Len's Journal

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During the rain

This morning we were at Minnamurra Rainforest Walk. Stunning. It was raining, but not enough to use the umbrella I carried. Yes, my camera did get wet. There was a fair bit of cleaning the lens and moving to be under some inconsiderate drips.  Well, an inch here and there made all the difference.

 I have always wanted to go when the weather and light was being considerate. It was almost perfect. There were lots of shiny leaves. If I was shooting colour I would have removed them with the polarizer, but in monochrome, they are just lovely.

I am reminded of Gordon Undy's project of "looking through".  love his shot of the turtles looking through the branches. It is a lovely theme worth pursuing: looking through. 

I really love depth and dark black trees that loom into the foreground. They invite you to peek through them to see something else. You will probably notice it is a common theme in my work. Depth is a beautiful subject and one well worth pursuing in its own right. 

One day I will make it there in thick mist and be mesmerised.

I was really impressed that National Parks made a point to us to stay on the boardwalk. Wandering off to take that photograph destroys the visual beauty of the place. It harms the fragile ecosystem. I am horrified by how many photographers think it is their right to leave footprints and tripod holes in fragile environments. To wander whereever they like, in their goal of getting the best shot.

Minnimurra Rainforest Walk, Jamberoo, near Kiama. Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2018