Yank down under, final chapter: Blue Mountains

[rawill]

And on the whole, they are friendly, except when they are playing rugby.

Dave

And so the "friendship" continues!~!

[rawill]

Beautiful work, Dan. It's always a sign of a good experience when you say you'd like to do it again. So glad you shared with us.

Exactly especially the second sentence.

I have to say the first two photos really capture me, I took some of the 12 Apostles and tried to make them really stand out.

I would like to see your treatment of them as well.

Rbn

[NorthernFocus]

Dan I was reading your post and at the same time watching 4 sulphur crested cockatoos on my bird bath...

Katoomba was overrun with them. They are noisy things. Every evening a few of them landed in the trees in the backyard of our B&B and set up quite a racket.

I am glad you are going to make it over here and give us "the same treatment"!

We spent four weeks in NZ in 2008. We split the time on both islands. Loved everywhere we went there. Here's a link to my New Zealand gallery on pBase. Let me know if we did it justice. My bride liked the North Island better for the beaches and warmer weather. I like the south for the sparse populace and wildlife.

...I have to say the first two photos really capture me...I would like to see your treatment of them as well.

Robin, that evening was near ideal conditions. Partly cloudy skies with the western horizon mostly clear and the sun coming over my shoulder. I used a graduated ND filter in the field on the shots with sky in them. With the camera set on the tripod we just hung out and watched the light for the last hour or so before sunset. Every once in a while when the lighting looked interesting I snapped a couple frames. Then in PP I just fiddled with levels a bit for contrast and kicked up saturation on red/yellow and knocked it down a little on cyan/blue. Waiting until the valley was in shadow behind the sisters helped more than anything to make them pop.

[rawill]

We spent four weeks in NZ in 2008. We split the time on both islands. Loved everywhere we went there. Here's a link to my New Zealand gallery on pBase. Let me know if we did it justice. My bride liked the North Island better for the beaches and warmer weather. I like the south for the sparse populace and wildlife.

Thank you for the link.
You sure have travelled some of the main spots, but in addition many of the not so main spots, like the road to Paradise.

You have some spectacular photos, and you have certainly done justice with the shots you have put up.

I hope you don't mind, tell me if you do, (and I will take it off),

but I have put a link to your NZ photos on my Facebook page and on the page of a friend in Jicin in Czech Republic. I wanted her to see some more of NZ.

Robin

[NorthernFocus]

No worries, Robin. The more the merrier. Photography should be shared to be enjoyed.

We hope to make it back over there in the next year or two. My bride and I will have to arm wrestle over which island to visit. The Catlins area was my favorite area. Though I also love a good beach...

I started drinking Marleborough Sound wine during our visit. One of the B/B hosts introduced us to it. To this day I drink Monkey Bay Sauvinon Blanc. Haven't found anything else quite like it for my particular taste.

[rawill]

No worries, Robin.
I started drinking Marleborough Sound wine during our visit. One of the B/B hosts introduced us to it. To this day I drink Monkey Bay Sauvinon Blanc. Haven't found anything else quite like it for my particular taste.

Well you just might have to try Sav Blanc, and Pinot Gris from The Ned.
Or get a Wither Hills single vineyard Sav blanc from Rarangi.

Just to confuse you mind, but maybe it will help with the photos too.
As you take a few pics from around Kaiteriteri and surrounds, or out to the spit.

[Mike Buckley]

Extremely enjoyable series, Dan. It makes me feel as if I understand what it is like to be there.

[Mike Buckley]

Dan,

If you like pinot noir, get to know some from New Zealand. Their pinot noir is just as good as their Sauvignon Blanc. One of my favorite pinots is Cloudy Bay, though its cost is a bit more than what I would spend for daily drinking and certainly more than what a sauvignon blanc will usually cost.

[rawill]

Dan,

If you like pinot noir, get to know some from New Zealand. Their pinot noir is just as good as their Sauvignon Blanc. One of my favorite pinots is Cloudy Bay, though its cost is a bit more than what I would spend for daily drinking and certainly more than what a sauvignon blanc will usually cost.

And Pinot Noir from Central Otago is certainly worth trying.

So back to the photos, great shots here and on your site.
Thank you for the description of the day when you took the first two in this thread.
You take shots like that when you can get them, and in my view they worked well.

Conditions are always what we want and we have to take what we can get and try our best.
Great thread.

Rbn

[FootLoose]

From today's paper:

[FlyingSquirrel]

Dan, I'm once again catching up on your threads. Always a pleasure. Great photos here, like Nat Geo on my monitor.