It has been a long day

A day filled with excitment and drama ends with a glorious sunset .

 It's all about the light, that precious and fickle element to photography.

More so crucial to me when photographing in subtropical locations where often it's so harsh and crisp that leads to high contrast images. 

But now, coming closer to the winter solstice, it's softer, warmer and the sun lingers longer over the horizon before it sets giving more time to create a few softer images.

On a camping trip with a riding buddy.

Outback camping.

Long time sea kayaking buddy, companion of many expeditions, joined me on an overnight ride to the country. We picked the roads less traveled and in the late afternoon we ended up on dusty unsealed ones. We were looking for a secluded spot to camp for the night.


Canon TV-16 50mm f1.4



Vanilla sporting that kind of look that commands respect, the face of wisdom.     Canon TV-16 50mm f1.4


Towards sunset we found what we wanted: a seldom used rural track that was a wide corridor of trees and short grass, with the occasional tree-trunk to sit on.



We were travelling light with tarps instead of tents for shelter. There was a light breeze in the air but it calmed down once dark. No frost yet but it is just a matter of weeks before that will happen.
Clear skies and no light-pollution from the urban sprawl; there was a meteor shower although peaking too early in the morning for me to care waking up and getting a proper look.




.

The art of being lost

In a world where roads, sign and people are everywhere I can't get lost.

For most of the year I live in a structured society and my little niche is well defined, I am just a small cog in a massive machine and there is very little wiggle room.

I never have to really think how to find a place even if I have never been there before. My car or my phone can talk to me and tell me where I am or how to get where I want.... there is never any guessing.

F.Zuiko 32mm f1.7  1/5000sec

Once I year I have the luxury to be off grid where I can exercise the opportunity of being lost.

I paddle out in my kayak away from houses and roads and I just wonder around, not really too concerned with where I will end up in the evening. After all, I have right with me what is needed for a least a few days, food and shelter are guaranteed.

Canon TV-16 50mm f1.4  1/320sec

I generally take the direction that looks prettiest to me and I wiggle my way through the islands trying to not go around in circles, but if I do that's fine too. I have given up on "destination anxiety" and I no longer set myself with a goal of so many miles per day. I rather spend some time on a particularly interesting island and explore its shore to spend some time photographing.

Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f3.5-5.6  1/100sec

I have no desire to find out and then go to "good campsites", the "must see spots" and I never plot a course beforehand and follow it. I much prefer to travel spontaneously to suit my mood and interest as the day goes by.

I don't carry a GPS as I don't want a machine to tell me how I am doing, how fast I am going and how far I have to go. What is the point of getting away from it all to then create yet another unnecessary constraint?

I have a basic map with me that helps me find a place that might have supplies for the next few days and I consult it when time comes.

And in between those necessary stops I feel free to think and I am present in the moment, absorb my surrounding and allow myself to be off-line, not answering to any calls or not slave to this screen.

Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f3.5-5.6  1/500sec

.