After initially being occluded by clouds caressing the horizon, the supermoon shone over Kings Beach, Caloundra – on the superb Sunshine Coast of Queensland.
Kings Beach 2AM-003562 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Cheers, 🙂
A short series of images from Wombarra in the Illawarra, NSW.
Wombarra Headland 2AM-009394
Wombarra Headland 2AM-002817
Wombarra Headland 2AM-009406
Wombarra Headland 2AM-009408
Wombarra Headland 2AM-002847
Wombarra Rock Pool 2AM-009706
Wombarra Rock Pool 2AM-009712
Wombarra Rock Pool 2AM-009725
Cheers.
Last week (early December, 2015) we witnessed a wonderful series of lightning storms in the northern Illawarra area of New South Wales, Australia. Surrounded, but not underneath any particular cell, the light and drama at Austinmer and Wombarra was spectacular!
Here is a panorama of one of the lightning storm cells bathing Austinmer Beach in amazing light.
Austinmer 2AM 9850-9852 Panorama © Andrew McInnes
Stormy light over the Pacific, incorporating a little of Keswick House.
Keswick House 2AM 9854-9856 HDR © Andrew McInnes
Just a little further north is the village of Wombarra, from where the following three images were captured.
Wombarra Headland 2AM 9864-9866 Panorama © Andrew McInnes
Wombarra Headland 2AM 9867-9869 Panorama © Andrew McInnes
Wombarra Headland 2AM 9887-9888 stack © Andrew McInnes
The final two images include the Wombarra rock pool.
Wombarra Rock Pool 2AM 9900_9903 stack © Andrew McInnes
Wombarra Rock Pool 2AM 9913-9914 © Andrew McInnes
’twas a wonderfully dramatic sky, with quite the lightning show that was ongoing for quite some time. I hope you enjoyed these images.
Cheers 🙂
A collection of images from Lake Kununurra, Lily Creek Lagoon, Ivanhoe Crossing, and the iconic Cockburn Ranges – all proximal to Kununurra, Western Australia.
A delightful boat ride up Lake Kununurra – the dog enjoyed the trip, especially the breeze in its face.
Lake Kununurra 2AM-003377. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Lake Kununurra 2AM-003403. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Lake Kununurra 2AM-003421. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Lake Kununurra 2AM-003422. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
A couple of the numerous and delightful inlets along the way.
Lake Kununurra 2AM-003425. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Lake Kununurra 2AM-003435. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
The exposed geology is fascinating and stunning.
Lake Kununurra 2AM-003437. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
The Kimberley region has numerous sites with indigenous rock art; this particular location is very near to Kununurra.
Aboriginal Rock Art 2AM-003475. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Aboriginal Rock Art 2AM-003480. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Aboriginal Rock Art 2AM-003483. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Aboriginal Rock Art 2AM-003485. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Aboriginal Rock Art 2AM-003487. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
The view from the boat ramp on Lily Creek where we began and concluded this trip up Lake Kununurra.
Lily Creek Lagoon 2AM-003504. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Lily Creek Lagoon with ‘Sleeping Buddha’ in the background.
Lily Creek Lagoon 2AM-003502. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Off on a road trip now, just outside of Kununurra…
Highway Outcrop 2AM-003088. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Highway Outcrop 2AM-003079-003082 panorama © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
A couple of images of vehicles crossing a small creek on El Questro where we stopped off for a refreshing dip (swim).
El Questro 2AM-003308. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
El Questro 2AM-003319. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Not far past El Questro, on the famed Gibb River Road, is the Cockburn Range which is adjacent to the iconic Pentecost River but the river was flowing too much for us to make a crossing. There was an unfortunate couple stranded during their attempt at crossing – their front axle fell into a deeply eroded hole resulting in a cracked oil-pan or something similar, necessitating a tow out of these croc-infested waters.
Cockburn Ranges 2AM-003366-003368 panorama. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Having captured this late-afternoon image of a man fishing for barramundi with a live bait on a hand line at the fast-flowing Ivanhoe Crossing, Kununurra, I moved on to shoot other nearby compositions. This area is accessible for the numerous salties of the Ord River and is also thick with barramundi. Soon after I moved I saw this fisherman in a mighty tug-of-war battle that, with the aid of the deep and rapidly flowing water, soon had him precariously close to taking an involuntary bath! Ultimately he was saved the ignominy as his large gauge hook was straightened, thus losing whatever was on the end of the line!
The Ivanhoe Crossing is no longer open to vehicles.
Ivanhoe Crossing 2AM-003178. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
The next blog posting will contain images from Marlgu Billabong and Wyndham.
Until then, cheers.
Mirima/Hidden Valley National Park – Kununurra, Western Australia.
Bungle Bungles in miniature – located just minutes from Kununurra, Mirima/Hidden Valley is a small park with sandstone ranges, cliffs and valleys, similar in appearance (and formed by similar processes) to parts of the Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park). The 350 million year old sandstone features within the park are subject to some striking colour changes due to sunlight variances.
Here is the ‘mini Bungle Bungles’ (a portion of Mirima/Hidden Valley), viewed from a helicopter, including the town of Kununurra, Lily Creek, Indian Sandalwood plantations, and a portion of the surrounding ranges.
Kununurra and Mini Bungle Bungles 2AM-003518 © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003519 © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden-Valley-National-Park-2AM-003533. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Okay, back on terra firma – time for a wander through Hidden Valley…
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003277. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003262. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003180. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003224. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003281. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003284. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003200. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003206. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003249. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003259. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hidden Valley National Park 2AM-003273. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
During my recent >9,000 km road trip highway vistas like this one routinely had me in awe of the scenic beauty of this wonderful land.
A three-image panorama stitch on the North West Coastal Highway © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Oh, how I enjoy the tranquillity of a sleepy river and the Australian bush. This is the De Grey River and rail bridge just off the Great Northern Highway near Port Headland, Western Australia. I didn’t camp here but I did enjoy the respite as I stretched my legs during the long drive.
De Grey River and railway bridge – a wonderful camping area. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Travelling is full of surprises…
Willy Willy (dust devil) – very neat to observe © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
The ubiquitous road train: some transport livestock, some transport supplies, and for others, like this one, it is iron ore.
Road train near Onslow. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Fortescue River. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Common colours of the Pilbara – red, green, gold. Autumn flowers on a red dune. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Royal Flying Doctor Service – emergency airstrip. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Toolunga Creek in the Pilbara. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Thanks for swinging by and I hope you enjoyed these photo’s of my travels.
I recently embarked on what turned out to be a quite a drive with the purpose of visiting an old mate from my teenage years whom I have not seen for more than 20 years! My old vehicle (1984 Toyota Hilux diesel) logged 9,193 km (5,712 miles) doing my return trip from Fremantle – Kununurra – Fremantle, Western Australia.
With an esky full of water and assorted sandwich-construction material, plus spare diesel, oil, etc., I essentially drove until it was time to find a bush-camp for the night. I’d awake early and continue northward, repeating as required until I arrived at Kununurra.
Subsequent blog postings will present more images from the trip to the north of this bloody big state.
Theses images document my travels up and back – I hope you will find them appealing.
It isn’t long until these emblematic signs present themselves, with varying fauna presented.
Iconic Aussie Wildlife (sans koala which is not native to WA) – Indian Ocean Road. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Having previously visited and photographed The Pinnacles (click here to view these) at Nambung National Park, near Cervantes, I chose to revisit and shoot more images from this amazing ‘moonscape’ before moving on and finding a place to camp for the night.
Early evening light bathes a portion of the calcium carbonate structures at The Pinnacles Desert. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
This image contains part of the Milky Way, plus the Southern Cross, a meteor, and Magellanic Clouds which are irregular dwarf galaxies visible from the southern hemisphere. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
© 2014 Andrew McInnes.
A long exposure for pin-wheel stars. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
This leaning tree is but one of many around the Greenough area. These River Gum/eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) have horizontal trunks due to exposure to strong and near-continuous southerly winds.
Leaning Tree of Greenough. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Should you find yourself anywhere near Geraldton or Walkaway, I thoroughly recommend a visit to Ellendale Pool, be it for a day trip or a place to camp – as I did for an evening.
This is a light-painting during the blue-hour of dusk. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Another light-painting, this time a little later in the evening. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Ahhh, a rope swing – top setting for it! © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Morning’s reflection. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Lovely spot to set up a caravan!
A “room with a view”. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
The ubiquitous and raucous Little Corella
Little Corellas in flight. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Little Corella. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Little Corella. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.
Hope you enjoyed the early portion of my trip, if vicariously 🙂
More images from the trip to follow soon.
Cheers,
Andrew
I recently undertook an express visit with my wife to visit friends who were staying in Halifax for a period. I only managed to get out and photograph on a few occasions but was enamored of the area. Magnificent vistas, abundant maritime history, so ripe with scenery and scenes; I would have thoroughly enjoyed more time exploring and photographing. Nevertheless, here is a sampling of images from the very few times I was able to go walkabout. I hope you enjoy!
This is the first image I captured – I love the posture, gait, and apparent enthusiasm of the youngster; the dog’s tail; and the fact that the father had a bright red sweater on (excellent for ‘pop’ of people out in nature).
Halifax 2AM-000802
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens. f4.5 for 1/800 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
A chicane of sorts …
Halifax 2AM-000834
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens. f5.6 for 1/2000 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Although we witnessed some glorious fall color, it was the same old situation of “you should have seen it last week!” 🙂
the next two images include a birch tree – the bark and patterning thereof fascinated me.
Halifax 2AM-000851
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens. f8 for 1/800 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Halifax 2AM-000860
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens. f8 for 1/400 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Definitely much color still available around the area, even if the leaves had fallen.
Halifax 2AM-000887
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f4.5 for 1/1600 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Early in our visit our hosts took me out for a brief but wonderful excursion to Herring Cove. Although very overcast and gloomy, the light was lovely for scenes that didn’t include much, if any, sky. After this mini-hike it was time for lunch so we stopped in at “Now We’re Cookin’!” where I had the superb gastronomic pleasure of a dozen perfectly fried and ultra-delicious “Digby Clams.”
Here are a series of images from the Herring Cove Provincial Park Reserve from that visit:
I call this image “The Admiral” – hopefully you can deduce why 🙂 I captured one of our hosts overlooking a temporarily tranquil Atlantic Ocean – it was a fleeting opportunity to get the shot, so I did not have time to adjust the camera settings, hence the very slow shutter speed for a hand held shot. Thankfully I managed to be stable enough for a sharp image.
“The Admiral” – Herring Cove 2AM-000977
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/13 second at ISO 400.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Early into the gorgeous walk I found this scene and liked the various elements so much – hence this image to capture it 🙂
Herring Cove 2AM-000976
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/13 second at ISO 400.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Loved these rosehip berries!
Herring Cove 2AM-000982
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f4 for 1/100 second at ISO 400.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Herring Cove 2AM-001009
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/15 second at ISO 1000.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Same general scene, different interpretation. My photographic mentor drummed into me to shoot and shoot and shoot a scene from numerous angles/interpretations, with a strict caveat that each composition/interpretation must be appealing to me, not just shooting a bunch and ‘hoping’ one of them will be ‘good’.
Herring Cove 2AM-001011
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/15 second at ISO 1000.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
A portion of the walking trail.
Herring Cove 2AM-001027
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/20 second at ISO 1000.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
More of the meandering walking trail and a very typical scene of this splendid coast.
Herring Cove 2AM-001025
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/30 second at ISO 1000.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
’twas a very blustery gloomy day and the smart one here (that would be me 🙂 ) decides to take a multi-hour exploratory walk around the Halifax waterfront to take in some of the history of this place. When I say it was blustery, it was really blowing! There is a bit of a tale from my home country that goes something like this: “Tie a brick onto a long piece of line and hang it so that it is free to swing. If the brick/string is vertical, there isn’t enough wind to go sailing; If the brick/string are horizontal, then perhaps there is a little too much wind for a sail; Anywhere in between = just right for a sail.” Well, the brick would have been darn near horizontal whilst I wandered around that particular day 😉
This block and blue line appealed to me as they hung and swung, suspended above the dark cold water. Hope you enjoy it too.
“Block and Blue” – Halifax 2AM-000914
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f8 for 1/160 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
I find the marine flora and fauna of cold water habitats fascinating, and Nova Scotia in early winter did not disappoint me.This image, and the mussel image following it, were taken on a bucking and rolling floating dock that was doing its non-level best to ensure that either I fell in the cold cold water, or dropped the camera into said water, or fail to get a sharp image of the subjects that were interesting me. I am very thankful that the 5D Mark III handles high ISO noise so bloody well!
Halifax 2AM-000931
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f8 for 1/40 second at ISO 3200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Halifax 2AM-000937
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f8 for 1/30 second at ISO 5000.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Some scenes need capturing, despite the quality (or lack thereof) of available light; I thought this public art installation the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk to be such a scene. This public art installation is a collaboration between Chris Hanson and Hendrika Sonnenberg. One of the lampposts (at rear in this image) is peeing in the ocean. The other two are on their way home after drinking too much – the closest has stumbled and fallen, the other is bending over to check if all is okay with the fallen one.
“Drunken Street Lights” – Halifax 2AM-000946
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f8 for 1/30 second at ISO 5000.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Boardwalk boards (and nails)
Halifax 2AM-000958
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f4 for 1/100 second at ISO 500.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Whilst she isn’t particularly old, this yacht is reminiscent of a time apparently long gone, when vessels actually had lovely lines! Plus, what’s not to like about bowsprits, jib-booms, bowlines, and vertically seamed sails with stitched lines along the leech?
Halifax 2AM-000968
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f16 for 1/125 second at ISO 500.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
A new day, and, well, there were some trees still shedding their colorful leaves, and a stunningly sky, so why not?
Halifax 2AM-001342
Canon 7D with Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 lens. f8 for 1/3200 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Halifax 2AM-001400
Canon 7D with Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 lens. f8 for 1/2500 second at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Dusk was rapidly descending on a bloody chilly day when I happened upon this lovely little yawl at rest on its mooring in a secluded and tranquil inlet.
Halifax 2AM-001083
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/10 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Sometimes “hard to figure out at first” is intriguing – to me at least 🙂
Halifax 2AM-001084
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/10 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
A revisit to Herring Cove because the light was “cleaner.”
Herring Cove 2AM-001036
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/15 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
A little ‘overflow’ creek from Powers Pond to the Atlantic Ocean (via Herring Cove).
Herring Cove 2AM-001043
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/10 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
To me these next two images typify coastal fishing hamlets.
Herring Cove 2AM-001038
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/20 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
To my eye, when strolling around town, this image was very appealing. Initial concerns about it being “too busy” rapidly dissipated – likely due to the location of the colored elements, the reflections, and the leading line of the dock. Perhaps I am mistaken?
Herring Cove 2AM-001108
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens. f16 for 1/250 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Speaking of reflections… here are two more from the walking trail at Herring Cove Provincial Park Reserve.
Herring Cove 2AM-001115
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens. f16 for 1/60 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
A stunning blue sky, granite, and grass.
Herring Cove 2AM-001062
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/25 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
My final image from Herring Cove showing one side of the entrance to Herring Cove; the great blue yonder is the fabled ornery Atlantic.
Herring Cove 2AM-001066
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/30 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
On the coldest day of the winter thus far (it having snowed the first snow of the season the previous night), we ventured on a quick trip down to Peggy’s Cove – a gorgeous sunset, some ice in the rocky depressions of the granite headland, and it was blowing stink, and we were right on the edge of the Atlantic. Not blowing quite strong enough for there to be whitecaps in the toilet, but darn near!
The following images were all captured within roughly one hour, and again, I present 4 images with the lighthouse in it, each sufficiently appealing to me.
There were some strange light behavior happenings last evening during dusk at Peggy’s Cove – one with my lens glare (this image), the other some neat atmospherics (the next image).
Peggy’s Cove 2AM-001471
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f16 for 1/200 second at ISO 500.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
The three of us who were there together all were mesmerized by the vertical shaft of light – normally I expect to see crepuscular rays, but this instance had only the vertical element. As it was developing I was scampering around trying to find any element for foreground interest. “Beam me up” or perhaps a “batman-like beam.” 😉
Peggy’s Cove 2AM-001488
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1.6 seconds at ISO 100.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Peggy’s Cove 2AM-001474
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/25 second at ISO 400.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
Peggy’s Cove 2AM-001485
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f22 for 1/8 second at ISO 400.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
And to wrap up this visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia – Canada, here is a light-painting of the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove – the primary purpose of the quick evening trip to Peggy’s Cove. I hope you enjoy this light-painting image – is was certainly the most difficult to make: my wife and our host said I looked a bit like a mountain goat running around over the rocks and boulders in the dark whilst painting the scene with my trusty Q-beam II Million power flashlight.
A light-painting – Peggy’s Cove 2AM-001515
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. f5.6 for 30 seconds at ISO 400.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.
This is the third, and final, post covering my recent trip to Malaysia. As it was not a photography or vacation trip, I took one camera with one lens – no tripod, flash, etc. Consequently, all of these images are handheld or rested on objects, and all are taken essentially as ‘snapshots’ throughout the day/night and with whatever light was available, not targeted light. All images were captured with Canon 7D and Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens. Taking images with a slow shutter speed on a moving ship is certainly challenging 🙂
All images are Copyright © Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.
South China Sea 2AM-116929
Clouds and some of the unidentified islands (to me at least) of the South China Sea, photographed through the plane’s window somewhere between Kuala Lumpur (on the Malaysian peninsular) and Labuan Island (just off Malaysian Borneo).
South China Sea 2AM-117331
A glorious dusk on the South China Sea off Borneo. This image includes some of the fender chains at the bow.
South China Sea 2AM-117315
More from the bow of the ship – a spectacular sunset.
South China Sea 2AM-117353
Ripples on a calm, golden sea.
South China Sea 2AM-117354
Gold and steel.
South China Sea 2AM 117300-117310
A ten image panorama.
So long Malaysia, you are lovely and diverse, as are your people.
This is the second of three posts covering my recent trip to Malaysia. As it was not a photography or vacation trip, I took one camera with one lens – no tripod, flash, etc. Consequently, the great majority of these images are handheld, and all are taken essentially as ‘snapshots’ throughout the day/night and with whatever light was available, not targeted light. All images were captured with Canon 7D and Canon 24-105mm f/4L lens.
Labuan is one of three Federal Territories of Malaysia and is an island off Malaysian Borneo. This photo-blog will include some scenes from Labuan and some from nearby islands (island = Pulau).
All images are Copyright © Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.
Tiara Labuan Hotel 2AM-116933
The Tiara Labuan Hotel, where I stayed for the first few days on Labuan.
Water Village – Labuan 2AM-116956
This is one of the “water villages” on Labuan Island, Malaysia. At high tide the water comes within about one foot of the floors of these homes. The people in this village were lovely, friendly, and apparently content with their lot in life – perhaps those of us with so-called ‘first-world problems’ could learn some lessons from these fine folks. This scene reminded me of areas in Papua New Guinea, where I was raised.
Water Village – Labuan 2AM-116959
A closer look at part of a water village.
As my purpose for this trip was marine related, i.e. working offshore on vessels, there are several images of boats and dry-dock…
Labuan 2AM-117376
A storm and rainbow over a large assemblage of seismic vessels in Labuan Harbor.
Labuan 2AM-117371
Pre-strorm light illuminates a portion of Labuan’s commercial district.
Fishing Boat – Labuan 2AM-117064
A few local trawler vessels preparing for departure. I loved the character of the hulls of these boats.
Labuan Shipyard 2AM-117092
Scaffolding surrounds a ship that is dry-docked (photographed at night).
Labuan Shipyard 2AM-117154
A worker inside a dry-docked barge uses an oxy acetylene torch to cut out great plates of compromised steel that are part of the hull of this barge.
Labuan Shipyard 2AM-117173
Spectacular showers of molten steel sparks – a result of three oxy acetylene torches.
Labuan Shipyard 2AM-117166
Sparks rain down onto the great plates of steel as other plates are being cut out.
Water taxis were abundant and necessary for those, like me, who work on vessels.
Water Taxi – Labuan 2AM-117059
At rest – the bows of several taxis.
Labuan has an active bazaar which was both bustling and fascinating. All manner of goods and services are available including electronic repairs, jewelry, food, tailors, fashion, cobblers, etc.
Cobbler – Labuan 2AM-117069
This shoe repairman was amazingly efficient with his workmanship, and a very pleasant fellow.
Cobbler – Labuan 2AM-117074
Some of this cobbler’s tools of the trade – all manually applied instruments.
Bazaar – Labuan 2AM-117080
A vendor watches a shopper stroll through a portion of the bazaar.
Arrrg! Almost without exception, whatever body of water I may be on, this is what I see, to varying extents (and this is only the visible stuff – I cannot imagine how much chemical contaminants are present). These images, though from Malaysian waters, are not endemic to this place.
Marine Trash – Labuan 2AM-117055
Quite the assortment!
Marine Trash – Labuan 2AM-117056
Trash piled up between two small barges.
As there were several days of downtime awaiting the arrival of the vessel which was the vehicle for my work, several of us – Australian, German, French, American – hired a local boat owner to take us to a few off the nearby islands. These places, though offshore, are not exempt from marine pollution.
Pulau Rusukan Kecil – Malaysia 2AM-117011
More marine trash – an aesthetics killer.
More scenics from Pulau Rusukan Kecil, this time sans trash. A thoroughly delightful and complex group of little islands, all very proximal to each other.
Pulau Rusukan Kecil – Malaysia 2AM-116996
Pulau Rusukan Kecil – Malaysia 2AM-117014
A lovely sense of isolation on this island’s beaches.
Pulau Rusukan Kecil – Malaysia 2AM-117027
Tropical paradise.
This next island is designated as a marine park – a “no-take, no damage” island and surrounding waters.
Pulau Kuraman – Malaysia 2AM-116984
The red vessel is the one we adventured with. A lovely place for a swim/snorkel.
The following four images are from Pulau Daat, an island with a village populated by Philippine fishermen and their families. The colors were so vivid – almost startling – so much so that I was keenly wanting to explore and visit with the residents.
Pulau Daat – Malaysia 2AM-117049
The approaching view.
Pulau Daat – Malaysia 2AM-117038
A sampling of the colorful little fishing boats. The fishermen take these little, and highly unstable, motorized vessels offshore to fish – you might notice the outriggers that they troll their lines/lures off.
Pulau Daat – Malaysia 2AM-117040
Home to a fishing family – how about the color!
Pulau Daat – Malaysia 2AM-117044
I was fortunate to spend time visiting with some of the folks whereby verbal communication was challenging due to language barriers. One thing I already knew from my various travels was reinforced though… a smile goes a million miles in human interactions. What started as a chat with the four men (photo-front), soon became a delightful visit with over 2 dozen folks, most of which were children – once they “got their courage up.”
Back to Labuan.
Pond Cleaning Man – Labuan 2AM-116954
A worker harvest plants from a freshwater pond at the WWII Memorial.
As my last location before I departed Malaysia was at a dock in Labuan, I’ll close this post with a few images from there.
Labuan Shipyard 2AM-117392
Mid afternoon a storm began building and I was hopeful there might just be some amazing light as dusk approached. I was not disappointed by the storm or the color!
Labuan Shipyard 2AM-117395
Industrial imagination.
Hopefully you experienced some of the sights, sounds, and scents , if vicariously, through these images.
I sure appreciate you visiting.
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew McInnes Photography 