prehistoric

This is one part of the cross-promontory walk taken in Wilson's Prom. The 19-km-return hiking starts from Mt Oberon carpark in the West to Sealers Cove on the East coast, involving moderate climbing. As we approached Sealers Cove from the West, the slopes suddenly gave way to a long level path, defined by neatly-laid wooden steps. It wound among tall trees, a couple of little ponds & this spot of intrigue before eventually hitting the coastline.

bathe in gold

There is specific time of a day when the quality of the light is just pleasant. At early and late hours of the day time, the colour of the sun-rays is mellow, rich in warm hues--pink, orange, gold--void completely of any harshness that is associated with the mid-day light. Golden hours; thus do I think of them.

Earthly Mother

I quite enjoy trekking around Dandenong Ranges National Park frequently. Little falls, sun-lit gullies, fern trees, cool air, winding paths--and above all, being around the mountains--all reaffirm my sense of connection with the motherly nature. In all my crisscrossing of these hills, the one place I kept missing, until recently, to stop by was William Ricketts Sanctuary--a quiet refuge of sculptures perpetually attesting one man's love of the Nature.

Wallace's Hut

One historical spot around the Alpine National Park in Victoria is Wallace's Hut. Built in 1889, it has just turned 120 years. Originally meant to be a refuge for the mining workers in the region, the Hut now stands a heritage site with historical notes. Visitors are to follow strict codes of conduct in order to preserve the originality.

stay with me

It was purely accidental. Or at least a part of it was. It started with my fascination to take a picture of twin items next to each other, suggesting one of them to be more prominent than the other. My plan to accomplish this was to find two items of the same kind standing side by side, one of them slightly further away from the lens. With an appropriate depth of field, one should be in focus and the other blurry while appearing almost of the same size.

misty morning

Once in a while, most of us visit places for the first time to explore; to see what they are like. But at times, we stop for a moment in our life, get out of our daily routines & make it a point to get back to faraway places that we've once been to. Merely out of a desire to see it again.

let there be light

When I traveled in Victoria's High Country during one autumn, I was finally going to have a chance to capture 'mountain light'. In the mountains, the atmosphere is different. There is haze & mist, casting colours & softness in light rays. Peaks are illuminated by the setting & rising sun, while deep shadows are cast in valleys.

old rail

I remember I was once seeking an old port. I wanted to add a rusty touch to a seascape in dim light. However, my reach to places around is limited, especially at night since I do not own a car--one reason why I haven't fully explored all the beaches around Melbourne. That day, I happened to be at St Kilda. After sunset, I came by this, and decided to settle (for now) my quest with it.

eternal flame

If you travel around Australia, you will see War Memorials in almost every city & bigger town. For the Australians, those fallen in wars have a permanent place in their hearts: lest we forget, these fellows died defending what we are & have today. The War Shrines in capital cities, like this one in Melbourne, are stately, majestic & solemn--a testament to the profound fondness attributed to the fallens.

peace be with you

I usually like to make small items stand taller in pictures. More often than not, I would lie down next to small things on ground, rather than shooting downward. It gives a totally different perspective--what they would appear to be if we were to stand face to face with them--as well as the stature denied to them in their daily encounter with us.

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne. It has been one of the places that captured my eyes immediately upon my first arrival in Melbourne. Magnificent as the exterior is, I had since wanted to have some interior shots of this one of the landmarks of Melbourne. My somewhat elusive opportunity came on Melbourne Open House 2009 day.

leaflet

I had just got my first prime lens--50mm f/1.8D--and was very keen on seeing what this little cheap glass could do. 50mm on a camera with an APS-C sensor (like D300) translates to about 75mm in a normal format, and thus a moderate tele. As such, not exactly a typical landscape lens. It so happened that my initial test-subjects turned out to be, yes, leaves.

creepy

I often pass by this part of the University when I go for jogging. Strictly speaking, this is one of the 11 residential colleges of the University, and as such does not offer any study program per se. Its main purpose is to provide accommodation with rich academic atmosphere (tutorials, mentoring) and extracurricular programs (sports & activities).

alpine autumn colours

Autumn is time of colours. Once autumn reaches the alpine forests in the highlands of Victoria, the tall glamorous trees receive it fashionably, dressed in exotic red, yellow & orange. When morning sun-rays hit the surface of the leaves, they add colour-tints to the surrounding light, thereby illuminating the various small paths beneath the trees with exquisite shadings.

overlooking

One of the scenes that always stays vivid in my memory is the misty view of Taunggyi City from a nearby hill. The capital of Shan State in Myanmar stands on top of a hill on Shan Plateau, being true to the literal meaning of its name--big mountain. For one traveling on road from the central plains of Myanmar, one has to first ascend Shan Plateau. A couple of hundred kms in on the Plateau, crossing undulating hills, one will get to the 'base' of Taunggyi, from where one follows a winding road to get atop, only to be ushered in at the windings' end by this enchanting little hill-top city.