THE DUBUJI BOARDWALK
This is the Dubuji Boardwalk at Cape Tribulation. We came here during the wet season, a time when rivers would usually flood after heavy rainstorms. We would hide under big leaves whenever we get sporadic rainstorms during the hike. It was fun but semi-miserable. I liked the whole part of taking in the environment and the setting, but knowing that my gears are vulnerable to moisture environments put off my confidence in capturing the essence of the scene.
LIVING IN PARADISE
This is the front yard of the resort we stayed at in Kuranda, Australia. It is a wonderful resort and it was the best lodging experience we had in this vacation. There was a lot of surprising encounters during our stay. Two of the more remarkable ones were petting a people-friendly Kangaroo that the resort keeps as a pet, and watching an incredible sunset from the resort’s pond. As I was composing for this HDR, I envisioned this to be my life in paradise.
THE SPLIT POINT LIGHTHOUSE
We made our first stop at the Split Point Lighthouse while driving on the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostle. This is a rather crowded place, with tourists around the lighthouse all the time. I was happy to find this angle without the need to struggle with other tourists in capturing the essence of the scene.
THE RAINFOREST RESTAURANT
Hands down to the most unique dining experience ever! This restaurant is secluded and is right in the middle of the rainforest! My family and I had to drive through a beaten road to get to the resort. Along the road, there are signs to reassure us that we are not lost. Once we got to the resort, the owner there gave us a tour. There were kangaroos and peacocks roaming around the resort as we tour through, and the animals would come to the restaurant for food occasionally. Once we got to the restaurant, I had to set up for this shot!
THE SBS BUILDING
Melbourne is a beautiful city! I hope to return someday for another photo shoot… Staying here for a month to observe and photo shoot would be a dream come true, as there are so many beautiful architecture around the city! Finding an angle at Fed Square was pretty tough. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted a normal shot or a panorama shot; but when I took a few steps back, the scene just came into perspective.
THE ZILLIE FALLS
The Zillie Falls is in the trio of the waterfalls on the Waterfall Circuit. Every waterfall is easily accessible within a short walk from the parking lot, and each has an amazing view! The rainforest is especially vibrant that particular day because the day had more rain than usual. When I got here, the sun came out just in time for me to capture the glory of this waterfall.
THE THREE SISTERS
The view of the Three Sisters is breathtaking! It was a fairly cloudy day, but the sun came out for a short time for me to take this HDR Panorama shot. The ambient light really gave definition to the Three Sisters. The light also cast a great mixture of contrasts to the forest, which really brings out the depth of the scene. This scene had to be captured! Please, please, please! Click to view in black. It looks much nicer!
The next day, my family and I tried to climb down the “Giant Stairway” at the Three Sisters (yes, you can actually climb down Three Sisters). We weren’t very successful though. One third of the way down, we started to hesitate because we didn’t bring any water with us. Deciding to return was probably the most righteous decisions we have made throughout our entire trip. Climbing back up was an intense workout; we had to stop several times to catch our breath!
THE SOUTHERN CROSS STATION
Melbourne has so many awesome architectures for photography! The Southern Cross station features a wave-shaped ceiling and is designed by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, a prominent English architect known for modernist buildings. He is the founder of Grimshaw Architects, and they are known for their design of transport projects. I wonder why he chose a wave-shaped ceiling for the Southern Cross station, maybe I can find out if I am lucky enough to meet him one day. Also, I was pleased to find that one of his projects was the London Waterloo station because I took a HDR shot there as well, and you can see it here!
THE GOLDEN CASCADE
I submerged my legs into the stream to get this shot! The whole experience was really nice because the water was cool; I felt very comfortable walking around here that, at one point, I didn’t want to get out! Since the water was flowing rapidly, I had to unload everything onto my tripod (my camera bag, mind you!) to keep it still! I love how there is a good balance between water motion, ground texture, and color.
THE ESPLANADE LAGOON
These fishies are the symbol of the Cairns’s Espanade Lagoon. Shooting at this late made me wonder how awesome it would be to be here at sunset time; the lights should be pretty magnificent right? Then I thought about how crowded the lagoon would be since this would be the perfect place to enjoy the sunset at Cairns. It must be difficult to get a shot without people in it! I mean, there were people hanging out around here when I took the shot. Since people were swimming around, I was able to take them out with my long exposure shot. The water looks silky smooth too!
DAINTREE TEA PLANTATION
Remember those long and tedious drives that put you to sleep? Well, I didn’t feel like that driving through Daintree National Park. I think part of it is because I don’t live in a rainforest environment, and part of it is because the drive is spectacular. I actually drove past this tea plantation field, and had to go back for this shot, but it was worth the effort! The people there actually set up a booth where you can buy their local tea leaves in a self-service box, and it’s good!
EXPLORING THE LAGOON
This is by far the coolest public pool I have seen! The water here is pretty shallow, so I think this place is more for people hanging out and sunbathing than swimming. I can just imagine it being the perfect place to hang out during the summer time!
INSIDE THE FED
Federation Square is amazingly picturesque! I was in awe when I was walking through here. It was approaching midnight when I visited, so there weren’t that many people hanging around, which is good. I felt at home when I was at Melbourne, in that the city gets vivid and lively at night. There’s one thing that Melbourne has but Los Angeles doesn’t though: amazing architectures!!
WALKING THROUGH THE RAINFOREST
Australia was awesome; too much to see, and not enough time! It’s been a long time (a good three weeks!) since my last post, so I thought I would put up an Australia HDR. This was taken at the Tamborine National Park Rainforest Skywalk. Walking through the skywalk was fun and exciting. Since the skywalk was built pretty high up, you could feel the bridge wobble as you walk through it. When we got to this bridge, my brother turned around and asked for a picture! I thought that was interesting because I was hoping he would walk past it so I could set up and take my shot! Anyway, we ended up taking a family portrait here too, except the bridge was not wide enough to fit the four of us!
