Monday 10 June 2013

A glorious morning @ Nobby's Beach

If there could only be one iconic landmark in Newcastle, it would have to be Nobby's Beach. Famous for its swimming and surfing conditions, and of course the lighthouse, Nobby's is one of Newcastle's most loved beaches. It is a place that speaks to the heart of all Novocastrians; it's part of our history, our childhood memories and our present day lives.

For photographers, Nobby's Beach is one of the most photographed locations in Newcastle. Wander in to any photography gallery in Newcastle and this beach will surely be featured. On numerous occasions I have attempted to photograph Nobby's Beach, but each time I have tried, nature decided to have the day off. Instead of the gorgeous scenes I had seen elsewhere, I was presented with gloomy days and dark grey clouds. The sunrise that I desired to capture was eluding me with quite some success. And just to rub it in, earlier this year I managed to sleep in while my photography buddy Kane was capturing a brilliant sunrise at Nobby's. Just my luck!

But this all changed on a cold morning in June 2013. Kane and I had arranged for a sunrise session. The timing of the sunrise, tides and the weather forecast were lining up nicely. All we needed was a nice bit of cloud coverage high in the sky (but not right on the horizon) and we knew it would be game on.

I awoke to the sound of the Marimba ringtone on the iPhone, time to get up. I threw my clothes on (including the thermals), slammed down an "Up&Go" and flew out the door when Kane arrived. The suspense grew as we drove closer to the beach. Out of the darkness appeared the first glimpses of light. The clouds began to shimmer with a soft glow of orange and we began to see what awaited us. Thank God, I had not slept in!

We arrived at the beach and were greeted by a number of other photographers who had the same idea as us. We chose our spot on the beach and waited for the light show to begin. Little by little the colour appeared, and then all of a sudden it lit up, and remained so for the best part of 20 minutes. We snapped away with grins on our faces. We knew we were capturing a "winner" so to speak.

When I got home I quickly uploaded my images and began the editing process. I was quite pleased with the results. What I love about this image is the contrast of the blue and orange sky, it really does add an extra dimension to the image. I also love the reflections in the bottom right corner of the image and the banding pattern in the sand. And last, but not least, I love the tiny silhouette of a ship in the distance. This really caps off an the image.

What do you like about the image?

Nobby's Beach, Newcastle, NSW

I have finally captured a stunning sunrise at Nobby's Beach. This image is going on my wall (and hopefully on many others too!). I will surely be back to this spot, there are still many creative possibilities and amazing sunrises to capture.