume...
Rone – Empire Exhibition
Abandoned and vacant since the 1990’s Burnham Beeches’ decaying glory has been hidden behind large fences for the last 20 years. But this week,...
Blue Lotus Water Garden
Around mid-January, we took a drive up to the Blue Lotus water garden at Yarra Junction. While the nursery is open all year round,...
Bavaria’s Fairytale Castle
Neuschwanstein is a fairytale castle located in Bavaria, a landlocked state of Germany, near the town of Fussen. It was built by King Ludwig...
The Residenz Bavaria
Much of the Residenz in Bavaria during the Second World War were destroyed. However, in 1945, the German Government gradually reconstructed and restored the...
Goodbye Canon – It’s Over Between Us
Sorry Canon, it was good while it lasted, but it’s over. I have a new love. The Olympus OM -D-E MI Mark II has...
Munich – The Fascinating Old Town
We headed for the ‘old town’ on our first morning in Munich. Benedictine Monks settled the Old Town in the 700’s, and Munich (Munchen)...
The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower, La Tour Eiffel in French, an iconic symbol of France, was the main exhibit of the Paris Exposition or World’s Fair...
Mont St Michel
The island abbey of Mont St Michel had been on my bucket list since I first saw an image of it years ago. So...
London to Paris on Eurostar
It was time to head from London to Paris via the Eurostar through the Channel. We had a transfer arranged already thanks to our...
Stonehenge & Bath
Back to Victoria Coach Station again for our rescheduled tour to Stonehenge and Bath. Breakfast at the station Following the fiasco of missing the...
Tower of London
It didn’t always go to plan On our third day in London, we were due to do a Stonehenge and Bath tour. All five...
Canterbury & Leeds Castle
Day 3 in London and we were taking a bus tour to Canterbury and Leeds Castle. As the tour didn’t leave till 8.30...
Westminster Abbey & High Tea
On our first full day in London, we went to Westminster Abbey, then the London Eye, followed by Mad Hatter High Tea at the...
Tromso to London
After having only grey skies, alternating showers, and heavy rain for four days, we woke to blue skies and sunshine. On the day we...
Norway – Clothing planning
Visiting Norway in autumn, with plans to travel to the UK, France and Germany, brought excitement. And significant clothing planning and packing dilemma are...
Tromso and the northern lights
One big bucket list item was Tromso and the northern lights. Tromsø is 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and is the largest...
Photography Gear and Travelling ‘Light’
Photography gear and travelling light?? Yes, it sounds like a dream.. it is possible… kind of, sort of, depending….. confused? Bear with me. Travelling...
Tahbilk Winery & Pink Cliffs
With a gorgeous day forecast for Sunday, we took a drive up to Tahbilk Winery at Nagambie before going to the Pink Cliffs at...
Hidden Costs of Holidays
About 12 months ago, a group of us (all amateur photographers) signed on to do a 3-week trip covering Tromso, London, and Paris. The...
Tesselaars Tulip Farm
Tesselaars Tulip Farm is a nursery in Silvan, Victoria, that grows bulbs, plants and perennials, selling both the plants to people around the country...
Kyneton Daffodil Festival
Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival was on as we headed up to Bendigo for White Night, so we decided to stop at a few...
Bendigo White Night
White Night Bendigo was inspired by the international Nuit Blache movement that began in Paris in 2002 and has spread to 20 cities worldwide. ...
Barwon Park Mansion, Winchelsea
Thomas Austin is known for two things in history. Firstly, he constructed Barwon Park Mansion. Secondly, he introduced rabbits to Australia. Thomas Austin arrived...
The Western District
A few weeks ago, we headed off to Mortlake in the western district, for a weekend away. Its only 235kms from Melbourne on the...
Fungi Hunting at Mt Macedon
This week, along with three fellow photographer friends, we had planned to do some Fungi Hunting at Mt Macedon. So, we rugged up against...
Working With Layer Masks
What is a layer mask? Layer masks are an essential tool in Photoshop to create image manipulations. Among other uses, they allow you to...
A Weekend In The King Valley
Once a year, hubby and I make our annual pilgrimage to King Valley Camp, visit friends, take photos, cruise the wineries, and have some...
Shibari – Japanese Bondage
I am always open to new ideas and keen to try something different. So, I organised a small group of photographers to shoot a...
Floating Fruit 101
Floating fruit, creating images with fruit that floats or levitates isn’t hard, but loads of fun. You do need Photoshop (or similar software that removes...
Phillip Island & San Remo
Our plan was Phillip Island & San Remo and for the weekend. Phillip Island is only around 2 hours from home, and while we...
Whip Cracking Wonders
I knew whip-cracking existed. I’ve seen movies. However, I never really thought about it. Or considered it still an art practised today, especially a...
A Visit To Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory National Park, or ‘The Prom’, as it’s affectionately known, is the southernmost point of mainland Australia. It’s also a top-rated destination. It...
Splash!
I had long been fascinated with the water drop and fruit splash shots seen on the internet and decided to try it myself. The...
The Carnivores Trail – Melbourne Zoo
In December 2017, Melbourne Zoo opened a new exhibit – the Carnivores Trail. The new enclosure houses the Lions, Sumatran Tiger, Tasmanian Devil, African...
Return to Great Ocean Road Pt 1
The Great Ocean Road is one of my favourite road trip destinations. Loads to stop and see along the way, great lunch spots, and...
Light Painting with Urban Explorers
After Christmas, I admired a location shared on a FB page and asked privately where it was as I thought it would be a...
O’Reilly’s & The Stinson
The O’Reilly’s, were in the right place, at the right time, during a few pivotal moments in their lives and Australia’s history, including the loss...
Addams Family Shoot
Following on from earlier concept shoots I took part in, Deanne and I decided to run one of our own. But what theme? We...
Byron Bay & The Crystal Castle
It was our last full day in Queensland before heading home the next day, and we decided to drive down to Byron Bay, see...
Seaworld and Whale Watching
Today we planned to go to Seaworld and enjoy a whale-watching cruise. Another epiphany we came across in Queensland is morning comes SOOOO early. ...
Queensland’s Gold Coast
Back to the big smoke… It was back to civilisation (in the form of Queensland’s Gold Coast). After four days and nights up in...
Springbrook National Park
Murphys Law was running true to form as we’d had four days of misty, cloudy mornings up at O’Reilly’s. The day we left to...
O’Reilly’s, Lamington National Park
We were still at O’Reilly’s in Lamington National Park, and with Carole on crutches today, we did a more sedate 4WD trip this morning...
O’Reilly’s Segway Ride
Today, our plans were for an O’Reilly’s Segway Ride, one tick off Carole’s bucket list. We had about 40mins of training and then set...
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat
Once a year, my sister and I take a week’s holiday together. No hubbies, no kids. Just sister time with our cameras. This year...
Werribee Open Range Zoo
Werribee Open Range Zoo is set on approx 225 hectares within the Werribee Park Precinct in K Road Werribee. Its neighbours in the Werribee...
Waterfalls of NSW
In this post, we turn our sights to the Waterfalls of NSW. If you have read my previous waterfall posts, Waterfalls of Victoria and...
Tilt Shift Photography
Tilt-Shift photography or miniature faking is a creative technique whereby a photograph of a life-size location or object is manipulated to give an optical...
Waterfalls of Queensland
Waterfalls abound in tropical Queensland. Apart from NSW, Qld has more waterfalls than any other state. Waterfalls also make great subjects for one of...
Waterfalls of Victoria
This time it’s the waterfalls of Victoria. My second (equal) great photographic love is waterfalls alongside decaying abandoned locations. I will drive miles to...
Rambling The Outback Pt. 5
We were still Rambling The Outback. After a very comfortable night’s sleep in the big king-sized beds at Mungo Lodge, I was up around...
Mungo National Park Pt. 4
For me, this was the highlight of the trip.. remote, isolated, heritage-listed, and with a landscape, unlike anything I had seen before. Mungo National...
Silverton & Daydream Mine
Day 3 of our outback adventure Our plans for today were Silverton and the Daydream Mine. While I slept through the sunrise, some of...
Mildura to Broken Hill
Tuesday morning, as pre-arranged the night before, everyone was up in the dark, out the door by 6 am and heading down to the...
St Arnaud to Mildura
Last week, a trip that was a year in the planning finally rolled around. Our first day was from St Arnaud to Mildura. After...
Princes Pier, Port Melbourne
Princes Pier in Port Melbourne is a heritage-listed structure adjacent to Station Pier. The railway lines used to down the centre connecting it to...
How To Do Crystal Ball Photography
Crystal Ball photography has become extremely popular, but how to do crystal ball photography or where to start?. Due to the shape of the...
Birds at Western Treatment Plant
In March, I took a trip down to Lake Borrie to hunt birds at the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee. It’s reputed to have...
Tropical North Qld
One of my favourite places on earth is Tropical North Qld. Correction, it’s my most favourite place. It’s warm, usually sunny, the people are...
Reptiles!
It was reptiles shootshoot day! One of the benefits of being in a camera or photography group is the strength of numbers. Numbers that...
South Island, New Zealand
It was late May, and the photography tour to the South Island, New Zealand, that I had been waiting almost a year for finally...
Long Exposure Photography
Long Exposure Photography or slow shutter photography uses long shutter speeds to capture stationary, static objects while blurring out the moving elements. What is...
Photography on Kangaroo Island
Photography on Kangaroo Island had been on my bucket list for some time. Its part of South Australia is 155 km long and lies...
Bright & Victorian High Country
Bright, set in the Victorian High Country, is famous for the fall colours of its European trees changing colour in the autumn, and it’s...
Redwood Forest, Warburton
In 1930, the then Board of Works created a Redwood Forest at Warburton. This one predates the Otways Redwood Forest by about nine years....
Apollo Bay & Otway Ranges
I spent the weekend at Apollo Bay & Otway Ranges in late February with the MPE family of addicted photographers. We started our weekend...
The Grampians
The Grampians (Gariwerd) is a series of rugged sandstone mountain ranges and forests rich in wildlife. One of Victoria’s most popular holiday destinations, the...
Churchill Island
Over the bridge in Phillip Island is the turnoff to Churchill Island Heritage Farm. It has been farmed since the 1850s and became the...
Ballarat Botanical Gardens
The Ballarat Botanical Gardens covers 40 hectares alongside Lake Wendouree. Within the central part of the garden is a ‘Gardenesque’ style of a Victorian pleasure...
The Great Alpine Way
The Great Alpine Road (also known as The Great Alpine Way) is a road stretching from Wangaratta in the North-East to the Gippsland Lakes at...
The Best Laid Plans
As the saying goes, ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray. Add photographers to that, too. A group outing A large...
Tooronga Falls
Tooronga Falls is just east of Noojee, Vic, and is easily accessible from the car park via a 750m walk. The falls are photogenic, with...
Sail & Rail
I had a birthday coming up and chose the Steamrail Victoria excursion to Geelong as my day out. So our sail and rail day...
Bradmill & Light Painting
After August’s first highly successful and enjoyable light painting evening at Bradmill. Another was scheduled for October. In Yarraville, the old Bradmill Factory has...
Quarantine Bay to Kiama
It was our second and last morning in Eden, and we were on our way back up the coast on the return journey to...
The Maltings at Mittagong
The Maltings at Mittagong had been on my ‘decaying, decrepit places I must visit before they are razed to the ground’ list for some...
Shipwrecks of Homebush Bay
The Shipwrecks and Wetlands of Homebush Bay are stunning. They are also a credit to the reclamation and beautification of old industrial locations, with...
Kiama and Cathedral Rocks
Today our plans were for Kiama and Cathedral Rocks. We were halfway through our trip along the south coast and chose Kiama for an...
Ben Boyd National Park
After our whale cruise and lunch at the pier, we drove to the Green Cape Lightstation and Ben Boyd National Park. Our goal was the Green...
Eden Whale Watching
Day Three of our South Coast road trip brought us to the highlight (for me) of our journey. And the main reason we were...
Glass House Rocks Sunrise – Narooma
Day Two of our Sapphire Coast road trip along the South Coast of NSW took us from Glasshouse Rocks, Narooma to Eden. After doing...
Urban Exploration
Urban exploration is one of my favourite pastimes when I have a camera in hand, and on a recent trip to NSW, I ticked...
Trentham Falls & Railway Station
Well worth a day trip is Trentham Falls and the Railway Station. And if coming in from Melbourne, the bakery at Woodend is a...
Beechworth- Mayday Hills Asylum,
Beechworth sprung up in the 1800s with the discovery of gold, luring people worldwide. By 1852 around 8,000 miners lived in Beechworth. Similarly to...
Orbs and Steel Wool
Light Painting with Orbs and Steel Wool had been on my list of “awesome things I must do” ever since I saw a photograph...
Queenscliffe
Back in January, when the weather was warm, we decided to take a day trip down to one of my favourite spots, Queenscliffe and...
Melbourne Open House 2015
Melbourne Open House is an annual event held at the end of July. Its goal is “connecting people with good design and architecture in the...
Otway Ranges
I love waterfalls and the Otway Ranges, and Hopetoun Falls had been on my wish list for some time, esp now that I have...
Larundel Asylum
I love everything old, decrepit, falling down, rusty and abandoned, and Larundel Mental Asylum, Bundoora, fits that bill perfectly. It housed around 750 patients at...
Phryne Fisher Exhibition
One of my favourite TV shows is Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries screening on ABC TV; so, when the Phryne Fisher exhibition was announced at...
A Coastal Escape: Apollo Bay and Beyond on the Great Ocean Road
Chasing the elusive (for us) image of the Twelve Apostles at sunset, we planned another Great Ocean Road trip. This would be my second...
A King Valley Weekend
Inspired by Woolworth’s Christmas propaganda and warm and fuzzy advertising of happy families all gathering to bask in each other’s company, our big, weird mob...
A Weekend in Wye River
After months of planning, bookings, and revised dates with real-life intruding, Lucy and I finally got away for our weekend to Wye River in...
Daintree River: Where Rainforest Meets River
After a terrible night of almost no sleep at the Daintree River Village Lodge (I really should learn to travel with my own pillow!),...
From Reef to Rainforest: Exploring Cairns and FNQ
I have a strong fondness for Cairns and Far North Queensland (FNQ). In my opinion, the warm and humid tropics feel more genuinely “Queensland”...
Exploring the Tranquil Oasis: A Guide to Alfred Nicholas Gardens
One of our favourite gardens is Alfred Nicholas Gardens in Sherbrooke. We visited during the summer and made plans to return in the autumn...
Gateway to the World: Exploring the Port of Melbourne
In February, we took one of the free boat tours around the port, run by the Port of Melbourne Authority. These ran once a...
Port of Echuca
The historic Port of Echuca is nestled along the picturesque banks of the Murray River in Victoria, Australia. This riverside town is steeped in...
Menindee to Mildura
Today, we were heading home. This leg would take us from Menindee to Mildura. After the wind and overcast day yesterday at the Menindee...
Broken Hill to Menindee
Monday, we woke to wonder where our sun had gone. It was still warm but quite overcast and cloudy. But, as was ‘de rigueur’...
Silverton and the Living Desert Sculptures
Sunday was going to be warm – but a bit windy (‘significant breeze’, a Broken Hill local called it). So we were off to...
Mildura to Broken Hill
On Saturday and day two of our Broken Hill or Bust road trip. We were heading from Mildura to Broken Hill. We had a...
Melbourne to Mildura
I do love road trips. Add the fun of planning, packing, and looking at new things out of the window along the way—the different...
Great Scary Ocean Road
I tried previously tried, to persuade Lucy to make The Great Ocean Road and Apollo Bay the focus of one of our weekends. The...
The Grampians – Gariwerd
Take One: We planned a weekend away to Ararat with an Aradale Lunatic Asylum and J Ward visit and a side trip to The...
Cape Schanck Lighthouse, Rosebud
If we were disappointed with Saturday’s weather, Sunday was worse! The day was overcast, with a hint of rain in the air and a...
Wimmera – Silo Art Trail
The Wimmera Silo Art Trail is planned to be 200km long and lies within the Wimmera Mallee Region. The Wimmera is a large, flat...