Seascape and Landscape

31 May 11

Posted at 8:26

Today I've popped back to Cable Beach and included a sunset but in monochrome this time and without camels! It's shot at the point where the south and north beaches meet and there are some interesting rocks breaking up the long (22kms) expanse of sand.

Cable Beach Sunset mono

 

I've also included a landscape. This time taken on the west coast of the Cape Leveque peninsular. Prior to heading off to The Kimberley and Gibb River Road we took a three day trip up to Cape Leveque. We went with Kimberley Wild who also took us on the Kimberley Loop. They were magnificint!!! I didn't have the bottle to attempt the outback under my own steam, which was a good job as when I hired a 4WD just for three days in Broome I got stuck in sand and had to be rescued, not exactly my fault as the 4WD broke down but never the less had we been in the outback....... Next time I think we will go under our own steam as we now have an idea what's involved and how to minimise the risks, that's thanks to the folk from Kimberley Wild. Anyway back to the photo, it's looking back at the magnificint red cliffs from the beach at sunset and includes a dead tree in the foreground. If you look closely you can see a red lizard on one of the dead branches. I didn't even see it when I took the photo. Luckily I did spot it and a close up will no doubt feature in a future blog.

Catching the Last Rays

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The Boab Tree

30 May 11

Posted at 11:59

After an extended stay in Broome we were finally able to join a tour into The Kimberley. Our ambition to drive the length of the Gibb River Road still in doubt as the wet season had produced massive rains (20 metres in some places) and most crossings were either still submerged or washed away. We were to attempt our planned loop in reverse but as we set off it was unclear if the loop would be achievable in the time we had available. So it became even more of an adventure. 

In the Kimberley an unusual tree is prolific. The Boab Tree.

Boabs at Diggers Rest

The Boab has a sort of bottle trunk. Those pictured above are modest in size. Boabs appear in eight different varieties in Madagascar, Africa, South America and Australia. The Australian variety is adansonia gregorii. It is also known as the upside down tree. Aborigines have a story that originally the Boab was the smartest tree in the land but it got a bit above itself, became quite aloof and cocky. This upset all the other trees so to bring it down a peg or two the tree was plucked from the ground and stuffed back in upside down so it's branches would in future look more like roots.

The Boab tree reminds me of how young children draw trees.

The biggest Boabs have romantic stories asociated with them, criminals on the run are said to have hidden in them, another in Wyndham is known as the Boab Prison tree as Aboriginal prisoners being brought for trail were held in it over night.

The one pictured below is that very tree, estimated to be over 1000 years old.

The Boab Tree

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Camels and Cable Beach

29 May 11

Posted at 12:19

I've just returned from a three week trip to  Western Australia. The trip was to be an adventure photographing The Kimberley region by following the Kimberley loop from Broome up the Gibb River Road to Kunuwuru and back via the Great Northern Highway. The trip didn't turn out exactly as planned as will be revealed in future blogs. Circumstances resulted in us having to spend the first six days in Broome, well just outisde Broome at Cable Beach.

Cable Beach

Cable Beach claims to be the 5th best beach in the world. 22km of beautiful white sand, this is the view looking south. Cable Beach was named in 1889 when it was the point that a telegraph cable was laid between Australia and Java.

Every sunrise and sunset there are camel rides along the beach to the North. 

 

Camel Train at Cable Beach

Images like this are the iconic view of Cable Beach, often used in promoting Australia as a tourist destinantion

Camel Reflections

Spending so much time there I have quite a collection of camels at susnset and no doubt various images will appear in the future. It was amazing how different the sunset was each evening.

Seagull at Sunset

Broome is the only major town between Perth and Darwin, about the same distance at London to Moscow. I was surprised as such how small it was. It is famous for the pearl industry, the gateway to The Kimberley, tourism, oh and yes, for those camels.

Camel

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Arrived in Broome

09 May 11

Posted at 6:55

First of all today's photoblog has a vital ingredient missing - no photos. Been having a few problems trying to blog from my iPad, now in internet cafe and don't have required cable! next time. Anyway arrived in Broome on Saturday following epic journey via Dubai and Perth. Highlight was flying London to Dubai on a A380, what a fantastic plane, so quiet and roomy and that's cattle class.

Broome is pretty small considering it's the biggest town between Perth and Darwin which must be about the same distance as London to Moscow. Anyway it's hot and really laid back. We have had to re-schedule our expedition into the outback as the Gibb River Road is still closed from excessive flooding in the rainy season. We hope it will open in time for us to set off a week tomorrow. In the mean time we are going to do a short expedidtion to Cape Leveque leaving on Saturday. Until then it's chillin in Broome, well on Cable beach just up the road. May hire a 4WD for a couple of days at the end of the week.

I had hoped to photograph the stairway to the moon whilst here but due to rejigging the schedule we will be in the outback when it's full moon.

So I can't talk about the images I have taken so far as you cannot see them. I'll be back with required equipment in a day or two. That's all for now from suuny Broome WA

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The Day Before The Wedding

01 May 11

Posted at 9:37

Yesterday, 28th April, I decided to recce the Royal Wedding route in preparation for shooting there today (not in any official capacity you understand). So I popped down to Victoria and thought I'd take a stroll across to Buck Palace and then take a look along the route to Westminster Abbey. On approaching the palace I thought I'd got the day wrong and was arriving at the wedding. There were thousands gathered around the palace and the place had a buzz.

Any casual strolling was out, it was something of a free for all to push yorurself where you wanted to go. I decided top go with the flow as I didn't have a plan.

The Tent

I spotted this solitary tent right opposite the Palace. At this point I was unaware of all the people who had camped outside the Abbey and in the Mall so this tent took me by surprise. I made my way through the crowd over to where the tent was and I met the folk in the image below, the cameraman in this image was still there and had filmed them as well.

The Right Royal Campers

Well this is the Brown family from Crawley. Mum Sarah, second from left, next to her Mum Pam Bing and they are with Sarah's two sons - wait for it - George and Harry. The four of them were going to spend the night in the little tent pictured above. They were so excited. Harry explained to me at some length why it was better to be here in person, even if it meant sleeping on the pavement, rather than not be part of it and watch on TV alone. Well guys I promised to mention you so if you are looking at this I hope you had a great time.

Drying Me Nails

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I slowly made my way to the Mall. It was a real crush, I assume today you just can't move and simply stay where you are. Behind me I heard a female voice apologise for pushing but she was on air in ten minutes and was so late she would be in desperate trouble. I held my camera up in the air and continually stated 'excuse me, mind your backs, thank you' and pushed through the crowd with the little blonde presenter hanging on my tails. It was amazing the rapid progress we made. She thanked me and dashed into her portable studio of which there are simply dozens and I made my way off down the Mall. 

The image to the right is not my presenter friend (you guessed?) but one of the dozens of loyal citizens who were camping in the Mall. I realised now that the Browns were neither exclusive or anywhere near as extrovert as the hardcore royal supporters I was about to meet. They came in all shapes, sizes and nationalities. The Commonwealth appears alive and healthy!

 

 

 

Not Everyones Here for The Wedding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOT EVERYONES HERE FOR THE WEDDING!

 



On my way to the Abbey I passed Westminster. The various peace protesters for various causes who are camping here all the time had a lot of new neighbours and I assume a lot of interest. They were certainly taking the opportunity to get their message across. There was a certain irony with the contrast of purpose of the protesters and the public there for the wedding.

To Stop War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I left the protesters and came across this Lifeguard on duty. His expression says it all. I was a fair way away from him, between me and him were a constant stream of tourists wishing to photograph and oggle him. Mind you he was more fortunate than one around the corner who was on foot not horse. How he kept still and compsoed I really don't know how.

Life in the Lifeguards

 

The Other Kate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opposite the Abbey it was rammed, dozens and dozens of campers, most with just sleeping bags or beds and some with tents and hundreds and hundreds of media folk. This young lady was attracting a lot of interest, TV cameras and interviewers and, yes, me! Well she had Kate's dress, Kates hair but do I detect an oriental heritage? Surely she could not be attempting to be a Kate look alike?

 

 

 

 

Then her minder spoke to me, in a New York accent " You from the press?" he enquired sounding like someone out of the Sopranos. "If you want me to be", I jauntily replied (most of the whole worlds press were within 500m of where we were standing, it semed an odd question). "Well are you our ain't you"was his short reply. "I'm freelance", I replied.The big, round white suited man now relaxed and handed me his card.

Mr Evan Guttman CIO of The Natural Sapphire Company 6 East 45th Street , the 20th Floor Penthouse no less! Well I made another promise of a blog mention, I gave him my card (which does not contain and address so no embarrasment about being on the ground floor) and before I could find out if he was selling these sapphire rings for a tenner a pop or not the Old Bill moved our little media circus on and we got split up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have included an image below close up of one of Mr Guttman's sapphires. I need to promote him because I'm not sure that the 20th floor is actually that high in New York!

 

 

 

The Sapphire

I've included the image below, there were so many such sights outside the abbey but I was struck by this ladies hat. Had she been camping there since 1997?

Been Here Since 1997

I made my way off to The Westminster pub, but there was no escaping Will and Kate

In The Westminster pub

After a coupe of pints I decided to head home now fully prepared for the big day tommorrow. Just as I was boarding the train I got a tweet advising me I had a press pass for a gig in Camden that evening. I'd given up on any chance of one but I could not afford to miss it. I hopped off the train and made my way to Camden to kill a couple of hours before the gig. My elbow was by now letting me know I was overdoing things (for those who don't know I had a operation on it four weeks ago). I shot  Don Broco and decided to call it a day. This morning, well during the night, I decided I had overdone it and my elbow would need to rest, a return visit to Westmisnster for the wedding was not for me. So I'm spending today between the TV and Photoshop, oh and this blog post. So below is one of my final images of yesterday Simon Delaney of DON BROCO in action.

Simon Delaney Don Broco

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